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墨書 Inktalez
I was almost at a point where I could barely move, having vomited so much that I felt like I was expelling my bile. When I came to my senses, I realized I had gotten myself into big trouble again. Turning around, Dong Lu handed me a bottle of mineral water.
I silently accepted it, blushing as I rinsed my mouth and carefully poured some onto the dirty car door, trying to clean it as best as I could. After a while of fussing with it, I still turned back to apologize.
"It's fine, just motion sickness. Luckily, I brought some medicine," Dong Lu said as she took out two white pills from her bag and handed them to me. I swallowed them with the last bit of mineral water, but still felt uncomfortable and restless, wishing for time to pass quickly.
As the driver had predicted, we arrived at four in the afternoon. Dong Lu had already arranged a meeting for later that day and booked a hotel room, informing me that there would be no going back tonight.
Although I was somewhat displeased, it wasn't anyone's fault. I could only call home to say that I wouldn't be returning. Just thinking about how congested the roads would be when I did go back made me feel uneasy.
The client we were meeting with came at five o'clock. After some familiar exchanges, they suggested going out for dinner together. So we all set off in a large group to find a place to eat, where drinking was inevitable.
Dong Lu pulled me over to help with the drinks. Although I hadn't done much of this during my previous job, I had seen Miao Miao do it enough times to take the initiative myself. After a round of drinks, I found myself quite tipsy.
I wasn't doing this to gain favor at a company I was about to leave; rather, it was for my own peace of mind so that I could sleep soundly later. After a few glasses, it seemed effective enough. The client was pleased and even praised me to Lu Ming, calling me an excellent employee.
Lu Ming smiled knowingly but didn't respond. I hadn't expected him to say anything on my behalf anyway, so I let it be.
Later that night, they moved on to another venue. Dong Lu sensibly offered to help me back to my room while the group of men headed off to a place more suitable for them. This left Dong Lu and me with some quiet time.
Once back in the hotel room, I soaked in the bathtub for a while and dozed off. When I heard a knock on the door, I immediately woke up and heard Dong Lu outside asking, "Zhuang Jun? Zhuang Jun, what are you doing? Are you okay? Why are you taking so long?"
I realized the water had started to cool down and worried about catching a cold, so I quickly wrapped myself in a towel and stepped out. It had only been about an hour since I'd fallen asleep; finally getting some deep rest felt like a relief.
However, when I opened the door and walked toward Dong Lu, she looked startled by my appearance and covered her mouth as she asked, "Zhuang Jun, why are your eyes so dark?"
I hadn't thought things through earlier; after coming back and removing my makeup while feeling drowsy before soaking in the bath, I hadn't realized Dong Lu was still outside. Feeling embarrassed by how disheveled I looked in front of her made me uncomfortable.
"I haven't been sleeping well these past couple of days; it's just my natural tendency to get dark circles," I replied nonchalantly. Dong Lu looked at me skeptically but didn't press further as I walked past her back to my bed to dry my hair.
That night when we went to bed, I wasn't feeling sleepy at all. Trying to relax and fall asleep only made me more restless. After tossing and turning twice, I heard Dong Lu call out from beside me: "Zhuang Jun, are you still awake?"
I wasn't sure what she wanted to say but didn't have the energy for a long conversation with her either. So, pretending to be asleep, I ignored her. After a while, thinking she was just checking if I was awake, little did I know she started making phone calls.
"Yes, yes Miss Chen. Don't worry; what you were concerned about hasn't happened—it's very unlikely based on what I've seen. Yes, okay Miss Chen; I'll continue investigating thoroughly for you. Goodbye."
I didn't know who Miss Chen was on the other end of Dong Lu's call but given that she addressed her formally as "you," it seemed like she was older and had entrusted Dong Lu with something important. But since Dong Lu worked for Lu Ming, who exactly was this Miss Chen?
The curiosity that had slightly stirred within me was quickly suppressed. It seemed more prudent to worry about myself than about others. It looked like I was on the verge of depression, and allowing this to continue would only worsen the situation. After returning, I planned to meet Gu Xiang to clarify the situation; knowing the details would help me choose an appropriate course of action.
The next day, around noon, Lu Ming informed us that we would be going to a certain place for lunch. Upon arrival, the Counterpart Representative clearly remembered me and asked how I had enjoyed breakfast. I awkwardly admitted that I hadn’t eaten.
Upon hearing this, the Counterpart Representative joked, “Oh dear, Miss Zhuang, are you not eating breakfast because you’re trying to lose weight? That’s bad for your stomach; you shouldn’t do that. Come on, Miss Zhuang, try this dish! Eat more, eat more! A woman looks beautiful when she is plump.”
I accepted the roasted duck that the Counterpart Representative offered and began to eat after expressing my gratitude. He continued to introduce the delicious dishes on the table and asked what I liked to eat. I thought for a moment and realized I didn’t have anything in particular that I craved.
