78. Pick-up Chicks 101

The next morning, Feng Jiu reached the office before Dong Hua. "Hmm... Dong Hua seems a little late today." She thought to herself.


Before she started work, she made a cup of coffee and left it on Dong Hua's table as usual. Not long after that, Dong Hua came into the office.


Feng Jiu smiled brightly and excitedly ran towards him. "Did you sleep well, Dong Hua?" Then she stood beside his desk and stared at his coffee, gesturing him to drink it before it gets cold.


"Oh? Xiao Bai already made coffee for me? She must be waiting for me." Dong Hua smiled. Then he sipped on his coffee and replied, "Xiao Bai's coffee is still the best."


Dong Hua suddenly thought of the 'Pick-up Chicks 101' article from last night, "Hmm... Should I try it? But how?" Then he smiled at Feng Jiu and said casually, "I need to stop Procaffeinating on work."


Procaffeinating - the tendency to not start anything until you have a cup of coffee. Procaffeinating sounds like procrastinating.


Feng Jiu instantly thought to herself, "Is Dong Hua making a cold joke? It's a little different from his usual venomous tongue." Then she laughed a little, "Yeah, now you can stop procrastinating since you drank my coffee! I mean, procaffeinating."


Dong Hua smiled and thought to himself, "Oh? Xiao Bai got my joke, and she laughed too. Good sign. Maybe the article is really working. Okay, I'll find a chance to use what I learned."


Right at this moment, the cleaning lady knocked on the door. "Come in." Dong Hua said coldly.


"I'm sorry, Mr President. I was late to work since I wasn't feeling well. So I didn't get a chance to clear your trash bins. Would you mind letting me clear them now?" The cleaning lady said politely.


Dong Hua instantly nodded his head, got up, and walked towards the sofa so that she would be able to do so. Feng Jiu also did the same so that she could clean her area too.


"Dong Hua, the cleaning lady looks so sick and she still has to work." Feng Jiu frowned. Dong Hua smiled and replied softly, "Should I give her the day off?"


Feng Jiu nodded her head gently. "Yes. I think you should do that. You need to care more about your staff's wellbeing."


Dong Hua immediately stood up and walked towards the cleaning lady. "You can head home after clearing the trash here. Take two days off if needed and come back to work after you recovered."


"I can't, and I already used up all my sick leave since my health is bad." The cleaning lady bowed politely.


"Don't worry; we won't deduct your salary." Dong Hua replied calmly. The cleaning lady bowed a few times to show her gratitude, and she quickly left the office after that. She also thought to herself, "Our President seems to different now. It must be that girl who changed him. I hope that she's the next lady boss."


After she left, she quickly texted her friends and told them about what just happened. Soon, more rumours spread in the company about how Feng Jiu changed Dong Hua for the better. The whole forum was on fire, and everyone was discussing about them.


Feng Jiu smiled warmly and walked over to Dong Hua. "I like the new Dong Hua." She said with a sweet voice.


Dong Hua's heart started pounding, and he thought to himself, "Xiao Bai likes the new me?! I must be doing something good." Then he replied back lovingly, "I'll try harder to be a better person for you."


"Good! Once you start showing love to others, you'll notice how differently people would treat you."


"I'll learn from you, Xiao Bai. But I'm still bad at it." Dong Hua frowned a little.


Feng Jiu smiled brightly and replied cheerfully, "It's okay, Dong Hua! One step at a time! You're doing good."


"I'm glad you like that." Dong Hua smiled.


Then both of them went back to their desks and started working.


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Lunch-time arrived. Feng Jiu suddenly received a text message from Su Moye.


Su Moye: Hey, Feng Jiu! I'm heading to your office for a meeting tomorrow morning with Dong Hua. You still remember that you're having lunch with me tomorrow, right?


Feng Jiu: Yes! I remembered that. Should we eat at the nearby Chinese Restaurant instead? It's crowded at the Cafeteria and people would stare at us for sure.


Su Moye: That's part of the plan! The more people see us, the better it is. Then Dong Hua would definitely know about it, and we would be able to see if he likes you.


Feng Jiu: Hmm... Will it really work though? I don't want Dong Hua to feel upset. Maybe we could invite him to lunch too?


Su Moye: Yeah, sure. Invite him, and it would be better too. I don't want to cause too much misunderstandings between you both at the same time. So I'll see you at lunch?


Feng Jiu: Okay! I'll let Dong Hua know about it now! See you tomorrow.


Feng Jiu then looked up at Dong Hua, who was already secretly using his side-eyes to peek at what she was doing.


"Dong Hua, do you want to come to lunch with me tomorrow? Su Moye would be joining us though." Feng Jiu asked casually.


Dong Hua widened his eyes and thought to himself, "Su Moye?! They are having lunch together? Wait. Why would they invite me?" Then he pretended to be calm and replied, "Oh? Sure. Count me in."


