To You Whom I HATE The Most Chapter 1

First Letter

By the time Cen Wei yawned for the seventh time, the barista informed her that her drink was ready.

In a plastic cup, a pale green liquid swirled, speckled with dark brown bits. Cen Wei took a sip through the straw, and a contented smile spread across her face.

Li Yuetian held her own latte, her mouth twitching slightly as she asked Cen Wei, “Is it really that good?”

Cen Wei offered her cup, but Li Yuetian waved her hand. “No, thanks. I don't like eating toothpaste.”

Cen Wei withdrew her hand, smiling without a word.

The combination of mint and dark chocolate was like cilantro: one person's honey is another person's poison. It was polarizing, and Cen Wei was one of the rare enthusiasts.

The first sip started with the richness of the milk base, followed by the bittersweet taste of dark chocolate, and finally, the layered kick of mint. The coolness lingered, its chill shooting straight to her nasal passages. The refreshing, invigorating effect outclassed iced Americanos by a mile.

Li Yuetian glanced at her phone. “The boss says he’s already here and wants us to hurry up.”

Cen Wei had also packed a coffee and a sandwich to-go. Picking up the paper bag, she said, “Let’s go.”

They pushed open the glass door and headed toward a nearby office building. Li Yuetian scrutinized the coffee cup in her hand and remarked, “It’s my first time trying coffee from Xincheng, and it’s pretty good.”

“The taste is decent, but...” Cen Wei paused tactically for two seconds before lowering her voice, “the packaging is just way too ugly.”

The orange cup bore white text on its surface that read “Wish Coffee,” with smaller letters underneath: “Get your wish.” When Cen Wei first received this project, she immediately concluded that the company’s boss must be some nouveau riche with questionable taste. No wonder they needed a new design team.

Li Yuetian got the hint, pressing her lips together to stifle a laugh. “Good thing it’s ugly. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have any work to do.”

Cen Wei shushed her, putting an end to the conversation. “Let’s head up.”

Xincheng Coffee was located on the sixteenth floor. It was 9:48 AM, and the morning rush had just ended, leaving the elevator lobby relatively empty.

Cen Wei and Li Yuetian stepped into the elevator and pressed the corresponding floor button on the panel.

As the doors began to close, Cen Wei caught sight of a man approaching. She quickly raised her hand to hold the button.

“Thank you,” the man said as he entered the elevator, turning his back to them after expressing his thanks.

He was very tall, at least 185 centimeters or taller. The elevator, which had felt spacious with just the two of them, suddenly seemed cramped with his presence.

The man raised his hand briefly, then let it drop.

Standing to his rear right, Cen Wei watched as the elevator ascended smoothly. Li Yuetian was absorbed in her phone, leaving Cen Wei free to steal a few glances at the man.

His unhurried steps as he approached, coupled with the way he refrained from frequently checking his watch after entering the elevator, suggested he wasn’t in a rush. Could he be the boss?

Cen Wei tilted her head slightly but noted that the man wasn’t dressed in any designer brands, and he looked too young to be the boss.

Ding——the elevator reached the sixteenth floor.

The man stepped out first, with Cen Wei and Li Yuetian following behind.

He swiped his card at the reception desk to sign in and quickly disappeared into the cubicles.

They waited for about four or five minutes before the assistant they were supposed to meet came out to get them.

“CEO Jing is already in the conference room. Our supervisor said the meeting will start in fifteen minutes.”

“Okay.”

As they walked, Li Yuetian glanced around, quietly assessing the layout and decor. “This place is pretty big. It doesn't seem like it was just established.”

Cen Wei wasn’t interested in the client’s background. She only cared about one thing. “As long as their director is easy to work with, that’s all that matters. Just don’t let it be like the last client. I still have PTSD from that.”

Li Yuetian pursed her lips downward and bluntly pointed out the harsh truth. “Then don't get your hopes up. There's no such thing as an easy client.”

Cen Wei sighed in defeat. “Fair point.”

The assistant led them to the conference room door and informed them that Director Zhou would arrive shortly.

Jing Shenyan had come straight from home. He arrived early and had already been waiting in the conference room for a while.

“You’re here?” Hearing movement, he looked up at his two employees.

“Here you go.” Cen Wei walked over and placed a paper bag on the table beside him.

Jing Shenyan reached in and took the coffee. He found a hot sandwich inside as well.

“Who didn’t have breakfast?”

Li Yuetian, busy distributing design proposals, glanced up and replied, “We already ate. Cen Wei and I had breakfast together.”

“It’s for you,” Cen Wei said.

Jing Shenyan gave her a quick look. “Thanks.”

Jing Shenyan stood up from his seat, a smile spreading across his face as he stepped forward to greet them. “Director Zhou.”

“CEO Jing.”

The two men exchanged a firm, businesslike handshake. Jing Shenyan introduced the man to his team. “This is Cen Wei, a designer from our studio and the lead on this project. And this is Yuetian.”

“Hello, Director Zhou,” Li Yuetian greeted him with a smile.

“Nice to meet you,” Cen Wei added.

The man walked to the head of the conference table and took his seat. “Let’s begin. Start whenever you’re ready.”

As the project’s lead designer, Cen Wei was responsible for presenting the proposal. Before she began, Jing Shenyan leaned over and whispered, “You made those adjustments I mentioned yesterday, right?”

“Yes,” Cen Wei replied, though in her mind, she added the rest: Worked on them until three in the morning, too.

The lights in the conference room dimmed. Cen Wei stood in front of the screen, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She wasn’t a fan of formal business attire. Today, she was wearing a blue cardigan adorned with small floral patterns, paired with simple jeans and flat shoes.

