Navigating through the narrow corridors and passing through the hall, Pei Ge followed her gut and headed in the direction of where she thought the private room was located.
Just as she was about to reach the entrance to the Sakura Court, she felt someone approaching her from behind. Before she could turn to see who it was, a strong hand grabbed her wrist.
The cold touch made her think of that inescapable annoying person.
“Pei Ge…” The low voice traveled to her ears.
Instinctively, she knew the identity of the person who had grabbed her wrist.
“CEO Ji.” She turned around and felt slightly helpless. Her nose almost hit his chest with how near they were to each other when she pivoted.
This proximity caused Pei Ge to involuntarily inhale Ji Ziming’s strong scent.
He lowered his head to look at the woman who only reached up his chest. With narrowed eyes, he coldly asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Ah, what am I doing here? This is a restaurant, so of course I’m here to eat!” she replied, feeling slightly exasperated.
“With whom?” His forehead creased when he recalled Pei Ge offering to treat Bi Zheng to a meal just this afternoon.
Could it be that she is having a meal with that pretty boy?
At that thought, Ji Ziming began to fume.
“Of course it’s with…” Pei Ge was about to blurt out Chen Zhengchu’s name when she recalled that previous-blind-date fiasco and her words trailed off.
“With whom?” He scrutinized her face more intensely. His stance, to an outsider, resembled that of a man who was there to catch his wife in the act of having an illicit affair.
“CEO Ji, can you please let go?” She requested with a tight smile as she wiggled her wrist. She could not think of anyone to use to throw him off.
“You are having dinner with whom?” he repeated, his voice going up a few notches.
Pei Ge was really depressed now. Even something as simple as using the bathroom could still cause her to bump into this annoying person.
“With… Pan Xinlei! We arranged in the afternoon to have Japanese cuisine for dinner,” she bluffed once she realized that he did not intend to let her go without her giving up a name.
“Pan Xinlei…” He arched an eyebrow at her.
“Yes! Sister Xinlei from the Advertising Department; I’m very close to her!” She nodded vigorously and smiled.
Seriously?! What has it got to do with this annoying person who I eat food with?! she angrily complained inside her.
God, please send someone to take this evil person away! I still want to enjoy that aesthetically delicious Japanese food!
It was as if the heavens had heard her prayers because Ji Ziming’s male assistant approached after she had this thought.
“CEO Ji, CEO Huang and the rest are waiting for you at the reserved room; I think… we should hurry over.” Ji Ziming’s assistant, Du Wen, stood to his side and said this respectfully.
Ji Ziming’s forehead moved and he was about to say something when he felt the wrist in his hand struggle. Looking at her, he made a decision right there and then.
“Tell CEO Huang to wait for a while.” Ji Ziming pinched Pei Ge’s wrist, as if he were punishing her for moving so much.
“Ah!” she cried out in surprise. She, who had been tolerating this man all this while, finally snapped. “Ji Ziming, don’t push it! It’s after the working hours! This is a public place; what’s wrong with me eating here?! Can’t I have a meal here after work?! What rights do you have to ask me so much, you busybody?! You let go of me now!”
Pei Ge could no longer bother to follow the ‘forbearance is the best policy’ proverb, care about her salary, worry of getting her wage deducted… Throwing all cautions to the wind, her explosive temperament, which had long reached its limit, flared up.
In the restaurant’s quiet ambiance, her cry sounded especially loud and attracted the eyes of others toward them.
Looking at the woman’s angry state, Ji Ziming began to feel that he might have gone overboard.
However, this state of mind did not last long, and, in the next instant, his eyes became filled with anger.
“Miss Pei?” Chen Zhengchu, who was waiting for Pei Ge to return in the private room, rushed out to check her situation when he heard her voice.
When she saw Chen Zhengchu appear, her mind was filled with only one thought, and that was: Ah! Shit!
“Pan Xinlei…” Ji Ziming narrowed his eyes at the man approaching them, and his grip on her wrist tightened.
“Pei Ge, you tell me; does this man go by Chen or Pan, hm?” Coldly regarding her, his deep-set eyes were aflame with anger from being lied to.
“He he… he he… Alright, I’m sorry, CEO Ji. I lied to you…” Pei Ge tried to laugh it off as she nervously looked at his face that was very near hers.
“Lied to me?” He humorlessly laughed before asking this through gritted teeth.
Pei Ge really felt that she had neglected to check the almanac before going out today. No! It should be that she did not look for a job on the right day, so the heavens led her to have such a boss.
Not mentioning the man’s constant mood swings, he was always butting in on her business.
Why did she feel the need to lie to him, anyway? She was just out for a meal! Shit! Even his ‘you disappointed me with your lie’ look seemed to suggest that she had betrayed him by having an illicit affair!
Let the heavens be my judge; there is really nothing going on between me and this annoying person.
However, reality was always worse than what one could imagine.
This matter that she thought was convoluted enough was made even worse by the man whom she had considered as stable, generous, and mature.
The tall and slender man in white shirt and black suit pants walked toward Pei Ge and Ji Ziming and said, “Sorry, Mister, please let go of my girlfriend.”
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