Bai Ying was very nervous in the cafeteria.
He wasn’t there alone to eat; he had brought someone along, someone who didn’t belong to Minghong Group.
In comparison, Yun Ze, the crown prince of the neighboring Yunxin Group, seemed much more at ease. He took the tray from Bai Ying’s hands, making it look like he was the one who had brought Bai Ying to eat. Yun Ze lowered his head and asked Bai Ying, who was standing beside him, “What does Xiao Ying want to eat?”
“Grilled fish!” Bai Ying stared longingly at the serving window.
An entire grilled fish topped with chopped chili peppers and spices was placed on Yun Ze’s tray. It was a new item recently launched by Minghong Group, and Bai Ying had wanted to try it for a long time. However, the portion was too much for one person. Qin Juanshu hadn’t been around these past few days, and it just so happened that Yun Ze had come over from next door today to invite him to lunch. Bai Ying had a sudden idea and brought Yun Ze along.
After all, Minghong Group’s cafeteria allowed bringing one or two relatives or friends… and Yun Ze was from the neighboring company anyway. Rounding it off, the two groups could be considered brother companies!
Yun Ze actually didn’t like eating in crowded places. After being trafficked, his personality had become gloomy and reclusive, but he never showed it in front of Bai Ying. The people at Yunxin Group would never have imagined that their young president would skip their own cafeteria and go to the neighboring company’s instead.
He even praised, “The food here isn’t bad.”
For large groups like Minghong and Yunxin, how could the cafeteria food be bad? But for Yun Ze, any meal eaten with Bai Ying was the best.
“I think so too!” Bai Ying agreed cheerfully. If there was one particularly noticeable benefit after his company was acquired by Minghong, it was the skyrocketing food quality. Minghong Group’s cafeteria offered a rich variety of dishes that were constantly innovated. Since it was run in-house by the group, the control over fresh ingredients was strict, making the food both delicious and healthy. The only downside was the fixed hours; for someone like Bai Ying, who often worked overtime or went on field assignments, it was easy to miss the opening times.
So, every chance Bai Ying got to eat at the cafeteria, he cherished it!
Because he was good-looking and didn’t come often, the uncles and aunties working there still remembered him. They would secretly give him extra portions and greet him when they saw him. At that moment, one auntie smiled and said, “Xiao Bai, here for lunch? It’s rare to see you bring someone else. This young man doesn’t seem to be from the group, right?”
Only those working solely at Minghong Group’s cafeteria wouldn’t recognize the big shot from next door.
Bai Ying shyly pursed his lips in a smile. “He’s my brother.”
This one word “brother” pleased Yun Ze greatly. At first, Bai Ying had insisted they were the same age, but after being taken care of so much by Yun Ze, he finally shyly admitted he was the older brother.
“Both brothers are so handsome.” The cafeteria auntie said as she shook the ladle, adding an extra piece of rib to the small dish on Yun Ze’s tray.
Yun Ze politely thanked her, showing none of his usual gloomy and cold demeanor. Bai Ying then took him to the beverage area and got two cups of freshly squeezed orange juice.
With food and drinks secured, Bai Ying pulled Yun Ze to the checkout area. The cafeteria food wasn’t free, but with group subsidies, the prices were very low, and there was a monthly meal allowance loaded onto employee cards. During the time Bai Ying had been on a business trip to the set, the allowance had still been credited without fail. Now he ate for free every day and couldn’t spend it all.
After finding a seat, Bai Ying eagerly picked up a piece of grilled fish. The skin was crispy and browned, but the flesh inside was tender. It melted in his mouth. Bai Ying curved his eyes in satisfaction. “So good!”
Little snake’s dry rice was always fragrant beyond measure.
“Someday I’ll bring you to Yunxin’s cafeteria.” Yun Ze thought for a moment and finally recalled some useful employee gossip. “They say the Western and Thai food is pretty good.”
Bai Ying suggested, “I like drinking tom yum soup!”
“It’s there.” Yun Ze actually didn’t know if it was, but starting tomorrow, if it wasn’t, it would be.
The little snake happily continued devouring his meal, eating Minghong’s while dreaming of Yunxin’s.
He ate quickly, and Yun Ze noticed something unusual. He asked, “Very busy this afternoon?”
