Shen Yue massaged her neck gently while stretching her body. She had been staying up late to work on the project for two weeks now, and she could already start to feel the effect of the almost non-existing hours of sleep she had been getting.

 

"Everyone! Your lunch is here!"

 

Shen Yue raised an eyebrow when she looked out of her office window and saw her team and Dylan's team surrounded a smiley Dylan—who had brought a big bag of lunch to hand it to everyone in the team. He had been doing this since the project started.

 

'What is he trying to do?' Shen Yue thought. She noticed how everyone chatted and laughed with him, while he was handing them lunch. Everyone seemed to enjoy his presence.

 

Shen Yue then leaned on her chair and continued to silently observe their interaction. Truth be told, working with Dylan had been surprisingly quite pleasant. He had very clear ideas on what he wanted, but at the same time, he never failed to involve both teams in the decision-making process. Indeed she hadn't got many chances to work with other teams, but her team had assured her that Dylan and his team were the best they had encountered so far. Professionally speaking, she also agreed. However, there was a catch.

 

'Speak of the devil,' Shen Yue thought.

 

"Here's your lunch. I think you should take a lunch break first, Ms. Shen," Dylan brought Shen Yue a lunchbox to her desk and sat across her.

 

Shen Yue blankly looked at the lunch before she diverted her gaze to Dylan who had already been looking at her with a big smile on his face.

 

"What's with all of this?" Shen Yue narrowed her eyes.

 

"What's with what? I don't understand what you're talking about."

 

Shen Yue rolled her eyes when she saw Dylan feigned ignorance with a smug smile on his face.

 

"You keep buying everyone's lunch. What's your motive?" Shen Yue leaned forward and gave Dylan a piercing stare.

 

"Well, aren't you thinking too much for someone who prioritizes professionalism, Ms. Shen?" Dylan also leaned forward, "Everyone has been working hard, so I just want to treat them well."

 

'Did he just...' Shen Yue scoffed, "How generous of you, Mr. Wang." She then looked between her lunchbox and Dylan, "And why do you keep coming to have lunch with me? I'm pretty sure your generosity is beyond normal, Mr. Wang."

 

"Oh," Dylan smirked, "So you do notice me."

 

Shen Yue quirked her brow, "I'm pretty sure that I'm not blind, Mr. Wang."

 

"And I'm sure you're not mute either, but you never refuse when I come to accompany you. I assume you do enjoy my presence," Dylan winked.

 

Shen Yue blinked a few times. He's right. Why did she never think of chasing him away when he came?

 

"Am I right?" Dylan put on arms on her desk and leaned even closer to her. He had that silly grin on his face.

 

Shen Yue pretended to cough a few times and started to dig in her food to ignore him. When she heard Dylan laugh, she shot him a death glare. How embarrassing! She should have chased him away! Shen Yue paused. Wait. She could chase him away!

 

"Well, Mr. Wang, can you do me a favor and have your lunch somewhere else please? I'd like to have my lunch alone," Shen Yue smiled.

 

"Oh," Dylan pretended to be sad before he smiled widely, "I'm sorry I can't."

 

"What?" Shen Yue blurted out.

 

"I want to be with you."

 

Shen Yue could feel her heart skip a beat the moment she heard him. Why was he doing to her?

 

"Even if you chase me away, I won't go," Dylan smiled then got serious, "I mean it."

 

"Why are you doing this?" Shen Yue asked in a serious tone.

 

"You should know why," Dylan said, staring softly at her.

 

"You don't love me," Shen Yue added, looking at him.

 

Dylan chuckled and leaned on his chair, "I'm sure my feeling is not for you to decide, Ms. Shen. Have you ever thought about asking me first before you assume?"

 

Hearing his question, Shen Yue couldn't say anything. Why did she feel like she was at fault here although she was pretty sure she was not? But his eyes...his eyes were looking at her as if they were telling her that he meant it. They were begging her to listen, but should she?

 

"I'm not forcing you here; you may take as much time as you want, but I just want to let you know that I won't give up," Dylan interrupted her thought.

