I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

On a spring afternoon, sunlight filtered through the slits in the curtains, casting dappled shadows onto the desks at the newspaper office. Zhang Wanqing sat at her computer, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard, her brow furrowed slightly, as if she were lost in thought. Her desk was cluttered with documents and materials, appearing somewhat disorganized.

"Wanqing, let's go have hotpot at noon today. It's my treat!" Fu Siyuan leaned over from the seat next to him with his signature smile on his face.

Zhang Wanqing raised her head and smiled slightly: "No, I have something to do at noon today."

Fu Siyuan was a little disappointed, but nodded: "Okay, go and do your own thing."

Zhang Wanqing lowered her head again and continued typing away. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere. She recalled her confession to Fu Siyuan, a month ago. At the time, she had mustered up the courage to confess her feelings to him, but he hadn't responded. Since then, she'd been consumed by internal conflict, constantly waiting for his response.

"Ding-dong-"

A crisp doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. Zhang Wanqing looked up and saw a young man in white standing at the door, holding an exquisite box. His smile was warm and bright, like a ray of sunshine shining into the office.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Zhang Wanqing?" The young man's voice was gentle and polite.

Zhang Wanqing nodded with some confusion: "It's me, may I ask who you are?"

"I'm Xu Haotian, the owner of a newly opened dessert shop. I came here specially to deliver dessert to you today." Xu Haotian handed over the box with a shy smile on his face.

Zhang Wanqing took the box and opened it. Inside was a box of exquisite macarons, colorful and tempting. She was a little surprised: "How do you know my name?"

Xu Haotian smiled slightly: "I run a shop nearby, and I often see you coming to the newspaper office. You look very busy, so I wanted to give you some dessert, I hope you like it."

A warm feeling welled up in Zhang Wanqing's heart. She raised her head, looked into Xu Haotian's clear eyes, and nodded: "Thank you, I like it very much. I will transfer the money to you."

"No need, you are a big reporter, just write a report about my dessert shop and promote it for me." As he said that, Xu Haotian took out his mobile phone, scanned Zhang Wanqing's WeChat QR code, and added her as a friend.

After saying that, he turned and left the office. Zhang Wanqing looked at his back, feeling strangely moved. She picked up a macaron and took a bite. The sweet taste melted on her tongue, as if dispelling some of the haze in her heart.

From that day on, Xu Haotian sent desserts to Zhang Wanqing almost every day. His dessert shop was near the newspaper office, and he would always use his lunch break to personally deliver desserts to Zhang Wanqing's office. His smile was always so warm, and his desserts were always so delicious. Zhang Wanqing gradually got used to Xu Haotian's presence, and she found that his presence added a lot of sweetness to her life.

Every time Zhang Wanqing tried to transfer money to Xu Haotian, he refused. Feeling a bit guilty about it, she started promoting his dessert shop on WeChat Moments. As for the report, it definitely couldn't be published directly in the newspaper, as that would become advertising. Zhang Wanqing would wait for the right opportunity before writing the article for Xu Haotian.

"Wanqing, let's go have lunch together at noon today." Fu Siyuan's voice sounded again.

Zhang Wanqing looked up and saw Fu Siyuan's face filled with anticipation. She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I have an appointment at noon today."

Fu Siyuan felt a little disappointed, but nodded: "Okay, go and do your own thing."

Zhang Wanqing felt a little guilty, but she still stood up and walked out of the office. She waited downstairs for a while, and Xu Haotian soon appeared. He was holding a big cake in his hand and had a bright smile on his face.

"Wanqing, I specially prepared this cake for you - tiramisu." Xu Haotian handed the cake to her, his eyes full of anticipation.

Zhang Wanqing felt warm in her heart. She took the cake and smiled slightly: "Thank you, Haotian."

Xu Haotian took her to a small restaurant nearby, which was decorated very warmly. He ordered a cup of fragrant coffee for her, and the two of them sat by the window, enjoying the afternoon sun.

"Wanqing, you look very tired. You should relax more after work." Xu Haotian said softly, his eyes full of concern.

Zhang Wanqing nodded: "I know, but it's really hard to let go of work."

Xu Haotian smiled slightly: "I can understand, but you have to take care of yourself too. If you need it, I can help you share some of the burden."

Zhang Wanqing's heart moved. She looked at Xu Haotian's gentle eyes, and an inexplicable emotion surged in her heart. She knew that Xu Haotian was very good to her, and his presence brought a lot of warmth to her life.

However, at this moment, Fu Siyuan suddenly appeared at the door of the restaurant. There was a hint of surprise on his face, and when he saw Zhang Wanqing and Xu Haotian sitting together, a hint of complicated emotions flashed in his eyes.

"Wanqing, why are you here?" There was a hint of doubt in Fu Siyuan's voice.

Zhang Wanqing felt a little embarrassed. She stood up and said softly, "Siyuan, this is Xu Haotian. He's the owner of the newly opened dessert shop near the newspaper office."

Fu Siyuan's gaze fell on Xu Haotian, with a look of scrutiny in his eyes: "Hello, I'm Fu Siyuan, Wanqing's colleague."

Xu Haotian stood up and smiled slightly: "Hello, Mr. Fu. I'm Xu Haotian, nice to meet you. We've actually met before, at your newspaper office. I saw you when I went to deliver a cake to Wanqing."

The two shook hands, but Fu Siyuan had an unnatural smile on his face. He could feel Xu Haotian's concern for Zhang Wanqing, which made him feel a sense of inexplicable uneasiness.

"Wanqing, didn't you say you had something to do at noon today? How come you are suddenly free?" There was a hint of temptation in Fu Siyuan's voice.

Zhang Wanqing smiled slightly: "I did have something to do at noon today, but Xu Haotian invited me to dinner, so I came here."

Fu Siyuan nodded, but he felt a little lost. He looked at Zhang Wanqing and Xu Haotian sitting together, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that Xu Haotian's appearance might change the relationship between him and Zhang Wanqing.

"Siyuan, why are you here suddenly?" Zhang Wanqing's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Fu Siyuan smiled slightly: "Oh, I passed by here and saw you here, so I came in to say hello."

Zhang Wanqing nodded: "Okay then, you go ahead and get busy."

Fu Siyuan nodded, turned and left the restaurant. His heart was full of contradictions and struggles. He always knew how upset Zhang Wanqing was when he didn't respond to her confession. He also knew his feelings for Zhang Wanqing, but he never had the courage to accept her love. He knew that Zhang Wanqing was a person who was persistent in feelings, had been waiting for him, and would not change her heart easily. But the appearance of Xu Haotian made him feel a sense of crisis for the first time. He was afraid that a warm man like Xu Haotian would touch Zhang Wanqing's heart.

Back at the newspaper office, Fu Siyuan sat at his desk, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He looked at Zhang Wanqing's back, and a sense of inexplicable loss welled up in his heart.

No matter how perfect a man Fu Siyuan might be, handsome and a great worker, he was a coward when it came to relationships. He didn't know how to get along with girls, or how to express his love. When a girl he liked confessed her feelings to him, he didn't dare to accept them, and would only choose to run away. This is probably what people often say: no one is perfect. Even the most perfect person has flaws in their character. What Fu Siyuan lacked was this lesson in love.