PE Ch45: Love Affair

“How’s this restaurant?” After dinner, the three of them strolled out of the restaurant.

Pan Yinchuan stared at the road ahead, instinctively answering, “It’s okay.”

The boss laughed, “Is this just okay? This is the best restaurant in Jiu’an City, Xiao Pan, you have high standards.”

High…standards? Pan Yinchuan reflected on himself. Okay, yes, now it seems he’s become a bit picky.

Other things can be changed, but once taste is spoiled, it’s hard to lower the standards.

This is not good.

“I was hoping to see if we could run into other conference attendees in the restaurant, but it’s all private rooms, only saw the waiters.” The boss said helplessly, “We’ll have to wait for the event day…”

The boss hadn’t finished speaking when a middle-aged man hurried over, sweating and asked, “Are you Mr. Tan?”

“Yes, yes.”

“You’re staying at Rose Hotel now?”

The boss glanced at the man warily.

“Don’t misunderstand, our sir is a friend of Mr. Pan. He heard you didn’t book a suitable room, so arranged a suite for you at the event hotel.” The man said in one breath.

“Didn’t the front desk say there were no rooms?” The boss turned to look at Pan Yinchuan in surprise.

Pan Yinchuan was thoughtful, not speaking.

“Yes, but we have a long-term leased suite there, it’s just not open to the public.” The man continued.

“Oh, oh, then thank you.”

“No trouble at all, this way?”

The investment promotion conference was held at another five-star hotel. The boss stood at the door of the presidential suite, looking around and then asked casually, “Xiao Pan, your friend is amazing, are they from the state government?”

Pan Yinchuan didn’t know how to answer, he said, “Maybe there’s a mistake, I don’t have such a friend.”

He knew clearly, this could only be Huai Yu’s doing.

Call to ask? — This thought circled in his mind and was dismissed.

He had learned from Jian Yan and Lin Shaoyan. Actually, ignoring is the best way. Any response, and it’s over.

Hmm, pretend not to know.

Yu Tong lowered his voice to ask, “If it’s really a mistake, wouldn’t it cause trouble?”

The boss smiled and patted his shoulder, “If it’s really a mistake, Xiao Pan would be more anxious than you.”

Yu Tong immediately praised, “You have sharp eyes.”

Huai Yu waited all night.

Early the next morning, Yan Xue came to ask, “Did Xiao Pan realize he’s being monitored by you?”

Huai Yu, with a stern face, didn’t speak.

Yan Xue continued to ask, “Called you angrily? You don’t look good.”

Huai Yu finally spat out two words, “No call.”

Yan Xue was stunned, “No call? Not one? He just…accepted it well?” Yan Xue’s face showed a bit of envy, “Xiao Pan has a great temper…”

Huai Yu looked at him as if looking at an idiot.

Not calling meant Pan Yinchuan’s rejection of him was much stronger than to Jian Yan and Lin Shaoyan.

But Mr. Huai didn’t say this to Yan Xue.

He had his pride.

At this moment, Assistant Zhang came in saying, “Sir, the car is ready.”

Yan Xue immediately asked, “To Central City for business? You’re going back?”

“To Jiu’an City.”

Yan Xue initially wanted to be sarcastic, saying you just said staying downstairs was enough.

But changed his mind, sincerely sending Huai Yu to the car.

“Will you reconcile with Xiao Pan this time?” Yan Xue was the most hopeful of all!

Huai Yu didn’t answer him; the closing car door answered instead.

–

In the morning, the boss and Yu Tong left the suite first and went downstairs.

The elevator had only gone down one floor when they encountered other attendees of the conference.

Before the boss could greet them, the other party glanced at the elevator panel and then asked in an overly polite tone, “You came down from the 33rd floor?”

“Yes.”

“You just met the governor?” the other party asked again.

“The governor? No…”

“Then you…” The other party showed a puzzled expression.

But this short and vague conversation already made the boss understand something. After all, he was also in the business world; his brain couldn’t be made of rotten wood.