 

Shen Yue quietly stared at him. She was experiencing a conflict between her mind and her heart. Her mind was telling her no, but her heart told her that she should at least listen to him first. Shen Yue sighed. Maybe it wouldn't hurt just to listen, right?

 

"Fine."

 

"What?" Dylan blurted out. Did he hear it correctly?

 

"I said fine. I'll listen-"

 

"Yueyue!"

 

Both Shen Yue and Dylan turned sideways to the door when they heard a voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. Dylan internally cursed at that person, while Shen Yue had a big smile on her face.

 

"Peng Peng!" Shen Yue suddenly exclaimed and ran to give that person a big hug.

 

Dylan was taken aback by what he saw, 'What the heck? Who is he?' His face twitched out of annoyance when he saw how tight they hugged each other and how close they seemed. His grips slowly tightened, as he felt a flame started to burn inside him. Dylan then turned to his lunch and started to stuff his food in his mouth to distract himself from doing something he might regret later.

 

"Why are you here?" Shen Yue excitedly asked the man who went by the name Peng Yuchang or Peng Peng in short.

 

"I just wanna see my girl, can't I?" Peng Peng fondly pinched Yue's cheek.

 

Dylan choked. His girl? What the heck? Dylan slowly turned to look at them with a death glare.

 

"Of course! You can! Since when did you arrive?" Shen Yue giggled.

 

"I came here as soon as I landed. I miss you," Peng Peng smiled and patted her head.

 

"I miss you, too!" Shen Yue laughed and playfully smacked his hand away.

 

However, their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a sound of broken and fallen chopsticks.

 

"Ah, this pair of chopsticks is so fragile," Dylan said through his gritted teeth. He picked up the broken pieces and threw them in the trash bin before he took another spare pair and continued stuffing his mouth with food.

 

Shen Yue and Peng Peng raised an eyebrow at him. It took a few moments before the corner of Shen Yue's lips curved up.

 

Peng Peng who was amused at the situation turned to Shen Yue and whispered, "Did I come at the wrong time?"

 

Shen Yue smiled and intentionally spoke loudly, "Don't care about him, Peng Peng. Have you had lunch yet? Wanna join us?"

 

Dylan stopped eating when he heard her. Didn't she just tell him she wanted to eat alone earlier?

 

"Sorry, my girl. I'll have to pass. I have a meeting this afternoon. I just drop by here to visit you and Tao Jie. Sadly, Tao Jie isn't in the office," Peng Peng said.

 

"She is away for a conference trip. Who told you to drop by without informing?" Shen Yue teased.

 

"What's there to be surprised if I told you guys?" Peng Peng chuckled. "Anyway, I'll leave Shanghai tomorrow, so why don't we catch up over dinner tonight? I'm staying at W Shanghai; there's a good restaurant there," he suggested.

 

"Sure, why not!" Shen Yue smiled.

 

Shen Yue and Peng Peng then jumped at the loud smacking sound on the desk.

 

"Ah, these documents are so in the way," Dylan picked up another stack of documents and dropped it loudly on one side of the desk away from the side he was eating on.

 

Peng Peng laughed, leaning closer to Shen Yue to whisper in her ear, "I think I gotta go now, or else the next thing that gets smacked will be me." He then straightened his posture and said, "Alright. I'll see you at the dinner, Yue!"

 

"I'll contact you later. See you tonight!" Shen Yue bid him goodbye. When Peng Peng was gone, Shen Yue turned to Dylan and shook her head out of amusement. Somehow she couldn't help but smile at his childish act.

 

"What was that?" Shen Yue sat down across Dylan who was still stuffing his mouth as if the food was his enemy.

 

Dylan tried to swallow the food before he said without looking at her, "Nothing."

 

The corner of curved up. Shen Yue then clasped her hands, put them on the desk and leaned forward closer to Dylan, "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

 

"Me? Jealous?" Dylan sarcastically laughed.

 

"Yeah?" Shen Yue challenged.

 

Dylan let out another laugh before he smacked his hands on the desk and stood up to lean close to Shen Yue. Their faces were only a few inches apart.

