As her intern prepared and served tea, Lillian calmly did the work while chatting with Mr. Zhao to ensure he was not bored while waiting. Her interns were too nervous to entertain him because he had an imposing aura even when he smiled. And when he used a black card to pay, her interns got even more terrified of making a mistake.
"You had a different hairstyle back then. Black hair and a different haircut, so I didn't recognize you. You look like another person with blond hair," Lillian finally realized why she did not recognize him.
"Oh, does it make that much of a difference?" Leo was surprised and ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes. You look more relaxed and approachable with blond hair. My interns were terrified to speak with you back then, so I did all the talking. Haha," Lillian chuckled as she recalled her interns thanking her profusely after he left.
"Oh, you prefer this? Perhaps, I should keep this hairstyle then," Leo smirked. "You do recall I returned the next day, with a bouquet of roses, right?"
Lillian blushed when she recalled he did. Her former interns and employees still tease her about it from time to time.
Leo, whom Lillian still only knew as Mr. Zhao back then, returned the next day and asked for a first-class hotel for himself and his companions.
Lillian thought he was about to go on a date, so he had a huge bouquet with him and some expensive sweets. But before leaving, he handed her the flowers and the sweets and asked her if she could join him for lunch or dinner when she was free. She thought his date must have changed her mind and cancelled.
With no interest in dating, exhausted by the long week, and sleep-deprived back then, Lillian did not realize what was going on. She was simply surprised to be invited to a meal and said she had a lot of work to do, so she politely declined and said she was busy.
After the rejection, Mr. Zhao asked for her number, and still not realizing what was going on, Lillian simply gave him her business card instead of giving him her personal number.
Lillian failed to notice that Mr. Zhao was wide-eyed for a second, but still thanked her and smiled politely before leaving. He never came back again, nor did he call her office number.
After checking from the windows that Mr. Zhao had left the building, Lillian's interns and employees who just returned while she was finalizing the booking and witnessed it, told her that Mr. Zhao had just tried to hit on her.
Lillian was wide-eyed in surprise when she realized they were right. Her interns and employees teased her a lot about it, and Denise, who visited in the afternoon, was furious when she learned Lillian had rejected a possible date with a seemingly outstanding man.
After a good scolding from Denise, Lillian realized Mr. Zhao was exactly her type, and she regretted not accepting the date or giving her personal number. She hoped he would return, but he never did.
But with all the work she was doing and her sleep-deprived nights, Lillian forgot about him and only recalled when she was teased about it.
Further, she was not really looking for someone to date at the time. Dating was not on her mind, and she only realized he was her type when Denise pointed it out.
"I already liked you back then, so I tried to hit on you, but I was immediately shut down. Haha," Leo chuckled.
Lillian covered her face in embarrassment and did not dare say she did not realize he was hitting on her. But didn't they also just meet back then?
"You said you usually don't go in a hurry when it comes to relationships," Lillian called out.
"I don't. It wasn't the first time I met you. As I said, we already encountered each other a lot of times, but you never noticed me," Leo smirked, having fun talking about this.
"What do you mean?" Lillian was confused. She could not recall meeting him before that time in her office.
"You usually ate in the cafe on the first floor of the same building where your office was. I saw you there most of the time, I had my meals there," Leo clarified.
The cafe he was talking about was Lillian's cafe, so of course, she usually had her meals there to patronize it instead of somewhere else.
The building was owned by Denise's grandparents, and since Lillian was her close friend, the rent for her was cheaper as a special privilege. Thus, it was where she put up both her business ventures. Denise and her siblings also had their shops and offices in the same building.
Further, the hotel Lillian managed (her main job) was just two minutes away, so she went to her cafe for her meals if she did not get free meals from the hotel.
"I... I usually work while waiting for my food and leave immediately after, so I don't look around much," Lillian explained.
She did observe her employees and customers from time to time. But usually, she only does her work. She knew everyone in the building, so any problems with the food or services would be reported immediately; thus, her employees did not dare slack off or be sloppy.
Lillian usually minded her own business and didn't bother everyone else or try to talk to people while walking outside or eating. And when she's in her cafe, she always chooses one spot in the corner where she can focus on working on her other gigs while waiting for her meal.
"So when you stared at me yesterday, it was because you recognized me?" Lillian inquired. She recalled his intense gaze from the previous night. It had held her in place and made her unable to look away.
"Yes. I thought my eyes must be playing tricks on me, but you did not vanish even as I kept looking. After your rejection last time, I realized you were not interested in me or dating entirely, so I gave up. But I never forgot about you. I kept thinking about you when I wanted a girlfriend. And last night, our gaze finally met, and you were clearly looking for someone to be with. How could I possibly let the chance slip away when it finally came after more than a year? Just when I thought I should move on, you suddenly appear right in front of me. The opportunity came even when I didn't go and find you at your office, so I realized, this must be fate," Leo said, and kissed the back of her hand one more time.
Lillian blushed and thought about it. She wanted to pull away her hand but at the same time, didn't want to. She was becoming increasingly aware of the warmth of his hand.
What if this was indeed fate? Didn't she already let a chance to date him slip away more than a year ago? Didn't she regret it? Then, shouldn't she grab this chance now?
Would they meet like this, encounter each other several times, if they were not meant to have something between them?