“President Zhou,” Chi Zhan greeted respectfully.
Zhou Yanxing was chatting with Cen Chi when he heard the voice. He glanced at Chi Zhan, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes. But the expression was quickly buried as he lazily drawled, “You’re on medical leave, no need to be so uptight. I’m not here to talk business. Sit.”
Zhou Yanxing was seated on the outer side of the booth. For Chi Zhan to return to his seat, he’d have to pass directly by him—and with how casually Zhou was sitting, it was almost inevitable they’d make physical contact.
But it wasn’t really appropriate to switch seats now, either.
Chi Zhan was about to call the waiter to request an extra chair when Zhou Yanxing shifted his posture to make room.
“Feeling any better?”
Chi Zhan sat very upright. He couldn’t lean back against the chair due to his injury, so he had to keep his back straight. Just as he was about to respond, Cen Chi answered first.
“He came in for a follow-up today. The recovery’s not looking great—he’ll need a few more days of rest and observation.”
“What are you so tense for? I’m not some kind of slave driver,” Zhou Yanxing joked—an uncharacteristic attempt at humor. He idly fiddled with a pink petal in the vase, then, as if something occurred to him, turned to Chi Zhan. “Last time we were here, why didn’t we have these flowers on the table?”
Chi Zhan thought for a moment.
“I believe they need to be reserved in advance. If you’d like them next time, I’ll make sure to put in a request.”
He remembered seeing a page on the menu earlier where customers could reserve specific floral arrangements, and even take them home afterward.
“Needs to be reserved, huh,” Zhou muttered, tone unreadable.
Chi Zhan couldn’t make sense of it, but he noticed that there was now a thermos next to Zhou Yanxing—something that hadn’t been there earlier.
Zhou usually ordered takeout for lunch. Chi Zhan had never seen him bring a meal before, so the thermos seemed a little… odd.
He glanced at it several times.
It looked completely ordinary.
Because of the extra person at the table, they had ordered a few more dishes, but the earlier ones had already been served—lightly stir-fried seasonal vegetables and two bowls of white rice.
Chi Zhan, as usual, handed a bowl of rice to Zhou Yanxing first—let the boss eat before anyone else. But Zhou didn’t take it.
“I’ve already eaten.”
Now Chi Zhan was even more puzzled.
So… what exactly was he doing here?
Was he supervising him?
Chi Zhan was thoroughly confused, while Cen Chi calmly picked up the serving chopsticks to place food onto his plate and smiled. “Eat up. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can get back to working for President Zhou.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Cen Chi replied warmly.
Aside from a single glass of oat milk in the morning, Chi Zhan had only nibbled on some light snacks and fruit. Now, the aroma of the food awakened his hunger. He pushed everything else aside and focused on eating.
He didn’t notice the way Zhou Yanxing, initially disinterested, had started watching the subtle interactions between him and Cen Chi with a slightly probing gaze.
“Did you order any soup?”
Chi Zhan assumed he wanted some and was about to call the waiter when Zhou stopped him and told a server nearby, “Take that and ladle it out.”
The server picked up the thermos and carried it off.
Chi Zhan quickly finished his bowl of rice, and before he knew it, a bowl of soup was placed in front of him. Zhou Yanxing said curtly, “Drink it. Don’t waste it.”
It was chicken soup.
Chi Zhan didn’t remember ordering this. He took a sip—the taste was rich and savory, with no unnecessary seasonings. The fragrance of matsutake mushrooms was perfectly infused, and the chicken was tender and juicy. The broth had a creamy white sheen and was so flavorful it made him want to lick the bowl clean.
Later, every time he thought of that soup, his mouth would water.
All three of them had a bowl in front of them, but Cen Chi didn’t touch his. Zhou Yanxing drank his slowly, a few sips at a time.
Cen Chi seemed preoccupied—his phone wouldn’t stop ringing during the meal. Eventually, he excused himself, saying a patient needed him, and left early.
With Cen Chi gone, only he and Zhou Yanxing remained. Zhou could’ve easily taken the seat across from him, but he didn’t. Instead, he stayed right beside Chi Zhan like he’d forgotten to move.
Then Chi Zhan remembered—this meal had originally been set up by Doctor Cen. He’d said he needed to talk to him about something… but in the end, he never mentioned what it was.
Had he forgotten?
“This is a couple’s restaurant?” Zhou Yanxing’s gaze swept over the dining area.
Indeed, there were plenty of couples nearby—rose centerpieces on the tables, sweet and affectionate atmosphere all around. During peak dining hours, most patrons were office workers grabbing dinner after work, so Zhou probably hadn’t noticed earlier.
Chi Zhan took another sip of soup and explained, “It’s popular with couples, but a lot of people come here for lunch too.”
“We came here last time too,” Zhou said, the corner of his lips curling into an ambiguous smile. “Secretary Chi, I recall asking you to book a normal restaurant. You didn’t deliberately choose this kind of place, did you?”
Of course, Chi Zhan wouldn’t admit it.
…Even though he absolutely had done it on purpose.
So he forcibly changed the subject with an air of nonchalance.
“This soup is really good. Did you bring it?”
If he guessed correctly, the chicken soup in the thermos had been brought over by Zhou Yanxing—and quite possibly for him.
Zhou was usually completely indifferent to the private lives of his subordinates. But ever since Chi Zhan’s injury, something had shifted. Not only was Zhou suddenly concerned about him, he’d even seemed ready to deliver soup to his home.
Nothing was more terrifying than a boss’s sudden concern.
Zhou raised a brow slightly.
“This kind of soup is good for your health. Drink more. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can get back to work.”
“……”
There it was—that familiar, menacing Demon King Zhou vibe. Just then, a delighted voice piped up beside them.
“Zhou Yanxing! What a coincidence—you’re eating here too!”
Zhou’s brows immediately drew together the moment he heard the voice. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by the cold, distant expression everyone else was used to.
Bai Gongzi rushed over and plopped down across from them with an air of entitlement, then beamed.
“Thanks for the birthday gift! I loved it!”
Zhou had no idea what gift Chi Zhan had sent on his behalf. He offered a perfunctory “Mm” and didn’t say another word.
Bai Gongzi didn’t need him to. He was perfectly capable of chattering away by himself. Chi Zhan tried to shrink into the background as much as possible, focusing on his soup. When he finished the bowl, Zhou silently slid another one over to him.
“Keep drinking.”
