章 14: Like a tomato

Around midnight, the Tang family's private jet landed at Xi city's airport.

As they deboarded at the terminal, Tang Wei Sheng stole a glance at Li Juan, who was looking at the starry sky with a pair of sparkling eyes.

"The sky is much clearer than the Jing city. isn't it?" Tang Wei Sheng asked the girl, who was brimming with child-like curiosity.

"Hmm." She gently nodded at turned her gaze back to the sky.

A highly developed Jing city got an enormous amount of light pollution, making it impossible for city dwellers to have a clear sky view during the night. Whether it is for someone who lives in the posh area or the darkest alleys of the city, it was rare to witness the starry sky.

While they kept busied themselves with stargazing, a lush black May Bach approached them, and a man in a black suit got down.

"Good evening, CEO Tang. How was your flight?" The man greeted with a pleasant smile.

"It was good, Manager Zhang. I didn't expect that you would be here to receive me." Tang Wei Sheng couldn't hide his surprise when he saw the middle-aged man who came to receive him.

He was Zhang Zi Zhong, the managing head of the Tang Corp's Xi city branch.

"It is my duty." The man replied and opened the car's door for Tang Wei Sheng.

"Why are you doing this, Manager Zhang? After all, you are older than me. Please don't make me feel bad." Tang Wei Sheng complained as he allowed the lady to get onto the car.

"This is your first time visiting Xi city, and I am glad to serve you, CEO Tang." Zhang Zi Zhong sounded cheerful as he spoke.

"I will trouble you then," Tang Wei Sheng apologetically said and entered the car.

After driving for almost an hour, the car reached a hillside manor, away from the city.

As the only building in the area, the contemporary Tudor style manor resembled a ship that sailed on the vast sea.

"Chairman got this mansion seven years ago." Yang Xiong informed his boss, who appeared amazed by the grandeur mansion.

"Seven years ago?" Tang Wei Sheng repeated in disbelief. His family had various properties and buildings in numerous cities, but for some reason, he felt that this hillside manor was the best among them.

"Yes. Chairman told me that this mansion is a gift for his grandson after he takes charge of Tang Corporation." Zhang Zi Zhong added whatever he knew about the existence of the manor.

"I thought my birthday surprises had ended, but it seems like I missed a few of them." Tang Wei Sheng casually replied and glanced at the girl who was left speechless by their conversation.

As a person who grew up in poverty, receiving a grand mansion as a birthday present was far beyond Li Juan's belief. The only expensive gift she ever got was a chain with a diamond pendant from her mother when she joined the university.

While everyone was discussing the mansion, a maid opened the main door and greeted them.

"Boss, this is Mrs Zhao. Chairman told me that you don't like too many servants at home. So she is the only maid we got here." Manager Zhang notified Tang Wei Sheng as he led his boss inside.

The minimalist interior design, the furniture, everything in the mansion was according to Tang Wei Sheng's likes and tastes.

"Is everything is according to likes, boss?" Manager Zhang asked the man who was silently observing the room's interior. "Do you wish to change anything?"

"No, manager Zhang. I like it." Tang Wei Sheng gave him an approving nod and allowed the others to take a rest.

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It was Yang Xiong who waked Tang Wei Sheng in the morning, unlike his daily routine. Usually, his work as a personal assistant starts at 9 am, to escort his boss to the office.

"Good morning, boss." Yang Xiong greeted and handed over the hot coffee to Tang Wei Sheng, who woke up with a smile on his face.

"He seems to be in a good mood ever since the flight left the Jing city. What exactly happened to him?" Yang Xiong wondered as he watched Tang Wei Sheng's brightened demeanour.

"Bro Yang, when is your return flight?" Tang Wei Sheng inquired as he finished his coffee.

Since he was accompanying Li Juan to the monastery, Yang Xiong volunteered to visit the Xi City branch office and report to Tang Yi, who will be in charge of the Tang corporations, on behalf of the current CEO.

"Will you be alright without me?" Yang Xiong asked in a concerned tone.

