ACMS 16

Chapter 16: Ongoing Deal

The next day, after sending Qiao Man to kindergarten in the morning, Qiao Le completed another errand order. Once the time was about right, he tidied himself up and headed to Seer Café for the appointment.

Just like last time, he parked his little electric scooter in a corner spot—and coincidentally, that same black Maybach from before was parked in the exact same place.

Arriving at the door of Seer Café, he double-checked that he hadn’t come to the wrong place before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

It wasn’t his first time here, so Qiao Le confidently headed toward Area A. A server came up to ask if he had a reservation, and he simply replied, “Table Nine.”

When he got there, just like last time, he first saw a back view.

Broad shoulders, a straight and solid back—just looking at him from behind, the man’s posture seemed perfect.

The person was looking down, so his face couldn’t be seen, but there was something familiar about that back.

Qiao Le recalled the first time he saw Shen Hechuan here. Shen Hechuan had also sat like this, with his back to him.

Rich people must all be cut from the same cloth, he thought—this back really did resemble Shen Hechuan’s.

He didn’t think much of it and walked over quickly, saying to the man seated on the couch, “Hello, sir, I’m from the ‘Let Me Do It’ platform—”

Before he could finish, the man who had been looking down at documents raised his head. Their eyes met.

Qiao Le froze for a second and blurted out, “Mr. Shen?”

Shen Hechuan set the materials aside and looked at him with unhurried composure. “Calling me ‘Mr. Shen’ again?”

That “Mr. Shen” had slipped out instinctively. First, Qiao Le was surprised—then a hint of joy surfaced, something even he hadn’t noticed. “You’re here too? Just came for coffee?”

Shen Hechuan said, “I’m waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” Qiao Le froze for a second, then as if realizing something, he looked down at the table card—it was indeed Table Nine.

“Yes, waiting for you,” Shen Hechuan said. “I was the one who placed the order on the platform.”

Qiao Le: “Huh?”

Shen Hechuan reminded him, “Didn’t you say last time? That if I needed help, I could reach out to you.”

Qiao Le had said that, but he hadn’t expected Shen Hechuan to actually need anything from him—let alone go to the platform and place an order specifically.

“Well, you could’ve just told me directly. Don’t you have my WeChat? When you messaged me through the platform last night, I thought it was some random sca—”

He cut himself off in time, silently cursing his big mouth, and quickly corrected himself: “I thought it was a big client, so I even dressed up a little.”

At those words, Shen Hechuan gave him a once-over.

Today, Qiao Le was wearing a dress shirt and slacks—the same outfit he’d worn the first time they met. His hair had also been tidied up a bit. With his bangs pushed aside, his smooth and full forehead was clearly visible.

It was the kind of look parents would find pleasing.

The more Shen Hechuan looked, the more convinced he felt that asking Qiao Le for help was a very reliable idea.

“Sit down first,” Shen Hechuan said. “Want something to drink?”

Qiao Le sat on the couch across from him. “Are you treating?”

Even the cheapest coffee here cost 168 yuan—he couldn’t bring himself to pay that out of pocket.

“Of course,” Shen Hechuan nodded. “As long as you don’t sneak off to pay the bill again.”

They looked at each other, and Qiao Le easily caught the smile in his eyes. Embarrassed at first, he then smiled too. “Then I’ll order something expensive.”

“Go ahead,” Shen Hechuan said, raising his hand to signal a waiter.

Even though he said that, Qiao Le didn’t go wild with the menu—mainly because he wasn’t a big fan of coffee anyway. He preferred milk tea.

He ordered a latte and handed the menu over to Shen Hechuan, who added two desserts.

After the server left, Qiao Le asked what exactly Shen Hechuan needed help with.

Shen Hechuan briefly explained the situation at home—they were pressuring him to get married. He wanted Qiao Le to pretend to be his boyfriend and accompany him to dinner that evening to meet his elders.

Wait, meet the parents?

Qiao Le realized this request was even more difficult than Mr. Huo’s.

Mr. Huo had only asked him to sabotage a blind date—he could just mess around and be unreasonable. But Mr. Shen’s request had jumped straight to meeting the family.

When Qiao Le didn’t respond right away, Shen Hechuan gently asked, “Is it too much?”

It wasn’t that it was too much—it was just…unexpected.

“Rich people get pressured to marry too?” he thought—and asked.

After listening, Shen Hechuan glanced at him. “Rich people eat grains and vegetables too.”

