My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Coffee. “I’m no angel”

Seeing me walk toward her, Guan Shuyun paused her conversation with Duoran and stepped forward to meet me. Seeing no trace of anger on my face, a flicker of disappointment crossed her features. She scrutinized my eyes for a long time before letting out a disdainful “tsk-tsk” sound. “Tsk, tsk… you must have cried your eyes out last night. The swelling hasn’t even gone down today.”

I nodded with a smile and shrugged nonchalantly. “You caught me. It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Guan Shuyun hid her smirk, gave me another once-over, and muttered, “You’re acting strange today. Whatever… I’m in a good mood, so I’ll clear my schedule for you. However, I suggest you go settle things with Miss Lan before coming back to talk to me. I’ll wait in my office until 5:00 PM. Plenty of time.”

She pointed behind me. I turned to see Phoebe; she hadn’t left. She was staring straight at our interaction. At that moment, Duoran walked over. She glanced at me, then reached out to pat Guan Shuyun’s shoulder with a level of intimacy that seemed deliberate. “Since CEO Guan has business to attend to, I’ll take my leave.”

Guan Shuyun didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she offered a helpful suggestion to Phoebe and me: “There’s a Maan Coffee if you turn right out the door… CEO Lan, if you’ll excuse me.”

Her attitude toward Duoran was different. As soon as the woman mentioned leaving, Guan Shuyun was eagerly attentive. More shockingly, Guan Shuyun actually took Duoran’s hand and walked off openly in front of her own employees. What could I say? This circle is deep, complex, and quite a mess.

Phoebe seemed to agree with Guan Shuyun’s suggestion. Though she said nothing, she stood her ground, stubbornly waiting for me. I returned to her side and said impatiently, “What is there left to talk about?”

Lin Chen, who was sitting obediently in the lounge with a cup of water, finally chimed in: “Miss Jian said that if you talk things through, there’s always a chance for a turnaround. Go. I’ll wait for you here.”

Doesn’t this guy usually say very little? Why is he suddenly so talkative! I shot him a cold look. “Shut up.”

Phoebe looked around, then reached out to grab my arm. “Let’s go.”

It was the first time I’d seen her use such force. She dragged me along, her high heels clicking as she pulled me toward the coffee shop without looking back. Once inside, she chose a corner table. We sat there staring blankly at each other. After a long wait with no waiter in sight, she said with a hint of annoyance, “Why is no one coming?!”

I looked at her, speechless, and explained mockingly, “Self-service at the counter. You’re so high-maintenance that ordinary coffee shops obviously don’t suit you…”

She leaned back into her chair and continued to stare at me. I stared back. Finally, I spoke: “If you want a drink, go order it yourself. Why are you looking at me?”

She’s a grown woman yet still carries these spoiled habits; it’s time she learned. Seeing my firm stance, Phoebe huffed, picked up her phone, and made a move toward the counter. Halfway there, she doubled back and swiftly snatched my phone off the table. I stood up and asked sternly, “What are you doing with my phone?”

Having been caught, she bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, and answered weakly: “Go Dutch… what do you want to drink?”

“Since when did you become so stingy… A latte, thanks.”

As she walked away, I shook my head with a chuckle. Go Dutch… she’s just afraid I’ll sneak away…

A moment later, she returned carrying a small teddy bear she got from the bar. I was sitting with my legs crossed, thinking about how to handle Guan Shuyun. Phoebe didn’t sit down immediately; instead, she suddenly crouched down in front of me. Startled by the gesture, I pulled my legs back and pushed my chair away, asking warily, “What are you doing?”

This was a 180-degree turn from her attitude at the Guan Corporation. Crouching there, she looked up at me with a faint smile in her eyes. She waved the teddy bear in front of me. “Buy coffee… get a doll…”

I let out a breath. This woman’s inability to function in daily life was more severe than I thought. I reached out and snatched the bear from her hand, placing it on the table. “You aren’t very cute when you’re being naive… This bear is for your order number. It has a locator inside so they know which table to bring the coffee to.”

Seeing me teasing her, she sighed and muttered, “I know… I just wanted to make you happy.”

When the waiter brought the coffee, we both sat up straight. Phoebe picked up a tiny cup of espresso and took a sip. Seeming to like the taste, she nodded slightly and said casually, “It feels like we haven’t sat together for coffee in a long time… By the way… before you came back, I went to the Ran-Hou Coffee Bar. It’s been so long… they’ve redecorated.”

