Chapter 156 You Know the Answer.
Xia Ning presses the answer b.u.t.ton. Gu Luan asks, “There is still half an hour before I get off work. I will pick you up in half an hour. We are going to have lunch.”
Xia Ning is stunned. After a few seconds, she understands and replies: “There is no need. I can make my lunch at home.”
“Don’t refuse. I will drive to pick you up downstairs later. I won’t leave until you come downstairs.” Gu Luan finishes his words and hangs up.
Xia Ning is surprised, wondering when Gu Luan becomes so overbearing.
As far as she knows, Director Gu is always gentle and easy-going. Did she mishear? Wasn’t that speaker Gu Luan?
Xia Ning checks the calling record and find it true that it was Gu Luan calling her.
She glances at the time. It is eleven. It is not surprising why Gu Luan said that he would get off work in half an hour. She realizes that when she woke up, it had already been at noon.
Xia Ning cleans up the mess and it is almost the time. Gu Luan is very punctual. Xia Ning’s phone rings again right at half past eleven.
This time, Gu Luan says nothing else but “I am waiting for you downstairs”.
Xia Ning has no other choices. If she doesn’t go downstairs, Gu Luan’s car will keep waiting there and will surely attract the attention of all people.
After putting on a casual suit. She goes downstairs and gets in Gu Luan’s car.
This time, Xia Ning doesn’t sit in the co-driver seat. Instead, she sits at the back seat of the car.
“Where is Ruoruo? Why don’t you take her to have lunch together?”
Gu Luan changes his color: “That little girl makes nonsense. I don’t like to have her with us.”
Xia Ning smiles: “Actually, what Ruoruo said is not wrong. No matter who gets involved in this kind of thing, she is to be called a home wrecker.”
“Ning, don’t think too much. If Yin Jingsi dares to do anything to you, I will give her a real lesson!”
Gu Luan says decisively, which shocks Xia Ning.
“Director Gu, I hope that you can understand. This is my private issue and it is indecent. I hope that you will not interfere in it, or…” Xia Ning gives a sigh.
Gu Luan sees Xia Ning’s impression and he tightens his heart: “Director Xia, I hope you can understand, too. You are an employee of my company. My employee is wronged. As the director, I can’t stand there and do nothing. That is not a righteous man doing for his dignity. Don’t you agree?”
Gu Luan says tongue-in-cheek. Xia Ning is speechless. She smiles helplessly and shakes her head.
It is not to be denied that Gu Luan is a good boss and a good supervisor. She has been working at World Era Weekly for over a year. Many things are handled by Gu Luan secretly.
As to the ident.i.ty and background of Gu Luan, even those working in the company are not clear about that. They only know that among all the people in the company, Gu Luan has the most superior background.
However, she doesn’t want to have any other person know what happened to her.
This time, the restaurant Gu Luan chooses is the Hokkaido Sus.h.i.+ restaurant.
Aware that Gu Luan parks his car there, Xia Ning opposes him at once: “Director, I don’t want to have sus.h.i.+!”
Gu Luan blinks his eyes, “As far as I know, Director Xia is a super fan of sus.h.i.+. Many girls and boys who know you are often treated by you and the restaurant you visited most is this sus.h.i.+ restaurant.”
Xia Ning is speechless. This sus.h.i.+ restaurant is hers. She surely comes here most…
But she is not going to tell anyone about this secret.
They get off the car. Xia Ning follows Gu Luan and goes into the restaurant. Manager Saito comes to her and greets Xia Ning politely: “My distinguished guests, where would you like to sit?”
“The seats by the conveyor will be fine.” Xia Ning responds quickly.
They sit by the conveyor table and the clerk comes to them.
Because Xia Ning told Manager Saito before that if he saw her or her with any other people, they should treat her as a normal guest.
Manager Saito was a very clever man and he understood what Xia Ning meant. So, Xia Ning came here many times, but no one realized that she was the owner of this restaurant.
They sit down. Gu Luan orders some sas.h.i.+mi. It will cost quite much for this lunch.
“Director Gu, this lunch is on me. Don’t argue with me about that.”
Gu Luan looks at her meaningfully and smiles: “Let’s go Dutch.”
Xia Ning nods: “OK.”
They are talking when a girl in pink walks in and goes directly to stand between Gu Luan and Xia Ning.
“Excuse me, please add a seat here.” Gu Ruoruo says in a loud voice. Then, she talks to Wan Liqing who is standing by her, “Sister Liqing, you may sit by Brother Luan.”
Gu Luan and Xia Ning are both surprised to see Gu Ruoruo. After Gu Ruoruo and Wan Liqing sit down, Gu Luan darkens his face, while Xia Ning smiles.
“Who will pay the bill later?” Gu Ruoruo asks frankly.
“It is my treat!” Xia Ning replies at once.
“Waiter, please give me the best sas.h.i.+mi here!” Gu Ruoruo says in a loud voice, “And a best a.s.sorted sus.h.i.+ plate!”
“Gu Ruoruo!” Gu Luan’s face is darkened, “What did you promise me last evening?”
