Wow, What a Messy Relationship

In December, after more than two months of renovations and preparations, their restaurant finally began its soft opening.

Sun Haoyu was in charge of everything in the kitchen, including hiring chefs, planning the menu, making daily purchases, and so on.

Jiang Lean handled everything at the front of house, including hiring and training servers, managing delivery and group-buying platforms, and all kinds of marketing and promotion.

Both had extensive experience in the restaurant business and were diligent and reliable, keeping everything running like clockwork.

So what could Chu Tianqing do?

Jiang Lean asked nothing of her, but Chu Tianqing couldn't sit still and volunteered to work as a server.

She put on a dark red uniform, a brown beret, and a small brown apron. With no makeup on and a smile on her face, she made quite an eye-catching sight standing there.

Jiang Lean praised her. "Not bad. Go hand out flyers outside. Don't waste that face of yours."

Chu Tianqing's smile vanished at once, going from all smiles to no smiles.

But after giving it some thought, Chu Tianqing obediently went out to hand out flyers. It was all for the good of the restaurant.

Their restaurant's location was nothing special, tucked away down a side street. But five hundred meters away, at the intersection, was Jincheng's famous shopping street, where a constant stream of passersby were all potential customers.

In her previous life, Chu Tianqing had handed out flyers as a part-time job in college, so she knew the work like the back of her hand.

As she handed out flyers, she had to keep repeating, "Hello! Our new restaurant is having a soft opening with twenty percent off! We specialize in delicious Hunan cuisine and offer unlimited fresh fruit. Take a look if you're interested~"

She put on her most sincere smile. Perhaps that face of hers really was useful, because quite a few people accepted her flyers.

She was in the thick of it when a figure stepped in front of her.

"Shen Xixi, it really is you. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."

Chu Tianqing looked up. It was Xiao Junyi.

He wore a shirt and dress pants beneath a black wool overcoat. His face was fair and clean, his hair slicked smooth and shiny, and he carried himself like a roguish young master. Girls passing by cast curious glances his way.

Chu Tianqing took a step back and gave him a wary look before putting on her standard customer-service smile. "Young Master Xiao, long time no see. What a coincidence."

There was a playful look in Xiao Junyi's eyes as he looked her up and down. "I heard you were opening a restaurant. I thought you were the boss. Why are you working as a server?"

"I was bored with nothing to do." Chu Tianqing clutched the flyers to her chest, unwilling to deal with this young master. "Young Master Xiao, as you can see, I haven't finished my work. Let's talk another day."

Xiao Junyi had no intention of leaving. He reached for the flyers in Chu Tianqing's arms. "What's the big deal? I'll hand them out for you. I'll help you work, and you can chat with me afterward."

Chu Tianqing refused to let go. A flush spread across her fair cheeks as she turned him down in annoyance. "Oh, no need, no need. Young Master Xiao, didn't we agree to wipe the slate clean that day?"

The more Xiao Junyi looked at her, the cuter he found her. He smiled and teased her. "You've got some nerve bringing that up. Just tell me, did you finish the drinks that day?"

Seriously? He was twisting logic and looking for a fight on purpose!

Chu Tianqing raised her eyes and glared at him, looking angry but afraid to speak out.

Xiao Junyi grew more and more tickled and couldn't resist flirting with her. "Shen Xixi, has anyone ever told you that without makeup... you're even more exciting?"

Shen Xixi had always been a striking beauty, with a heart-shaped face, a pointed chin, large eyes framed by thick lashes, a straight nose, and full lips that curved slightly upward.

She used to love heavy makeup: dark eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, and bright red lipstick, like a brazen fox.

Back then, Xiao Junyi had found her exciting and wanted to conquer her.

Now, seeing her without makeup, pure with a hint of allure, Xiao Junyi found her even more exciting. Not only did he want to conquer her, he also wanted to bully her to tears.

Chu Tianqing clenched her back teeth, itching to smash the flyers in her hands into this bastard's face.

Exciting? Exciting my ass!

But reason told her she couldn't fall out with him or stir up trouble. If she wanted to stay in Jincheng, she had to maintain good relations with all the young masters and young ladies.

"Young Master Xiao," Chu Tianqing said, squeezing out a smile, "how about I buy you some milk tea? Please stop giving me a hard time."

Xiao Junyi's smile widened. He felt like there was a hint of something there. "Sure."

Chu Tianqing bought Xiao Junyi a cup of milk tea and chatted with him for a while before finally seeing the young master off.

She walked back cursing under her breath. When she reached the restaurant, she found quite a few customers sitting inside.

It was nearly eleven, lunchtime. Perhaps they had been drawn by the new restaurant's twenty-percent discount, or perhaps the paid promotion had worked. In any case, their new restaurant had made a splendid debut just like that.

Chu Tianqing hurried back to help and stayed busy until two in the afternoon.

It had to be said: working in a restaurant was exhausting. Her face was nearly stiff from smiling.

She ate a quick staff meal, and just after they had finished tidying up, customers started coming in again after four.

They closed early at eight that evening and reviewed the day's business.

