Mimi spent the whole afternoon busying herself with work. She went to her phone to read documents from her company and began approving them. Mimi forwarded messages to her assistant Jean to dispatch contracts and renew the older ones.
Just as she finished, it had already been the end of the day. Mimi sat in a lounge and stared out at the hued view.
The sun was setting yet she still had so much to do!
Mimi sighed in her heart and propped her chin on her palm.
"Do you still have work to do?"
Mimi gazed up at the figure standing in front of her and blinked. At that moment, her cool and composed appearance melted and turned into one of a spoiled kitten.
Puckering her red lips, she whined, "It's so hard, Toby! Look at the sky, it's going to sleep yet I still have work to do! It's unfair!"
Observing the girl's spoiled act, Tobias smiled bashfully, not speaking. He moved to sit beside her on the sofa and quietly stared. Mimi's mouth twitched upon witnessing his gaze.
Tobias asked, "How much have you completed?"
"Mmm...Maybe half of my work?" Mimi murmured.
"Do you think half enough as a CEO?"
At this, Mimi frowned. "Not everyone's an ice-cold working machine like you, Toby! Unlike you, I was playing matchmaker and healing relationships this week!"
"Oh?" His eyes lit up with amusement.
"Mhm! By the end of this month, you'll be seeing a new office couple walking in here!"
Tobias listened to the girl ramble with a soft expression. By the end of her rant, Mimi helplessly collapsed on the edge of the sofa.
Tobias sighed and patted her back.
In a soft tone he said, "If you complete all of your work today, I'll treat you out all day tomorrow. Whatever you want I'll buy for you, okay?"
Mimi's eyes flashed and her body stiffened. She gave a glance to the man beside her from the corner of her eyes before flashing an unreadable smile.
"Okay! But not tomorrow, how about the day after?"
Tobias's eyebrow rose curiously. "Why not tomorrow?"
"I have plans tomorrow."
There wasn't much change in Tobias's expression, as he already had a cold face, but his eyes seemed to darken a little.
"What plans?"
"Just a scheduled arrangement."
"With whom?"
Mimi's expression hadn't changed throughout this exchange, her eyes meeting his burning gaze, "No one. Just myself."
She made a scheduled arrangement with herself?
Tobias's expression remained cold as he no longer pursued the matter. Mimi noticed his silence and sighed helplessly in her heart.
Gently, she poked Tobias on his thigh and looked up at him with a sweet smile. "We can hang out the day after, I promise!"
Feeling the girl's light pokes on his thigh, Tobias's brows twitched. He cast his eyes downwards to stare at the girl gazing up at him with an appeasing, honeyed expression.
Her beautiful eyes formed into crescent moons, the purple sparkle in them shines. Tobias's icy expression melted away, revealing a sparkling warmth hidden beneath.
Finally, he smiled and patted her head. "Okay."
Mimi's smile widened and she giggled softly. "Good! Then I'll work hard for my reward!"
Tobias sounded a hum and let the girl pull out her phone and begin working. For the remainder of the day, the two sat in the company lounge, the room warmly lit by the setting sun.
...
Mimi slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling soundlessly, her expression blank. After a short moment, she rose out of bed and hopped in the shower.
When she finished, she walked out, towel in one hand, brush in the other.
Quietly, she dried her soft hair until the water no longer dripped from the ends. She dressed in a black ruffled cotton dress - up to her neck was a white-collar with lace at the end, a small thin bow at the top.
Mimi softened the ruffles at the end of the dress and grabbed the brush by her side. The brush ran through her hair, gently smoothing it until it fell from her neck like a feather.
Walking over to her bedside table, she unlocked the drawer to take out an object, her eyes staring at it deeply before putting it back.
Exiting her apartment, Mimi's eyes were serene and luminous as a glistening, crystal lake.
Today was the day.
Mimi walked down to her neighbor Grace's flower shop and purchased a set of white roses.
"You look beautiful today, dear." Grace smiled at the young girl as she handed her the bouquet of roses.
