Holiday

"Eh...didn't she tell you? She wasn't coming home this year." Chen Zhiyi was confused. His daughter was always around this young man. She would have definitely told him where she was. In fact, he thought that his daughter was spending the holidays with He Zifeng in the city.

He Zifeng fell silent.

"Is there something wrong? What happened to Kaori?" Chen Zhiyi concluded that this man was looking for Chen Kaori because she had been missing.

He Zifeng did not know what to say. He pondered if he could tell him that Chen Kaori resigned from H&B. He definitely would not say that he missed her so he tried his luck and hoped that she would be in their home.

He Zifeng cleared his throat. "Uncle Chen, Kaori resigned from H&B."

"What?!"

He Zifeng sighed as he let the elder take the news in.

"Wha-when?!" Chen Zhiyi still could not take in the news calmly.

"She left while I was on a business trip. She had been evading me since then. I...I just wanted to know why she left. I thought she would spend the holidays here." He Zifeng's voice had a tinge of sadness, but his face remained neutral.

"Well...we invited her to come home, but she said she will be spending the holidays in the city. Honestly, I thought she was spending it with you."

"Heh! She was never really that bright!" Su Mocheng butted in as he sat on a single sofa holding his cup of tea.

He Zifeng glared at him.

Chen Zhiyi noticed the tension immediately. "Mocheng! Stop saying nonsense about your sister!" he scolded his stepson.

"Stepsister." Su Mocheng corrected. "Well, she just left a business conglomerate where she had been slaving for years. Who knows if she even has enough for a train ticket now...maybe that's why she wouldn't come home. Isn't she stupid?" he mocked.

"With her credentials, I was actually surprised she stayed that long in H&B. With your grades, I could only pity Uncle Chen for being forced to keep you." He Zifeng retaliated.

"You!" Su Mocheng stood up and pointed a finger at He Zifeng.

"Cheng-cheng!" the new Mrs. Chen shouted at her son. "Go up to your room," she commanded him.

"But he...didn't you hear how he insulted me?!" Su Mocheng tried to argue.

"Stop embarrassing yourself!" With that, Mrs. Chen dragged her son up the staircase.

He Zifeng took a sip of the tea which was served to him. He remembered the last day he was working with Chen Kaori in a commercial shoot for a sunscreen lotion.

..

It was an early morning shoot as the actress doing the commercial had another appointment at noon.

He Zifeng arrived almost as early as the crew. His eyes roamed until he spotted Chen Kaori.

Chen Kaori yawned from behind her clipboard. She did not have time for breakfast. She hoped the shoot will go smoothly so they could wrap things up in no time.

He Zifeng was looking at her side profile and frowned when she yawned.

He sat down at a prepared chair and snapped his fingers. "Coffee." Everyone knew it was a command.

Chen Kaori was quick on her feet and told others she will get coffee for the boss.

It took her only fifteen minutes to be back with a takeaway cup.

"Sir, your latté." Chen Kaori placed the cup before their boss.

"Cut!" The director from the adjacent area shouted.

Everyone was busy.

He Zifeng adjusted his glasses and drank from the cup placed before him. Then he frowned and gestured for her to take it back.

"Eh...what's wrong, Sir?" Chen Kaori took the cup back.

"It's cold," he replied in monotone.

"Huh?" She drank from the cup with no hesitation to check the temperature of the drink herself.

He Zifeng frowned. "Get out of my sight."

"Uh...sorry, Sir." Chen Kaori immediately took off, making sure she was not within his view for a second more.

His gaze followed her and he had a subtle smile. He knew she would not waste good coffee, and she would not hesitate to finish his drink. He was happy enough to have indirectly kissed her and to give her sleepy mind a caffeine boost.