Chapter 31
Actually the breakfast in this five-star hotel was very ordinary. However the little wontons were unexpectedly tasty. Such a pity that the serving was too small causing me to crave for a third bowl, after I finished eating two bowls.
The man sitting opposite had already finished eating. He looked full of vitality, nothing like someone who had stayed up nearly all night. One of his hand was holding a coffee cup and the other hand was browsing the electronic news. In addition, he leisurely directed a question at me, “Eating so much now, will you still be able to eat at the banquet later?”
What did he know? When you eat lots, you have lots of energy.
I waved my hand at him, “When the time comes, you will know my strength …… Hey, don’t you want to eat your bread? Then can I help you to eat it?”
I directly stuck my fork into the bread and brought it over.
After taking a bite, I realized all was unexpectedly quiet at the opposite end. Thus I looked up to see Lin Yu Sen was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
“What’s up?” I mumbled, “Mr Lin, since you don’t want to eat, cannot waste it ah.”
“Nothing.” He put down his coffee cup, “I am calculating supporting …… Oh, the cost seems likely to increase a bit more.”
“Can you stop being such a workaholic?” Listening to cost and so on will give me headache. I finished eating the bread in no time and evaluated the food, “Too dry so not really tasty. Do you prefer Western-style breakfast?”
“I live alone so Western-style is more convenient. I am not fuss about this, can adjust.”
“Uh, oh.” I nodded, “Adjust a bit for a little more variety to get a good range of nutrients.”
After saying that, I immediately remembered the person sitting opposite was a real doctor of medicine. Saying all these seemed like I was displaying my slight knowledge before an expert, really embarra.s.sing. However I heard Lin Yu Sen agreed with a ‘yes’.
“Got it.”
He was looking at the electronic news. Thus it seemed like he simply replied without giving much thought. “Let’s go after you’ve finished drinking the soy milk. Don’t eat anymore, as eating too much will hurt the stomach.”
“Oh, okay.”
The snowing outside had already stopped. We sat by the window, so the morning sun shone warmly inside through the window. The person sitting opposite was watching the news whereas I was holding a cup. Subconsciously, I slowed down my drinking pace.
After I have finished drinking the soy milk, we went to the hotel reception to check out. Then we went together to the underground car park to get the car.
Looking at the unfamiliar car in front, I was a little surprised: “Did you change car?”
Lin Yu Sen usually drove an ordinary BMW, but the car in front …… “I don’t think I’ve seen you diving this before.”
“It was sent back to the factory for repair last year. After getting it back, I’ve not been driving much. But your requirement is too high, making it difficult for me to accomplish. Thus I’ve to look for other ways.”
“What is my requirement?” I was a little dazed.
“Already forgotten?” He sighed, “‘Even more handsome’ ah.”
Please! I burst out laughing.
Cannot be even more handsome ……
Mr Lin, how narcissistic were you!?
“Okay, I am glad you are pleased with me. Get into the car.”
“Okay!”
I went to the pa.s.senger seat, opened the door, but stopped in my action. I raised my head to look at the person on the opposite side and said earnestly, “Actually, today you ……”
Initially I wanted to openly praise him, but when I was on the verge of saying what was on my mind, suddenly I felt a little embarra.s.sed to speak out.
He was standing there and looking at me with a kind of glitter in his eyes, “Actually what?”
Actually……
Even though his normal dress was very tasteful and sophisticated, his demeanour was one that did not deliberately try to shine and actually tried to hold it in. However, today, he seemed like he was not curbing himself at all and people were dazzled by him. Earlier, when I came downstairs and saw him standing in the lobby, his handsome and outstanding appearance had amazed me with just the first glance. With everyone looking on as I walked toward him, a feeling of almost vanity was produced in my heart.
“Actually, you are even more handsome!”
In the end, I still spoke out but the face was a bit flushed.
He stared at me and finally slowly smiled.
“My effort in trying several ties is worthwhile. Miss Nie, please get into the car. I’m very happy to be your driver.”
Mr Lin’s ‘even more handsome’, car was useless in the face of Shanghai’s congested traffic condition. The whole journey from Pudong to Puxi was very jammed so luckily we started out early. When we arrived at the hotel, Boss and her husband were standing in the doorway welcoming guests.
As usual, Lin Yu Sen dropped me off in front of the hotel. Then he drove away to look for parking spot.
When Boss saw me, she held up her skirt and ran over to beat me with her fist, “Hey, what is your intention to dress so prettily at my wedding? Also, what kind of car did your boyfriend drive just now?”
“…… Boss, you’re getting married so can you not be so violent? I surely must dress up for your wedding banquet.”
“Moreover …” I winked at her and smilingly fixed my gaze at Zhuang Xu and Rong Rong. “The bridesmaid looks so beautiful and the best man looks so handsome. Hence I thought you are not worried that others will steal the limelight!”
