“Following.” He gave a one-word answer like a petulant teen with bad social skills and then turned to Tian with a shrug to indicate he was told to do so. “They went home and stayed there.” He picked up the hot kettle and poured the water into two mugs, ignoring Tians’ unamused gaze.
Since finding out about the kid, Yuelin Liu, he knew that Kai wanted to start building a custody case and that using Qian to follow and gather evidence of Meilei’s parenting was part of his plan. He didn’t agree with it, but Kai wasn’t listening to reason in this. Thanks to random meetings with his child twice, he was convinced that his possible daughter was being left to raise herself.
Kai was all caught up in his head, feelings, and skewed view of the situation. His motives came from the right place, but Tian knew they were also heavily influenced by his ingrained pain.
“Noted, Sir.” Qian jested with a small cheeky smile to himself, mock saluting Tian teasingly, knowing that no matter what Tian said, Kai was still his boss and his older cousin, and he would do what he needed without question. He was family. Yulein had been family.
Qian didn’t judge but had his reasons for following Kai’s every order. He had skills, and he liked to use them, and this was a much better fit for him than his years spent in security before Kai pulled him up to join them. If they helped avenge his cousin, he would do anything to help.
Qian brought Tian’s hot beverage to him and slumped on the edge of the seat facing Tian’s desk to cradle his own. A soft rap on the door, and then its clicking open, silenced the two men. Knowing this conversation should cease, Tian sat up with a smile as Anna popped her head around the door.
“I am.” He joked, getting a bat on the head with her wad of papers, and she poked him in the side of the face, pointer finger to dimple.
Qian was an eternal cutie that Anna found adorable most of the time. He wasn’t as tall as Kai and Tian, and his idol looks and longer bangs gave him a delicate beauty that girls found irresistible. He was a compact little package of hotness. She always imagined he would have been swept up by a casting agency when they were younger, given his good bone structure and perfect physique. She could have seen him breaking hearts as a singer or an actor. Especially with his melting cheeky smile, which he used to get out of trouble often.
“Why, I ain’t your boyfriend?” Knowing another threat of slapping was imminent, he ducked again and rolled out of his seat to dodge her fully. Reverting to childlike behavior when comfy within the office walls.
“Don’t you know that’s a proven tactic for picking up women?” He winked at her. Their obvious affection made Tian eyeroll and cringed a little. He had been at that event and scolded the rascal for walking around and sticking lollies in pretty girls’ mouths. Qian was a ladies’ man from a young age, much like his older cousin.
“Less what?” She asked in mock fury, her face dropping to seriousness, pretending to be insulted.
“Hey!!!.. We are not even that far apart in age, you little monster.” Anna leaned over to swipe her files at him again, giggling at the bare-faced boldness of this wretch, and he hopped away, waving at her and keeping out of reach.
Tian tapped on the desk to break up the immature sibling squabble, having enough of their antics, and raised a brow, motioning to Anna’s hand. Attempting to bring maturity and peace back to his office. Anna glanced down, seeing the reprimand, and straightened her posture and suit before obliging.
Back to business, and here Tian was her superior.
Anna leaned in, sliding them to him, and motioned to the one on top.
“Good… I think it can potentially be OTS’s star product this term. I plan on launching it as our first major campaign.” Despite Kai disliking it because of Meilei’s connection, Tian was the opposite. He saw it for what it was and had no intention of letting Kai harm it. He didn’t have the hang-ups over Meilei, so he could separate the business and money side, and Inhale would bring them in much-needed profits. They had to recoup the vast sum they spent acquiring OTS, and Inhale, in his mind, was the app to kickstart that.
Qian checked his cell, then stood up abruptly, placing his mug on the desk, and motioned to Tian with a nod.
Anna watched Qian leave first and then sank into the chair near Tian’s desk he vacated, observing Tian flip through the report pages and studied his concentration.
His brows knitted as he read, lips straight and relaxed, features calm and smooth. Tian was a handsome man with a steady aura. Indulgent of his friends, although he was rarely part of the mayhem. He never lost his temper or got overly dramatic, and sometimes Anna wished he had been the one she had fallen for in college.
Tian wasn’t a heartbreaker who slept around, spent nights in clubs, or did wild things for an adrenalin rush. He was stable, mature, intelligent, straightforward and loyal. Sadly, Anna saw only a friend, and there was no spark or chemistry between them in either direction. Her heart was too marooned to someone else, and Tian was disinterested in anything but his job. He had no desire to get entangled in messy relationships or complicate his orderly life.
The question dropped between them like a silent bomb, and Tian froze, dreading this moment. He knew she would come to him at some point because she would never get an answer from Kai, and Anna wasn’t stupid. She had observed them together enough times. He had known she would gather her courage first, and here she was.