Shopping & Eating

To ensure that I can be on time for my blind date tomorrow, before getting off work, I coax, pester and hara.s.s Lu Jun by giving my all. Big Boss Lu, finally agrees to give me half a day off, but it can only be in the morning.  What kind of person is this? He obviously knew I’ve something on in the afternoon. This is akin to not agreeing to my request!

As I intend to give up completely, I pack my stuff and is ready to go home. Lu Jun suddenly looks up from the computer screen and pretends to say casually: “By the way Xia Ye, don’t rush to go yet. Wait a moment and go to the city center with me.”

I am still brooding over my failed attempt to get my leave, so I change my usual obedience att.i.tude and haggle with him: “This is considered prolonging my working hours so do I get overtime pay?”

He glances at me and says firmly: “No.”

When I heard that, I immediately toughen up: “Then I am not going!”

Lu Jun raises his eyebrows and tilts his head slightly. He looks at my clothes critically from head to toe. Then he seems to feel sorry for me and shrugs his shoulders: “Well, forget it then. Initially, I was thinking of taking you to the mall in the city center to buy a few decent clothes …… ”

Could it be that he saw me wearing the same few unsightly clothes every day and want to help me change style! Aiya, this is very good!

My heart is beating rapidly and my eyes are illuminating. My att.i.tude immediately takes a hundred and eighty degree turn and grovels in front of Lu Jun, willing to kiss up to him: “General manager, you observe things down to the smallest detail and is also very caring and generous to your employees. You are like a raging inferno in a world of ice and snow, making me feel the whole world is filled with warmth in an instant! It is getting late, let’s quickly go!”

Lu Jun: “……”

Several minutes later, we arrive together in a high-end shopping mall in the city center. I am so ecstatic because only the rich can afford to buy the things here. A pair of socks can cost hundreds, what’s more “buy a few decent clothes”, it will cost a bomb! I look forward very much to carrying the expensive clothes with both of my hands and general manager looking elegant and unrestrained when he uses his credit card to make payment.

In the end, my dream comes true, but it seems to have deviated from my intention ……

In the world famous brand men’s clothing store, I stand dumbly in the middle, surround by the new luxury men clothes and look with dull eyes at Lu Jun who has just came out from the fitting room. He looks more eye-catching than the elites and celebrities. That well-tailored suit accentuates his tall and slender figure. He smiles slightly, appearing cultured and refined and asks: “How do I look?”

I finally recover my composure, say hesitantly and with flattery: “Very nice but …… ”

Before letting me finish, he is already telling the salesperson: “Wrap it up.” Then he takes another set of  leisure wear into the fitting room.

Not much later he comes out, looking like the friendly, kind and gentle boy next door.

He looks at me smilingly and asks again: “How about this one?”

I nod my head: “Also very nice, but …… .”

He doesn’t wait for me to finish and tells the salesperson again: ” Wrap it up.” Then he takes a set of house clothes into the fitting room.

When he comes out in his house clothes, I am dazzled momentarily, natural yet s.e.xy and ordinary yet grand……

He walks in front of me and asks again: “How? Is this one okay?”

I recover my composure and nod my head: “Very nice but …….”

He says again: “Wrap it up.”

……

When I am carrying the expensive clothes with both of my hands, after general manager Lu paid with his credit card and we left the mall, I finally have a chance to ask him.

“General manager, aren’t you buying for me?”

“Why should I buy for you?”

“But you obviously said in the office just now………”

“What did I say?”

“You said you wanted to take me to the mall in the city center to buy some decent clothes ……”

“Yes, are you not in the mall in the city center and bought a few decent clothes?”

” …… ” d.a.m.n it, I’ve been tricked again! Actually, I was called to be free labor!

That night, I return home dispirited. I am at the door and is changing into my slippers but my mom blocks my way and starts to scold me: “Why are you coming home so late? Are you ready for your blind date tomorrow?”

