The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

Just after seven o'clock, sparse golden morning light leaked through the gap in the curtains, and Meng Jiangyu slowly opened his eyes.

He quietly washed up, changed into his suit, and leaned down to place a light kiss on Shen Qingyao's forehead as she slept peacefully.

He left a sticky note: "Honey, I'm going to a meeting in Lujiazui. I'll be with you later."

As the clock struck ten, Shen Qingyao slowly opened her eyes and saw the sticky note on the table.

Outside the window, the sky was blue and the clouds were white. She reached for her phone beside her pillow and tapped it to send Meng Jiangyu a message: 【I'm awake!】

At that moment, the project presentation was at a crucial stage in the conference room when Meng Jiangyu's phone, which was on the table, vibrated.

He glanced at the name on the screen and replied: "I probably won't finish here until tonight. What are you planning to do today?"

Shen Qingyao curled up in the blanket. Summer vacation was the peak tourist season, and places like the Bund and Yu Garden would definitely be packed with people.

It's crowded and hot outside, I'm too lazy to go out, I'll just watch TV in the hotel!

She didn't like crowds anyway, so she simply stayed in the hotel watching TV shows and ordering some Shanghai specialties.

Okay! Then wait for me at the hotel. I'll go back tonight and take the cruise with you!

I've arranged for someone to buy some Shanghai specialty snacks; you can just wait and eat at the hotel!

Okay, Daddy, work hard!

[My dear daughter, remember to listen to Daddy!]

Of course!

Shen Qingyao slowly washed up and then went to the living room to choose a show. The hotel receptionist called to say that someone had delivered something upstairs.

When Shen Qingyao opened the door, she saw the housekeeper pushing a cart filled with food.

Steaming hot crab roe xiaolongbao, distinct layers of flaky pastry in fresh meat mooncakes, chewy double-stuffed glutinous rice balls, sweet crabapple cakes, and even mung bean soup are served.

She had the food placed on the coffee table, took a picture of herself with the food, and sent it to Meng Jiangyu, saying, "Thanks for the food, Daddy, it looks delicious."

Meng Jiangyu saw the photo during a break in the middle of the meeting.

He traced the smile on the screen with his fingertips, his lips pressed together, yet a gentle smile still escaped his lips.

My fingers flew across the keyboard as I typed: "It's quite delicious." I added at the end, "Don't drink it too cold; drink only a few sips of the mung bean soup."

After sending the message, he locked his phone, put it back in his pocket, and reverted to being the decisive investor with a sharp look in his eyes.

Shen Qingyao nestled back on the sofa with her phone in her arms, and couldn't help but smile as she looked at the instruction.

The air conditioning was a bit chilly, so Shen Qingyao wrapped herself in a blanket and curled up on the sofa, turning on a recently premiered idol drama.

The sunlight outside the window slowly shifted its position, slipping in through the gaps in the curtains and casting dappled patterns of light on the carpet.

The dialogue in the film was gentle and mild, and as Shen Qingyao watched it, she gradually found it boring.

It's a rare treat to come to Shanghai, and the sunshine outside is just right, but I'm stuck in my hotel room killing time.

I remembered reading in a travel guide that this hotel's executive lounge has several well-regarded specialty cocktails.

She simply threw off the blanket, got up, changed into a simple dress, and went downstairs.

The executive lounge wasn't crowded, and the bar area was still empty. As soon as Shen Qingyao sat down, a gentle voice came from behind the bar: "What would you like to drink, ma'am? Everything on the drink menu is available, and we can also make you a custom-made cocktail."

She looked up and saw a bartender in his early twenties, with clean features, efficient movements, and an air of professionalism about him.

Shen Qingyao smiled and named a less common gin base spirit, casually mentioning that she wanted some mint and lime for a refreshing taste, preferably with a hint of fruitiness.

The bartender's eyes lit up; he had clearly encountered a discerning customer. He immediately replied, "Your choice of flavor is excellent. The juniper berry notes of gin paired with mint and lime are a perfect summer combination. However, if you want to add fruit flavor, white peach puree is better than fresh orange. It won't overpower the other flavors and will add a touch of sweetness to the finish."

As he spoke, he busied himself with his hands and feet, spinning the shaker in his palm in a beautiful circle, the crisp sound of the ice cubes colliding ringing out clear and pleasant.

The two naturally began chatting, from the origin of the base spirit to the difference between shaking and stirring, and then to the impact of different syrups on the taste of the spirit.

Shen Qingyao listened attentively. Bartender Ryan had been involved in bartending since he was a teenager, and now he had been doing it for ten years, so he was very knowledgeable about bartending.

The amber-colored liquor was slowly poured into an ice glass, garnished with a mint leaf and half a peeled white peach.

Shen Qingyao took a sip, and the aroma of fruit and wine mingled and spread, refreshing and not cloying, just what she wanted.

"I haven't named this special yet," Ryan said, wiping the bar with a perfectly measured smile. "Could you help me come up with a name?"

"Let's call it Summer Breeze!" Shen Qingyao lightly tapped the wood grain of the bar counter with her fingertips, pondered for a moment, then looked up with a faint smile curving at the corner of her eyes.

"Okay!" Ryan replied, his gaze falling on the girl in front of him.

She wore a well-tailored haute couture dress, yet her eyes and brows revealed a clear and innocent look, clearly that of a pampered young lady from a wealthy family.

The white jade around her neck was lustrous and of excellent quality, clearly very valuable.

Ryan started to have some thoughts of climbing the social ladder; if he married her, he could avoid working hard for twenty years.

"You seem so knowledgeable about bartending, are you a bartender too?" Ryan gently pushed the menu aside, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"It's just a hobby," Shen Qingyao said with a faint smile, her drinking motions unhurried.

"How about we show off our skills?"

Shen Qingyao's fingertips paused slightly, then she shook her head, her tone nonchalant: "No, my hand was injured and I'm still recovering."

The warm yellow light from the bar fell on her hand, and Ryan's gaze unconsciously drifted to the diamond bracelet on her wrist before quickly looking away.

Ryan's mind was intricate; girls like that are the easiest to fool.

Ryan took the opportunity to probe, "Next time you come, you'll see 'Summer Breeze' on the menu."

Shen Qingyao picked up the menu again, her fingertips casually tracing the fancy wine names: "I'm leaving in a few days, and I don't know when I'll be back in Shanghai."

"That's such a shame," Ryan said with a hint of regret.

He paused for a few seconds: "If you like this wine and want to drink it in the future, add me on WeChat. Next time you come to Shanghai, I'll mix it for you."

Shen Qingyao paused, her fingers holding the wine glass. A slight discomfort swept through her heart, and she felt that the suggestion was somewhat presumptuous.

She looked up, her smile still gentle, but with a hint of aloofness: "No, let's meet again sometime and have another drink made by you."

After saying that, she picked up her wine glass, turned around, and went to a seat by the window.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the bustling traffic of Shanghai is visible, and the shimmering waves of the Huangpu River are faintly discernible. Sunlight falls upon her, gilding her with a gentle golden edge.

She took a selfie in the light and sent it to Meng Jiangyu: "The sun is shining so brightly outside!"

Meng Jiangyu picked up his phone, zoomed in on the photo, and immediately saw the specialty cocktails on the table and the bartender looking at Shen Qingyao. "You went to the executive lounge?"

"Mmm, I heard their special cocktails are really good, so I thought I'd try them. And they really are!"

Meng Jiangyu's eyes darkened, and he sent a message to Jason, asking the hotel to arrange a cruise on the Huangpu River that evening.

"Honey, I've arranged a cruise for 7 PM. We'll have dinner on the cruise!"

"good!"