Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, so please do not point out or criticize mistakes that I make. This is just fiction and I am just an amateur writing for fun.
"Sister Cheng, please take care of me," Shen Wei looked back at her. "And please call me 'Shen Wei.' No 'CEO' title," he smiled.
"Thank you, Shen Wei," she smiled back.
Zhao Yunlan went down to the lobby downstairs and texted President Zhao Xin Chi about how the introduction went. He leaned his head back and sighed; he hoped Sister Cheng would be able to help Shen Wei.
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Shen Wei's nervousness grew as he watched the door close behind Zhao Yunlan. He had not realized until that moment how calming Zhao Yunlan's presence alone was. He always felt protected, warm, like a normal person. Now, sitting on the couch alone with Sister Cheng across from him, he felt alone, vulnerable, and he longed for the warmth and strength of Zhao Yunlan.
"Shen Wei? I realize how unnerving and stressful this must be for you," Sister Chen stood up and walked over to a table. "Would you like coffee or tea? I also have some nice cinnamon biscuits."
"Well, I would actually like a latte, so maybe I can order something from the coffee shop downstairs," Shen Wei took out his phone to call Zhao Yunlan to bring some up. Maybe he could persuade Sister Chen to let him stay.
"No need for that. I actually have an espresso machine that I have not unpacked. Could you help me get it out of the box?" Sister Chen said brightly as she dragged out a box from under the table.
Darn. Now he had no excuse to call Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei thought to himself as he stood up and helped Sister Chen unpack and set up the machine. In a small back room, there was a sink and refrigerator. While Sister Chen ran water through the machine a couple times to clean it, Shen Wei washed and dried two coffee cups. When he came out, Sister Chen was just opening a bag of coffee beans and poured them into the grinder. The smell of good, freshly ground coffee filled the room, and for a while, Shen Wei forgot why he was so nervous.
Just then, Zhao Yunlan entered the room, carrying a carton of milk, and just the sight of him made Shen Wei feel complete again.
"I'm sorry I made you go out to buy milk, but I wasn't prepared to make lattes today," Sister Cheng apologized as she took the carton from Zhao Yunlan. "Stay and join us for one, if you don't mind. Call it a christening of this new espresso machine that President Zhao kindly got for me."
The two men watched in amazement as Sister Cheng expertly tamped the coffee grinds into the filter, and snapped it back into the machine. The rich, thick coffee flowed into the warmed glass, and when that was done, she put it on top of the machine on the warming plate to keep it warm. She made sure to purge the frothing wand first, then stuck it into the little jug of milk and steamed and frothed it, with fine, microbubbles forming, then purged the frothing wand again to clean it of the milk. She poured the warm espresso into the two cups that Shen Wei had washed, then filled them with the foamed milk, even making a fancy design on the surface.
"Sister Cheng! How - ?" both men started as she placed 2 steaming cups of latte in front of them.
"I wasn't always a doctor, and education costs a lot of money. Please, drink it while it's hot," she replied as she walked to the back to wash another cup for herself.
The two men sipped their lattes, their eyes widening at the rich flavors, the milk foamed just right. This was just as good as any from a regular coffee shop.
"I worked as a barista to pay for some of my tuition, but obviously it didn't pay that well. Then one day, President Zhao walked in to the coffee shop and we talked for a while. I told him of my intent to study the psychological field. I guess he took pity on me, and he recommended me for a scholarship," she continued as she began to make a latte for herself. "I owe my career to President Zhao, and so when he approached me about helping you, I jumped at the chance to repay him for some of his kindness. I pay the rent, so I can choose my clients, which are limited to only you, and President Zhao and Zhao Yunlan, should they ever want a massage...or a latte," she sighed as she tasted the thick, milky brew in her cup, satisfied with how it turned out.
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Fanfiction"Shen Wei, your mood swings are giving me whiplash." Zhao Yunlan knew that keeping up with the new CEO of Shen Enterprises would be a challenge. Based on Guardian characters created by the wonderful Priest, and heavily influenced by the Korean dram...
