“Let’s go, go for lunch!”

“Quick! There won’t be any seats left in a bit.”

Hearing calls to head out for lunch from outside of his office, Director Yan inadvertently thought of that thick-skinned woman who had arranged for a lunch date with him.

Should he just not have his lunch at the canteen today?

Actually, why should he not go? It’s not as if he’s scared of her. How about heading there 20 minutes late?

As such, Director Yan, who reached the canteen 20 minutes later, first swept around the canteen while holding onto his plate and only when he did not see even a shadow of Lin Yao did he go get his food.

“Director Yan, you are a little late today. The mushroom and vegetable dish is sold out.” The canteen auntie said.

“Director Yan, your taste sure leans vegetarian. I’ll give you a larger portion. You should eat more, you have gotten skinnier.”

“Thank you.” Director Yan looked at his plate, which was overflowing with vegetables and smiled at the auntie with gratefulness.

Yan Luji held his plate as he searched for an empty seat, then saw Xiao Dong waving at him from a few tables away.

“Old Yan, over here.”

Yan Luji carried his plate over and sat in front of Xiao Dong.

‘Why are you so late today?” Xiao Dong asked.

“I had a report to approve at the last minute.” Yan Luji replied.

“Oh.” Xiao Dong didn’t pursue the issue, only turned to glance at the entrance of the canteen. When he saw Lin Yao, his eyes brightened, then raised his right hand to wave her over.

Lin Yao was beside herself and carried her plate over.

“Who are you waving at?” Yan Luji warily turned around. When he saw Lin Yao, his face became gloomy and he immediately slammed his chopsticks down and wanted to leave.

“Why are you going?” Xiao Dong’s eyes were fast and his fingers moved faster. He quickly held Yan Luji’s plate down, “You haven’t even finished your food yet.”

“I’m not eating anymore.”

“You’ve only had 2 spoonfuls of food.” Xiao Dong frowned.

“I don’t feel like eating anymore.” Yan Luji saw that Lin Yao was about to reach, and quickly shoved his plate over, “Help me return the plate later.”

“Sigh …” Xiao Dong saw that his good friend could not be held back and watched as he walked away.

Lin Yao sat diagonally across from Xiao Dong, and peered at the plate Yan Luji left on the table. There were so much vegetables left that they were stacked on top of each other, indicating that he didn’t eat much.

“Medicine Packet, what did you do to Old Yan? He was so frightened by you he ran away.” Xiao Dong teased.

“I just told him I was going to start chasing him ah.” Lin Yao also felt a little down.

“You confessed?” This proactiveness shocked Xiao Dong into asking, “Then how did he respond?”

“He rejected me.”

“Oh … actually I anticipated that. So what are you planning to do next?” Xiao Dong probed.

“Have lunch.” Lin Yao pondered for a while, then grabbed her chopsticks and started eating.

“You still have an appetite?”

“How would I have the energy to pursue anyone if I’m not full?”

“Makes sense.” Xiao Dong really admired the Medicine Packet’s resilient spirit, and placed the pork rib soup Yan Luji left behind in front of Lin Yao, “Old Yan just bought this and didn’t have any of it. You can have it.”

“Director Yan bought this?” Lin Yao confirmed.

“Yup, but don’t worry he hasn’t had a sip of it.”

“Even if he did, I wouldn’t mind.” Lin Yao slurped it up.

“….” Damn it, are his eyes actually burning? He has never had such a hard time looking at someone expressing their love. 

==

At 1.10 pm, Lin Yao carried a meal meant to nourish the digestive system that she had bought from her college classmates’ medicinal food^[1]In traditional chinese medicine (TCM), there are certain foods that can be used to nourish the body. store and crept up to Yan Luji’s office on the 12th floor.

“Dr. Lin, are you looking for the boss?” Assistant Zhang had spotted Lin Yao.

“Yup.” Lin Yao deliberated before asking, “Did Director Yan order food in?”

“Order food in? I don’t think so.” Assistant Zhang replied.

“Then … could I trouble you to do something for me?” Lin Yao passed the packet of food over to Assistant Zhang and said, “Director Yan didn’t have much for lunch. Could you pass this over to him?”

“A love meal?” Assistant Zhang chuckled.

