Chapter 20 – Peking Roast Duck

Rangdong Commercial Building

It was already four in the morning when Lin Xiaowen and Xu Ningning finally finished tidying up the new shop. The other stores had long since shut off their lights and locked up, leaving the area shrouded in darkness, except for the small patch around them, which still glowed as bright as day, filled with the pungent scent of industrial glue.

Staring under the harsh glare of the incandescent lights for so long, looking out into the distance, both felt as if white shadows danced before their eyes—a little unsettling, to say the least.

“Xiaowen, that's enough, I think we’re pretty much done. Tomorrow morning—well, after sunrise—we can come back and clean up a bit more,” Xu Ningning whispered, tugging gently at Lin Xiaowen, who was still fussing over the greenery. Exhausted and hungry, the excitement of opening her new shop had long since faded.

Lin Xiaowen brushed her hands together, surveying the fruits of their labor once more. “Fine. At eight, we’ll enter through the employee entrance with our badges—don’t forget yours. Tomorrow morning, I’ll pick up Ranran from your place, drop her off at kindergarten, and head straight here to open up. You’ll have to handle things on your own at first.”

“Oh, I already told my dad he’d take Ranran to kindergarten tomorrow. No need for you to get up so early—sleep a bit more! We don’t have to open the shop that early anyway,” Xu Ningning muttered, barely able to keep her eyes open. She reached into the counter for their bags, then suddenly slapped her forehead. “The power—the power! If we don’t shut off the main switch, we’ll get fined!”

“I know, let’s use the flashlight on our phones,” Lin Xiaowen replied, her voice weary. The elevator had stopped running hours ago; apart from the faint emergency lights, the entire place was pitch black. Arm in arm, they made their way, bolstering each other’s courage and feeling less afraid.

Only their footsteps echoed in the empty stairwell. Xu Ningning noticed Lin Xiaowen’s palm was slick with nervous sweat.

“Honestly, not even a single security guard on patrol!” Xu Ningning tried to make some noise, hoping to distract Xiaowen, who was terrified of the dark.

“Hurry up. The security staff on night duty must have snuck off to sleep by now,” Lin Xiaowen responded quietly, but her pace was quick and determined.

Suddenly, the shrill ring of a video call shattered the silence, making both women jump with fright. Lin Xiaowen nearly dropped her phone.

“My God, who is it? Are they trying to scare us to death?” Xu Ningning was the first to recover, her sleepiness instantly gone. She patted her chest, took a steadying breath, and glanced at the screen—a profile picture with a perfect, icy side profile. Lin Xiaowen almost flung her phone again.

“Cheng… Cheng Yishu?” Xu Ningning craned her neck for a look. “What’s he calling you for at this hour?”

Determined to preserve their peace, Lin Xiaowen didn’t answer Ningning’s question. She simply pressed accept.

“Wow!” Cheng Yishu’s voice came through first on the other end. “What are you up to, sneaking around in the dark? Why not turn on the lights?”

He was wearing a stylish silver-gray pinstripe suit, his hair highlighted a pale blue, and a water-blue stud gleamed on one ear. He tilted his head, revealing the earring.

“Wow, so handsome!” Xu Ningning whispered, grinning. All her annoyance from the scare vanished.

“What, is there someone else with you?” Cheng Yishu couldn’t see much, since Lin Xiaowen’s side was enveloped in darkness—he couldn’t even make out her nearly furious expression.

“Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? Are you sleepwalking?” Lin Xiaowen snapped.

“Middle of the night? It’s already four thirty—the sun’s about to rise in Beijing,” Cheng Yishu replied, walking toward the window and drawing the curtains aside with a flourish.

“See? I wasn’t lying—it’s almost dawn.”

“What does dawn have to do with me? And you… are you in Beijing again?” Lin Xiaowen was now a little curious about his elusive comings and goings.

“Yeah. There’s an event this morning—I got up early, just finished my makeup,” Cheng Yishu reflexively checked his reflection in anything that would show off his striking features. The dark eyeshadow shimmered under the lights, his jawline sharp and refined. Xu Ningning nearly squealed in delight.

“Stop preening. Did you really call at dawn just to show me Beijing’s sunrise, or to show off your makeup?” Lin Xiaowen scowled, though he couldn’t see her expression.

“No,” Cheng Yishu’s tone grew a touch somber. “I… I’ve got a flight back to Shanghai this afternoon.”

“What for?” Lin Xiaowen’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m not your fan, you don’t expect me to meet you at the airport, do you?”

“But I am!” Xu Ningning chimed in, excited. “I’m your fan—I can come meet you!”

Cheng Yishu couldn’t see Ningning’s star-struck face, but he recognized her voice and asked calmly, “You two are together at this hour?”

He pressed further, “You’re not at home?”

Lin Xiaowen knew he was talking to her, so she replied, “That’s right, the new shop opens tomorrow—no, after sunrise. We just finished cleaning.”

“And Ranran?” Cheng Yishu sat up straight, his brow creased with concern. “Don’t tell me you left her home alone…”

“Don’t worry. My mom took her home and is looking after her. Besides, there’s no way we’d leave her alone!” Xu Ningning glanced at Lin Xiaowen, her heart full of joy. Lin Xiaowen felt a warmth blossom inside her.

“If you’ve got something to say, say it quickly—we need to get home and rest!” Lin Xiaowen said softly, her tone shifting without her realizing it. Next to her, Xu Ningning was barely restraining her laughter, watching Xiaowen’s reddening cheeks.

“It’s nothing… nothing special. I just wanted to ask… have you ever tried Peking duck?” Cheng Yishu stammered, rubbing his neck.

“Peking duck?” Lin Xiaowen repeated, confused. “Why?”

Even if it tasted good, there was no need to make a video call to show it off.

“No, no!” Xu Ningning jumped in eagerly. “Xiaowen’s never even been to Beijing. She’s never heard of Peking duck!”

Lin Xiaowen shot her a look, thinking, ‘Even if she hasn’t tried it, surely she’s heard of it? What is this supposed to mean?’

“I can tell…” Cheng Yishu murmured, but Lin Xiaowen caught it.

Her round eyes grew brighter. “Roast duck, roast goose—who cares? Go do your own thing, don’t let this interfere with your work. Goodbye!”

Just as Lin Xiaowen reached to hang up, Cheng Yishu called out urgently, “Wait, what color does Ranran like?”

“Color?” Lin Xiaowen froze, then replied warily, “Why?”

“No reason. I just want to bring her a small gift,” Cheng Yishu smiled.

“No need, don’t waste your money—it’s not like it grows on trees.”

“It’s compensation for breaking my promise to Ranran.”

“You mean the breakfast you promised her? It’s fine, she understands. I told her you had work, and next time you’ll eat together…”

“Next time!” Cheng Yishu smiled, watching Lin Xiaowen’s increasingly awkward expression.

“I… I was just saying. She’s a child—she’ll forget in a few days,” Lin Xiaowen mumbled, as if hiding something.

“Then next time, it is!” Cheng Yishu laughed, pleased and triumphant.

“Whatever—hanging up now. Safe travels!” Lin Xiaowen said, and before Cheng Yishu could reply, she decisively ended the call, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as she exhaled softly.