最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 52
Despite the complete embarrassment of this room, the two girls seated together on the couch, continued to gossip.
The one in a ruffled skirt asked, “Who’s Zheng Feiluan? Is he really that fierce?”
“Do you not know Jiusheng?” The woman in the denim skirt asked, revealing her superior knowledge, “Not only is he a well-known real estate developer, but his family also owns the hotel and all of the renowned Jinzi buildings. Anyway, he’s stinking rich, with stocks in various entertainment companies and assets in nearly every part of the world.”
“Then what did Xie Yan do to upset him?”
Whispering under her breath, the one in ruffled skirt asked, “He’s not a pervert who will threaten you if you don’t listen to him, is he?””
“Who knows? When it comes to the entertainment industry, that kind of powerful alpha enjoys playing with the most beautiful omega. If he’s dead set on having an affair with you and has already set his sights on you, what can a helpless little actor like you do? Will you be able to escape?”
“…Poor Xie Yan.”
The girl in a ruffled skirt let out a frustrated sigh.
The girl in the denim skirt flung her hair a few times and muttered, “It seems like Xie Yan was eager to get married at that time to finally get rid of him and let him die. Sadly, that marriage didn’t work out either, and now Xie Yan is scared to even have kids. With all the omegas out there, can’t he just find another one?”
“Oh, well,” the girl wearing a ruffled skirt said while shaking her head, “Whoever gets chased by someone like that surely has terrible luck.”
“True, true.” The girl with a denim skirt nodded several times while holding her chin. “That kind of person will die for you if he likes you, and if he no longer does, he’ll wish you were dead.”
Even though they weren’t directly involved, Cheng Xiu and Dai Xiao couldn’t help but feel upset as they listened to the two young women fire an unintentional all-out attack against Zheng Feiluan.
The two of them looked at each other, exchanged quiet glances, and then made the decision to pretend they didn’t hear it by going in one ear and out the other before continuing to play the game in a bored manner. But by the time their focus returned to the screen, the picture had faded to a grayish shade, and the camera pulled back to show two gloomy boxes lying on the swaying grass.
Dai Xiao tossed his phone, “Goddamn it!”
The program was still going on. Seated on a tall chair, the host assumed about Zheng Feiluan’s intentions, analyzed his possible approaches, and implied Xie Yan’s suffering as if the end result had already been decided.
Cheng Xiu was scared Zheng Feiluan would snap, so he quickly snatched the remote and changed the channel to a different one that was airing a show called Granny Teaches You Delicious Home Cooking.
The girl in a ruffled skirt was unhappy and said, “Why did you change it? I haven’t finished watching that yet.”
“I want to learn to cook.” Cheng Xiu said bluntly.
He knew from Zheng Feiluan’s face that if this show went on for any longer, there might not be another episode.
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He An, on the contrary, was the most composed person in the living room given the current situation.
He stared directly at Zheng Feiluan, neither angry nor irritated, seemingly unaffected by it all.
Zheng Feiluan gripped the empty cup tight, his hands shaking slightly. He tried to explain multiple times, but he couldn’t say anything; he had, in fact, dated Xie Yan. However, they cut ties and stopped talking ever since Xie Yan developed feelings for someone else. He isn’t a villain hell-bent on revenge. Their breakup was four years ago, yet he still hasn’t taken back all the things he gave to Xie Yan. So why would he prevent him from becoming famous four years later?
Zheng Feiluan wanted to address those false accusations, but he couldn’t do so because of the presence of strangers.
“…Didn’t you say you wanted to pour me some lemon tea? Why didn’t you go?” He An smiled at him.
Zheng Feiluan froze.
He An spoke in a calm tone, not mad at all.
When He An stopped asking questions, the awkwardness in the air completely disappeared. Zheng Feiluan didn’t have much time to think, so he got up and said, “I’ll go right away.”
He went to the other side of the living room, put the empty cup on the low cabinet, opened the fridge, and grabbed a pitcher of lemon tea out of it. He filled more than half of the cup, then cut a thin slice of yellow lemon, added mint leaves on top, and brought it to He An.
He An thanked him pleasantly, drank from the cup, set it down, and went on to play with Linglan.
