Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 23

The cool morning breeze carries a hint of chill, and there are not many people on the street. “Ding-a-ling—” A crisp bell sound breaks the silence.

At 8:30 a.m., as the first ray of sunlight shines through the window and onto the entrance of the small restaurant, the door is gently pushed open. A college student wearing a black windbreaker and white sneakers walks in, his eyes full of restraint.

“Hello, the beef is not stewed yet. We will officially start selling after 10 a.m.,” Wang Xinghe says politely.

The college student gives a clean and handsome smile, his eyes showing sincerity. “Hello, I’m actually here for the job interview.”

Wang Xinghe stops wiping the table and walks out of the kitchen. He shifts his gaze from the rag in his hand to the young man. He walks out of the kitchen with a scrutinizing look. “Hello, please have a seat.” He points to a stool by the door, signaling for the college student to sit down.

“This job is mainly for the lunch and dinner hours. Which time slot works better for you?” Wang Xinghe doesn’t have high requirements for his employees. He just needs them to be clean, neat, and free of any infectious diseases.

“Both time slots work. We’re in our third year, so we have very few classes.”

Wang Xinghe nods. “Okay, since I’m in the food and beverage industry, you have to get a medical report showing that you don’t have any infectious diseases. If the report is valid, I’ll reimburse you for the checkup fee. If it’s not, you’ll have to pay for it yourself.”

The young man smiles and responds, “I completely understand. I can go for the checkup this morning.”

“As for the pay, it’s paid daily. Lunch and dinner are provided. It’s 100 yuan a day. If you do a good job later, I can increase it appropriately. Can you accept that?”

“Yes, that’s a very reasonable price, especially since two meals are included.”

Wang Xinghe smiles. “Then I look forward to your health report. We’ll sign a detailed contract then, which will be a guarantee for both of us.”

The young man smiles and stands up. “I’ll go now.”

“Okay.”

Watching the young man leave, Wang Xinghe gets busy again. Perhaps because of the large portions, fresh meat, and good taste, the majority of his customers, who were initially female college students, now include a lot of men. Looking at the students eating together and filled with youthful energy, Wang Xinghe’s mood seems to be quite good as well.

Three days later, the young man who came for the interview returns with his medical report and health certificate. Wang Xinghe opens the health certificate and compares it with the ID card he brought. His name is Xu Ye. “Then let’s sign the contract.”

Wang Xinghe hands him the printed temporary employment contract. “Take a look.”

Xu Ye lowers his head and carefully reads the contract. All the terms and conditions are very neutral and reasonable. “Okay, I’ll sign.” Xu Ye signs the contract without hesitation. Wang Xinghe fills in his name in the “Party A” section.

Xu Ye looks at the name Wang Xinghe and is impressed. “That’s a good name, Boss. You live up to it.”

Wang Xinghe takes out his phone and shows him the QR code. “You can call me Brother Wang from now on.”

“Beep—” Xu Ye scans the code and adds Wang Xinghe’s contact information. “You can get used to the environment first. Just wipe the tables, sweep the floor, and serve the customers.”

Xu Ye listens carefully. “I can do all of that.”

Wang Xinghe works with Xu Ye for a week, and Xu Ye quickly gets the hang of it. He is quick, meticulous, and very hygienic. Wang Xinghe is very satisfied.

At 8 p.m. that day, when it’s time for him to get off work, Wang Xinghe transfers 100 yuan to him as promised. “When does your winter break start?” The weather is getting colder, and when the college students go home for the New Year, he can have some time to relax.

“Final exams for each department start the week after next. After the exams, we’ll have our break,” Xu Ye says, pursing his lips. “I’ll have to go home for the New Year then.”

Wang Xinghe lowers his eyes and nods. “Of course.”

In the blink of an eye, the college students’ winter break begins. Wang Xinghe transfers 200 yuan to him. “It’s not much, just a small bonus.”

Xu Ye says gratefully, “Thank you, Brother Wang.”

“You’re welcome. Have a great New Year. See you next year.” Wang Xinghe waves at him.

Xu Ye’s figure blends into the night.

Wang Xinghe starts to put away the parasols and the brown tables outside the door. A white figure appears in his line of sight. He looks up, confused, at the girl in the white down jacket. She is a regular customer here and comes almost every day. They don’t have much interaction. The most they exchange are “hello,” “what would you like to eat,” and “goodbye.”

Today, Wang Xinghe smiles and asks as usual, “Hello, are you here for a meal?” The girl has bangs, big eyes, and is wearing delicate doll-like makeup. Paired with her white down jacket, she looks very cute.

“No… I want to… ask you, do you have a girlfriend?” The girl bites her lip, looking at Wang Xinghe with shyness.

“Thank you, but I don’t date. I’m not looking to get married.” Wang Xinghe still smiles gently when he rejects her.

The girl’s face turns pale for a moment, looking a little disappointed. But she still manages to force a smile. “Okay, then I’ll be going.”

Wang Xinghe nods and watches the girl leave.

At 9 p.m., he closes the lights and the door outside the shop. Wang Xinghe goes up to the second floor. After washing up, he lies in bed. The fatigue of the day, washed away by the hot water, makes him even more exhausted. He closes his eyes, ready to sleep.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz—” The phone’s vibration breaks the silence of the night and wakes Wang Xinghe from his slumber. He groggily answers the call. “Hello—” His voice is hoarse and slurred from being woken up, low and muffled.

There is silence on the other end of the line. The sleepiness in Wang Xinghe’s eyes is completely gone. He looks at the screen. It’s an unknown number from Kyoto. The last digit is a repeating 9. He can guess who it is.

Wang Xinghe is silent for a long time, then says as before, “If you don’t say anything, I’m hanging up.”

The other end is still very quiet. Just as Wang Xinghe is about to hang up, Lu Jingze’s voice comes through. “Brother Xinghe, I miss you so much.”

Wang Xinghe closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Mr. Lu, please don’t call me again. It only makes things awkward for both of us.”

There is a long silence on the other end, along with faint breathing. “Why didn’t you use the money I gave you?” Lu Jingze’s voice comes through the phone.

Wang Xinghe feels a bit of anger, and his voice becomes a little sharp. “What we did was a mutual agreement. Mr. Lu, you were very generous to give me 500 million yuan.”

In Lu Jingze’s private villa, there are no servants, no bodyguards, nothing. He hasn’t turned on the lights and just sits quietly on the sofa, immersed in the darkness. He never thought that his feelings for Wang Xinghe had grown so strong that he couldn’t control them. He thought that their goodbye at the hospital more than half a year ago was a complete farewell. But as time passed and he got caught up in one disgusting thing after another and dealt with one dirty matter after another, his longing for Wang Xinghe reached a new level, minute by minute. He wants to hold him, kiss him. He wants to be with him forever. This thought, which was born half a year ago, can no longer be extinguished.

“Brother Xinghe, are you mad that I left without saying goodbye?” Lu Jingze lowers his eyes and looks at the dark, empty villa. His heart feels empty, too.

“No, I just want to tell you, Lu Jingze, our past is over.”

“I will return your checks and watch when the time is right.”

“I am not worth 500 million.”

“And what we had is not worth 500 million.” Wang Xinghe hangs up the phone. To prevent him from calling again, he turns on airplane mode. After hanging up, Wang Xinghe leans tiredly against the headboard. “How childish…” Wang Xinghe mutters through gritted teeth. In the end, his body’s exhaustion wins, and he falls asleep.