Huo Qiudong checked the schedule and was equally as confused as her. "Well, President, I'm afraid to say I do not know. When he left the office, I thought he was simply going to grab something."
"And the miscalls?"
"There was an emergency that came up." Huo Qiudong did not want to be the messenger being shot. The news he was about to deliver would not make the woman in front of him happy.
"The meeting with Yang Enterprise spread like wildfire and many other companies would like to have a private meeting with you."
"And what's the problem with that?"
"Ma'am, they want a face-to-face meeting with the CEO and not a representative of our company."
"Well, that's a natural reaction. There's nothing wrong with that." Zhao Lifei soothed his worries, completely oblivious to the truth bomb that would be dropped today.
"You didn't let me finish. The problem with the request for these meetings is that—"
"Xiao Li, you should've told me you were at the office." Wei Hantao interrupted Huo Qiudong before any sensitive information was leaked without his permission. He glared at the secretary who bowed his head and excused himself back to his desk.
"I wasn't aware that I needed to tell you that." She snapped, angry at the interruption. They were getting to the crucial part of the conversation and he just had to interrupt her.
Wei Hantao gently patted her head. "It was a greeting, not an invitation to war." He clicked his tongue before placing a hand on her back and guiding her to the elevators.
"I didn't think you would be able to wake up this early, especially on a weekday." He teased her while pressing the elevator button.
All eyes were on them. Many of the employees working at Feili recognized this woman to be Zhao Lifei, the infamous girlfriend of Yang Feng, but what was she doing here with their CEO, in an intimate position?
They have never seen Wei Hantao touch or return the smile of a woman, much less, be seen together with one. Wait, there was a picture that blew up a while back!
A few of the employees exchanged glances whilst the majority kept their eyes glued to the pair even when they had boarded the elevator and the doors closed.
Huo Qiudong walked outside to grab a few papers from the file room when he realized the atmosphere in the air. "Don't get any foolish ideas." He announced to the employees. "For each rumor that starts, everyone's salary here will be cut by 10%." His hazel eyes scanned the pale faces of his subordinates, a menacing look on his face.
He would not tolerate any disrespect directed towards Zhao Lifei. He wanted to desperately announce who she was, but could not. Only a handful of people knew who Zhao Lifei truly was, but the majority of the employees saw Wei Hantao as their CEO. They did not know of the private meeting that took place a while back.
"Understood?"
"Yes, sir." They answered.
Huo Qiudong narrowed his eyes, "You guys better have."
– – – – – –
Zhao Lifei's eyes surveyed her surroundings with curiosity. They were sitting by the best view in the restaurant that was overlooking the enormous Qiping river that wrapped around Shenbei. It was a refreshing view, given the fact that she usually saw the skyscraping cities in most of the windows she glanced out of.
There was a secluded atmosphere in the air with massive spacing between the red-clothed tables. Smooth jazz music was playing in the background by a choir of well-dressed people. It was strange coming here, especially when a majority of the customers here appeared to be couples.
The candlelight in front of her reminded her of a romantic dinner, but that would be a far stretch, given the fact that it was lunch time and she practically saw Wei Hantao as a good friend, not some lover. She was also underdressed for this place, no thanks to Wei Hantao, who did not inform her of the dress code here — not that the restaurant owners minded.
The second the manager's eyes landed upon her, he ushered her inside. No one was stupid enough to not recognize Zhao Lifei whose family was a large investor of the restaurant.
Zhao Lifei remembered this restaurant was the bigger branch of the one found in a handful of her grandfather's hotels.
"It's honestly too early for lunch." She shifted her eyes from the window to Wei Hantao.
He was staring at her with the corners of his lips quirked up in his signature smile that always wooed the girls. Back in high school, he never failed to capture the heart of any girl whenever he used that smile.
She could still remember storming into the hallway, ready to smack him silly for making his group of fangirls scream in the middle of lunch. Even though he was the School Prince, he was as mischievous as the notorious troublemaker, Ling Fulei, and would always cause problems for her. She hated being the class President, it was such a stressful and tiring position, especially when her life was already riddled with the exhausting lessons on how to be a proper matriarch.
"Then I suppose we're having brunch." He commented just when the waiter walked over with the menu.
The waiter seemed to be their age, early twenties. Wei Hantao briskly glared at the man when he stared at Zhao Lifei for too long. He was obviously awestruck by the incredibly beautiful woman in front of him.
When Zhao Lifei glanced up to take the menu, the waiter felt his mouth run dry. He had never seen a woman with eyes as bright as hers. They glistened like a pair of well-cut topaz and when she turned her face, the rays of the sun turned it into a brilliant golden color.
Needless to say, he was smitten.
There were many wealthy women frequenting this restaurant, as well as famous A-list celebrities, but none of them had ever come close to her beauty. He could've sworn he recognized her somewhere. Perhaps she was a patron here a few years ago. He always had a good memory and could remember the faces of many women customers.
"Hm, brunch doesn't sound bad. I was craving Eggs Benedict." Zhao Lifei briefly commented while skimming the menu.
"Would you like to pair it with a glass of Moscato?" Wei Hantao suggested when he saw the sparkling wine in the drinks section. "They have a passion fruit flavor that would be suitable for women."
"I don't drink anymore." Zhao Lifei let out a peal of soft laughter, the sound capturing the heart of the poor waiter who did not know what was coming for him.
"I know, that's why I suggested Moscato. It has an extremely low alcohol content in comparison to most wines."
Zhao Lifei did not relent. She glanced at the waiter and said, "Just lemon water for me please."
Wei Hantao realized he was treading on dangerous territory and decided to back off. He turned to the waiter said, "I'll have a farmer's omelet with arugula salad."
The waiter bowed his head and took the menu, walking off to get their orders.
