Chapter 11, Part 11
Chapter Summary: I don't have a girlfriend yet.
"Can we discuss other matters between us?"
For a moment, Yao Ye's breath caught in her throat. Faced with Li Fengjian's almost aggressive gaze, she swallowed hard, unsure how to respond.
Fortunately, during their silence, Yao Ye's phone rang. The ringing gave her a chance to temporarily escape his gaze, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
She turned to answer the phone, "Hey Su Yan, what's up?"
Unexpectedly, Su Yan on the other end of the phone sounded like she was about to cry, "Yao Ye... what am I going to do... Zhang Jiajia just called and told me that she saw my boyfriend at the Baili Shopping Mall! He was shopping with a girl, and they looked very intimate!"
"What?" Yao Ye exclaimed in surprise. "Calm down, Zhang Jiajia didn't see wrong, did she?"
"Jiajia's words are absolutely true. But she's in a hurry to get to the movie theater, and I didn't want to bother her any further. Yao Ye, I remember your family's art class is in the Belle Shopping Mall, right?"
"Yes, I'm in art class right now."
"Can you do me a favor? Can you sneak a peek and see if that jerk is really with another girl? I'd prefer to see what she looks like!"
Su Yan was already crying her eyes out, which softened Yao Ye's heart, and she had no choice but to agree, "Okay, okay, I'll go see... But your boyfriend has seen me before, if I go there rashly, won't I alert him... Wait..."
A thought suddenly struck her, and she turned urgently to Li Fengjian beside her, "Can you do me a favor..."
"good."
"I haven't even said what kind of help it is yet."
"Anything is fine."
Yao Ye blinked. "My roommate's boyfriend seems to be cheating on her. He's on a date with another girl at Belle. Could you help me keep an eye on him?"
Li Fengjian nodded.
Yao Ye laughed, then replied to Su Yan on the other end of the phone, "I found some help. Where in the mall are they probably operating?"
Su Yan thanked them profusely, "Jiajia said that the last time she saw them was about ten minutes ago at a milk tea shop on the basement floor, something like 'Wind'..."
“Ah…” Yao Ye raised her eyebrows, “I understand.”
After saying that, she asked a teacher who didn't have class to sit at the front desk for her for a while, and casually pulled Li Fengjian downstairs, "Let's go, Mr. Li of Kazama-do, the person just happens to be in your shop!"
Li Fengjian was led along by her. He looked down at Yao Ye's small hand gripping his wrist and couldn't help but smile.
………………
Yao Ye had met Su Yan's boyfriend a few times and vaguely remembered that his name was Zhang Zhicheng. So, afraid of disturbing him, Yao Ye dared not step into Kazamado and instead stood in a secluded spot outside the store through the glass door, keeping in touch with Li Fengjian via WeChat.
Zhang Zhicheng and his female companion, who had placed their order more than ten minutes earlier, were waiting at the store because Kazamado was short-staffed. Aunt Sun, who had returned earlier, was already making their drinks, while Li Fengjian pretended to tidy up and clean, quietly approaching the two of them.
"They seem to be having a lively conversation. What are they talking about?" Yao Ye peeked out from outside the door and sent a WeChat message to Li Fengjian.
Li Fengjian listened intently as he replied, "The woman asked, 'Have you and your girlfriend broken up?' The man replied, 'Yes, we haven't been in contact for several days, so it's a tacit agreement that we've broken up.'"
"Keep going, is there anything else?" Yao Ye urged.
Li Fengjian typed at lightning speed. "The man said, 'I know what she's thinking. I'll go and coax her.' It's ridiculous. Who has time to play this dragging-out, testing-the-waters game with her? If it works, great; if not, just find someone else. Why bother with all that effort?' The woman replied, 'You men don't like dragging things out. You men all like to go straight to the hotel and get straight to the point.' Then they both laughed."
"I saw them smile," Yao Ye said through gritted teeth. "Anything else?"
