Chapter 157
Huang Zhengming stared at Su Bin for a long while, sensing that his silence was making the atmosphere even more awkward. He struggled to find a topic, eventually blurting out a string of generic questions like, “How have you been?” and “Are you staying healthy?” The questions felt so stiff that Su Bin could barely hold back a cringe.
As the awkwardness deepened, Su Bin decided to take control of the conversation. “How did you figure out I’m ‘Boss Su’?” he asked.
Huang Zhengming replied, “There are plenty of alumni from our university who came to B Country to study. Someone mentioned you were ‘Boss Su,’ and I saw pictures of you circulating on Facebook.”
“Those are just rumors,” Su Bin countered. “I never confirmed anything.”
Huang Zhengming looked directly into Su Bin’s eyes. “‘Boss Su’s’ takeout menu includes instant noodles with pickled mustard greens.”
Su Bin froze. That hit too close to home. While there were many instant noodle options, only one flavor—mushroom chicken noodles with egg and pickled mustard greens—stood out. That recipe had been something he and Huang Zhengming came up with together as kids.
Huang Zhengming added, “I’ve been ordering from your takeout place these past few days. Your cooking skills have gotten better.”
Hearing that brought back memories of their carefree junior high school days, making it hard for Su Bin to keep holding a grudge. He deflected, “That doesn’t mean I’m ‘Boss Su.’ I just provided the recipe and concept. I don’t cook the actual dishes.”
Huang Zhengming smiled faintly. “Doesn’t matter. You’re in this city. That’s all I need to know.”
Su Bin didn’t know how to respond to that, so he coughed lightly and changed the subject. “How’s Chen Xiaotian?”
Huang Zhengming’s reply was calm. “We broke up.”
Su Bin blinked. “Wait, you’re not saying that fight outside the Hyatt was the beginning of the end, are you?”
Huang Zhengming nodded solemnly. “After you left, I stopped talking to her. Rumors about us spread among our classmates, and the pressure got to her. I heard she didn’t get into grad school and ended up working at a multinational company.”
With her looks and ambition, she’ll probably thrive in society, Su Bin mused. Despite everything, her hard work and determination were admirable.
Still, Su Bin was surprised by the breakup. He’d once secretly hoped they’d split, but now that they actually had, he found it… anticlimactic. It made his role in the whole drama feel utterly ridiculous.
On impulse, he asked, “If I had forgiven you two back then, would you have stayed together?”
Huang Zhengming shook his head. “We weren’t compatible.”
Su Bin: “…” Great. So I didn’t even matter enough to be the ‘supporting character’ in their story. What was the point of it all?
Huang Zhengming then added, “Because I always had feelings for you. That changed how I saw her.”
Su Bin: “…” What do you mean by ‘always had feelings for me’? Speak like a normal human being!
After a moment’s hesitation, Huang Zhengming asked, “Do you still like Chen Xiaotian?”
Su Bin’s patience snapped. “What are you implying? That I should give her back to you or something? She’s not a basketball you can just pass around, okay? And I’m no saint. I don’t still like her!”
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Su Bin mentally scolded himself for letting old emotions cloud his thoughts.
Huang Zhengming opened his mouth as if to speak again, then hesitated before asking, “Did you see us that night?”
The memory made Su Bin bristle. That night had been a nightmare—a collision of heartbreak and humiliation. If not for Allen’s unexpected appearance, Su Bin might have crumbled entirely under the weight of it all.
Huang Zhengming’s soft voice broke into his thoughts. “You’re still upset, aren’t you?”
Upset? Su Bin almost laughed. Try furious! He’d been played for a fool, used and discarded without so much as a shred of dignity. And now, here was the guy who caused it all, sitting across from him, trying to act like a contrite saint.
“There’s no point in talking about this anymore,” Su Bin said firmly. “Honestly, the breakup was probably for the best.”
Painful as it had been, he was better off without the lies and heartache. And ever since he’d started dating Allen, Su Bin couldn’t deny how much happier he was.
Sure, Allen was a man, had a weird temper, was overly domineering in bed, and had a mysterious short-life “bug” that made Su Bin uneasy (so many flaws!). But Allen’s care and sincerity were undeniably genuine.
Glancing at his phone, Su Bin stood. “I need to go.”
It wasn’t time to pick Allen up yet, but Su Bin suddenly wanted to see him.
When Huang Zhengming heard Su Bin’s abrupt farewell, his expression immediately filled with reluctance. “So soon?”