The meeting ended shortly after nine. The servers went off duty, while the kitchen staff were still cleaning up and prepping food.

Chu Tianqing joined Jiang Lean and Sun Haoyu in raising a toast to celebrate the restaurant's successful start.

Of course, Chu Tianqing drank juice. She really didn't dare touch alcohol again.

The three were discussing the next day's arrangements when the door sounded and someone walked in.

"Sorry, we've already—" Chu Tianqing broke off, her voice turning pleasantly surprised. "Brother Chen, it's you!"

"Yes, it's me." Ye Mingchen strode in, beaming. "I remembered it was the first day of your soft opening, so I came especially to see how things were going. Everything went smoothly, I hope?"

It had gone extremely smoothly.

Ye Mingchen had long since become well acquainted with Jiang Lean and Sun Haoyu, and the four of them chatted together by the cash register.

They were in the middle of a lively conversation when the door sounded and someone else walked in.

Chu Tianqing couldn't help wondering if she had failed to put up the closed sign properly. Why did people keep coming in?

But when she turned her head to look, it was that damned Xiao Junyi walking in.

Chu Tianqing's temple twitched. She really wanted to throw him out.

"Hello, everyone. I'm here for Shen Xixi." Xiao Junyi acted as if they were old friends. After greeting them, he fixed his eyes on her and asked calmly, "Are you done? Let me treat you to a late-night snack and take you home afterward."

A late-night snack and a ride home—it was a hint anyone could understand.

Jiang Lean's gaze darted back and forth, but she didn't dare make a sound. When she first saw Xiao Junyi, she had thought he was there to cause trouble.

Now it seemed that wasn't the case. It looked as if he had come to pursue Shen Xixi.

But Ye Mingchen liked Shen Xixi too!

Wow, what a messy relationship. What an exciting scene!

Chu Tianqing was dumbfounded too. She was speechless at this young master. How did he have the nerve to ask her out?

Ye Mingchen was the first to recover. He stepped sideways in front of Shen Xixi and said politely but firmly, "Thank you, Young Master Xiao, but there's no need. I'll take Xixi home."

"Oh?" Xiao Junyi thought Ye Mingchen looked familiar, but couldn't remember who he was. He asked with a hint of provocation, "May I ask your name? Are you Shen Xixi's boyfriend?"

Ye Mingchen was briefly at a loss. He glanced back at Shen Xixi, not daring to claim the title without her say-so. "My name is Ye, Ye Mingchen. Whether I'm Xixi's boyfriend is none of your business."

"Then you're not." Xiao Junyi's lips curled into a roguish smile. "I can tell you're interested in her too. That's fine. We'll compete fairly."

Chu Tianqing's scalp tingled. She couldn't bear to listen anymore. "Stop! Neither of you say another word!"

She stepped out between them and pressed her palms together in a plea. "Come on, guys, stop it. We're all friends. What's there to compete over? Don't you find it tiring?"

They didn't.

Ye Mingchen and Xiao Junyi locked eyes. Clearly, neither was willing to back down.

That night, Chu Tianqing spent a long time dealing with the two before finally seeing both of those great Buddhas off.

She dragged her exhausted body home. When she opened the door, the living room was brightly lit, and a foreign-language movie was playing on the television.

Shen Heng was sitting on the sofa with Baogang in his arms. Hearing her, he looked up, and the first thing he said was, "I heard from Mingchen that Xiao Junyi is pursuing you too, and you even bought him milk tea?"

Chu Tianqing let out a shout of despair. "Ah!!! You're all so annoying!!!!"

She was annoyed? Shen Heng was even more annoyed.

Ye Mingchen had poured out his troubles to him, hoping he would help sound out the feelings of his dear younger sister.

He had learned that another man was pursuing her too, and that it was none other than Xiao Junyi.

But as a man himself, Shen Heng could tell at a glance that Xiao Junyi was an unreliable playboy.

He was most likely pursuing Shen Xixi just for fun.

Shen Heng came over every day at nine to walk the dog. He had been about to leave after the walk when he received Ye Mingchen's message. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to stay and talk to Chu Tianqing.

Faced with her breakdown and temper, Shen Heng showed boundless tolerance and patience.

"Go wash your face and change into something comfortable first. I'm in no hurry to leave. We can take our time talking when you come out."

Chu Tianqing casually tossed her canvas bag onto the cabinet by the door. Without even putting on slippers, she took two steps forward barefoot, then went limp and sprawled on the floor. "I'm so tired. I don't want to talk."

The dog couldn't sit still anymore. He wriggled out of Shen Heng's arms, jumped off the sofa, and ran over to Chu Tianqing, sniffing her face with his damp little nose.

"Baogang!" Chu Tianqing scooped up the puppy and buried her face in his fluffy fur. "You're the best! I declare that every man in the world is better than you!"

Shen Heng's gaze froze. He felt as though he had been insulted too.

"All right, how old are you? Stop throwing a tantrum like a child." His patience exhausted, Shen Heng gave the order in a cold voice.