So they were the best man and bridesmaid ……
Rong Rong was greeting other guests, so she seemed not to have seen me. Zhuang Xu was standing quietly behind the groom. To my surprise, my smile was still intact when I came into contact with his calm eyes.
Boss gnashed her teeth when she called out my name: “Nie! Water! Melon!”
I smilingly ducked her outstretched hands and silently gave myself one hundred points.
At this moment, Boss’s husband came over to say h.e.l.lo to me but he left very quickly to greet other guests.
Boss pulled my hand, standing a little distant away.
“It is all my husband’s doing. During graduation time when everyone was drinking in the dormitory, Zhuang Xu got drunk and said he did not know how long he has to struggle before he can get married. Thus he will certainly be the last and agreed to be his best man …… On my side, Rong Rong is so enthusiastic …… do you think I want to find handsome guy and beautiful woman?”
She seemed like explaining when she muttered into my ear. After that, she did not give up and looked like she wanted to beat me with her fist again.
“Don’t bully her.”
A smiling tone of voice can be heard. All of a sudden, I was pulled over by that person and dodged Boss’s fist. When I looked up, I saw Lin Yu Sen with my coat draped over his arm.
He handed me the coat: “So careless to leave your coat in the car.”
“Ah, I purposely did not take it because it is not cold in the hotel, so it is inconvenient to bring it.”
Lin Yu Sen nodded, “You’ll have to drape it over your shoulders when we go out later. Thus I’ll hold it for you.”
Then with a smile on his face, he turned to Boss and her husband and handed over the money wrapped in red as a gift: “Wishing you a happy marriage.”
Huh! Why did he also prepare a red envelope?
I protested: “Why did you give her a red envelope? Didn’t I say I’ll bring you here to free load? This is double ah.”
Boss’s eyes immediately pierced me.
Lin Yu Sen laughed: “There is no double ah. Don’t tell me, I should not be the one to give the red envelope?”
“…… Then this is too generous. Boss, this includes the red envelope for you giving birth next time. Give birth to a son soon ah!”
I can see Boss really wanted to beat me up this time. Thus I quickly took out the red envelope that I had prepared from my pocket and handed it to her: “He gave his one, nothing to do with me. Boss, this is mine. I wish you happiness.”
“Watermelon ……” Boss was probably feeling a little sentimental because of the wedding. She seemed like she will actually shed tears when she stretched out her hands and gave me a bear hug, “You must also seize your own happiness, don’t be foolish anymore.”
She said the last sentence softly in my ear.
I patted her and said yes.
Boss let me go and ran back to grab her husband. “Hubby, you get someone to arrange this flashy couple who are making my eyes blind to sit at a corner because I don’t want to see them.”
Of course, we’ll not really be arranged to sit at a corner. The seating had already been allocated earlier. The university cla.s.smates who attended the wedding were arranged to sit in a total of two tables.
Naturally, I sat at the same table with Xiao Feng, Si Jing and others. Initially, I wanted to sit next to Xiao Feng but seeing her gossipy appearance, I decisively let Lin Yu Sen sit next to her. As a result, Xiao Feng stared coldly at me.
After sitting down, there were still two empty seats next to me until the banquet began. Si Jing said they were reserved for the bridesmaid and best man because there was not enough seat at the host table.
I was startled for a while, then continued to chat with them.
The bridesmaid and best man will usually not have the chance to sit down and eat something.
The wedding ceremony began very soon.
Although Boss said everything will be simple, it was still very grand.
The bride and groom accompanied by the bridesmaid and best man entered the banquet hall to the familiar wedding march. They pa.s.sed through a few floral wedding arches and walked up to the stage.
I heard people in the next table talking.
“The bride and groom are a good match.”
“Aiya, that best man is so handsome.”
Yes.
Zhuang Xu ……
At this very moment, many people were looking at the stage at the same time. Only then, I dared to look at him closely.
He……
Not quite the same.
He seemed to look thinner compared to his university days. From head to toe, he seemed to give off a feeling of fierceness. Beneath his form-fitting suit, from his expression to the way he held himself, he looked like a sword that had fully displayed its edge for all to see…
How much had he experienced to make him appeared like this now?
Such a pity that I did not get to see how he has transformed step by step until now.
In the midst of the joyous and noisy atmosphere, I probably got carried away because his gaze which was fixed on empty s.p.a.ce, suddenly shot straight towards me.
I quickly turned back my head.
For a period of time, I was in a panicked state. My heart practically jumped out from the chest. With great difficulty, I calmed down. Then I started to regret that I turned my head too quickly. Was I being too obvious?
All of a sudden, Lin Yu Sen put some food in my bowl. He said with an extremely gentle and soft tone: “Xi Guang, to steady your nerve.”
“Oh, thank you.” I absent-mindedly lowered my head and was instantly shocked.
