Chapter 14

Although the apparent boss of this café was Cui Zi, the true owner was Song Ling.

Cui Zi and Song Ling met because of Great God Oath. At that time, Oath had just started and was caught up in a plagiarism scandal. He was about to be kicked off, but Cui Zi didn’t give up, going 300 rounds with the netizens online.

In the end, somehow, everyone that splashed dirty water received lawyer notices.

It was said that someone hacked them and sent it to their mailboxes as a warning. They also collected all of their comments and handed it over to the relevant departments. Those people were thus invited to drink tea (at the police station).

The means weren’t very just, but the ending was very acceptable.

Since then, everyone knew that there was a very powerful hacker amongst Oath’s fans. Someone that could stretch their hands through the cables and strip off their vests¹Vests are your online profile. Stripping off someone’s vest means exposing/finding their private information..

Cui Zi always suspected that the powerful hacker was Song Ling. After all, not long ago, she received an email asking her to be the general manager of this café.

She asked Song Ling about this before.

Song Ling took out her resume and replied, “I was recruiting, and you applied.”

Cui Zi was convinced.

She had watched her mom work on her business since young, and after four years of hard work, she also made the café flourish.

Song Ling came here practically every day with his laptop. However, the mysterious boss seemed to be a trader on a foreign platform, not a hacker.

The boss also had a gay lover called Jiang Shiyan. Cui Zi suspected Jiang Shiyan of being the Great God Oath, but Mr. Jiang didn’t admit it.

Once, Cui Zi was heading upstairs to find the boss and inadvertently caught Jiang Shiyan drawing. It seemed to be the one Great God Oath was currently serializing online.

At that time, the boss was sitting to the side, one arm on his chair, eyes soft and doting. Like he wanted to hug but didn’t dare, affectionate as heck.

Cui Zi repeatedly promised to not spread this and even signed an NDA before she could continue working in this café.

The NDA also kept confidential that he was the true owner of this café.

Song Ling: “What are you in a daze for?”

Cui Zi came back to her senses, “Not lacking people, just recruited a person that can repair computers called Lou Yang.”

Song Ling looked up at her.

Cui Zi thought carefully about cause and effect. So far, four people had come up to the third floor.

She, the boss, Jiang Shiyan, and the delivery guy Zhou Qingluo.

Apart from being a bit tan, Zhou Qingluo looked a bit similar to Jiang Shiyan, so she was a bit shocked just now.

Seems like the boss liked this type. Since he was interested, then she was unworthy of coveting the boss’s man. She couldn’t afford it.

If they wanted a delivery position, then they would have one!

Cui Zi firmly stated, “Yes, we do seem to be lacking a delivery person.”

“Hm, okay.”

Cui Zi secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Song Ling expressionlessly pointed at some sketches, “Use this as the cover of the fourth anniversary card.”

Cui Zi was a bit surprised, “Didn’t you decide to use Mr. Oath’s drawing? The theme is the Juliet Rose.”

Song Ling: “Replace it.”

Seeing Song Ling’s resolute look, Cui Zi secretly thought that Mr. Jiang and the boss got into a big fight.

Cui Zi wanted to give some suggestions when an amicable voice interrupted them: “Are you talking about something?”

She turned her head and saw Jiang Shiyan.

He held a lunch box, standing there elegantly, greeting them with a smile.

Cui Zi: “You two talk slowly. I’ll go back to work.”

She left, and there were only two people left on the third floor.

Song Ling lowered his eyes and didn’t look at Jiang Shiyan, slowly opening the delivery box from Zhou Qingluo.

Zhou Shoulin’s delivery box was made of biodegradable and environmentally-friendly materials, and carefully wrapped inside aluminum foil. When it was opened, it was still steaming hot, like it just came out of the pan.

Today, Zhou Shoulin made steamed turbot, braised beef, boiled cabbage, scrambled eggs and tomatoes, and winter melon soup with pork ribs.

The rice was long-grain and there were two whole wheat corn meal buns.

His good intentions were reflected everywhere.

He was about to throw away the packaging but heard some noise. Taking a closer look, there was a bunch of keys at the bottom as well as an Ultraman Tiga and a sunflower doll hanging from it.

Song Ling raised his eyebrow, playing with the dolls, remembering that Zhou Qingluo said he would also pinch it.

He put the keys to the side, waiting for a clever little guy to take the initiative to find him.

Jiang Shiyan knew that Song Ling liked Ultraman because he (JSY) liked it. Love the house and its crows.

As long as he saw Ultraman, he would smile like now.

Song Ling once said that in his heart, Jiang Shiyan ranked first and Ultraman ranked second.

He was steadfast in love. Whatever he liked, he would like to his bones. To be liked by such a person was actually a very fortunate thing, as if there was a satellite revolving around you.

