Chapter 20

Zhen Zhen turned on her laptop .

A while later Zhen Zhen was smiling in front of her laptop screen, she unlocked Yue Gu Zai’s security system .

Unbeknownst to Zhen Zhen, Yue Gu Zai was watching her movements on the camera screen in the study room . If he didn’t order the guards not to patrol the front gate in the morning then Zhen Zhen wouldn’t have been able to leave easily . As long as Zhen Zhen was happy, he would let her work .

After Yue Gu Zai couldn’t see Zhen Zhen on the camera screen, he turned it off and sign off on reviewed reports .

‘You’ll be in charge of wedding planning,’ Yue Gu Zai said to Bai Yu Tian .

‘Boss, it’s a complicated matter,’ Bai Yu Tian said . ‘If you want to satisfy Miss Zhen Zhen, I think you should ask what wedding style she likes . Does she want a western or an eastern style wedding? Who she wants to invite to the wedding, who boss wants to invite and…’

‘And?’ Yue Gu Zai asked .

‘Boss, you need to meet Miss Zhen Zhen’s parents,’ Bai Yu Tian said .

‘Is it important for me to meet my wife’s parents?’ Yue Gu Zai asked .

‘Boss, it’s very important to meet your wife’s parents,’ Bai Yu Tian said . ‘If you want to give your wife a proper wedding ceremony and reception, you need to ask for your wife’s parents’ blessing to give away their daughter to you . ’

Yue Gu Zai thought about meeting Zhen Zhen’s parents and nodded . ‘OK, you can leave . ’

‘Yes, boss,’ Bai Yu Tian said .

Outside the oblivious Zhen Zhen relaxed the moment she escaped undetected, like a free uncaged bird . She happily hailed a taxi to work .

At work Zhen Zhen put on her lab coat and her colleagues she hadn’t seen for a long time all greeted her .

‘Zhen Zhen, how is your health?’ a chorus of colleagues asked .

Zhen Zhen politely nodded .

‘Zhen Zhen, how was your stomach surgery?’ another chorus of colleagues asked .

Zhen Zhen coughed awkwardly . ‘I’m healthier . ’

‘Zhen Zhen, why did you let your stomach ulcer deteriorate to such a bad condition…’ more questions were shot at Zhen Zhen .

Zhen Zhen could only politely smile and nod .

Zhen Zhen walked faster to her assigned lab .

Inside Zhen Zhen’s lab, supervisor Jiang was waiting for her since early morning . He was happy to see her, she was like a daughter to him as well as the research company’s biggest asset . So her health was important, without her at work, her research experiments were halted .

‘Supervisor Jiang, I’ve fully recovered my health,’ Zhen Zhen said . ‘Let’s discuss the final stage of my research . ’

‘OK,’ Jiang said .

Later that day, Zhen Zhen was busy finishing her experiments that she forgot to eat . At lunch time her stomach ached, but she was keener to continue experimenting than eating .

After lunch time, Jiang entered Zhen Zhen’s lab . ‘Zhen Zhen, what’s your impression of Reynold?’

‘Who’s Reynold?’ Zhen Zhen asked .

‘He’s the man you had an arranged lunch date with a while ago,’ Jiang said .

Zhen Zhen was busy checking lab equipment and she didn’t pay attention to supervisor Jiang’s questions . ‘Not bad . ’

‘Really?’ Jiang asked . ‘That little boy isn’t bad . Although in the past he’s a player . But after he met you, he’s been smitten with you . He’s handsome and rich . Since you were on sick leave, he’s been calling here to ask about your health . I’ll let him know you have a good impression of him . ’

‘Good,’ Zhen Zhen said carelessly .

Zhen Zhen was thinking about why an experiment failed . She wasn’t listening to what supervisor Jiang was saying and gave him simple one word replies .

Zhen Zhen turned around to ask supervisor Jiang why the experiment failed, but he disappeared .

Later Jiang returned to Zhen Zhen’s lab while she was packing lab equipment .

‘What are you still doing here?’ Jiang asked . ‘Didn’t you agree to eat a meal with Reynold? Reynold’s been waiting outside a long time for you . ’

‘Eat a meal?’ Zhen Zhen asked . ‘When did I agree?’

‘This little girl,’ Jiang said . ‘Earlier you agreed . Hurry and go eat with Reynold . ’

Jiang dragged Zhen Zhen to Reynold’s Hummer . Before she could protest, she was buckled in the front passenger seat and Reynold drove off .

