Chapter 28 – Reality

“Mr.Lu?” Xiu Mei waved her hand in front of Lu Chen’s face seeing that he wasn’t responding to her question. He just kept staring at her face for so long until she felt conscious of his stare. Her cheeks slightly reddened, feeling some slight tingling in her chest.

Lu Chen snapped out from his drifting thoughts when he heard Xiu Mei’s voice. Blinking, he was surprised. This was the first time he became so out of it in front of other people. He suddenly questioned himself what was wrong with him recently. He was acting far from his normal personality, and it all happened everytime he was with Xiu Mei.

“What were you doing there?”

“Huh?”

“What were you doing in a cemetery that late?” Lu Chen actually had a vague idea since he had heard from his subordinates where they found her.

“Uh…” Xiu Mei scratched her cheek. “…just visiting someone.”

She didn’t explain her answer further. After all, it was a sensitive topic and Lu Chen was just her boss. The reason she had gone there was for personal reasons and he didn’t really have the right to know about it.

“So what happened about the issue at London HQ?” She opened trying to change the topic of their conversation. Lu Chen also knew this, but did not tell her off. He knew she wasn’t comfortable about talking some things with him. He knew that Xui Mei doesn’t trust him enough for that. But he was willing to wait and work hard for it. After all, he’s the woman he chose.

He briefly answered her question before reminding her that she has to take a rest. Xiu Mei didn’t push any further and just followed his words. She really wasn’t feeling well and sleep was what she desperately needs to do to quickly recover. She suddenly shuddered at the thought of the pile of work that will acc.u.mulate by the time she returned.

Best to get better, ah. Or I’ll have to do more overtime again.

Xiu Mei spent the rest of the day on the bed and by the next day, she was fully energized and well. She actually felt relief when she completely recovered. Having her superior personally deliver her food for her was something she really couldn’t take anymore. Her face was too thin for that.

“Mom, eat more vegetables.” A piece of celery appeared on her plate. She raised her head to look at the little kid sitting beside her.

“Thank you, little Qiang.” Xiu Mei stuck her fork onto the celery and took a bite out of it. A triumphant smile flashed in Lu Qiang’s face before he continued to eat his breakfast.

Xiu Mei on the other hand still felt a bit uncomfortable hearing Lu Qiang call her mother. Especially that there were a couple of servants in the room, she didn’t need to guess what was playing in their minds after hearing their conversation.

Her gaze lingered for a bit on Lu Qiang before she continued to consume her breakfast. Currently, Xiu Mei was taking her breakfast with Lu Qiang. She was supposed to leave Lu Chen’s home earlier when she was informed that the emperor left quite a bit early for work that day. Thinking that she had taken a sick leave in the middle of the busiest period, she resolutely fixed herself with the clothes that was prepared for her beforehand by some servants.

She was already planning out her entire schedule for the day as she was fixing her hair when the little ball barged inside the room and instantly gave her a hug attack. She was going to turn down his invitation for breakfast but facing that pair of limpid eyes that was practically begging her, she surrendered to his charms.

Really cute little ball, ah. It was really a wonder how Lu Chen was able to raise Lu Qiang alone. She was even concerned for the future of this little ball, would he take after Lu Chen’s stoic face when he grows up?

After spending some short time with Lu Qiang, she went straight to the office. Seeing that pile of folders on her table, she let out a gloomy laugh before facing reality again. Xiu Mei barely had any opportunities to talk with Lu Chen that day even though they were just separated by a door.

By nighttime, it was time for Xiu Mei to go home. The only people left in the building was her, Lu Shao and Lu Chen. As she stood up from her seat and bid goodbye to Lu Shao, her eyes stopped at the direction of the door of Lu Chen’s office. She paused, thinking of bidding goodbye. But then she remembered she never did that before.

Before all those weird conversations with Lu Chen, she never said goodbye whenever she left the office first. At that time, their relationship was strictly just an employee and her boss. But now, she wondered. Was it still the same?

Her gaze lingered there for quite some time before she turned her back to it and made her way to the elevator. Xiu Mei scoffed at her thoughts. What kind of thoughts were she having? She clearly knew her stand. Lu Chen wants to have a closer and more personal relationship with her, but she did not want that.

Not only did she not have any romantic feelings to Lu Chen, she was also concerned on what other people will say. A president and his secretary having a relationship—it somehow sounded scandalous. She… will never do anything that would tarnish the image of Lu Corporation.

The very next day, Xiu Mei went straight for the airport instead of going to the office.

Rather, her schedule for the next five days was all in the field. She was going to travel in different cities to inspect their stores and factories. Field inspections sounded so easy but for Xiu Mei, it was one of the hardest part of her work.

Not only would she have to personally examine the performance of each stores, she would have to keenly observe everything and do an assessment and recommendation for improvement for each store. The marketing team was the one who usually handles this type of inspections, but she would annually do some inspections like this randomly just to see if everything on the papers she was reading was real and if there are anything that could still be potentially improved.

After depositing her luggage in the counter, she stayed at the VIP lounge to wait for her boarding time. She grabbed a piece of bread and cup of tea before settling in a single-seat couch in the lounge.

Xiu Mei pulled out a couple of papers from her bag and carefully read them. Her hand reaching out from time to time to break a piece of the bread and sending it to her mouth. She was too engrossed with what she was reading that she failed to notice that someone had taken a seat across her.

She only noticed that person when she raised her head to reach out for her tea cup. Her hand stilled as she suddenly felt the urge to pour the contents of her tea on the person sitting across her.

The figure flashed a sweet smile at her, what followed were the sounds of people sighing just around her.

Xiu Mei quickly put her guard up. She had never won against the white lotus act of this female in front of her.

“Xiu Mei, long time no see. How have you been?”