In the corner of a coffee shop, two people were sitting across each other. One could hear the sound of music playing quietly in the background. A slice of shortcake was placed in front of Miss Ying Yue He and it was paired with a cup of dark coffee. The aroma of the brewed coffee filled the air. There was a small smile that formed on her face as she pulled out her phone—until she stopped and looked at him.
Yang Li raised a brow at her, "Is something the matter?" He had ordered iced coffee with vanilla and a slice of carrot cake but he was waiting for her to take the first bite or sip of the food. In the end, it was him who invited her.
She coughed and placed down her phone on the table, "Ah, it's nothing to worry about, Mister Li. Thank you for inviting me for coffee."
"You don't have to call me that, just Yang is fine." He gave her a small nod and waited once again. "And no worries, I was the one who asked you out.."
His secretary made a small sound similar to a squeak as she picked up her fork, she managed to smile a little. "I've grown completely comfortable with calling you, Mister Li."
"I see, if that's what you wish, Miss He." He nodded and briefly glanced to his left.
The Panda didn't need to be here right now but the creature was resting against the glass window. The small round of ball fur had raised hell on him for losing charm points, it spoke up once more. "Damn awkward silences, fill it in!"
[ You Have Lost 10 Charisma Points ]
That was a shame but if one debited and credited it—he was still on the plus side of things. There were always some risks when forming new relationships so this much was fine for him. Although he could understand why it was a bit annoying to have all the notifications coming in and reporting every single detail.
When he glanced back at Ying Yue He, she had finally stabbed some parts of her cake—but particularly, she ate the strawberry first. The moist fruit bitten off as she then happily chewed.
He studied her for a moment, the expression of joy and relish as she took in the first bite of the juicy fruit. And he blinked as he realized that there was indeed something sensual in watching another person eat something like a strawberry although it was probably unintentional on her part. Yang Li sliced his carrot cake and finally ate as well, glad that this was something that made the silence in between them tolerable.
Date. The. Secretary.
The CEO drank some of his ice coffee while he thought of something to say. He wished he could talk about work but that wasn't appropriate in this setting and so he considered it—until he saw that the drink given to him had more ice. Once again another tactic to save resources. "Ice…"
"Ah, what is it, Mister Li?" His secretary paused from her cake.
Yang Li placed his drink down and smiled lightly, "Let's do ice breakers."
"O-Oh sure! That sounds like fun."
"She's being sarcastic for sure." The Panda muttered aloud.
Yang Li ignored the creature and thought of a suitable question. "Hmm… what do you like to do when you're free on the weekend?" He didn't want to use the System as any indicator but the reception was neutral and even positive to him based on her tone.
"Ah, I relax and catch up on sleep." Ying Yue He answered with a sheepish smile.
"What do you mean by relax?"
"Um, I do fun things like watching Netflix or reading an ebook."
"What kind of genres do you enjoy?"
"Romance and Thrillers."
"Why those in particular?"
"Well I like them… hah, Mister Li." She scratched her cheek and grinned, "Doesn't this feel like an impromptu interview? Can I ask you a question too?"
Yang Li realized that he did get into the 'interview-mode' and nodded, "Ask away."
"You're pretty damn lucky she's nice." The Panda walked towards the strawberry shortcake and stole a strawberry. The creature began to gorge on it and even if it wasn't Ying Yue He was eating it—it was a little amusing.
"Mister Li, would you consider yourself a dog or a cat person?" His secretary asked with a small grin on her face.
Yang Li rubbed his chin, "Neither."
[ You Have Lost 5 Charisma Points ]
His secretary's tone dropped, "Oh? Are you not a fan of animals, Mister Li?"
"Well, it's not like that. I'm just not either of them—" He hadn't been actually allowed to have a pet when he was younger so he couldn't be accurate if he chose one. But as his gaze flitted to the creature still eating the strawberry, he smiled. "You can think of me as a panda person instead."
The Panda creature spat out the strawberry. "This isn't even my real form!"
[ You Have Gained 10 Charisma Points ]
"Pandas are so cute! I didn't know you like them, Mister Li." Her expression lightened up as she sliced and ate her cake. "Or do you like them just because they're the national animal?"
He shook his head, "It's actually a recent thing for me."
"Is that so? I know a great zoo and um—"
"Hmm? Do you want to go there together, Miss He?" He smiled a little. Whenever he wanted something, it seemed like it didn't matter where they were—she was quick to suggest and offer solutions.
[ You Have Gained 15 Charisma Points ]
"I mean you love pandas!" Ying Yue He coughed and ignored the heat of her cheeks. "So I thought it might help you cultivate your love more for them but you don't have to do it with me, Mister Li." Why had she even mentioned it? But he had asked her if she wanted to go with him together? Was this a second 'date'?
"I think it'll be more enjoyable if you were there."
She had assumed that CEO Yang Li was a cool and aloof man—but how was it possible that his words were able to strike a chord with her?
= = =
The Panda leaned back again by the window and shook its head. Somehow the conversation was working? What world was it in now? It couldn't believe it—a sudden tap intruded the creature's thoughts.
Tap.
Tap.
"Mom! I want this cute teddy bear!"
When the Panda glanced outside, there was a small girl pointing at it and trying to tug their mother to pay attention to it. "Something's wrong with this world, I swear."
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