Holding the braised beef paired with a healthy salad, I chewed listlessly.
Never in my twenty-nine years of life had this happened, because I have an extreme passion for food—I'm the type who can't move on if I see something delicious. If it weren't for never skipping Martial Arts training since childhood, maintaining a slender figure would be impossible.
In fact, my mom, whenever she watches me eat, always says she suspects she gave birth to a pig. Although the idea of birthing a pig seems rather bizarre, like something you'd see on a Discovery channel special, she even complains that if she had a pig, she could at least slaughter it and eat the meat, but raising me has only brought her worries.
But what is this state I'm in now? Lovesick? No way! I'm not a child anymore; it can't be that I've fallen for a guy on the screen to the point where I've lost my appetite for food. Sure, he's exactly my dream guy's type, but that's just too naive!
"Sister Xiao Xin, what's wrong with you? You didn't really get it on with a man, did you?" lost in thought, Xiao Shan, that suspicious girl, asked me.
"Get lost!" I hurriedly swallowed a piece of beef, "You're so young and already so lecherous, thinking about rolling in the sheets all day! Where's my pearl hairpin? Bring it here!"
Xiao Shan, with a mischievous smile, ran to fetch the gift. Watching her youthful slender figure and that smooth, shiny black hair, I sighed helplessly and enviously. At that moment, that rhythmic barking started again, drawing the attention of a curious puppy that had been fostered at the clinic for the day to come over and sniff around. I instructed it to lie down obediently, gave the screen a glance, and then pressed the answer button.
"Is the big boss checking in on orphans again?" I laughed.
On the other end of the phone was the only normal human among the odd men and women around me, named Jiang Rong, but we all call her UU. She's a petite and exquisite beauty that most people think is no more than twenty-three, but in fact, she's an old friend of mine and already a mother of a five-year-old boy. Thanks to her baby face and especially delicate skin, she's often misunderstood. She's the epitome of a happy marriage, currently the HR Director at CES Company.
"How was your birthday night, Xiao Xin?" her voice contained laughter.
I knew she was aware, along with Yueyue, Beibei, Lao Bai—none were missing, all co-conspirators framing me. And I'm most afraid of them calling me "Xiao Xin" with a laugh in their voice; it reminds me of that sly five-year-old Japanese kid with thick eyebrows and a pancake face.
"I always thought you were a nice person! Humph!"
"All right, all right, we're the bad ones, but how's it going with the good guy?" UU's personality was that of an astute and competent woman with a gentle feminine touch.
"That 'good guy' nearly got beaten to death by me, pity I don't have a car to conveniently dispose of the body in the wilderness. Humph."
I couldn't tell if she was laughing or sighing on the other end, "Yueyue and I said this wouldn't work, but Mrs. Tu and Lao Bai insisted that even a savage girlfriend can find love. Anyway, let's leave it to fate. Some things can't be forced."
"Are you calling just to check up on my maturity level?" I was still pouting.
"You wouldn't mention it, I'd have forgotten." UU laughed, "Last week when we went to your house for the get-together, I think I left a disc at your place. Yueyue really wanted to watch it, but as soon as I took it out, you started yelling about dinner, and I probably forgot to take it back. The vice president asked me for it today, and I remembered. Can you go home and look for it? I'll send the company driver to pick it up later."
I had been slumped in my chair like a puddle of mud, but UU's words immediately petrified me, and my heart unexpectedly clenched.
"What disc?" I asked, inexplicably tense.
"Just a silver one, with some stylized letters printed on the back," UU described with some difficulty.
"I mean, what's on it?"
"It's the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of our company's building. What do you need it for? It's not a pornographic film, otherwise Lao Bai would've swiped it long ago."
"I happened to watch it last night." My mouth was dry, my heart pounding as if my dream man was approaching me, "Among the ribbon-cutting guests was a thin, tall man wearing rimless glasses, looking very refined—who is he? Which celebrity did you invite?"
The other end of the phone went silent for a while, as if forcefully recalling, until I was so anxious I could hardly catch my breath, UU finally said with uncertainty, "From the way you describe him—probably our Vice President Lin Zexiu. The company does sometimes use him as a model for product advertisements, so you're not wrong to call him a celebrity. But I haven't seen the person you're talking about, so I can't guarantee it's him."
I felt dizzy, not sure what the feeling inside me was, only that it was intense and hot, but then it swiftly turned ice cold. The alternation of cold and heat made my heart tremble as if it were on a swing, unable to withstand any touch.
But at that moment, UU suddenly asked with suspicion, "Xiao Xin, why are you asking this?"
"It's nothing, just curious after seeing—" I said guiltily, "I've always thought that rich people all look weird. I didn't expect that someone could be both wealthy and handsome."
I didn't know whether UU believed me or not, as she hadn't responded before a female bandit burst into my clinic, yelling as soon as she entered, "So you've fallen for the man in the disc. I remember, that was the disc UU brought to the party last week. Ask her quickly who the man is, where he lives, if he is married, how much he earns, how big his house is, what kind of car he drives, and if there are any physical problems. You should know that a harmonious marital life is very important. If his 'thing' is as small as a lipstick, you'll have a hard time being 'sexually' blessed."
"Mrs. Tu!" Three people yelled out in unison, including me, Xiao Shan who had come back with gifts, and UU on the phone. She yelled so loudly, I bet people passing by the clinic could hear her too.
"Give the phone to Mrs. Tu, I want to speak with her." UU was extremely curious and anxious.
"Mrs. Tu, Mrs. Tu, has Sister Xiao Xin found a man she likes? Ah, it's not easy, I thought she had turned into a pervert in her virgin life, only loving characters from comics," Xiao Shan's gossiping spirit burned wildly.
I, on the other hand, had completely turned into a vegetative state, my mind was clear, but my body was frozen stiff, feeling like my deepest secrets had been dug out.
The image of the lover from my dreams was something I had cherished in my heart for many years. I treasured it immensely. I thought I would never meet him and had resolved to bury it with my dreams, after all, they say maturity spells the end of dreams and the beginning of life.
I was twenty-nine and couldn't be immature. But to my surprise, he appeared, yet so out of reach. Isn't it better if he had never appeared? Being visible but untouchable is just tantalizing!
While I was lost in thought, Mrs. Tu, judging from the loud voice on the phone that it was UU calling, came over and snatched the phone away, "UU, let's get together after work and discuss some things. The heavens have eyes, Yu Huxin has taken a liking to a man! It seems my baby's judgment was correct; she's not a lesbian or frigid, just too idealistic, unable to accept reality."
Chaos ensued as Mrs. Tu and UU chatted cheerfully, but I deliberately avoided the meaning of their words, and as Xiao Shan interrogated me, I had no reaction.
In the end, Mrs. Tu put down the phone with determination, patted her chest toward me and said, "Don't worry, Xiao Xin, leave it to me. There's not a man that Mrs. Tu has set her sights on who can escape my grasp."
This is the man of my dreams, you know? I thought sadly, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Who told you?"
"Xi Lin, of course."
I really should have killed him last night. So it turns out that none of my actions escaped his beautiful eyes. Seems like he really did switch from being a thief to a cowherd!
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......Liu Liu has something to say......
Today, we have three updates: around 5 pm, and one chapter around 8 pm. Stay tuned.
Also, please cast your recommendation tickets for this book. Liu Liu thanks you.