Chapter 143: Taming A Small Wild Cat
Ning Qing’s small face burned. She did not know if it was because she was feeling guilty, but she felt that these words were directed at her, that they were specifically directed towards her.
She was actually very carefree, but now it was all her fault.
Ning Qing, feeling wronged, pouted her pink lips. She turned and left the restroom.
…
After exiting the restroom, Ning Qing saw Lu Shaoming.
He was standing a distance away. There was a tall, beautiful girl beside him. The beautiful woman had his navy blue thin coat in her hands. She was shy as she put on his coat for him.
Ning Qing froze, and a stream of sourness entered her heart.
This thin coat was on his body. It was covering her body just a few hours ago. She thought that this coat had only been touched by the two of them, but now there was someone else who was doing so.
It was such an eye catching girl who was doing so.
The two of them were married for half a year, and she had yet to see another girl near him. The man who was disciplined and clean knew how to avoid the romantic luck that came upon him.
But what was wrong with him today?
Was it she who overlooked him?
Ning Qing lifted her feet and walked towards Lu Shaoming.
When she neared, that beautiful woman was smitten while she looked at Lu Shaoming, and she lifted her hands, wanting to button the coat up for him.
Ning Qing barged over. She moved her rear and pushed that beautiful woman, making her take a few steps back. “Shaoming, let me do it.” She lifted her hand in an effort to help Lu Shaoming button his coat.
That beautiful woman who had been knocked into stared immediately at Ning Qing, and it was at this moment that she felt a dark and sinister gaze fall on her face. She lifted her eyes, and Lu Shaoming glanced at her.
That glance was very light, but the man of great position’s gaze was high and deep. He only had a brief glance at her, but it was enough to make her feel threatened.
The beautiful woman withdrew her gaze angrily, and she turned to leave.
Lu Shaoming channelled his gaze downwards to look at the girl, and her delicate cheeks were puffed up as she pouted. It was clear that she was upset.
He also did not open his mouth. He looked at her small, white hand that was buttoning the buttons for him gently. All he could smell was the fragrance on her body.
He had not touched her for 4 days, but he really wanted to.
The man did not speak. Ning Qing could not take it anymore. She asked haughtily, “Don’t you have your own hands? I don’t see anyone helping to dress you normally.”
“Heh, what is with that tone you are using now? You still think you are right even though you did something wrong?” the man replied in a lazy tone.
The fire in Ning Qing’s entire body was extinguished by him; the people who do wrong would normally be in the lower caste of society.
“..That is different.” She was not willing to concede.
“How is it different? Oh, you and Mu Yunfan only have a simple sibling relationship. He is your Older Brother Yunfan, and you two are pure and clean, and would not have anything developed between you two.”
He was taunting her?
He was definitely doing so!
As Ning Qing was unable to think of her next response, she heard the man who was above her head laugh deeply. He was in a good mood as he said, “That woman is called Ye Ting. She is a high class secretary who graduated from Harvard University in America. She came to attend an interview to work as my personal secretary. Mrs Lu, what do you think?”
“What?” Ning Qing lifted eyes flustered. “Don’t you have Zhu Rui? What would you need a personal secretary for?”
“The point of having a personal secretary would be to have her handle personal matters. Zhu Rui is a man,many tasks are inconvenient to have him handle,” the man explained boldly.
Handling personal matters?
Helping him with his clothes, his meals, and sleep?
“No way, I don’t agree!”
“Why, Mrs Lu, are you jealous right now? You are being jealous for no reason. Don’t you trust your husband? You forget; how did your husband trusted you? Mu Yunfan hugged you and spun in circles. He kissed your hairline. You had his fragrance on your body… I didn’t have any opinion regarding all of this, and now you are looking at Ye Ting, who just put on a coat for me, and you can’t take it? Mrs Lu, you are being too sensitive.”
Ning Qing, “…” He was acting deliberately!
He was definitely making her angry, and he was also making her feel upset.
The line “You are being too sensitive,” was what she had told him not too long ago, and he now threw it back at her.
At that time, Mu Yunfan hugged her and spun in circles. She had asked if he minded, and at that time, he shook his head and was cool with it, but now he was being particular and calculative about it.
But Ning Qing knew that she was in the wrong.
Ning Qing lowered her gaze. She slowly stretched out her arm to hug his built waist. “Hubby, I am sorry. I know I was wrong and I knew that I had made a mistake. I’m the one who did not think of your feelings at that time; I treated everything as given.”
“I was too selfish at that time. I only thought that if I had a clear conscience, then all was fine. I overlooked you. When I looked at that Ye Ting today, I felt uncomfortable. I looked at her standing by your side and felt jealous. By stepping into your shoes, I learned how uncomfortable you felt when you saw Mu Yunfan standing beside me that time.”
“Hubby, don’t do this to me. I have admitted to my mistakes now; isn’t that enough? You are not allowed to use another woman to bully me. You are not allowed to give me the silent treatment. We…have only been newlyweds for a few days. How do you bear to treat me like this?”