After getting out of the elevator, he was thinking about whether to ask the hotel staff if the suite on the 33rd floor was a long-term reserved room for the governor.

He hadn’t taken a step yet when the lobby suddenly became lively. In less than half a minute, it was packed with people.

They could only stand on the steps and look down…

“The governor is here.” Yu Tong was slightly stunned and said.

The boss was also stunned: “According to the schedule, he should arrive at two in the afternoon.”

“Yes, so why is he here early?”

“Yes, why indeed?” The boss was thoughtful.

The governor handed over the task of dealing with the scene to his secretary, took his bodyguards, and went straight to the 33rd floor by elevator, holding a small paper bag in his hand.

He touched the room card in his pocket and raised his hand to ring the bell, standing properly outside the door.

Pan Yinchuan was startled by the doorbell. He had just woken up and saw the room was empty.

He walked over and opened the door: “Didn’t bring the room card? Why didn’t you wake me up to go out together?” After saying this, he looked up and froze.

The governor smiled: “Mr. Pan, how have you been?”

Pan Yinchuan’s first reaction was to look behind him.

No one else was there; the bodyguards were all five meters away.

The governor pretended not to see his actions and continued to smile: “There’s a famous butterfly pastry in Jiu’an City that’s very good. I brought some over.”

As he spoke, he warmly handed it to Pan Yinchuan.

“And, I haven’t had a chance to properly thank Mr. Pan. The current success of Sheng’an State…”

The boss and Yu Tong came back upstairs just in time to hear this.

They looked at the bodyguards in shock, then at the governor, and then at Pan Yinchuan.

Pan Yinchuan felt a bit awkward and said in a low voice, “It has nothing to do with me.”

The governor knew someone had arrived, but without turning his head, he said, “Mr. Pan, please stay here for a few more days if it’s convenient. I’d like to treat you well.”

After saying that, he casually walked past the two people and left.

The boss took a few steps forward, opened his mouth to say something: “Xiao Pan, this…” but then got stuck.

Xiao Pan, Xiao Pan. Calling him this now seemed inappropriate.

But changing the way he addressed him seemed sycophantic.

The boss was awkwardly stuck there.

Yu Tong smoothly intervened: “The restaurant downstairs was too crowded, so we brought you some breakfast. Have some first?”

Pan Yinchuan nodded, and the three of them turned back.

Even after breakfast, the boss didn’t dare to ask about the details.

Hearing what the governor said earlier, he didn’t even dare to imagine.

Pan Yinchuan just felt relieved. It was good they didn’t ask; lying was difficult.

He followed them to the event and stood at the booth for three hours. Yu Tong went around twice and brought back several visitors, but only two or three could be seriously discussed, and they were all small deals.

The boss was still optimistic, saying: “It’s okay, the key is networking. If more local businesses settle in, we’ll benefit from the positive cycle too.”

After saying this, he cautiously looked at Pan Yinchuan’s expression. Hmm, better not think too much about it.

They had been accompanying the event for most of the day and were about to rest.

“Hello, here’s my card.” A middle-aged man approached.

The boss took it and saw it was from a large corporation!

“Our group has a project, with a budget of around 500 million…” the man began.

The boss was stunned and quickly said: “We might not be able to handle a 500 million project.”

The man paused, surprised by his lack of greed, and then continued: “Well, you can subcontract it.”

This one sentence made the boss’s heart race; that was a different story.

“We can discuss the contract now. Our boss is over there… Mr. Pan, would you join us?” As he spoke, he shifted his focus to Pan Yinchuan.

The boss immediately had an epiphany. Of course, such a big opportunity wasn’t falling from the sky for no reason.

He felt a bit eager but didn’t want to rush Pan Yinchuan, so he turned to look at him expectantly.

The man immediately added: “Securing a big contract means expanding jobs, production lines, solving local employment, and boosting the local economy.”

Pan Yinchuan looked at him and asked, “Where is your boss?”

The man pointed to a private room on the second floor.

“Let’s go.”

Hearing these two words was like music to the man’s ears. He relaxed and led the way.

