“Ruanxing, where are you?” The woman’s voice on the phone was intimate and full of concern, “I went to take a call last night at the cocktail party and when I came back you were gone. Did you go home?”
Song JinXing had a good memory and immediately recognized that the voice belonged to the woman he had heard on the balcony last night.
“I wasn’t feeling well so I went home early,” he replied. “What’s up?”
Hearing his cold tone, Duan Mangyun felt a little panic. Zhong Ruanxing had always been a lively person, full of passion in everything she said and did. How could she suddenly become so cold towards her? Could she have noticed what happened last night had something to do with her?
Duan Mangyun gave an awkward laugh, “Oh, nothing much. I was just a little worried about you.”
Song JinXing said, “If there's nothing, I'm going to hang up now.”
And he really did hang up.
Duan Mangyun was left listening to the "beep beep" tone, stunned for a while before she could react.
After hanging up, Song JinXing said in a calm tone, "It's her."
Zhong Ruanxing had a disappointed and sad look on her face. Before Song JinXing could comfort her, she quickly pulled herself together and cheered herself on, "Forget it. It's my own fault for poor judgement of character. I'll be more discerning in the future!"
After she spoke, she noticed Song JinXing gazing at her somewhat absentmindedly. She waved her hand in front of his eyes, "What's wrong?"
Song JinXing quickly returned to normal, shaking his head, "Nothing. You should get to the company now. There's a meeting at 8am. The voice recorder is in your office drawer. Remember to record the entire meeting."
While grumbling about "What kind of devilish company has meetings at 8am on a Saturday," Zhong Ruanxing rubbed her sore shoulders and got up. Although the manor was rarely lived in, it was fully equipped with everything needed for daily life. After washing up in the bathroom, they each went their separate ways.
Fu Ling, who had been waiting expectantly outside hoping for at least a goodbye hug between the two beautiful people: ....That's it?
The driver had already opened the car door. Zhong Ruanxing got in the car and told him, "Go to the company."
Fu Ling followed and got in. Despite himself, he couldn't help asking, "What about the young lady?"
The two had already discussed that Zhong Ruanxing didn't have much work over the next few days. She just needed to get familiar with the Zhong family environment while waiting for Director Zeng's notice of the audition. While reviewing her schedule to confirm Mr. Boss' plans for the day, she replied, "Don't worry about her."
How could the boss be so cold towards such a beauty!!!
Knowing his temperament, Fu Ling didn't dare ask any more and obediently kept quiet.
As the car headed downhill towards the city, Zhong Ruanxing asked the driver, "Can you pull over up ahead?"
The driver glanced at the street sign. "Ms. Zhong, we can stop for three minutes."
"Okay, stop for a bit up ahead." She turned to Fu Ling, "Go quickly and buy me a scallion pancake from that cart."
She pointed at the small pushcart selling scallion pancakes near the subway entrance.
Fu Ling wondered if he had heard wrong.
Zhong Ruanxing urged him, "Hurry, we only have three minutes."
Fu Ling flew out of the car.
Dressed in a fine suit with hair neatly slicked back, the very image of a professional white collar worker, he now squeezed through the crowded subway entrance calling out to the pancake seller, "Add an extra egg! Hurry please, thank you!"
Only when he returned to the car holding the piping hot pancake did Fu Ling feel a little bewildered. Meanwhile, his boss beside him had already started nonchalantly nibbling on the pancake.
Like most bosses, Song JinXing had a stomach condition. As soon as she got in the car, Zhong Ruanxing felt discomfort in her stomach, like it was contracting and trying to digest something even though it was empty. She usually ate regular meals and couldn't stand the feeling, so she immediately felt the need to eat something.
The hot, freshly-made scallion pancake settling into her stomach finally made her feel alive again. There was bottled mineral water provided in the car. Zhong Ruanxing didn't like drinking cold water. After a few sips, she instructed Fu Ling, "Get a thermal flask in the car from now on and keep hot water available."
Fu Ling replied, "Okay boss." He handed over his laptop, "Boss, here is the meeting agenda for today. I've compiled it already."
Zhong Ruanxing was stunned by the dozens of PowerPoint slides.