However, Lu Ming chimed in, “She loves Tomato and Scrambled Eggs.”
Everyone’s eyes turned towards Lu Ming and then back at me. The Counterpart Representative exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Zhuang likes this too? Our tastes are similar! Come on, Lu Zong specifically ordered a portion just now; I had no idea Miss Zhuang liked it as well. Let’s have the waiter bring it over for Miss Zhuang.”
The Tomato and Scrambled Eggs that had been in front of me was served right before me. I smiled gratefully and expressed my thanks again before taking a bite. Inside, I was shocked by Lu Ming’s action.
Previously, when I had dinner with Lu Ming for a while, I didn’t like ordering dishes; if I did order, it would only be one dish. I often used my chopsticks more frequently for that one dish. Eventually, Lu Ming started ordering Tomato and Scrambled Eggs every day without me thinking much of it.
As this scene unfolded, a strange feeling lingered in my heart. After finishing lunch, we discussed project matters with Dong Lu accompanying us. Dong Lu interjected a couple of times while I could only sit there waiting. Finally making it through to the afternoon, I thought about how if we got stuck in traffic again, we wouldn’t get home until nightfall. I worried they might want to stay longer if they were enjoying themselves.
“Alright, let’s wrap this up for now,” said Kang Ge. “I hope our cooperation with your company is pleasant this time. Let me thank you on behalf of Lu Zong for your kind words.”
“Oh dear, Miss Dong! It’s an honor for our company to collaborate with partners like Lu Zong,” Kang Ge replied. “Let’s reconvene in a couple of days; what do you think, Lu Zong?”
Lu Ming nodded. Although he maintained his usual expressionless demeanor, I could tell he seemed pleased inside; after all, he had come here personally during this timeframe for our cooperation, indicating there must be significant profit involved.
“In that case, we’ll head back first,” Dong Lu said. As she spoke those words, my anxious heart finally relaxed; I thought it would be nice to go home since staying out for too long felt uncomfortable.
Little did I know that the Counterpart Representative immediately stopped Dong Lu and cast a subtle glance in my direction: “Why is Miss Dong in such a hurry to leave? You’ve only been here for two days; surely you haven’t had much fun yet. Why don’t you stay? Let me show you around as a host; once you’re satisfied, you can head back. What do you think?”
Clearly caught off guard by this suggestion from the Counterpart Representative, Dong Lu hesitated for a moment and glanced at Lu Ming before quickly responding, “No thanks, Kang Ge. You know our company is still working hard on this cooperation; our employees are still working overtime at the office. It wouldn’t be good if we didn’t return now. Next time for sure!”
“Don’t say that! What could Miss Dong possibly have to do? It’s just running around helping out; anyone can do that! Besides, if you two beautiful ladies don’t stay to give me face... You know it’s crucial for our cooperation right now; let’s not have any mishaps.”
Although he said this lightly, even I could catch the underlying meaning in Kang Ge's words—hadn’t something already gone wrong? I wasn’t sure which part had caused this sudden change from him, but looking at Dong Lu and Lu Zong's expressions made it clear that things were tricky.
“Alright, alright! Look at how scared I've made Miss Dong,” he continued. “I won’t put her in a difficult position since she is such an important person beside Lu Zong and must have other matters to attend to. But I remember Miss Zhuang just joined the company not long ago and doesn’t have much work to do; why don’t we let her stay alone? How does that sound?”
The Counterpart Representative directly shifted the topic towards me. Standing there dumbfounded as everyone’s gaze fell upon me made me suddenly realize that perhaps I had fallen into some strange situation.
"How is it, Miss Dong? You need to give us an answer, so I can arrange everything accordingly," the Counterpart Representative pressed further.
"Well..." Dong Lu hesitated before responding, "I suppose it could work..."
"President Kang," Lu Ming, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "I hope our company's proposal will be fortunate enough to be accepted. It would certainly be great to facilitate cooperation between the two companies. However, if it doesn't work out, we won't force you, President Kang."
Lu Ming's unexpected remark changed the Counterpart Representative's expression. It seemed he didn't quite grasp Lu Ming's meaning and asked for clarification. Lu Ming maintained a very serious tone in his response.
"Your father sent you here to negotiate with me to help you gain experience, not to give you free rein to make reckless decisions. If you let your personal interests jeopardize this deal, I will find a time to discuss this matter with your father."
"You!" The Counterpart Representative was infuriated by Lu Ming's words; perhaps no one had ever spoken to him like that before.
"Remember this: if I give you face, accept it graciously. Don't try to reclaim it when others don't offer it. That's all; goodbye, President Kang."
Lu Ming generously extended his hand for a handshake with the Counterpart Representative. Despite being furious and breathing heavily, the Counterpart Representative reluctantly shook Lu Ming's hand. I watched in astonishment; could this mean cooperation was still possible?
The turn of events was too swift for me to fully comprehend.
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