Chu Tianqing had long since stopped being afraid of him. With no intention of getting up, she turned her head toward her dear big brother and said weakly, "Brother, why didn't you let me leave back then? If I'd gone, none of this would have happened."

"Because I knew there were still people in this world who cared whether you lived or died, who worried about whether you were doing well." Shen Heng suppressed his own selfish motives and tried to make his words sound as high-minded as possible. "If you'd left, I would have had to go to the trouble of finding you and persuading you to come back. Do you think there would have been any point to that?"

Chu Tianqing thought of Jiang Youyi, her gentle smile, and the bond she could not sever. Her numb, weary heart warmed a little.

The debt of being raised was greater than the heavens. She really couldn't leave; she had to grit her teeth and carry on.

At that thought, Chu Tianqing felt full of energy. She got up and went to the bedroom to wash her face and change.

After changing, she came out, fetched a tub of chocolate ice cream from the refrigerator, and flopped onto the sofa. "Brother," she said respectfully, "what did you want to talk to me about? Go ahead."

Shen Heng turned to look at her. Seeing her scoop out a huge spoonful of ice cream and stuff it into her mouth, he couldn't help saying, "Don't eat too much cold food. It's bad for your health."

Chu Tianqing looked utterly blissful and bobbed her head as she said, "But it's good for my mental health."

Shen Heng couldn't take his eyes off her, his gaze full of indulgence. "All right, eat up. When you're done, tell me what you think."

"What is there to think?" Chu Tianqing swallowed her ice cream and stole a sideways glance at her dear big brother. "Brother, I'd like to hear your opinion," she ventured.

What she really meant was that she wanted her dear big brother's help—she wanted him to step in and turn down his good friend and her old enemy for her.

The people she didn't dare offend could be dealt with by a flick of her dear big brother's finger. After all, everyone wanted to give the crown prince of Dingsheng Group face.

Shen Heng tilted his head slightly and met Chu Tianqing's expectant gaze. How could he not understand what she meant?

But two or three times, the words rose to his lips, only for him to swallow them back down. He simply couldn't get past that barrier in his heart.

He was afraid that once he stepped in, he would never be able to stop. He would keep every man who showed interest in her at bay, leaving her to belong to him alone.

"My opinion is that Xiao Junyi is a player, so you should be careful around him." Shen Heng thought for a moment, then added, "The worst thing you can do in a situation like this is drag it out. You'd better make a decision as soon as possible and make yourself clear, so no one misunderstands what you mean."

Hearing this, Chu Tianqing understood that her request had been politely declined. Her dear big brother didn't want to get involved.

It would have been a lie to say she wasn't disappointed. She lowered her eyes and focused on scooping her ice cream, comforting herself. He isn't my real brother! Don't ask for an inch and take a mile! Don't expect him to help with everything!

"Oh, I understand," Chu Tianqing answered glumly, then took another big mouthful of ice cream.

Seeing how dejected she looked, Shen Heng grew even more upset and somewhat regretted staying to talk to her about it that night.

He told himself to let her be. She was an adult and had to learn to take responsibility for her own life.

Shen Heng couldn't sit there any longer. He made a casual excuse and left.

Chu Tianqing walked him to the door. Shen Heng stepped out, then turned back to look at her. After hesitating for a moment, he still reminded her, "Call me if anything happens."

Chu Tianqing raised her eyes and glanced at him, nodded obediently, and watched Shen Heng leave in the elevator.

After closing the door, Chu Tianqing faced the empty living room and couldn't resist mimicking him sarcastically. "'Call me if anything happens.' How would I dare trouble you?"

Once she was done being sarcastic, she felt a little annoyed with herself. Chu Tianqing scolded herself, "Hey, you really don't know what's good for you."

After putting on a whole show by herself, she went to take a shower in frustration.

In the end, she concluded that all men were awful, except for Papa Shen and her business partners.

The restaurant's morning shift started at nine. Chu Tianqing showed up with dark circles under both eyes, giving Jiang Lean a fright.

"Honestly, you don't need to work so hard," Jiang Lean said mercilessly. "If you're sleepy, get some more sleep. The restaurant won't be any better off with you here or any worse off without you."

Chu Tianqing looked at her reproachfully.

Jiang Lean couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. "All right, I'll stop teasing you. Seriously, though, who do you like more, Ye Mingchen or Xiao Junyi?"

"I don't know either." Chu Tianqing slumped over the counter, looking half-dead. "I'm not in the mood for a relationship right now."

Jiang Lean pondered for a moment, then gave her serious assessment. "I think Ye Mingchen is better. You can tell at a glance that Xiao Junyi is a playboy."

As the two were talking, a delivery guy stopped at the door and came in carrying a bouquet. "Is Miss Shen Xixi here? These flowers are for you. Please sign for them."

Jiang Lean froze, and Chu Tianqing turned to stone.

Jiang Lean was the first to recover. She hurriedly said, "Yes, this is the place. Give them to me."

She took the flowers, pulled out the card, and held it up in front of Chu Tianqing, eager to watch the show. "Ooh, they're from Mr. Xiao."