The private room door on the second floor opened, and Pan Yinchuan walked in with a frown. He almost said “Mr. Huai” but swallowed it back.

Because the person inside was an old man, not Huai Yu.

All the complex emotions were instantly buried again.

It seemed he had overthought.

However, the old man was also very enthusiastic towards Pan Yinchuan. He didn’t talk about contracts or project implementation, but only said things like: “The weather is nice today.”

“What did Mr. Pan have for breakfast?”

“I’m from Nata State. The seaside view in Nata State is very beautiful. Mr. Pan should visit if you have the chance.”

She was acting like she was having a casual chat.

After a round of casual conversation, the deal was signed.

As they turned and walked out, the boss still felt a sense of unreality.

But it wasn’t over yet.

A female Alpha approached them, greeting, “Mr. Pan, I heard you were interested in advanced care before. Here’s my card. Would you be willing to be a special consultant for us?”

Pan Yinchuan: ?

Wait a minute… does the advanced care industry really need special consultants?

Then, several other industry elites also came over to greet Pan Yinchuan.

Those with projects or good positions either mentioned cooperation or invited Pan Yinchuan to work with them.

Those with nothing in hand still came up to chat. Just like the old man earlier, they talked about the weather, food, local customs, and introduced themselves without prying into Pan Yinchuan’s background or privacy, showing an unusual level of propriety.

As a result, Pan Yinchuan couldn’t find them annoying, only thoughtful.

To be honest, this was the day he had received the most goodwill in his life.

“Boxi Technology, Mingde Group, Xinzhi Industry… every major company at this event with any influence has greeted us.” Yu Tong counted, his expression hard to hide his surprise.

The boss also looked around, meeting countless shocked and curious glances from smaller companies, muttering, “Yes…”

During mealtime, those major companies even specifically invited them to sit together, making it even more conspicuous.

…With such a big commotion, isn’t Mr. Huai worried that Pan Yinchuan might use his name for personal gain? No, he is still holding back.

For instance, Mr. Huai hasn’t shown up personally.

Even though he chased Pan Yinchuan all the way to Sheng’an State, he still held back. Pan Yinchuan pursed his lips, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

So, this is what’s annoying about Alphas.

“Here comes the food,” the boss said quietly, glancing at Pan Yinchuan.

Sitting among so many “big shots,” Pan Yinchuan seemed composed.

But the boss was feeling a bit flustered… he looked awkwardly at the table, which had many unfamiliar dishes, probably local specialties from other states, and a variety of utensils he couldn’t match up.

Pan Yinchuan noticed his unease and reached out to move the condiment dish, saying, “This goes better with cumin, this is green eggplant sauce, better with this meat.”

He then picked up a small bowl: “This is sour soup, adding a bit makes it fresher and more appetizing.”

The dishes on the table indeed came from various states.

Many people might not step out of their home state in their lifetime, and rarely taste specialties from other states.

But at this moment, Pan Yinchuan seemed to be very familiar with them, as if he had eaten them many times before.

The boss sighed softly: “Xiao Pan knows more than I do. Even when talking with those bosses today, you could talk about anything. I still remember when we were giving gifts to a partner before, it was you who reminded me that what I bought was a fake.”

That feeling came again.

Pan Yinchuan paused.

It seemed that no matter how time passed, some things Mr. Huai left on him had been deeply imprinted.

While they were toasting each other over here, Huai Yu was sitting in his car, a hint of impatience and gloom gradually showing on his face.

“Are we still waiting?” Assistant Zhang asked, “Mr. Pan can really hold back, hasn’t even made a single call to ask anything.”

Huai Yu spat out a word: “Wait.”

Assistant Zhang glanced at his expression, noticing the Alpha’s temples throbbing violently due to the unfulfilled desire.

“I need him to know, I’m not like those annoying clingers, Jian Yan and Lin Shaoyan.”

As soon as Huai Yu finished speaking, his phone rang.

Assistant Zhang instinctively looked down at the phone on the small table, the screen flashing—Pan Yinchuan.

