As time ticked by, if she didn't make a move soon, she would miss her chance. Ding Jiaqi knew she had to find a way to ask Ye Tiancheng out.
When you're interested in a high-quality man, you have to make your move early, otherwise, he'll slip through your fingers.
Seizing an opportunity, Ye Tiancheng had come out to do some business. Ding Jiaqi's heart pounded in her chest, and her cheeks flushed. Seeing Ye Tiancheng's face sent a thrill through her.
She quickly tidied her appearance, checked her makeup, and then hurried towards the counter.
"Wow! That woman is coming over again, Brother, run!" Little Fox, loyal and always watchful of Ding Jiaqi's movements, quickly alerted Ye Tiancheng as soon as he saw her make a move.
Fatty arrived late, but Ding Jiaqi had been sitting in the shop for most of the day, so he was already aware of her presence.
Fatty quickly reacted and even blocked Ding Jiaqi's line of sight for Ye Tiancheng. "Brother Ye, hurry and run!"
Ye Tiancheng hadn't expected the woman to be so persistent, but then he remembered that Ding Jiaqi was the kind of woman who could "accidentally" run into him for days, and it didn't seem so surprising anymore.
Having been alerted, Ye Tiancheng turned to leave almost immediately. The main reason was that, for him, escape was the most effective method right now. Since Ding Jiaqi was a customer, as long as she didn't cross the line or explicitly break the unspoken understanding, Ye Tiancheng, being the passive party, couldn't proactively do anything.
If they were to confront each other, Ye Tiancheng making the first move would seem very impolite. They still had to run their business, and it wasn't advisable to have a strained relationship with a customer.
Unfortunately, as quick as Ye Tiancheng was, Ding Jiaqi had made up her mind to seize the opportunity to ask Ye Tiancheng out.
So, as fast as Ye Tiancheng was, Ding Jiaqi was faster. Seeing him turn to leave, she instantly quickened her pace, ran to the counter, and clearly called out to Ye Tiancheng, "Boss Ye!"
Ding Jiaqi's shout attracted quite a bit of attention. On one hand, many people's eyes were often on the two handsome men, the boss and his younger brother, as many customers came to the cafe specifically for Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox.
On the other hand, places like book cafes were usually very quiet, and customers were typically very considerate, not causing much commotion. So, someone suddenly shouting in the store was obviously very noticeable and clear, heard by almost everyone.
Moreover, the combination of the handsome boss of the book cafe being called out, and the caller being a gentle and beautiful young woman, coupled with Ding Jiaqi's expression and the emotion in her voice, suggested there was a story here.
Most people loved gossip and enjoyed a lively scene. Therefore, those who noticed the situation were almost all secretly observing its development, with no intention of looking away.
"Wow! Such a beautiful woman! The boss has such good fortune!"
"It's different when you're handsome. Look at all the female customers in the store; how many are here for the boss and his brother."
"Why doesn't such a high-quality beauty come to me? I think I'm pretty good too. The beauty is so lovely, it feels like love. If she's looking for me, I'm available!"
"If a beauty like this came to me, I, as the boss, would definitely not have the heart to refuse her!"
The above were the discussions among the male customers.
"Is that woman going after Boss Ye?"
"Good thing I prefer the boss's younger brother. But he's so popular; I don't know if I'll get a chance."
"I prefer mature men like Boss Ye. If I had known, I would have approached him myself. Now someone else got there first!"
The above were the discussions among the female customers.
At this point, Ye Tiancheng could no longer ignore Ding Jiaqi. In fact, being a cultivator, he could even hear the whispers of other customers in the store. He could only stop reluctantly and turn around.
If Ding Jiaqi was here to show her affection, he would simply refuse her. Ye Tiancheng was already thinking this in his mind.
Ding Jiaqi walked up to Ye Tiancheng under everyone's gaze. Ye Tiancheng looked at her and sighed slightly.
"Hello, is there anything the customer needs? Or is there any service in our store that you are not satisfied with? Please let me know, and we will rectify it immediately." He maintained a professional demeanor, his tone actually a bit cold.
Because Ye Tiancheng vaguely sensed that Ding Jiaqi wasn't just playing around this time; she might be serious.
Ding Jiaqi took a movie ticket out of her bag and held it in her hand. Hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, she quickly responded, "Oh, no, no. I don't need anything, and I'm not dissatisfied with anything."
Ye Tiancheng managed to force a polite smile and said to Ding Jiaqi, "Since there's nothing else, I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave for now. If you need to pay, please go over there."
As long as Ding Jiaqi didn't initiate a flirtatious conversation, Ye Tiancheng could only respond in a businesslike manner. As Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, Fatty also cooperatively walked to the cashier.
Ding Jiaqi waved her hands repeatedly and said, "It's not that. I have something personal."
Ye Tiancheng then became uncooperative. "Personal matters? I'm sorry, this is a book cafe, and we don't offer such services. For personal issues, it's best to consult with your friends and family for solutions."
