“Daddy,” a little girl tugged on her father’s shirt, her bright, innocent eyes wide with curiosity. “Why does that handsome big brother look so gloomy?”

  On a hot afternoon day, the central business district bustled with activity, filled with the sounds of car horns and people chatting. One such family had just stepped out of the maternity store when they noticed a suspicious man lurking nearby. The girl’s dad scrutinised Xavier for a moment before turning away. He casually gave an excuse. “Well… perhaps he isn’t having a good time here.”

  “Oh no. Should I give him my candy to make him happy?”

  “No, dear.” The girl’s dad shook his head. “Let’s leave him be. If he wants to be happy, his girlfriend or boyfriend can make him happy.”

  “Oh okay, Daddy.”

  After the dad and girl walked far away, Xavier’s frown barely faded. Despite being a distance away, they didn’t try to hide their conversation, which allowed him to hear everything.

  Xavier checked himself out a few times on his phone. Did he look so out of pce? After a while, he realised there was nothing different about his appearance. Disappointed, he kept his phone away, only to find a woman already standing beside him, staring at his every move.

  It was Jun.

  “About time you showed up…” Xavier said. When he saw Jun didn’t come alone, his embarrassment turned into genuine surprise. What was Liam’s mother doing here?

  Meanwhile, Jun’s face twitched as she tried to hold herself back from ughing. For a couple minutes, she has been observing the man’s deliberate efforts to look good. If she hadn’t overheard the conversation, she would have thought he was acting nervous about being a dad.

  Why a dad? That's because out of the pces he could have waited, Xavier chose to wait for her outside a maternity store, a pce where couples shop.

  Jun couldn’t fathom why he would pick that spot to wait, even though he knew the cafe was next door. After all, waiting inside the cafe would have spared him the embarrassment.

  But it didn’t matter. Wasting enough time, they should enter the cafe now.

  With a firm grip on the wheelchair, Jun pushed Lily into her cafe which she had opened just a week ago.

  As they stepped inside, Lily gasped, her weary face revealing a lovely smile. The cafe had a warm and inviting atmosphere, with simple but exquisite white, brown and green furniture and beautiful lily decorations on the wall. If one didn't realise where they were going, they would have thought they had stepped into a fairy garden.

  “Dear,” Lily whispered, “This pce is wonderful, I love it.”

  It went without a doubt that everything was arranged with Lily in mind, so Jun was pleased to hear such a compliment from her.

  “Thank you for your praise, Auntie.” Jun chuckled, her eyes twinkling with genuine happiness. One simple praise from Lily made her feel all her efforts were worth it. Then she moved Lily to the table that had a window next to it and pced her bag on the chair. Looking at Lily again, she said kindly, “Auntie, I’m going to get you a drink from the barista right now. If I happen to take longer than expected, here is a book for you to enjoy.”

  Jun retrieved a book with a hardcover from her bag and pced it in front of Lily. Once Lily became engrossed in her book, she walked away without acknowledging Xavier’s bewildered gaze.

  Eventually, Xavier settled into a seat across from Jun’s seat. His gaze followed her back, watching her every move. Though uncertain of her scheme, he couldn’t pass up the chance to settle his debt. And yet, all his anticipation amounted to nothing more than a rexing coffee break at a cafe.

  As he looked back at Lily, he couldn’t ignore her pale complexion and sunken cheeks, which almost made her appear unsettlingly delicate.

  Meanwhile, at the counter, Stephanie turned around after hearing a familiar voice calling her. “Boss, you’re finally here,” she said, her smile friendly and warm.

  Jun leaned against the counter, watching Stephanie and her staff scurrying about, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the air. She asked, “How are you? Are you able to keep up with the business over the past week?”

  Hearing that, Stephanie’s face couldn’t help but break into a strained smile, her unconfident eyes reflecting exhaustion. She set down the fsk, handing the order to another barista. Walking over to Jun, she honestly said, “Things are okay, but it would be better if you were here.”

  As Stephanie uttered those words, her shoulders involuntarily slumped. As someone who only worked in the food industry for a few years, handling the entire cafe as the manager was a fulfilling dream, but the weight of the responsibility was equally terrifying.