Ning Qing hugged him as she acted cutely. She really felt wronged. The things that happened with Mu Yunfan were not something that she could even imagine. The current state of things was not something that she would never imagine after being siblings for 18 years.
Lu Shaoming’s heart softened, but he stretched out his hand to push her away. He said sternly, “Since you know what you did wrong, then whether I forgive you or not will depend on your performance in the future. I will not intervene in the matters concerning Mu Yunfan. You should claim responsibility for whatever you created. I will not help you tie up the loose ends again.”
“Also, as for the matters regarding Ye Ting: We will talk in the future. I saw that she performed well. If you don’t want me to employ her, I will wait for you to give a reason that can persuade me to do so.”
After speaking, Lu Shaoming did not even spare her a glance, and he lifted his feet and left arrogantly.
“Shaoming.” Ning Qing, who was left behind, stomped her feet in anger.
…
The next morning, Ning Qing woke up in the bedroom in the Tea Pavilion villa. There was no one by her side, and Lu Shaoming did not return for the entire night.
She was depressed, and she went to her mother’s condominium.
It was the same. Mu Yunfan also did not return for the entire night.
It was the weekend, Ning Qing had nothing to do, so she helped her mother wash the vegetables, then prepared lunch.
“Qingqing, I have not seen Shaoming for such a long time. Is he still on a business trip?” Yue Wanqing asked.
Ning Qing’s expression froze and she smiled forcefully. “Shaoming returned last night, but he is busy with work. He even slept in the office yesterday. HE doesn’t have time to visit Mum and Grandma.”
“Okay.” Yue Wanqing nodded her head and said with pity, “Working men have it rough. If you are free, you need to accompany Shaoming more. You have to take care of his body. You give Shaoming a call. See if he has time to return home to have lunch at noon. Mum will prepare a table full of dishes for him.”
“…Okay.”
Ning Qing went to the living room to make the call, and the phone rang 3 times before the other end slowly picked up. “Hello.”
His deep and charming voice made Ning Qing numb.
Her white hand had a tight grip on the phone. Ning Qing’s small face was a little red as she said, “Hello, Shaoming, it’s me. Mum asked if you have time to come back for lunch.”
She could hear a pen swishing against the paper. He was probably vetting some documents, and he casually said, “I have a meeting at noon. I don’t have time, you two have lunch together.”
Ning Qing was disappointed. She still wanted to speak, but the other end said, “If there’s nothing else, I have to hang up. I am a little busy.”
Du du du… The busy tone repeated, and Lu Shaoming had already ended the call.
Ning Qing, “…”
….
Inside the President’s office in Guang Qing, Lu Shaoming was signing his name on the document and held onto a fountain pen.
He lay back lazily into the soft chair. He picked up a cup of coffee and he had a small sip.
Zhu Rui stood by his side and asked with a smile, “President, Madam has realized her wrongdoing after experiencing what happened last night. She is now taking the initiative to admit her mistakes; why are you not accepting it?”
“Now is not the time to accept it. I understand Ning Qing’s character. It would be hard to say if she forgives Mu Yunfan when he comes to speak to her. I still need to keep the line of fire alit. I must wait for her to build barriers in her heart and set a distance between herself and Mu Yunfan first.”
Zhu Rui had his doubts. “But, President, Madam’s character is also a little stubborn. You are not scared that she…would be furious?”
“Heh.’ Lu Shaoming curled up his lips and lifted his gaze to look at Zhu Rui. He did not answer but asked him instead, “Do you know how to tame a little wild cat?”
Zhu Rui, “…” He needed to absorb the teachings of President.
“It is very easy: Make her fall in love with you, but don’t make yourself easily available to her. She will be hooked by you, and she will naturally chase after you. You have gained some traction, and after you act tough and talk softly, she will definitely follow after you loyally. She’ll then take the initiative to look for you.”
So he hugged her at the bar last night, but he did not kiss her. He knew that she missed him. There was a desire in her eyes, and he was almost set ablaze by all of his passion, but he would just not let her get what she wished for.
She could not get what she wanted, and she would therefore want it even more.
Zhu Rui looked at his President planning and strategizing, and he understood it all. It seemed like Madam would spend the rest of her life firmly controlled by President.
This man was too cunning. He looked kind on the outside, but he was actually scheming on the inside. He took one step while calculating the next 100; there was no one that could win against him.
“President, Mu Yunfan had already made many calls wanting to meet you. When do you plan to meet him?”
“Heh, he is already unable to keep still? Wasn’t he arrogant and delighted when he first returned to the country? Didn’t he want to fight me for her favor? I did not make any moves, and it was because I would not employ that man’s childish tactics. He is a 23 year old man. He thought that we would be in the same league?”
“The people that he put around me, he thought that I did not know about them? He thought that he could make use of what happened in the bar to drive a wedge between me and Ning Qing, and he wanted to spike my drink. He didn’t know — his chances to strike only came about when I allowed it. I’m the one who induced him to appear at the bar, and I forced him to show his true colours then. His alcohol was long spiked by me. I’m the one who directed a great show for him.
