Chen Rou Jiao opened her eyes suddenly only to find she was fall asleep on her working table, while still holding her pen. She tried to straighten her back but it was difficult since she was asleep in bad posture for a long time, caused the back of her neck in pain. She did it anyway before her body when numb totally.
She fixed her altered spectacles, yawned tiredly then did some stretching exercise on her swivel chair.
The morning sunshine already illuminated her bedroom through the sliding window not far from her. She felt anxious she aware that it's already morning and she had not get ready to go to work and she had not finish her project yet.
She looked at her messy table hopelessly, full of rejected graphic she crumbled, empty cups at the corner of the table, which before was full with hot latte she made herself to made her stay awake but it's clearly failed. She grunted and cursed herself for not being alert on the project she need to send today.
While she was angry at herself, her phone rang loudly.
Chen Rou Jiao quickly looked for it on the messy table for seconds until she remembered she put her phone in the drawer last night to prevent her from distracted by it.
She chuckled with her own clumsiness. "I really need a vacation after this."
She pull opened the drawer on her left and reached for the phone and immediately answered the call without even looked at the caller.
"Yes sir. I am on my way to the office now!" she quickly get up and grabbed her towel, rushed to her bathroom.
She heard woman giggled through the phone, and when she checked the caller ID, it was her co-worker, Xie Rong. She immediately stopped and her cheek became reddish. She put the phone on her ear again.
"Rongrong. How dare you laugh at me."
"Hahaha. It's not everyday I can watch you rush like this."
Chen Rou Jiao jerked at her although Xie Rong could not see her expression.
"Is CEO Zhang arrive?"
"What are you talking about? CEO Zhang will return next week. I already tell you last night, right? And we still on holiday, though."
Chen Rou Jiao find it weird. Xie Rong clearly did not inform her anything last night. If not, she will never became this anxious thinking about her unfinished project. However, she totally forgot about the three days holiday for Lunar New Year. That's made her slap her temple softly.
"No. you did not tell me anything last night."
"I already send a message to you last night before I went for my date, did you delete my message unintentionally?"
"Wait."
Chen Rou Jiao looked through her phone, check her message box, many messages she received from her father, her younger brother and from Xie Rong.
She opened that specific message:
"Rou Jiao, CEO Zhang said he will returned next week. And he wanted to look at your proposal first thing in the morning."
"Oh, and have a nice holiday."
Chen Rou Jiao did not know what had happened to her these days. She was too exhausted maybe.
"How is it? Do you received my message?"
"Yeah. Sorry. Maybe I was too focus on this project."
"Hurmm... do not overworked. You need to take care of yourself too. Want me to come to your house? A-Sheng is free today."
"Yeah right. You come here with your boyfriend only to make me jealous."
Xie Rong chuckled. "Then find yourself a boyfriend. You have being single for too long now."
"No. Not my priority right now. I need to look for money."
"You already have it, Chief Manager Chen." Xie Rong wanted Chen Rou Jiao realised who she was right now.
"Whatever. I hang up now. Have a good time with your boyfriend. Bye."
"Okay then, bye."
They ended the call in the same time.
Chen Rou Jiao cancelled her intention to take bath and turned to her bed. She need a proper rest after worked for nothing for a whole night. She threw herself on the queen-size bed, rolling her body on the comfy bed several time before she lied on her back, while her arms up on her head, facing the ceiling above her. Staring at the gold and dark brown paint on the ceiling.
She thought about what Xie Rong said earlier. Her co-worker was right. She already had everything. A stable job, impressive wage, and comfortable place to stay, she had everything but she received all of that after hurdle many obstacles in her life.
Since she left the college, she also left part of her life with it. Her dream to be in the same Alma mater with her late mother, her joyful life with her 'best friends', and also her first love.
Chen Rou Jiao needed to start over from scratch again. She wasted a year to study for college in her city, spent few years learning the same thing all over again but luckily this time, she was able to graduate.
Then moved on to her occupation. Because of her excellent result, she get to work at the place she wanted and received promotion after a year. She was happy for that but she felt an empty hole in her heart right now.
"You need to find a boyfriend." another statement from Xie Rong that made her wondering.
She knew Xie Rong since they both applied for the Flamingo Ltd. together last year. So apparently, Xie Rong did not know her a lot although her co-worker always shared about her life with Chen Rou Jiao. When Xie Rong fight with her boyfriend, she ranted about him to Chen Rou Jiao. In conclusion, Xie Rong have no idea she also once fall in love with someone though her love ended tragically.
"I wonder what Li Da Zhan doing right now? Maybe he was busy managing his company." she beamed softly when thinking about him.
But suddenly she realised what she had done and hit her mouth immediately.
"What's wrong with me? Why I must think about him today? After all this years I try to forget about him?" she clueless with herself. "I'm really a trash, huh?"
Her phone rang again, but now she checked the caller first.
'My Beloved Dad.'
Her expression brightened within a second.
"Dad. How are you?" she asked cheerfully.
"I am always fine. What time you arrived?"
Chen Rou Jiao remembered she had dinner with her family tonight as she had promise a month ago. She also wanted to help her dad prepared the dishes.
She checked the time, already 9 a.m.. she still had time to get ready. The distance between her apartment and her hometown only took 30 minutes. She can arrived right on time if she move now.
"I will arrived at 10. I need to buy something first."
"Okay. Be careful, my love."
"Okay dad. See you soon."
Chen Rou Jiao put away her phone and walked casually to the bathroom. At least she had thing to do in the new day of her life.