Bai Ying nodded vigorously. “There are a few urgent files that Qin Juanshu will need when he gets back. I’ll sort them out right after lunch and have them ready before he returns.”
Yun Ze casually asked, “He’s coming back today?”
“Mm-hmm,” Bai Ying said. “Then he’ll probably be busy all evening, but it shouldn’t involve me.”
He had been leaving on time these past few days.
Yun Ze got the information he cared about and smiled. “Then I’ll send you home later.”
“Sure—” Bai Ying drew out the tone.
Because he was too cute, someone patted his head again, but since they were still eating, Bai Ying felt nothing. During meals, the little snake’s head and tail were fair game.
As Bai Ying ate, the voices of Minghong employees behind him suddenly fell silent. The silence didn’t happen all at once; at first, just one or two sharp ones closed their mouths, then more and more caught on until all sounds vanished completely at a certain moment.
Only a few unhurried footsteps remained, inexplicably carrying a sense of oppression.
These footsteps were heading straight for Bai Ying, drawing closer from afar. Bai Ying, sitting with his back to the cafeteria entrance, didn’t realize at first. It wasn’t until he saw the slight change in Yun Ze’s expression across from him that he belatedly wanted to turn around.
Just then, a call came to Bai Ying’s phone.
Bai Ying habitually answered first— the cafeteria didn’t prohibit calls during meals. The caller was Duan Yunjin, whom he hadn’t contacted in a while. Though he didn’t know what she wanted, Bai Ying immediately pressed accept.
“Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai—” Duan Yunjin’s voice was frantic as she called his name repeatedly. “Are you in the cafeteria right now? Don’t eat, get out of there quick!”
Duan Yunjin was anxious beyond measure. She was rushing to the cafeteria with Lu Changjun, who had tipped her off. Lu Changjun had eaten several speeding tickets on the way and only realized when they reached the Twin Towers downstairs that Bai Ying had blocked him. But his other colleagues hadn’t! Lu Changjun returned to his old office and ran into Duan Yunjin, learning that Bai Ying had been transferred by Qin Juanshu to be his assistant in another building—his workstation was no longer there.
During lunch break, the elevators were always occupied, so Lu Changjun took the stairs. Duan Yunjin hurriedly followed, dialing Bai Ying’s number while descending.
But they were ultimately one step too late.
Though not on speaker, the phone’s speaker wasn’t quiet, and a middle-aged man’s voice full of sarcasm came through: “Bai Ying, right? You’re the one who seduced my son?”
Lu Changjun cursed outright.
At that moment in the cafeteria, Bai Ying dazedly lowered his phone. He had answered while glancing behind him, only to see a meticulously dressed middle-aged man stop in front of him with several bodyguards. The middle-aged man had accurately called his name, but Bai Ying couldn’t understand his words.
Seduced? His son?
Bai Ying didn’t know who the middle-aged man was. He was just a lowly employee and wouldn’t pay attention to what the group chairman looked like otherwise. He also couldn’t recognize that this was Qin Juanshu’s biological father, Qin Chi—after all, Qin Juanshu took after his mother and didn’t resemble Qin Chi at all.
Qin Chi sized him up with a particularly picky, highly offensive gaze, as if critically appraising a commodity. “Not bad-looking, but your ambitions are on the wrong path. If you wanted to be a star or a model, the group could promote you, but instead you take the crooked road of seducing men to skyrocket to success…”
Qin Chi’s words were ugly, leaving Bai Ying stunned and slow to realize they were about him. Yun Ze beside him couldn’t sit still any longer. He abruptly stood, glaring darkly at Qin Chi. “Watch your mouth!”
Yun Ze was always gentle like an older brother to Bai Ying, but when he turned cold, even veteran executives in the group wouldn’t dare speak for a moment. He had once glared murderously at the buyers who beat him, watching coldly as they were sentenced to death. This innate gloominess couldn’t be faked; it could chill anyone who met his gaze. Qin Chi was startled at first, but seeing he was just a young man in his early twenties while he had several bodyguards, he straightened up again.
“And who are you? Another man he’s seduced?” Qin Chi sneered. “Hooking up everywhere without shame. You don’t mind that he’s dirty when you sleep with him, but you’re afraid of others saying it?”
Veins bulged on Yun Ze’s forehead, his fists clenched tight. He rounded the table, ready to smash a punch into Qin Chi’s face.
