Chapter 26
“Shouldn’t he be cold and stern? I actually think he’s better off that way, more charming,” Xiao Wan retorted playfully with Zhang Yang. “With that face of his, if he were a bit more approachable, girls would be flocking to him.”
Zhang Yang found it unbelievable. “Alright, I can’t argue with you.”
Ji Ting chuckled softly from the side.
After handling a few more takeout orders, around ten-thirty, the shop finally quieted down a bit. Zhang Yang disappeared into his baking area, and Lu Xingyao walked in, smiling warmly at Ji Ting. “Shall we talk about our collaboration?”
Ji Ting had just finished making coffee. Seeing Lu Xingyao reminded her of the palm reading incident. She paused momentarily and asked with a smile, “How do you want to collaborate?”
“I’ll have a latte first,” Lu Xingyao stood by the counter, glancing over the menu and placing her order casually. Ji Ting asked Xiao Wan to handle the order. Xiao Wan exclaimed in surprise but proceeded to make the latte with a smile, clearly fond of Lu Xingyao. Lu Xingyao looked at Ji Ting and said, “Shall we discuss?”
Ji Ting smiled in response.
Walking away from the counter, they sat down at a table near the bookshelf. She took a sip of coffee. “I heard your store’s doing well. Do you still need collaboration?”
Lushine shop’s male manicurists are very popular, all of them are tall and handsome, attracting a large number of girls to patronize. And Lushine’s manicure shop not only has handsome gimmicks, but also has really good skills. It has long been spread out on Zuoyue, and many female white-collar workers will go there to do manicures together. Some of the nearby guests and some of the guests through the Internet transmission will come and try.
The online reviews are very good, and the market has opened up all at once, so there is no need to cooperate again.
Lu Xingyao smiled and pushed her straight hair back, saying, “Business is so good, it’s causing jealousy.”
Ji Ting leaned back in her chair, holding her cup. As soon as she heard this, she suddenly understood a little. She asked, “Is this your first time here?”
Lu Xingyao nodded. “I transitioned from online to offline. In the early days, I started with just a nail polish business. To open this shop, I underwent extensive training. They say you can make money in Li City, but to really succeed, you have to choose a place like Zuoyue. That’s why I came straight here. Renting the shop isn’t cheap, and I was also tricked into paying quite a bit of ‘tea money’ by the second landlord.”
Ji Ting listened and understood. “It’s tough here. We’re also deeply involved in the ‘tea money’ situation.”
“But I heard your store offers a lot of conveniences,” Lu Xingyao blinked at Ji Ting. Ji Ting smiled but didn’t respond to Lu Xingyao’s comment. Just then, Xiao Wan brought over the latte. Lu Xingyao thanked her and then turned to Ji Ting. “Let’s collaborate. When I do online promotions in the future, I’ll include Sunset in them. That way, you can save on some advertising costs.”
Ji Ting replied, “We already have our own vlog for the store.”
“But I often invest in streams,” Lu Xingyao’s eyes lit up.
Ji Ting looked at her, sipped her coffee with a smile, and asked, “How do you propose we collaborate?”
Lu Xingyao immediately sent a document to Ji Ting. It was essentially about bundled sales. Ji Ting skimmed through it but didn’t agree right away; she needed to think it over.
Lu Xingyao, propping up her face, asked, “Do you still need me to read your palm?”
Ji Ting paused while holding her phone. She looked up and said, “No, I don’t need it.”
“And what about the others?” Lu Xingyao asked softly.
Ji Ting met her gaze for a few seconds. She raised an eyebrow and then asked Xiao Wan to bring a pen and paper. She casually drew a person’s palm on the table, omitting everything but the love line.
Three clear lines appeared. She handed it to Lu Xingyao and asked, “Can you tell anything from this?”
“This person clearly isn’t lacking in romantic prospects.”
Ji Ting nodded. Lu Xingyao looked again and said, “I see that this person has a rekindled relationship.”
Ji Ting’s fingers paused.
She then folded the paper.
Lu Xingyao looked up at her. “Is he your path?”
Ji Ting smiled and said, “I’m just curious.”
Lu Xingyao responded with an “Oh.”
Regarding the collaboration, Ji Ting still needed to think it over, so Lu Xingyao went back first. The sunset view from Zhuoyue was excellent, and Zhuoyue had provided Ji Ting with many conveniences. Over the years, no one had been able to take Ji Ting’s position. The reason Lu Xingyao wanted to collaborate with Ji Ting was basically to find a strong backing.
In the following days, both Tan Yucheng and Ji Ting were busy. She spent most of her time inspecting the final renovations at the branch stores. The cultural community’s facilities had already been installed, including the segregation of parking spaces.
The weather in Li City had entered the cool early autumn, with November temperatures fluctuating. Fortunately, the overall temperature was high, so wearing a light jacket was enough to stay warm.
That afternoon, Ji Ting received a call from Qiu Dan, who said that Uncle Tan and Aunt Xiao had come to Li City and invited her to dinner at their house tonight for a family gathering. Ji Ting was slightly surprised and checked her calendar.
