She thought Mu Chen was a gentle and upright person, but she never expected him to stab her in the back.
A month later, Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea finally opened to great anticipation.
Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea is an independent brand. Unlike other hotels that combine afternoon tea with the lobby bar or restaurant, it is a completely new space created on the 12th floor of the hotel.
The afternoon tea restaurant is decorated in a sophisticated English study style, with only a dozen or so tables, all furnished with genuine leather sofas. The tables are spaced far apart, creating a more open and private space. Guests can enjoy their afternoon tea without worrying about being disturbed by a noisy crowd.
The south side of the restaurant features a full-length window, allowing diners to enjoy the bustling traffic on the main road below and the sunny lake view across the street.
The tea selection features four premium teas chosen from around the world, while the food is primarily traditional English three-tiered tea tarts. The pastry chef, from a two-Michelin-starred British restaurant, also excels at making freshly baked scones, sandwiches, cakes, and macarons.
The milk and cherry drink that Mu Chen made for Song Yunxi was placed in a uniquely shaped transparent glass and displayed on a three-tiered shelf as a special blend made by the general manager.
Many tea brands have made milk and cherry drinks before, and they've all received good reviews. If Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea wants this quick-drink beverage to be included in a five-star hotel's afternoon tea menu, they need to show more sincerity than others. Therefore, they've put a lot of effort into the ingredients and the process.
The milk and cherry drink in the afternoon tea set is no longer the simple drink that Mu Chen made for Song Yunxi, which was just milk and cherries blended into a juice.
Instead, they combined Dong Ding Oolong tea from Taiwan, Northwest cherries from Washington, D.C., and concentrated cream from Devonshire, England. After countless trials and adjustments, they finally created this fruit tea that amazed everyone in terms of appearance, taste, and quality.
As promised, Mu Chen stood in front of the worktable specially set up in the afternoon tea restaurant for the opening event, and personally made the milk cherry that was being heavily promoted.
Song Yunxi held several meetings with the managers of Miss Chi's afternoon tea, as well as the pastry chef, tea master, and people from Heyi Company, and decided to focus the promotion on milk cherries.
Since the tea and pastries are basically the same as those offered by other five-star hotels serving English afternoon tea, although Miss Chi's afternoon tea uses high-quality ingredients and tastes, it lacks any unique features or selling points. Further promoting the tea and pastries would not only appear to be following the trend but would also diminish its competitive advantage.
But the milk cherry drink is different; it's a unique beverage in Miss Chi's afternoon tea set. And, like Yan Zhen's perfume, it boasts a stunningly beautiful appearance and a romantic story to tell.
The transparent glass was filled to seven-tenths full with bright red cherry juice and oolong tea, and then topped with a delicate and smooth milk foam.
After Mu Chen finished making the first cup, he turned around and handed it to Song Yunxi, who was standing next to him.
He hoped that the first cup of milk and cherry he made under this new brand would be a gift to Song Yunxi. If he had to tell a brand story in the future, it would be the story of how he and she searched for high-quality ingredients, experimented countless times, and jointly developed the product.
Song Yunxi smiled as she accepted the cup, then handed it to Chi Li without pausing for a second. The media present not only had cameras recording non-stop, but their personal cameras were also working even more diligently at this moment.
Mu Chen glanced at Song Yunxi and smiled slightly. Song Yunxi was indeed Song Yunxi; it seemed that nothing else mattered to her except making money.
Chi Li smiled as well, holding up her cup and posing for photos from different angles. A few minutes later, she casually handed the cup back to Song Yunxi under a pretext, then turned and chatted with the others.
Song Yunxi smiled and turned to look at Mu Chen. "See? Milk and Cherries are back, aren't they?"
After the opening ceremony, Mu Chen and Chi Li, as the heads and spokespersons of the co-branded brand, jointly invited the guests who attended the event to enjoy snacks and tea.
Tea master Shen Yao picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and nodded, saying, "Not bad."
"I thank Professor Shen for his positive feedback on behalf of this Ceylon black tea." Song Yunxi said with a smile, while picking up the teapot and adding some more tea for Shen Yao.
Before the ceremony began, she was introduced to Shen Yao as the person in charge of Miss Chi's afternoon tea. After she made a point of mentioning that she also knew a little about tea ceremony, Shen Yao put aside his airs and chatted with her for a while. The two quickly became acquainted.
"Teachers, please try some more desserts. Our head chef's scones and velvet cakes are also excellent." Song Yunxi invited them with a smile, and then formally introduced pastry chef Jason Field, who had come to greet the guests.
She had great confidence in Miss Chi's afternoon tea pastries, having tasted them countless times over the past few months. She had also taken Lin Xiaoran, as a guest, to sample afternoon tea and pastries at other hotels.
