Chương 85: Straight From The Horse's Mouth
Hi everyone!
I apologize for the late update as I have been tied down with real-life commitments. Unfortunately, I still won't be able to update as frequently as I used to.
When I first started writing, I had a lot more time to myself since I was stuck at home due to the current covid situation.
Thankfully, the situation has been improving, and my family business has once again resumed.
I would like to thank everyone for the endless support for my story, and I would definitely complete what I started here.
I would also try my best to update a new chapter whenever possible.
Thank you for being patient and for your understanding!
Cheers and take care!
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Two weeks flew by quickly; the results for 'Round One' of the Architectural Competition would be released today. A total of 8 contestants would be selected among hundreds of applicants to enter into the second round.
Feng Jiu nervously waited in front of the notice boards for the results to be released. Everyone who participated in the first round of the competition also gathered around the boards.
"Please! Let me enter the second round!" Feng Jiu prayed in her heart.
Soon, the results were posted on the notice boards. Feng Jiu stood on her toes while she struggled to look at the results since she was at the back of the crowd. Then she saw Ji Heng's name on the top of the list. "What?! She also entered the competition and got into round two?" Feng Jiu thought to herself.
Ji Heng smirked at Feng Jiu upon seeing her name, and she walked away proudly without looking at the other names on the list. Feng Jiu then squeezed through the crowd to get to the front to look at the list of names.
"Bai Feng Jiu."
Her name was written on the boards. Feng Jiu yelped excitedly and quickly covered her mouth with her two hands to contain her excitement. "Oh my gosh! I'm in! I'm in! I need to tell Dong Hua about it now!" She thought to herself with a huge smile on her face.
Nobody questioned why Feng Jiu was able to join the competition despite working for less than two years since they knew about her relationship with Dong Hua. At this point, Ji Heng also didn't realize that Feng Jiu went into the second round since she walked off after seeing her own name on it.
She swiftly ran towards the elevator and went back to her office. The moment she reached the office, she smiled brightly at Dong Hua.
Dong Hua smiled and stood up upon seeing Feng Jiu. She ran towards him and gave him a big hug. "Dong Hua! I'm in! I got into the second round!"
Dong Hua froze for a second, and then he quickly hugged her back and smoothed her hair. "I knew you would get in, Xiao Bai. I'm so proud of you."
Feng Jiu then realized that she was hugging Dong Hua, and she pulled away. Then she said shyly, "Sorry, I was too excited. I still can't believe that I got in! I need to start preparing for my presentation now."
Dong Hua patted Feng Jiu's head gently and replied lovingly, "It would be in the first week of February, so you still have some time. It would just be a simple presentation, so you don't have to worry too much. If you got into the final round, you'd be really busy since you only have about a month of preparation to present your final product."
"It's okay! I'll start drawing it now. Even if I don't get into the final round, I could still add that to my portfolio or for future use. So... do you still remember our promise?" Feng Jiu smiled brightly.
"Oh? What promise?" Dong Hua teased her and pretended that he didn't remember it.
"You promised me that... Wait! You forgot our promise?!" Feng Jiu glowered. When it comes to food matters, she took it seriously.
"Hmm... I don't remember us having a promise with each other." Dong Hua continued teasing her, and he tried to hold back his smile.
Feng Jiu stood up, walked towards his desk, and sat on it while facing Dong Hua. "Think again!" She stared at Dong Hua sternly.
"Hmm...? Oh, our promise of you making me a cup of coffee? Where's my coffee, by the way?" Dong Hua replied calmly.
"No! Not this one. I'll give you a clue, and it concerns food." Feng Jiu continued staring at Dong Hua, and she slowly leaned in.
"Oh, food. You promised me that you'd give me a whole packet of milk candy." Dong Hua replied casually.
Feng Jiu's stern expression immediately turned into a pout. "Hmph! I knew it! You don't remember." Then she crossed her arms across her chest and turned away from Dong Hua while she was still sitting on his desk.
Dong Hua immediately stood up and placed both of his hands on the desk, with Feng Jiu 'trapped' in between his arms. Feng Jiu immediately felt nervous, and she leaned back a little. "Dong Hua is leaning in so close to me, and I could even hear his every breath."
"Xiao Bai, I won't forget our promise. So, when do you want to have dinner with me? You deserved a good buffet dinner for working so hard." Dong Hua whispered and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Feng Jiu bowed her head and replied softly, "I knew that you wouldn't forget. Hmm... I want Japanese Buffet and I know a good place for it. We can go whenever you're free."
"I'll always be free for you, Xiao Bai. We can go tonight if you want to." Dong Hua stared at Feng Jiu's face.
