章 43: Harem
"Si Ming, why do you look so tired?" Feng Jiu asked concernedly, after noticing Si Ming yawning non-stop throughout the whole morning."Oh, it's nothing. I just slept late, but it's fine. I'll just get some coffee, and it will keep me awake." Si Ming yawned again.
"Oh. What did you do last night?! Don't tell me you picked up a lady after we were gone from the restaurant." Xiao Yan winked at Si Ming. Feng Jiu then laughed out loud and said, "You're full of nonsense, Xiao Yan. Why would Si Ming do that? He's not that kind of guy."
"Awww! I'm just joking. I know Si Ming isn't interested in girls. Wait! Maybe he likes guys instead? Please don't tell me it's Dong Hua!" Xiao Yan then gave a smug smile to Si Ming.
Si Ming then held on to Xiao Yan's hands and replied, "Yeah... actually, I'm in love with you, Xiao Yan." Then he smiled sweetly at him. Xiao Yan instantly flinched and swept Si Ming's hands away from his. "I'm not into guys! I only love Ji Heng." Si Ming then knocked his head hard and replied, "Did you really think that I had a crush on you?! I'll have a crush on Ji Heng first before I even have a crush on you." Xiao Yan then yelled, "Not my Ji Heng! Get your own girl!"
"Calm down. I'm just kidding. You need more tonics to boost your brain." Si Ming replied calmly, and he silently thought to himself, "I don't think they will believe me if I told them about Yu Xi." Feng Jiu then shook her head lightly and replied, "I think Xiao Yan needs a cup of coffee too. Should I head to the Cafeteria to get both of you some coffee?"
"That sounds nice, I really needed one. Thank you, Feng Jiu. Here, take my card and pay for the coffee. Get yourself and everyone in the team a cup too."
"Wow, Si Ming is so generous. He must be in love." Xiao Yan replied with a grin on his face. Si Ming then rolled his eyes and replied, "So do you want free coffee or not?" Feng Jiu then smacked Xiao Yan's arm and told him to stop teasing Si Ming.
"Behave yourself, Xiao Yan! And I'll go ask Meng Shao and Jie Lu, to see if they want some coffee." Feng Jiu then happily skipped back to their desks.
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"Go help Feng Jiu carry the drinks, Meng Shao. She can't carry all five cups on her own." Jie Lu said to Meng Shao, and she nudged him to get up. Feng Jiu then shook her head lightly, and then she replied, "No, no. Don't worry about it! I can definitely handle it, and we don't have to trouble Meng Shao. He looks busy as well."
Meng Shao immediately stood up and stretched his legs."It's okay, Feng Jiu. Let me come with you and help you out. I have been buried in work since morning, and I really needed to stretch my legs." Then they proceeded to the cafeteria downstairs.
When Feng Jiu and Meng Shao got to the Cafeteria, there was a large group of people crowding in front of the entrance, and they were blocking their way into the Cafeteria.
"Who's that?" Meng Shao pointed towards the group of people, and Feng Jiu turned over to see who he was pointing at. But she only managed to spot Ji Heng, "Eww. Why is she here? How unlucky!"
Then she pointed her out to Meng Shao, "You see that girl there? That's Ji Heng, and she's the manager from the other team, in our Design Department. Also, Xiao Yan's crush. But you should be wary of her, as I almost lost my job because of her! But it's the past now, and I don't want to talk about it anymore." Feng Jiu then thought to herself, "At least I have Si Ming to protect me, so Ji Heng won't be able to do anything." Little did she know, Dong Hua was also secretly protecting her.
"I trust you, so you don't have to explain it to me. Thanks for the heads-up, and I would definitely be more careful around her! Let's just try to get past this group of people, and head into the Cafeteria!" Meng Shao then smiled brightly at Feng Jiu.
They started to squeeze through the group of people, "Would you mind moving a little? Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry." After struggling and squeezing among people for a while, Feng Jiu managed to get past the large group of people. Then she turned back to look at Meng Shao, who was still stuck among the crowd. Meng Shao then yelled over, "Go ahead and queue up first, Feng Jiu. Don't worry about me, and I'll catch up with you soon."
