Chapter 53 - TRULY A WICKED WOMAN
Zhong Mian felt almost as nauseated as Jian Ru. When they stood side by side, the pair definitely looked like they had eaten something unpleasant for lunch. Their sick faces amused Hu Lei endlessly because well, she loved to see those who opposed her without good cause uncomfortable.
The look of enjoying other people\'s misfortune on her face was not missed by Zhong Feng. His formerly emotionless face softened with helplessness even though he knew that she was probably thinking something unpleasant.
"We will not keep you." He broke the silence which had befallen the awkward group.
The wicked spell which had seemed to have entranced Zhong Mian and Jian Ru broke at the words. They both looked discomfited and desperate. The sun had already begun to set and letting the pair go would probably mean that they would be engaging in intimacies. Moreover, there was the little shopping bag which was filled with who knows what!
"Feng\'er, it is almost dinnertime. How about we have a meal together?" Zhong Mian took the chance to stop the evil plot which was with no doubt brewing in Hu Lei\'s mind.
"I would also love to catch up with Hu Lei. It has been a while since she has come to the office." Jian Ru chimed in.
Zhong Mian would normally be annoyed by a third party interfering when she was talking to her brother. However, at this point, she would take any help that she could get, even from this low class woman who was making disgusting expressions at Feng\'er.
"Do you want to eat?" Zhong Feng looked down at the little woman who was watching the little play before her with interest.
Hu Lei obviously did not want to waste her valuable time on unimportant matters. But she felt some regret because avoiding this dinner meant that she would not be able to see their faces change in all kinds of wonderful ways. Still, it would be a shame to waste this type of chance for entertainment that had fallen into her lap.
"I think it would be rude to refuse Ms Zhong\'s invitation." She paused and looked at the relieved look on the two women\'s face. "But the noodles you made were too delicious. I really ate too much. One more bite of food and I might get sick."
The large moist doe eyes looked so sad, but this appearance only caused their faces to darken, and their teeth to grit in anger. She had eaten food prepared by Zhong Feng? The two women had the same question in their head, and their envy was quite similar, in spite of the different relationships with the man. They really wanted to eat something made by him.
Zhong Feng\'s lips twitched at the cheekiness of this naughty girl. Is this what she had meant when she had asked him to entertain her on that night of her drunkenness? She was truly a wicked woman with the face of an angel, but he loved every facet of her rather strange and questionable personality. An overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and uncover everything else about her filled his heart. Once again, he felt the pain of suppressing his urges.
"You should not force yourself to eat more. If you feel hungry later, I will make you something." His cold voice lent seriousness to the drama that Hu Lei had orchestrated.
The petite woman lifted surprised eyes to Zhong Feng and smiled. He was obviously playing along even though he probably knew that her words were meant to irritate his sister and her new friend. It was nothing of importance, but her heart felt warm.
"We can have some coffee." Zhong Mian jumped in to stop the flirtation happening before her. If this continued, she might need to gorge out her eyes.
"I appreciate the offer, Ms Zhong. But we couldn\'t possibly interrupt your dinner plans. Don\'t mind us." Hu Lei waved her free hand lightly in dismissal.
"You just don\'t want to drink coffee, right?" Zhong Feng spoke dotingly at her.
Hu Lei\'s face blushed because she did hate coffee. Why would anyone intentionally drink something bitter that was not medicinal and for pleasure at that? Nevertheless, she was pleased with Zhong Feng\'s performance.
"We won\'t keep you for longer, Ms Zhong, Jin Rei. We have a little shopping of our own to do." She had already dragged this interaction for too long and had squeezed out all of its entertainment value.
"Don\'t go home to late, Mian." Zhong Feng added in his usual cold tone before they left.
Zhong Mian felt great joy because Feng\'er had spoken words of care to her. It felt like forever since he had expressed interest in her matters. How could she not feel elated when he had addressed her with kindness and directness?
In truth, Zhong Feng had always made a point to be nice to his elder sister. However, she did not have a clear concept of boundaries when he tried to interact normally with her. To be clear, she had the habits of a stalker.
For an introverted and private person like her brother, this was unbearable. He had drawn a clear line between them because Mian would pull stunts like moving into his apartment without notice, rifling through his closets and going through his business matters in his absence. This form of violation over the years had caused him to adapt a cold attitude.
For Mian, the drawing of said line had been translated into a mountain. She had decided that her brother had not forgiven her for the old incident that Zhong Feng did not remember. Unfortunately, even after a direct explanation on boundaries, she had decided that the only reason he was distant was because he had not forgiven her.
Now, he seemed more human, even speaking to her. Could it be because of that little slip of a woman? Perhaps she was changing him to be a little better. Maybe she was the key to the restoration of their sibling bond!
Jian Ru felt a sense of crisis as she looked at Zhong Mian\'s face which had lit up while looking at the disappearing pair. If this elder sister ended up liking Hu Lei, wouldn\'t she lose her only backer? It had taken so much to reach to this stage. She would be damned if she would allow anything to go wrong.
"Hu Lei seems so close to your brother. He even took her shopping." She spoke with a wistful tone while staring into the direction they had gone.
"There is nothing wrong with a boss helping out his subordinate." Zhong Mian responded lightly, even though she knew her words were untrue.
"Of course, Hu Lei is very lucky. You know I have always admired her sense of style. Unfortunately, it would be difficult for me to have a closet full of designer clothes and bags." Her tone was self-deprecating.
With that, Zhong Mian snapped out of it, and her eyes became cold. She understood what the crass Jian Ru was implying. There was no way that woman could afford anything after working for a couple of days in Supreme. If she was wearing expensively, she had to be mooching off from her brother.
Obviously, Zhong Mian had overlooked numerous points in her considerations and subsequent conclusion. Her companion did not plan on helping her see through the assumptions. She only smiled coldly with blood thirst in her eyes.