Zong Qifeng looked in the direction of Mr. Zhang.
President Zong? When Cheng Yuxiu turned round to look at the person at the entrance, she froze at once. Oh, my God! She didn’t know what to do.
Mr. Zhang did not notice anything unusual in Cheng Yuxiu’s behavior. He stood up and walked to the front of Zong Qifeng. “President Zong, are you here for dinner? I would be most privileged to have dinner with you.”
They had befriended each other during previous business deals.
At the same time, Mr. Zhang also greeted Zong Qifeng’s companions. “Come. Let’s have a nice dinner. I have taken a table near the window. We can enjoy the scene outside as we eat. It’s great, isn’t it?”
Those companions dared not decide; they stared at Zong Qifeng, hinting at him to have the final say.
Zong Qifeng stared at the floor and nodded. “We’d be glad to.”
Mr. Zhang at once led the way. He pulled out the chair for Zong Qifeng.
As soon as all had sat down, Mr. Zhang signaled the waiter to order more dishes.
Cheng Yuxiu became very uncomfortable. She held her hands together and placed them under the table. She never expected to meet Zong Qifeng here. so she kept her head down.
Someone poked fun at Mr. Zhang. “You are having dinner with a beautiful lady. Sorry for spoiling your plan.”
“Mr. Zhang, we haven’t met this beautiful lady before, have we?”
Cheng Yuxiu instinctively raised her head and had eye contact with Zong Qifeng.
Cheng Yuxiu was anxious and wanted to explain. However, there were other people around so she kept mum.
She remembered Zong Qifeng told her not to disclose their relationship to anyone else.
She didn’t say a word especially in front of Zong Qifeng for fear of drawing unwanted attention.
She looked at Mr. Zhang. “I am sorry. I’ve got to go now.”
Mr. Zhang signaled her to sit down. “Relax. They are only joking. Please stay on to have dinner together. I don’t expect to let leave with your stomach empty.”
Having reassured Cheng Yuxiu, Mr Zhang glanced at the two who poked fun at him. “Come on, buddies. I am a married man. Don’t give me a bad name as a womanizer. I have the pleasure to introduce to you…”
He pointed at Cheng Yuxiu, “My savior.”
“As you are well aware, I have a bunch of old-fashioned senior staffs who are resistant to change. They are the stumbling blocks to my efforts to make changes for the company. Luckily,…sorry, I didn’t get your name. What’s your name, please!”
Mr. Zhang realized he did not even know Cheng Yuxiu’s name when he wanted to introduce her.
At this point, he found that during the meeting that morning, he was so bold and hasty as to appoint a newly-employed, name-unknown, clerk to the post of Vice President of Wanxiang Group.
When Mr. Zhang asked for the name of his new vice president, Zong Qifeng winced. He also didn’t know the name of this lady who had been living with him under the same roof for two months.
“Cheng Yuxiu,” she said with a wince.
Zong Qifeng curved his eyebrows slightly. To him, the name sounded quite like that of a girl from a respectable family.
“Cheng Yuxiu? It’s a nice name! To begin with, it is unlike the commonplace names of so many girls. It sounds poetic in Chinese. Sorry for the digression,” said Mr. Zhang with a laugh. “You know what, she made an elaborate presentation that succeeded in convincing those old-fashioned senior staff.”
Mr Zhang stood up and glanced at everyone at the dinner table. “Gentlemen, this is my company’s newly-appointed vice president. In the future, she will be my most trusted assistant. She is capable and has a vision. No doubt, she is beautiful. But I can tell now, her capability is even more impressive.”
Mr. Zhang appreciated the capability of Cheng Yuxiu. She showcased this during the meeting in morning when she ably shot down all dissenting opinions from the company’s old-fashioned senior staffs.
“Really?”
At once, Cheng Yuxiu became the focus of attention.
For years, Wanxiang Machinery had been a market leader. However, the flush of competitors had impacted its business significantly. Mr. Zhang’s plan for a revamp was shelved because of resistance from those old-fashioned senior staff. The latter was content with the company’s dwindling profits and opposed to spending time and money on innovation. There had been no one to help him spearhead his program for innovation.
Everyone was curious. How did she manage to pull down the resistance of those old-fashioned old fellas?
“That was nothing. But thank you anyway. I am flattered.” Cheng Yuxiu felt so uncomfortable at the dinner table; the prevailing tension made her lose her appetite.
“Mr. Zhang, I am sorry. I really must be going now.” Cheng Yu stood up, signaling her insistence to leave.
Mr. Zhang noticed her insistence to leave. He didn’t want to spoil the work relationship with her. So he compromised. “In that case, let me give you a toast. I will get someone to send you home. How about that?”
