On her way home from work, Lu Zhiming was driving while pondering what to have for dinner when a phone call interrupted her reverie.
She tapped her Bluetooth earpiece, her tone as calm as ever. “Speak.”
“Boss Lu, we’ve found that the last place Ms. Su was seen before her disappearance was at an auction exhibition.”
“Which company’s auction?” Lu Zhiming asked, puzzled, as her car turned into the underground garage.
“Organized by Rongzhi Company, held at the Linxitai Villa area.”
She skillfully reversed with one hand, slightly disappointed with her subordinates’ efficiency. “Is that all the information you have?”
“We’re still working on it. Please give us a little more time.”
Lost in thought about whether there was a connection between the disappearance and the auction, Lu Zhiming fell silent.
After parking the car, she decisively arranged the next steps. “Just in case, check the guest list from the auction that night.”
“Understood.”
Hanging up the phone, Lu Zhiming found herself contemplating the universal daily dilemma, what to eat?
“Mr. Lai, if you continue to harass me, I’ll have no choice but to call the police.” A woman’s warning echoed through the parking garage.
Lu Zhiming, who had been heading toward the elevator, stopped to locate the source of the argument and quickly spotted the two people involved.
A short, stout man with a large head was gripping the woman’s wrist, refusing to let go. “You hired someone to trick me into a blind date, and you think you’re in the right? That bastard beat me up, does that mean nothing?”
As Lu Zhiming approached, she recognized one of Ji Nanchan’s regular clients. “President Bai?”
Bai Qingrang looked disheveled, her sleeve stretched out of shape from the man’s tugging. When she saw it was Lu Zhiming, it felt like a savior had descended from heaven.
With just one glance, Lu Zhiming decided to step in and resolve the situation. “Sir, let’s talk this out calmly. There’s no need for physical contact.”
Her hand on the man’s shoulder appeared to rest lightly, but in reality, she applied enough force to feel as if she could break bone.
A sharp pain shot through his shoulder blade, and the man grunted, releasing his grip and redirecting his anger. “Who the hell are you?”
Ignoring the rude question, Lu Zhiming took the opportunity to step in front of Bai Qingrang, shielding her from the man.
Annoyed by her silence, the man clutched his shoulder, growing even angrier. “Mind your own damn business and get lost.”
Lu Zhiming and Ji Nanchan had very different approaches. Her aura was filled with lethal intent, and she never held back, a classic case of actions speaking louder than words.
In those few exchanged words, she had already pieced together what had happened, inwardly scolding Ji Nanchan for being a money-grubber who never cleaned up her mess.
“Mr. Lai, if you need compensation, I’m willing to provide a reasonable amount, but I cannot agree to go on a date with you,” Bai Qingrang stated clearly from behind Lu Zhiming.
Lu Zhiming raised an eyebrow and smirked coldly at the man. “My friend has made herself perfectly clear. If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to later.”
The man felt a twinge of fear, sensing something familiar about the woman before him reminiscent of the one who had deceived him during the blind date. “This isn’t over!” he spat before turning to leave.
But Lu Zhiming wasn’t having it. She swiftly stepped behind him, one hand gripping the back of his neck while the other twisted his arm behind his back, slamming him against the hood of a car.
“Are you sure it’s not over?” Lu Zhiming admired the man’s contorted, ugly expression, her tone so disdainful it reminded him of the humiliating scene he’d endured at the café.
Bai Qingrang gently tugged at the hem of her clothes, whispering a plea, “Forget it, President Lu. I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“I’m just handling what Ji Nanchan should have taken care of herself,” Lu Zhiming’s tone was icy. “Being soft-hearted won’t solve the problem once and for all.”
“I won’t dare, I won’t dare! I won’t provoke Miss Bai again,” the man, terrified by their conversation, craned his neck as he begged for mercy. “I promise I won’t bother her anymore.”
Lu Zhiming leaned in close to his ear, threatening, “How can you guarantee that? Should we cut off a finger as your guarantee?” She then pulled out the dagger she carried and pressed it against the man’s face, enough to scare him out of his wits.
The man trembled uncontrollably, stripped of all his dignity.
Bai Qingrang raised her hand to block the dagger and shook her head. “Enough, let it end here.”
Lu Zhiming found it dull and reluctantly withdrew the dagger. “OK, in our line of work, client satisfaction is everything. As long as you’re satisfied.”
The man scrambled away in a panic. Watching his clumsy, overweight figure retreat, Lu Zhiming teased, “I’ve heard from Nanchan that she’s helped you dodge quite a few blind dates. Honestly, the candidates your family picks for you are really something else.”
With the matter resolved, Bai Qingrang finally let out a sigh of relief. “I’m actually curious, how did you know Nanchan was the one helping me this time?”
“I guessed. Sometimes intuition is pretty accurate.” After a brief exchange, Lu Zhiming turned and headed toward the elevator.
Seeing her about to leave, Bai Qingrang clutched her handbag, her face showing a hint of embarrassment but no hesitation. “President Lu, let’s have a meal together.”
Lu Zhiming turned back to look at her and didn’t refuse. Instead, she joked, “You know, deciding what to eat is a headache for all of humanity. I’ve been thinking about it from the start of work till the end and still couldn’t decide.”
“There’s a street food stall nearby with pretty good food. I’m not sure if you mind the environment?” Bai Qingrang’s suggestion surprised Lu Zhiming, who hadn’t expected her to be the unpretentious type.