“Ignore him for the moment. What for his true character to kick; he’ll get impatient. Once that happens, we will be able to make use of him in the afternoon.”
“Yes, sir.” Zhu Rui nodded his head, not knowing what his President was plotting again.
But that sentence, “fight me for her favor,” made Zhu Rui laugh for a long time. Hear, hear! This was actually something his cold boss could say.
He also said that he was in a different league than the 23 year old man.
He was only afraid that he would get more and more jealous.
Madam would never know. The girls chatting in the restroom were all arranged by President. Even the script was handwritten by President himself.
[Riding the bicycle together and feeding a meal to you; you were holding on Kai Nan’s elbow, and Kai Nan kissed your hair…] …President was pretty good at making others feel nauseous.
“President, what should we do about Ye Ting? She came again this morning. She wanted to invite you to lunch today. It’s plain to see that she is interested in you, President.”
Lu Shaoming’s sharp gaze pierced Zhu Rui. “Remind her not to forget that it is all an act between me and her. If she immersed herself into the role too deeply, then I would invite her to exit the scene.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lu Shaoming had another sip of coffee, and he stood up. He held a folder between two fingers as he prepared to go to a meeting. Before he left, he addressed Zhu Rui. “Let the hotel send a seafood dish to my mother in law’s place. Aso, cancel all my appointments in the afternoon; I am waiting for Madam’s call.”
Zhu Rui: “…” President was using a fish to bait a small wild cat.
…
In the afternoon, Ning Qing, Mother, and Grandmother were having a meal at the dining table.
“Qingqing, why did Yunfan not return for lunch today? Also, I have not seen Shaoming for a few days,” Grandma murmured.
“Grandma, they are both working. They have all reminded you to eat more.” Ning Qing comforted Grandma.
Grandma broke into a smile immediately.
“Qingqing, Shao Ming has a meeting in the afternoon. Mum has made some soup. Bring some to him later.”
Ning Qing looked downwards as she ate a small bite of rice. “Oh.” She responded despondently and thought of the call that he hung up in a hurry, and she was listless.
Yue Wanqing saw that she was unhappy and chided her. “Qingqing, Shaoming is busy working. You as a wife have to understand him better; don’t be too stubborn…”
She was being stubborn?
Yue Wanqing had not finished criticizing Ning Qing, and suddenly: Ding! The doorbell rang.
“Who is that, I will go open the door?” Ning Qing walked to the door.
The main door was open, and there were two men dressed in chef outfits standing outside the door. “President’s wife, President ordered for us to send dishes over. This is stir fried giant yellow croaker in a clay pot.”
Ning Qing froze. Why did he send dishes over?
He was a bad man who did not even bother to speak to her.
The chef walked into the dining room, opened the lid of the pot, and placed the piping hot dish onto the dining table. He used a gas stove to heat the pot up. “Old Madam, Madam, this giant yellow croaker is what the fishermen from Nan’ao Island chanced upon at sea. The price can be compared to gold. The meat of this fish can be considered medicine, and it has good effects for Old Madam’s diabetes. President has specially ordered this rare dish that is not easy to come by. He has asked us to bring over 11 pounds over to let you both have a taste, and he wishes that you will enjoy it deliciously.”
The two chefs walked out the door.
Ning Qing closed the door, and Yue Wanqing smiled as she called out to her. “Qingqing, look at you. Once Shaoming has something special, he would want to share it with you, but Mum told you to bring some soup over, and you were listless upon hearing that. How would you compare with Shaoming?’
“That’s right, Qingqing. Giant yellow croaker? Grandma has never heard of such a dish. I have the luck to try it today. Grandma thinks that Shaoming is really not too bad. He thinks about you all the time.”
Ning Qing curled her lips into a sweet smile. Her heart felt like it was smothered with a layer of honey. Aiya, what was he trying to do now?
He couldn’t be bothered with her a minute ago.
“Mum, I remembered that you would bring Grandma to the Chinese chess room to play some Chinese chess. Could you buy some vegetables when you pass by the market? When you come home later, I will call Shao Ming later in the afternoon and ask him to stay for dinner.”
…
In the afternoon, Mother accompanied Grandma to the Chinese chess room. Ning Qing had a spring in her step as she went back into her own room. She opened the closet, picked a red spaghetti strap dress with a V collar, and put it on.
She came to face the mirror. She let down her hair which had been tied up. There was thin, youthful fringe on her forehead.
She was actually an exquisite and attractive girl. She did not need any makeup, and she was already beautiful and perfect like porcelain.
She blushed as she took out her phone and dialed Lu Shaoming’s number.
“Hello.” He picked up quickly this time.
Ning Qing quickly cupped her stomach, and frowned while she said, “Shaoming, what fish did you send this afternoon? Not only was it horrible in taste, but it still made my stomach hurt! Ay, my stomach hurts so much!”