Zheng Yu'an initially hesitated about taking photos and posting them on WeChat Moments. After all, he had just met Li Shu, and the other man could easily guess where he intended to place the flowers. Li Shu clearly enjoyed stirring up trouble between him and Yan Shuwang, and Zheng Yu'an didn't want to play into it, whether it was drawing them closer or pushing them further apart.
Moreover, buying flowers specifically for a vase and then posting photos on WeChat Moments seemed too much like showing off a gift from a boyfriend.
The photos received many likes. Zheng Yu'an had a good social media presence, and within half an hour, there were already more than a dozen comments. He refreshed the page several times, but there was no sign of Yan Shuwang.
"..." Zheng Yu'an felt a bit obsessed, so much so that the next day at work, he pulled up the WeChat Moments post again and carefully examined the avatars of those who had liked it.
Qin Hanguan went to the break area to smoke and greeted him: "Did you buy the flowers yesterday?"
Zheng Yu'an, who was staring at his phone, raised his head. Qin Hanguan offered him a cigarette, but Zheng Yu'an waved his hand: "I'll smoke my own."
Qin Hanguan jokingly cursed him for being "affected" and didn't press the issue, lighting his own cigarette and sitting next to him.
They smoked in silence for a while, but Zheng Yu'an didn't put his phone down.
"What are you looking at?" Qin Hanguan asked casually.
Zheng Yu'an hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said: "If someone receives a gift and posts it on WeChat Moments to express thanks, but the person who gave the gift doesn't like it, what do you think it means?"
Qin Hanguan, while smoking, said without thinking: "What else could it mean? He's not interested in her."
Zheng Yu'an: "?"
Qin Hanguan could tell from his expression that he didn't understand, so he patiently explained: "Women usually post gifts they like on WeChat Moments to get attention and tell the man who gave the gift that they like him. If the man likes and comments, then they'll start flirting back and forth."
Zheng Yu'an looked as if he had never considered this possibility, "People actually do that?"
Qin Hanguan was a little smug: "You have to think more about these little tricks."
Zheng Yu'an smiled wryly: "I think about enough already."
Qin Hanguan: "What? Did you not like someone's post, and they came to complain to you?"
Zheng Yu'an was too embarrassed to say that it was the other way around, but he couldn't actually complain to Yan Shuwang. What would that be?
Was Yan Shuwang some kind of water spirit, able to bewitch people?
Seeing that Zheng Yu'an's expression wasn't good, Qin Hanguan rarely cared and said: "Go and coax them. If you really like them, but they misunderstand, it's a pity."
Zheng Yu'an looked at him blankly. Are you kidding me? Who's coaxing who?
When work got busy in the afternoon, he naturally couldn't pay attention to the WeChat Moments likes anymore. By the time it was almost over, Zheng Yu'an had finally figured it out. The vase was probably just something Yan Shuwang had bought on a whim, and he gave it away because he saw that he liked it. It was like giving a treat to a cat or dog. Besides, it wasn't expensive anyway. Based on Yan Shuwang's wealth, this gift might not even be presentable on a normal day.
Thinking it through was one thing, but whether he felt comfortable was another matter entirely.
Zheng Yu'an signed the contract that Chen Li brought in and emptied the ashtray, which was almost overflowing with cigarette butts.
He sat in his seat and lit another cigarette, taking a few puffs before the internal phone suddenly rang.
"Hello?" Zheng Yu'an answered with one hand, his voice slightly muffled because he had a cigarette in his mouth.
Zhang Jin laughed on the other end: "Little Zheng, it's been a while since you've come around."
Generally, when cooperating with large companies, if the amount of money is astronomical, the interactions are much warmer than usual. From the beginning of WE GO's establishment, Zheng Yu'an had been in charge of financial matters until he was seconded to the Banking Regulatory Commission for two years. Now that they had finally reconnected, Zhang Jin was definitely happy.
Zheng Yu'an knew how to handle clients. He was handsome and had a sweet tongue, making him exceptionally likeable.
"It hasn't been that long, only a week or two," Zheng Yu'an said, holding the cigarette in his hand with a gentle tone. "Do you miss me, or do you want to drink?"
Zhang Jin liked to eat and drink. Although his alcohol tolerance was average, he loved his drinks. He had recently acquired a few bottles of New Zealand craft beer and wanted to share them with Zheng Yu'an.
"This brand of Milk Stout won the World Beer Cup last year," Zhang Jin added, advertising.
Zheng Yu'an: "Stout has a very strong flavour. Can you handle it?"
Zhang Jin: "It's just dark beer. The hops are like milk. You'll definitely like it."
Zheng Yu'an: "Okay, let's set a time and have a few drinks."
Zhang Jin: "There's no time like the present, let's do it today! I've already prepared the beer, all I'm missing is you!"
Many high-end bars in Suzhou kept good liquor for their regular customers, waiting for them to come and specially prepare it for them. The one Zhang Jin frequented was called Blue Jazz, which Zheng Yu'an also knew. After work, he drove straight there.
Blue Jazz didn't have many staff, only two or three including the bartender. The owner herself sat behind the bar, greeting customers. She looked surprised when she saw Zheng Yu'an.
"Oh, it's been a long time since you've been here," the owner said with a bright smile.
Zheng Yu'an gave her a quick hug: "It was a good start to the year, I was too busy, I really didn't have time."
The owner laughed and playfully scolded: "I don't have anyone who can appreciate my good liquor."
Zheng Yu'an: "That's why I'm here."
He took off his suit jacket, revealing a lead-grey shirt underneath. It was strange that the temperature had dropped in April. Zheng Yu'an had buttoned his shirt up properly and casually grabbed an ashtray.
Before long, Zhang Jin arrived. Zheng Yu'an was about to stand up to greet him when he caught sight of the person following behind him.
Yan Shuwang had tied half of his hair up today, like an ancient scholar with a topknot. His coat was draped over his arm, and he was talking to Zhang Jin, when he suddenly looked up, his gaze falling on Zheng Yu'an's face, neither too close nor too far.
"..." Zheng Yu'an really hadn't expected Yan Shuwang to come. His mind inexplicably flashed back to the WeChat Moments like, and Qin Hanguan's voice echoed in his ears like a loudspeaker.
What else could it mean? He's not interested in her.
You have to think more about these little tricks.
Zheng Yu'an's face remained impassive, but inside, he was in turmoil, with waves crashing against the shore. He adjusted his expression and smiled: "Why is Director Yan here too?"
Yan Shuwang looked at him for a moment, then replied irrelevantly: "The vase is very beautiful."
It took Zheng Yu'an a moment to realize that he had seen the photo, so he remained silent for a while before stammering: "I thought you didn't see it."
Yan Shuwang's gaze was like lingering candlelight. In the dim light of the bar, he gave an ambiguous smile, lowered his head slightly, and stared intently into Zheng Yu'an's eyes.
"Zheng Yu'an," Yan Shuwang said calmly, "Anything that concerns you, I know everything."