 

"Heck yes! I'm jealous! I'm so jealous that I feel like murdering someone!" Dylan frustratingly said.

 

Shen Yue's breath hitched. She did not expect him to be this honest, and their close proximity made the situation worse. She could feel her heart pounding as if it was trying to break out of her chest.

 

"Mr. Wang..." Shen Yue said almost in a whisper.

 

Hearing her soft voice, Dylan finally snapped out of his anger. That's when he realized how close their faces were from each other. He could clearly see her beautiful round eyes, her long lashes, her heart-shaped nose, and...her full lips. He suddenly had an urge to kiss her. His eyes were fixed on her lips.

 

When Shen Yue noticed Dylan's eyes on her lips, she felt her heart rate increased faster than she could ever imagine. She should have easily backed away, but somehow she couldn't move her body. Her mind was telling her to push him away, but she strangely didn't. She could only look at him, as he slowly leaned closer to her. When their lips were about to touch, he closed his eyes, and so did she. Maybe...maybe she wanted it, too.

 

"Yue! Dylan! I have a question- Oh my god! I'm sorry! I didn't see anything!"

 

Shen Yue and Dylan immediately backed away from each other when they heard a member of their team shouted and went away. Both of them pretended to clear their throats and avoided looking at each other, but their faces were burning red from the tension and the embarrassment.

 

'What were you thinking, Yue? You almost kissed him! Luckily, someone came on time,' Shen Yue internally lectured herself.

 

'Damn it! Why would someone come at this time? We almost kissed! So close!' Dylan silently cursed.

 

After awkwardly getting caught, Shen Yue and Dylan just quickly ate their lunch without saying anything.

 

When he finished his food, Dylan remembered Peng Peng, and his jealousy seemed to return.

 

"Who was that guy?" Dylan asked in a venomous voice.

 

Shen Yue who was about to take her last bite paused. She then smiled and finished her food before she said, "Why should I tell you?"

 

"Because..." Now it's Dylan's turn to pause. How should he answer that question?

 

Shen Yue put her chopstick down and raised her brow in amusement, "Cat got your tongue?"

 

Dylan was frustrated when he couldn't seem to come up with a good answer. However, in a split second, he remembered something.

 

"Well, I'm technically still your boyfriend, so I should have the rights to know," Dylan smirked.

 

"What?" Shen Yue was taken aback.

 

"We haven't officially broken up yet, Ms. Shen," Dylan smiled.

 

Shen Yue then rolled her eyes and sarcastically laughed, "Very funny, Mr. Wang. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do and a dinner date to attend tonight. Let's get back to work, shall we?"

 

Dylan scoffed when he heard the word 'dinner date', but an idea suddenly popped in his mind. Dylan strangely smiled widely and started his work, while Shen Yue—who noticed his reaction—raised an eyebrow. That was not the reaction she expected from him; however, she decided to brush it off and got back to work. There were so many things they needed to work on.

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

"Why are you dragging me here?" Guan narrowed his eyes on Dylan after they ordered their food. He found it strange when Dylan suddenly called him out for dinner on a weekday, especially with just the two of them.

 

"What? Why are you looking at me like this? I heard the food here is good, and I miss you guys. Too bad, Xize and Jingkang are busy on their dates, and you're the only one available," Dylan tried to explain.

 

Guan raised an eyebrow at him. Something did not add up here.

 

"Are you looking for someone?" Guan asked when he saw Dylan kept his eyes fixed on the entrance even when he was drinking water.

 

Dylan choked on his water when he heard Guan, "No! What are you talking about?"

 

 

 

 

"This way please, Mr. Peng and Ms. Shen."

 

"Thank you."

 

 

 

 

Guan turned around the moment he heard the familiar name and voice.

 

When he turned back, Guan amusedly smiled at Dylan who looked like a child that just got caught red-handed, 'Got cha.'

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

"You're gonna break the plate if you keep cutting your steak like that," Guan amusedly said. Dylan was cutting his steak as if he was sawing a tree while looking at Shen Yue and Peng Peng—who were talking and laughing together at another table. Guan was sure that it was not the steak that Dylan wanted to cut.

