"You've arrived!"
The woman behind the counter looked up eagerly as the bells above the glass door chimed. Her face brightened with a hopeful smile, anticipation fluttering in her chest.
She had been waiting all day.
For a brief moment, she thought it was the person she was waiting for, but the instant she saw who had entered, her smile froze.
Standing in the doorway was Hei Bao.
Her excitement vanished as quickly as it had come.
"Expecting Cheung Qi?" Hei Bao asked, one eyebrow arching in amusement.
"Or should I say your fuck buddy?"
The woman's face immediately turned red.
Embarrassment washed over her, she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
Hei Bao didn't need an answer. The scent lingering on her skin told him everything he needed to know.
Another one of Cheung Qi's latest amusements.
How troublesome.
"Get me my usual coffee."
The command left no room for argument.
The woman hurried to the register, her fingers trembling as she navigated the order screen.
"Is there anything el—"
"That's all." Hei Bao cut her off.
"I'll wait four minutes."
Without another glance, he headed toward his usual seat beside the large mirror.
The coffee shop occupied the second floor of one of his company's buildings. Though technically open to employees, everyone knew this place belonged to him.
Or more accurately, everyone knew better than to disturb him when he was here.
A young employee soon approached with his order.
"Excuse me, sir."
Hei Bao glanced up briefly.
The young man bowed respectfully before placing the latte on the table and retreating.
A moment later, he walked to the entrance and flipped the sign.
Closed.
The familiar routine.
Whenever the pact leader wished to be alone, no one else entered.
Normally, the coffee shop was where Hei Bao came to clear his mind.
One hour.
One cup of coffee.
A little silence.
Usually, that was enough.
Today, however, nothing seemed to work.
No matter how much he tried to push the encounter from earlier out of his thoughts, it kept returning, like a thorn lodged beneath his skin. Or a splinter he couldn't remove.
Mate.
The word echoed endlessly inside his head.
Mate.
Mate.
Mate.
His grip tightened around the coffee cup.
Annoyance simmered beneath his calm exterior.
He took a careless sip unaware that coffee was still too hot.
The burn on his tongue finally snapped the last thread of his patience.
"Fuck!"
The curse shattered the peaceful atmosphere.
Several employees, mostly humans, immediately stiffened. Some nearly dropped what they were carrying.
Hei Bao slammed the cup onto the table.
"Mate?" he muttered, then more loudly he shouted.
"MATE?"
His expression darkened.
"Are you kidding me?"
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet.
"I spent two hundred years searching."
His voice rose with every word.
"And now some random man casually shows, and you easily throw around the word 'mate' as if it means nothing?" He pointed towards himself, to Leo, who immediately mumbled the word mate earlier.
The cup cracked beneath his grip.
"I don't believe it."
The silence that followed was terrifying.
Employees exchanged frightened glances before quietly disappearing into the kitchen.
Nobody wanted to be nearby when the CEO was angry.
They valued their lives far too much for that.
Taking a deep breath, Hei Bao forced himself to calm down.
One breath to another. Slowly, the murderous urge receded. Almost, but then the door opened.
His eyes twitched.
A young woman stepped inside carrying a stack of documents.
Clearly, she hadn't noticed the large CLOSED sign hanging on the door.
"D-director?"
Chu Yan froze the moment she spotted him.
Hei Bao stared, and she stared back.
Neither moved.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward and deadly.
Chu Yan swallowed.
"Director, do you know where everyone went?" she asked nervously.
"The coffee shop seems empty. Did they all go for lunch? Do the staff here have lunch breaks?"
Hei Bao slowly raised his brow toward her.
"Tell me." His voice was far too calm.
"If you walk into a place full of people and suddenly find it empty..."
He leaned back in his chair.
"What conclusion would you reach?"
Chu Yan immediately felt her soul leave her body. She didn't know why, but suddenly, fear seized her chest.
The tone of their boss' voice…. was somehow overwhelming.
Her palms became slick with sweat.
What did I do, this time?
Am I getting fired?
Am I going to die?
Before she could answer, Hei Bao stood.
The pressure in the room intensified instantly.
"Are you all planning to stay hidden?" his voice raised.
"Or should I start firing people?"
A chorus of terrified employees immediately emerged from the kitchen. One by one. Like frightened rabbits leaving their burrow.
