"I'm just speaking up for our Deputy Manager!" The secretary grumbled, hinting at an interesting dynamic between the two of them.
"Alright, go bring me a cup of coffee."
Bai Xue had someone investigate Gongze Yu. The way he looked at her was not like someone meeting for the first time, and he also didn't seem like the kind of man who falls in love at first sight. His fervent attention towards her suggested two possibilities: either they knew each other from before, or he was pretending to be familiar with her for some hidden agenda.
The first possibility seemed less likely. She would not easily forget if she had ever met him before because he was not a man one could easily forget.
That left the second option. She couldn't figure out his motives for getting close to her, so she had decided to investigate. Knowing the opponent would always give her an upper hand. A bit of caution wouldn't hurt!
Just before Su Yan finished work, he received a call from Bai Xue, asking if he will be coming home for dinner.
A tinge of suspicion flickered in his mind.
His immediate thought was to say no, he despised eating at the same table with her. But on second thought, using her as a domestic worker didn't sound bad either, so he ordered heaps of dishes.
"I usually have dinner at 7 o'clock. Don't be late!"
Bai Xue got off work at 5:30. By the time she drove home, it was already 6 o'clock. He was curious as to how she would manage to cook all the dishes he ordered in an hour!
As soon as he finished work, Su Yan immediately left to supervise Bai Xue's cooking personally.
When he arrived home, Bai Xue was already bustled about in the kitchen.
"Can you handle this? If not, call for takeaway. My stomach is precious. If I get sick, you'll pay for it!"
"Let's wait and taste it first," Bai Xue responded calmly to his provocation.
Su Yan stood by the kitchen entrance, watching her work briskly.
Watching her expertly chop vegetables, do several things at once, and manage the whole cooking process left him astonished. He'd assumed she could only make simple porridge and stir-fried vegetables. The complex meals he had ordered was to embarrass her.
Yet, she looked like a seasoned chef, the meals looked and smelled delicious.
He felt puzzled. How could Bai Wanrou, a successful businesswoman who couldn't cook, manage this?
What was more baffling was how a pampered lady such as Miss Bai who grew up with several maids at her service, could know her way around the kitchen?
"Why do you know how to cook?" Su Yan was never too arrogant to ask a question.
"If you grew up eating spoiled or badly cooked food, you'd learn to cook too," Bai Xue stated nonchalantly, hinting at her tragic childhood.
"What joke is that? Aren't you Miss Bai! The formidable Miss Bai!" Bai's family may not be as rich as the Su's but they were still wealthy. How could she, the eldest daughter, possibly eat bad food?
"What good is being Miss Bai? Haven't I always portrayed a strong image?," Bai Xue retorted. Everyone has been vulnerable at some stage in life.
Su Yan suddenly remembered how thin and malnourished she looked in her early teens.
Su Dongkun and Bai Xue's grandfather, Dong Zhenghong, were childhood friends. The two families had a very close relationship. Dong Zhenghong gave his only daughter to Bai Shengqi. His entire business was left to his only daughter who changed her family name to Bai's as a means to win over her husband's affection.
Su Yan and Bai Xue grew up together, they were close until an incident occurred, and he began to despise Bai Xue, ceasing all ties.
However, because of Bai Wanrou, he still maintained a good relationship with the Bai family.
Who could have treated Bai Xue with such treachery, giving her a hard time, and poor food? There was only one candidate.
Meng Shaomei!
Su Yan had feelings for Bai Wanrou, but he never liked Meng Shaomei. He couldn't bear her manipulative ways, even a single glance at her filled him with disgust.