Feng Jiu started walking into the Cafeteria, but she also kept looking back, to see if Meng Shao could make his way out. Then she turned around and collided smack into someone's hard chest. She immediately bowed and apologized, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking, and I bumped into you."
"Are you peeping at guys again?" A cold and stern voice said. Feng Jiu immediately recognized the voice and looked up to see Dong Hua staring down at her. "Dong... Dong Hua?! Why are you here? I thought you were still on a business trip." Feng Jiu jumped back, straightened her shirt and tried to look calm.
"Oh? I came back early, and caught you snooping around, again." Dong Hua then tried to hide a half-smile by pretending to clear his throat. He was screaming with joy inside, as he didn't expect to bump into Feng Jiu right after he came back from his trip.
"Hmph! I'm not even snooping around. I'm just waiting for my friend here." Feng Jiu pouted and folded her arms. "Friend, huh?" Dong Hua then smiled at how cute she looked when she's angry, and then he looked around, trying to see who was she waiting for.
Right at this moment, Meng Shao came running over, "I finally got past those people! Let's go now, Feng Jiu." Dong Hua then stared intensively at Meng Shao, and said coldly, "Who are you?"
"You must be our President, and I'm sorry for being rude! I'm Meng Shao from the Design Department, and I'm also working in the same team with Feng Jiu." Meng Shao said politely, and he bowed a little to greet Dong Hua. Feng Jiu then patted Meng Shao's shoulder and said, "Let's go, before the queue gets too long." Then she started to drag Meng Shao away.
Dong Hua felt annoyed looking at them being so close, and then he thought to himself, "I'm only gone for a few days, and she already has a new guy around her. Is she trying to have a harem?" He frowned and then he decided to follow them into the Cafeteria too.
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When everyone saw Dong Hua standing at the back of the queue, they immediately gave way to him. He managed to cut the line to the middle, just right behind Feng Jiu.
"Uh, should we let the President go first, Feng Jiu?" Meng Shao whispered to Feng Jiu. "No, why should we? He's a human being like everyone else so he should just queue." She whispered back.
Dong Hua cleared his throat loudly, trying to get Feng Jiu's attention. But Feng Jiu assumed that Dong Hua just wanted her to give way to him too, "Abusing his authority, as usual. Why should I give way to him? This is a public area." Then she turned back and said to Dong Hua, "You shouldn't cut the queue. Everyone waited for a long time as well." And she turned back to the front and continued talking to Meng Shao.
Dong Hua then shook his head lightly and thought to himself, "Silly girl. It's even better for me if I stood behind you so that I can see what both of you are up to."
Everyone who was standing in front of Feng Jiu was shocked by what they had just heard. Then they quickly offered their places and tried to give way to Dong Hua. He rejected their requests and said sarcastically, "No, it's fine. I'll just queue up like every other human being."
Feng Jiu then thought to herself, "Hmph! Sounds about right! Wait, did he just eavesdropped into my conversation with Meng Shao again?! Dong Hua is so shameless." Then she folded her arms and continued talking to Meng Shao again.
"You look a little tired, Meng Shao." Feng Jiu said. "Yeah, I'm feeling just a little tired from looking at the computer the whole morning. Getting a coffee would definitely help me feel less tired." Meng Shao then smiled at Feng Jiu sweetly. She smiled back and replied, "Yeah, you do need to rest more. The bags under your eyes are getting darker!" Then Feng Jiu started to point at his eyebags, and she was having fun teasing Meng Shao.
"Weak. I looked at the computer from morning to night, and I don't even feel tired." Dong Hua shamelessly thought to himself. Then he leaned closer towards the both of them, trying to eavesdrop into their conversation more. Feng Jiu then noticed Dong Hua leaning closer, "Why is he leaning in so close to me?" and then she turned back and looked at Dong Hua. Dong Hua immediately looked away, pretending that he wasn't eavesdropping. Feng Jiu then continued teasing Meng Shao, and they had fun talking and laughing, while Dong Hua stood behind them and felt sour about it.