I stirred my coffee with a spoon, ruining the latte art. “Did you invite me here just for small talk?”

Phoebe’s eyes caught the necklace around my neck, and her gaze slowly traveled to my fingers. She reached out to touch the ring, but I instinctively pulled away. “Thank you for spending so much money on these high-tech gadgets for me. If they’re ever no longer needed, I’ll return them.”

She frowned deeply, staring at me. It seemed her patience had finally run out. “Can’t you speak properly? Do you have to be so prickly?”

My face darkened as I looked at her seriously. “What counts as ‘proper’? Smiling like a fool and kissing your cold ass? I’ve done that for years. Haven’t I had enough?”

She clasped her hands on the table, looking angry but keeping her head down in silence. I heard her choked, raspy breath. She sniffled and said, “What do I have to do to make you stop being angry? Is it too late for me to confess everything? Feifan…”

She looked up at me, a complete mess from crying, her nose bright red. I looked at her disheveled state, unable to respond. I sipped my coffee while an old Dido song played in the background…

“I know I’m not perfect but I can smile… I’m no angel, but please don’t think that I won’t try and try, I’m no angel, but does that mean that I can’t live my life, I’m no angel, but does that mean that I won’t fly…”

I turned my head to look at the few pedestrians on the street. In the deep of winter, the city was shrouded in a cold, dead silence. I tapped my finger on the table to the beat, humming the tune and translating the lyrics for Phoebe:

“I know I haven’t been perfect, that I don’t measure up to you… but I’ve been trying to keep smiling. But it’s really exhausting… I’m no angel, but don’t think I’m someone who won’t try… it doesn’t mean I can’t master my own life… or that I can’t fly free…”

Hearing the lyrics, Phoebe knew they weren’t just words. She bit her lip and shook her head repeatedly, like a child who had done something wrong, reaching out to grab my hand for forgiveness. This time I didn’t pull away. I let her hold it tight, even squeezing back. Her hand was so cold, despite how warm it was inside.

She pleaded incoherently: “I don’t want to break up… I can’t lose you… We promised to be together forever. We’ve lived together for so many years… how can you just throw me away… I’ll tell you everything now. Listen to my explanation… give me a little time, I’ll tell you everything…”

I knit my brows and withdrew my hand. I didn’t like this groveling version of Lan Feiyi. I pushed some tissues toward her and said coldly, “Where is your arrogance and dignity? Crying… what is there to cry about? It’s just a breakup, not a death. How many chances did I give you? Why didn’t you speak then? Why wait until now? What are you afraid of? The last thing I want to hear right now is your side of the story. I’m more curious about what the person up there has to tell me.”

I pointed toward the Guan Corporation building. Phoebe closed her eyes. She was in a state of anxiety I had never seen before. I didn’t want to see her like this; I didn’t want to be swayed. I stood up to leave. Phoebe suddenly grabbed my hand, resting her forehead against my arm, sobbing: “I only wanted to protect you and the child, that’s why I said nothing. Don’t go… you can’t go… it’s too dangerous there… I’m begging you, okay? You can’t let anything happen to you again…”

I pulled my hand away with force, finally breaking her grip. Seeing her collapsed on the table in despair made my heart ache, but I had my own reasons. I couldn’t let her stop what needed to happen. Before leaving, I knelt down once more and pressed a tissue into her hand. Her eyes were red as she looked at me, sobbing.

I felt calm—my heart didn’t even hurt. I felt like a numb, walking corpse. I gave her one last, painless instruction: “Take care of yourself in the life without me. If you really can’t manage, hire more maids. I’m going…”

I stood up and headed for the door, taking deep breaths. I couldn’t cry. I had to hold it in. I knew exactly what I was doing, and exactly what I was about to lose forever…

Returning to the Guan Corporation, Lin Chen was still sitting properly in the lounge, though now he had drinks and snacks in front of him. It seemed Guan Shuyun had made arrangements. This time, the receptionist saw me from a distance and waved. “CEO Guan has been waiting for you. I’ll take you up now.”

This was my first time at the Guan Corporation, but I had lost my curiosity about the scale of the enterprise. In the elevator, the image of Phoebe crying kept replaying. I shook my head to clear my mind; now was not the time for sentimentality. I followed the receptionist to the office door, where Guan Shuyun’s secretary was waiting. As I approached, she pushed the door open.

“Miss You, hello. CEO Guan has been waiting. Please go in.”