Ding Jiaqi hadn't expected Ye Tiancheng to answer her like that. She asked somewhat unwillingly, "Boss Ye, it's like this, I have two movie tickets for tonight. I wanted to ask if you have time tonight?"
Ye Tiancheng sighed. After all, this was in public, and Ding Jiaqi was a woman. Her words had reached this point, and it was already embarrassing for her. If it escalated too much, how would Ding Jiaqi be able to stay in this city?
Ye Tiancheng didn't intend to go too far, nor did he want to say anything harsher. Yet, Ding Jiaqi remained so persistent.
He could only say with a cold face, "I'm sorry, I don't accept such gifts or invitations. Furthermore, I have plans tonight."
Ye Tiancheng was also secretly thinking, hoping Ding Jiaqi wouldn't press further. Otherwise, if she truly lost face, he couldn't be blamed.
Ding Jiaqi's face turned pale upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's answer, but she still stubbornly wanted an answer. "Why is Boss Ye unwilling to accept? Are you saying you have plans tonight because I asked you out, or do you genuinely have something planned?"
Ye Tiancheng frowned, thinking it would be better to make Ding Jiaqi give up. So, he said directly, "Both. I'm going on a date with my wife tonight, and I'm married, so I cannot accept any inappropriate invitations from anyone other than my wife."
Ding Jiaqi's eyes immediately turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I, I... you're lying to me!"
She was incredibly embarrassed and hadn't expected Ye Tiancheng to refuse her, let alone use the excuse of being married. She pointed at Ye Tiancheng's bare left hand. "You don't even have a wedding ring. It's one thing to refuse me, but why use the excuse of being married!"
Ye Tiancheng was speechless. Indeed, it would have been better to have a ring. This wasn't something to be indifferent about; it was very important.
For instance, at a time like this, someone would point at him and make unreasonable accusations, insisting he was lying.
Ye Tiancheng said, "Esteemed customer, not wearing a wedding ring doesn't mean one is unmarried. My wife and I are legally married. It's just that our wedding rings are still being custom-made, so we haven't had the wedding ceremony or the rings yet."
"I didn't expect this misunderstanding. It seems it's quite necessary to buy a pair of rings to prove myself. Don't worry, I'll definitely go buy them with my wife today and wear the rings tomorrow."
At this, Ding Jiaqi truly couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Big drops of tears fell from her eyes, tracing her pale face. She wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground, never expecting to be so humiliated, wishing she had never appeared.
Finally, Ding Jiaqi burst into tears and turned to run, but she suddenly felt her wrist tighten. Thinking Ye Tiancheng was trying to stop her, she turned around and saw that it was Fatty, another manager and official employee of the store, who had grabbed her wrist.
Ding Jiaqi's voice was choked with tears. "What are you holding me for? Let go! Otherwise, I'll call for help and accuse you of harassment!"
Fatty's eyes widened. He wanted to let go, but he thought of other things, so he didn't release her immediately. Instead, he said sternly to Ding Jiaqi, "Harassment? Esteemed customer, you're mistaken. I have a partner too, and although we're not married yet, I'm not single. There's no need for that! You can't slander me!"
Ding Jiaqi struggled with her wrist, feeling that Fatty wasn't using much force, but she still couldn't break free. So, she said indignantly to Fatty, "Then why don't you let go! After doing something like this yourself, what right do you have to say I'm slandering you!"
Fatty looked at her speechlessly and said, "No, esteemed customer."
"I just wanted to remind you that you can't leave yet. You ordered three coffees and two desserts in our store today, and you haven't paid yet! You're not planning to just leave, are you?"
"Even if you invited our boss to a movie and failed to pursue him, you can't dine and dash! With so many people who like our boss, can everyone use this excuse to eat and drink in the store and then leave without paying from now on?"
Ding Jiaqi was stunned. In her grief and confusion, her mind had gone blank, and she hadn't remembered this at all. It wasn't intentional, but after Fatty said that...
Ding Jiaqi could even faintly hear others in the store discussing her, even mocking her. They were snickering, laughing at her overestimation of herself and her attempt to dine and dash. She really hadn't meant to.
She was trembling all over. It was at this moment that Ding Jiaqi heard Ye Tiancheng's voice. "I think this customer might not have meant it. Fatty, you shouldn't have spoken so harshly. We're running a business; we need to maintain basic politeness. After she pays, apologize to her properly."
Ding Jiaqi's tears flowed like a broken string of pearls. A beautiful woman crying was still beautiful, judging only by appearance. Her tear-streaked face was pitiable. However, those who knew what happened today understood that Ding Jiaqi had been thoroughly humiliated.
She herself had never expected that her happy outing today would end like this. Who should she blame?
Blame the boss? The boss had no obligation to announce to everyone with a loudspeaker that he was married. He hadn't concealed his identity or actively flirted with anyone. So, ultimately, she had to blame herself.