Feng Jiu immediately turned her head and stared into Dong Hua's eyes. "You're the best, Dong Hua." Then she smiled warmly.
Dong Hua smiled back, and he thought to himself, "Xiao Bai looks so beautiful. Would it be inappropriate and disrespectful if I kiss her now?"
Then he slowly leaned in towards Feng Jiu, and she didn't pull away. Feng Jiu nervously thought to herself, "Wait! Is Dong Hua going to kiss me?! He looks like he's leaning in for a kiss. What should I do?!" Then she closed her eyes and prepared for the kiss.
Just when their lips were about to touch, Chong Lin knocked at the office door. "Sir, Si Ming and Lian Song are here to see you."
Feng Jiu immediately opened her eyes and pushed Dong Hua away. Then she ran back towards her desk with a flushed face. "How embarrassing! Oh? Si Ming is back to the office today."
Dong Hua subtly rolled his eyes and replied coldly, "Come in." He thought to himself, "What bad timing. They better have a good reason for disturbing me."
The three musketeers then walked into the office, and they noticed Dong Hua and Feng Jiu were acting a little awkwardly.
The gossip duo then smirked at each other, and their minds telepathed, "They were up to something before we entered." Little did they know, Feng Jiu and Dong Hua would have been kissing if they didn't interrupt at such a crucial time.
Dong Hua was obviously annoyed, and he asked coldly, "So, what are you two doing here so early in the morning?"
Lian Song raised his eyebrows and replied, "Early? It's already 10 AM, and it's working hours."
Dong Hua was even more annoyed at this point, and he was about to release fury on the gossip duo.
Lian Song then whispered to Si Ming upon noticing Dong Hua's cold and stern eyes. "The Kraken has awakened. We better be careful."
Si Ming then elbowed Lian Song's arm and whispered back, "Watch your words. The Kraken would devour you if you said the wrong things."
The Kraken is a legendary cephalopod-like sea monster of gigantic size in Scandinavian folklore.
Si Ming bowed politely and said calmly, "I'm here to deliver good news."
"Oh?" Dong Hua replied calmly.
"Yu Xi is pregnant." Si Ming smiled brightly. Dong Hua's jaw dropped, and he thought to himself, "What? They are already at that stage? Si Ming is the first among us to settle down?!" Then he briefly looked over to Feng Jiu and sighed, "When will we have some progression?"
Feng Jiu immediately stood up and slammed the table. "What?! How?! You guys were only gone for two weeks, and she's already pregnant!" Feng Jiu exclaimed, and she couldn't get over her shock.
Si Ming briefly looked at Dong Hua then looked over to Feng Jiu before replying nervously, "Do you really want to hear the answer?"
"Oh right, it would only take two weeks if they did it at the right time. I learned that in a sex-ed class." She thought to herself silently. Then Feng Jiu blushed and replied, "No, don't answer that. I learned that in school, but I'm just shocked." Then she tried to calm herself down and asked again, "Wait. How about her parents' side?"
Si Ming then shook his head and replied, "That's the hard part. We still need to inform them of this news. Hopefully, they would finally accept me as their son-in-law. Nevertheless, I'm still marrying Yu Xi. So, I'm here to invite you guys to attend my small wedding ceremony on the last Sunday of this month."
Feng Jiu immediately ran over and gave Si Ming a light hug, "I'm so happy for you both! By the way, I have good news too. I'm in the second round of the competition!" She said excitedly.
Si Ming froze when Feng Jiu hugged him, and the gossip duo stared at Dong Hua's fiery eyes. Then they started breaking out in cold sweat, and their minds telepathed, "The Kraken will unleash fury on us now."
Feng Jiu then innocently turned over to Dong Hua and said excitedly, "Dong Hua! Aren't you happy for them? It's such good news! You should definitely come to the wedding too."
The smart Lian Song immediately replied, "Yes, Dong Hua should come as Feng Jiu's date for the wedding." Then he looked at Feng Jiu nervously and asked her, "Right, Feng Jiu?"
Feng Jiu smiled brightly and excitedly ran over to Dong Hua. "Yes, Dong Hua! Come with me to the wedding! I'm sure it would be a lot of fun!"
Upon seeing Feng Jiu being so happy, Dong Hua immediately forgot about his anger, and he smiled at her. "Yes, Xiao Bai. I'll come along with you. It will be fun, right?"
Feng Jiu instantly nodded her head enthusiastically, and she said to Si Ming, "It's settled then. Let us know about the wedding details whenever possible. Congratulations, Si Ming. I'm truly happy for both of you."
