IJLHTW - 6

Huo Ci put away his business card and looked up. “My schedule is packed. I’ll need to discuss it with my agent.”

Yi Zecheng’s face remained calm and indifferent, but his tone softened. “We’ll be departing in December. You have a month to consider it, Miss Huo. I hope you’ll accept.”

Huo Ci could tell—he was an extremely picky man. Otherwise, he wouldn’t make such a fuss about choosing a photographer like he was choosing a wife. That thought made her smile slightly. She was genuinely curious how he did go about choosing a wife.

But she didn’t want to annoy him too quickly, so she held back her curiosity.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “It’s almost lunchtime. If you don’t mind, Miss Huo, shall we eat together?”

Exactly what she wanted.

…

Huo Ci looked around the small but stylishly decorated restaurant in front of her.

She hadn’t expected that when Yi Zecheng invited her to lunch, he would bring her to Mingsheng’s staff cafeteria.

Her most vivid memory of cafeterias dated back to her freshman year in college. Her thoughtful and considerate parents had kept a secret from her for an entire year, only revealing it during the summer after she got into university—that they had already divorced. They hadn’t told her earlier because they didn’t want to affect her college entrance exam preparations.

She had always believed she came from the perfect family—an elegant and gentle father who was a surgeon, and a beautiful, graceful mother who was an art teacher. They were so in love, and they loved her deeply.

In the end, it was all a lie. A thunderbolt from a clear sky.

Too much happened that June. By the time she walked into the campus of her dream school, B University, it felt like she was stepping into a nightmare.

She refused to take any money from either parent. She survived month after month with the money she earned from summer jobs.

Back then, she had no money. So of course, every meal came from the cafeteria.

Yi Zecheng had already walked to the food counter. Realizing Huo Ci hadn’t followed, he turned and looked back at her. Snapping out of her daze, she quickly caught up.

It was just the start of the lunch break, and employees were trickling in.

But seeing a tall, stunning couple standing side by side at the counter drew quite a bit of attention. Yi Zecheng had joined the company from outside and kept a low profile. Most employees had never seen him. Yet today, he was in the cafeteria with a long-legged beauty.

“What’s the best dish here? It’s my first time, recommend something for me,” Huo Ci stood beside him, glancing at the colorful and fragrant dishes in front of her.

Across from her stood a young girl in a white chef’s uniform with a clear face shield that didn’t hide the surprise and curiosity on her face at all.

Not far away, someone was waiting for fresh juice, and Huo Ci’s voice—neither too loud nor too soft—was easily heard by everyone nearby.

To them, it sounded just like a girlfriend visiting her boyfriend’s workplace and sweetly asking him to order for her.

Someone even sneakily took out their phone to snap a photo and posted it in the company chat group.

After ordering, Yi Zecheng took out his employee card and handed it to the young chef. She froze for a moment, unsure whether she should take it. A more senior worker beside her eventually took the card and scanned it.

The two of them carried their trays over to a round table near the wall.

After sitting down, Huo Ci glanced at the increasingly crowded cafeteria and the growing number of curious glances in their direction. “Looks like you don’t eat here often. You didn’t just randomly pick dishes for me, did you?”

Yi Zecheng looked up. “I just don’t eat in the cafeteria.”

Huo Ci perked up, continuing to ask, “Then where do you usually eat? Your office?”

Naturally, Yi Zecheng didn’t answer.

But Huo Ci was in a good mood. She picked up her chopsticks and tasted the shredded pork with garlic sauce in front of her.

Both of them were very well-mannered diners—quiet and composed, not speaking much.

After the meal, Huo Ci said cheerfully, “Thank you for the lunch.”

His attitude had previously been cold and distant, like he wanted nothing to do with her. Huo Ci wasn’t bothered. Especially today—not only had she won his approval and landed the job, but he’d also brought her to the staff cafeteria for lunch without hiding her presence.

She glanced at the juice bar across the room. They had freshly squeezed watermelon juice.

This wasn’t watermelon season anymore, so the fruit was pricey. But here in the cafeteria, a cup was only ten yuan.

Yi Zecheng looked up. His tray was spotless, but when he saw that Huo Ci still had half of her food left, he frowned. “You’re not eating the rest?”

Huo Ci’s eyes were still fixed on the watermelon juice. It reminded her of the juice at her father’s hospital cafeteria when she was young.

Yi Zecheng followed her gaze briefly.

Thankfully, Huo Ci quickly snapped back to attention and replied, “I’m full.”

His frown deepened. “Don’t waste food.”

His voice was deep and smooth, like the sound of an elegant instrument, each word melodious and rich. Though the cafeteria was buzzing, no one dared sit near them. Every word he spoke fell solely into her ears.

“If you finish it, I’ll buy you watermelon juice.”

Huo Ci: “…”

It’s only ten yuan per cup. How stingy are you?

________________________________________

Over the next half-month, Huo Ci worked non-stop. She shot seven magazine covers, from men’s to women’s magazines, from top-tier publications to smaller weeklies. As long as the pay was right, she never turned anything down. In between, she also filmed a beauty product commercial for an international brand. The model hadn’t been finalized at first, but Bai Yu pulled some strings and recommended a newly signed talent under his wing.

By 7 p.m., the shoot wrapped up. The brand’s rep came over and chatted with Bai Yu for a bit. Huo Ci was packing up her gear when Xiao Bai came over and asked, “Wanna join us for dinner? The client invited you.”

"I’m not going," she replied flatly, her tone firm and unquestionable.