A week passed just like that.
She replied to Qiu Dan, “Okay.”
“Come over early.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up the phone, she went to Sunset. Ji Ting was dressed simply today, wearing just a long-sleeve top and jeans, which was a bit too casual for meeting people, so she definitely needed to change.
She informed Zhang Yang and Xiao Zhou, leaving the store in their care.
Returning to her apartment to get ready, Ji Ting decided that since she was changing clothes, she might as well take a shower. After showering, she dried her hair as she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to choose an outfit.
Scanning her well-stocked wardrobe, her eyes settled on a black long slip dress. Knowing he would also be at tonight’s gathering, Ji Ting reached out and took the dress.
She put it on and paired it with a thin black jacket, changing her earrings to smaller pearl ones.
After finishing everything, she noticed the “Pure Scent Imprint” perfume. She picked it up, sprayed some, then closed the cap, checked the time, and headed out. With the sun setting outside, Ji Ting knew there would be traffic, so she took the coastal road and arrived at the supermarket near her home.
She honked the horn twice.
Qiu Dan and Ji Lindong walked out of the supermarket, each carrying something. Ji Ting got out of the car and helped them put the items in the trunk.
Qiu Dan glanced at her daughter and said, “I was worried you would come in your work uniform.”
Ji Ting smiled, “No, our work uniform is light green. It’s unpresentable.”
Qiu Dan got into the passenger seat and said, “I still don’t know what you were thinking when you chose light green for the uniforms.”
Ji Ting got into the driver’s seat, fastened her seatbelt, and said, “It makes you look fairer. This color is very popular this year.”
“But you’re not dark-skinned,” Qiu Dan remarked, giving her a sideways glance.
Ji Ting smiled as she started the car and coaxed, “Whatever you say.”
Qiu Dan, now amused, playfully chided her. Ji Ting smiled brightly, while Ji Lindong, who still hadn’t rolled down his sleeves, quickly did so in the back seat, and praised, “You both have fair skin. It’s great that Tingting takes after her mom and not me.”
“If she took after you, she’d be a charcoal,” Qiu Dan retorted.
Ji Lindong nodded and said, “Yes, yes, she definitely shouldn’t take after me.”
Ji Ting listened to her parents chat while driving, the smile never leaving her lips. In the middle of the conversation, Qiu Dan subtly remarked, “Tingting should find someone good-looking. After all, genes are important for future children.”
Ji Ting gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling a bit helpless and choosing not to respond.
She asked Qiu Dan which neighborhood they were going to.
Qiu Dan immediately replied, “Tianyu.”
Tianyu was where Tan Yucheng’s other apartment was located, a large flat that Xiao Xi had renovated a few years back to serve as a future wedding home. Upon arriving at the underground parking garage of Tianyu and parking in one of Tan Yucheng’s spaces, they saw Xiao Xi and Tan Hui standing at the stairway entrance, smiling, with Tan Yucheng behind them.
He was dressed simply in a black shirt and pants, with one hand in his pocket.
Ji Ting stepped out of the car in her long dress, her gaze meeting him in mid-air for a second. They hadn’t seen each other for three or four days. Upon seeing Xiao Xi, Qiu Dan forgot all about the gifts.
Happily, she walked over, and the two of them began chatting as soon as they shook hands.
Ji Ting opened the trunk and, along with Ji Lindong, went around to get the gifts. Qiu Dan had brought milk, beef, eel, fish maw, bird’s nest, and various kinds of alcohol from the supermarket.
Uncle Tan Hui, called over by Xiao Xi, came to help.
Ji Lindong chatted with Uncle Tan Hui, who remarked, “You practically brought the whole supermarket!”
Ji Lindong laughed and said, “This is nothing. Look at the alcohol you love.”
“You really know me well, old Ji.”
Both men had their hands full, but there was still one box of milk left. Uncle Tan Hui said to Ji Ting, “Let Yucheng handle it.”
Ji Ting was about to say it was fine.
A shadow fell over her as a large hand lifted the box of milk. Ji Ting paused, turning to meet his eyes. Tan Yucheng’s collar was slightly open as he glanced at her and said, “What? Don’t recognize me?”
Ji Ting’s heart skipped a beat, and she pressed her lips together, murmuring, “Of course I do.”
She mumbled softly.
Tan Yucheng let out a cold snort.
Ahead, their parents walked together, chatting as they went. Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng lagged behind. She had changed into high heels after getting out of the car, causing her dress hem to sway lightly as she walked. Tan Yucheng, walking beside her, glanced down and noticed her delicate pearl earrings—small but exceptionally refined.
Ji Ting asked quietly, “What time did Uncle Tan and Aunt Xiao arrive?”
“Two thirty in the afternoon.”
His casual voice sounded next to her.
Ji Ting responded with a soft “oh.”
Entering the elevator, both sets of parents went in first. As they turned around, they saw Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng enter one after the other. Xiao Xi’s eyes lit up as she looked at Ji Ting and said, “Tingting, you look very beautiful today.”
Qiu Dan laughed and said, “I was worried she would come in her work uniform. You don’t know, her uniform is light green. That color looks so strange no matter how you see it.”
