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Wei Hantao took off his sunglasses and smiled. "Thank you for accepting my reservation on a late notice, especially when you’re jam-packed today."

"Nonsense. Please do not thank me, Mr. Wei. Nothing pleases us more than to have you here."

Wei Hantao’s smile widened at his words as he nodded his head. A discreet car stopped by the sidewalk right beside him. On cue, the driver came out, opened the door, and out stepped the woman plaguing his mind day and night. She was enthralling in a cream-colored dress. Her small flashes of skin made him wonder what could be beneath the flowy fabric. She was dressed very elegantly today, like a treasured and hidden daughter of a noble family. Her hair was let loose and looked slightly wavy.

"You arrived earlier than expected." Zhao Lifei commented when she walked up to him.

The owner’s eyes widened when he saw her. This was Zhao Moyao’s granddaughter! He hurriedly signaled the employees here to be on their best behavior. With family members of two powerhouses here, a single mistake could mean the end of his family’s legacy.

The owner waved down a manager to guide them to a private room. It was spacious and suitable for a big party. A waiter helped them to get seated and a waitress dressed in a white and gold qipao approached them with the menu.

Wei Hantao ordered a freshly brewed pot of chrysanthemum tea and an assortment of small dishes. The waitress turned towards Zhao Lifei who shook her head, "That will be all." The waitress nodded her head and left the room. No less than five minutes later, she came back with a purple clay teapot that had a lovely hue when the light shined upon it.

Wei Hantao poured the tea himself, passing the first cup to Zhao Lifei while taking the second one.

Zhao Lifei did not plan on staying there for long, thus, did not order anything to eat. "I’m going to cut to the chase of today’s lunch discussion."

Wei Hantao beckoned her to continue. He lifted the teacup with two hands and took a sip.

"Do you see me as a woman or a friend?"

PFT!

Wei Hantao almost spat out the tea in surprise. He tapped his chest and grabbed the nearest napkin. Out of all of the things or questions he expected her to ask, it was not this one. He put down the teacup and let out a laugh, but it soon died down when he saw how serious she was.

"I see you as a woman." He quietly said, clasping his hands in front of him. Sitting by the wooden-framed window with interlining brackets and thin-paper coverings, the sunlight enhanced his features.

Zhao Lifei’s gaze dropped to her cup of tea. Yang Feng was right. Her fingers dug into her palms when guilt settled into her.

"When did you plan on telling me this?"

Wei Hantao wished she did not look so upset by this news. It was a slap to his face, especially after having a crush on her for so long. He was patient when she was Zheng Tianyi’s fiancee, and he continued to be patient when she became Yang Feng’s woman. He wanted to find the perfect chance, but somewhere along the way, he had lost the opportunity.

"When you were single."

Zhao Lifei bitterly glanced at him. "I was single for half a year when I came back to Shenbei."

"Yes, but I was stabilizing Feili."

Zhao Lifei saw that he was lying and chose not to comment on it. "Wei Hantao, we’ve known each other for a while now. I treasure our friendship and do not wish to break it just because of some one-sided crush."

Wei Hantao bit his bottom lip, "Is it going to remain one-sided forever?"

They were grown adults. It was time to settle this through a proper conversation. He wanted to fight for her, to force her to love him and see him in the same light he was seeing her. But he knew, deep down, something like that would be impossible. She was a strong woman. Tying her down would be like snatching the phoenix from the sky and forcing her into a cage.

"Yes." Zhao Lifei answered in a heartbeat. If he had asked her this question six months ago, before her path ever collided with Yang Feng, perhaps he would’ve had the smallest sliver of a chance. However, it was too late now, and her heart was set on someone else — an overbearing, possessive, and protective man that she could not help but fall hopelessly in love with.

Wei Hantao let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Did I ever have a chance from the start?"

"Only a small one, but all of that is in the past now." Zhao Lifei sipped her tea.

Wei Hantao smiled, though it came out as a wince. "Are you happy with him?"

"Very."

Wei Hantao felt like his heart was being stabbed to death when love filled her eyes, love for another man that was not him. Her usually cryptic face was soft and warm, as she reminisced a man he could not rival. He realized he had lost the right to stand by her side a long time ago. Was this what they called losing at the starting line?

"I suppose this is goodbye then?" He quietly asked.

Zhao Lifei shook her head. "I would like to remain good friends with you." She knew it was a selfish request and that was why she left it so open-ended. He could reject her if he wanted to.

Wei Hantao let out a heartbroken laughter. "Friends huh..."

"Hey, hey, being friend zoned is a lot better than being brother zoned alright?" Zhao Lifei joked in hopes of fixing the gloomy atmosphere. Just then, the door slid open and the dishes were brought in, one by one. All of them were her favorites.

Wei Hantao chuckled. He felt a bit of pressure relieved from his shoulders. "I guess." He picked up his chopsticks. "Dig in." He told her, watching as she slowly picked up her utensils.

He cleared his throat a bit when he felt a wave of emotion wash over him. His heart was hurting, well, whatever was left of it after being crumbled to bits by her unwavering rejection. A small part of him was glad that they could end on good terms like this. At the least, she would still be in his life and together, they could watch each other grow and flourish.

- - - - -

After the meal, Zhao Lifei excused herself to the bathroom. In reality, she was trying to steal the opportunity to pay the bill. Walking up to the front desk with her purse ready, she told them her table.

The manager smiled and shook his head. "I apologize, but it seems the bill was already paid beforehand."

Zhao Lifei blinked with her card in hand.

Wei Hantao came up from behind her and loosely wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He then rubbed the top of her head, the same way an older brother would do for their younger sister. "The bill is on me."

He turned to the manager and requested the receipt where he signed a hefty tip before guiding her out of the restaurant. "I can’t believe you used the oldest trick in the book to pay the bill. You should be smart like me and call in advance next time."

Zhao Lifei scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. I’ll keep that in mind." She stopped in front of her car where the chauffeur was already waiting for her.

Wei Hantao gave her head one last pat. "I’ll see you in Feili?"

Zhao Lifei smiled. "Yeah." She climbed into the car with Wei Hantao hovering his hand over her head in fear that she might bump it. He closed the door for her and watched as the silver car drove off.

He glanced at the sky and sighed. "I need a drink." He muttered to himself before walking to the nearest bar to drink away his sorrows.

- - - - -

Author’s Note: Is being posted in the chapter because there seems to be a bug o.o

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