"Thank you, Feng Jiu. Congratulations on getting into the second round of the competition as well!" Si Ming smiled.
The gossip duo then decided to excuse themselves back to work before they infuriate Dong Hua again.
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Once they walked out of Dong Hua's office, Lian Song said to Si Ming, "I guess they are progressing well. You missed out so much while you're gone."
"Oh? Tell me what did I miss." Si Ming replied curiously.
"Let's go 'drink some tea' in my office. Su Moye actually gifted me some expensive tea leaves while he was here." Lian Song raised his eyebrows.
The gossip duo then hurriedly went towards Lian Song's office.
Lian Song brewed the expensive tea for Si Ming. "How does it feel to be drinking such exquisite tea?" He asked.
Si Ming sipped on the tea and replied calmly, "Feels like a millionaire." Lian Song nodded his head and replied excitedly, "That's what I felt too!"
"Su Moye must be treating you well while I was gone. Wait, so he's your new BFF? You better not xi xin yan jiu (喜新厌旧)!" Si Ming furrowed his brows and stared at Lian Song.
Xi Xin Yan Jiu (喜新厌旧)
idiom. love the new and loathe the old
Lian Song immediately stood up and slammed the table, "You have no faith in me! I bet you were the one who forgot about me while you're enjoying your honeymoon."
Si Ming then reached into his pocket and pulled out a magnet, "See, what is this? I knew your love for magnets, so I bought one to add on to your collection. How could you say that I forgot about you?"
Lian Song widened his eyes upon seeing the magnet and replied excitedly, "I knew you wouldn't forget about me. You're still the Si Ming I know, the one who buys me magnets from every place that you travel to."
Si Ming nodded his head and replied lovingly, "Of course, I didn't forget our Bro code. So, tell me more about what happened when I was gone for these two weeks."
Lian Song quickly kept his magnet in his pocket and sat down. Then he sipped on his tea before telling Si Ming the full story on what went down in the company during his absence.
"Now everyone knows that Feng Jiu and Dong Hua are unofficially dating. Remember the hotpot celebration for New Year's Eve? Su Moye took over your place, and I found out that he's trying to matchmake them too. So I recruited him into our tea gang. Damn, he's a pro at this. He executed Plan H-angover, and now the whole company knows about their relationship." Lian Song said. Then he pulled out his phone and showed Si Ming the photo of Dong Hua and Feng Jiu feeding each other.
"What?! They were caught feeding each other?!" Si Ming replied shockingly, and his mouth dropped open. Lian Song gently pushed his jaw back up and replied casually, "Hold your jaw since the next thing that I'm going to tell you would probably dislocate it. So... Feng Jiu said that she stayed overnight at Dong Hua's place. She even admitted that it wasn't the first time! I heard it straight from the horse's mouth."
Si Ming blinked his eyes countless times and tried to swallow his 'shock.' Then he replied, "How fast are they moving?!"
"Definitely not as fast as you. So... tell me about your first time. How is it?" Lian Song replied sarcastically, and he raised his brows.
"You're disgusting, Lian Song. Why would you even want to know that?" Si Ming grimaced.
"To prepare myself for Cheng Yu in the future." Lian Song replied proudly.
Si Ming shook his head and replied, "You're better off asking Su Moye about such stuff. You should know that the both of us are equally bad at this."
Lian Song nodded his head and replied, "True. He could even make my heart race."
"What?! What happened between you both while I was gone? I'm only gone for two weeks, but it felt like an eternity now." Si Ming replied shockingly.
"Well... He pinned me to the wall and taught me some things. He even came up with Plan I. He said he would come over to my office to discuss about it once you're back. I need to text him later." Lian Song replied casually.
"He pinned you to the wall?! And taught you some things?! What?!" Si Ming exclaimed. He felt like he would receive a heart attack anytime, and he felt a rollercoaster of emotions all morning.
"Geez, you're so dirty-minded. It's nothing of that sort. He was just role-playing with me, like how you and I did it all the time." Lian Song shook his head again.
"Since when did we role played?!" Si Ming exclaimed.
"Yeah, we do that often. Like I act as Dong Hua, and you act as Feng Jiu. But this time, I was acting as Feng Jiu. It felt different but nice." Lian Song replied with a smile.
"Oh. That kind of role-playing." Si Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
Lian Song furrowed his brows and stared at Si Ming. Then he shook his head and replied sarcastically, "You have become so dirty-minded after losing your V card. Is this the Si Ming that I know? I'm always the dirty-minded one, and it seems like our roles reversed."
Si Ming then smiled awkwardly and replied, "Yeah, yeah. That's my fault. I'm still trying to get used to this 'new life.' Well, you'll know what I mean once you did it with Cheng Yu."