The man then asked, "Did you break up with him?" The woman replied, "No, I didn't. He's rich. I'll wait until he stops spending money on me before breaking up with him." The man then asked, "Wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?" The woman said, "No, you won't be at a disadvantage. I'll make it up to you at a hotel later."
Yao Ye sighed, "And then they laughed again, right?"
Li Fengjian didn't reply again because the couple's drinks were ready, so he helped pack them up and handed them to them. Zhang Zhicheng carried the bag in one hand and had his arm around the girl's waist with the other, and the two walked out of the store entwined.
Seeing this, Yao Ye turned away and shrank further into the shadows. Just as she was hesitating whether to take a picture, she stared in astonishment as the two of them pushed open the door and stepped out.
Good heavens, she knows this girl!
………………
After the couple left, Li Fengjian walked out of the store and patted Yao Ye on the shoulder, "What are you daydreaming about?"
Yao Ye turned around blankly, "I know that girl, she's Lili, the class beauty from the next class."
"Is that so?" Li Fengjian didn't seem to care much about the girl's appearance.
Yao Ye sighed, "But logically speaking, she should be Hu Xiaojun's girlfriend."
"Hu Xiaojun?" Li Fengjian frowned. "The guy who always bought you drinks? When did he change his career path?"
“He changed direction a long time ago because he felt he had no hope with me…” Yao Ye bit her lip, her mind a jumble of emotions, when she suddenly caught a glimpse of Li Fengjian’s lips curving upwards. She glared at him fiercely, “What are you laughing at?”
"No, it's nothing." Li Fengjian quickly straightened his expression. "You felt there was no hope with him, so you turned to pursuing the class beauty from the next class. But unexpectedly, the class beauty only treated him as an ATM and was dating another boyfriend she could go to hotels with."
Yao Ye scratched her head in frustration. "I definitely have to tell Su Yan. But... should I tell Hu Xiaojun? If you were Hu Xiaojun, would you want to know the truth?"
"...This question is really unlucky. I never want to become Hu Xiaojun in my entire life."
"Alright, let me think it over carefully." Yao Ye rubbed her temples in annoyance, lost in thought. "Then I'm leaving, bye-bye..."
"Wait!" Li Fengjian suddenly grabbed her.
It wasn't until Yao Ye saw Li Fengjian's hand firmly gripping her wrist that she snapped out of her daze. Good heavens, the sudden "caught in the act" incident had made her momentarily forget the undercurrents between her and Li Fengjian today.
Li Fengjian clearly didn't want her to forget, so he cleared his throat. "Um... Kazama-do has new products, have you seen them?"
Yao Ye glanced at the signboard at the shop entrance: Roasted Chestnut Milk Tea, a new product launch.
“I peel chestnuts every day,” Li Fengjian stared at her with an undeniable gaze. “Try the new product tomorrow, and we can discuss the rest later.”
So, Yao Ye almost subconsciously replied with a single word, "Okay."
………………
Yao Ye returned to her university dormitory and told Su Yan everything she had found out. She then hugged the pale-faced, red-eyed Su Yan and comforted her for a long time. She was still hesitant about whether to warn Hu Xiaojun, but the next morning she found that she no longer needed to worry about it.
Because Su Yan, who had been silent all night, suddenly erupted during the morning class. She rushed up to Lili from the next class and shouted,
"I'm giving you that piece of trash Zhang Zhicheng! Of course, you can take him if you want, just throw him in the trash yourself! Also, I wish you all the best!"
"Wh-what?" Lili exclaimed in shock.
"I wish that every man you meet in your future life will be like Zhang Zhicheng, heading straight to a hotel with you and getting straight to the point!"
After saying that, amidst the astonished and gossipy gazes of everyone (including Hu Xiaojun), she calmly sat down in the first row, opened her textbook with an imposing air, and began a theory class that she had never attended before, listening attentively.
Of course, Yao Ye knew in her heart that it was just Su Yan pretending to be strong.