Song Yunxi felt that she had gained some weight recently because she had been eating a lot of sweets. She even considered whether to claim the extra few pounds as a work-related injury and apply to Fu Meilin for weight loss funds.
After Shen Yao and the editor-in-chief of the food magazine both praised Miss Chi's afternoon tea, Song Yunxi smiled and asked in a slightly coquettish tone, "Please give me some recommendations on Miss Chi's afternoon tea based on your professional expertise."
It wasn't until 5:30 PM, when afternoon tea time ended, that Song Yunxi accompanied Mu Chen and Chi Li to see the guests off from the hotel one by one.
Song Yunxi turned to look at Chi Li, about to ask her if she was leaving or if she wanted to have dinner together.
Chi Li spoke first: "Don't worry about me. I'm just checking out my abusive husband's work environment, and then I'll wait for him to get off work." After saying that, she turned around and walked through the revolving door into the hotel.
Song Yunxi then turned to look at Mu Chen.
Mu Chen smiled, "I'm going to see Mu Xian later, why don't you come with me?"
"That's great. The popular young actress has contributed a lot to our new brand, so we should definitely come and thank her."
After all, most of the celebrities who congratulated Miss Chi's afternoon tea opening on social media today, apart from a few of Mu Chen's own friends, were doing so out of respect for Mu Xian.
As soon as Song Yunxi returned to her office, Lin Xiaoran smiled and handed her her phone. "Unnie, look."
News of the official opening of Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea topped the trending search list, and the Platinum Hotel also remained high on the trending search list.
Lin Xiaoran asked, "Does this mean we've succeeded?"
"Not yet. After all, today is the first day of opening. There are events, and President Mu and Chi Li have also helped with their personal relationship. We'll have to wait and see if it's a success." Song Yunxi handed the phone back to Lin Xiaoran: "Go and ask the restaurant manager for a set of waiter uniforms for me. I need to personally serve the guests tomorrow."
She knew the term "getting involved" very early on.
Successful brand managers cannot rely solely on theoretical discussions; they must immerse themselves in business scenarios, personally observe and experience them, understand customer feedback, and identify their own weaknesses and shortcomings. Only in this way can a brand achieve long-term, positive development.
When Li Shenghuan first returned to ST Group, he was also required to work with her in a service position for half a year before he officially joined the board of directors.
*
Mu Chen and Mu Xian had arranged to have dinner at a hot pot restaurant.
When Song Yunxi and Mu Chen entered the private room, Mu Xian and her assistant Xiao Fan were already sitting inside, drooling over the bubbling hot pot.
Song Yunxi really wanted to exclaim: How come the Mu siblings both have such great figures?
Even though Mu Xian was over six months pregnant and her belly was noticeably protruding, her arms and legs remained very slender. Unlike her, who had gained weight uncontrollably simply by visiting a few restaurants for afternoon tea and pastries.
Mu Xian pointed to the seat opposite and exclaimed, "Sit down quickly, I'm so hungry!"
Mu Chen first let Song Yunxi sit inside, and then he sat on a chair outside and asked Mu Xian, "Why are we having hot pot? Aren't we not allowed to eat it?"
I'd heard from others that pregnant women shouldn't eat hot pot or barbecue. Mu Xian has loved spicy hot pot since she was little, and she's been enduring it for months—it's really tough for her.
Xiao Fan eagerly complained, "Brother, you don't know, she's been clamoring for hot pot for days. She finally insisted on coming over since my brother-in-law is away on a business trip. I had no choice but to order a half-and-half pot. You guys keep an eye on her ordering later."
Xiao Fan had been with Mu Xian for several years, from when Mu Xian worked at her previous company until her contract with her former company expired and she started her own company. Xiao Fan had always been with her. Therefore, Xiao Fan was no different from family to Mu Chen and Mu Xian, and she addressed them as "brother" and "sister" in private.
Mu Xian glared at Xiao Fan. "You talk too much. I don't eat spicy food. Can't I even watch you eat and enjoy it?" After saying that, she handed Song Yunxi a drink. "Yunxi, don't pay attention to them. I'm not a child. Why do I need them to tell me what to do?"
"Okay." Song Yunxi smiled and took the drink. "Then I'll have a clear broth hot pot with you. Only clear broth can bring out the most delicious flavor of the food. They don't understand that."
After hearing this, Mu Xian and Song Yunxi looked at each other and smiled, nodding emphatically.
Midway through the meal, Mu Xian casually remarked to Song Yunxi, "I've heard that there are quite a few fans online who ship Mu Chen and Chi Li as a couple. You should keep an eye out for them."
Of course she knew that the whole thing about creating a romantic pairing was definitely not her younger brother's doing.
