Lumi had no interest in the petty intrigues of the workplace; she only cared about her own happiness.

On this day, Lumi had something urgent to attend to, and since Tu Ming was not around, she decided to play hooky from work. As she left the office building, she saw Zhang Xiao waiting downstairs.

He was sitting on a bench smoking, looking like he hadn’t shaved for days. His stubble and sideburns made a once tough man look haggard. His friend sat beside him, looking around. When he spotted Lumi, he poked Zhang Xiao’s thigh with his finger.

Zhang Xiao stood up to block her way: “Let’s talk.”

“You’re really something, knowing my car’s license plate is restricted today, you deliberately came to block me, right?” Lumi took a step back: “We’ve broken up, what’s there to talk about? Help you review where you went wrong?”

“Sure, help me review. I’ll change in the future.”

“Whether you change or not in the future has nothing to do with me. Don’t block my way, I’m busy!”

Zhang Xiao looked into Lumi’s eyes, which seemed particularly heartless.

“We’ve been together for years, who doesn’t make mistakes? I was drunk that day, I’ll quit drinking from now on. You know, Lumi, I like you so much.”

“Liking me so much doesn’t stop you from kissing someone else, does it? If I like you so much, can I go home with someone else?” Lumi tried to walk around Zhang Xiao: “What nonsense are you talking about!”

Zhang Xiao grabbed her arm: “Are you going to keep this up? Have you had enough of this?”

Lumi’s anger rushed to her head, and she hit Zhang Xiao’s head with her bag: “Who are you putting your hands on? Let go of me!”

Zhang Xiao held her wrist: “Lumi! Can you listen to me!”

“Listen to your ass!” She went to hit Zhang Xiao again, and Zhang Xiao was so angry with her that his teeth itched, but he still couldn’t bear to hit her. However, his friend couldn’t stand it anymore and pushed Lumi: “Are you crazy?”

Lumi wouldn’t take this insult. She took off her high heels to hit Zhang Xiao: “Who are you bullying?” She used all her strength, and the heel left a bloody mark on his arm.

People stood around them from a distance, forming a circle. Tu Ming had just finished sending off a client and was walking back to the office building when he heard the sounds of a fight and cursing ahead. The female voice sounded familiar. So he made his way through the crowd and saw Lumi fighting with two men. One man was holding her wrist, and the other looked ready to hit her, his eyes blazing. Lumi was not one to be trifled with and kicked back with all her might.

“What are you doing?” Tu Ming stepped forward and asked.

Zhang Xiao’s friend glared at Tu Ming: “Teaching a bitch a lesson, mind your own business!”

“Who are you calling a bitch?!” Lumi struggled free and turned to scratch him, but Zhang Xiao held her around the waist.

“Bitch” was one of the words Tu Ming hated most in his life. He frowned, looking displeased: “Is this appropriate in public?”

“What’s inappropriate about it for them! Mind your own business!” The friend was also infuriated by Lumi. It was just a kiss with a girl, and she was making such a fuss, tormenting Zhang Xiao to the point of misery. As a friend, he couldn’t stand by and watch, wanting to stand up for him. Used to being aggressive, he directly threw a punch at Tu Ming.

Tu Ming dodged to the side, caught his wrist, and pulled it back, placing it on his shoulder. With a swift motion, he executed a clean shoulder throw, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Lumi was kicking her legs in Zhang Xiao’s embrace. When she saw Tu Ming’s action, she forgot to struggle for a moment. Later, when she thought back to that day, she must have looked like a complete fool.

Seeing his friend at a disadvantage, Zhang Xiao threw Lumi aside and rushed forward. He was trained in martial arts and aimed a flying kick at Tu Ming. Tu Ming took a hit but quickly adjusted his body, finding an opening to jump behind Zhang Xiao and return the kick with force.

Zhang Xiao wanted to continue the fight, but Lumi jumped on him and bit his neck fiercely. Zhang Xiao was in so much pain that tears came to his eyes. He looked at Lumi, who had jumped off: “You really bit me? We’ve been together for years, not a single mistake is allowed? Is your heart even a heart?”

“Get lost!” Lumi was made red-eyed by his words: “I’ll say it again, I’ll beat you every time I see you!”

Breaking up had turned into such a mess, as if they couldn’t afford to live.

Tu Ming looked back at the onlookers and told the security guard: “Clear the area, there’s nothing to see here.” He bent down to pick up his tie and draped it over his shoulder, then walked towards the company. After taking two steps, he stopped and turned back to pick up Lumi’s bag. He saw Lumi’s eyes were red, with tears swirling. She was tough, holding them back.

Lumi felt an indescribable sadness. She remembered the times she was truly happy with Zhang Xiao, which were really precious.

She stood there holding back her tears, and Tu Ming watched her. She looked pitiful, her mouth pouting, sniffling a few times, and then she was fine, as if nothing had happened. She even smiled at him.

She was incredibly strong.

Tu Ming suddenly realized that Lumi’s usual coquettishness was just a facade. Oh my, my nails can’t be chipped, I can’t carry things in high heels, I have to eat well, I can’t let my stomach suffer… The whole office seemed like she couldn’t endure hardship, but in reality, her core was tough!

Tu Ming checked the time on his wristwatch. It was unusual for her to leave the office with her bag at this time. She was probably taking advantage of his absence to have someone else clock her in while she snuck out.