The line was long, and it seemed like it wasn't moving at all. Feng Jiu turned over to Meng Shao and said, "If you're busy, you can head back to the office first. I can queue up on my own, and then get all of us some coffee." Meng Shao smiled at Feng Jiu and replied, "No, it's fine. Waiting for awhile more wouldn't be a problem." Feng Jiu then smiled back at him and replied, "Thanks for waiting with me."
Dong Hua instantly felt jealous when he saw them smiling so sweetly to each other. Right at this moment, Chong Lin came into the Cafeteria, looking for Dong Hua. He immediately ran over to Dong Hua when he noticed him standing in the queue. "Sir, I could queue up and get a drink for you." Chong Lin said. Dong Hua then replied sternly, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be busy at work now? If you're busy, you shouldn't be wasting your time here." Dong Hua indirectly hinted at Meng Shao to head back to work.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I'll head back to work immediately." Chong Lin then left the Cafeteria. A few people who had heard what Dong Hua said, also left the queue and quickly headed back to work as well. Feng Jiu looked at those people leaving, and she thought to herself, "Hmph! Dong Hua is so unreasonable! Why is he still here buying a drink then? Since he's always busy, shouldn't he be back to work and not waste time here too?"
Meng Shao then whispered to Feng Jiu, "Should I head back to work first? I'm afraid to get into trouble." Feng Jiu then told Meng Shao to ignore what Dong Hua said, but he was still afraid, "I think I'll just head back to work first. I'll see you later, Feng Jiu." Then Meng Shao swiftly left the Cafeteria and headed back to the office.
Feng Jiu then glowered at Dong Hua and thought to herself, "Going to such great lengths just to cut the queue. Only Dong Hua will be this shameless."
"Why do you look so mad?" Dong Hua asked calmly."Because you're standing behind me." Feng Jiu replied coldly, and she avoided looking at him."I own this building, and I can't even stand behind you?" Dong Hua then walked up closer to her.
"Abusing his authority again." Feng Jiu thought to herself, and then she murmured, "Sure, you can do anything you like. You're the big boss anyway."
"You seem to have a lot of misunderstandings towards me." Dong Hua replied. Feng Jiu thought to herself, "I'm just protecting my heart from getting hurt again." Then she replied, "No, not at all. I just think it's better if we don't meet each other." Dong Hua felt a little hurt, but he couldn't understand why she's acting this way towards him.
Before he could reply, it was Feng Jiu's turn to order the drinks. She ordered the drinks, picked it up and promptly left the Cafeteria.
"Why does she seems to hate me? What did I do?" Dong Hua was in a daze, thinking again what Feng Jiu just said."Good afternoon, Mr. President. May I have your order?" The cashier interrupted his thoughts. Dong Hua then ordered a cup of coffee and went back to his office. He felt bothered over what Feng Jiu said to him, and he couldn't stop thinking about it.
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Feng Jiu got back to her office and realized that Ji Heng was back in the office.
"Come here with me, Feng Jiu." Si Ming then dragged her towards Ji Heng's office. He knocked on Ji Heng's door and then called her to come out of her office.
"So, you said that you would apologize to Feng Jiu. Now is your best time to do it." Si Ming said sternly.
"Oh, you want me to do it here? I wanted to apologize to her privately." Ji Heng felt embarrassed, and she didn't want the other employees to hear them.
"Yeah. Do it here." Si Ming replied coldly.
Ji Heng hesitated for a while, and then she turned over to Feng Jiu and said, "I'm sorry about the previous incident, and I hope that you'll forgive me." Feng Jiu then replied coldly, "Fine. I'll let the matter rest this time." Then she thought silently to herself, "Next time, I wouldn't be this stupid to fall for your tricks anymore."
"Good. If you dare to do anything to Feng Jiu again, Dong Hua will definitely hear about this." Si Ming replied sternly, and then he dragged Feng Jiu away.
Ji Heng was boiling inside, and she knew that it would be even harder to get Feng Jiu fired now. Then she wiped the fake smile off her face and headed back into her office.