Where did he find such a large piece of fatty meat for me?
How can this steady the nerve, more like startle?
The wedding ceremony on the stage had already finished. Boss and husband started to propose a toast from one table to another table. Rong Rong who was wearing her bridesmaid dress, returned to the banquet table. She certainly would not sit next to me, so there was an empty seat between us.
After sitting down, she did not greet anyone by word or action. Instead she smiled once and looked straight at Lin Yu Sen.
“I’ve heard about you.”
Except for Lin Yu Sen, everyone looked at her in surprise. Rong Rong raised her chin slightly and has a kind of boastful and proud facial expression: “I already felt Mr Lin’s name sounded very familiar yesterday. Afterwards, I only recalled that Mr Lin is the grandson of our company’s chairman?”
Lin Yu Sen smiled faintly, “Are you working in Sheng Yuan?”
Without waiting for Rong Rong to reply, Xiao Feng had already called out in excitement, “Wow, Xi Guang, your boyfriend is from the legendary rich and powerful influential family ah!”
I did not answer her, but looked directly at Rong Rong. Her smile was very strange because there was obvious disdain in her eyes, as if she took exception to Xiao Feng’s words.
Without waiting for someone to ask her how she got to know Lin Yu Sen, Rong Rong took the initiative to say: “I am the second secretary of Manager Sheng of the Marketing Department and heard him mentioned about you before.”
“Xing Jie?”
Rong Rong nodded reservedly.
Lin Yu Sen smiled and said briefly: “So you’re Xing Jie’s secretary.” He did not say anything anymore.
Rong Rong refused to give up and continue to say: “But I’ve not seen Mr Lin in the head office before. A few months after I started work, I heard Mr Lin was transferred to a branch office.”
I did not know if I’ve the wrong impression but I felt that when she was saying ‘branch office’, she strongly emphasized on it. Her expression also showed some indescribable hint.
“So it was to Suzhou and also in the same company with Xi Guang. Oh, by the way, Xi Guang, why did you go to Suzhou? Although the development in Suzhou is very good, after all the opportunities are still not as good as Shanghai.”
What was she actually wanting to express? To tell everyone that Lin Yu Sen was forced out of the core operation of Sheng Yuan? Hinting that he has no status in Sheng Yuan, so not worth mentioning?
This was none of her business!
Suddenly there was anger in my heart. Looking at Ye Rong, I said with a deliberate and brisk tone: “Suzhou is very good. The company over there is a joint venture between my family and Sheng Yuan. Thus there is more freedom. No doubt the opportunities in Shanghai are better but they are probably of no use to me.”
“Oh, by the way, the Sheng family is very close to my family. Therefore Rong Rong, if you encounter any problems while working at Sheng Yuan, you can come and look for me. By all means, don’t be shy. Friendship during the university years is hard to come by, so if I can help, I’ll certainly help.”
Ye Rong’s face abruptly darkened.
Lin Yu Sen glanced at me. He usually will not reveal his true emotion in front of people, so I did not know what was the meaning of this glance. Feeling a little nervous, I whispered in his ear, “Too c.o.c.ky?”
Lin Yu Sen smiled.
I was upset: “What are you smiling at?”
Lin Yu Sen laughed softly and imitated my whispering: “I was smiling that someone was using a paper tiger’s skin to show off her strength. The real tiger sitting next to me, only dared to show her kitten’s claws. Moreover she was cautious, fearing that her sharp claws will injure people.”
……What did he mean?
Should not mock people like this!
Si Jing probably felt the atmosphere was odd and habitually began to smooth things over: “Rong Rong, as the bridesmaid, why do you still have time to come and eat something, no need to help to collect red envelopes?”
After a while, only then Ye Rong replied her: “Boss’s mother is collecting them, so I come to rest for a while.”
“You must be tired, so quickly eat.” After saying that, Si Jing thought of something and asked me: “Watermelon, I heard from Boss that you’ve presents for us. Why I don’t see them with you?”
“Oh, initially, I wanted to bring them today. But I did not go back to Suzhou yesterday, so next time I ……”
Before I could finish my sentence, the chair next to me was suddenly pulled out. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the sleeve of a black suit first before I could sense that scent, that atmosphere that I had not felt in a long time …… to be close at hand.
The best man who was on stage just a moment ago, suddenly sat down beside me.
I immediately froze.
Si Jing was already teasing me, “Hey, did I hear that you did not go back to Suzhou last night? Don’t tell me you were staying in Shanghai? Where did you stay?”
Her suggestive gaze swept back and forth between Lin Yu Sen and me, “Mr Lin surely must have a house in Shanghai?”
Lin Yu Sen glanced at her and said softly: “My residence is very near to the hotel where Xi Guang was staying. Thus it was very convenient to go and pick her up in the morning.”