After another busy day, Lily still managed to walk out of the office with a smile on her face.
“Have you been waiting long?” Lily asked the woman who was blocking her way when she, Yang Mi and Daohu reached the parking lot.
“You wereexpecting me?” Mu Lihua surmised. “So you are the one who asked those people to follow me,” she thought out loud. She knew someone was following her and monitoring her every move, but she thought it was Zhuo Jingren.
“My throat is a little dry. Let’s have some coffee,” Lily said as she continued to walk towards her car. In response, Mu Lihua raised an eyebrow and did not hesitate to follow Lily. She can’t remember the last time her enemy invited her out for coffee. After watching Lily get settled in her car, Mu Lihua joined her without hesitation.
Once seated, Mu Lihua and Lily did not utter a single word. Both women knew that this is not the ideal place for them to settle their business . Mu Lihua looked at Lily and was utterly surprised when she saw her playing games on her phone. Wasn’t she just too idle? Mu Lihuastruggled to remember the last time sherelaxed and idle enoughto play games on her phone.
Never.
Mu Lihua doesn’t remember ever playing games. For some reason, her gaze traveled to Lily’s face. Lily’s beautiful brows were furrowed as she occasionally bit her lower lip while playing the game. It seemed as if she’d just encountered a difficult situation in the game.
This was the first time that Mu Lihua had seen Lily in person, and to be honest, she was a little surprised to find that Lily’s demeanor was very different from what she expected. She always thought that Lily would be an ice goddess. This description would fit her achievements in the business world. She should be cold with a stern expression on her face, but this….
Mu Lihua always thought that being cold and stern was the only way to make all those businessmen take her seriously. However, Lily seemed to be very different in person. She appeared so… relaxed. This would lead people to underestimate her and make them think that she was a weak woman. Mu Lihua instantly wondered if this was how Lily won all her battles, by making people underestimate her capabilities.
“What are you looking at? Don’t tell me you are…” Lily narrowed her eyes at her. “You like girls?”
“What? Of course not!” Mu Lihua instantly shifted her gaze. She didn’t even notice that Lily wasaware of her gaze and staring at Mu Lihua in return. “I was wondering what you are playing.”
“Oh… It’s called Candy Crush. Jingren installed it on my phone weeks ago,” Lily answered. “He thought I would like it because of the sparkly stones.”
Mu Lihua only nodded at her words. Her eyes then examined Lily’s clothing. Her heels had little sparkling stones that matched the gems on her handbag. Lily really seems to be into glittery and sparkly things . Mu Lihua instantly shifted her gaze to look out of the window at the passing view as she fell into a deep thought.
In this industry, Mu Lihua was forced to become as ruthless as she could be. She’d made decisions that hurt people, and she never regretted anything. Her expression was always cold and uninviting, and she always opted to wear white, black, or beige clothing. She stopped liking sparkles and pink nail polish. She wanted people to view her as a smart businesswoman instead of just another pretty face.
They always say that men rule the world, and if you want to succeed the business you need to act like a man.
But Lily was nothing like that.
Her lipstick was red – too red for Mu Lihua’s liking. Her nail polish was pale pink, and she was wearing a red suit and she even had a little smile on her face. This… this is the opposite of what Mu Lihua learned from being surrounded by men. In her opinion, men loved to sexualize women and take advantage of them. They underestimate women and think they are weaker and dumber than men.
Was this because Lily was influenced by European culture? Was this because her grandmother trained her? This should be because of cultural differences, right?
“We’re here,” she heard Lily say. Mu Lihua instantly looked at the pastry store and followed Lily inside. If memory serves her right, this was a small pastry shop before, but it has since changed. The small pastry shop is now a café with a peaceful and happy ambiance.
“This is the only booth that they have for now. The construction isn’t complete, so expect a little noise in the background,” Lily said as she led her to a booth with paneled seats and an elegant mahogany table. Mu Lihua sat opposite Lily and watched the latter place her order.
Doughnuts?
“This is the best pastry shop in all of Asia,” Lily said with exaggeration. “Order something… my treat. You should indulge yourself from time to time, Miss Mu.”
“I’ll take whatever she ordered,” Mu Lihua told the attendant before she looked at Lily. “I am not sure why you brought me here, but I want to know why are you and your husband are doing this to me.”
“Ah… let me eat first,” Lily said. “I seem to forget things when I am hungry.”
“Stop playing games with me,” Mu Lihua hissed. For some reason, Lily’s smiling face and the amusement in her eyes only made Mu Lihua more furious and somewhat confused. Why is Lily being so friendly? Is this woman serious?
“Hmmm… Too impatient,” Lily nodded as she shifted her gaze towards the attendant, who was arriving with their doughnuts. “You didn’t offend me in any way,” Lily informed her as she slowly looked at Mu Lihua, staring straight into her eyes.
“Then why are you trying to ruin me?”
“I am not trying to ruin you,” Lily gave her another smile as she happily accepted a cup of coffee while her eyes were glued to a doughnut with gold leaf on top. “I am not trying… I am doing it. I am ruining you. There should be a difference, no?” Lily said before she took a small sip from her cup of coffee, her eyes full of mirth as she stared at Mu Lihua.