  Jun saw through her anxiety, but other than hiring more capable staff to assist her, there was nothing more she could do, or even advise. As much as Stephanie desperately needed her around, her work took up almost her entire schedule, leaving her with little time to spare for either Lily or herself. In fact, when she hired Stephanie, she had already pnned to give her full autonomy to run her cafe as long as it remained profitable. Not only to just establish a thriving cafe to continue fund Lily’s medical expenses even after she was gone but also to support organisations working to improve women’s health.

  And Stephanie was the only one whose ambition was in line with her goal.

  As such, Jun was willing to give Stephanie a chance, an opportunity for her to grow.

  “Stephanie, out of all the interviewees, I picked you because I believed in your ability and trusted your judgement, so stay confident. If you’re not the one to take my cafe to the next level, then who else will?”

  Jun’s reassuring words made Stephanie pause for a moment, her face bnk before a shallow but grateful smile appeared on her lips. Out of all the people she had met, Jun was still the only one who never doubted her, proving her unwavering trust in her.

  Just as a brush is vital for a painter to create a masterpiece, a song is essential for a singer to captivate the audience; Jun depended on her just as she relied on Jun.

  After Stephanie had calmed down, she gave a bright, confident smile. Since Jun had pced so much faith in her, she couldn’t possibly let her down. “Boss, what can I get for you? I’m ready.”

  Jun’s smile widened as she noticed Stephanie’s composure returned. “I leave it up to you.”

  When Jun received the cup of coffee, she carefully admired the frothy top of the coffee as she inhaled the rich, bitter scent. Impressed by the wonderful smell, she gave Stephanie a compliment, earning a grin in return.

  Jun returned to Lily’s side and gently set the coffee down in front of her, then for Xavier and herself. She sat down and looked at Lily. “Auntie, enjoy.”

  Lily stopped reading and took a sip. Her gaze was dull and distant, yet a tiny smile curved her lips, almost involuntarily. Instantly, Jun knew Lily liked it.

  Xavier stared at Jun, his eyes dark and unreadable as he carefully held the steaming cup of coffee. Ever since he investigated her background, he felt more and more compelled to understand her, intrigued by the contradictions in her character. One moment she would be aloof and arrogant, the next she would be warm and compassionate. Towards those she cared for, she was as comforting as the sun. Towards those she doesn’t, she wouldn’t offer a moment of her attention, as if they were air.

  Just like now.

  To Jun, he was nothing more than someone who owed her three favours.

  Nothing more, nothing less.

  While Jun was focused on tending to Lily, a hint of impatience appeared in Xavier’s eyes. Before coming here, he actually had set aside some work. He directly asked, “Miss Lee, let’s get to the point. Why did you call me here?”

  Without looking at him, Jun wiped Lily’s lips clean with a napkin. Her reply was casual. “Don’t be impatient, Mr Grey.”

  “Impatient?” Xavier’s frown deepened. “If I’m just here to watch you take care of someone, you could have done it without me, and I could have finished my work today.”

  “Does it matter?” Jun smirked, her condescending gaze finally on Xavier. “Don’t forget, Mr Grey. There’s no room for discussion if you want me to fulfil my part of the deal.”

  Xavier stayed silent. With a resentful expression, he looked outside the window, reluctantly coming to terms with her words.

  Jun chuckled, her answer vague. “Soon you’ll understand why I brought you here.”

  Xavier’s interest was piqued.

  After that, Jun ignored him, focusing all her attention on Lily. Acting like nothing had happened before, she read the book to Lily, who at first listened attentively. But as time passed, Lily grew more and more interested and wanted to read it by herself. So, she would give Lily her book and then take out a different one to read.

  As the two women sat for hours, lost in their books, it was clear to anyone that they found comfort in each other’s quiet presence.

  Meanwhile, Xavier, who had been ignored for a long time, savoured the unusual silence. He could hardly find it in himself to intrude on their peace. And unknowingly, he fell asleep.

  …

  When Xavier finally woke up, the first thing he saw was unexpectedly captivating.