“Well, it is to me but your director might not think so.” Lin Yao joked self-deprecatingly.

It’s not as if Assistant Zhang hadn’t seen his fair share of female colleagues who pined after Director Yan but Lin Yao’s bluntness was refreshingly new.

Though Assistant Zhang remained silent regarding Lin Yao’s pursuit, he actually really admired Lin Yao’s indomitable, striving spirit and of course, he also obviously wanted to see his own boss be quashed. As such, he readily agreed, “Then I’ll help you bring it in later.”

“Hold on.” Lin Yao thought for a while then took a sticky note from Assistant Zhang’s desk, wrote a sentence and placed it in the plastic bag with the food, “I’ll put it at the bottom so that he can see it when he is taking out food.”

Assistant Zhang gave her a thumbs up in his mind, then carried the food into Yan Luji’s office.

“Director, your food.” Assistant Zhang ensured that the sticky note was under the food before placing it on Yan Luji’s desk.

“Just leave it there.” Yan Luji said without lifting his head.

Assistant Zhang carefully looked at his boss and seeing that he didn’t say anything else, immediately retreated out of the office.

Food? When did I order anything? Yan Luji suddenly came to and thought about it. But when he glanced at the food packet and had a whiff of the smell of the food wafting in the air, he reached over for it.

A small pink sticky note stuck out like a sore thumb against the white food packet.

(It’s alright if you don’t like me, but not eating is bad for your digestive system.) 

Yan Luji read the sticky note, then looked over at the food packet then decided to place the food packet back in the plastic bag, ready to throw it away.

At this time, another yellow sticky note fell out.

(Even if you hate me, don’t waste food.)

Yan Luji sighed, threw the sticky note into the bin but opened up the food packet and started eating.

“How is it?” Lin Yao asked Assistant Zhang, who was hiding behind the door and stealing looks into the office.

“He’s eating the food.” Assistant Zhang signed an ‘OK’ at Lin Yao.

A smile bloomed on Lin Yao’s face. She merrily waved her hand at Assistant Zhang before leaving for the clinic on the 8th floor.

Yan Luji, whose stomach was now feeling a lot better after the lunch, had Assistant Zhang brew a cup of coffee for him.

“Here’s your coffee.” Assistant Zhang carefully placed the cup of coffee on the table.

“Assistant Zhang.” Yan Luji stopped his assistant, who was carrying the emptied food packet out. 

“Director.” Assistant Zhang responded.

“Next time … don’t bring in things that are given by strangers.” Yan Luji reminded.

“Can you specify who ‘strangers’ may refer to?” Assistant Zhang played dumb.

“You don’t know?” Yan Luji looked at the person in front of him who was pretending to be foolish.

“Do you mean … Dr. Lin?” Assistant Zhang pointed downwards at the the person sitting downstairs.

“It’s good that you know.”

“But boss, I feel that Dr. Lin genuinely has feelings for you.” Assistant Zhang couldn’t help but add.

“Do you want to see her genuine feelings for me or do you want to see something embarrassing happening to me?” Yan Luji looked in askance.

“I just think that one should demolish a temple rather than destroy a relationship^[2]宁拆一座庙不破一门亲 – this means that in order to protect the relationship, one would rather be irreverent and disrespect their deity/ God(s)..”

“Did you forget who your boss is? Take a good look at how you’re talking to me. Have your guts grown bigger?” Yan Luji shot a stare at a certain person who was growing increasingly comfortable mouthing off at him.

“Boss, there is still 5 minutes before lunch ends.” Assistant Zhang tapped at his watch.

Yan Luji coldly commented, “You don’t seem to want your bonus anymore.”

“I believe that boss would know to draw a distinction between his public and private interests.” He has been under Yan Luji for 4-5 years and he knew best that Boss Yan has a sharp-tongue but is softhearted.

“Do I seem like such an upright person?” Yan Luji brought the cup of coffee to his lips, and found that he couldn’t even taste a hint of coffee.

Yan Luji looked at the clear liquid and the bunch of reddish-brown seeds floating around in his cup.

“What did you brew for me?” Yan Luji asked.

“Jujube tea.” Assistant Zhang replied.

“What I wanted was coffee.”