Hei Bao watched them with cold amusement before his gaze returned to Chu Yan.
She was trying very hard not to look terrified.
Unfortunately, she was failing miserably.
He stepped closer. Until he stood directly in front of her.
He leaned down and quietly said,
"If you value your life, learn to read the sign next time."
Chu Yan nodded so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash.
"Y-Yes, Director. I apologize."
Hei Bao didn't reply. He straightened and walked out.
The moment the door closed behind him, the entire coffee shop exhaled.
Some collapsed into a chair, while the others leaned against the counter and muttered a prayer of gratitude.
Chu Yan slowly sat down and placed the documents on the table.
Only then did she realize her hands were shaking.
Tears of relief welled in her eyes.
For a terrifying moment, she had genuinely thought she wasn't leaving that coffee shop alive.
How could she have been so careless?
This coffee shop was practically their boss's private sanctuary whenever he wanted peace. Everyone in the company knew that.
Yet somehow, in her rush to deliver the documents, she had completely forgotten.
The thought alone made her want to cry.
Pressing a trembling hand against her chest, Chu Yan tried to steady her breathing.
She didn't know what kind of luck had descended upon her today, but she was profoundly grateful for it.
At the very least, she was still alive.
And judging by how furious Hei Bao had been when she walked in, that was no small miracle.
A shaky laugh escaped her lips.
Perhaps she should stop by a temple after work and offer a few sticks of incense in thanks.
After all, surviving a furious pact leader was not something most people could brag about.
Hei Bao stepped out of the café, made his way down, and into a narrow alley nearby the building, hoping to steal a few minutes of peace away from the chatter and crowded streets.
The afternoon heat had begun to fade. A cool breeze drifted through the alley, carrying away the lingering warmth of the day.
For the first time in hours, he felt like he could finally think, but then...
Bzzzt.
His phone vibrated inside his pocket.
His jaw tightened.
Without much interest, he pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and shoved it right back into his pocket without answering.
Not interested.
He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a pack of expensive black cigarettes. With practiced ease, he tapped one loose and placed it between his lips.
Just as he reached for his lighter, the ringing stopped.
Finally…
He flicked the lighter open, and without expectations. His phone vibrated again, then again and again.
The relentless buzzing echoed through the quiet alley, wearing away what little patience he had left.
"For goodness' sake..."
With an exasperated sigh, Hei Bao yanked the phone from his pocket and answered the call without even checking the caller ID.
"What?"
"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
Cheung Qi's voice exploded from the speaker.
"I'VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR TEN MINUTES! YOU DON'T ANSWER! YOU DON'T EVEN TEXT BACK! ARE YOU IN TROUBLE?!"
Hei Bao physically flinched.
The unlit cigarette slipped from between his lips and fell onto the pavement.
His ears twitched instinctively, from the sheer volume.
He slowly pulled the phone away and stared at it with utter disbelief before bringing it back.
"I'm outside."
"What?"
"I'm. Outside."
"Then why didn't you answer your phone?!"
Hei Bao's eyes twitched.
"Why are you shouting?"
"BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T ANSWERING!"
"You're still shouting."
"I'M NOT SHOUTING!"
"You absolutely are."
"I AM TALKING LOUDLY!"
"That's called shouting."
"It's different!"
"Have you gone stupid?"
Several pedestrians passing the alley slowed their steps and looked toward him.
Hei Bao's already sour expression darkened.
He turned his head at them and shot them a cold glare.
The curious onlookers immediately looked away and hurried off without another glance.
Satisfied, he returned the phone to his ear.
"If this isn't an emergency, I'm hanging up."
"It is an emergency!"
"What."
"...I forgot."
Hei Bao closed his eyes, feeling a headache rushing through him.
"...You forgot."
"I remembered why I called when you answered…" Cheung Qi said sheepishly.
"But then we started arguing."
Hei Bao pinched the bridge of his nose, the headache behind his eyes instantly intensifying.
"This stupid..."
"Oh! Wait—I just remembered!"
Cheung Qi's voice suddenly brightened.
"Where at—"
Hei Bao ended the call, before he could finish.
"Hello? A-Bao?"
Cheung Qi frowned and pulled the phone away from his ear.
He glanced at the screen, only to find that the call had already ended.
"...He hung up on me."