Lian Song frowned and replied, "At the rate that I'm going, your child would already attend high school before that would even happen."
"Have some confidence in yourself and show her what she's missing. Learn from Su Moye and me." Si Ming replied confidently. Then Lian Song replied sadly, "All of you have partners now, when would it be my turn?"
"Soon, my beloved brother. 'It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.' ― Confucius." Si Ming replied maturely.
Lian Song thought to himself, "Si Ming seems so manly and different now. Maybe he's preparing himself to be a father." Then he nodded his head to agree.
After they finished their tea, both of them headed back to work since Si Ming have a lot to catch up on.
After Si Ming left, Lian Song texted Su Moye to inform him about Si Ming's return. Then they set up an appointment to meet each other the next day at lunch. At the same time, he also informed Si Ming of their plans.
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Meanwhile, Feng Jiu was talking to Dong Hua about Si Ming's wedding.
"I wonder how his wedding would be like. I'll check with Yu Xi and see if she needs help." Feng Jiu said.
"Let me know if they need help, especially monetary wise. Maybe I should sponsor them?" Dong Hua replied.
"Hmm... That sounds like a good idea. But I'll check with them first to see how they feel about it. I'm sure they wouldn't want you to pay for everything since it's their wedding. Or maybe we could just give them a big red packet instead?" Feng Jiu smiled.
Dong Hua smiled and thought to himself, "I'm going to the wedding as Xiao Bai's date. We are even giving a red packet together. Does that mean that we are dating now? Well, I still need to ask her out officially after the competition. I respect her, and I think she deserves a proper confession from me."
Then he replied lovingly, "You can make the decision, I'm fine with anything. What are you going to wear to the wedding, Xiao Bai?"
"Hmm... I'm thinking of a red dress. It's an auspicious colour. Not too sure about it, but I'll see how it goes." Feng Jiu replied, and she thought to herself, "I wonder how it would be like if I got married someday. Hopefully, it would be with Dong Hua." Then she giggled.
Dong Hua noticed her giggling and asked curiously, "Are you thinking about silly things again? Let me guess, you're thinking about how it would be like if you were the one getting married."
Feng Jiu widened her eyes with shock, "How did you know that?! Are you a mind reader?!"
"No, I'm not. You're easy to read, Xiao Bai." Dong Hua chuckled. Then he asked curiously, "So, how do you envision your dream wedding?"
Feng Jiu pondered for a while before replying, "Hmm... I never really thought about that, but I wouldn't like it to be too grand. My family members have to be there for sure, especially my parents. Definitely not a beach wedding since the sand would get everywhere and I'm afraid that we would get bad weather on that day. I would prefer it to be indoors and maybe even have a dance floor! I don't want my guests to be stuck to their tables while being served food. It would be so boring, and they should be having fun at my wedding. I also don't want a church wedding."
Dong Hua nodded his head and replied, "That sounds like the kind of wedding that I want too." Then he smiled warmly at Feng Jiu.
Feng Jiu's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "Dong Hua actually thinks the same way too? I'm glad that we are on the same page." Then she replied lovingly with a big smile, "Simplicity is bliss."
Suddenly, Feng Jiu remembered that she had to rush to prepare for her presentation coming up in about two weeks. "I can't waste more time now, Dong Hua. I need to work on my presentation, and you'll need to help me out after I'm done with it."
"Of course, Xiao Bai. Let me know whenever you need help." Dong Hua smiled, and they both quickly went back to work.
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Soon, it was time to end work. Dong Hua had already made a reservation at Feng Jiu's favourite Japanese Buffet Restaurant
"Let's go! I'm already feeling so hungry!" Feng Jiu excitedly packed up her stuff and dragged Dong Hua out of the office.
Everyone stared at them while they were leaving the office since Feng Jiu was tugging on Dong Hua's arm. Dong Hua proudly thought to himself, "Xiao Bai is not afraid to show public display of affection towards me. I guess she's already accepting me into her heart. I just have to tolerate for a couple of weeks before she would officially be mine." Then he smiled to himself.
They got onto his car, and Dong Hua strapped on the seatbelt for Feng Jiu. Then he started the engines and drove off towards their destination.
When they got there, Feng Jiu quickly put down her belongings on the table and looked through the digital tablet menu excitedly. Then she started ordering a lot of food through an electronic menu.
Dong Hua looked at the amount of food she ordered, and he said sarcastically, "Xiao Bai, you're so thin, but you eat like a horse."
Feng Jiu chuckled and replied, "I'm making full use of your money. At least you won't lose out."