“Mr. Pan is calling!” Assistant Zhang uncharacteristically showed a bit of excitement.

Huai Yu reached out and picked it up, his fingers gripping the phone tightly.

His Adam’s apple bobbed gently.

It seemed that in those few seconds, due to Pan Yinchuan’s initiative to call, the Alpha had already undressed and devoured him countless times in his mind.

“Hello.”

“…Hello.” Pan Yinchuan let out a soft breath. He had drunk two glasses at the banquet, low in alcohol, but enough to keep his mind clear, though his vision was dizzy, as if his soul had detached from his body.

“Mr. Huai, will there be so many people coming to greet me, offering projects to my company, or extending olive branches to me tomorrow?” Pan Yinchuan asked.

The alcohol flowed in his blood, stimulating his nerves, making his tone and articulation subtly different.

“If you want, it can always be like this,” Huai Yu suppressed his tone, striving to respond calmly.

Huai Yu was trying his best to present a world full of beauty and without any danger to him.

A world that followed Pan Yinchuan’s will.

Pan Yinchuan let out a hot breath, saying, “I seriously thought about it. Even if I don’t listen to Mr. Huai’s voice, it seems useless. So now I’m asking Mr. Huai…”

“Why did you chase me here and do all this?”

Huai Yu’s throat tightened, forcing himself to speak more controlled: “To bring you back to my side, Pan Yinchuan.”

“In other words, you like me?” Pan Yinchuan asked immediately.

Assistant Zhang suddenly pushed open the car door and fell out.

…The Alpha’s pheromones couldn’t be suppressed anymore!

“Yes,” Huai Yu answered the Beta on the phone, but quickly regained his composure, asking, “Did you drink?”

Pan Yinchuan’s gaze was somewhat wandering as he watched the cars and people passing by outside the glass window: “Yes, a little… not much. I’m very clear-headed.”

“Yes, you are very clear-headed,” Huai Yu complied obediently, hearing his own heartbeat growing stronger with each beat.

What will Pan Yinchuan say next? Could he be willing to accept this?

Even though reason told him it was unlikely, a sweet thought still uncontrollably emerged in Huai Yu’s mind.

Love makes people jealous and confused.

He calmly thought this, but at the same time, let his thoughts grow unchecked.

“Like… is it love?” Pan Yinchuan’s voice came again, “How much? Do you like me very much? Do you have to be with me?”

Is it love?

Is it love?

The question rolled through Huai Yu’s burning chest repeatedly.

“I think it is… at least, only you can make me like to this extent,” Huai Yu still chose a rational response.

Pan Yinchuan, feeling a bit dizzy standing up, squatted under the table and continued asking him, “I still don’t know to what extent. Is it to the extent that if I reject you many times, you won’t get angry?”

Huai Yu… couldn’t answer.

“Mr. Huai, you’re not speaking, so you don’t really like me…”

Huai Yu’s veins throbbed, and he interrupted, “Yes, I won’t get angry.”

“I’ve never been in a relationship, but I know books say that love wants the other person to be well, and love breeds tolerance…” Pan Yinchuan’s voice was a bit unsteady, but it also sounded somewhat coquettish.

To the extent that Huai Yu could only soften his voice even more: “…Yes.”

“So you are the same, Mr. Huai?”

“…Yes.”

Pan Yinchuan let out a breath, “Okay, then I’ll go and find someone to date tomorrow.”

Huai Yu noticed something wrong with this sentence. He gripped the phone even tighter, his voice almost squeezed out from his throat: “…With whom?”

“I don’t know, I’ll go out and pick one, hmm, pick a male Beta? You can’t get angry, otherwise, you’re lying, and you don’t really like me.”

Huai Yu: “…”

Pan Yinchuan was about to fall silent: “I’m a bit… sleepy, bye.”

He said this, suddenly stood up, and hit his head on the table, making him cry out in pain.

“Pan Yinchuan?!” Huai Yu’s face changed, filled with violent thoughts, but he had to ask: “What happened?”

But the call had already ended.

With a cracking sound.

The phone was crushed into pieces.