In other words: still human.

“Are you dating anyone?” Qiao Le asked. Mr. Huo had found him because his family disapproved of his real partner—if he was going to help, he needed the basics.

“No,” Shen Hechuan said. Thinking of the person he saw with Qiao Le yesterday, he casually asked, “What about you?”

Qiao Le shook his head. “I’m not seeing anyone either.”

Neither of them had a partner. That made things convenient. A clean deal with no complications.

Just then, the server brought their coffee and desserts. The clear glass showed the distinct layers of the latte, with a beautiful latte art design on top.

The desserts were mousse cake and yogurt ice cream pancakes.

The pancakes were small, delicate. Qiao Le remembered one tiny piece like that cost 188 yuan. Insanely expensive.

“Have something to eat,” Shen Hechuan said, nudging the plate of pancakes toward him. “Did you have breakfast?”

“I did.”

Since he was already here, and the food was already ordered, Qiao Le didn’t stand on ceremony. He used a fork to take a piece of pancake onto his plate.

The ice cream was smooth and creamy, the pancake crisp on the outside and soft inside.

Delicious!

Qiao Le’s eyes lit up—it really was worth the price!

He quickly finished the pancake and took a sip of the coffee. It was just as good. He couldn’t help but take two more sips.

Shen Hechuan watched, the smile in his eyes growing even deeper, and lifted his own cup to take a sip.

“You’re not eating? It’s really good,” Qiao Le said. “Let me help you.”

As he spoke, he reached over and picked up Shen Hechuan’s plate. Using a clean fork, he cut off a piece of pancake for him. He was so used to taking care of Qiao Man that the gesture came naturally—he didn’t even think twice about it.

Shen Hechuan looked at the piece of pancake placed in front of him and took a bite under Qiao Le’s expectant gaze.

Hmm. Not bad.

A bit sweet, but acceptable.

With the food eaten and the coffee drunk, Qiao Le didn’t forget the real reason he was here. He asked Shen Hechuan what exactly he needed him to do, and to what extent.

“You agreed?” Shen Hechuan had expected Qiao Le to at least consider it. He hadn’t thought he’d agree so easily.

“Of course,” Qiao Le said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I told you before—if you ever asked, I’d definitely help you.”

Being able to help Shen Hechuan made Qiao Le happy. What Shen Hechuan had done for him—he’d never forgotten.

“There’s not much to do. Just come to dinner at my place as my boyfriend and help me keep the elders at bay.”

At this point, Shen Hechuan’s tone turned a little helpless. “They’re really aggressive when it comes to marriage. It’s been interfering with my work and life.”

“So basically,” Qiao Le asked, “you’re not planning to get married yet?”

Shen Hechuan nodded. “I have no such plans at the moment.”

“Got it.” Qiao Le completely understood. With good looks and money, not wanting to get married too early made perfect sense. “Don’t worry. When we meet them, if your parents start pushing for marriage, I’ll just say it’s my problem.”

Shen Hechuan asked, “What problem?”

“I’m still young!” Qiao Le said with confidence. “Not wanting to get married is totally normal!”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Nineteen years old—yeah, still young.

But something about the way he said that didn’t sit quite right… as if not wanting to get married at his age was somehow abnormal.

He gave Qiao Le a brief overview of his family’s situation. When he got to the part about his grandfather, he paused. “They’re pretty warm and enthusiastic. Just be mentally prepared.”

“No problem. I’m great with elders,” Qiao Le said with full confidence. Ever since he was little, he’d been the so-called “model child” parents talked about—the kind grannies and grandpas in the neighborhood adored.

Hearing that, Shen Hechuan didn’t doubt him one bit.

He remembered his father asking if Qiao Le would be coming alone or with his parents, and reminded him, “They might ask about your family background. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer.”

His family background…

Qiao Le paused with the spoon in his coffee, thinking about what would be the best answer if they did ask—when he heard Shen Hechuan continue, “They’ll also probably ask how we met.”

“Oh.” Qiao Le pulled himself out of his thoughts and said casually, “No worries, I’ll make something up.”

Make something up?

The last time’s misunderstanding had left quite the impression—Shen Hechuan raised an eyebrow slightly. “What, got kicked out of the house and dropped out of school for me again?”

Qiao Le: “…”

Hearing the teasing tone in his voice, Qiao Le shot back, “So should I call you honey this time?”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

If it’s for the sake of a convincing performance—

That’s acceptable.