Lu Zhiming wasn’t particular about food or ambiance, as long as the taste was decent. “It’s all good. I’m not picky.”
With her agreement, Bai Qingrang’s eyes curved into a smile, radiant and natural. “Let’s go. It’s just a few minutes’ walk.”
.
The street food stall was near the pedestrian street, already packed with people just as the dinner rush began.
The place she’d chosen for the meal wasn’t upscale, and to make matters worse, they had to wait in line. Bai Qingrang felt a bit frustrated by her poor planning.
Lu Zhiming glanced around at the bustling crowd of diners and couldn’t help but praise, “With so many people, the food must be really good. It seems President Bai didn’t lead us astray.” Her words easily dispelled the other’s slight annoyance.
Bai Qingrang turned her head in surprise, then smiled knowingly. “Thank you for earlier.”
Lu Zhiming waved it off indifferently. “You’re a regular client and often support Ji Nanchan’s small business. Helping you is part of my job.”
The noisy surroundings abruptly cut their conversation short, creating an indescribable awkwardness.
Bai Qingrang fiddled with the queue number in her hand, lowering her gaze as she waited quietly.
Lu Zhiming chose to remain silent only because the other had stopped speaking, she was adept at reading the situation.
Bai Qingrang’s looks weren’t the type to stun at first glance, but the more one looked, the more captivating she became. Her speech was always soft and gentle, giving off a refreshing, comfortable vibe like clear, lukewarm water easy and effortless to be around.
They still needed to talk about something, and it seemed both had the same thought, asking simultaneously.
“President Bai, do you really enjoy good food?”
“Is President Lu taller, or is Nan Cen taller?”After asking, they exchanged a smile, relieved that their tacit understanding had broken the silence.”
Lu Zhiming answered first, “I’m two centimeters taller than her, but she won’t admit it. She always says I’m cheating by wearing boots.”
“You’re both quite tall and have great figures. You stand out in a crowd at a glance.” Bai Qingrang didn’t hold back on the praise, then replied, “I’m a true foodie, it’s hard for me to resist the temptation of delicious food. On my days off, I like experimenting with recipes at home.”
“Actually, you give off a sense of contrast,” Lu Zhiming remarked without hesitation, piquing Bai Qingrang’s curiosity. “Contrast? How so?”
Originally sitting shoulder to shoulder, they found it too noisy around them to chat comfortably, so they shifted to face each other.
Lu Zhiming rested her fingertip on her chin, carefully organizing her thoughts. “You embody all the traits of a career-driven woman: successful in your mature years, with high standards for quality of life, and impossibly high criteria for a partner. Of course, that’s just my imagined version of you.”
Bai Qingrang felt Lu Zhiming’s assessment was spot-on and let out a deep sigh. “I’m even more curious, what am I like outside of your imagination?”
“Hmm… you’d also be at a loss when faced with life’s trivial messes, have worries about marriage and blind dates, be gentle beneath that aloof exterior, not picky without reason, and still cook for yourself after a busy day. Doesn’t that create a sense of contrast?” Lu Zhiming’s summary was quite to the point.
“President Lu sees people very clearly.” Bai Qingrang nodded in agreement.
Lu Zhiming steered the conversation toward herself. “Then, in your eyes, do I have a sense of contrast?”
“No.”
Bai Qingrang’s reply was so brief just two words that it left Lu Zhiming, a bit disappointed. “That’s it?”
“Mm.”
It seemed the conversation had hit a dead end again, and the air grew quiet.
Bai Qingrang watched Lu Zhiming’s restless, hesitant expression and found it rather endearing. She couldn’t help but laugh, raising a hand to cover her lips as she asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
Lu Zhiming shrugged, pouting in feigned displeasure. “Feels like I’ve been sentenced to death. The reason seems pointless now.”
“It’s not that serious!” Bai Qingrang reined in her laughter and looked earnestly into Lu Zhiming’s sharp eyes. “Because in my impression, President Lu has always been an impressive person. Today, you helped me, making you even more impressive.”
Lu Zhiming was rarely praised so directly. Though she considered herself thick-skinned, she blushed inadvertently. Lowering her head with a soft laugh, she was about to explain her way of doing things when they were interrupted by an announcement.
“Guest C96, your table is ready.”
“I’m so hungry! Finally, we can eat!” Bai Qingrang’s playful complaint landed softly in Lu Zhiming’s heart.
“The taste was worth the wait. We’ll come back again.” Lu Zhiming was a bit too full, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
Bai Qingrang, who had put down her chopsticks earlier, smiled knowingly at the praise. “Full?”
“Yeah, more accurately, stuffed.”
As they chatted after the meal, Bai Qingrang leaned her hands on the table and suddenly brought up, “I have a small suggestion, and you have to agree to it.”
“What suggestion? So formal?”
“Don’t call me President Bai from now on. It gives me the illusion of business entertainment and hearing it diminishes my sense of happiness.”
Lu Zhiming was amused by Bai Qingrang’s reasoning and retorted, “Then why do you keep calling me President Lu?”
“That’s different. It’s a term of respect for you,” Bai Qingrang explained with a formal tone and demeanor, clearly showing her genuine respect for Lu Zhiming.
“Qingrang, let’s go for a walk to help digest our meal,” Lu Zhiming suddenly changed how she addressed her.
Bai Qingrang was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on. “Alright, Zhiming!” she deliberately drew out her words, picked up her wallet, and headed to the counter to pay the bill.