I weakly put on my slippers, look sorrowful and complain: “Mom, everyone in the office gets a day off tomorrow except I have to work overtime in the afternoon. Thus, I don’t think I can go to the blind date.” When she hears this, her face changes color so I quickly beg for mercy: “Mom, this is really not my fault. It is the boss’s order so I can’t disobey.”

Mom is really angry and says with dissatisfaction: “How can it be like this? Why are you the only one who won’t get a day off? Don’t worry, your dear mother will help you seek justice!”

I look at her with admiration: “How to seek justice?”

Mom with her righteous appearance looks somewhat like Superman: “Call your boss to come and talk to me. Your mother has no other skill but has a powerful mouth. Watch how I am going to teach him a lesson!”

“Ring ,Ring , Ring, Ring Rrrrrrrrrringgggg …… ”

Suddenly, the phone rings. I take it out from my bag and pick up the call: “h.e.l.lo, it is the general manager. Don’t say anything first because my mom has something to say to you.”  I immediately gives the phone to my mother.

Mom stares at me in astonishment and takes the phone in a flurry: “Oh? ….. Cao Cao, how are you? Oh wrong one ….. General manager, how are you?”

I am speechless. She even called him, Cao Cao.

The voice from the other side sounds extremely courteous and gentle: “Auntie, how are you? Please call me little Lu. Oh, by the way, coincidentally someone has just given me a box of dong quai. Since it is of no use to me, I’ll ask Xia Ye to bring it to you tomorrow.”

“Oh? I can’t accept this. Aiya, little Lu, you’re too kind! Haha …… ” Mom looks very happy. She sounded so much more joyful compared to when she sang me a birthday song: “Little Lu, what do you like to eat? My cooking skill is pretty good so when you have time, come to our home for a meal.”

Lu Jun humbly and politely replies: “I like to eat home-cooked food so if there is a chance I’ll definitely go and try auntie’s cooking. Oh, by the way, just now Xia Ye said that you have something to say to me?”

I keep on sending eye signal to mom to hint to her to help me to seek justice. Just a moment ago, wasn’t she full of vigour? She better don’t back out at the crucial moment!

However, things turn out contrary to the way I wish. My mom’s voice is gentle and soft until it gives me gooseb.u.mps: “Oh, that, it is nothing important. I just want to find out that my daughter did not cause you any trouble while working in your company? That girl doesn’t have any good point. She is absent-minded and petty so please tolerate and forgive her!”

Suddenly I feel very weak. My dear mother, whose side are you actually on? To my surprise, Lu Jun doesn’t take this opportunity to put me down: “No, Xia Ye is doing very well in the company.”

Mom nods her head repeatedly: “That’s good, I feel rea.s.sured now. You must tell me if she did anything wrong. Auntie has no other skill but has a powerful  mouth. Watch how I am going to teach her a lesson!”

I: ” …… ”

Mom, it seems like you also told me the same thing just now but the object of your lesson suddenly changes to me now. So fast, you’ve already betrayed me. = =

The two of them seem to have formed a united front and talk about this and that in high spirits for more than ten minutes. During the conversation, my mom did not say a harsh word or even use a harsh tone!

I have plenty to complain, so I glare at her with my angry and accusing eyes: “Mom …… ”

Mom beats my head: “You bad girl, where can you find such a gentle, polite and down to earth boss? What is even more unusual is that his voice is so pleasant to hear. He is also generous, as when have you ever bought dong quai for me? Working for such a good boss, why are you still not satisfied? Xia Ye, listen to me properly, in the future you ……” (countless profound lessons to make me weep and vomit blood)

I cover my forehead with my hand and is on the verge of tears. After all, she is whose mother? Big Boss Lu, you really know how to bribe people ….

Since I don’t need to go to work tomorrow morning, I switch off the alarm before going to sleep as I plan to sleep until I wake up naturally.

Drowsily, I do not know how long I’ve slept but suddenly I am awakened by a cheerful ringing tone. I pull out my mobile phone in my half awake and half asleep state and press the answer b.u.t.ton while my eyes are still close: “h.e.l.lo, who are you? Speak up! h.e.l.lo …… what do you want, calling me without saying anything? Are you sick?”