As soon as class ended and she returned to her dorm, she dropped her pretense and cried uncontrollably, trembling as if completely exhausted. Yao Ye was genuinely worried; Su Yan was always love-struck, and what if she suddenly decided to commit suicide? Unfortunately, Zhang Jiajia was absent from school that day, so that afternoon, Yao Ye, still concerned, dragged the uneasily refusing food to the Belle Shopping Mall. She bought a bunch of snacks for Su Yan on the basement floor, hoping to soothe her soul with treats. She then took her to Kazamado.
"Boss Li, two cups of roasted chestnut milk tea, please!" Yao Ye called out, then said to Su Yan, "The milk tea at this shop is especially delicious. Their new products are always very creative and will definitely brighten your mood."
Su Yan was initially listless, but when the milk tea was made and placed in her hand, she silently took a sip, and suddenly burst into tears.
"It tastes so good..." she said, her eyes filled with tears.
"It tastes good, so why are you crying?" Yao Ye blinked, speechless.
"This bubble tea shop is called Kazamado, isn't that the same bubble tea shop Zhang Zhicheng and the others came to drink at last night...?"
Good heavens, it really is! The careless Yao Ye actually overlooked this point!
Seeing Su Yan's tears flow like a broken dam, "It's really delicious, but he's never brought me here to drink it. I understand now, he's never had me in his heart..."
Just as Yao Ye was at her wits' end, Li Fengjian arrived. He greeted Su Yan politely with gentlemanly manners, "Hello, I'm Li Fengjian, the owner of Fengjiantang. Our roasted chestnut milk tea is a new product; what do you think of it?"
Su Yan quickly wiped away her tears, "It tastes very good, it's delicious!"
"That's good." Li Fengjian smiled. "It's worth it for the shop assistant and me to peel chestnuts every day. Our fingers are peeling so badly." As he spoke, Xiao Dong behind the bar also waved his sore hands and then buried his head in the task of peeling chestnuts.
"Therefore, I hope that our customers can truly remember the delicious taste of our drinks. The delicious taste that we make with care should not be diminished just because some scumbag drank it..." Li Fengjian's voice even carried a hint of gentleness. "By the same token, a good girl who treats relationships with care should not give up on herself just because she was deceived by some scumbag."
Upon hearing this, Su Yan's tears gradually stopped. Li Fengjian handed her a tissue and joked, "Of course, if you don't like milk tea, our shop has other options, such as the 'Beating Up a Scumbag' Lemon Tea. Interested?"
Su Yan nodded hesitantly.
Li Fengjian said, "You can even try it yourself..." After saying that, he called over Xiao Dong, "You guide this guest to make a cup of lemon tea to beat up the scumbag."
"Alright..." Xiao Dong, upon receiving the order, led Su Yan behind the bar. "Let's treat these lemons as the scumbag's head. Now we'll use a pestle to beat him up... like this... yes, beat his brains out... haha, you try it..."
Su Yan became increasingly happy as she fought behind the bar, and Yao Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief. As she left, tear tracks still clung to Su Yan's face, but the way she gulped down her lemon tea was incredibly spirited, as if she were truly sucking on the scumbag's skull. As she pushed open the door, she glanced back and waved to Li Fengjian behind the bar, then let out a long, contented sigh.
"I feel much better, thank you, Yao Ye."
"I'm relieved to hear that," Yao Ye said, patting her chest.
"Thank you for the snacks you bought me, and thank you to the people at Kazamado. You seem to know them quite well."
"Yes, we all run businesses in Belle, so we see each other all the time," Yao Ye said with a smile. "I'll pass on the message."
"Hmm..." Su Yan murmured absentmindedly, biting her straw, "He's so gentle. I wonder if he has a girlfriend?"
"What?" Yao Ye was taken aback.
Su Yan's face flushed slightly. "No, it's nothing... You're going to your art class now, right? I'm going back too, bye!"
…………
This time, what was said without malice was taken to heart by the listener. Su Yan's words stirred up a complex mix of emotions in Yao Ye.