‘What’s happening?’ Zhen Zhen asked .

‘Miss Zhen Zhen, long time no see,’ Reynold said .

‘Reynold?’ Zhen Zhen asked .

‘I’m happy you remembered my name,’ Reynold said .

Zhen Zhen didn’t want to remember Reynold’s name, she blamed it on her photographic memory .

‘Where do you want to eat?’ Reynold asked .

Reynold did go on many blind dates with other women, but he couldn’t forget Zhen Zhen . He planned on dating Zhen Zhen and marrying her if they were compatible .

‘If I remembered correctly, I didn’t agree to eat with you,’ Zhen Zhen said . ‘Stop the car and let me leave . ’

Reynold braked suddenly and Zhen Zhen’s body jerked forward .

‘Don’t you like me?’ Reynold asked .

‘When did I like you?’ Zhen Zhen asked .

‘Your supervisor Jiang said…’ Reynold said . He paused and realised what happened . ‘It doesn’t matter . Eventually you’ll like me . Let’s go and eat first . ’

Zhen Zhen was worried about leaving without Yue Gu Zai’s permission . She’d been at work for a long time, the sky was dark and she knew Yue Gu Zai would be angry . But she skipped lunch and reasoned it was the right time to eat dinner .

Reynold parked in front of a restaurant and led Zhen Zhen to a reserved table . His past girlfriends were enamored by him so he talked confidently during dinner .

Zhen Zhen tuned out Reynold’s chattering about business ventures, sports cars and modern trends .

‘Zhen Zhen,’ a familiar voice called .

Zhen Zhen looked up from her plate . ‘San Mac?’

‘What a coincidence,’ San Mac said .

San Mac’s happiness to see Zhen Zhen made Reynold guarded .

‘It is,’ Zhen Zhen said . ‘It’s been a long time . How are you?’

‘Good, I’m working at R&D,’ San Mac said . ‘What about you?’

‘After graduation I specialised in the scientific research field,’ Zhen Zhen said .

San Mac thought Zhen Zhen hadn’t changed since college . ‘I read your in depth research articles . ’

Reynold coughed . ‘Hello, I’m Reynold . ’

San Mac finally noticed Reynold was sitting at Zhen Zhen’s table . ‘Hello, I’m San Mac . ’

San Mac took out his phone and looked at Zhen Zhen . ‘Zhen Zhen, do you have a phone number?’

Zhen Zhen read her phone number to San Mac .

‘OK, I won’t intrude on your dinner anymore,’ San Mac said . ‘I’ll see you another time . ’

‘OK,’ Zhen Zhen said .

San Mac left and Reynold frowned . ‘Does San Mac like you?’

‘Don’t say nonsense,’ Zhen Zhen said . ‘He’s my friend from college . ’

Reynold didn’t spend a lot of time with Zhen Zhen, but he understood her lack of perception . He didn’t like her obliviousness .

Zhen Zhen’s phone rang, it was Zhen Wu .

‘Mum, as your filial son,’ Zhen Wu said . ‘It’s my duty to inform you, earlier dad found out you’re eating dinner with another man . Dad was very angry and left home to pick you up . I think dad’s nearly at the restaurant . Mum, you can’t say I didn’t give warn you . I’m hanging up . ’

‘Hey!’ Zhen Zhen said .

Zhen Zhen thought her son had no conscience, he could have warned her sooner . She looked at the entrance and saw Bai Yu Tian enter the restaurant .

Zhen Zhen stood abruptly and apologised to Reynold . ‘I’m sorry, I need to go to the toilet . ’

But Bai Yu Tian’s legs were faster than Zhen Zhen’s legs . ‘Miss Zhen Zhen, if you want to go out tomorrow then you need to let me escort you home . ’

‘Of course I want to go home,’ Zhen Zhen said and immediately followed Bai Yu Tian outside .

‘Zhen Zhen!’ Reynold called and chased Zhen Zhen .

‘Thank you for inviting me to eat dinner,’ Zhen Zhen said .

Bai Yu Tian smiled politely at Reynold and he escorted Zhen Zhen to the car .

Reynold watched Zhen Zhen enter a black car . He saw Yue Gu Zai and men armed with guns inside the car . He wondered about Yue Gu Zai and the men’s identities .

***

End of Chapter Twenty