 

Hearing Guan's words, Dylan paused and looked down on his plate. His steak had been cut into indescribable pieces. With his eyes still fixed on Shen Yue's table, Dylan used his fork to pick up a piece and harshly chewed on it to release his pent-up frustration.

 

"Are you coming here just to watch them and get yourself drown in jealousy?" Guan asked in amusement.

 

Dylan finally looked away from where Shen Yue was to look at Guan. Guan's right. He didn't come here just to do nothing.

 

"Thanks, Guan! You're the best!" Dylan thanked Guan before he got up from his seat, leaving Guan staring blankly trying to digest what just happened. When Guan saw where Dylan was heading, he shook his head and smiled, 'It's not a boring night after all.'

 

"How's the work over there?" Shen Yue asked.

 

"It's fine. Everyone is nice, but I miss our old team though, especially Tao Jie and you," Peng Peng smiled.

 

"You and your sweet mouth," Shen Yue playfully rolled her eyes before she smiled mischievously, "Be careful, Peng Peng. Aren't you afraid that I will report to your girlfriend that you miss other girls?"

 

Peng Peng chuckled at the playful Yue, "Is that a threat?"

 

"Well, what do you think?" Shen Yue teased.

 

"Come on! Who are you kidding here? You and Tao Jie are not 'other girls'. You guys are like my sisters. I swear my girlfriend loves you more than me!" Peng Peng almost pouted.

 

"Your girlfriend has a good taste," Shen Yue laughed.

 

"Speaking of which, who is that young man this afternoon?" Peng Peng smiled and narrowed his eyes on Yue.

 

"He's nobody," Shen Yue cleared and drank her water.

 

"Oh, really? Doesn't seem like it for me? I swear he looked like he's about to kill me when I jokingly called you my girl like we always do," Peng Peng teasingly raised an eyebrow, "And don't you know you can't lie to me?"

 

"Well, let's just say we have a history," Shen Yue finally admitted, "We dated and parted way. Now we only have professional relation with each other."

 

"Do you still love him?"

 

Shen Yue paused. Did she? Truth be told, she wasn't sure. She had expected herself to hate him when she got to see him again, but strangely, she didn't hate him as much as she thought. The more she saw him, the less she hated him.

 

"I don't know, Peng Peng. We parted in a pretty nasty way," Shen Yue honestly answered.

 

"Well, for things like this, you have to listen to your heart," Peng Peng smiled, "What I can tell you is that he looks like he still loves you." Shen Yue stared at Peng Peng, contemplating about what he said.

 

Peng Peng then quickly glanced behind her and smiled, "If looks could kill, I would have been dead many times since this afternoon and even right now."

 

"Even right now?" Shen Yue quirked her brow.

 

"What a coincidence, Ms. Shen!"

 

Hearing his familiar voice, Shen Yue looked up and saw Dylan stop at their table. When she looked back at her tablemate, Peng Peng smiled and gave her a 'I told you so' look.

 

Shen Yue rolled her eyes before she looked at Dylan, "I'm pretty sure there's nothing coincident about this, Mr. Wang. You know that I'm supposed to be here tonight."

 

"Oh, do I?" Dylan smugly grinned (which made Yue wanna punch him), "Guan said that the food here is good; that's why I'm here." Dylan then turned sideways and showed her where Guan was sitting. When Shen Yue saw Guan, she smiled and waved at him to which he returned with a smile.

 

"Aren't you going to introduce him to me?" Dylan looked at Peng Peng and shamelessly asked Yue.

 

Shen Yue had the are-you-kidding-me look, while Peng Peng chuckled.

 

"Hello. I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce myself this afternoon. My name is Peng Yuchang or Peng Peng as Yue called me," Peng Peng smiled and offered his hand to Dylan for a handshake, "I'm Yue's second favorite man after her brother."

 

Shen Yue raised an eyebrow at Peng Peng's introduction, while Peng Peng just smiled and winked at her. Dylan's face hardened when he heard Peng Peng calling himself Yue's second favorite man and seeing their interaction.

