Wei had a very busy schedule. He decided to bury himself in more work in retaliation against the thoughts of Luca creeping back into his mind.

Wei glanced at the clock on his desk. He had a meeting with Miles in five minutes, and he was still not prepared. He had been so busy thinking about Luca that he had barely been able to focus on his work.

He quickly finished reading the last email in his inbox and then closed his laptop. He stood up and walked over to the mirror. He straightened his tie and fixed his hair.

He took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. He knew that he needed to focus on the meeting with Miles.

He walked out of his office and headed to the conference room.

It wasn’t later until Miles walked into the conference room and saw Wei seated at the table. He smiled when he saw that Wei looked a little better than usual.

“Hey, Wei,” Miles said. “You look better today.”

Wei smiled back. “Thanks, Miles. I'm feeling a bit better, yeah.”

Miles took his seats and Wei opened the folder in front of him.

“So, let's get started,” he said. “I've put together a presentation on the new marketing campaign.”

Wei spent the next hour giving Miles a presentation on the new marketing campaign. He covered everything from the target audience to the budget to the timeline.

Miles listened intently and asked a few questions along the way. He was impressed by Wei's work on the campaign.

When Wei was finished, Miles nodded his approval.

“Great job, Wei,” he said. “This is a really impressive campaign. We should start it once it gets approved by the others.”

Wei smiled. “Thanks, Miles. I'm glad you like it.”

They stood up and shook hands.

“I'm really proud of you, Wei,” Miles said. “You've been working really hard lately, but remember to take breaks. We’re all human and we tend to break easily.”

Wei felt a warm feeling in his chest. He was grateful for Miles' friendship and support.

“Thanks, Miles,” he said. “That means a lot.”

Miles left the conference room, and Wei closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door and took a deep breath. He was exhausted, but he was also satisfied. He had done a good job on the presentation, and he had impressed Miles.

Wei's next meeting was with his team to review the monthly sales report. He congratulated the team for exceeding their goals for the month and encouraged them to keep up the good work.

“Thanks to everyone for a great week,” Wei said. “We exceeded our sales goals by 10%, and that's a huge accomplishment. I'm really proud of all of you.”

The team cheered.

“Now, let's take a look at the individual numbers,” Wei said. “Who wants to go first?”

One of the team members raised her hand.

“I'll go,” she said.

Wei nodded and the team member began to share her sales results. The rest of the team followed suit, one by one.

Wei listened carefully to each team member's report. He offered feedback and encouragement where needed. He also made note of any areas where the team could improve.

“Overall, it was a great month,” Wei said when everyone was finished. “But there are a few things we can do to improve our performance next week. First, we need to focus on converting more leads into customers. Second, we need to increase our average order value. And third, we need to reduce our customer churn rate.”

Wei went on to discuss each of these areas in more detail. He and the team developed a plan for addressing each issue.

“I'm confident that we can meet our goals next month,” Wei said. “Just keep up the hard work and we'll be unstoppable.”

The team cheered again.

Wei's next meeting was with his team to review the quarterly performance report. The team had also exceeded their goals for the quarter. Wei was very proud of his team's accomplishments. He thanked them for their hard work and dedication.

“This was an amazing quarter for our team,” Wei said. “We exceeded our sales goals by 20%, and that's a huge accomplishment. I'm so proud of all of you for your hard work and dedication.”

The team cheered.

“I want to take this opportunity to announce some promotions,” Wei said. “Alaine, you're being promoted to senior sales representative. Giovanni, you're being promoted to team lead. Congratulations to both of you.”

The two team members smiled and thanked Wei.

“I'm also excited to announce that we're expanding our team,” Wei said. “We'll be hiring two new sales representatives in the next few weeks. I'm confident that we can continue to grow our business and achieve even greater success in the future.”

The team cheered again.

Wei's final meeting of the day was a one-on-one meeting with a painter who was trending nationally. 

The painter was new to Wei's company, but he was already making a big impact. His paintings were selling for top dollar and galleries all over the country were clamoring to exhibit his work.

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” Wei said. “I've been following your work and I'm very impressed. You're a very talented artist.”

“Thank you,” the painter said. “I'm glad you like my work.”

“I'm curious to learn more about your process,” Wei said. “How do you come up with your ideas? And what are your favorite materials to work with?”

The painter went on to discuss his process and his favorite materials in detail. Wei listened intently and asked follow-up questions.

“It's clear that you're very passionate about your work,” Wei said. “And it shows in your paintings. I'm confident that you're going to continue to be successful. I'm here to support you in any way I can.”

“Thank you, Wei,” the painter said. “I appreciate your support.”

Wei and the painter talked for a while longer. Wei offered his feedback on some of the painter's current projects and they discussed the painter's future goals.

When the meeting was over, Wei felt confident that he had established a good relationship with the painter. He was excited about the painter's potential. He knew that the painter was going to continue to be successful, and he was proud to be a part of his journey.

As Wei left the office, he thought about his day. He had had a lot of meetings, but it had been a good day. He had achieved a lot and he had helped his team succeed. 

He was also excited about the future. He knew that his company was going to continue to grow and he was proud to be a part of it.

As Wei drove home, he wondered if he should grab Kai for dinner.

He decided to go ahead and call his brother the moment he reached an intersection. The phone rang and rang but it seems as if there was no response from Kai.

