Chapter 140 - Closer
"Oh, but we can’t make the security too loose as well. Make it seem like it turned stricter after we received the second gift. So that whoever is truly sending those won’t be alerted. It won’t be good if they notice that something’s a little off." Xiu Mei added.
Lu Chen did not disagree with her suggestion and added a few pointers on his own.
"Understood. I’ll arrange this according to your orders." Lu Shao replied. He left their house after finishing his report leaving the couple on their own in the study room.
"Then I’ll go to Lu Qiang’s room to tuck him in." Xiu Mei stood up from her seat but was stopped when she felt a heavy weight on top of her head. It was Lu Chen’s hand preventing her from standing up from her sitting position.
"What?" She raised her head to meet his gaze. He slightly leaned down closer to her face.
Xiu Mei gulped nervously and bit her lip.
...what trick is he planning to pull on her again?
"You should go to sleep first. I’ll tuck him in tonight." Lu Chen said, examining her face carefully. He could see the circles forming underneath her eyes. Like him, it looks like Xiu Mei didn’t sleep well yesterday night either.
"I’m fine. Besides, I promised him that I would continue the book we were reading last night."
"Sleep. If Lu Qiang hears that you collapse from fatigue and lack of sleep, do you think the kid will like it?"
Even though it was quite impossible, Xiu Mei couldn’t help but imagine Lu Qiang’s face if that happens. She remembered how much that kid worried about her back when she was still in the hospital.
In the end, she surrendered. "Fine. But I’ll tuck him in tomorrow then."
"Good." Lu Chen removed his hand on her head.
Xiu Mei stood up from her seat but she didn’t immediately leave. Instead, she looked like she was thinking about something.
Then she leaned over to him across the table, pressing her hands on the table to support her body. Lu Chen originally thought that she would be giving him a peck on the lips just like what she did a few hours ago, instead, her kiss landed on one side of his cheek.
With a grin on her face, she said, "Goodnight."
But before he could react, she already pulled away and stood straight. With a grin on her face, she left the room.
Lu Chen, briefly stunned by her actions, curled his lips. He touched his cheek that she kissed.
Weirdly, their fight this time brought their relationship to each other instead. He thought that she would distance herself to him after knowing his other identity, but she looked cool with staying beside him.
Does this mean she’s accepting him for who he is?
A few days after that, Xiu Mei didn’t receive any presents for a while. Everything that was in the boxes and paper bags gets through Lu Shao first so when they get on her table, everything is already opened.
Xiu Mei sighed in relief in her mind. It was good that she wasn’t the type to shop online. Else, all the books and mangas she’s been shopping online would be revealed to him.
Anyhow, that’s not the important thing today.
After that hickey... exposure previously, as expected, all the people who witnessed it spread the news like wildfire. The next day after that, Xiu Mei regretted not wearing sunglasses and a hat so that they won’t recognize her. Even though she might stand out and get blocked by the security, that would’ve been a million times better than the looks she received for the past few days.
Everyone seems to be sure that she and Lu Chen had been doing something in his office because when they had the meeting, it wasn’t there at all, and then a few hours after, t-that appeared on her neck.
Everyone was enjoying making their own speculations while the topic of the news was drowning with embarrassment.
God knows how much she avoided going down to meet people for the past few days.
"This is all your fault." Xiu Mei grumbled to Lu Chen in the elevator. They are currently on their way to a meeting. Since they have a meeting, of course, she couldn’t get away with avoiding meeting the people there.
Lu Chen let out a half-hearted laugh. "Should we cancel the meeting then?"
Xiu Mei glared and pouted at him. "And make me do the cleanup work after? No, thank you."
Huffing, she rolled her eyes at him. He’s unbelievable. It’s his fault, but then, why is she the one suffering?
Thankfully though, the atmosphere inside was very tensed and serious she didn’t feel any gazes on her. Since it was about the investment in their entry in the energy sector, everyone is on their toes and nervous. The meeting took about four hours long before Lu Chen finally called it a day for everyone.
While fixing her laptop and files, the Director from the Planning Department came up to her while Lu Chen was dragged away by the other Directors for consultation.
"Yes?"
He handed over a red folder to her. "These are the other strategies we’ve looked into aside from the one we presented. We didn’t have the chance to present this to the President since we’re short in time but if possible, could you please pass it on to the President? Maybe he could read this if he has the time?"
Xiu Mei didn’t accept the folder immediately and considered it for a short moment.
"Then why wasn’t it presented earlier if you think it’s good?"
"Uhm, this was actually the second plan we were planning just in case the first one won’t work."
"Well, the President didn’t really seem to happy with the first idea you were talking about."
"Yes, that’s why I’m hoping if he could give us another chance and read this plan?"
"And? If he reads this plan, could you really assure that the President would say yes?"
Xiu Mei may have sounded bitchy but she was actually doing her part as the President’s secretary. If she agrees to hand this over to the President, if he doesn’t like it, she could possibly incur his wrath as well if it doesn’t go well.
On the other hand, she felt like the Director was trying to use her because she was the President’s girlfriend. Maybe he was counting on the possibility that she hand this over to the President so the President might reconsider on this plan as well.
In her mind, Xiu Mei really wanted to laugh. No matter how many times she tries to show them that she wasn’t a person that they should underestimate, in the face of power and taking advantage of connections, they would always forget that and become blind for power.
"I do hope that he says yes. Ms.Xiu, could you please talk it over with the President to reconsider this one?"
Xiu Mei looked at the guy disappointedly. He was obviously older than her but to think that he really thought that she would let him use her?
This time with a heavier tone and with a fake smile, she picked up her laptop and folders then faced the Planning Department Director again.
"Mr. Kim, I highly suggest that you go back and brainstorm with your department again instead of trying to present this plan to the President. We’ll see you at the next meeting."
She slightly bowed her head then she turned her back to him and approached where Lu Chen was.
Seeing that he was still talking with some of the Directors, she slightly distanced herself just enough that she could still hear what they are all talking about. She observed him and couldn’t help but smile at his figure.
Somehow... he looks very handsome today.
This part of his, she couldn’t help but think that he is a really cool person. She would never get tired of watching him like this.
Then a thought hit her.
If this was how Lu Chen looked like when he is being the President of the Lu Corporation, she wondered how he looks like when he is in front of his assassin organization as the chief leader, right?
Does he look three times scarier than this?
Lu Chen finally finished his conversation with a couple of Directors. When he looked behind him, he saw Xiu Mei looking down at her feet. She looked kind of silly and adorable in his eyes at the same time.
He smiled and walked over to her.
"Let’s go?"
Her head shot up. She looked quite confused at first but she got a grip of her senses quickly.
"Oh, yes. Yes, of course."
The two of them strode towards the elevator. Inside, Lu Chen peeked at Xiu Mei’s reflection in the elevator.
She clearly looked like she was thinking hard about something.
Lu Chen wondered. What was she thinking so hard about?