None of his reactions met Zheng Feiluan’s expectations.
Zheng Feiluan expected that He An would be unhappy, confront him with teary, pained eyes, and then furiously kick him out without even bothering to look him in the eye for days. Surprisingly, He An stayed completely unfazed. He continued to embrace Linglan with a kind smile, speak to her in a soft voice, and play house with her.
He couldn’t tell what was on He An’s mind, and he always felt compelled to clear up a few things to avoid further misunderstanding.
After a short while, the two young women got bored with the cooking show, and realizing that Cheng Xiu wouldn’t change the channel, they left the living room together. After waiting for the right moment, Zheng Feiluan quickly spoke up, “He An, about what was said about Xie Yan and me on that program just now…”
“It’s all lies, I know.” With a friendly smile, he continued, “You are not that kind of person who would do wrong behind his back.”
Zheng Feiluan was taken aback, felt a sudden warmth in his chest, and was on the verge of tears.
“…You did everything openly. .”
He An added.
For a split second, the air went dead silent.
On the couch, Dai Xiao and Cheng Xiu were deeply hunched over, holding their cell phones, resting their foreheads on each other’s shoulders, and suppressing themselves from laughing so hard they could die.
Zheng Feiluan’s face muscles were twitching, and for a while he couldn’t make a pleasant expression.
At last, Linglan made a “vegetable platter,” arranging the vegetables in an unorganized manner. After looking around and seeing that neither her alpha nor beta fathers were looking at her, she pursed her lips and thought hard, then held the plate high toward Zheng Feiluan and said, “Here!”
Her little arm twisted, and two pieces of “tofu” fell down.
After receiving his daughter’s gift for the first time, Zheng Feiluan was so pleased that he didn’t dare waste a second before reaching out and taking it, acting as if he was going to “eat” them.
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As summer approaches, the heat tends to come and go.
When summer finally arrives, it’s hot and humid everywhere. At a time when short-sleeved shirts are hanging in every closet, a sudden cold wave hits, and everyone has to rush to get their sweaters out of storage.
Late that afternoon, business was slow at the pastry house, and Zheng Feiluan was roasting coffee beans behind the bar. All of a sudden, a refreshing wind came in, and with it, the pleasing scent of omega wafted towards him. When he looked up, He An was standing there with Linglan in his arms. Today, the little girl wore a thin sweater, a white fluffy hat, and two adorable pink rabbit ears drooping from her head.
“Here, here you go.”
He An pulled up a paper bag and set it on the bar. Zheng Feiluan opened the bag’s edge and found a gray sweater inside.
He was stunned and touched, “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” With a faint smile, he said, “When you buy clothes next time, make sure to negotiate a lower price.”
Zheng Feiluan was stunned by his words, then lowered his head and laughed, “I was naïve before, and I won’t be so in the future.”
Early yesterday morning, Luotan Town had a dramatic drop in temperature. He didn’t have enough clothes to keep warm, so he considered going to the market to buy some. Luotan Town is too small, and there are no shopping malls. It is common practice for locals to purchase clothing in bulk from the city before setting up shop in the marketplace. The deal usually goes like this: one side offers $200, the other side counters with $20, and so on. Finally, after five or six rounds, a deal of $40 was agreed on.
Zheng Feiluan was unfamiliar with cheap clothing and lacked the ability to bargain effectively, and he nearly spent $45 on a thin vest. Luckily, Cheng Xiu, who was snacking on pancakes and fruit, happened to stop his generous former boss just in the nick of time.
Cheng Xiu must have told He An that as a joke.
However, being embarrassed is nothing if you can get a free gift from He An.
He put the paper bag away in the bar and went outside to get chairs for He An and their daughter. Afterwards, he gestured for the waiter sitting next to him to bring him a piece of milk cake by lifting his chin.
“Wait, no milk cake.” He An hurriedly called out to the waiter.
“Want that…”
Linglan understood the words “no” and “milk” and became upset, pouting softly at her father.
Over the last several months, she has consumed an excessive amount of milk cakes. He An was worried that she would eat too much sugar, so he told her she could only have it once every other day. When she realized that being mopey wasn’t working, she turned her attention right away to Zheng Feiluan.
