After having lunch without any other disturbances, Lu Tian tried to persuade his wife to go home and rest. However, she protested against him without any plans to agree.
As the CEO, she cannot take any more days off. After all, she had already been away for too long during her recovery.
So, left with no other choice, Lu Tian could only agree with a heavy heart and drive her back to De L'amour.
Minutes after their drive from Rosewood Hotel, his metallic silver Lotus Evora pulls up in front of the fashion company.
Knowing that Lu Tian was sulking over her protests, Yue Ling leans over to him and gives him a quick on the cheeks before pushing the door open and jumps out. She doesn't want to think or plan to see what he will do if he was one step faster than her.
She places the handle of her workbag over her shoulder then spun around the face to the car and waves bye to him. However, instead of walking away, she gestures for him to leave first.
Lu Tian stares at her with slightly heavy eyelids. His face held no expression, but that was only for a split second before he laughs and listens to her like a good child.
As his car drove away from De L'amour, Yue Ling watched until it was no longer in sight. She turns around and makes her way to the fashion company.
Remembering something, she glances up at the sky and murmurs her thoughts aloud.
"Hm, I wonder if Liu Shan made it back safely."
As her figure disappears inside De L'amour, the people passing by through the street carried on with their way. Not too far from where she had been dropped off, a woman had been watching the entire scene unfold.
She was a slender woman with brown hair, and she wore a red coat with black heels. She held her handbag at her side and her features were very bewitching.
However, despite her attractive looks, all the passerby couldn't help but shiver at the sight of her.
Everyone also didn't forget to walk around her as if to keep a safe distance.
That is because of her expression. She doesn't hesitate to hide anything and allows her emotions to be seen on her face. Anyone could see that she was a woman with malicious intentions.
She stares with glaring eyes in the direction Yue Ling had gone then tilts her head back to look at the dark building of De L'amour.
"Just you wait. I will make sure that everything you care about belongs to me."
Her head then turns in the direction Lu Tian's car had driven off and a menacing glimmer flash in her eyes.
"Including your man."
She raises her free hand and flicks her hair behind her back before walking away. Her coat was bright and one that stood out, but the second she left the spot she had been standing, her figure blended right into the crowd.
It was as if she was never there on the scene and was only walking by.
Inside De L'amour, Yue Ling did not enter the elevator but had walked to the back of the first floor. She stood in the security room with eyes staring onto one of the many monitor screens.
"Should I inform the police?"
The security guard asks without looking at her. There were three large monitors set up in the room. Displayed on each screen were multiple smaller camera images as each one captured the surrounding premises of De L'amour.
However, Yue Ling and the security guard had their attention on one screen only.
Yue Ling doesn't answer right away but stares at the screen. Like the other screens, this one was only showing a live scene of people passing by. However, that is because she already saw what she needed.
Her bluish-green eyes then look away to another screen. Unlike the one she had been looking at, this one captures the back figure of a woman in a bright red coat walking away.
The moment Lu Tian parked the car in front of De L'amour, she was already aware of the woman's presence. However, knowing Lu Tian would worry too much, she decided to play ignorance.
She stares at the person on the screen for a long second before turning away and walks out of the security room.
"Leave her be. If she shows up again, notify me."
Minutes after leaving the room, Yue Ling arrived on the highest floor of De L'amour. She enters her office and places her work bag on top of her desk, then removes her coat.
*Bam—!
She had only hung her coat when the door to her office flew open with great force. It was as if the person behind the door had kicked it open to find a burglar.
Anyone who was in the room would have jumped in fright, but Yue Ling remained composed. Her reaction was one like she had become accustomed to this situation too many times.
She glances at the widely opened door, then walks over to her desk to take a seat.
"It's good to see you back in one piece."
"You!"
The second her words fell, Liu Shan did not hesitate to unleash his wrath upon her. Despite her being his superior, he glares viciously at her and stomps towards her.
However, he stops in his tracks in the center of the room where the two white couches were.
"You left me behind!"
Like an angry child, he stomps on foot angrily then makes a turn to sit on one of the couches. He made sure to sit on the one that allowed him to face her.
"How could you do that to me? I thought we were a team! Two peas in a pod!"
He folds his arms over his chest and sounds a 'hmmf' as he darts his head to the windows. His lower lip trembles and unlike his angry expression when he entered the room, his eyes turned moist.
"How could you leave me alone back there? Do you know how scared I was?"
Yue Ling stares silently at the assistant's behavior. She leans back on the chair and crosses one arm over her chest as her other hand raised to cover her mouth.
For some reason, she felt the urge to laugh at this side of him. So not wanting him to know, she could only hide her smile behind her hand.
However, there was one thing she is curious about.
He is one of her strongest and bravest subordinates. When it comes to facing the enemy head-on, he never shows the slightest bit of hesitation, but what did Manager He do to make this man on the brink of tears?
Curious, she clears her throat to rid of her smile and sits up in the chair.
"Was it that scary?"
Liu Shan trembles a breath at her question. He glances at her without turning his head and seeing the unnoticeable smile on her face, intense steam blew from his ears.
He parts his lip to say something, but not wanting to see her mocking expression full of amusement, he looks back at the windows.
"It's easy for you to say. You didn't have to walk around with Jafar breathing down your neck. Do you know how many times I have to keep my guard up?"
Yue Ling arched a brow at his amusing response. She couldn't help but think back to Manager He's appearance and nods her head like she was agreeing with her assistant.
"That's true, but Manager He seems like a nice man. Why do you have to keep your guard up?"
Liu Shan grew even angrier at her teasing. He sits up and with an exaggerating attitude, he hits the couch with both palms.
"How would you know? You weren't there!"
His lower lips tremble uncontrollably and like every bone in his body had disappeared, he slumps onto the couch like slime.
Placing both hands on his stomach like he was having a conversation with a therapist, he stares up at the white ceiling and cries without any tears.
"You see, I am a very strong man, but today, everywhere I went, I thought Iago was going to fly out of nowhere and attack me."
Like he was having the most difficult time to express himself, he chokes a despairing sob and wipes his dried eyes with one hand.
"That bright crimson red parrot. So small yet, so terrifying."
"…"
