Chapter 12: · Tea Leaves

“Zhenzhen, try this one next.”

The small spotlights in the walk-in closet cast light on a row of handsome suits.

Pei Zhen genuinely found it terribly troublesome… It was just a normal outing. Couldn’t he just throw on any random outfit? Why did he have to try things on like a Christmas tree, back and forth?!

Han Fu, however, was full of interest, holding up two ties to compare them, then swapping them out for two more. “Zhenzhen, your aura is too deep. This brighter one here suits you better! Wait, that Van Gogh Starry Night one might actually be even better!”

Pei Zhen: “It’s been twenty minutes! We’re just going out for a meal!”

Han Fu corrected him: “It’s not ‘a meal,’ it’s a ‘date.'”

Pei Zhen: “Fine, fine, a date, a date. But a date doesn’t have to be this complicated, does it? We see each other every day…”

“So what if we see each other every day?” The little wolfdog narrowed his eyes in an unhappy expression. He straightened Pei Zhen’s collar and tie again, clipped on a golden tie bar, and ruffled his meticulously neat bangs just slightly. “Isn’t a date with me the thing that deserves the most seriousness in this world?”

In one second he’d switched from a milky puppy to a domineering boss. Without another word, he stripped that suit jacket right off Pei Zhen again, using a garment steamer to press out a few creases with practiced motions.

Pei Zhen: “…”

Another ten or so minutes later, Han Fu finally nodded his approval, ceasing his handling of his sugar daddy as if the man were a BJD doll.

“Zhenzhen, you look incredibly handsome today. I suddenly really want to kiss you!”

Pei Zhen: I want to die…

Han Fu: “Let me kiss you, just one kiss?”

Pei Zhen: “Do you want to kiss or go eat? Pick one.”

“I want both.”

“You can only pick one!”

“I don’t care. MWAH.” He was caught and pulled over, a kiss planted on his cheek.

This time, Pei Zhen finally understood the meaning of “the more you resist, the more excited he gets.” It would’ve been fine if he hadn’t struggled earlier, but the moment he did, Doggo pushed him right up against the wall, kissing his cheek, then his ear, then trailing down his neck.

He was getting all hot and bothered!

…

At the top of S City’s tallest Radiant Building, the VIP section of the revolving observation restaurant faced the most brilliant night view along the entire city riverfront.

The entire VIP area was very private, with only three tables total. They had arrived early, so no one else was there yet. The two other tables were set with roses and paper place cards, indicating they were already reserved.

“Zhenzhen, look over there! So sparkly and beautiful!”

“…” Truth be told, Pei Zhen had been to this VIP section many times. The bridge directly ahead had a light show effect. When he saw it the first time, he, too, had found it magnificent and dazzling.

Now, he was long accustomed to it. He could no longer feel the same childlike excitement that Han Fu displayed.

“When I was little, I lived in the countryside,” Han Fu murmured, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window. “At night, lots of fireflies would fly through the grass. It was just like this—so many glowing lights floating around.”

“…” Pei Zhen had never lived in the countryside.

But he vaguely remembered Yi Changqing once saying that in the countryside summer, there really were skies full of fireflies.

In the childhood Yi Changqing described, fireflies had perhaps been the only beauty. He had lost his mother very young. His father was a thug in his youth, and as he got older, he continued to be an idle loafer, spending his days gambling and drinking. The new wife he later married ran away too, leaving him and his brother with irregular meals, often beaten and scolded for no reason.

Sigh…

Pei Zhen shook his head, deciding not to think about that person anymore. He focused solely on the handsome profile of the little wolfdog beside him.

He realized he hadn’t yet asked Han Fu about his family situation.

But, since he also lived in a rural area as a child, and given the sighing tone when he mentioned his “ideal father” earlier… his circumstances were probably similar.

“Zhenzhen, come here!”

Just as he was thinking this, Han Fu pulled him over by the shoulder. Before his eyes, the starlight from the sky above and the city lights below melted into one.

Beside his ear came a sigh of utter contentment: “So it’s true what the books say. When you’re with the right person, the whole world becomes dazzling and colorful. I’ve been here before, but I never used to think any of this was pretty. But with you here, it’s completely different!”

Pei Zhen was silent, allowing himself a small, private moment of intoxication in the sweet words. Then, suddenly, he frowned. “Before?”

You’ve been here before?

When did you come, and who did you come with? The top of Radiant Building was S City’s most famous Michelin-starred restaurant. Ordering just a few dishes would cost a couple thousand at least. It wasn’t typically affordable for an average working-class person…

Could it also have been with a Sugar Daddy?

