My Angel, My Guardian (GL) - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“One word: trash. The moment I stepped into Guangqiang, I could clearly feel their laziness. But starting today, they won’t dare anymore. Alright, I’ll stop here; I’m busy.”

Li Mingxi hung up the phone. Ying Jia’en set her phone down and stood up to stretch. Seeing that it was almost lunch break, she cleared the documents off her desk and left her office. She headed straight for Xiao Zetong’s door and pushed it open without knocking. Zetong knew exactly who it was just by the sound of the footsteps; she didn’t look up, continuing her work.

“Lele, it’s almost lunch. Want to grab a bite together?”

“I still have a mountain of work to do. How about you buy something and bring it back for me?”

Lele looked up and gave Aiai a radiant smile. Aiai was instantly so charmed she couldn’t tell north from south.

“Then what do you want to eat?”

Seeing that Lele had already “fallen into the trap,” Aiai rested her chin on her hand and thought seriously.

“I want the steak from that Western restaurant we always go to. Then, I want the shrimp dumplings from that Cantonese place we frequent. Oh, and I’d also like a Blue Mountain coffee from our usual café. Sorry for the trouble!”

“Uh… Lele, could you maybe just pick one? Those three places are located in the East, West, and South ends of the city respectively. A round trip will take at least an hour, and that’s not even counting the time to order.”

Aiai spoke with some hesitation, causing Lele to sigh.

“Forget it then. I’ll have someone else buy it for me. I remember some guy named Qiao-something said he was on call anytime. I won’t trouble you.”

“Don’t! I’ll go, okay?” Aiai quickly grabbed Lele’s hand before she could reach for the phone, compromising immediately.

“That’s a good girl. Hurry along now!”

Xiao Zetong reached out and patted Ying Jia’en’s cheek before lowering her head to continue processing documents. Ying Jia’en walked out of the Chairman’s office with a long face and stepped into her private elevator. Everyone she passed could feel the icy aura radiating from her body, and they all sensibly chose to stay far away.

Sitting in her car, Jia’en thought for a moment and then called the Western restaurant to have them prepare the order first. Then she called the Chinese restaurant. Once the orders were placed, she sped toward the furthest location—the Cantonese place. After a thirty-minute drive, she finally arrived, grabbed the shrimp dumplings, and placed them in a thermal box in her trunk. She then raced to the Western restaurant and finally to the café for the Blue Mountain coffee. When she returned to Nitian, an hour had passed since she left.

Jia’en carried the heavy thermal box toward the Chairman’s office. She pushed open the heavy solid wood door and set the box on the coffee table.

“I bought it. Go ahead and eat.”

Jia’en slumped onto the sofa, panting. That thermal box was incredibly heavy.

“Half an hour faster than I expected,” Xiao Zetong noted with a satisfied nod. She sat on the sofa, opened the box, and began eating her steak slowly.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Those shrimp dumplings are for you. Eat up!”

While elegantly cutting her steak, Zetong gestured with her chin toward the dumplings in the box. Hearing this, Jia’en was so moved she nearly cried. It turned out her Lele did have her in her heart after all! She quickly took out the disposable container, snapped her chopsticks, and began eating with a sweet smile. Zetong watched her, a hint of sweetness in her own smile. That was just how Ying Jia’en was—give her a tiny bit of care, and she would be overjoyed.

“Lele, want to see a movie tonight? I passed by the theater today and saw a new adventure movie premiering. It’s about a boy shipwrecked with a tiger and how they survive until rescue. It’s in 3D. What do you think? Want to go?”

“Sure. Old rules.”

“No problem. I just booked the tickets. Shall we take my car tonight?”

She knew Lele would agree.

“Fine. But, President Ying, you should get back to work now.”

Having finished most of the food, Zetong glanced at her glittering wristwatch, adopting the persona of the “Big Boss” Chairman. Catching Zetong off guard, Jia’en stole a quick kiss on her cheek and dashed out with a triumphant laugh. Zetong reached up to touch the spot where she’d been kissed; she gave a helpless but happy chuckle. She’s still like a child.

Returning from Zetong’s office, Jia’en felt as though she had been fully recharged. Her efficiency doubled, and she finished all her work early. Seeing that she still had time, she sat back and planned what to do after the movie. The tickets were for 6:00 PM, so they’d be out by 8:00 PM. Perhaps she could take Zetong to the mountaintop to see the stars.

As she was planning, her phone rang. Jia’en frowned at the ill-timed interruption but answered anyway.

“Aiai, it’s Xing’er. Are the aunts returning to the country this Saturday?”

On the other end of the line, Ying Xing’er sat in her office, legs ungracefully propped up on her desk, holding a glass of red wine.

“Yes, Mommy called me yesterday. It’s an 8:00 AM flight on Saturday. Why? Something up?”

“Duh. Why else would I call? It’s not like I have a secret crush on you.”

The retort left Jia’en speechless. “Just spit it out.”

The two had been fine as kids, but as adults, they couldn’t help but snipe at each other every time they spoke.

“You haven’t forgotten Great-Grandmother’s 80th birthday this Sunday, have you?”

Xing’er wasn’t bothered by Jia’en’s rudeness; she was used to it. If Jia’en ever spoke to her politely and gently, she’d actually be worried.

“How could I forget? I’ve already prepared the gift. What about it?”

“Are you bringing Lele?”

“Of course. There will be so many people there. Bringing Lele to offer birthday wishes is basically announcing that she’s the daughter-in-law of the Ying family. Why wouldn’t I bring her? Why do you ask?”

Aiai knew that pursuing Lele wasn’t a sprint but a marathon. She planned to use this occasion to tell everyone Lele belonged to the Yings so nobody else would get ideas.

“Just asking. Anyway, bye.”

Xing’er hung up. Jia’en muttered “how boring” and went back to her evening plans.

At the end of the workday, Jia’en hurried to the Chairman’s office. She walked up to Zetong, who was clearing her desk, with a face full of smiles.

“Lele, ready to go?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

They left the office together and headed to the garage. Zetong got into Jia’en’s car. They drove to a parking lot near the cinema, where Jia’en exchanged their tickets and bought some juice while they waited in the lounge.

“Lele, Sunday is my Great-Grandmother’s birthday. Come with me? She’s been saying she hasn’t seen you in a long time.”

Jia’en asked as casually as possible. Zetong nodded; she actually missed the kind old lady quite a bit.

“Alright. But what gift should I prepare for her?”

In the past, Xiao Xiao and Ding Xinxin (her parents) would have handled the gifts, but they were currently off enjoying themselves somewhere. She had to think of something herself.

“How about giving her a great-granddaughter-in-law? Great-Grandma already thinks of you as one anyway,” Aiai teased.

“In your dreams!” Zetong shot her a miffed look.

In reality, did Zetong not know what Jia’en was thinking? She was just playing along. Truthfully, she wasn’t quite ready to transition from being a girl to being someone’s girlfriend, or a wife, or a daughter-in-law. She didn’t want to settle into the mundane routine of domestic life so young. She just wondered… would this woman wait for her forever? Well, she wouldn’t dare not wait. She’d waited this many years already; a few more wouldn’t hurt.

They entered the theater. The beginning of the movie was a bit slow, and just as Jia’en was about to doze off, the plot kicked in. When the tiger suddenly lunged forward, it startled the dazed Jia’en, instantly chasing away all her sleepiness.