Chapter 52

"Beep beep beep~"

A sudden ringing sound broke the silence. It was the second time they were interrupted today, and this time it was for Jia Fuhai.

Seeing his displeased expression, Zhen Linqi chuckled and urged him to answer the call, just in case it was something important.

"Hello, Uncle Zhou."

Jia Fuhai glanced at the number and immediately knew who it was. He quickly answered and greeted the caller.

"Xiao Jia, I've pulled some strings with my friend at the testing bureau. The results are ready. Do you want to go pick them up?"

Uncle Zhou's hearty voice came through the phone.

"I'll head over right away. Where are you now, Uncle Zhou? I was planning to go to the testing bureau."

"Don't rush, Xiao Jia. I'm heading to your factory. Are you there? Let's go together when I arrive."

"Sure, I'm at the factory now. I'll be helping myself to your tea while I wait."

"Drink as much as you want. I'll be there soon."

"Alright, Uncle Zhou, thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. See you shortly."

Finally, the testing was done. Jia Fuhai hung up the phone with a big grin on his face.

"What did Uncle Zhou say? What are you two up to?" Zhen Linqi asked, knowing that Uncle Zhou owned a coffee factory—something Fuhai had mentioned before but hadn't gone into detail about.

"The cake test results are ready. Uncle Zhou suggested we pick them up together. Let's go have some tea at his place while we wait," Jia Fuhai said as he stood up and playfully tugged Linqi's hand.

"That was quick," Zhen Linqi remarked. Though she didn't fully understand the interaction between the two men, she knew that the rapid test results were a rare thing.

Jia Fuhai strolled into the neighboring factory like it was his own place. Uncle Zhou's employees were curious about when the cake factory would open, eagerly awaiting the chance to buy more of the delicious cakes they'd sampled yesterday.

In the break room...

"Fuhai, this cake is popular wherever it goes," Zhen Linqi teased.

"Of course! Your husband made it, after all," Jia Fuhai puffed out his chest with pride.

"Yes, yes, you're the best," Zhen Linqi laughed, knowing how to flatter her man.

"Here, drink up—this is Uncle Zhou's treasured tea," Jia Fuhai said as he poured her a cup. Thanks to his culinary talent, his palate had become especially sensitive to flavors.

"Mmm, this is good," Zhen Linqi said after taking a sip, nodding her approval. Though she had tasted many fine teas, this one was indeed satisfying.

As they sipped tea and chatted, the door to the break room suddenly opened.

It was the man himself, Zhou Jin, the owner of the coffee factory.

"Well, well, Xiao Jia, you sure aren't shy about helping yourself!" Zhou Jin joked as he walked in and saw that his treasured tea had been opened.

"Uncle Zhou, come have some too! It'd be a waste if you didn't join us," Jia Fuhai said as he quickly poured a cup for him.

"Hmm? Oh, wow, this flavor…" Zhou Jin took a sip and was immediately struck by how much better it tasted than when he brewed it himself. He eyed Jia Fuhai curiously—who knew this kid had such a knack for making tea?

If only he had let Xiao Jia make the tea earlier! He had even boasted about his tea-making skills to him before. Now, thinking back, it felt like he had been showing off in front of an expert.

In truth, this was thanks to Jia Fuhai's culinary talent, which allowed him to extract the fullest flavors from any ingredient—even tea leaves.

"Who is this, by the way?" Zhou Jin hadn't paid attention when he first entered, assuming that the woman sitting there was Zhen Linna. After all, he was used to seeing Zhen Linna following Xiao Jia around, constantly dishing out cash for him. But upon closer inspection, this woman wasn't Zhen Linna.

"This is my wife, Zhen Linqi—Zhen Linna's older sister," Jia Fuhai introduced her with an air of pride.

"Holy sh—" Zhou Jin was so shocked he almost cursed out loud.

Sisters? Really? This guy is living the dream, eating from both ends of the family tree!

Biting down on his jealousy, Zhou Jin gave a wry smile and held up two thumbs. "Xiao Jia, I have to hand it to you—you're something else."

No further words were needed; Zhou Jin's entire demeanor screamed envy. His gaze radiated jealousy, his thoughts consumed by the overwhelming envy of this man's luck.

"This is Uncle Zhou, the owner of the coffee factory," Jia Fuhai introduced him to Zhen Linqi, secretly basking in the glow of Zhou Jin's admiration.

"Uncle Zhou, nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you from Fuhai and my sister," Zhen Linqi greeted him with a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, too," Zhou Jin replied, somewhat awkwardly, feeling a stark contrast between Linqi's graceful demeanor and Linna's more free-spirited personality.

In that moment, Zhou Jin wondered why he had come to the factory at all. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have to suffer this bout of envy. It would have been better to remain blissfully ignorant.

"Xiao Zhen, can I ask you something? What's so special about Xiao Jia? I'm just curious," Zhou Jin asked, his tone dripping with jealousy.

"He loves me, and I love him," Zhen Linqi replied without hesitation, her words simple but filled with genuine emotion.

Jia Fuhai, hearing this, looked at her with nothing but love in his eyes. 

Zhou Jin, on the other hand, felt like he had been struck by lightning. Such pure, unconditional love! It was too much for him to bear.

In that instant, even the tea in his cup, enhanced by Fuhai's talent, tasted bitter.

He quickly stood up and began packing up the tea leaves, preparing to leave without saying a word.

"Uncle Zhou, why are you leaving so suddenly? We still need to pick up the test results," Jia Fuhai asked, puzzled by Zhou Jin's abrupt behavior.

"Pick them up yourself. I can't take it anymore…" Zhou Jin muttered, thoroughly overwhelmed by his envy. 

As he stormed out, all he could think was how unfair it was that Xiao Jia, who didn't seem particularly handsome or extraordinary, was still so beloved by women.