Gu Ruoruo blinks her eyes, saying: “Brother Luan, I promised you last evening that I would behave well and I wouldn’t quarrel with Sister Xia. I am behaving well now. Sister Xia is giving her treat. We have to give her the favor. At most, after this meal, I will take the turn for the next meal. Sister Xia, will that be OK?”
Xia Ning smiles and nods.
With Gu Ruoruo’s interference here, she may at least get away from the suspicion of staying with Gu Luan alone.
The sas.h.i.+mi and a.s.sorted sus.h.i.+ plates are served one by one. They are four people, but they order eight a.s.sorted sus.h.i.+ plates, which shocks the other customers.
It is known to all how expensive the sus.h.i.+ is in this restaurant. This meal will at least cost a month’s salary.
Gu Ruoruo is really “giving the favor”. She almost finishes all the plates and adds more. This lunch cost a whole monthly salary of Xia Ning.
Of course, Xia Ning stealthily pays the bill. Since she said so in front of Gu Ruoruo, they are surely not going Dutch.
“Sister Xia, you said that you didn’t feel well? I think you look good. I have some problems about work. Do you have time to come to explain it to me this afternoon?” Gu Ruoruo bites the sus.h.i.+ and says.
“Ruoruo, Director Xia is having holiday today and she is not going to the office. You may ask Liqing about any problems.” Gu Luan replies straightly.
Wan Liqing is just going to speak, while Gu Ruoruo at once responds, “I will surely ask Sister Liqing. But Brother Luan said Sister Liqing would finish the probation in a month, didn’t you? And now it has been one month already. Brother Luan, you have to keep your words.”
Gu Luan closes his eyes and takes a breath, “Liqing’s a.s.signment is under plan. It will be announced in the next meeting.”
“Wow. Great! Sister Liqing, congratulations!” Gu Ruoruo is so happy that she dances. Not waiting for Wan Liqing to respond, she continues, “So, Sister Liqing is promoted. Sister Xia, would you give us another treat? OK?”
“Sure.” Xia Ning smiles and replies. Then, she shakes her head at Gu Luan who is staring at her.
Of course, she knows what Gu Ruoruo is planning. Gu Ruoruo is still like a kid. She is pure and innocent. These little tricks are actually quite lovely.
Gu Ruoruo wants to continue when her phone rings. She takes up the phone and glances at it. Her face turns reddish.
“Brother Luan, you… you continue. I may go to answer the call.” Saying this, Gu Ruoruo runs away hurriedly.
Everyone is surprised. Xia Ning suddenly remembers something and she smiles.
It seems that Yi Yunyi calls.
At the time, her phone rings. She glances at it and finds that it is Yin Jingsi.
Xia Ning’s heart tightens and her hands can’t help trembling.
“What’s wrong?” Aware of Xia Ning’s uneasiness, Gu Luan frowns.
“Nothing. I may go to answer the call.” Xia Ning says and takes her phone to go to a quiet corner.
“What are you calling for?” Xia Ning asks straightly.
“Half past six in the evening, go to the Revolving Restaurant in the downtown. One of my clients is in the A4 VIP Booth. You will have dinner with him. Remember to make him happy. Or, you know the consequence.” Yin Jingsi finishes her words and hangs up.
Xia Ning’s heart tightens and her brain is blank…
“Luan.” Wan Liqing speaks slowly, “There are some things I don’t know how to talk with you. But I feel surprised. You never went out for dinner with your subordinates in the past. Why do you do now?”
Gu Luan is silent for a while: “Sometimes, people don’t stay all the same. It is good to make some changes.”
“But if it happens like this, people will gossip about that. It is bad for both Xia Ning and you. Wasn’t you afraid of this kind of things in the past?”
“I know.” Gu Luan takes a sip of the brown rice tea, “Apart from Xia Ning, I only went out with you for dinner. Right?”
Hearing this, Wan Liqing is glad. “Is it? I have been away for five years. I don’t know how you were in the five years. Maybe we can find some time to have dinner together. We may go out as friends. Will you?”
“Aren’t you afraid of the gossip?”
Wan Liqing is a little surprised. She then smiles: “It is my honor to go out with Director Gu for dinner. I am not afraid of gossip. In addition, many people know the relation between you and me. I don’t worry about that.”
Gu Luan slightly lifts his lips.
You surely hope to hear the gossip.
“Next time, we may go out with Ruoruo and Xia Ning again. It will be happy to have more people.”
Wan Liqing’s smile freezes. Gu Luan is refusing her by saying this.
She feels painful as if her heart is cut by a knife. She planned to have a long-term fight this time. But she didn’t expect that Xia Ning would show up in midway. She is afraid that she may need to make real efforts to get reconciled with Gu Luan this time.
“To be honest, Luan, Xia Ning is a married woman. You go out with her so often. It is bad for her reputation. For her benefit, you need to consider about that.”
Gu Luan slightly darkens his face. He puts down the tea cup, saying: “I know what I am doing. Don’t worry. Well, you come back this time. Are you going to remarry?”
Remarry…
Wan Liqing curls her lips. Everyone knows that she comes back this time to get remarried!
“Luan, you know the answer.”