Feng Jiu put her arm around Si Ming's shoulder. "Wow, Si Ming! You were so cool back there!" Si Ming's serious face immediately broke into a cheeky smile, and he replied, "Nah, I'm not that cool. I just hate it when people abuse their authority and then bully others."
"Sounds like someone I know." Feng Jiu replied sarcastically.
Right at this moment, Dong Hua walked into the office, along with the management team. He noticed Feng Jiu's arm hooking over Si Ming's shoulder, and he stared intensively at her.
Feng Jiu immediately put her arm down and stood aside to allow them to pass through. She silently thought to herself."Not again, why is Dong Hua here?"
Dong Hua continued to stare at Feng Jiu, and he also thought to himself, "Another one? How many men does she have in her harem? Luckily, it's Si Ming this time, and I know him well. He's definitely no threat, and I don't think he even likes girls." At that thought, he smiled to himself and walked into the meeting room.
"Oh my! I totally forgot about the meeting, and I need to go now! We are having a meeting to discuss the new project from Fan Yin Investment." Si Ming said anxiously, and then he hurriedly went back into his office to grab some documents, and then headed into the meeting room.
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After the meeting ended, Dong Hua walked out of the meeting room. He made a detour on purpose so that he would walk past Feng Jiu's workstation. But Feng Jiu was too focused on her work, and she didn't notice Dong Hua walking past her table.
"Sir, the exit is on the other side." Chong Lin said.
"Of course, I know that. I'm just looking around, and making sure that everyone is doing their work." Then he pretended to glance around the office, and then looked back at Feng Jiu. But she didn't even once look back at him. Dong Hua then cleared his throat loudly, trying to get her attention.
Feng Jiu continued to ignore his presence, and Dong Hua then started to do a fake cough, trying to get her attention again. Finally, Feng Jiu looked up at Dong Hua and said coldly, "If you're sick, you should just stay away from people." Then she stood up, grab a file on her table, and walked towards the printer.
"She really does hates me." Dong Hua suddenly felt empty and lost, then he left and went back to his own office.
"Ah! So annoying, why do I keep bumping into Dong Hua?! I thought that I could finally move on, but he keeps appearing in front of me." Feng Jiu angrily thought to herself, while photocopying some of her documents.
Si Ming then called his team over for a small meeting in his own office.
"Okay. So our team was assigned to a big project, by Fan Yin Investment. Unfortunately, we will be swamped for the next two months. But if we do well on this project, our bonus this year will be tripled. Also, we may have to work with Ji Heng's team, just to finalize the project." Si Ming briefly explained the project details to them.
Fan Yin Investment will be hosting a nationwide art gallery, featuring art pieces from aspiring young artists. The design department will be in charge of various tasks, from drafting the floor plans to designing a website for the event.
Art gallery? Sounds interesting." Feng Jiu replied. "I'm sure we would do well, let's show them who's the best team!" Xiao Yan held out his palm and tried to give everyone a high-five, but everyone ignored him. Jie Lu then pitied Xiao Yan and gave him a high-five back.
Xiao Yan smiled brightly at Jie Lu and said, "You're not mean to me today, Jie Lu." She smirked and replied, "You prefer me to be mean?" Xiao Yan gave a silly smile and replied, "Of course not. I think you look a little cute when you're not that mean."
Jie Lu then lightly knocked Xiao Yan's head and replied, "Now, you're looking for a beating!" Xiao Yan immediately covered his head, to shield himself from her hitting his head, "Why are you so mean? I praised you!" Then they started to play fight.
Si Ming laughed and shook his head lightly."Sometimes I feel like a kindergarten teacher."
Meng Shao then asked, "I guess we will need to work over-time in the office often then?" He actually felt a little happy because this means that he could spend more time with Feng Jiu."Well, you can bring your work home. But you're also welcomed to stay behind in the office. It's totally up to you." Si Ming replied calmly.
Everyone then left Si Ming's office, and they started working on the new project.
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Soon, it was time to go home.