With the presentation slides behind her, Cen Wei began explaining her design proposal. “The biggest issue with the current packaging is the lack of a memorable feature. The simple letter-based logo is too common and not aesthetically appealing. To address this, we took inspiration from iconic logos like Starbucks’ twin-tailed mermaid and Luckin’s deer symbolizing blessings. Based on this, we designed a brand-new logo for Xincheng.”

The slide transitioned, revealing an image of an iced coffee with a slice of orange perched on top. The coffee swirled like waves, and the orange slice resembled a rising sun.

This was Xincheng’s flagship product, the “Orange Americano,” a refreshing twist on traditional Americano coffee with the addition of fresh orange juice. This gave the coffee a light, fruity aroma. The brand marketed it as the perfect first cup of coffee to energize office workers for the day ahead.

From this product, simplified into its essence, a new logo was born.

“The imagery of waves and sunrise reflects our hope that Xincheng can forge ahead like the tides and rise like the morning sun.”

After finishing her presentation, Cen Wei looked at the man across the conference table and smiled slightly, “Director Zhou, what do you think? Does our proposal meet your expectations?”

The man paused, pondering for a moment. He didn’t say it was good or bad, merely asking, “Is that all?”

Cen Wei froze. She turned to Jing Shenyan beside her, silently seeking help.

They had put a lot of effort into this project, holding several meetings in the early stages, with Jing Shenyan personally overseeing every detail. After hearing Cen Wei’s presentation, Jing Shenyan felt confident that they had nailed it. His smile was still on his face when the client’s three-word response landed like a cold splash of water.

Clearing his throat, Jing Shenyan cautiously asked, “What do you mean by that, Director?”

The man didn’t mince words. “Isn’t your studio known for surprising its clients? I don’t feel that here.”

Cen Wei’s expression darkened to match her sinking mood. It meant that the ideas they provided were not novel enough.

“Also, Xincheng’s primary target audience is white-collar professionals. It’s different from those flashy beverage brands you see on the streets. I’ve mentioned before that I’d like to see a sense of sophistication in the design.”

When the man stood up from his seat, Cen Wei quickly closed her laptop and hugged it to her chest, making way for him. She then moved to sit back beside Jing Shenyan.

As Cen Wei jotted down the feedback in her notebook, she silently cursed the client in her mind.

“That’s about it. Thank you all for your hard work.” The man glanced at his watch. “It’s lunchtime. Let Xiao Zhang take you for a meal before you leave. I have another meeting, so I won’t be joining you.”

Jing Shenyan maintained his polite smile and replied, “Sure. We’ll make the necessary revisions and schedule another meeting next week.”

“Follow me, please,” the assistant said, leading them out.

Leaving with a heavy heart after being met with cold rejection, Cen Wei stuffed her laptop and notebook into her tote bag. The dizziness from sleep deprivation crept back into her head.

Walking at the rear of the group, she was about to step out the door when she hesitated. Still feeling unsatisfied, she stopped, turned around, and walked back to the conference table.

The picky guy hadn’t left yet. He was flipping through the documents in his hands, seemingly waiting for his next meeting to begin.

Thinking she might have forgotten something, he didn’t look up.

“Um...”

Hearing her voice, the man paused and raised his eyes to look at her.

“Don't we know each other?”

Before he could respond, Cen Wei pointed at him and added, “Zhou Ran, right? From Shancheng No. 7 High School.”

Zhou Ran glanced elsewhere briefly before looking back at her, his expression one of forced recollection. “And you are?”

“Cen Wei. Don't you remember me? We were in the same class in our first year of high school.”

“Oh.” Zhou Ran’s gaze didn’t linger on her for long, darting away before reluctantly returning.

His aloofness left Cen Wei with mixed feelings. She was not exactly disappointed, but she was a bit incredulous. “You really don’t remember me?”

Zhou Ran raised an eyebrow, his tone unclear as to whether he was asking or making a point. “What? Were we close before?”

“Not at all,” Cen Wei replied without hesitation. “On the contrary, I think we might’ve had a grudge.”

She chuckled softly. “That’s why I thought you were deliberately giving me a hard time just now.”

Zhou Ran’s eyes widened in surprise at the accusation. “How could that be?”

“Good, as long as it’s not.” Cen Wei smiled. “We’ll revise the proposal as soon as possible. See you next time, Director Zhou.”

Zhou Ran averted his gaze, rubbing his ear. The last two words sounded like they were spoken through gritted teeth.

Cheng Yiyun strolled in with his hands in his pockets, his pace relaxed. “Finished lunch already?”

“Not yet.”

Cheng Yiyun plopped himself onto the table, picked up the half-drunk dark chocolate mint drink, and remarked in amazement, “Who ordered this? Someone actually drinks this stuff?”

"Just had a meeting with the Jingming team. Probably their designer's drink."

Cheng Yiyun pursed his lips. "The product team told me yesterday this drink doesn’t sell well. Should we take it off the menu?"

"No."

Hearing his quick response, Cheng Yiyun grinned mischievously. "Why? Do you like it too?"

"I don’t. I hate mint," Zhou Ran replied, pausing briefly. "But some people like it, right? Keep it."

Cheng Yiyun tossed the plastic cup into the corner trash can with precision. "I heard you were late today. Lao Xia said he’s docking your pay."

"Let him," Zhou Ran replied indifferently.

Cheng Yiyun leaned on the table with one hand, bending closer to Zhou Ran’s face. "What were you up to last night? Those dark circles are no joke. And you overslept today too."

Zhou Ran’s response was clipped and dripping with frustration, "Moving."