Wei was about to call Kai again when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Miles.

“Taya? Is there anything you need?” Wei asked the moment he answered the call through the steering wheel buttons.

“I just wanted to let you know we saw D’Luca at the club the other day. He and Noah had some fun before I took Noah home,” Miles said, his voice not holding any amount of emotion.

Wei's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he listened to Miles's voice through the car's hands-free system. 

The mention of Luca's name made his heart race, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity mixed with a hint of unease.

“Oh, I see,” Wei replied, his tone carefully neutral. He didn't want to reveal any of the complex emotions that Luca's name stirred within him. “I hope they had a good time.”

Miles chuckled on the other end of the line. “Oh, they definitely did. D’ Luca was... let's say, quite the center of attention on the dance floor. And Noah seemed thoroughly captivated.”

Wei couldn't stop a flicker of jealousy from creeping into his thoughts, but he quickly pushed it aside. “I'm glad to hear they enjoyed themselves, but you don’t need to report me to me on Luca. It makes me sound like an obsessive ex.”

Miles let out a sympathetic sigh. “I didn't mean to come across that way, Wei. I just thought you should know. Both of you still miss each other, you know? We can see it from miles away. Lol miles.”

Wei sighed, the truth in Miles' words hitting home. “Yeah, it's hard not to miss him sometimes. But we've both chosen our paths, and I respect that. It's just... complicated.”

Miles nodded, even though Wei couldn't see the gesture. “Dae, don’t think I forgot about what happened when we were in college. There were so many moments where it got so scary. You gave both me and Noah a scare. Even when we put you to therapy, you still haven’t improved.”

Wei's voice softened as he recalled their college days. “Yeah, those were some tough times, but we made it through together. You and T’Noah were always there for me, and I'll never forget that.”

Miles chuckled. “And we won't forget the crazy stunts you pulled either.”

Wei couldn't help but laugh at the memories. “I guess I did have my moments.”

Miles's voice turned more serious. “Look, Wei, I know things didn't end well between you and Luca, but you both deserve happiness. If you ever decide to reach out or if fate brings you together again, I hope you can find a way to make amends.”

Wei appreciated Miles's sentiment, even if it brought up complicated emotions. “Thanks, Miles. I'll keep that in mind. Right now, I just need to heal.”

Miles sighed, understanding Wei's need for space. “I get it, Wei. Just remember, we're here for you, no matter what.”

With that, they said their goodbyes, leaving Wei with a mix of emotions and thoughts about the past and the uncertain future.

Wei pulled up into the condo’s garage. Kai’s car seems to be there already so he must be home.

As Wei parked his car in the condo's garage, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. The conversation with Miles had stirred up a whirlwind of emotions, and he knew he needed some time to process it all.

He stepped out of the car and made his way to the elevator, his mind still racing. 

As the elevator doors closed and he ascended to his condo, Wei couldn't help but wonder if fate had more surprises in store for him and Luca.

He managed to physically avoid meeting Luca for a week. It’s been about three weeks since that encounter. 

As he stepped into his home, he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to talk to someone about it. 

He quickly reached for his phone and dialed Dr. Aslanov's number, scheduling a therapy session to help him.

“Taya? You're here early,” Kai said, his face stuffed with food.

“I just didn't go anywhere today,” Wei said as he hung his jacket in the closet. “Please don't talk with your mouth full. That's disgusting.”

Kai swallowed his food and laughed. “Sorry,” he said. “I'm just hungry.”

“Did you cook today?” Wei asked as he went to the bathroom to wash his face.

“Yeah. I decided to make beef stroganoff. Some of the mushrooms were getting old. I also made it a bit spicier than usual. Try to survive, Taya,” a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Wei returned from the bathroom, a look of mild concern on his face as he heard Kai's mention of making the meal spicier than usual. 

“You're trying to kill me with spice now?” Wei joked, though there was a hint of trepidation in his voice. 

Kai grinned mischievously. “Well, you're a grown-up now, Taya. Time to expand your taste buds,” he quipped.

Wei sighed. “I don't know. I don’t feel like doing anything crazy right now.”

“Come on, Taya,” Kai said, coaxing. “It's just a little bit of spice. It's not going to kill you.”

Wei hesitated. He didn't really want to eat spicy food, but he didn't want to be a wimp either.

“Fine,” he said finally. “I'll try it.”

Kai smiled triumphantly as he fist bumped the air. “Yay!”

He served Wei a plate of beef stroganoff with a side of rice, and Wei took a tentative bite. The food was indeed spicier than usual, but it wasn't so spicy that it was unbearable.

“It's not bad,” Wei said, surprising himself. “I can actually eat this.”

Kai laughed. “See, not that spicy.”

Wei continued eating, gradually getting used to the level of spice in the dish. Kai watched him with an amused expression, clearly enjoying Wei's reaction.

As Wei finished his meal, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He had successfully tackled a spicier dish than he was used to.

“Alright, you win this round,” Wei admitted with a playful smile. “But don't make it too spicy next time, okay?”

Kai chuckled. “Deal. I'll go easy on the spice next time. But you've got to admit, it was kind of fun seeing you squirm a bit.”

Wei rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the fondness in his gaze. “Yeah, yeah, dae. You enjoy tormenting me, don't you?”

Kai grinned. “Very much.”