 

"I'm Dylan Wang," Dylan firmly squeezed Peng Peng's hand and gave him a deadly look, "Shen Yue's boyfriend"

 

"Ex," Shen Yue immediately corrected, "Ex-boyfriend"

 

Dylan let go of Peng Peng's hand and frustratingly looked at Yue, "I told you we haven't officially broken up yet."

 

Shen Yue rolled her eyes, "I don't know what kind of logic you're having here!"

 

While they were arguing, Peng Peng silently observed in amusement.

 

"And now if you may excuse me, can you please return to where you came from?" Shen Yue sarcastically smiled at Dylan before she smiled sweetly at Peng Peng, "Excuse me, Peng Peng. I have to go to the ladies room. Would you mind making sure that he's gone before I come back?"

 

Peng Peng just chuckled and nodded although he could feel a death stare from Dylan.

 

Instead of returning to his table after Shen Yue's gone, Dylan sat down on her chair and stared at Peng Peng.

 

Peng Peng quirked his brow and smiled, "How may I help you?"

 

"What's your relationship with Yue?" Dylan seriously asked.

 

"Didn't I already tell you? I'm her second favorite man," Peng Peng smiled.

 

"That's not what I'm asking. Are you pursuing her?" Dylan narrowed his eyes on him.

 

Peng Peng smirked, "What if I am?"

 

Dylan took a deep breath to calm himself before he added, "I love Yueyue."

 

Peng Peng paused at Dylan's straightforwardness before he amusedly smiled, "And your point is?"

 

"My point is I love her, and I won't give up on her," Dylan said in a serious voice, "If you still insist on chasing her, then I will strongly compete for her heart. Of course, she'll be the one to decide, but as I said, I won't give up easily."

 

Peng Peng smiled, "Okay, let's compete fair and square." After making his point clear, Dylan returned to his table, where Guan who had observed everything smiled amusedly at him.

 

"What?" Dylan asked, feeling annoyed.

 

"The last time I check, you're the one who said the food here is good, not me," Guan smiled.

 

"Oh, come on!" Dylan whined.

 

Guan chuckled, "Anyway, are you done? Yihan's coming home in an hour. I want to be there when she's home."

 

"Alright," Dylan sighed.

 

Dylan and Guan paid for the dinner and took their leave, but before Dylan walked out, he turned to take a last glance at Shen Yue's table and made eye contact with Shen Yue who had just returned to her table. They maintained their eye contact for a few seconds until Dylan turned around to leave.

 

Peng Peng cleared his throat to get Yue's attention back.

 

"Look like someone's still attracted," Peng Peng teased.

 

"What do you mean?" Shen Yue shot him a glare. Peng Peng shrugged with a smile on his face.

 

 

 

 

"I like that Dylan guy," Peng Peng suddenly said.

 

Hearing his sudden words, Shen Yue choked on her drink, "What? Peng Peng! I thought you're... I mean you have a girlfriend!"

 

Peng Peng smacked Yue on her forehead, "What are you thinking, silly? I mean I approve of him to be with you!"

 

"Oh, you scared me for a moment," Shen Yue then paused, "Wait, what?"

 

"Earlier I said that he looked like he loves you, but now I'm very sure that he loves you," Peng Peng smiled, "I don't know what happened to both of you before, but I think you should follow your heart, Yue."

 

Shen Yue looked at Peng Peng for a while before she sighed, "But I'm scared, Peng Peng. What if I get hurt again? What if it's another mistake waiting to happen?"

 

Peng Peng put his hand on top of Yue's and gently squeezed it, "You're scared of those 'what ifs', but have you ever thought about another what if, what if you miss the chance to be with your true love just because you're scared of taking chances?"

 

"I'm not even sure if he's my true love anymore," Shen Yue said in a very small voice.

 

"You will never know if you keep running away," Peng Peng gave her an assured smile, "Think about it, okay?"

 

Shen Yue looked at him and nodded, "I'll think about it. Thank you, Peng Peng."      

 

 

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