Chapter 164: Reluctance

It was only at this moment that Wen Jingxing understood where that cloyingly sweet scent in the air was coming from.

He looked at the drink in Song Wanning’s hand, unable to believe his eyes. "What is this?"

"What do you mean 'what is it'? It’s clearly the black coffee you always drink." As she spoke, Song Wanning placed the coffee on Wen Jingxing’s desk.

"Black coffee? Are you sure?" He stared at the color, wondering why it looked so different from his usual brew.

"Really! I had no idea coffee tasted so bad, but since you seem to like it, I added a few things to it. I hope you like it." Song Wanning gazed at him with a beaming, expectant smile.

It was an expression Wen Jingxing found impossible to refuse. He sat back down at his desk, took a sniff of the coffee, and then tipped his head back, downing more than half of the cup in one go.

Seeing this, Song Wanning quickly urged, "Slow down! There’s plenty more; I can make you another cup if you want!" Her culinary skills had always been top-notch, and everyone who tasted her cooking sang her praises, so it never even crossed her mind that this particular cup of coffee was essentially undrinkable.

Wen Jingxing set the cup down with an expressionless face, though his slightly trembling hand betrayed him. The cameraman watching nearby shook his head—Young Master Wen was having a truly miserable time.

Wen Jingxing shook his head to decline. "It's fine. One cup is enough."

"Is it not good?" Song Wanning finally began to wonder.

Wen Jingxing hastily waved his hands. "No, no. One cup a day is plenty."

"Then I’ll make you some more tomorrow!" Seeing that his refusal wasn't because of the taste, Song Wanning beamed with joy again.

Wen Jingxing: ... He wanted to live for a few more years. He had drunk it too quickly and was now overly sugared, wishing he had some real black coffee to balance it out. But as the bitterness of the coffee collided with the sweetness, he felt his stomach turn even more.

Song Wanning noticed something was wrong. "Are you... not feeling well?"

Wen Jingxing waved her off again. "I’m fine. Just stay here and behave for a while. I have a meeting to attend, and I’ll be back soon." Unlike his previous long-windedness, he gave a brief instruction and then hurried out of the office.

Song Wanning touched her chin, puzzled. "Does he have a very urgent meeting?" The cameraman, however, felt that Wen Jingxing’s sudden departure had more to do with his fear of Song Wanning.

***

Song Wanning, feeling bored as she lounged on the sofa, went online to search for news about Qisheng Corporation. A quick check confirmed that Qisheng was indeed Jian An'an’s agency. Most importantly, Song Wanning remembered that in the novel, the company went bankrupt shortly after due to a capital breakdown. Jian An'an had managed to withdraw from the company before it collapsed, walking away with a large sum of money. At the time, no one knew the truth, and everyone simply praised Jian An'an for her impeccable timing.

Why would Wen Jingxing want to acquire this company while it was in such a state? Song Wanning was deeply puzzled. If he really wanted to proceed, there were only two paths. One was to use the Wen family name after the acquisition to attract a wave of investors to plug the holes in Qisheng’s finances. Of course, this carried massive risks; if the public discovered the Wen family was essentially running a sham, it could severely damage the reputation of the Wen family business. It was a high-stakes move that no one dared to initiate.

The second option was to have someone else acquire the company on behalf of the Wen family. But how could a small, near-bankrupt company attract clients and investors? Either way, it was a dilemma. It was no wonder the employees couldn't make a decision; the risks were simply too high for them to shoulder.

Deep in thought and growing bored, Song Wanning soon drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, among the other participants in the challenge, Jiang Mingzhao was having the most miserable time. As soon as Shen Yue found out his address, she had come rushing over. Fortunately, Jiang Mingzhao had been prepared; before she arrived, he had scrubbed the apartment clean from top to bottom. The cleaning lady who usually tended to his place was stunned to see someone who had never done a lick of housework in his life acting so proactively.

When Shen Yue arrived, Jiang Mingzhao didn't give her a hard time. He let her in and even poured her a glass of water. This left Shen Yue feeling confused. She wondered if, because she hadn't seemed so eager to please him that morning, Jiang Mingzhao had finally started to notice her because she wasn't being as fawning as usual. She secretly rejoiced—it seemed Jian An'an’s advice was working!

But when her hand brushed against the glass and she felt how icy the water was, she froze. Were all those assumptions just her own delusions? She looked at the sparse, empty furniture around her and wondered if perhaps there was no hot water because Jiang Mingzhao didn't live here often. But even as she tried to comfort herself with that thought, a new sense of discomfort settled in. She had traveled all this way to see him, only for Jiang Mingzhao to bring her to a near-vacant apartment instead of the Jiang family estate—it was a clear sign he looked down on her.

In reality, Jiang Mingzhao hadn't let her in out of kindness. He was simply planning to formally end things with her once the task was over and make sure she gave up on him for good. However, he wasn't good at rejection, and speaking so bluntly made him uncomfortable, so he tried to treat her as he always had.

After sitting in silence for a while, Shen Yue couldn't hold back any longer. "The reason I came today is to take care of you. If you have any needs, just tell me, and I’ll satisfy them."

Jiang Mingzhao shook his head like a rattle. "No, no need. Just take care of yourself."

"Do you want me to help you sweep?" Shen Yue wasn't about to give up so easily.

"No, the lady who cleans already mopped the floors."

"Then I’ll help you tidy up the room!"

"No need, my room is very clean. My clothes are hung up as soon as they’re washed."

"Then... I’ll help you wipe the table."

"No, I wiped it just this morning."

"I’ll help you do the laundry!"

"My laundry is already hung out to dry."

Jiang Mingzhao was simply unwilling to let Shen Yue touch any of his things.

"Then take me on a tour of your apartment!" Shen Yue looked at him with a smug little smile. He had no legitimate excuse to refuse this time, and he didn't trust her to roam around his home on her own.

"Fine," he agreed, "I’ll show you around."

"Where is your bedroom? Let’s look at that first!" Shen Yue was bold.

"Uh... sure, I guess."

The room was furnished simply: a bed, a dresser, and a desk with a chair, all in shades of blue. Shen Yue walked in without waiting for an invitation. "The decor in your room is actually quite nice."

Jiang Mingzhao curled his lip, thinking that anyone who could spout such nonsense about this bland room was truly a force to be reckoned with.