"Are we going anywhere together tonight?" Xiao Yan asked. Feng Jiu then suggested that they should all have dinner together. Jie Lu and Meng Shao agreed with the dinner plans, and Jie Lu also suggested to go to the Chinese restaurant nearby.
Then Si Ming said, "I need to go somewhere tonight, you guys go ahead and have fun. Don't stay too late, because it's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"Aww! It's a pity that you can't come with us!" Feng Jiu pouted. "It's okay, and there's always next time." Si Ming patted her head, and then swiftly left the office.
Xiao Yan looked at Si Ming leaving in a hurry, and he said, "Hmm. I wonder what he's up to, leaving so quickly. Maybe he's going for a date?!" Feng Jiu immediately laughed out loud and replied, "No way! Si Ming would never go on a date. I know him so well, and if he had a girlfriend, we would all know for sure."
Then they left the office and went to the restaurant.
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Si Ming bought some food for Yu Xi, while he was on the way to the apartment.
"I wonder what she likes." He thought to himself, and then he decided to buy everything off the menu so that she could pick whatever that she likes to eat.
When he arrived at the apartment, he heard a faint scream emerging from the inside of the apartment. He immediately typed the passcode on the front door lock and ran in.
"What happened?!" Si Ming yelled. Yu Xi then yelled back, "Help me, Si Ming! I'm in the bathroom."
It turned out that Yu Xi had overloaded the washing machine with too much soap, and bubbles were forming everywhere. She sat on the floor and started to frown. "I can't even do anything right."
Si Ming then tried to get her to stand up so that he could clear up the mess. The moment she stood up, she slipped and grabbed onto Si Ming's shirt. Si Ming then fell on top of her, and their eyes met.
"I'm sorry!" Yu Xi immediately blushed and apologized. Then she started to laugh. Si Ming quickly got up and asked, "What's so funny?" And she replied, "I'm just laughing at my own clumsiness!"
Si Ming took a towel and wiped the bubbles off from Yu Xi's face, and he also wiped the bubbles off his own face. Yu Xi then frowned and apologized again, "I'm sorry that I caused trouble for you again."
Si Ming saw her frowning and tried to console her. "Hey hey, don't worry about it. Take a step at a time. You can't learn to do everything in one day. It also took me years to be independent."
"I guess you're right. You're so smart, Si Ming. I wished I was more like you." The frown on her face turned into a wide smile.
"Hey, don't think about it anymore. Let's eat our dinner! I bought a lot of food, and you can pick your favourite to eat." Si Ming helped her up, and they both went towards the dining table.
"Oh, wow! You really bought a lot of food! I can't wait to eat." Then the two of them started eating, and then they talked more about themselves.
"You know what I miss most? My grandma's specialty, Braised Pork Belly. Sadly, she passed away two years ago, and I have not had it since."
"Oh wow, what a coincidence. Braised Pork Belly is my favourite, and it's also my signature dish. I'll cook it for you next time, and you'll tell me if it tastes the same as your grandma's."
"I can't wait! I would love to try it! Why are you so good at everything, Si Ming?" Yu Xi then smiled brightly at Si Ming.
Si Ming blushed, and it's the first time in a long time since he last felt this shy. "When you're always alone, you tend to learn things faster. If not, you won't be able to survive."
They continued their dinner, and then Si Ming helped Yu Xi clean up the house for a bit. When they were cleaning up together, they talked more about themselves. It seemed that they have a lot of common interests and hobbies.
"I'll be busier for the next few days, and it would last up to two months at least. But don't worry, I'll still find time to visit you. Call me if anything comes up, and remember to lay low, so your dad doesn't find you." Si Ming said, before leaving the apartment.
"Don't worry about me, Si Ming. I'll be fine being alone, and I need to learn to be independent anyway. Get going now. It's late!"
"I'll visit you again soon. Good night." Si Ming then left the building and headed back home. Si Ming started to look forward to coming back to visit Yu Xi. But at the same time, he was afraid to get too close to Yu Xi.
"Wake up, Si Ming. She's out of your league."
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