A Sudden Burst

In this time and age, it still couldn't be helped that when a woman reached a certain age—she would start receiving some words from nosy and concerned relatives. Talkative aunts and worried grandmothers about 'You need to start thinking about getting married, Lifen.' or 'There's only so much time when a woman is fertile, dear'.

"Then let's freeze these ovaries." She rolled her eyes and snorted. The woman was currently lying down on her bed in nothing but her underwear and a tank top, and she had a book in front of her face as she tried to ignore the memory from just last week.

It had earned her a disapproving look from her parents that time. And to which she was sentenced to visit her great-grandmother along with her younger brother for some time off. And Bo Lifen appreciated it. It wasn't often that she got some break from her work and the location of her great-grandmother's place meant that other relatives couldn't pester her about blind dates or telling her that she needed to download this 'app' and find someone to partner up with.

It was as if—

The door to her room swung open.

"Lifen, get up and get dressed. I'd like you to meet a neighbor of mine." A cheery voice called out to her. Her peace and silence were interrupted by none other than her great grandmother herself. And there was a light in those eyes that told her that she was up to no good.

"...Granny Lanfen, I'm not feeling so good." If she could disappear into dust right now, she would.

"You can't make such excuses, besides, it's probably because you're not moving around either. Ah, kids, these days don't even get the time to exercise—what is wrong with the world." Granny Lanfen made a dramatic gesture of sniffing her nose. "But get dressed up in your hanfu, dear! It's time to impress this very important person."

"...you want me to serve them tea, are they a possibly important prospect or an old friend of yours?" Bo Lifen furrowed her brows. She placed the book down and scratched her bare stomach, it was always tedious wearing those clothes but it seemed like her grandmother was truly excited about this one.

Could she just do this once for their sake?

"Very, very important client—you'll know it once you meet them. They work in the same district as you so if you get along well, maybe we'll get a new flood of customers."

The words 'get along' made a shudder run down her spine. She sat up and eyed the older lady with a small frown, "This isn't some way to set me up, is it? Please don't tell me you're helping the others too."

"What no? I mean, why would I force my precious great-granddaughter to do what she doesn't like?" Granny Lanfen's face was dead serious and even slightly hurt, before the old woman turned around, "Get dressed now though, we've only got twenty minutes to work your magic."

Suffice to say, her grandmother told her a lie.

It was obvious from the moment that she had walked into the drawing-room and saw him lounging on the chair while her brother was wiping their table. It made her look at her brother in concern before she finally got a look at the man seated.

It was easy to surmise that he was handsome. His dark hair was meticulously combed back and neatly arranged in a way that gave him a professional look. Within the lighting of their room, his dark eyes gave off a mysterious vibe. The kind of look that said he assessed everything with a calculative and even distant method. His choice of a classy suit and coat to even the tasteful shoes that he wore—he showed nothing but a sophisticated and well-dressed man.

Someone refined like him probably had dubious tastes.

Bo Lifen had already encountered a lot of men like him before. They all looked like a gentleman that could sweep you off their feet—but underneath that velvet veneer, they were no doubt thinking of all the ways that they could mess you up. Be it an arrogant prick. Someone who liked fooling around. Her family's tea business had its own fair share of trouble with rich people who assumed that a 'tea shop' filled with beauties was actually a place for them to get their wanton needs met.

She was already sick of him.

And yet when she sat down and finally talked with him, it turned out differently. He was polite and didn't even spare much of a glance at her. But it was no doubt some kind of facade until she was more comfortable with him. She did her best to be accommodating regardless and instead waited for him to reveal his true colors. Whether it was one inappropriate word or even a look from him would confirm it.

Bo Lifen soon realized something.

Maybe it was because she was being a docile flower right now that the man across her was taking it slow. But no. If he thought that he could charm his way to her heart and then sweep her off to her feet—it was a fat chance. It didn't matter to her that he seemed to have fooled her great grandmother into thinking he was the perfect bachelor. It didn't matter that he was politely talking to her now. Neither did it matter that they had even discussed her brother and offered help in their business venture.

To men like him, the world was a business transaction, and their fees were always exorbitant.

And then he finally called her out.

"I'm fine, Miss Bo. We're supposed to talk to each other but I can't help but notice so far, that it feels like you're in your Tea Sommelier mode." He added a light smile in the end.

A smile finally curled on her lips, "Does it bother you, Mister Li? I must apologize, I'm used to dealing with clients more often than personal meetings." Did he want her to act sweeter, more sultry? How did he want her to accommodate him?

He raised a brow and sipped his tea, "Not really, I was worried that you're the one forcing yourself in my presence. The service industry is quite amazing with holding back their emotions it seems."

They were good.

Far too good in trying to appear as the kind and considerate man. That he was commiserating with her problems, but she wasn't born yesterday. She only needed to push him to the edge, and his true nature would show.

"... It can't be helped when your clients can be assholes." She muttered.

The CEO coughed lightly and stayed silent. He was stricken speechless. To her, it was a confirmation that she had hit a sore spot, and without her grandmother around, she could take it a step further. "It's these types of men that think they can get away with everything that they want. It doesn't matter where they are. Their money, power, or whatever they have makes them right. It's sickening that I have to listen to them all day and keep up with appearances for business sake."

"Do you not speak up for yourself?" Yang Li finally asked. His brows were furrowed together, and his gaze showed that her words were disconcerting.

Her eye twitched, "Of course I do, when they've gone too far or if they're doing it to one of my employees. It's one of the reasons why I'm here, I had 'accidentally' spilled their little brother with some tea." She gave him a smile at that. "It's tiresome that there are people who think I'm like this because I'm just some woman nearing her thirties that needs to get her frustrations out."

His troubled gaze was still on her, an expression that simply irked her more.

How much longer was he going to act like that?

"Oh? She doesn't have a boyfriend yet, that's why she's so mad all the time. All I needed was a good fucking they said and they could take me there and then—and that was while I was serving them their tea. Needless to say, I was shocked that time and the fresh brew fell over his lap. And yet you probably think the same don't you, Mister Li?" She smiled and pulled herself to her feet.

Yang Li shook his head, "No. Well, actually—"

She bent towards him and caged the man in his seat and silenced them then and there. Close enough to notice the specks of brown in his eyes and feel his hot breath fanning over her face. She could pick up on the distinctive scent of jasmine tea that she served along with a fresh peppermint scent. "What was that? Just spit it out, will you? I'm tired of that cold facade you're pulling up when you can't probably help but agree with the rest of them."

"Do you honestly want to know what I think?" He stared back at her and gulped for a moment.

"If you give me an honest answer—I might actually reciprocate it."