Three Hours Ago
Feng Yiren loosened her shoulders and leaned back on an empty chair after successfully having shaken off Ning. Sure enough, Ning appeared disappointed at what he said. Time passed by too quickly, but for her, she wished it were even faster. She didn't enjoy Ning's company at the least, while she had no control over her attraction to Mr. Icy CEO and how she yearned for his passionate kisses.
Kisses that drove her insane and sucked out her soul. Every time they kissed, it felt distinct, like her playable character had gained a new level in the game she was into before, when she was still in high school. She didn't know how she could repel him when her desire had won over her intellect. It made her somewhat worried. She knew she had to protect her heart from Dong Xu, but his kisses numbed her every single time.
She couldn't deter from her goal. There was much more that she had to do, and she acknowledged that she had to meet him this afternoon for a discussion on the contract. Right now, the contract was sitting in her backpack. She got up from the chair slowly and walked a few steps to the nearest vending machine.
'Toughen up, Yiren. You can't let your feelings dominate and weaken you. You need to get back what you deserve from Feng Yintian. Now, you need to go to DongTe and speak to Dong Xu. Not as a lover or someone with no status, but as a partner of his plans.'
She was so engrossed in telling herself what she had to do when she realised the coffee in the vending machine had overflowed from the cup, resulting in a hideous mess on her white dress. Muttering an ugh of displeasure, it left her with no choice but to head to the nearest shopping centre to buy a new dress. Pulling out her leather jacket, she headed towards where she had parked her motorbike.
Today was just her day, she lamented while riding the vehicle. Fortunately, the streets were clear, which granted her some safety. Accidents were common in her city, but the bulk of fatalities were due to motorcycle accidents. Had her mother known she had a motorcycle, she would have objected to it. But Yiren couldn't afford a car. Most of the time, she took public transport, but there were areas that needed her to use her bike to get to.
With her frugal spending habits, she preferred to go to clothing stalls that sold cheap knockoffs that were likened to branded clothing. These stalls didn't allow for trying on clothes and every purchase was final. If a garment didn't end up looking the best on an individual, it couldn't be returned. Yiren knew her measurements by heart, so didn't have much of a problem buying clothes in this manner. She was tall at 5'6", with a petite waist and slender thighs. This made her suitable for certain clothing styles without the need to alter.
"Good day," the proprietress smiled at her. It was the first time she had bought from this stall, although she frequented other such stalls at other places. The lady looked friendly as she helped her run through the dresses she had available.
There weren't many in her size. She had to rush.
Her eyes fell on a dark black dress in the corner. The black lace caught her attention and made the dress appear adorable. But then it had a low back line, and she wasn't that confident wearing it. Yiren never wore a dress that was low cut ever in her life. It worried her that Dong Xu might get the wrong idea.
"Do you have anything else?" She fingered the price tag and looked around the shop.
"Unfortunately, it's payday and most of my dresses have been booked. As for the others, I have to say that they'll look horrendous on you because of the big cutting."
Yiren was sceptical. Maybe she could just throw a shawl on herself and Dong Xu wouldn't notice her bare back. But now she was running out of time.
She looked again at the price of the dress. Now she wasn't sure if she had brought enough money with her. The nearest ATM was likely a few blocks away.
"Is the price the issue?" The lady looked at Yiren kindly.
"Uh…" she stammered. It wasn't in her nature to bargain at such stalls, and the lady's friendliness made her feel bad. But if she didn't get the dress, how could she face Dong Xu with the stains on her dress?
"Miss, you've been looking at the dress for about ten minutes. Even if you say no to getting it, your heart is saying yes. Don't let this opportunity slip away."
Although the lady was definitely referring to the dress, Yiren felt it sounded like what she was running away from in her mind; her feelings for Dong Xu.
The woman continued, "Guess what? You're the 999th customer at my stall. For this reason, I'll like to give you a special price for it."
"How… how much?" she sputtered from her mouth.
"For free."
Was she for real? She held tight to the dress, running her fingers through the soft material. She would be a fool to give up this chance.
She glanced at the lady, searching for any hints she was joking.
"I'll also throw in a free membership. All you need to leave behind is an email address."
When she walked from the stall minutes later blankly with the wrapped-up dress in her hands and a small handwritten card with her member number written on it, Yiren wasn't sure if she was just lucky.
She made her way to the nearest changing room and hastily changed into the dress. Then she dashed back to her bike and started the ignition. DongTe's office was some good hours' distance again, so she had to be as alert as possible.
'Feng Yintian, just you wait. I'll make you repay the damage you have done to our family once I have enough proof of your crimes,' she said mentally in her mind. Her path in her mind was clear. First, she had to get close to Dong Xu in order to be acquainted with Lin Xiao. Then, through Lin Xiao, she would find out what Feng Yintian had done with her family fortune. But how successful she would be in her goal was another blank. She had no way of knowing without trying.
'You can't fall for Dong Xu. You can't let him deter you from your goal. But if you need to, you might need to get his attention.'
There was so much in her mind about Dong Xu. What were the sacrifices she would make to get what she wanted?
Even she didn't have the answer to that question.
She resolved she would resign herself to fate. Whatever was the outcome between her and Dong Xu, as long as she didn't fall for him, everything would turn out fine. After all, a CEO had money and women. At the worst, she might need to seduce him, but he would forget her quickly.
'Yiren, toughen up,' she reminded herself. 'Everything is just temporary. He'll forget you, after you have what you want.'