"I should ask you that. Will you be alright without me? President Tang is much scarier than me." Tang Wei Sheng gave a playful warning to his assistant.

The entire Tang Corporation was aware of President Tang Yi's strict and cold personality. Other than his assistant, none of the employees had direct contact with him as they all feared Tang Yi. However, after his son took over the CEO position, Tang Yi occasionally came to the headquarters.

However, unlike his cold and arrogant dad, Tang Wei Sheng, who had a cheerful and radiant personality, became everyone's favourite within a short time.

"Did Mrs Zhao make this coffee?" Tang Wei Sheng asked as he handed over the coffee cup to Yang Xiong. "It's tasty."

"No young master, Miss Li made the coffee. I told her not to bother, but she was adamant about making the coffee. She even watered the plants and fed the birds." Yang Xiong replied enthusiastically.

"Does she mistake this place as her home?" Tang Wei Sheng chuckled as he rose from the bed.

"You should probably ask Miss Li. She is waiting for you. Boss, you should get ready soon and have your breakfast. I will go and get your car." Yang Xiong recommended before leaving the room.

After a quick warm shower, Tang Wei Sheng got changed into a casual pair of clothes and went for breakfast.

As he descended the stairs, Tang Wei Sheng's eyes befell for the beauty, who sat cross-legged on the fluffy floor rug as if it's her own house.

The black-rimmed reading glasses, oversized sweater and cuffed jeans- all these things imparted a simple yet effortlessly stylish nerd-chic appearance for Li Juan as she sat there, going through various notes.

"Good morning, Miss Li." Tang Wei Sheng greeted as he walked over to the couch.

However, Li Juan, who was busy checking the Laptop and notes, didn't seem to notice him at all.

"You seem very busy, sweetheart." Tang Wei Sheng sat down next to her and peeked into her laptop screen, nearly startling Li Juan out of her wits.

"Se...senior Tang!!!" She stumbled upon her words when she noticed the proximity between them. He was sitting so close to her where she could smell his expensive cologne.

"Okay, heart, please don't play any rock songs." Li Juan tried to calm herself by grabbing the notes lying on the rug. However, just as she lunged to pick them, the book on her lap fell onto the Laptop's keyboard, deleting whatever she was writing.

"Oh no!!!" She threw away the notes and quickly tapped on the keyboard, trying to retrieve the document.

Well, a certain someone was indeed clumsy before her crush and ended up creating chaos.

Tang Wei Sheng let out a chuckle and picked up the notes lying all over the place.

When Li Juan saw what he was doing, she slammed the laptop shut and stopped him.

"Senior Tang, let me do it." She suggested and began to pick up the mess that she created a minute ago.

"Hey, it is alright." Tang Wei Sheng refused and skimmed over the content of the notes before returning them to her.

"Your handwriting is quite pretty."

"Huh, thanks." Li Juan replied and made a vague attempt to move away from him.

However, Tang Wei Sheng, who noticed her actions, moved closer to her.

"I always wanted to ask you. Are you scared of me?" He shot a random question at the timid girl who was avoiding looking at him.

"You look uncomfortable whenever I am with you."

"No, no, Senior Tang." Li Juan immediately refused.

"No, you are lying. I have always noticed it. Whenever we are having a conversation, your face turns red, and you start stuttering.

What is it? Do you fear me?"

"No, It is just…it's nothing but..." Li Juan hesitated for a moment.

How will she say that it is only because of the stupid act of her hormones whenever she sees him?

"Nothing but?" Tang Wei Sheng became curious about her answer and leaned closer to Li Juan, whose cheeks immediately got flushed with a shade of crimson.

"See, this is what I am talking about." He explained with an assuring smile when he saw her squirming in discomfort.

"You don't have to be on your best behaviour as if I'm your investor or employer. Treat me as your colleague or friend. Or, based on what happened between us, should I say, your boyfriend?" He pointed out and gently pinched her rosy cheeks.

"Did he say, boyfriend?" Li Juan was left spellbound when she heard his suggestion.

