Tungmei stared at Zhang Liling as if she was an idiot.
What in the world was she talking about?
She looked depressed in the least to say and Tungmei wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason she was spewing nonsense.
Tilting her head the side and meeting the weird gaze of her friend, Zhang Liling said just as her phone started to ring again, "Don't look at me like that."
"Won't you answer your call?" Tungmei probed, not giving her the chance to put the phone away like the last time.
Zhang Liling closed her eyes and opened them again, fixing her gaze on her, she made some weird sounds with her mouth before confessing.
"He is going to ask me about work, something that I just escaped from. I don't want to lie to him, so I'd rather not answer his calls."
This was her valid reason for ignoring Mr. Fang's calls.
Towards the end of her launch preparation, he began to make her keep up her feet. He wouldn't let her rest, saying that she was almost through.
Whereas, this was the same person that pampered and indulged her the last time she got tired. What happened to him?
Did the he have for her go on a vacation? She just couldn't understand him.
"If you are not through with your work, then you should go back to it. We are only a few days away form the launch." Tungmei advised as voice toned down a bit.
She was almost through, why would she take a break now?
A tired sigh escaped from Zhang Liling's lips as she glanced at her phone screen and just before the call could disconnect, she slid her finger across the screen and answered it.
"Hello, Mr. Fang," She greeted in a tired tone, while making sure to convey her current mood to him.
"Where are you?" Fang Bingwen asked from over the phone.
"I'm taking a break."
"You left your office to go take a break?" Mr. Fang asked with one hand on his waist as he stood outside 'Glint' building, staring into the walk-in store through the glass door.
He had just arrived, and had walked in to offer his assistance to his girlfriend only to be told that she had stepped out.
Fang Bingwen left his office on time to come and help her out because he wanted her to finish sending out the invitations on time and for the store to be decorated at least 2 days before the launch so she could take a good break.
But here she was, postponing things without letting him know.
Fang Bingwen wanted nothing more than to have that little woman in front of him as soon as possible.
Unaware of what was going on, Zhang inquired with creased brows. "Is anything the matter?"
"Tsch..." Fang Bingwen scoffed. "Is anything the matter? Liling, where are you?"
"At the massage parlour."
"Oh?" he probed as his lips curled into an 'O' shape.
She left for her to go and get a massage? Was she more tired than he was?
"Liling, ask the masseuse to clean off that oil on your back. Then get dressed and come and meet me inside your store."
"What???" Zhang Liling exclaimed as she got up from the bed to sit on it, letting the towel covering her frontal parts to slip off and roll down to her waist.
He was asking her to leave her massage section half-way when she was yet to get the maximum effect from it?
Then what about her money? Would it go to waste just like that?"
"Sshhh..." Mr. Fang shushed her, immediately getting the silence response from her. "And I don't want to for too long." He added and went straight to end the call, giving her no chance to retort.
"Aishhh!" Zhang Liling exclaimed through gritted teeth as she slammed her phone on the bed.
She looked frustrated and Tungmei couldn't help but get concerned.
"What is it?" Tungmei inquired as she sat up while wrapping the big white towel around her body.
"Mr. Fang just asked me to come back to work immediately. He is waiting for me." She revealed.
"Then you should leave since he is at your company already. But you can first start by covering up your body. You are embarrassing me." Tungmei said, pointing her index finger at her exposed chest.
"As if that's what I should be worried about..." Zhang Liling as she got off the bed to secure the towel around her body properly, before picking up her phone.
"Are you coming with me?" She asked.
"No, but I would have loved. At least one of us has to stay here and out the money to good use." Tungmei replied as she laid back down and bared her back for the masseuse to continue with her work.
"I see. Talk to you later, then." Zhang Liling said before making her out from the room.
While waiting for Zhang Liling to come back, Fang Bingwen walked back into her store to supervise her workers task.
He had to at least ensure that work was running smoothly since he was there.
Being already used to bossing people around at work, he also couldn't drop that habit especially in a place that concerned him.
Fortunately, Zhang Liling did not waste time before arriving and walking into the store, she did not bother to hide how displeased she was.
"Mr. Fang," she called out on sighting the only man in navy suit walking around.
Hearing that familiar voice, he turned around. "I can see you are here..." He drawled without tearing his gaze off her.
Without another word, Zhang Liling led the way to the elevator as he followed after her.
Getting into the elevator as she pressed the floor button, he started, "I thought we had an agreement. No more rest until we are done sending the invites and getting the store ready for the launch?"
"I couldn't stand the pressure and wanted to find an escape route." Zhang Liling replied as her hands folded below her chest.
Fang Bingwen released a deep sigh through his nostrils as his gaze remained focused at the back of her head.
"I know you are tired, but you have to sacrifice two more days."
'Ding'
As the elevator signaled their arrival while the doors opened, they both got off and walked straight to her office, ignoring the greeting from her staff.
"My brain can barely keep up with what is happening." Zhang Liling revealed as she went to sit before a fancy desk while he sat from across her.
Here, she was the Boss, and he was... Just any role he could take up.
"Have you checked in with the models?" He questioned with a serious gaze.
"Yes. The product branding and marketing team have reached out to their agencies." She replied with her tired eyes on him.
"What about the make-up artists, have you confirmed their attendance?" Fang Bingwen asked.
"Yes. Everything is settled."
For this launch, there was going to be a section where the top makeup artist in the country, made up the faces of the models in front of the guests, using Glint's makeup products.
This was a way for entertaining the guest, as well as showing just how good the brand was.
"We have to finish the packaging today. Send all your staffs to go down and help. More helping hands will ensure that we keep up with the goals as scheduled."
"But they already have something they are working on," Zhang Liling informed, spreading her hands out in disapproval.
She didn't see the reason in disturbing the others for a task that wasn't supposed to be shifted to them, when they had their own jobs to do.
Left for her, she would want everyone to focus on their respective tasks, but that was until she understood Fang Bingwen's logic.
"Everyone should assist to wrap up this packaging if you don't want it to linger until tomorrow. After your staff is done, they can come back to the office to continue with their work."
Gesturing with his hands, he continued, "It's obvious that they would have to pull an all-nighter, so you have to make preparations for them. Order takeouts and drinks for them."
"Wow!" Zhang Liling exclaimed in surprise as there was wisdom in his suggestion, but he didn't stop there.
"Then in the morning, you can shorten their work time and pull it up from 4 pm to 2pm, giving them the rest of the day off, while the store attendants, have to see to it that the decorations for the launch is completed before 2 tomorrow."
Zhang Liling had no words left as she continued to stare at him in awe. He was just so brilliant.
She almost asked herself how he managed to come up with that kind of idea, but then, she remembered who he was.
He was not her mate. He was not a starter like her.
He was Fang Bingwen, the CEO of a billion dollar company, and the owner of a perfume brand whose name was still being noised abroad.
They were no where near each other.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m