Cheng Yuxiu considered briefly and nodded. She saw the need to maintain a good relationship with him; at the small cost of a glass of wine, after all.
Cheng Yuxiu and Mr. Zhang stood up to clink their wine glasses.
“You’re a god-sent general to help me revamp the company. The days ahead are going to be tough. Let me know if there is anything you need or even the problems you encounter.” Mr Zhang spoke with fervor. He was certainly a capable person, entrusted to manage a big company.
“Thank you for giving me the chance. I am afraid I am not a capable assistant as you have hoped for. I wish to join the company at a time when it is entering a new era. This calls for team work in order to achieve greater success. We must work hand in hand for better results.”
“Well said.” Mr. Zhang gave her a thumb-up as he emptied his glass of white wine.
Cheng Yuxiu used to drink a little. But now, she found the smell of white wine nauseating.
Mr. Zhang looked at her. “You have to empty your glass of wine, right?”
In order to extricate herself, she did what was expected of her. Frowning, she said, “So, may I leave now?”
“Of course, I am getting my driver to send you home. By the way, where do you stay?” Mr. Zhang asked earnestly.
Shocked, Cheng Yuxiu signaled her refusal at once. “That won’t be necessary, thanks anyway. I can take care of that.” She definitely wouldn’t dare disclose her address. And she quickly walked out of the restaurant, fearing that Mr. Zhang might stop her on some other specious grounds.
Luckily, she got a taxi outside the restaurant. However, she was worried that Zong Qifeng would be displeased with her over the encounter in the restaurant.
After all, she was not as free as she wanted to be. The bottom line was, she shouldn’t cause him any trouble.
Her heart was in turmoil during the trip from the restaurant back to the villa.
Fortunately, Zong Qifeng had not come back before her. She took a deep breath and went upstairs. She started to prepare a hot bath to relax and recharge.
When the hot bath was ready, she got undressed and immersed herself in it. She couldn’t resist admiring her beautiful body in the bath water. It was most alluring, even to herself.
Having immersed in the hot bath for about 30 minutes, her body felt warm. She felt relaxed and recharged.
She wanted to reach for the towel. As she stepped out, she slipped. In desperation, she tried to grip anything nearby for support. She hit off all kinds of bottles and other containers onto the floor. That was a mess when the sharp crackling sound ceased.
She lied on the floor in pain. The lower part of her abdomen felt especially painful. She saw blood as she tried to look in the direction between her legs.
Her face turned pale. She was so tense while living here that she had overlooked this matter. But now she was shocked to realize that she had missed her periods for the last two months. What happened?
She panicked. She called out for the maid while covering her body with a towel.
The bathtub was in her room upstairs, where there was excellent soundproofing. Her shouts failed to alert the maid.
There was a group of businessmen talking incessantly in the restaurant. Half way through, Zong Qifeng begged to be excused, thereby ending the dinner.
When he got back to the villa, he hesitated briefly before going upstairs to knock on her door.
Standing outside her room, he had the urge to tell her what was on his mind. “Mr. Zhang already knew the problems facing his company; he failed to make necessary changes in face of opposition from his senior staff. Someone must come forward to help him deal with the resistance. Now that you have stepped out to be that someone, you will no doubt become their target for vengeance. This will put you in an unfavorable position. If you need to look for some other job, I can help. But if you think you can handle it, then go ahead.”
He wanted to alert her so as not to be exploited by Mr. Zhang.
Even though there was no response, he waited for a while. Just before he turned around to leave, he heard some thumping noise from inside her room.
He halted and listened carefully but the noise had ceased. He thought he was mistaken.
As he was walking away, he heard Cheng Yuxiu shouting with all her might. “I am inside my room — “
Zong Qifeng frowned as he turned towards her room and knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”
Cheng Yuxiu held onto the towel instinctively. Her eyes were bloodshot. She was old enough to know her own predicament.
Everything seemed to have happened so suddenly. She was nervous, afraid and terrified.
Her voice almost failed her. “I fell down. I can’t move now.” Not that I can’t move at all; every movement I make will cause my abdomen feel very painful. That’s why I am not moving.
Zong Qifeng pushed the door open. She was not in her room, but the washroom door was closed with the lights on.
He walked to the washroom and knocked on the door. “Are you there?”
She saw a shadow through the tinted glass door. Tears that welled up in her eyes started falling down her cheeks.
“Yes, I am inside.” She cried out her reply in fear.
She wondered why she was fearful. She feared exposing her naked body in full view of Zong Qifeng; or learning of her possible pregnancy. Whatever it was, her mind was in a mess.
Zong Qifeng pushed at the door, which refused to open. Afraid that she might be in danger, he threw his full weight against the door and broke in. She was lying on the blood-stained floor, half-naked, with a towel covering her private part.