Song Yoon-hee said, "Actually, I just wanted to promote it more, I didn't expect there would be so many CP fans."
"After all, netizens like the combination of handsome men and beautiful women, and they also like to imagine stories that suit their tastes. Although there are many CP pairings in the entertainment industry, the results are not always good. The best outcome is that they can successfully break up the pairing. If it is not handled well, the worst thing will be that the CP fans will leave and turn against them."
"Yes, I'll find a way to resolve the CP fans' issue as soon as possible." Song Yunxi said as she got up and refilled Mu Xian's cup with hot water.
Of course she knew that Mu Xian was saying these words of advice for her and Mu Chen's own good; outsiders wouldn't care about each other like family members do.
She has indeed thought about the issue of CP fans these past few days. She previously wanted to create hype, thinking that creating a CP was a shortcut to quickly become famous.
But as the opening date of Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea approached, Song Yunxi realized more and more that those fans who were making a ruckus online, constantly clamoring for a CP and wanting Mu Chen and Chi Li to appear together, were not the kind of customers Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea needed.
Most of those CP fans are teenagers; very few are working or earning money. And the price of 288 yuan per person for Miss Chi's afternoon tea is not something they are likely to patronize.
Even if she isn't so materialistic and doesn't care whether her fans come to spend money or not, and just lets them entertain themselves online, she will eventually suffer a backlash because these CP fans are too active.
A few days ago, some people started arguing with the Chenchi CP fans online, complaining that it was too annoying for them to keep promoting the Chenchi CP everywhere.
However, with the opening of Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea just a few days ago, Song Yunxi simply couldn't find the time to deal with the CP fans. Hearing Mu Xian remind her of this today, she realized she really needed to find a solution as soon as possible; people in the entertainment industry are always much more perceptive than she, an outsider.
Mu Xian said, "If you need anything from me, just come to me. I've been in the entertainment industry for so long, I do have some connections."
Song Yunxi mimicked Mu Chen's mannerisms, smiling as she called Mu Xian by her nickname: "Okay. Thank you in advance, Xianxian."
Mu Chen spoke calmly just as they were about to end the conversation: "You don't need to worry about it. I've already had Pan Zhe and the public relations department handle it."
Previously, when Song Yunxi stirred up trouble among the CP fans, Mu Chen didn't pay much attention. Apart from a few rare joint promotional appearances, he and Chi Li rarely even saw each other, so he felt the CP fans couldn't cause any real trouble. If Song Yunxi wanted to cause trouble, let her be.
But he underestimated the power of CP fans, who could find sweet moments even in completely unrelated situations.
For example, after the promotional photos were released, he happened to post them on his social media account at 3:33 PM to cooperate with the promotion, and the CP fans said that he deliberately chose this time to post them. Because Chi Li's birthday is in March, her surname has three drops of water, and her given name has three strengths, so this was Mu Chen secretly confessing his feelings to Chi Li.
The imaginations and detective skills of these CP (couple) fans are so rich that even Conan would be humbled. If Mu Chen hadn't happened to be involved in the case, he almost would have believed their reasoning.
Therefore, he made up his mind to sort out the CP fans.
However, a direct and forceful clarification wasn't an option. Firstly, in today's society, clarifications carry little credibility. Secondly, it was the pre-opening phase of Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea, and negative publicity was undesirable. He could only choose a more gentle approach.
Recently, whether it's Mu Chen and Chi Li's personal social media accounts or the official accounts of Platinum Hotel and Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea, when posting promotional materials, they deliberately convey that the two are only in a business partnership. The copywriting is polite and businesslike, showing no sign of personal feelings.
His strategy is to gradually infiltrate the online community, preventing them from receiving the so-called "sweetness," and eventually the message will dissipate on its own.
Song Yunxi frowned slightly, sensing that things weren't so simple.
She turned to Mu Chen and asked, "Did you report my alternate account?"
A few days ago, she suddenly couldn't log into her secondary WeChat account, so she hadn't been aware of the activities of the CP fan group. Of course, she was even less aware that the CP fan group had been disbanded due to being reported multiple times.
She originally wanted to find the netizens who had invited her to the group on social media, but found that their secondary social media accounts were also acting strangely.
However, she was busy with the opening of Miss Chi's afternoon tea shop at the time, so she didn't have time to pay attention to these two small, insignificant accounts.
Mu Chen didn't say anything, but just smiled and put some meat into Song Yunxi's bowl. His silence was an admission of agreement.
She thought Mu Chen was a gentle and upright person, but she never expected him to stab her in the back.
Song Yunxi thought about it and realized that she didn't seem to have any right to be angry, since she was the one who betrayed her boyfriend among the CP fans first.
Mu Xian laughed too. Her younger brother had personally intervened, which meant he didn't want to give her a chance to show off.
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