The corner of Mimi's lips inched upwards, her lashes fluttering. "Hehe, thank you, Grace!"
Grace's face softened a bit and she watched the girl dressed in a black dress leave the store.
"Every month." Grace sighed and said to herself quietly.
Before leaving, she phoned a cab. Arriving on time, Mimi readily hopped into the backseat and gave the driver instructions before they drove off.
Sitting back against the comfortable leather seat, Mimi stares out at the moving view silently.
After forty minutes, the car arrives at Mimi's destination.
It was a cemetery.
She exits the car while paying the driver and walks passed the open iron gates. Due to being so early in the morning, few people were present - not that many visited.
Walking down the row of gravestones, she made her way toward the end of the cemetery where a large willow tree was planted.
Mimi stopped and stared down at the tombstone in front of the tree with a deep gaze.
A faint gust of wind lifted the short strands of her hair. Lowering her head, Mimi kneels and sets the white roses down on the tombstone. Engraved on the tombstone were the letters: 'Emily Hirogori'.
"I'm back, big sister."
Mimi's caressing voice resounded through the quiet cemetery. Her gaze staring at the stone was warm and gentle.
"It has only been a month, yet so much has happened." Mimi giggled. "Last time I came I mentioned that woman named Jinny, well now, she's become, my little disciple! She's odd in a few areas, but she'll do."
A pure smile etched across her face. "I've done a lot this month."
Her pinky reached out and caressed the rough stone. A flicker of grief flashed across her eyes. After a long period, the pure and peaceful atmosphere turned sharp.
"So you finally show yourself after all this time?"
Standing up, her cool, emotionless eyes turned and met with a figure. A man stood, his hands in his pockets while he observed her from a distance.
Unlike when she first saw him, her reaction this time was composed and chilled. She was finally met face to face with Shen Jue.
In response to her ice-cold stare, the man simply smiled and he stepped forward.
Walking slowly toward her, he stopped until he was only a few inches away from her. His face showed the devilishly charming smile that Mimi was so familiar with, but that smile did not reach his eyes in the slightest.
"It's been a while, little one."
Mimi stared unwaveringly at him and frowned.
"How long have you been following me?"
"Following you? Why would I do that?" Shen Jue asked, his voice gentle.
Mimi's gaze dimmed, her lips curling up, "Why don't you tell me? Explain to me why you've been watching me for the past six years?"
Shen Jue simply didn't mind Mimi's coldness and chose to not say a word. Seeing the angry light welling up within those purple eyes of hers while a smile remained, his eyes dimmed.
Shifting his gaze away from her, he looks behind her at the tombstone.
He walks forward and stares at it for a while before extending his fair, flawless fingers toward it. About to graze its surface, his hand was harshly slapped away by the girl's soft one.
"Don't." Mimi spat out one word that was as cold as frost, her body stepping in between him and the tombstone.
Shen Jue raised an eyebrow and laughed his expression calm. He held his hands in surrender and stepped back. "My apologies. I won't touch, see?"
Looking at her again with a tender smile, he said, "There's something I want to discuss with you."
"Which is?" Mimi raised an eyebrow.
"I want to make a deal. An alliance if you will."
"Huh?" Mimi's brows creased.
Shen Jue said softly, "Shall we discuss this in a more private setting?"
Mimi's lips pursed. She eyed Shen Jue suspiciously and found it difficult to read his thoughts.
Unlike Tobias, who bore a cold expression, Shen Jue's face was full of insincere, soft smiles.
Truthfully, she preferred the former.
But curiosity caused her to wonder what Shen Jue wanted to discuss with her. He had mentioned an alliance, so did that mean he too wanted to take down the Hirogori's with her?
She wouldn't know until she heard him out.
"Very well."
After hearing her words, Shen Jue's eyes brightened and his smile widened. "Mm, then let's go to your place!"
Mimi: "..."
Why did this conversation suddenly take a turn?
However, Mimi didn't refute and walked ahead, her eyes avoiding his. Shen Jue's eyes followed her figure, and he chuckled. Casting another glance to the tombstone, he turned and followed behind Mimi.
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