WARNING! Tsundere President

It was a busy day at the office as Lu Zhaoyang tried modifying the entire contract in accordance with the new set of data given by the president. Right when she punched her card and lifted her first step out of the office, Qin An, President Xiang’s P.A., showed up at her door.

“Special Assistant Lu, this is your car, as provided by the company,” he said plainly as he vanished right before her sight the moment the key touched her grip.

Oh wow, like employer like employees. I almost thought that’s his long-lost brother or something.

She observed the row of four silver rings gleaming under the yellowish light of the corridor. Fancy, she thought. It was an Audi. Talk about the employment benefits.

As much as she wanted to give a thankful nod at the president, the big, liberating man was no longer in the company. “Well, then,” she muttered as she took the Macbook out of her bag and launched Spark mail to type a brief message to the president.

Sender: Lu Zhaoyang

(no subject)

THANK YOU FOR THE CAR.

“You’re welcome,” said the president softly as the text reflected in his eyes.

“Sir, the car is fully equipped with bugs. All very secretive. She won’t find out at all,” reported his assistant.

“Well. She won’t, doesn’t mean *he* won’t.” The president stood up, “Remove them tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

Qin An followed the leaving president, wondering the point of installing bugs for only a night.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhaoyang was driving home, feeling a little at unease by the benefit too good to be true. She spent the first 5 minutes looking for the keyhole, only to realize modern cars today used buttons.

“I mean—I’ve only been here for like—hardly a month or two? And they gave me an Audi?” Nonetheless, she presumed it as a reward from the president for her impeccable capabilities.

She parked her new car cautiously and decided to make a stew for tonight. However, the fridge was quite empty. Well, she could settle the night with a bowl of instant noodles with boiled eggs but she still had a man to feed. She sighed and left her apartment again. She aimed for the aisles with meat and vegetables as she rushed in with her trolley. And there she stumbled upon the same man in the same singlets, shorts and slippers. She could feel her heart freezing.

She picked a few carrots, celerys and beansprouts. She made up her mind to just pretend the encounter never happened and walked past him but it was that greeting he made the last time which echoed in her head that stopped her.

“Well, aren’t you cold?” Lu Bai, upon hearing her, turned to her and smiled like a curve of snowy hill.

“I’m actually having issues on deciding my next meal. Umm—sister, one question, what do you eat to improve blood circulation and vigority?”

“Pork liver,” said Zhaoyang after glancing at the meats in the icy trays, “Oh, some jujube, black sesame, black-boned chicken will help a lot too. If you’re making for a woman on period, just some jujube, goji and brown sugar will do.”

That last piece of advice feels redundant though. What am I saying? For someone who likes staying home the whole time, he’s probably single.

“Okay, thanks,” he said as if a diligent student in a class and pointed at the three thick slices of pork livers, “I’ll have these.”

Geez. I can’t believe he’s wearing singlets and shorts standing next to a freezer as if at a summer beach.

Can’t he really feel a thing? 

“Friendly reminder, wear more clothes the next time you leave home.” And the lady pushed her trolley leaving.

Lu Bai checked out his apparel. It was not that he could not feel the cold weather. It was merely—the part and parcel for a home-hogger like him. He was inside the house for so long that he always missed the sales for winter clothes before winter ended, then missed summer sales before autumn arrived. He did not have the luxury to shop for clothing on usual days, even the singlets, the slippers, the shorts were somebody else’s gift.

And Zhaoyang noticed the peculiar boy behind her again when she was checking out at the counter. She exited the supermarket swiftly with a small bag of goods in her hand, but it was the heavy breaths she heard that held her.

“Uhhh…” She looked at the man carrying 4 large bags.

I can’t believe he bought every single thing I suggested him.

“You know, it’s totally legal to bring the trolley all the way to your car.”

“I walked here,” responded Lu Bai very seriously.

Zhaoyang nearly felt her jaws drop.

“Never mind…” Lu Zhaoyang reached out her hand, “I’ll take one for you. I got a car too. Join me then.”