The little girl is quite bright and understands that, despite his intimidating appearance, this uncle is always submissive to her.
He An and Linglan are on opposite sides, and both need to win favoritism points very badly, causing a war to rage inside Zheng Feiluan. He seriously struggled for a long time to decide which side to support. Finally, he told the waiter, “No milk cake.”
Linglan: “…..”
Her dream fell apart. She tugged on the bunny ears on her cheek, wrinkled her nose, and felt so frustrated that she was about to cry.
Zheng Feiluan wished he could feel her pain while he held her in his palms, make her feel loved and cared for, and protect her from any harm that might come her way, but he was powerless to do so right now. Suppressing his instinctive need to feel guilty, he averted his gaze from her accusing eyes and asked He An, “What would you like to drink today?”
He An thought for a while, “Can I have coffee?”
“Sure.”
Zheng Feiluan nodded, set a glass pot and filter cup on the bar, dampened the filter paper, placed it in the cup, and then started to boil water and grind the beans. He An took advantage of how busy he was and quietly chatted with Linglan for a while. The little girl was acting out, furrowing her brows and ignoring the adult talking. He An hugged and consoled her for several minutes before she finally relaxed her face.
The water’s temperature is just right—hot but not boiling.
The filter cup is slowly filled with water that is poured out of the thin spout in the form of a stream of clear water. The powder expands, giving off a strong coffee aroma.
While holding the pot, Zheng Feiluan, who is left-handed, raises his left wrist high. He An then noticed that, unlike the other store employees, he wore a thin, light-gray ribbon around his wrist—approximately an inch wide—with a loose tail dangling down and sticking to the pot sides.
He got curious and asked, “When did you wear this strap?”
The stream of water trembled in response.
Zheng Feiluan’s eyebrows frowned as he balanced the pot just in time, throwing a quick glance at his wrist before saying, “Last month, I think.”
“So… what is it for?”
“Style.”
“…style?”
When this word comes from Zheng Feiluan’s mouth, who is obsessed with a simple business style and never wears carved leather shoes, it feels strange no matter how you hear it. He An rested his chin on his palm and studied the ribbon, the shiny texture and softness capturing his eye; he found it beautiful.
“Well, it’s really pretty.” He added, “It would be better if there were patterns.”
Zheng Feiluan nodded slightly and smiled, but stayed quiet.
He made a cup of coffee very well, set down the enamel pot, removed the filter cup and paper, poured the dark brown liquid from the glass pot into the coffee cup, and added sugar and milk to taste, making sure to mix everything well. After that, he brought out a small plate, laid out a variety of colorful pastries on it, and placed it all in front of He An.
“Your coffee.”
The tail of the ribbon slid across the table, and Linglan became very interested. She leaned in to touch it, but Zheng Feiluan raised his hand to avoid it.
⋮
When He An finished half a cup of coffee, he set the cup down, pulled out a small notebook from his pocket, held it up, and asked, “You shouldn’t be busy right now, right?”
Zheng Feiluan nodded and replied, “I’m not busy. What’s wrong?”
“Um, well… I actually came here today to ask you some questions about the inn.”
He An opened his notebook and laid it on the bar, took out the pen sandwiched inside, and pressed the flat inner pages with his palm, like a serious student would.
Zheng Feiluan saw that most of the notebook had already been used.
“What do you want to know?”
“I’d like to know, after three months of staying at the Olive Inn, do you think there’s anything that could be improved?” He An said, “I usually ask guests this question, but I’m hoping to get something different from you than from the other guests, you know?”
Zheng Feiluan flashed a subtle grin.
Having He An be able to ask this made him happy.
In fact, the Olive Inn has been exposing problems to him since the day he received the key. But he knew in his heart that He An wanted to run the business on his own merit, so he never acted like a professional or meddled rashly. So, of course, he’s happy to help now that He An has taken the initiative to ask.
Zheng Feiluan reached into his pocket and carefully placed a shining silver room key on the table. “Alright, then let’s start here.”
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Translated and edited by janemoyu (01/12/24)