Finally, I open my eyes to see who is calling. As it turns out, the phone rang because I received a text message.

When I look at the phone, I only realise that I’ve slept until eleven plus. The text message was sent by Lu Jun with a very detailed address. I do not understand what it meant so I call him. It seems that he answers the call immediately, so I suspect that he is holding the phone in his hand and waiting for my call!

Although, I am very unhappy at being awakened from my sleep, the culprit is after all my boss so I can’t ignore him. Hence, I ask him in a flattering tone as if I am very pleased to be wakened up by him: “h.e.l.lo, general manager, did you send the text message to the wrong person?”

“Are you Xia Ye?”

I nod and answer immediately: “Yes!”

“Then, it should be right.”

I am speechless and keep quiet for a few seconds. Then, I cautiously ask: “Why did you send the address to me?”

He replies in a straightforward way: “Invite you to have a meal.”

I am stunned and momentarily don’t know how to react: “Is this considered overtime since I don’t need to go to work today?”

He waits and replies calmly: “Initially, I intend  to show my appreciation by giving you a treat but since you like to go to work, so forget it and go directly to the office.”

“No, no, no, I’ll be there right away!” I quickly change my tune, after remembering my last painful experience. Before I hang up the phone, I can’t help seeking confirmation: “I really don’t need to pay even a cent for this meal?”

“I promise you’ll pay nothing.”

I feel rea.s.sured: “Okay, I’ll be there right away!”

Following the address, I take the bus and arrive in front of an apartment half an hour later. This luxury residential apartment looks familiar which is Lu Jun’s very luxurious and trendy home that I came before. This man is really strange. Didn’t he say, wanting to give me a treat but why need to eat at his home? Don’t tell me….. he wants to eat ….me?

Suddenly, I shudder at such thought. Indeed, as the saying goes man is a vicious wolf daytime as well as nighttime!

At this moment, the mobile phone suddenly starts to ring. I take a look and see Lu Jun’s name blinking on the screen.

I recall my fear and concern so I decide not to eat this meal.  Thus, I pick up the phone and give an excuse: “h.e.l.lo, general manager, the traffic jam is pretty bad at my end, so I estimate that I can only reach your place in two to three hours time. How about we postpone this meal to another day?

The other end says threateningly: “Xia Ye, you’d better come up within three minutes. Otherwise, I’ll arrange you to be on night shift for a week from tomorrow onward. I am starting the countdown now!”

“I …… ”

“Du du du ……”

Before I could argue, he has already hung up the phone. I look up at the tall apartment and see the silhouette of a man holding a hand phone through the French window. I could not help but start to sweat. Obviously, there is no escape as that person is looking at me from above! Thus, I’ve no option but to summon up courage to bite the bullet……

Oops, only two minutes left! I wipe the sweat away and sprint for the door.

Fortunately, the elevator happens to stop at the first floor so with a bit of luck and me running until out of breath, I manage to arrive on time at the destination.

The door is opened, so I trembling with fear walk in and see Lu Jun wearing that house clothes we bought together at the mall yesterday. He is sitting lazily on the sofa watching TV. When he sees me come in, he glances at me and says: “Didn’t you say that the traffic jam is bad?”

I look at him in embarra.s.sment and laugh off: “Heehee, I was just kidding with you, very funny, right? Ha Ha Ha…….”

I give a hollow laugh. Lu Jun keeps quiet and casts sidelong glances at me making me not knowing whether  to continue or stop laughing.

At this awkward and difficult moment, he waves his hand at me: “Come over here.”

Suddenly, I am on the alert and is combat ready. Don’t tell me that he asked me to go over, then suddenly will throw me on the sofa and brutally tear off my clothes. I’ll shout no, please don’t but his face will show an evil smile and he’ll say: Baby, come here and brother will love you properly ……

When my imagination is running wild, Lu Jun suddenly changes his tune: “You better don’t come over here!”

After I recover my composure and wipe away a drop of saliva, I ask: “Why?”

He says seriously: “Your expression is too strange so I’m scared.”

I: ” …… “