Li Hao woke up the next morning feeling drained and hollow. Sleep had offered no peace — only flashes of the night before and memories he couldn't escape, no matter how much time passed.
Still lying on the bed, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Mum is dead, and he wouldn't care about me anyway," he muttered under his breath as the phone rang.
"Hello, Mr. Li," came the familiar voice of the agent.
"I accept the offer," Li Hao said flatly, skipping the usual greeting.
"All right then. Bring your CV and other necessary documents. I'll see you in my office," the agent replied before the call ended.
Li Hao didn't waste a minute. He took a quick shower, dressed neatly, and rushed out of his room.
Yuhan, sitting in the living room watching TV, straightened up when he saw him.
"Li Hao, how are—"
But before he could finish, Li Hao had already brushed past him and disappeared out the door.
"…you now," Yuhan muttered to himself, frowning in confusion. He shrugged his finger as he rested back, " he'll be fine," he muttered.
"Mr. Li, I'm glad you made it," the agent said as he stood to greet him with a firm handshake.
"I just got off the phone with the owner," the agent continued. "He's available for the interview now. Let's hurry — he's very particular about punctuality."
They left the office together and boarded a cab. Li Hao could barely sit still — chewing his nails, tapping his foot, rubbing his palms together. His mind wouldn't stop racing.
"Hello?" the agent said suddenly, answering a call.
"What? The chairman won't be there?" he said, his tone surprised.
Li Hao turned toward him immediately, eyes wide.
"Okay… okay, I understand," the agent said before hanging up.
"The venue's been changed," he told Li Hao, giving the driver a new destination.
After a short drive, they arrived at a quiet coffee shop. They found a table and waited. Li Hao looked around anxiously, half expecting a stern, elderly man in a suit to walk through the door.
But instead, as he lifted his cup to take a sip, a tall figure appeared before them, casting a shadow over their table.
Li Hao froze. The cup trembled in his hand, as if the person face brought back memories. He had seen this person before, yesterday night to be precise but he couldn't place it.
The man reached out to shake hands with the agent, then turned to Li Hao with a faint smile.
For a moment, neither of them spoke — li hao remembering everything that happened the night before thanks to the man in front of him.
"The chairman sent me here," the man said calmly to the agent.
Li Hao's breath caught in his throat. His eyes flickered to the man's face.
As he sat, a person face kept flashing in his mind but he fought to suppress it.
Li Hao swallowed hard and forced himself to sit upright, pretending nothing was wrong. He discarded the thought in his head and straightened his posture.
He was here for the job. Nothing else mattered.