The next day was Saturday. Yao Ye sat at the art class counter in a daze early in the morning. She rested her chin on her hands, lost in thought, until a cup of roasted chestnut milk tea was placed in front of her. She slowly looked up and saw Li Fengjian smiling down at her.
“I’ll register Aunt Sun for the class, at the price you quoted last time.”
With business coming in, Yao Ye naturally didn't dare to slack off. While getting up to collect payment, she asked, "Where's Aunt Sun?"
"Kazama-do is too busy, so I'm doing my part." He certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to come up to the fifth floor to see her openly and legitimately.
Seeing Yao Ye writing the receipt with her head down, Li Fengjian took the opportunity to ask her, "What happened to your friend yesterday?"
“She’s much better.” Yao Ye pursed her lips. “I never expected you to be so eloquent.”
"She's crying so hard, I have to find a way to comfort her." The subtext is: otherwise, what if it affects the store's business?
However, as Yao Ye handed over the receipt, she couldn't help but say sourly, "Your comforting words really worked. Su Yan asked me yesterday if you had a girlfriend."
"What?" Li Fengjian was taken aback.
"Hey, what's with that expression?" Yao Ye frowned.
"What kind of expression was I making?" Li Fengjian himself didn't know.
"Hmph, you look so smug!"
"Is there?" Li Fengjian looked at the decorative mirror to the side, but there was nothing there except for surprise!
But Yao Ye wouldn't let it go. "Hmph, she says it's true, so it is!" She probably didn't even realize that the corners of her mouth were practically curled up in a smile. Li Fengjian wanted to argue a bit more, but seeing Yao Qin approaching, Yao Ye immediately abandoned him and ran to her sister. Seeing this, Li Fengjian had no choice but to remain silent for the time being. He turned to leave, but then heard Yao Ye call out again...
"Hey, come again at noon."
"Why?"
"Anyway, just do it again." Yao Ye wrinkled her nose at him from afar, then ignored him like a proud peacock.
So Li Fengjian became restless that day. He ate a few bites of lunch, tidied his hair in front of the mirror, took off his apron, and hurried upstairs.
Unexpectedly, this time it was Teacher Liu Yue who received him and handed him a large bag of things.
"Yao Ye went out with her friends. She told us that these were all for Aunt Sun's children. She had already given them the best price for the classes, and these were gifts prepared for the art class activities next quarter. She kept one of each. Some of them were delivered at noon."
Li Fengjian opened the package and, sure enough, found a number of colored pencils and toys printed with tulip patterns. He couldn't help but smile, "She's so thoughtful."
“Indeed,” Liu Yue said with a smile, “she has never been so concerned about a single business deal before, and she even specially put Aunt Sun’s child in my class. Because she felt…” Liu Yue lowered her voice, quite proudly, “that I was the best teacher.”
"Is that so? Thank you for your trouble." Li Fengjian nodded politely.
As he carried the heavy bags downstairs, he suddenly missed her terribly. So he sent her a WeChat message: "I received the colored pencils and toys, thank you."
Yao Yeshan replied belatedly, "You're welcome. It's for Aunt Sun's granddaughter, not for you."
Even through the phone, Li Fengjian could almost see the corners of her mouth curling up. It seemed that Yao Ye often wore this expression lately, so cute that Li Fengjian couldn't take his eyes off her.
So, reluctant to end the conversation, he continued, "I heard you skipped work and went out with your friends?"
She replied slowly, "It's Su Yan. She's in a bad mood, so I'm keeping her company."
Without hesitation, Li Fengjian sent the message, "If she asks that question again, you can answer it for me."
"What should I answer?" This time, she replied instantly.
"Just tell her for me that I don't have a girlfriend right now."
"Tch... Why 'temporarily'? Are you trying to be cool? If Su Yan asks, 'When will you actually have a girlfriend?' how am I supposed to answer for you?"
“Then let’s put it this way,” he replied without hesitation, “whenever you agree, I will have it.”
After that sentence, Yao Ye did not reply.
……………………
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