My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Six Months Ago III – “Reverse Clock”

“Hello, what’s the farthest city I can buy a ticket to with the money I have?”

Evidently, my foolish question earned me an impatient glare from the ticket agent. She said in a harsh tone, “Don’t you know where you want to go? People are lining up behind you. Hurry up.”

I turned to look at the queue behind me and had no choice but to say randomly, “Then give me a bullet train ticket to Chengdu. The fastest one. Thank you!”

“Chengdu East, right? The earliest time is 10:30 AM. Check-in starts in twenty minutes. I only have first-class seats. Do you want it?”

“Yes!”

I paid and took the blue train ticket, sprinting toward the waiting lounge, afraid of missing the departure. Watching the travelers pass by me, a surge of excitement unexpectedly rose in my heart. I think I still deeply loved Phoebe; maybe I was just tired of loving.

Thank goodness I didn’t miss the check-in. I ran into the carriage, found my seat, and collapsed onto it, hugging my backpack. It wasn’t until the platform started moving away from me that I sharply turned my head, watching the train station shrink into the distance. I stared intently, but of course, the figure I wanted to see didn’t appear. There was no movie-like chase scene. I was just a person who left this city, utterly defeated.

Chengdu, such a strange city. I’d only heard there were countless delicious foods and that one could spend leisure time there with a cup of lidded tea. I turned to look at the seemingly endless track outside the window. The flat scenery of this coastal city made me feel sleepy. I yawned and closed my eyes, unconsciously continuing to recall the days of our argument…

…

Since the argument that morning, Phoebe and I were like strangers in a shared apartment. We saw each other constantly but were extremely silent. Even during weekend family dinners, when Suwei and Feijun brought their children over as guests, it couldn’t alleviate the inexplicable rift that had opened between Phoebe and me.

One night, after coaxing Qingfan to sleep, I stood outside the study, hesitating for a long time, unsure whether I should go in and talk properly with Phoebe. If all else failed, I would apologize—I admitted that losing my temper that day was wrong. Just as I was hesitating, I accidentally heard Phoebe talking to someone on the phone.

“It’s this late, and you’re still not resting?”

“…”

“By the way, thank you for sending me back last time.”

“…”

“Tomorrow night? Let me think… it shouldn’t be a big problem… Okay, let’s have a simple dinner together then.”

“…”

I gripped the hem of my clothes and lowered my head, feeling utterly miserable. Although it was only three sentences, I could hear a kind of lighthearted happiness in Phoebe’s tone. Perhaps I had focused too much on Qingfan, accompanying her as she slowly grew up, forgetting that Phoebe’s pace had never slowed down.

I lifted my feet and walked toward the guest room, but then heard the sound of the door opening behind me. I turned to see Phoebe holding an empty cup, probably coming out to make coffee to continue working. I walked back to her, silently took the cup, and walked toward the kitchen downstairs. She neither refused me nor said another word to me. When did our communication become like this?

I brewed a pot of Blue Mountain coffee, using the usual method—with milk, no sugar. Then I returned to the living room. Phoebe was leaning against the solid wood railing, her expression relaxed. She tilted her head to look at me. I smiled and said, “Coffee isn’t good for you. Let’s switch to tea later.”

“Okay, whatever you say.”

I followed her back to the study, put the coffee on the desk, and prepared to discreetly leave, but Phoebe called out, “Feifan.”

“What is it?”

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her executive chair, seemingly organizing her thoughts. I waited quietly, harboring a small expectation, until she spoke. Her tone softened as she continued, “The company has been preparing for a big project recently. I’ve been too busy, so I haven’t been able to consider your feelings.”

I knew she was giving me the best way out, but I was still somewhat disappointed. I leaned in and kissed her forehead, wrapped my arms around her, and quietly apologized: “That day… I lost my composure. You’ve been so busy, and I didn’t consider your feelings. It was my fault. I’m sorry.”

Phoebe turned to look at me, smiled, and wrapped her arms around my neck, instructing: “You should go rest now.”

“Okay. Don’t work too late, be good.”

“I’ll go to sleep after reviewing this document.”

The precious weekend ended just like that. After dropping Qingfan off at school for boarding, I drove to the supermarket. While picking out fruit, I wondered if I should make a delicious afternoon tea and take it to Phoebe at the company.

Suddenly, a woman walked past me. The familiar perfume and beautiful back profile made me freeze slightly. I quickly put down the fruit and looked around, but the woman had already disappeared from my sight. I murmured a little disappointed, “How could it be… Duoran is in Berlin and won’t be back…”

By the time I got home, lunch hour had passed. I took over the entire kitchen, busy preparing afternoon tea. Even the house-help poked her head in and teased, “Xiao Fan, you’re so diligent. Preparing tasty treats for Ms. Lan again? Shall I help you?”

“No need, I’ll do it myself. Just help me clean up the kitchen later.”

I packed the steamed lava buns and spare ribs with black bean sauce into an insulated box, cut up a box of Caesar dressing vegetable salad, and juiced some fruit. The colorful and flavorful afternoon tea was ready. I hummed a tune and walked into the garage. Although providing food during work hours was a routine that happened every now and then, Phoebe always appreciated it, so I often did it.

I got into the car and checked the time. Oops! It was already 4 PM. Any later and it wouldn’t be called afternoon tea anymore. I drove quickly, almost running a red light. I glanced at the lunch box on the passenger seat, then shook my head with a smile. I wished I could spend this entire life happily doing small, mundane things, as long as they brought her joy—that was my happiness.

Arriving at the company, I greeted the receptionist girl, took the elevator upstairs, and saw Secretary Du tidying up the office desk from a distance. I waved my hand from afar: “Hi! Secretary Du, long time no see.”

Secretary Du looked up at me in response, then glanced at the lunch box in my hand, and exclaimed a little belatedly, “Feifan, Ms. Lan has already left the company!”

I was slightly stunned: “Uh… she left work?”

“Yes, she said it was a private meeting, so she left early. The company has been quite busy lately, so it’s rare to see her leave this early. It must be a very important meeting.”

“Oh… I see…”

I turned to leave, feeling a bit lost, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, “Do you know who she went to meet?”

Secretary Du shook her head. I didn’t press her. After all, she was Phoebe’s confidante. Even if she knew, she wouldn’t casually reveal it. I looked at the lunch box in my hands, then smiled and placed it on Secretary Du’s desk: “Come, come, come. You’re working so hard. Since Phoebe isn’t here, you can try my cooking~”

I put on a relaxed expression and, without waiting for Secretary Du to decline, left the office building empty-handed. Recalling the conversation I heard last night, it suddenly dawned on me that Phoebe indeed had plans today. Without dwelling on it, I got into the car. Since I had nothing to do, why not go to iMA? I hadn’t managed the bar in a while. Soso even said Dazhuang was overworked, so it was time for me to take care of my own business.

Just as I started the car, my phone suddenly rang. Yu Xiao’s name flashed on the screen. How unusual. My prison mate was usually like an immortal—if I didn’t look for her, she was as good as dead, only existing in my contacts list.

“Old Yu, what good day is it today that brought you to me?”

Yu Xiao never called without a reason. She was always composed and never made a fuss, and it was no exception now. She asked in a calm tone, “I’m out having dinner with Yumeng. Guess who we saw?”

Evidently, Yu Xiao knew I wouldn’t answer, so she continued on her own: “I’ve WeChat-ed you the restaurant address. Come over. Treat it as old friends catching up for dinner. We can talk when you get here.”