But he was the only son of the Jiang family, and Song Ling was an illegitimate child. His parents would never agree to him being with Song Ling.

He should make a clean break with Song Ling, but he also wasn’t willing.

Jiang Shiyan stretched out his hand unconsciously, and when his hands were about to touch the Ultraman, Song Ling coldly said: “Don’t touch it.”

He was taken aback, “Ah Ling, what are you being so fierce for?”

Song Ling didn’t look at him, simply picking up a piece of beef with his chopsticks and bringing it to his lips. Jiang Shiyan immediately blamed, “How could you eat takeout? The news just reported that takeout boxes are made of garbage and waste oils. I brought you some food.”

His chopsticks paused.

Jiang Shiyan had always been like this, speaking in a soft voice. Even if he was blaming others, it seemed to be for their own good, making it hard to get mad.

But Song Ling now felt a bit annoyed.

He ignored him and put the meat in his mouth.

The beef was looked chewy but it was braised tender. When you bit down, juice would burst out of the meat and fill the mouth.

It was a treat for the palate.

Jiang Shiyan pursed his lips and put the lunch box in front of Song Ling, saying in a softer tone: “The nutritionist said that you haven’t gone over to eat for a couple of days now. So, it turns out you were hiding here to eat takeout.”

Song Ling didn’t look up and continued to eat happily, treating the other as air.

Jiang Shiyan was silent and sighed deeply, “Ah Ling, I’ll admit it. What I said before was too much, blame me, but please don’t be angry anymore.”

Song Ling continued to pretend he didn’t exist, burying his head in his food. He cleaned it up and burped contentedly.

Then, he wiped his mouth and looked at Jiang Shiyan.

Jiang Shiyan: “You have to listen to the nutritionist in the future…” and eat well.

Song Ling sneered and cut him off: “Listen to the nutritionist and continue eating animal organs to replenish blood?”

Jiang Shiyan choked and was unable to speak.

Song Ling was about to pack up the tableware and Jiang Shiyan hurriedly stood up, “Let me do it for you. Why don’t you walk around to digest?”

Song Ling: “Don’t touch it.”

Jiang Shiyan’s hands hung in midair, eyes shaking slightly.

Song Ling smiled mockingly, “Lunch boxes made out of garbage shouldn’t dirty Young Master Jiang’s precious hands.”

Jiang Shiyan was stunned for a moment. Song Ling had never spoken to him like this before.

In the past, if Song Ling was angry, he only needed to act kinder and Song Ling would stop being angry.

“Song Ling, why are you talking like that?”

“I was like that from the start, you didn’t know?”

Of course Jiang Shiyan knew. Song Ling had always been cold and ruthless, but he was special to him.

Their relationship was like the cake on that night, broken to pieces.

Jiang Shiyan stood in place, suddenly at a loss.

He didn’t know what changed during this time, but it seemed that Song Ling no longer needed only him.

Why did he feel a bit unreconciled?

Song Ling tidied up and asked coldly, “What are you doing here?”

Jiang Shiyan: “Rising Sun Mall is going to open soon. Brother Jinyi hopes that you’ll cooperate and stay at home obediently. After all, it’s your family’s business. Don’t do anything that would harm the interests of your family.”

Hearing this, Song Ling abruptly lifted his head, staring deeply at Jiang Shiyan.

Jiao Zuo asked him countless times what was good about Jiang Shiyan.

He also answered countless times, ‘Everywhere.’

He suddenly understood that Jiang Shiyan had always stood on the Song family’s side, persuading him to cooperate in their interests.

It was just that he was greedy for his warmth and wanted to give everything for him, in order to have him stay by his side. Thus, he deliberately ignored it.

He thought about what Zhou Qingluo said just now—

Once you’re full, your brain can function normally.

Looks like, he was never full before this.

He let out a breath slowly, leaning back lazily while continuing to stare at Jiang Shiyan, and laughed.

Jiang Shiyan: “Ah Ling, I’m going abroad in a few days. I’ve drawn the poster for the café’s fourth anniversary and brought it here to show you. Also…” he paused, continuing, “I’m not certain about the future, but I hope that after I return, we can still be like before.”

Song Ling: “No need.”

Jiang Shiyan couldn’t react.

What do he mean by that? He didn’t need his poster, or he didn’t need them to be like before?

Just as Jiang Shiyan was going to ask, Song Ling’s phone rang.

Song Ling immediately grabbed the phone but didn’t answer right away, instead looking at the screen with interest, like it was expected.

The phone rang several times and his lips curled up triumphantly before he picked up.

The caller was Zhou Qingluo.

“Sorry for disturbing, did you throw away the takeout package?”

“No.”

