Cutting The Chase (BJYX) - Completed

20: Day 1 (Guest Speaker)

Zhan opened his laptop again, browsing the details his trusted personnel, Lan Xi Chen, has sent him. Slightly desperate, he had connived with Yibo's brother to earn Yibo's affection.

He had asked the older brother for Yibo's background, likes and dislikes, even pictures of him growing up. He still can't forgive himself fully, severing ties with Yibo back then.

'Vegetable soup.' He thought, smiling broadly.

He had never cooked his entire life, let's say his passion is eating and not serving foods. But for Yibo's sake, learning a new skill or two wouldn't hurt. And so, he tried to follow Xi Chen's instructions of how to cook Yibo's favourite meal. A bit too leafy and healthy for Zhan's liking, but it wasn't for him anyway.

He chopped the ingredients, randomly, as he has no idea how big or how small he should cut them. Xi Chen's instruction 'to chop' is too vague for a kitchen illiterate Zhan.

The maid had passed by him several times, sure that Zhan was preparing a poison rather than an edible meal. When she tried to offer help, Zhan politely rejected her offer, saying he's managing quite well. But she has an opposite opinion with that.

After an hour or so, the meal was finished. The vegetables looks soppy, the soup thick and green, the taste? Well, Zhan made a grimace and a 'blurgh' when he tasted his own creation.

"It's the thought that counts!" He still happily exclaimed, proud he had made something for Yibo.

He packed the meal in a heat retaining lunch box ready to deliver Yibo's lunch. Then, he removed his new apron which is now dirty with spillages from top to bottom, revealing his neat white shirt and grey vest underneath. He grabbed his coat, goofily laughing in anticipation of Yibo's reaction when he meets him later.

Perks of his indefinite leave from work is giving him all the time in the world to earn Yibo's love: pester him, tease him, spoil him, care for him and show him how much he loves him until he falls for him.

And today is just Day 1.

He had made a phone call to Cheng prior, to help him with his plan, earning him a remark of "You're crazy!" from his tsundere cousin, but ending up helping him anyway. He likes teasing this short-tempered cousin of his as well, knowing Cheng's sarcastic and bitter remarks just shroud his soft-hearted nature.

"I am, indeed, crazy in love." Zhan hummed walking towards his car.

Meanwhile in Uni, Yibo has just finished his first class. He has two more classes to attend and his classmates and schoolmates are giving him the creeps, staring at him unusually graver than before. "This is all that asshole's fault!" He cursed under his breath seating on his chair for the next class. He was reviewing his project proposal, Zhan has edited for him. A feeling of reverential respect growing inside him.

"Such pretty penmanship." he unconsciously whispered, tracing Zhan's flawless handwriting. He can't help but stare at it in appreciation and remember the man. Butterflies started to swarm in his stomach, giving him the jitters and a small smile escaped his usually impassive lips.

His mind is still somewhere far off, when the lecturer introduced a guest speaker. He doesn't care who it was, but the class' cheerfulness and optimism jerked him from daze. He lifted his head up, and blood shoot up quickly through his veins.

He gaped at the man in a neat business attire of white and grey, a round gold rimmed glasses sits perfectly on his beautiful face, making him look sophisticatedly professional with a touch of laid-back casualness.

"What the hell!" Yibo fumed inwardly, looking at the presented guest, Mr. Wei Zhan, Vice President of The Jiang Group of Companies, family Heir of the Jiang Clan, a rich Bachelor renowned in the business world who ranked first in China's most influential men of 2019.

Zhan reciprocated his stare, eyeing him with an amused smile, flashing a wink on his direction unabashed. The crowd instantly cheered and the females giggled annoyingly adding to Yibo's fret. He heard their praises, calling Zhan a prince charming, perfect catch, ideal man, and so on.

"Asshole." Yibo mouthed batting his eyes away from Zhan, resenting everyone in that room, mostly Zhan himself. He crumpled his project proposal in irrate and shove it mercilessly in his bag.

Yibo maintained his eyes fixed on his desk, counting the minutes which are passing by. Zhan's alluring voice is disracting him from focusing on his words of encouragement for them as students, while his palm sweated coldly from nervousness as Zhan's voice neared his seat one word after the other, until the figure, himself, stopped at his side, leaning on his table with both arms. "Did you miss me?" Zhan silently whispered between his class speech, specifically lowering his tone so only Yibo can hear. His bold words in such broad daylight made Yibo froze in place.

Zhan turned away as soon as he saw Yibo's cute reaction and crimson ears, afraid he will completely lose his composure and jump on the man right there and then. He bit his lower lip to halt himself from inappropriately smiling widely, walking back to the front of the class, ending his speech conincidentally with the ring of the bell.

It was the end of the class' hour, and he thought he could ran back to Yibo's side and grab him somewhere he could have him to himself. But the class was too quick, they crowded him in every corner, asking for autographs, his number, a picture with him as if he was a famous celebrity.

In the middle of that chaos, he saw Yibo freely exiting the room at the back, not even giving him a glance.

'What a brat.' Zhan smiled, his mischievousness still an unfinished business.

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Author's note:

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27&28-Mar-2020