That… well, seemed plausible. After all, he was a professional little duck. Having been kept by others before… wasn’t that par for the course?

If so, what was his previous Sugar Daddy like?

How did they treat him? And why did they separate in the end? Did he still have lingering feelings for that person? Would he too wave his tail and run off someday in the future?

A flood of questions filled his heart. He opened his mouth to ask, but then noticed Han Fu’s body had stiffened. His gaze, traveling over Pei Zhen’s shoulder, was fixed straight behind him.

The usually gentle dark eyes gleamed with the cold ferocity of a little wolf.

…

BANG!

A horrifyingly loud sound echoed as the floor-to-ceiling window shuddered violently.

The glass at the top of this restaurant was high-grade tempered, comparable to reinforced concrete, with a load-bearing capacity exceeding one ton per square meter. So, even with someone slammed against it by the collar, it wouldn’t shatter and send them plummeting five hundred meters straight down.

Even so, being pinned against an entire wall of window glass, suspended high above the winding river and the myriad city lights below—that wouldn’t feel good for anyone.

Under these circumstances, the fact that the chestnut-haired man could keep his mouth shut, without struggling or shouting, showed incredible composure.

Indeed, he was worthy of being a Gold-Medal Perfumer, shaped by the brilliant years in Paris, the stained glass of Notre-Dame, and the waters of the Seine.

…

Pei Zhen had imagined countless times the scene of meeting Yi Changqing again.

He always thought that when that moment came, he must look particularly handsome, spirited, and graceful.

Preferably with a flourishing career and a presentable lover by his side. Let that little ingrate see that he could live perfectly well without him, instead of being like before—a lovesick fool, silly and desperate for him.

That was why he’d worked so desperately over the years to grow his company and earn money—so that if he ever ran into him again, he wouldn’t lose his nerve.

He’d never imagined the encounter would be so sudden.

Even more, he’d never imagined his domesticated little wolfdog would charge straight at his old flame in a split second, grabbing him by the throat and violently shoving him against the glass.

“…” He didn’t know whether to be pleased or troubled.

He must have spilled a lot of grievances that time he got drunk—otherwise, Han Fu wouldn’t be reacting so impulsively.

But actually… back then, as hurt and upset as he was, it was also tied to his own insistence on liking the guy.

If you really had to sort out who was right and wrong… he couldn’t say he was entirely blameless either.

It had been four years. No matter how much it stung, it was in the past. A reunion should have been hurried and indifferent, like bland water.

Reacting so emotionally, like Han Fu was doing, might instead make Yi Changqing think he had never truly moved on…

He sighed, tugging at his doggo, trying hard to play the role of a responsible owner.

“Han Fu, that’s enough. What are you doing? Let him go.”

But today, the little wolfdog was noticeably less obedient than usual. With a cold expression, he released Yi Changqing’s collar, enunciating each word: “Today, I booked this place for dinner with him. You—leave!”

…

Yi Changqing ignored him.

His amber eyes shifted, meeting Pei Zhen’s gaze directly.

The window, reflecting the myriad lights, was like an enormous black mirror in the night.

The reflection of his own appearance gave Pei Zhen a small measure of satisfaction—

Thank goodness Han Fu had taken this dinner so seriously. Before they went out, he’d spent time picking out a well-fitted outfit and fixing his hair. The result was an especially radiant and energetic appearance.

And…

It wasn’t just him who looked better than usual today; Han Fu looked devastatingly handsome.

He had dressed in formal wear specifically for the date. He truly suited formal wear exceptionally well. When the waiter led them through the restaurant earlier, so many men and women dining there had stopped and stared at him along the way.

In terms of looks alone, Han Fu would never lose to any man Pei Zhen had ever encountered in reality.

He unquestionably outshone Yi Changqing. Absolutely presentable.

Having such a handsome man for a sweet date at a high-class restaurant, facing an old flame… by all accounts, he shouldn’t feel like he’d lost.

But then…

But then.

…

Yi Changqing, Belle’s Gold-Medal Perfumer, had originally been just a young service worker from a remote, impoverished small town who came to the city to work—he hadn’t even finished high school.

In S City’s high society, this was a piece of black history that never got old.

Back when he walked beside Pei Zhen as his “secretary,” people always pointed and gossiped behind his back. The reason? Fine clothes, manicured fingertips, and a decent face and body couldn’t conceal that trace of “countryside air” he inherently carried.