Bai Yu was so frustrated by her attitude that he cursed under his breath. You’d think she was lazy, but just her yearly workload alone would be too much for most men. And yet, she refused to cooperate. Her Weibo updates were sporadic—if she felt like posting, she would, but otherwise she could go two or three months without a single update. Whenever a client hosted a dinner, she almost never attended, and on the rare occasion she did, she wouldn’t even touch a drop of alcohol.

Her carefree and willful behavior kept pushing Bai Yu’s tolerance to new limits.

This time, Bai Yu actually pleaded, “Just do me this one favor, alright? It’s not often Ai Li gets to shoot such a big campaign. The person in charge today is the regional director for China. If you can get in his good graces, it might open some doors down the line.”

Huo Ci had already packed away all her camera equipment. She stood up straight. “I’m heading to the club tonight.”

Bai Yu’s face turned red with frustration. If it weren’t for all the people around, he might’ve jabbed a finger at her nose and yelled, “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t go anymore? That place is dangerous! You’re a girl, for god’s sake. If you really want to box, let’s find you a proper gym.”

Huo Ci gave him a cold glance. “It is a proper gym.”

Proper, my ass, Bai Yu cursed inwardly.

He’d been there before. It was a rundown building from the '70s or '80s, hard to even find a parking spot. The first floor was a barber shop and breakfast joint, and the third floor was the so-called club—no sign at the entrance, just a pitch-dark stairwell that looked more like an illegal gathering spot than a gym.

Who knew where Huo Ci even found such a place, but she had been going religiously for two years.

Bai Yu had only gone once and left scared half to death. The place was full of burly men, and the moment you stepped in, you’d hear the thunderous sounds of people yelling and fighting.

Apart from the cleaning lady and the owner’s daughter, Huo Ci was the first and only female member of the club.

Huo Ci liked boxing, and boxing was trendy in the modeling world anyway. Models needed intense exercise to maintain their figures. Even though Huo Ci wasn’t a model, her level of self-discipline was borderline obsessive.

When abs and A4 waists trended on Weibo, Bai Yu had even tried persuading her to post something for clout.

She drove to the club as usual. Since there was no parking, she left her car a block away.

She had arranged to meet her coach ahead of time.

When she got upstairs, a girl in a white tracksuit waved at her excitedly. “Huo Ci-jie, you’re finally here!”

Lin Nana was the only other young girl at the club before Huo Ci showed up—her father was the gym owner, so she often helped out. She had been athletic from a young age, and even after entering university, she remained cheerful and easygoing.

Huo Ci had been abroad for nearly two months, and even after returning, she’d been busy with work, so she hadn’t been back to the club in almost three months.

Lin Nana didn’t expect to see her today.

Huo Ci pulled a box from her bag and handed it to her. Lin Nana’s eyes lit up with surprise and joy. “Is this a gift for me?”

It was a bottle of perfume. Every time Huo Ci visited, Lin Nana would gush over how good she smelled. This time, during a layover in France, she bought a bottle of Chanel Chance Eau Tendre, a sweet, youthful fragrance.

When Huo Ci first joined the club, it had been inconvenient—there was no women’s locker room. It was Lin Nana who spoke to her father and eventually got her a private shower area.

Huo Ci was indifferent toward strangers, but once she considered someone a friend, she gave her all.

Lin Nana had casually said once or twice that Huo Ci smelled amazing, and she’d remembered.

Lin Nana had never received a gift like this from another woman. She nearly sprayed it on herself right then and there.

“Huo Ci-jie, you’re the best,” she said sweetly, clutching the box.

After chatting a little more, Huo Ci took her bag and headed to the locker room. It was still early, so the gym was mostly empty—only a few sparring partners were around.

She changed into a black short-sleeve T-shirt and black compression leggings. Her legs were already long and slender, and now, wrapped in tight fabric, they looked even sleeker. Her long, black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She looked like she was in her early twenties.

After putting on her training shoes, she grabbed a towel and water bottle and headed out.

Just as she stepped outside, a sharp cramp hit her right leg—she had a muscle spasm. Huo Ci leaned against the wall and slowly sat down. The hallway was long and narrow, and she needed to walk to the end and turn a corner to reach the main gym. Hardly anyone was around at this hour, so it was quiet.

She never asked for help. Leaning against the wall, she tried to stretch her leg straight, but the cramp was so painful she could barely move.

Yi Zecheng had just turned the corner when he saw a woman in all black sitting in the hallway. Her long hair covered her face, but the exposed skin on her arms and ankles was pale like snow.

He was surprised. In all his visits to the club over the past two months, he’d never seen a female member.

In fact, he’d chosen this club specifically because it didn’t have any.

Still, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. His instincts as a doctor kicked in, and he rushed forward. She was clearly having a muscle spasm.

But just as he approached, the woman slowly lifted her head.

Large, dewy eyes shimmered with mist, looking both bright and pitiful—like she was on the verge of tears.

Yi Zecheng never expected to see a look of shyness in Huo Ci’s eyes. Yet right now, she was staring at him with a doe-eyed vulnerability, completely unlike her usual self.

He set down his black gym bag and reached out to straighten her right leg.

“No,” Huo Ci stopped him.

She couldn’t believe this was how he’d see her—at her most embarrassed and awkward. She’d rather suffer through the cramp than let him help her. Even she couldn’t fully explain why she felt this way.

He frowned and looked at her, noting the stubborn set of her jaw.

Then Yi Zecheng said casually, “Let’s have dinner tonight.”

Huo Ci was so caught off guard that she froze, forgetting to stop him.

In the next second, her leg was already being stretched out by him.

Then his cool voice returned. “I was joking just now.”