Chapter 202 - We Meet Again (2)
Only then did the people snap out of their respective dazes and left. The brief interlude was over.
While watching Joy eating his meal, Zhao Youlin studied An Yue and Han Yichen. An Yue was talking in a low voice with Han Yichen. Zhao Youlin frowned. She had discreetly planned to ask Xiao Jingyao to investigate Han Yichen’s background. Since she had asked him to stay, she had to know his background so that she could have some peace of mind.
Zhao Youlin had this thought in her mind. However, soon, she could not care much less because while she was thinking about it, a familiar silhouette slowly got close to the outlet entrance.
“The person over there…” The person looked like the one she had criticized without hesitation before. He was… Young Master Ye!
Zhao Youlin’s entire body shuddered. She cussed herself for being an idiot. The person did not look like Young Master Ye. In fact, he clearly was Young Master Ye!
The moment Zhao Youlin recalled their experience in the restaurant that had not ended well, she wanted to scoop Joy up and left the place. However… she was late.
“Youlin, what a coincidence to see you here!” Ye Yan had sharp eyes and immediately saw the mother-son pair sitting at a corner. He took the lead to greet them and thus, stopping Zhao Youlin’s wicked hand from reaching out to Joy.
“Uncle Ye.” Joy was quite happy when he heard Ye Yan’s voice. He looked up and waved his little hand at Ye Yan.
“You’re here too, Joy. How are you? Did you miss me?” Ye Yan smiled as he walked over to the mother-son pair and spoke softly.
Joy nodded intensely and said softly, “I do!”
“Good boy!” Although Ye Yan was talking to Joy, his gaze never averted from Zhao Youlin.
Looking at her son’s happy face, Zhao Youlin heaved a sigh. She knew well that she could not avoid him. So, she looked up and smiled politely at Ye Yan. She said, “Indeed, what a coincidence! Mr. Ye, Do you have a sweet tooth too?”
A hint of rejection was heard from Zhao Youlin’s words. Knowing that Zhao Youlin was still mad with him because of the incident last time, the corners of Ye Yan’s lips curled upward to form a slightly bitter smile.
In fact, Ye Yan’s appearance had not been a mere coincidence. Ever since he was shot down by Zhao Youlin during the contract negotiation, Ye Yan had thought of coming to her to offer his apologies.
Unfortunately, Zhao Youlin did not plan to give him an opportunity to do so. Whenever Ye Yan made a call to Zhao Enterprise, hoping that he could meet up with Zhao Youlin and discuss the contract, he was always rejected. In the end, the person was so frustrated by Ye Yan’s daily calls that he directly told him that Zhao Youlin did not plan to sign the contract with him. If there was nothing else, he hoped that Ye Yan would not call again.
Only then did Ye Yan realize the seriousness of the issue. At the same time, he also knew that he was literally helpless if Zhao Youlin did not want to meet him at all.
Ye Yan did not block the entrance of Zhao Enterprise anymore just to meet up with Zhao Youlin. If he were to do that again, he might anger Zhao Youlin just like last time.
Ever since the lesson he had learned last time, Ye Yan noticed that he became warier about everything related to Zhao Youlin. He was afraid that if something went wrong again, she would have an even poorer impression of him.
Just because Ye Yan cared about her, that was why he was so particular about everything related to her. It had been many years since Ye Yan felt this way.
It had taken him great efforts to ask someone to check on Zhao Youlin and finally found out that apart from working in Zhao Enterprise, she had her own pastry outlet, which she often came to check in on during her leisure hours.
Ever since then, Ye Yan had been visiting this outlet every day. He ordered a cake, a cup of coffee, or a glass of fruit juice and each time, he stayed for the entire afternoon all because he wanted to bump into Zhao Youlin for once.
However, Zhao Youlin had been bothered by several idiots recently and was constantly caught up in trouble. It was only today that she could spare some time and took Joy out to visit the kindergarten and her outlet as well. Therefore, she ran into Ye Yan.
Ye Yan composed himself. He smiled faintly and said, “The pastries taste good. But, I don’t buy them for myself. I buy them on my sister’s behalf. She likes the pastries and cookies here. I happened to pass by here today, so I plan to buy some for her.”
“You have a sister?” Zhao Youlin froze. If she remembered correctly, Ye Yan was the youngest son in the Ye family, right? He seemed to have an older brother and an older sister, but he had never mentioned that he had any younger sister.
Ye Yan seemed to know Zhao Youlin’s thought, he smiled faintly and explained, “She’s my cousin, not my biological sister.”
Zhao Youlin was suddenly enlightened. “So, that’s how it is.”
Right after Zhao Youlin finished her words, she did not continue. The atmosphere between them turned awkward.
After some time, Ye Yan faked a cough. He planned to seize the opportunity to explain the incident last time. “Youlin, about the incident last time, I…”
“Mr. Ye, you’re here! Today’s cookies are freshly baked from the oven, and they are still very warm. Would you be having the usual?” Shuangshuang abruptly appeared and interrupted Ye Yan’s words. Zhao Youlin was a little caught by surprise. “Do you come here very often?”
Ye Yan was slightly stunned. He smiled faintly and said, “Yes, I come here quite frequently.”
“Mr. Ye, I never thought you would so thoughtful for your cousin.”
‘If you want, I can be more thoughtful for you than anyone else,’ Ye Yan looked at Zhao Youlin and thought to himself.
Shuangshuang was also a little surprised when she heard their exchange. “Big Sister Zhao, do you know each other?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Ye Yan and Zhao Youlin spoke at the same time. However, both of them gave different answers.
Upon hearing Zhao Youlin replied that she did not know him, a hint of upset darted across Ye Yan ‘s eyes.
Zhao Youlin blurted out out of nervousness because she wanted to refute him. Right after she spoke, she sensed something was wrong.
“Do you, or do you not know each other?” Shuangshuang was confused by their answers. She looked back and forth between the two in a puzzle.
Zhao Youlin faked a cough and replied, “We’ve met each other a few times. It’s all about business dealings.”
“That means you two know each other!’ Shuangshuang looked like she was not aware of the bizarreness between the two, or perhaps, she noticed but deliberately ignored it. She walked up to Zhao Youlin’s side and said with a smile, “Big Sister Zhao, Mr. Ye is our regular customer. He often comes here to contribute to our business. You see…”
With Shuangshuang’s intervention, the atmosphere between the two was not as awkward as before.
Zhao Youlin understood the underlying meaning of An Qi’s words. She cooperated with her and said, “Since he’s our regular customer, give him a discount for all his goods.” After all, he was bringing her business. What a waste if she did not earn from him.
Shuangshuang silently cast a glance at the two, “Alright, I’ll pack for Mr. Ye now. You guys can take your time to chat.”
As soon as Shuangshuang left, Zhao Youlin rose up and said to Ye Yan, “It’s already late. I have to go home now. Joy’s grandpa and grandma are waiting for him to have lunch together at home.”