But the Yi Changqing of today had thoroughly transformed. Dressed in a light gray, seemingly effortlessly casual leisure suit that perfectly outlined his waistline, cuffs casually yet exquisitely detailed. Mature, indifferent, with unfathomable eyes—no longer the naive, inexperienced youth who used to wear every emotion on his face.

…In looks alone, Han Fu admittedly didn’t lose to him on any point.

It was just a pity that this world didn’t solely judge based on looks.

Standing before him was Belle’s experienced Gold-Medal Perfumer with a million-yuan annual salary. To hold his head high in front of this kind of man, to reclaim his pride, the man by his side couldn’t just be “handsome.” He also needed to be brilliant, talented, elegant, and composed…

But his little wolfdog was ultimately still too young. Faced with an ordinary greeting—”Young Master Pei, long time no see”—he reacted as intensely as a little peacock entering combat mode.

“Stop trying to cozy up! How he’s doing is none of your business! Are you leaving or not? If not, Zhenzhen, we’re leaving!”

In the presence of a mature, cultivated man, rushing forward impatiently to defend one’s territory… it was cute, admittedly, but inescapably… risked becoming a laughingstock in the opponent’s eyes.

Sure enough, a contemptuous sneer flickered across Yi Changqing’s lips. “Young Master Pei’s friend? Not going to introduce us?”

Pei Zhen didn’t show weakness either. He grabbed his doggo’s hand openly and brazenly: “Han Fu, my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend, is it?” Yi Changqing narrowed his eyes. “Then he must also be President Pei’s ‘secretary,’ correct?”

…

Secretary = Male Pet = A man you pay to keep.

As someone who once took his money and was kept by him for several years, Yi Changqing certainly had more experience than anyone. The look he directed at Han Fu was instantly brimming with blatant disdain—what secretary? Wasn’t it just a boy toy kept by a Sugar Daddy?

Pei Zhen, honestly, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Whether it was back then, “raising you in the name of love,” or now, “keeping him in a transactional relationship,” the actual process and setup were the same.

What right do you have to look down on him?

He’s way more conscientious than you, anyway. Cute, considerate, and leagues better than you ever were.

Thinking this, he suddenly felt the real world fill with bitterness. Back then, he had only innocently fallen for someone. Why did he have to be hated and looked down upon for it…

He desperately wanted to close his eyes right there and ignore everything, just quickly pet his little wolfdog’s fur, hug him, hold him—get just a tiny bit of urgently needed sugar.

Seriously, just a little bit would be enough.

But then again, Han Fu was probably even more frustrated than he was right now.

The planned candlelit dinner… just moments ago, they had been so happy by the window. Now, it was ruined by this unexpected disturbance. The long-awaited date might even require a last-minute change of venue.

“Heh…”

But, to his absolute surprise, he heard a low chuckle from the person beside him.

That sound… was different from his usual sweet, silly, cute demeanor.

“Zhenzhen, you haven’t seen Mr. Yi in so long—why start with that kind of joke right away?”

Joke?

The beauty-marked youth released their clasped hands, giving him only a deeply meaningful smile. His slender fingers adjusted his tie, simultaneously sweeping his bangs back from his forehead.

For some unfathomable reason, with just that small movement, his entire aura—from his eyes to his demeanor—suddenly shifted. In an instant, he transformed from a naive sweetheart into one of those men from idol dramas… devastatingly handsome, composed, elegant, but with a devilishly charming, slightly wicked smile.

“Apologies,” Han Fu said, his smile polite but utterly insincere as he proactively extended a hand to Yi Changqing. “Allow me to re-introduce myself. Han Fu. We are acquainted.”

Acquainted? Yi Changqing frowned.

“My family’s company has always had business dealings with your Belle. We’ve even spoken on the phone directly several times, just never met in person.”

Saying this, he raised an eyebrow at him, the implied meaning being: Surely Mr. Yi can’t fail to recall me now?

Business, surname Han, phone calls… Yi Changqing actually fell for his bluff, his expression shifting slightly. “Lanrui… President Han?”

“A pleasure,” Han Fu nodded. “That’s me.”

Pei Zhen: “…”

Lanrui—the industry’s largest importer and exporter of high-end essential oils, a monopoly supplier for major international fragrance brands like Belle, Cranberry, Les Étoiles…

His little wolfdog today was really… way too audacious!

With a swish of his tail, he’d actually gone and impersonated “President Han” of Lanrui? Hah!