Chapter 8

Leaving Xie Rongzhuo’s room, Shen Mi held her collar and sniffed.

There was no smell at all, was Xie Rongzhuo a dog?

Back in her room, Shen Mi lay on the bed and sent a WeChat message to Zhang Zhiqing: Qingqing, I remember you said your uncle is allergic to floral scents, right?

A few years ago, Shen Mi went to Zhang Zhiqing’s house for the first time, invited to help decorate a birthday party. Because Zhang Zhiqing’s uncle was allergic to floral scents, all the flowers at the party were paper-folded by Shen Mi.

Plus writing the greeting cards and couplets, Shen Mi earned a 3,000 yuan red envelope that day, making it a particularly memorable experience.

Zhang Zhiqing: Yes, what’s wrong?

Shen Mi: My boss has the same issue.

Shen Mi: I want to ask what brand of body wash your uncle usually uses, can you recommend one?

Zhang Zhiqing sent a string of voice messages: “I don’t know about that, my uncle has been abroad for a while. He just happened to be back for my birthday, stayed for less than ten minutes and left. He had a grumpy face, I don’t know who pissed him off, all my effort was wasted!”

Zhang Zhiqing: “To be honest, I’m quite scared of my uncle. He’s the one who calls the shots in our family, he’s ruthless! Even my grandparents can’t protect me.”

Zhang Zhiqing: “But I can risk my life to ask him for you! Wait a minute.”

Shen Mi: Okay!

A few minutes later, Zhang Zhiqing sent a link, Shen Mi clicked on it.

Isn’t this the brand Xie Rongzhuo is using?

To justify Zhang Zhiqing risking her life to call her uncle.

Shen Mi: Got it, thanks!

Zhang Zhiqing: “We’re like sisters! Oh right, my uncle has severe OCD because of this problem, your boss probably does too.”

Zhang Zhiqing: “Make sure you don’t wear heavy makeup, in their eyes heavy makeup is also dirty!”

Shen Mi didn’t have the money to buy makeup either, she just wore lipstick and drew eyebrows at most.

Shen Mi: Is it okay to apply moisturizer?

Zhang Zhiqing: Of course, he’s not going to rub his face against you.

Shen Mi: What about lipstick?

Zhang Zhiqing: He’s not going to kiss your mouth.

Shen Mi thought about the distance she was at with Xie Rongzhuo in his room, and measured it with her hand.

She asked again: What if I accidentally get really close to him sometimes, is that okay?

Zhang Zhiqing: How close?

Shen Mi recalled the distance between her and Xie Rongzhuo, and replied: About the distance where you have sand in your eye and I blow it out for you.

Zhang Zhiqing: You’re that close to your boss???

Shen Mi: A little further than that.

Zhang Zhiqing: I can’t answer that, I wouldn’t dare get that close to my uncle. I’m scared to death just looking at him from two meters away.

Shen Mi: “…”

Asked in vain.

People are just different, although Xie Rongzhuo and Zhang Zhiqing’s uncle “share the same illness”, but their circles are different and their habits won’t be the same. Asking Zhang Zhiqing about her uncle is better than observing Xie Rongzhuo more.

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The next morning, Shen Mi stood in front of the mirror, carefully checking if her buttons were fastened correctly, and if her sleeves and skirt hem were symmetrical.

Everything was fine, she went to the other side to knock on the door.

After expressing her loyalty last night and guaranteeing that she was single and wouldn’t marry, her boss’s attitude towards her was really different today. Shen Mi couldn’t say exactly how it was different, she just felt that Xie Rongzhuo wasn’t as cold, and he wouldn’t “stab” her with his eyes every now and then.

Occasionally, a gentle glance would come his way, making Shen Mi feel like she was bathed in spring sunshine.

Zhang, the assistant, had said that the boss’s temper was unpredictable, and it was hard to guess his thoughts. Before, Shen Mi had only felt the (dark) side, but this time, coming on a business trip with Xie Rongzhuo, she truly felt the “bright”  side.

The “bright” side of the boss was very handsome.

It wasn’t just Shen Mi who thought so. The frequent infatuated glances from the restaurant were all on the same wavelength as her.

Xie Rongzhuo wore thin, rimless glasses, exuding a clean and aloof aura. He was tall, but his back was straight when he sat, his waistline slim and toned under his shirt, extending smoothly down into his tailored suit pants.

Apart from his face, which had been particularly favored by the Creator, his physique alone was a winner.

Everyone has a love for beauty, and it wasn’t surprising that the girls next to them couldn’t help but stare.

If Xie Rongzhuo were her boyfriend, she would have let them look openly, but he was the big boss who would decide whether her life would be happy or not for the rest of her life.

Shen Mi put down her spoon, stood up and went to Xie Rongzhuo’s side, blocking the rude snaps from the girl next to them.

She turned her head, smiled and gestured to the girl, “No.”

The girl, upon seeing Shen Mi, looked flustered, like she had been caught taking a sneaky picture of a handsome guy by his girlfriend. She quickly put away her phone and turned around, covering her face.

Shen Mi sat back down and continued eating.

Xie Rongzhuo liked to order everything in double portions. Shen Mi waited for him to take his first portion, then took the second portion and buried herself in her food.

Without looking up, Shen Mi knew Xie Rongzhuo was watching her.

He must be thinking, “How can this woman eat so much? In such an elegant setting with beautiful music, she can still eat with such focus.”

How else could she have the energy to work late into the night with him? These past few days, they’ve been practically “joined at the hip.” When she gets hungry at night, she has to order takeout at her own expense.

After finishing the last plate of pasta, Shen Mi put down her knife and fork.

Xie Rongzhuo asked, “Do you want more?”

Shen Mi glanced at the dishes on the table next to them. It seemed like everything she hadn’t ordered looked particularly delicious.

She looked away and, instead of answering, asked, “Do you want more?”

Xie Rongzhuo: “Want more?”

“Then I’ll order it for you.” Shen Mi waved over the waiter and pointed to the dish that looked delicious on the table next to them. “One of those. Please split it into two portions, thank you.”

After finishing her meal, Shen Mi looked up and met Xie Rongzhuo’s eyes by chance.

The eyes behind the lenses were deep and dark. When they focused on someone, they carried a sense of pressure, and a feeling of nervousness, like she would be caught if she lied, surrounded Shen Mi.

Xie Rongzhuo asked her, “Not full?”

Shen Mi didn’t dare lie, “I want rice.”

The food at this restaurant was small portions, expensive and not filling. People who came here were either for photos or dates, the food was more about the atmosphere.

She didn’t know why Xie Rongzhuo had chosen this restaurant tonight. Maybe rich people just liked to eat in this kind of atmosphere.

Xie Rongzhuo flipped open the menu: “They have pineapple seafood fried rice here, want some?”

“Sure.”

Xie Rongzhuo ordered the fried rice for her and sat across from her, checking emails on his phone.

Worried that he might be waiting too long, Shen Mi ate quickly.

Xie Rongzhuo glanced up and said, “Eat slower, no one is going to snatch it from you.”

“Okay,” Shen Mi replied.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that the way Xie Rongzhuo looked at her today… felt a bit different, almost like there was something more to it.

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