So he asked her: “Are you planning to play hooky?”

This person really knows how to spoil the mood. Lumi took her bag and slung it over her shoulder. The girl who had just been in a fight looked quite disheveled at the moment. Her lipstick had smudged, her eyeshadow had blurred, but she still wore her high heels steadily. She stiffened her neck and didn’t answer Tu Ming’s question.

“I’ll deduct half a day’s leave from you. Go on.” Tu Ming was exceptionally fair, handling things clearly and separating different matters. Lumi had long been accustomed to his way of doing things and nodded: “Alright. Thank you for earlier, if you ever need anything, just let me know. I owe you this favor, and I will definitely repay it.”

Tu Ming snorted: “What could I possibly need from you? To fight?” He only realized after speaking that the corner of his mouth hurt. He twisted his mouth and rubbed it with his thumb, wincing in pain. It must have been inadvertently injured during the scuffle.

“You saw it yourself, I’m pretty good at fighting. Today, I didn’t have any weapons; if I did, I would have used them on them.”

“Cause less trouble and give the police less work to do!” Tu Ming scolded her a bit and then walked away.

For the first time, Lumi felt that Tu Ming was quite manly. Especially when he executed that perfect shoulder throw on that idiot, his movements were so crisp, clearly indicating he was trained in martial arts. Suddenly, she began to respect his authority. She followed Tu Ming into the elevator and grinned at him.

“Did you forget something?” Tu Ming asked her.

“I’m going back to work.”

“I’ll still deduct the leave.”

“Fine.”

Lumi seemed like a changed person, her arrogant demeanor gone. She stood in front of Tu Ming very obediently, like a fox that had been tamed.

“Boss.”

“What is it?”

“Have you practiced martial arts?”

“Yes.” Tu Ming had practiced Jeet Kune Do (Translator’s Note: Jeet Kune Do is way of the Intercepting Fist), but it was forced upon him. He inherited his parents’ excellent genes, excelling academically, but he was also a complete bookworm. Back then, there were male classmates who bullied him, making him the class errand boy, running errands for the “big brothers” every day. Tu Ming refused to accept this and got into a few fights, which he lost. So he asked his parents to send him to learn kung fu.

He studied under his father’s best friend, starting with basic stances, and went there every day after school for over ten years. With martial arts as his support, he neither bullied others nor was bullied. There were a couple of times he stood up for justice, and today, saving Lumi was one of those instances.

Lumi felt obligated to repay the favor, as Tu Ming had helped her in a fight and even got injured. So she sent him a message from her desk: “Boss, after work, let me treat you to dinner…”

“No need.”

“It’s just a meal, or I’ll feel bad.”

“You felt fine about playing hooky?”

He was clearly holding onto the fact that she had played hooky. This time, Lumi didn’t get angry. He had helped her, so whatever he said was right.

Tu Ming felt that Lumi was suddenly being overly attentive to him. In such a short time, she had changed her offer to treat him to dinner three times. Once she suggested Japanese cuisine, another time hot pot, and yet another time asked if he wanted to go to a nightclub. Her changes were as quick as flipping through a book, making it hard not to suspect her intentions.

“Here’s what I’m thinking, boss. Playing hooky today was wrong, and I won’t do it again in the future. You stood up for me, a true man, and I’m very grateful. If you don’t want to have this meal today, we’ll put it on hold. Whenever you feel like eating, it’s on me.” Lumi chattered on to Tu Ming, truly treating him as one of her own.

“Do I need this meal from you?” Tu Ming calmly provoked her, wanting to see when she would give up.

Lumi navigated the world with a sense of righteousness. No matter what Tu Ming said, she wouldn’t get angry, at least not today: “Boss, I know you not letting me play hooky is for my own good. I’m putting it out there, from today onwards, I’ll work properly and never play hooky again.”

“Last time you said you’d call me grandpa if you were late or left early.” Tu Ming reminded her.

“Alright, grandpa, I won’t do it next time.”

…

Tu Ming didn’t bother to respond to her and put his phone aside, completely ignoring her. When it was time to clock out, he tidied up and left the office. Lumi saw him coming out and closed her laptop, picked up her bag, and followed him, managing to get into the elevator before the doors closed.

There were others in the elevator, and they all knew about the fight at the company entrance that day. They secretly glanced at Lumi, and she caught them in the act. She smiled with a hint of mischief: “If you want to look at someone, do it openly. Don’t be like a thief. It’s just a fight, look at how excited you are. Next time you’re in trouble, I’ll help you too.”

Tu Ming watched as she spoke without missing a beat and thought to himself that this troublemaker was too difficult to deal with. When they reached the first floor, the others got off, and Lumi stopped talking. She turned to Tu Ming and grinned: “Where are you headed, boss?”

“To my parents’ house.”

“Oh, oh, oh. Where do your parents live?”

“Wudaokou.”

Lumi followed Tu Ming, noticing the cut on his lip, which made his overall appearance much more agreeable: “In the future, boss, if you ever need anything, just call me. Let me put it this way, there’s no trouble in Beijing that I can’t handle. Just say the word. Of course, if you’re ever in a tough spot, like if you’re short on funds, let me know. I have money.”

Lumi chattered on and on, but Tu Ming couldn’t listen. He opened the car door, got in, closed the door, and glanced at Lumi standing next to the flashy car. He wondered when this girl would ever grow up.