Although she couldn't understand any of it, she still pretended to look through the entire presentation seriously. Even if she couldn't comprehend the content, she could at least appreciate the design and layout. It was much more professional looking than the career overview PowerPoint the company made for her. After finishing it, she didn't forget to praise her subordinate's efforts, "Well done, thanks for the hard work."
Fu Ling was pleasantly surprised to be praised.
In all his time working here, this was the first time the boss had commended him! The young assistant controlled himself to prevent his eyebrows from shooting up. "No hardship at all, just doing my job."
On the other side, the car arranged to pick up Song JinXing had arrived as well. He got in the car, gave the Zhong residence address, then leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes to rest.
The driver unconsciously peered at the exquisitely beautiful woman through the rearview mirror. He knew about that manor. It was the house left behind by Boss Song's parents. After his parents passed away, Boss Song had kept it locked up. Usually except for the maids who came to clean, no one else went in or out.
It wasn't until Boss Song returned to the country half a year ago that it reopened, but still only Boss Song himself came and went alone. What was this woman's background that she could stay overnight there? The driver's imagination ran wild with gossip. In the backseat, the woman suddenly spoke without opening her eyes, "Is this how the Song family teaches you to treat customers getting into the car?"
Although her eyes were closed, her entire being exuded a piercing, chilling aura, forcing the driver to feel exposed in the confined space of the car. He immediately looked away in panic, "Sorry miss, I was out of line."
There was no more sound from the back. Not daring to glance again, the driver kept his eyes forward.
Over an hour later, daylight had fully brightened the city, bringing it to life. The nondescript sedan stopped outside a medium-old apartment building. Song JinXing opened his eyes and after the driver opened the door for him, put on a mask and stepped out wearing the flats Fu Ling had delivered last night, along with a coat left behind at the manor that concealed his alluring figure.
The red dress and fair skin would simply draw too much attention.
The apartment blocks were over a decade old. The greenery flourished, with every household seeming to have potted plants. Triangular camellias in vibrant purple and red hues cascaded from the rusty security grilles of the windows. The one-way lane just wide enough for a car was strewn with petals in early summer.
Electric bikes and scooters occasionally drove by on the greenway, along with residents heading to work or buying groceries, practicing tai chi or bringing children down to play in the shared lawn space. The lively community bustled with energy.
Yet Song JinXing neither liked nor was used to such liveliness.
He wrapped the coat tightly around himself and quickened his pace, soon locating Zhong's unit in Building 3, Block 1. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, someone yelled "Wait!" and rushed over. He put out a hand to stop the doors from closing. They opened again and the curly-haired auntie holding a bag of vegetables walked in, thanking him repeatedly.
She pressed floor 6. Looking at the other button lit for floor 9, she suddenly exclaimed, "Ruanxing, it's you!"
Song JinXing was taken aback.
The curly-haired auntie enthusiastically leaned in, "With you all bundled up like that, I didn't recognize you at first! I haven't seen you or your mom taking a walk downstairs these past two days. But YoungYoung has been coming out to play everyday. Yesterday he even got into a fight with the chubby kid from first floor over a toy!"
After speaking, she looked at him expectantly.
Song JinXing felt the elevator was ascending unusually slowly under her gaze. After a long pause, amidst the auntie's increasingly bewildered looks, he finally gave a slow "Mm-hmm". Lowering his voice, "I'm a bit tired."
The auntie suddenly understood, "Of course, looking at you, you must have just finished an overnight shoot and rushed back. You must be exhausted!" She rummaged in her grocery bag for a while, pulling out a packaged sandwich. "This is for MiaoMiao but you have it! You haven't eaten breakfast yet right?"
Song JinXing declined, "It's okay, thanks."
The auntie insisted on stuffing the sandwich into his hands, "No need to stand on ceremony with auntie! Take your mom out for a walk this afternoon, she must miss you after not seeing you for days."
The elevator reached the 6th floor. Finally, she got off.
Song JinXing heaved a sigh of relief. Glancing down at the sandwich in his hand, it was only when the elevator doors opened again that he took a deep breath and stepped out.