Baking with you

20. Confrontation

CW: Angst

Xie Lian had arrived back in London the night before, in the early evening, but he had a lot to do: finish the report on the things he researched in Paris, and send it to Jun Wu, then work or something else. Now he was on the bus, going to The Golden Lotus Pavilion. He wasn't thinking much: sometimes it's better if you don't think, and just do what you have to do.

He looked at his phone at times, to that same message. "How has your day been? Back in London? Mine was damn busy! You're back to work tomorrow? Can't wait for Friday, I miss you so much already Gege... XX". He had replied, "Miss you too XX". From everything he wanted to say to Hua Cheng, it really boiled down to these three words.

He wanted Hua Cheng to be with him there and then, but at the same time... Better if he wasn't. Xie Lian wasn't sure how things would go between them in the near future; maybe Hua Cheng would be pissed off Xie Lian did things himself without talking to him first, but... he didn't feel he had a choice.

He also felt Hua Cheng would stick to him no matter what, but did he have a reason to believe that, or was it just wishful thinking? He truly didn't know if – his old pattern of negative thinking kicking in – Hua Cheng's feelings were really all that, or were sweet nothings, empty words.

He was dropping off next; he pushed the stop button and got up.

•

He walked in The Golden Lotus Pavilion, straight to the office, not batting an eye to his colleagues looking at him in surprise, and less even at Bai Wuxiang saying, "Excuse me Xie Lian? You were supposed to be back at work today. Were you confused with the rota or something?"

Xuan Ji also butted in, "Wow looking good Xie Lian! Why are you dressed like that? You went on a business trip, now you're a manager?" she pffted a laugh; Bai Wuxiang frowned at her, but kept following Xie Lian to the office; Xie Lian asked Yin Yu to see Jun Wu, and was showed his door.

He knocked, and went in; Jun Wu was sitting at his desk, leisurely drinking tea, not looking busy at all. He looked up at Xie Lian and smiled, "Ah Xie Lian, how was Paris? I've received your report, you're so very efficient and – ", he saw Bai Wuxiang, and raised his brows, "What's going on?"

"Jun Wu, good morning. I hope you find my presentation useful. I just came to give you this", he gave him an envelope, and added, "My resignation letter. I'm afraid I'm not giving any notice".

Bai Wuxiang gasped, "What? What did you just say?"

Jun Wu straightened up and said, "Bai Wuxiang, please. Xie Lian, take a seat. I'm sure we can talk about any dissatisfaction you might have and – "

Xie Lian didn't sit down, and Bai Wuxiang, unable to control himself, snapped, "You can't just quit you know. All we did for you, you're not even graduated, you can't work as a maître pâtissier anywhere! If it wasn't for us, you'd be a common baker on some suburban – "

"Indeed, I couldn't work as a maître pâtissier anywhere, I'm so very grateful for your kindness", Xie Lian replied, not taking his eyes off Jun Wu.

Bai Wuxiang was taken aback, "Xie Lian, you're being... sarcastic?"

Xie Lian shot him a glance, "You got it? Not too stupid then"; he turned back to Jun Wu, "I'm not graduated, yes. Why's that? Since you both are 'helping' me now, didn't you also 'help' me then? Or should I say: didn't you both bully me back then?"

Bai Wuxiang and Jun Wu looked at each other in dismay – they didn't count on that!

Xie Lian went on, "Even if I had found at the time all the bad reviews were yours, I wouldn't have believed it. Why would the heir of the Jun Family, with the worldwide famous Golden Lotus Pavilion on his hands, waste his time on me? Nonsense! I came across the answer to that quite recently: less than a month to be exact.

•

At the meeting with their old school teacher Mei Nianqing during Christmas break, Xie Lian walked him home after Feng Xin and Mu Qing left. It wasn't that cold, and it was nice to hear his old teacher's voice again.

"Xie Lian, I asked you about your work at The Golden Lotus Pavilion because I know its owner, Jun Wu. I know him very well, and I'm worried about you".

Xie Lian was surprised; he hardly met Jun Wu, but he seemed a nice and polite gentleman.

"He was my student at a private institution, Wong'An School for Boys. His family has owned The Golden Lotus Pavilion for generations, and I always thought he was talented, that he would do great things once he started there".

He sighed, and went on, "He became a bit of a playboy. Gave his family headache after headache, but his father had a stroke and died – thus he took over the family business. He went be a consultant at Le Cordon Bleu because of family connections, met some dodgy guy there. I heard they painted the town red together..."

"Jun Wu was at Le Cordon Bleu? When? He never mentioned...", Xie Lian replied.

"Exactly! It's nothing to be proud of. There was some bullying case he was investigated for, and he was dismissed. Him, and his lover", Mei Nianqing looked at Xie Lian's face, "If he hears you were my student too, very dear to me, and we're still in touch, he won't be happy".

Xie Lian was touched to hear he was dear to Mei Nianqing; after he went off to study at Le Cordon Bleu he never got in touch, he didn't want Mei Nianqing to see him down. He must think I'm the most ungrateful prick, he thought. He asked, "Don't tell me he'd be jealous?", and laughed.

Mei Nianqing just replied, "Xie Lian, be careful".

•

"What is this gaga teacher trying to say, that Jun Wu is jealous of you?" Bai Wuxiang pffted a laugh.

"Shut up", Jun Wu said, visibly tense.

"Mei Nianqing wrote my references to Le Cordon Bleu and you got mad, just had to fuck me up at all costs didn't you?" Xie Lian said, "Jun Wu, did you think other people's lives were something you could play with? I had just LOST MY PARENTS for fuck's sake! Do you have any idea of all I went through, because of your rich kid fancy? Do you know how I felt?

He put a hand on his forehead; Bai Wuxiang must have thought that all Xie Lian wanted was to make a scene, because he flashed a smile. He was mistaken; Xie Lian continued, "No, you wouldn't know. You DISAPPOINTED your own parents. A big disappointment: to your parents, your teacher, your family's legacy – "

Bai Wuxiang tried to intervene, "Hey who do you think you're talking to – "

"SHUT THE FUCK UP", Xie Lian replied, "You're in it too Bai Wuxiang you fucker. It was fun to bitch me all around Le Cordon Bleu to please your rich kid lover wasn't it? Then keep bullying me, pushing me around till this day. Why, you have nothing else to show him either than being an ass-licker anyway. You're another big disappointment, Bai Wuxiang".

"Well? You seemed to take the pushing around well", Bai Wuxiang replied, "Before Hua Cheng came along anyway. Who's accusing me of only pleasing my lover eh?"

Jun Wu seemed to see an opening there, "Xie Lian, when did you get so bold? Did Hua Cheng put you up to all this?"

Xie Lian was already pissed off, but when he heard Hua Cheng's name being mentioned, he had to control himself really hard not to punch both of them there and then. He stepped up,

"He has nothing to do with this, this is between you and me", he said with clenched fists; "Why, you didn't think I was actually bidding my time to bite back at you? You didn't think I'd find out about Le Cordon Bleu eventually?"

"You went to Paris to dig shit up with us paying for it. And Hua Cheng's away too – who is he working for really? Is he trying to wreck Golden Lotus or – "

"ENOUGH", Xie Lian replied, "I came to drop my letter, and I'm leaving now. I don't want to see you both ever again, and I hope you feel the same. But if you get Hua Cheng in trouble in any way, then, you'll hear from me. Very soon". He gave them a dark look just to show he meant every single word, and left, slamming the door behind him.

Yes Xie Lian, show them who's the boss! 😉

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