“Yeah,” Su Bin replied as he stood up. After more than a year under Allen’s influence, Su Bin had learned to steel his heart in situations like this. He figured Allen wouldn’t approve of him lingering with Huang Zhengming. “Feel free to stay if you want to finish your drink—or even have dinner. Order whatever you like from the menu; this one’s on me,” he said politely.
Huang Zhengming remained silent, his emotions unreadable.
Without waiting for a reply, Su Bin called for the server, nodded goodbye, and left without looking back. Behind him, Huang Zhengming was left sitting alone, his words stuck in his throat.
Driving through the city, Su Bin circled the main roads twice before realizing he wasn’t heading toward Allen’s medical school. The unexpected encounter had left him rattled, though he’d done his best to appear calm.
For some reason, Su Bin couldn’t shake the memory of Allen’s domineering and protective behavior toward Huang Zhengming back at the Hyatt in Hangzhou. That memory now carried an uneasy weight, and Su Bin found himself reluctant to let Allen know Huang Zhengming had come to M City.
It’s not a big deal, Su Bin told himself. Huang Zhengming’s just an old schoolmate. If I treat him like a random acquaintance, there’s no reason to bring it up with Allen.
After rationalizing his decision, Su Bin texted Allen a simple Miss you and headed to the medical school early.
Allen, surprisingly, ended his workday ahead of schedule and came to the tower to meet Su Bin.
Seeing Allen in his white coat always made Su Bin’s heart race. Hugging Allen tightly, Su Bin let out small, playful noises like a child seeking attention.
“Skipping school must be leaving you restless. Why are you so clingy lately?” Allen teased, though his tone was full of affection. Clearly, he didn’t mind Su Bin’s neediness.
“You said you wanted me to miss you,” Su Bin mumbled into Allen’s chest.
“…What was that?” Allen asked, feigning sternness.
In response, Su Bin leaned up and kissed him.
(Forget about pride; worse things have happened in this tower anyway! >///<)
The next day at the restaurant, Su Bin couldn’t help but ask one of the servers about the previous evening. “Did my friend stay for dinner after I left?”
The server shook their head. “No, he left shortly after you did. Sister K even asked if he wanted to take some dishes to go, but he declined.”
Hearing this, Su Bin felt a pang of guilt.
Though he’d kept his distance emotionally, Huang Zhengming wasn’t a stranger. Su Bin could harden his resolve, but he couldn’t quite turn his heart to stone.
About a week later, when Su Bin thought Huang Zhengming had given up and left, he was shocked to find him standing in the restaurant wearing an employee uniform.
“You—you…!” Su Bin stammered. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m working,” Huang Zhengming replied calmly. “Gotta earn some spending money.”
What Su Bin really wanted to know was how Huang Zhengming had ended up as a server here—and why no one had told him!
Before he could voice his frustration, Qin Chao, one of the managers, spotted him. “Hey, Su Bingzi!”
The way Qin Chao grinned made it all too clear who was behind this.
“This guy’s your old high school buddy, right?” Qin Chao said, throwing an arm around Su Bin’s shoulder. “The other day, he came by looking for you, but you weren’t around. He asked about working here, and since we had an opening in the drinks section, I hired him!”
Lowering his voice, Qin Chao added smugly, “Since he’s your friend, I even bumped his hourly rate up by a dollar. Pretty nice of me, huh?”
Su Bin felt like crying. If Allen found out about this, Su Bin was certain he’d be “skinned alive.”
Fine, Su Bin thought miserably. I’ll take the heat, but what about Huang Zhengming? Allen’s temper is no joke…
Qin Chao tilted his head, appraising Huang Zhengming. “Your friend’s got quite the face, huh?”
Huang Zhengming wasn’t conventionally handsome like Qi Xin, nor did he have Su Bin’s pretty-boy charm. Instead, his features carried a brooding, artistic quality—a mix of melancholy and indifference that made him stand out. It wasn’t hard to see how someone like Chen Xiaotian might have been drawn to him.
But looks aside, if Su Bin had been there when Huang Zhengming applied, he’d have doubled his pay just to keep him out of the front of the house.
“Why are all your friends so good-looking?” Qin Chao teased.
“You’re not,” Su Bin shot back.
“…Screw you!” Qin Chao muttered.
With Huang Zhengming already hired, Su Bin couldn’t make a scene. He also couldn’t explain the tangled history between them without opening a can of worms. What was he supposed to say?
Oh, he’s the childhood friend who stole my girlfriend, but they broke up after hurting me because they ‘weren’t compatible.’ Now he’s flown across the world, is working in my restaurant, and showing up every day for reasons I can’t figure out.
Why, universe? Why must you test me like this?! QAQ