"Oh? I forgot that you're a competitive eater." Dong Hua chuckled.
"You're still teasing me about Xuan Yue's incident at the Hot Spring Resort!" Feng Jiu pouted.
"Well, that was one of the first few times that we met. You left a strong impression for sure." Dong Hua smirked.
"Oh?! How so?" Feng Jiu leaned in and asked curiously.
"Hmm... It was the first time I met someone so daring. First, I was amused that you were scaring off Xuan Yue with your silly antics. But after that, you were talking bad about me and the SOP. I'm glad that you didn't use your kickboxing skills on me back then." Dong Hua chuckled.
Feng Jiu blushed and replied, "I didn't know that you were sitting right behind me! Now I feel embarrassed." Then she frowned.
"Why would you feel embarrassed, Xiao Bai? You're the first and only girl that piqued my curiosity and interest." Dong Hua smiled.
Feng Jiu smiled brightly and replied lovingly, "Funny how we came a long way from back then. You were as cold as this piece of sushi when we first met, and now you're here having dinner with me." Then she held up the piece of sushi with her chopsticks and placed it into her mouth.
Dong Hua nodded his head and smiled sweetly. "I'm glad that we are this close now, Xiao Bai. I wouldn't be able to imagine life without you now. I guess you not only saved the company from the fire, but you also saved me."
"No. You saved me from the fire, Dong Hua. This is part of the reason why I was so determined to enter Tai Chen Group as an intern." Feng Jiu shook her head.
"Is that so? I always felt like you were the one who saved me. Even at the car park where someone attacked us." Dong Hua replied firmly.
Feng Jiu was immediately reminded of the past, and she thought to herself, "That incident... Sigh, that was the reason why Qingti ended up in a coma. I don't want to think or talk about it now..." Then she tried to change the topic, "So, did you guys catch the attacker?"
"Yes, they caught the attacker. It seems like this incident was linked to the fire as well. We are guessing that Miao Luo from Mo Jie International was behind this. Do you know Nie Chuyin? He was the one who leaked confidential files to them, and he's in jail now." Dong Hua said.
Feng Jiu thought to herself again, "Of course I know about him. I was the one who took the video of him confessing, but Ji Heng stole it. But it's the past now, what good would it do if I told Dong Hua the truth?" Then she replied calmly, "Yeah, I know about that. I also heard that Mo Jie International isn't doing too well after that incident. Sometimes I wonder why Miao Luo is so keen on taking you down."
"Well, it's a long history between Miao Luo and me. To make things short, she was actually a schoolmate of mine. We attended high school and college together. I always topped the school, and she would come close to winning me at 2nd place. I never once wanted to compete with her, but it seems like it was a one-sided competition for her." Dong Hua shook his head.
"What?! I would never have known that you both are schoolmates. Thankfully, I never once felt the need to compete with others. If others are doing well, I'll be happy for them." Feng Jiu replied.
"This is why you're different from the others, Xiao Bai. You're so simple, and you see the good in everyone, including me." Dong Hua smiled warmly.
"I always knew that you're a kind person, Dong Hua. Remember that I once told you that I wanted to join Tai Chen Group because of you? It was because you did something good, and I noticed you after that." Feng Jiu stared into Dong Hua's eyes.
"Oh? I guess I got myself a mini fan here. What did I do?" Dong Hua chuckled.
Feng Jiu giggled and replied, "Well, so back in school, I was hosting a campaign to support kids who were suffering from poverty and couldn't even afford to have food during lunch. I approached several big companies for donations, but everyone rejected me as they thought it was a scam. You were the only one who donated, and you even wrote a personalized note saying that you hope it would help the kids out. It definitely did help, since you donated such a large sum of money and those kids could even receive up to 3 meals per day. From then on, I knew that I have to work in Tai Chen Group and to thank you personally."
"Oh? Now you have a chance to thank me personally." Dong Hua replied sarcastically. He felt so touched that a small gesture of his would leave such an impact in her life.
Then he added on, "I remembered that I donated more money because I recalled how I often went on an empty stomach when I couldn't afford to eat. It was horrible, and no child should ever go through that."
Feng Jiu then picked up the tempura prawn with her chopsticks and placed it on Dong Hua's plate. "To repay you, I'll reward you with my favourite tempura prawn. Thank you for being so kind. Thank you for treating me so well, and thank you for everything!"
Dong Hua quickly ate the prawn and replied with a satisfied smile, "I feel honoured that the glutton offered me her favourite food. Order more food if you want to."
Then Feng Jiu ordered more food, and they had a good time talking over dinner.
"Thank you for being in my life, Xiao Bai."
- Dong Hua
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