Bitter to Sweet

When Qiao Zeyan finally came out of his office it was already late in the afternoon, the sky turning into a shade of dark orange. He looked out over the side of the skyscraper, a mass of roads and vehicles and distant hills leading to the countryside looking back at him. Congregating below the balcony overlooking the work spaces in the building was a group of people, faces drawn in exhaustion and eyes drooping with sleepiness.

Amongst them, he spotted a tangle of straight, dark brown hair styled neatly over the woman's shoulders. She held a coffee cup in her hands and was looking expectantly over the heads of those in front of her, having to stand on the tips of her toes to do so. Qiao Zeyan smiled subtly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his black slacks.

When he arrived down the set of stairs connecting his office to the floor below, the line was already cut short and Fang Lingyi was still standing patiently behind everyone else, reading the quotes written on canvases hung on the walls. Her eyes were brighter than everyone else's and face a little pink from an afternoon of working. She looked so care-free in her shirt and jeans, rolling on the balls of her feet as the queue progressed and another employee left the room with a hot beverage and snack, nodding at Qiao Zeyan as she exited through the glass doors.

The lounge room had undergone some changes since it was bought by ACE, the rooms slowly being furnished into an electric silver to match the tone of the company and certain floors being reburbished into new work rooms to take in more members. As he had required, all the TO employees stayed on, and Qiao Zeyan made sure the news of ACE's purchase was announced to them all and broadcasted on every channel on every television screen across China.

He leaned himself against the door, the people gradually leaving the room murmuring hasty greetings. Fang Lingyi hadn't noticed him watching her, absorbed in her own little world as she finally approached the counter, which was stashed with baskets of coffee and tea and rows of coffee machines. Her hair cascaded down her back while she expertly worked the the nearest coffee machine, making sure her cup collected every last drop. The whirring of the machine filled the room, empty except the two of them.

And over that whirring noise came a string of soft humming, following the same tune as the song playing in his car this morning. But this melody made Qiao Zeyan's heart ache and allowed a touch of sadness to glaze his eyes.

Then the machine stopped, as well as the humming, and Fang Lingyi replaced the lid of her coffee cup before pressing her lips to the rim. A short moment later, she yanked the cup away, face twisting in disgust at the bitterness of the drink. Qiao Zeyan chuckled to himself.

She never liked bitter things.

With a mumbled complaint, the stubborn woman in front of him, still oblivious to his presence, dragged one of the stools positioned around the area. It took her a while to clamber on top, balancing her weight on her tip-toes to pry open the cabinet where all the sugar was stored. Her fingers closed in around a packet of sugar and...

Qiao Zeyan felt his heart leap out of his chest.

Within the span of merely a few seconds, he had crossed the room and had his hands resting firmly around Fang Lingyi's waist as she toppled back, eyes wide with fear, the stool sliding out from beneath her. Her arms wrapped instinctively around his neck, pressing her own body into his while he gripped her securely, their eyes meeting for the first time in what seemed like ages. Her warmth soothed something inside him and he felt as if he was floating when her fingers ran through his black hair, finding something to hold on to as her feet planted on the solid ground.

Before he had the time to fully analyze her, she had already pushed herself off of him, not only without the suagr but also burning red in the face. He straightened himself out, concealing his initial panic with a mask of cool amusement.

"If you wanted some sugar so badly," he said, snatching the packet of sweetness from the top shelf, "you should've asked me rather than taking the risk yourself."

Fang Lingyi had the audacity to roll her eyes, faking an apologetic smile. "Of course, President Qiao. I will definitely keep that in mind." Then, she made for the tube of sugar in his hands.

Qiao Zeyan clicked his tongue, taking Lingyi's coffee from her side and tearing open the packet himself. The woman next to him lunged for it. "I can do it myself," she let him know, staring challengingly into his eyes. The contents drizzled into the cup before he licked what was left of it from his fingertips, Fang Lingyi's eyes following every movement.

"After that scare you put me through, Lingyi, I don't think I can trust you to do anything by yourself anymore. It's too much of a risk for me to take," Qiao Zeyan retorted, though he permitted a hint of sincerity to enter his tone.

Fang Lingyi's sudden lopsided smile abruptly caught him off guard. "I apologize for scaring you, President Qiao. In the future, I will be careful of how my actions will affect those around me," she replied sweetly.

He clenched his teeth.

This woman.

"If there is nothing else I can help you with, President Qiao, I will return to my desk now." She briskly grabbed the steaming cup of coffee he'd helped her prepare and spun for the door. He rapped his knuckles on the counter, getting her attention.

With a smirk, he said, "I'll need your report and evaluation on ACE's rising fame in the market ten minutes. Make it good."

He barely saw Lingyi's scowl of frustration when he marched past her and out of the door, fixing the lapel and cuffs of his suit. This would surely teach her a lesson. But before his smile could turn into a full grin, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, unlocking the screen to read a single, two-worded text.

I'M HERE.

Like a criminal caught in an illegal act, Qiao Zeyan sped up the brief flight of stairs, not taking time to bother with the looks sent in his direction. With great force, he pushed open the double doors. Admittedly, he didn't know what he was expecting when his eyes eventually adjusted to the piercing rays of light, exposing the shape of a slender figure standing a couple feet away, dressed in a slim red dress and hair done up into a simple but confident braid.

She turned, smile twice as brilliant as the sun.

"It's nice to finally see you again, Zeyan."