The next morning, after dropping Qiao Man off at kindergarten, Qiao Le completed a delivery order and then headed to Seal Coffee for his appointment.
Just like last time, he parked his small electric scooter in a corner.
Coincidentally, the same black Maybach from before was parked in the same spot.
Standing in front of Seal Coffee, he double-checked that he was at the right place before pushing the door open.
Since it wasn’t his first time here, Qiao Le confidently walked toward Area A.
A server approached and asked if he had a reservation, to which he replied, “Table nine.”
When he arrived, he saw a familiar back view once again.
The man had broad shoulders and a straight posture, exuding an air of elegance even from behind.
His head was lowered, so his face wasn’t visible, but the silhouette felt oddly familiar.
Qiao Le recalled the first time he had seen Shen Hechuan here-Shen had also been sitting with his back to him.
Maybe wealthy people all had a similar aura, as this figure somewhat resembled Shen Hechuan.
Without overthinking it, Qiao Le walked over briskly and said to the person sitting on the sofa, “Hello, sir, I’m from the ‘Let Me Help’ platform-“
Before he could finish, the man, who had been looking down at some documents, raised his head, and their eyes met.
Qiao Le froze for a moment, then blurted out, “Mr. Shen?”
Shen Hechuan set the materials aside and looked at him with a calm expression.
“Calling me ‘Mr. Shen’ again?”
Qiao Le had reflexively used the title.
He was first surprised, then felt a hint of unnoticed delight.
“What are you doing here? Just here for coffee?”
Shen Hechuan replied, “Waiting for you.”
“Waiting for me?” Qiao Le was taken aback, then seemed to realize something and glanced at the table card-it was indeed Table Nine.
“Yes, waiting for you,” Shen Hechuan confirmed.
“I placed the order on the platform.”
Qiao Le: “Huh?”
Shen Hechuan reminded him, “Didn’t you say last time that I could ask for your help if I needed it?”
Qiao Le had indeed said that, but he never expected Shen Hechuan to actually seek his assistance, let alone place an order on the platform to do so.
“You could’ve just told me directly. You have my WeChat, right? When I saw your message on the platform last night, I thought it was some random-“
He caught himself, mentally scolding his “big mouth,” and quickly corrected, “I thought it was a big client, so I even dressed up a bit.”
Shen Hechuan gave him a once-over.
Qiao Le was wearing a shirt and slacks the same outfit he had worn during their first meeting.
His hair was neatly styled, and without his bangs covering his forehead, his smooth, full forehead was on display.
It was the kind of look parents would approve of.
Shen Hechuan thought to himself that hiring Qiao Le for help was an increasingly sound idea.
“Have a seat,” Shen Hechuan said to him.
“What would you like to drink?”
Qiao Le sat down on the sofa across from him.
“Are you treating?”
The cheapest coffee here cost 168 yuan, and he couldn’t bring himself to pay that much.
“Of course,” Shen Hechuan nodded.
“As long as you don’t sneak off to pay the bill.”
Their eyes met, and Qiao Le easily caught the amusement in Shen’s gaze.
He felt a bit embarrassed at first, but then he smiled too.
“Then I’ll have something expensive.”
“Go ahead,” Shen Hechuan said, gesturing for the server to come over.
Although Qiao Le said so, he didn’t really go all out with his order, mainly because he wasn’t particularly fond of coffee himself-he preferred milk tea.
He ordered a latte and then handed the menu to Shen Hechuan, who added two more desserts to the order.
After the waiter left, Qiao Le asked Shen Hechuan about the specifics of the situation and how he could help.
Shen Hechuan briefly explained the pressure from his family to get married and expressed his hope that Qiao Le could pretend to be his boyfriend, accompany him home for dinner that evening, and meet his elders.
Ah, meeting the parents?
Qiao Le realized that this request was even more challenging than Mr. Huo’s.
Mr. Huo only needed him to sabotage a blind date, which required some mischief, but Mr. Shen’s request had escalated straight to the level of meeting the parents.
Seeing Qiao Le’s silence, Shen Hechuan gently asked, “Is there a problem?”
It wasn’t exactly a problem, just a bit of a surprise.
Do wealthy people also face the pressure of being urged to marry?
Thinking this, Qiao Le voiced his question, and Shen Hechuan glanced at him before replying, “Wealthy people also eat grains like everyone else.”
The implication was that they were all just ordinary people.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Qiao Le asked.
The last time, Mr. Huo had sought his help because his family disapproved of his relationship.
If he was going to assist, he needed to understand the basics.