She never imagined that there would be a day when Tang Wei Sheng would introduce himself as her boyfriend.

"Don't be scared anymore, sweetheart." Tang Wei Sheng dotingly patted her curly hair. "Come, let's have breakfast." He suggested and held her palm and led her to the dining room.

They sat down face to face at the dining table that carried numerous healthy and delicious dishes.

"Where is Assistant yang?" Li Juan looked for Yang Xiong as she served the breakfast.

"Oh, he went to pick a car for us." Tang Wei Sheng casually said as he filled up Li Juan's plate with vegetables and tofu.

"By the way, which is your favourite car, sweetheart?" He asked the girl who started munching on her veggies, and it took her a long minute to answer his question.

"Senior Tang, I use public transportations. So I don't have any knowledge about cars, nor I have any favourites."

It was the first time in his life Tang Wei Sheng heard such an answer. He knew that Li Juan couldn't afford a car, but still, he thought she might have a dream car. But her reply sparked another thought in his mind.

"Do you want one?" He asked as if he was offering candy.

"Is he offering more tofu...or a car?" Li Juan wondered and looked at the tofu in his chopstick, only to look down at her plate.

"If you don't have any dream cars, how about I get you one? So that you don't have to use public transport or hitchhike with your colleagues." Though Tang Wei Sheng framed his words aiming for Li Juan's betterment, in reality, he was merely using his tactics to prevent her from travelling with Lee Tae Min anymore.

"No." It was a straight rejection from Li Juan, unlike the earlier question.

"Why? You don't like cars?" Tang Wei Sheng's eyebrows perched up when he heard her straight cut rejection. She didn't take a moment to think.

"It is because of global warming." She paused before continuing with her reason.

"I don't find it appropriate to buy a car for the sake of a single person. It is just me, and the only place I visit regularly is university. There is no need for me to get a car."

"But you live in downtown? Isn't it far from your university?" He couldn't help but ask a hypothetical question since Li Juan kept rejecting the idea of getting a car.

"What if there is an emergency and you can't get into a bus or subway?"

"I can book a taxi." Li Juan replied with a confused look on her face. She couldn't figure out why is he clung to something she could never afford to own.

"What if you are sick and unable to find any public transportation facilities? What will you do then?" Tang Wei Sheng asked again to the girl who sat staring at him with a blank expression.

"You should call me right away, you dummy." He broke into a peal of laughter and pulled her cheeks.

"Is she dumb or what?" Li Juan squealed in her head.

Tang Wei Sheng was hinting that she should consider him as a boyfriend, but instead of that, she kept answering like an idiot.

"But you like sports cars." Li Juan asked to escape from the awkward situation." Don't you?"

"Yes. I like sports cars." Tang Wei Sheng excitedly replied and went ahead with showcasing his interest in automobiles.

"When I was abroad, I used to participate in racing championships."

"Seriously!" Li Juan was a bit surprised when she heard about his craze.

"Only my grandpa knew about my racing craze. When he was my age, he was also into racing, so we kept it a secret. You know, according to others, it is a dangerous game." Tang Wei Sheng concluded with a proud face. "And now, you knew my secret. So do you have any secrets to share with me, sweetheart?"

A smile bloomed on her enticingly attractive lips when his demand entered her ears. The only secret Li Juan had was her feelings towards Tang Wei Sheng. However, it wasn't the right time to confess.

Since he is also showing interest in her, Maybe the right time won't be so far.

"What is it? Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing."

"Sweetheart, I know you got something to confess. It is the right time. I'm all ears." Tang Wei Sheng persuaded the girl to share her secrets. However, Li Juan kept refusing him.

"It's nothing, Senior Tang. There is-" Even before she could repeat for the nth time, Tang Wei Sheng took hold of Li Juan's wrist and pulled her towards him.

"What about last night? Are you going to keep it a secret?" He asked in an alluringly deep voice and tilted his head to taste her lips, the sweetest addiction.

At that very moment, the door got opened, and Yang Xiong came inside only to catch his boss red-handed.

Or should I say red-faced? Like a tomato?