“The doctor said that those suffering from insomnia should not have coffee, drinking this …” Assistant Zhang pointed at the cup in Yan Luji’s hand, “could improve sleep.”

“Which doctor said this?”

“Which doctor do you think would be so concerned for you?” Assistant Zhang forged ahead with his devil-may-care attitude. 

“Give me less of that smart aleck attitude.” Yan Luji could feel the irritation building up, “And you’re not allowed to make any more trouble for me!”

“Yes.” Seeing how Yan Luji was so disgruntled, Assistant Zhang could only agree to his request, “Then I will swap this out for coffee.”

“No need.” Yan Luji considered for a while, “Reach out to the programmer encouragers and have them brew some for those who are sleeping badly.”

“Then I will go do that now.” Assistant Zhang chuckled as he walked out.

Yan Luji eyed the jujube tea, then had a sip of it before starting work properly.

==

Lin Yao always believed that merit begets success, but she overestimated how long Director Yan would take to come around.

On the second day at lunch, Lin Yao appeared at the table next to Yan Luji’s, and he immediately took his plate and left.

On the third day at lunch, Lin Yao appeared 5 metres behind Yan Luji, and he immediately took his plate and left.

On the fourth day at lunch, Lin Yao only appeared in the canteen and Yan Luji immediately upped and left without buying food.

Assistant Zhang, who could also be considered Lin Yao’s little assistant, also did not dare help send any more food after Yan Luji’s strict warning.

Did she really rub him off the wrong way? In order to avoid her, he wouldn’t even have his lunch anymore.

“Little Ming ah, am I really being problematic?” The Medicine Packet was squatting in the clinic while on a video call with Little Ming, looking very discouraged.

“This is how it’s like pursuing someone. At first they find you annoying, but later on they can’t seem to leave you. That’s when it is considered a success.” Yue Mingyuan analysed.

“But he has even stopped eating lunch just to hide from me.” She puffed up her cheeks, “His digestive system wasn’t all that good in the first place.”

“It cannot be that you’re feeling some heartache right?” Yue Mingyuan widened his eyes.

“Rubbish!” The Medicine Packet rolled her eyes.

“Your level of sincerity and resolve has really exceeded my expectations.” In all honesty, Yue Mingyuan initially didn’t think that the Medicine Packet really liked Yan Luji and merely thought of this as a young girl’s momentary infatuation. But that was until he found out that the Medicine Packet was worrying over Yan Luji’s digestive system because he skipped lunch.

“What should I do? When you were pursuing your girlfriends, did you meet any that hated you at first sight?” Lin Yao asked.

“Of course I did.”

“Then how did you pursue her?” Lin Yao started getting excited.

“I’m not sure if this tactic would work when a woman is chasing a man.” Yue Mingyuan contemplated.

“Just tell me what tactic this is first.”

“It’s the domineering CEO ‘dong’^[3]Borrowing from otaku culture and shoujos, ‘dong’ is the sound of a girl’s back hitting the wall or the bed as she is cornered by a male love interest, before the onset of a … Continue reading tactic.”

“What?”

“It’s like when you don’t like me, then I’ll kiss so hard your legs become weak. If you still don’t like me, then I’ll hug you tight without letting go even if you slap and kick me. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the wall ‘dong’ or the bed ‘dong’. Just stare deeply into her eyes and say, I just like you and I’m completely helpless to it. Everything I do is for you. Woman, I will never let you go!”

“Pervert!” Lin Yao stared at her screen fiercely, then returned to squatting at her original spot, and started daydreaming of how she would do all kinds of ‘dong’ to Yan Luji.

Why is it that as she thought more about it, she started feeling a little excited? What should she do ….

Hei hei hei^[4]Definitely an ominous, creepy laugh. ….

---

TL: Obligatory PSA or reminder than ‘dong’ in shoujos or even Korean dramas (other instances include grabbing the other’s wrist, forcibly kissing someone etc) are all instances of dating violence and shouldn’t necessarily be construed as ‘romantic’ (︶︹︺) In the words of a tweet I really like from @axfxq: ‘a few weeks ago, one of my students started singing “every kiss begins with…” then a boy yelled “consent!” and i haven’t stopped thinking about it since.’

You can support me on ko-fi if you like my translations (๑╹U╹)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