“No,” Shen Hechuan replied, recalling the person he had seen when he dropped Qiao Le off the day before.
He then asked nonchalantly, “What about you?”
Qiao Le shook his head, “I’m not seeing anyone either.”
Neither of them was in a relationship, which made the arrangement perfect—it wouldn’t lead to any unnecessary complications.
At that moment, the waiter brought over the coffee and desserts.
The transparent cup showcased the layered beauty of the latte, and the latte art was exceptionally well-crafted.
The desserts were a mousse cake and a yogurt ice cream pancake.
The pancake was small but exquisitely made.
Qiao Le remembered that this tiny thing cost 188 yuan-ridiculously expensive.
“Let’s have something to eat first,” Shen Hechuan said, pushing the pancake toward Qiao Le.
“Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Yes, I have.”
Since they were already here and the order had been placed, Qiao Le didn’t hold back.
He used a fork to transfer a piece of the pancake to his plate.
The ice cream was smooth and creamy, while the pancake had a crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior.
It was delicious!
Qiao Le’s eyes lit up there was a reason it was so expensive!
He quickly finished the pancake and took a sip of the coffee, finding it equally delightful.
He couldn’t help but take a couple more sips.
Seeing this, the smile in Shen Hechuan’s eyes deepened as he picked up his own coffee and took a sip.
“Aren’t you going to eat? It’s really good,” Qiao Le asked.
“Let me help you.”
With that, he reached over, took Shen Hechuan’s plate, and used a clean fork to portion out a piece of the pancake for him.
He was so used to taking care of Qiao Man that he didn’t think twice about it.
Shen Hechuan looked at the pancake placed before him and, under Qiao Le’s expectant gaze, took a bite.
Hmm, not bad.
A bit sweet, but still acceptable.
After finishing the food and coffee, Qiao Le didn’t forget why he was there.
He asked Shen Hechuan what he needed to do and to what extent.
“You’ve agreed?” Shen Hechuan was surprised.
He had expected Qiao Le to at least think it over, but he had agreed so readily.
“Of course,” Qiao Le said matter-of-factly.
“I told you before, as long as you ask, I’ll definitely help.”
Being able to help Shen Hechuan made Qiao Le genuinely happy.
He had always kept in mind the times Shen Hechuan had helped him.
“You don’t need to do much. Just come to my house as my boyfriend for a meal and help me reassure my elders,” Shen Hechuan explained.
At this point, Shen Hechuan’s tone turned slightly helpless: “They’ve been very proactive about pushing me to get married, and it’s starting to affect my work and life.”
Qiao Le asked, “So, you’re not ready to get married yet?”
Shen Hechuan nodded, “I don’t have any plans for that at the moment.”
“I understand,” Qiao Le said, fully empathizing.
It was normal for someone as wealthy and good-looking as Shen Hechuan to not want to settle down so soon.
“Don’t worry, if your parents bring up marriage during the visit, I’ll just say it’s my fault.”
Shen Hechuan raised an eyebrow, “Your fault? How so?”
“I’m still young!” Qiao Le declared confidently.
“It’s perfectly normal for me not to want to get married yet.”
Shen Hechuan: “…”
Nineteen years old yes, that was indeed young.
But something about Qiao Le’s tone felt off, as if it implied that he was the one being unreasonable for not wanting to marry.
Shen Hechuan briefly explained his family situation, pausing when he mentioned his grandfather and other elders: “They can be quite enthusiastic, so be prepared for that.”
“No problem, I’m great with older people,” Qiao Le said confidently.
He had always been the “model child” in his neighborhood, adored by all the aunties and uncles.
Shen Hechuan didn’t doubt him for a second.
Remembering his father’s question about whether Qiao Le would come alone or with his parents, Shen Hechuan added, “They might ask about your family background. If you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer.”
Family background…
Qiao Le’s hand paused as he stirred his coffee, thinking about how best to respond if the topic came up.
Before he could dwell on it, Shen Hechuan continued, “They’ll probably also ask how we met.”
“Oh, got it,” Qiao Le said, brushing it off.
“No worries, I’ll just make something up.”
Make something up?
The memory of their last misunderstanding was still fresh in Shen Hechuan’s mind.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, “So, you’re going to tell them you were kicked out of your house and dropped out of school because of me?”
Qiao Le: “…”
Catching the teasing tone in Shen Hechuan’s voice, Qiao Le shot back, “Should I call you ‘husband’ this time then?”
Shen Hechuan: “…”
If it’s for the sake of the act…
Sure, why not.