  The evening streetlights cast a warm glow on Jun’s wavy brown hair and eyes, making her whole figure appear almost ethereal. For a fleeting second, he felt he couldn’t breathe. However, he snapped out of it when he saw Jun staring out the window, her expression distant and cold, as if an impenetrable wall stood between them.

  Why?

  Following her gaze, Xavier turned to look in the same direction and he couldn’t help but widened his eyes in surprise.

  —Across from them, Liam and Mei were hugging each other; the rain soaked through their clothes.

  “Ah,” Jun realised he had opened his eyes at some point, “You almost missed a good show.”

  At that moment, Xavier was certain that Jun was mad. He had expected she would make a fuss, but she calmly picked up her phone and called Liam. But Liam didn’t answer. After a few more attempts, she quietly pced her phone back on the table. Her smile was almost ironic.

  Xavier unconsciously pursed his lips. He abruptly looked away, focusing on the outside again. At some point, he saw Liam gently wiping away Mei’s tears with such tenderness that it felt out of pce. It was not what one would expect from a man with a fiancée.

  After Liam and Mei had disappeared from their sight, Jun caught Xavier staring bnkly at her. She let out a chuckle, a hint of ridicule within it.

  “What do you think of the spectacle, Mr Grey?” Jun rested her chin on her hand. “Do you think I should have rushed out and caused a scene? Or should I have confronted them, acting like a jealous fool?”

  Xavier couldn’t answer because Jun did neither of those. Instead, she was calm — so extraordinarily calm, even after seeing her fiancé being so intimate with someone else.

  “You know, some things are actually very simple.” Jun continued, “If you’re not interested in someone, why go through the trouble of wasting each other’s time instead of putting an end to it?”

  “Just like Liam, you might think there’s no harm in hanging out with an ex-girlfriend. But the heart… can be a very unpredictable thing. People can change over time, and so do their feelings. If I’m supposed to spend my whole life with him, why wasn’t I even offered an expnation?”

  Jun held up the phone to Xavier, showing three missed calls on the screen. “For the sake of someone else, he neglected his partner. So why should I bother continuing this farce?”

  “But I continued, hoping to get a reply. All because I love him. Time and again, he treated me like a fool, and you just stood by and watched it happen.” Jun’s lips curled into a cruel smile, revealing a glint of malice in her eyes. “Honestly, I know it’s none of your business, but I had hoped you, as his closest friend and business partner, would at least intervene or inform me about it instead of keeping me in the dark.”

  “Do you know, your words might have saved someone’s life?”

  Jun wrapped the scarf snugly around Lily, who was asleep, before getting up. She looked directly at Xavier. “In fact, I came up with the ‘three favours’ just to get on your nerves. Since you now know the truth between them, there’s no need to involve you further. Consider your task finished.”

  “From now on, I will keep pretending to be ignorant of Liam’s changes and I won’t hurt her. Don’t you worry about it.”

  Jun smiled — one that was so gentle as if she was hiding a heartbreaking pain.

  In the end, after a long silence, Xavier could only say, “This was your pn, wasn’t it?”

  But no one could hear his words because Jun and Lily had already left.

  Xavier knew that Jun’s actions were deliberate, meant to shift his perception of her, yet he couldn’t criticise her.

  Xavier looked down at the cup of coffee in his hands, the brown liquid now cold. The once warm and comforting coffee had turned tasteless, like the emptiness that had spread through his cunning heart. Just as she pointed out, as a friend, he couldn’t meddle in her retionship, but he could have at least warned her.

  Standing by and doing nothing made him equally guilty.

  After all, as Liam’s partner, Jun had the right to know Liam better than anyone else. On what basis did he think he should conceal it?

  As Xavier walked back to his car, the scene of her mocking ughter lingered in his mind.

  Every word Jun said carried a sense of familiarity, leading him to realise that this was not something new to her. Perhaps she knew all along, but was deceiving herself.

  Xavier sat in his car, his grip tightening on the steering wheel as he watched the cars passing by in the rearview mirror.

  The troublesome favour was done, ending just as it had begun.

  But he didn’t feel the relief he needed.