“Don’t make it sound like I haven’t seen it. I’ve seen it. Tingting looks beautiful even in her work uniform, with her great figure and fair skin. What’s not to like? I think she looks great.”
In the elevator, all the parents were looking at Ji Ting.
The two mothers discussed Ji Ting’s appearance right in front of her.
Ji Ting’s cheeks grew warm, and she turned her face slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Seeing her like this, Tan Yucheng’s lips curved into a slight smile.
When they reached the floor, both families exited the elevator. Tan Hui opened the door, and the sound of cooking came from inside. The housekeeper was in the kitchen, preparing food. The house had been completely renovated in a modern style, predominantly white, brown, and black. The only area with warmer colors was the small living room, where the sofa was light yellow.
The large living room connected seamlessly with the dining area, creating a spacious environment.
After entering the house, Xiao Xi pulled Qiu Dan and Ji Ting to look at the rooms. The master bedroom door was a hidden door, integrated with the wall. If Xiao Xi hadn’t pushed it open, no one would have known it was a room. The entire layout had changed, completely different from when Ji Ting last visited.
After looking around, Qiu Dan said, “This house looks much more high-end with the renovation, but it still feels a bit cold.”
Xiao Xi rolled her eyes. “He wouldn’t let me make it too warm. The yellow sofa over there was something I had the renovation company sneak in before he finalized the decisions.”
Qiu Dan laughed. “It’s good you had some say in it.”
Xiao Xi folded her arms. “Exactly.”
Ji Ting couldn’t get a word in with the two mothers, so she took out her phone and replied to a message from the shop. When the mothers finished chatting, she followed them back out.
Tan Yucheng was sitting in the main seat, brewing tea. His sleeves were rolled up, and steam rose around him as he listened to the fathers talk. He held the teapot, pouring water, the veins on the back of his hand clearly visible.
Both mothers took their seats, and Ji Ting was guided by Xiao Xi to sit beside Tan Yucheng on the long sofa.
She glanced down to respond to a message on her phone.
Xiao Xi and Qiu Dan discussed the renovations of the house. Suddenly, Xiao Xi leaned closer to Ji Ting and sniffed, “Tingting, did you spray on a new perfume?”
Ji Ting paused, holding her phone. She looked up and replied to Xiao Xi, “Yes.”
“This one suits you very well. You have good taste,” Xiao Xi commented.
Ji Ting’s ears tinged with warmth. She nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t look at Tan Yucheng beside her.
Tan Yucheng used tongs to place a cup of tea in front of her. Ji Ting politely tapped the table in appreciation. Tan Yucheng glanced at her fair wrist with a slight smile.
A few seconds later, he picked up another cup and handed it across Ji Ting to Qiu Dan’s side.
He returned with the tongs in hand.
He lifted the kettle with a strong wrist and added water to the teapot. Ji Ting exhaled softly; amidst the scent of tea, she also caught a whiff of the fragrance from her own “Pure Scent” perfume.
There was a subtle tension between him and her.
Her heart raced like thunder. After replying to the message, she hesitated for a moment, then stood up and went to the restroom.
The restroom was a bit far from here, near the small balcony on that end. Ji Ting washed her hands at the sink and wiped the water droplets from her palms with a tissue. Just then, someone else walked in—tall, in a black shirt, and with large hands turning on the tap to wash their hands too. Ji Ting’s heart skipped a beat as she glanced up and saw it was Tan Yucheng. He also grabbed a tissue to dry his hands, stood upright, lowered his gaze, and met her eyes.
Ji Ting’s heart pounded loudly. She sighed, “You startled me by coming in suddenly.”
Tan Yucheng looked at her and said, “Was it that scary?”
Ji Ting turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist. She paused, looked up, and he brought her wrist to his nose, sniffing lightly. His eyes held a playful glint as he asked, “You’re wearing perfume?”
Ji Ting’s heart pounded even harder. She bit her lip, her face flushing. “Uh, yes, I am.”
“Let me smell,” he said, pushing her against the wall with one hand on her waist.
He leaned in, tilting his head to sniff her neck. Ji Ting’s heart raced uncontrollably. Instinctively, she leaned on the sink with one hand, lowering her gaze. Tan Yucheng searched her neck with his nose, his fingertips lifting her chin as he leaned down to sniff. He caught the faint scent of perfume lingering around her.
Ji Ting didn’t dare move in his embrace.
Her heart beat heavily beneath her clothes as Tan Yucheng finished sniffing and lifted his gaze to meet hers in the dim light.
“We haven’t seen each other for a few days, right?” he murmured.
Ji Ting leaned against the wall, looking at him. “Four days?”
Tan Yucheng nodded. “Quite a while.”
The next moment, Tan Yucheng lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Ji Ting was suddenly surprised, shocked, and instinctively struggled. He was kissing her here, and she didn’t have time to resist. He kissed her deeply, causing her to tilt her head back against the wall, her heart pounding like a drum.
Faintly, she heard someone outside say it’s time for dinner, but what about the two of them?