The other person let out a sigh of relief, “That’s great. Is there a bunch of keys in there? There’s an Ultraman Tiga and a smiling sunflower doll hanging on it.”

Song Ling played with the Ultraman Tiga in his hand and teased, “Why do I feel like it’s Ultraman Zero?”

“It’s obviously Tiga.”

“It has to be Zero.”

Jiang Shiyan: “?”

Song Ling wore a relaxed expression like he was teasing a cat. He had never seen this side of him before.

Zhou Qingluo was silent for a while, “I accidentally put in my dad’s keys and that drawing when packing earlier. I’m going back to get it now.”

Song Ling heard Zhou Qingluo strongly emphasize the words ‘my dad’, ‘accidentally’, and ‘drawing’. The meaning of the words was obvious—

This granddaddy (ZQL) wasn’t pulling tricks to get close to you.

Song Ling hung up and untied the sunflower doll from the key chain.

He put away the smile on his face and coldly looked at Jiang Shiyan.

Just when Jiang Shiyan was about to speak, Song Ling said: “Someone’s coming over later, you should go.”

Jiang Shiyan didn’t want to go. He wanted to see who could make Song Ling relax and talk so much.

He asked, “Your new friend? Do I know them?”

Song Ling didn’t answer, raising his head and pointing his chin at the door, an impatient expression on his face.

Jiang Shiyan wasn’t embarrassed for long when a delivery guy walked in.

He thought it was a bit funny. Song Ling said before that the third floor was his private territory, but now a delivery guy could come in at will.

The delivery guy was in a hurry and didn’t even take off their helmet. He was also wearing sunglasses and a mask, a sunflower doll hanging off of his helmet, the same kind as the one on the keychain. The sunflower swayed with his steps, looking full of vigor.

Song Ling also looked at him with bright eyes, while his gaze on him grew more and more disgusted.

This energetic delivery boy was Zhou Qingluo.

What Jiang Shiyan thought was Song Ling’s bright eyes, Zhou Qingluo thought it was a teasing look of ‘Look, this guy’s trying to scheme his way closer to me.’

Seeing Zhou Qingluo walk in, Song Ling walked in front of Jiang Shiyan, blocking him.

Song Ling didn’t know why he did this. Subconsciously, he didn’t want Zhou Qingluo to know of Jiang Shiyan’s existence.

Zhou Qingluo: “…” He wasn’t going to eat Jiang Shiyan. Some people’s husband-protecting persona didn’t collapse.

In fact, Zhou Qingluo had long discovered Jiang Shiyan. He wanted to take off his sunglasses and mask, but seeing Song Ling panic as if he was scared that the main palace (main partner) would discover he was finding a substitute behind his back, he consciously put on his sunglasses.

When the main palace and substitute appeared in the same place at the same time, it was a headache for every man.

Jiang Shiyan also obediently stood behind Song Ling, not saying a word.

The atmosphere was very strange, the precursor of a Shura field.

But no Shura field could take place in front of Zhou Qingluo. He pretended to not see Jiang Shiyan and used polite language, “Hello, I’m here to get the keys. Thank you.”

Song Ling took out the keychain from his pocket and Zhou Qingluo took it with both hands, “Thank you very much.”

Zhou Qingluo looked at the keys. It was indeed this one, but where did the sunflower doll go?

Zhou Qingluo shook the keychain, “If I remember correctly, there should be another sunflower doll here.”

Song Ling took it out of his pocket again, following his example and shaking it from side to side, “This?”

Zhou Qingluo nodded and stretched out his hand, “Yes.”

Song Ling didn’t give it to him, playing with it in his hands.

Zhou Qingluo: “???”

Brother, what are you doing? Didn’t you mock the sunflower doll I was going to give you a while back?

It took one second for Zhou Qingluo to adapt to Song Ling’s out-of-the-ordinary logic processes.

He probably had a fight with Jiang Shiyan and wanted to anger him.

It wasn’t impossible for Song Ling’s love brain.

Zhou Qingluo shook his head, “This isn’t a gift.”

Song Ling: “Why?”

Zhou Qingluo cleared his throat, “But it can be sold.”

Jiang Shiyan: “???”

Zhou Qingluo felt that he was very witty. After all, Jiang Shiyan was warm and gentle with a kind heart, unlike this miser that was reluctant to give away a single sunflower doll.

Did you see it clearly?! We’re different! Different! Different!

Song Ling laughed, “How much?”

Jiang Shiyan: “???”

Zhou Qingluo opened his palm, “50, no bargaining.”

Song Ling: “Deal.”

Jiang Shiyan: “…” He didn’t want the Ultraman but the sunflower.

Song Ling wrapped the sunflower doll in his hand, chuckling to himself. When he went back, he’ll put a spring on it so that it could stand up like the one on a certain someone’s helmet.