He Juan gingerly picked up the phone. "Hello, Boss Han?"

"Mr. Xiu!" Came Han Shan’s – overly – enthusiastic voice. He was so enthusiastic that He Juan could sense a slight tremble to his tone. "Haha, you... you finally gave me a call! I even thought that you had forgotten me! To what do I owe this honor?"

He Juan could not help but feel a little awkward, not only because of how formal Han Shan was, but also because what the man said was the truth. He really had forgotten everything... He Juan cleared his throat, "I have something I’d like to ask you. Can we... meet up? I apologize but I don’t think I can ask about this matter through the phone—"

"Oh no no no, please don’t apologize to me! Of course, feel free to ask me whatever you like. Can we meet up, you ask? Of course, we can hahaha! This one is ready to be at your beck and call!" Somehow, that laugh sounded too high-pitched and bright. It made He Juan wonder whether their past relationship had been so good. But if that was the case, then why didn’t the man say anything when they met last time? Han Shan continued to say, "Where are you right now, Mr. Xiu? Oh don’t worry, it’s also fine if you don’t want to tell me. We can meet whenever and wherever you want! It’s your choice hahaha!"

He Juan hesitated for a while before saying, "It’s quite urgent, actually. If it’s possible, can we set up a meeting as soon as—" the words ’you can’ was lost in He Juan’s throat because Han Shan directly cut him off with a loud hiccup.

"You... You want to meet me now?"

"No, not right now." He Juan tried to explain helplessly. He knew that Han Shan was an influential businessman who surely had a lot on his plate. He was not even sure if Han Shan was still in Yuyang. He merely wanted the man to spare a little time for him amidst his busy schedule. Even fifteen minutes was fine. "I mean to say, if you’re free—"

"Of course, I am free! All of my time belongs to you!" Han Shan responded in a heartbeat. "You only need to say the word and I will definitely be there, Mr. Xiu!"

It seemed like their relationship was really not bad, He Juan thought in relief. He had expected to receive a reply within one or two days at most and then set up a meeting within a week, but now the result he received was way better than that. If Han Shan so readily agreed for a meeting, there was no reason for He Juan to refuse. The sooner he found out about his past self, the better he would be able to prepare himself for what was to come.

"Really?" Hope and anticipation was suffused into He Juan’s tone and he couldn’t resist the delighted smile on his face. "You can really meet me now?"

"Certainly! Do you need me to send you a car, Mr. Xiu?"

"No, no, there’s no need," He Juan refused in a hurry. He couldn’t possibly trouble the other man more than he already was, when he was the one who wished to meet in the first place. "I will just go to you, Boss Han. Um, it’s just that... do you happen to know a place where we can talk freely without any risk of being... wiretapped?"

***

Never had He Juan imagined that he would step foot in Phoenix Ablaze for the second time in his life.

At first, he had expressed his hesitation when he recalled how the imposter had disguised himself as one of the staff and worked here for months. However, Han Shan repeatedly reassured him that it was a mistake he would only commit once in a lifetime.

After closing for a month since that incident, Phoenix Ablaze seemed to have been born anew. The interior was changed beyond recognition and all the furniture was changed with a new one. Even the bouncers seemed extra fierce as they not only checked the guests who entered, but also the staff who worked regularly there. One might think that they were defending against a terrorist attack.

Quoting Han Shan’s solemn declaration — "If such a thing happens again under my watch, then I will cut my head off and present it to you!"

All in all, the possibility that the imposter could sneak into this place unnoticed was close to nil. He Juan could finally lay his worry to rest.

It was already past midnight, yet the guest’s number not only did not diminish, but it increased instead. Since the scandal where CEO Li Mingzhao was apprehended by the police in this bar, Phoenix Ablaze seemed to have gained a new reputation as a tourist destination — especially those weird customers who were willing to fork out a sum of money just to stay overnight in the room where CEO Li used to occupy. He Juan could not figure out what the hype was all about, or perhaps he was already too old for all of this excitement...

As soon as he arrived, he was led by Manager Wu to the main office where Han Shan had been waiting for him.

"Boss." Manager Wu knocked on the door. "Mr. Xiu is here."

Han Shan’s voice sounded a little shrill. "C–Come in!"

Manager Wu pushed open the door and gestured politely for He Juan to enter, his expression carefully neutral. After relaying his thanks, He Juan stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He was surprised to find that Han Shan had prepared a plate of delicate cookies and fragrant tea for him.

He Juan’s expression became warmer, despite suspecting that the tableware might cost one of his kidneys. "Thank you so much for meeting me at such a sudden notice, Boss Han."

Han Shan let out a wry laugh and dabbed the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. If He Juan’s vision did not fail him, then he seemed to see... a bottle of quick-acting heart saving pills tightly gripped in his other gloved hand? "Hahaha... please don’t stand on ceremony with me. Take a seat, Mr. Xiu."

He Juan sat on the expensive leather couch and took a sip of the million RMB tea just to be polite, feeling so out of place and awkward at the same time. He had no idea what kind of relationship they used to have and it made him confused as to what kind of stance he should have. However, Han Shan had not noticed that he had lost his memory at all, so... did it mean that they were not as close as he had first assumed?

Without his memory, He Juan wouldn’t be XIU. If he wanted to dig out more information from Han Shan, then he should not divulge this piece of information. After all, he had relied on XIU’s connection with Han Shan to secure this meeting.

"Your bar has become more elegant and sophisticated, Boss Han," He Juan started in a light tone, his smile warm and friendly. "I like the interior very much."

"Really?" Surprise flickered in Han Shan’s eyes, then a little shyness and pride. "I’m glad that you like it. I designed it myself." He Juan was an expert in making light conversations and hence in no time at all, he managed to make Han Shan more relaxed and chatty as they talked about the recent improvement of Phoenix Ablaze’s management and also his business in general.

"Ah, that’s right..." He Juan asked in a casual tone. "I’m ashamed to say this, but my memory has actually become a little bad. The first time we met..." he trailed off and Han Shan seamlessly filled in the blanks for him,

"A little more than ten years ago."

"That’s right," He Juan nodded, keeping his surprise under a tight lid. So they had already met a decade ago? That’s much longer than he’d expected! "A little more than a decade ago, I was still so young." He Juan showed a rueful smile. "I might have made a few mistakes here and there. According to you, Boss Han, what kind of person am I?"