Feng Jiu thought to herself, "See? Dong Hua isn't even jealous of Su Moye. I think Su Moye is just overthinking." Then she replied with a big smile, "Okay! We will be going to the Cafeteria after your meeting with him. Is that okay with you too?"


"Yeah, that's fine with me. I eat anything anyway." Dong Hua smiled and looked at his laptop, trying to stay calm. He kept reminding himself, "I have to be more mature. I need to control my jealousy and impulsiveness since I know Xiao Bai wouldn't like it. She said that Su Moye is her friend, but I'm her family. I'm more important to her than Su Moye. Stay calm."


Feng Jiu smiled and replied, "Okay! I'm heading to the cafeteria to buy some drinks. You want any?"


"Just get Chong Lin to buy them for you." Dong Hua said.


Feng Jiu shook her head and said, "No! I don't want to bother him too much, and I can get them by myself. I already told him not to get me lunch sets since I can stretch my legs while I'm heading down to the cafeteria."


"Do whatever that makes you happy, Xiao Bai. Can you get me a drink then?" Dong Hua then told her what he wanted, and Feng Jiu quickly left the office.


While she was gone, Dong Hua opened up his browser and searched for the 'Pick-up Chicks 101' article.


"Keep staring at her to build up the momentum before kissing her." The article mentioned. Dong Hua confusedly thought to himself, "Does this even work? But I can't just kiss Xiao Bai without asking her for permission. I need to respect her." Then he decided to put that aside and see how it goes.


'Mimic the other person's body language.' Dong Hua felt even more confused. "How? I know Xiao Bai always pouts and folds her arms across her chest. But I'm a grown man, can I do that too?"


'Wear red lipstick (for the ladies)'. Dong Hua pondered, "What does that even mean? So she would wear red lipstick if she has an interest in a guy?"


At this moment, Feng Jiu came back into the office, and he quickly closed the browser. Dong Hua then asked Feng Jiu curiously, "Xiao Bai, do you wear red lipstick often?"


"No, I don't usually use much makeup. I ran out of red lipstick too, but I didn't buy any since I don't use them often. Why are you asking?" Feng Jiu smiled.


"Oh, nothing. Just reading up some business proposals for a makeup company." Dong Hua said a white lie since he was indeed working with another makeup company for a small project.


Feng Jiu then walked over to Dong Hua's desk and stared at Dong Hua. "Why is she staring at me? Is she building momentum to kiss me?! I'm not ready for it. I mean, I am but..." His heart started pounding. Then he quickly turned away to hide his blushing face and asked softly, "Why are you staring at me like that?"


"What do you think?" Feng Jiu had her hands crossed across her chest.


"Should I mimic her body language now?" Dong Hua pondered. Then he crossed his arms and replied, "I don't know. You tell me."


Feng Jiu then leaned in and continued eye-contact. "Oh no, is she going to take advantage of me now? Should I close my eyes? But her face is so beautiful, and I don't want to stop looking at it." Dong Hua had a mini panic attack.


Then Feng Jiu stopped and replied, "It's lunch-time now! What are you doing? You promised me that you'd have your meals."


Dong Hua's frozen heart immediately shattered, and he dramatically thought to himself, "I thought she was going to kiss me. Ahhh. I'm so perverted!" Then he acted calm and replied, "Okay, let's eat now."


He stood up and walked towards the sofa. Feng Jiu also grabbed their lunch Bentos and happily hopped towards the sofa. "Can't wait to eat! So hungry!"


"Eat more, Dong Hua!" Feng Jiu gave him an extra piece of meat. "She really cares for me. But I can't help but want more. I think I'll confess to her after the competition. I don't want to wait anymore, so I have to get ready for it. We still have quite a few weeks left before that would happen, so maybe I'll be ready to do so by then." Dong Hua thought to himself.


Then they smiled sweetly at each other and continued eating. Dong Hua also decided that he would ask her about Su Moye another time since he didn't want to ruin the mood.


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Soon, it was time to end work, and Feng Jiu bid Dong Hua goodbye. "I'm meeting my best friends for dinner tonight. I will be leaving now, and don't stay too late at work again." She said.


"I won't. Get going now. I'll see you tomorrow." Dong Hua replied. Then he continued working since he has a lot of work to complete by this week.


Feng Jiu met up with Cheng Yu and Cha Cha at their usual hang-out spot. After they ordered food, they started exchanging Christmas Gifts.


Cha Cha made them some hand-made cards, and Cheng Yu got them some lipsticks. Feng Jiu then handed them homemade cookies and candy bags.


"Oh! Cheng Yu got us lipstick this year. That's special since we usually give handmade gifts. I know why! It's because you bought them to wear on your date with Lian Song, right?! Tell us all about it!" Feng Jiu exclaimed, and she smirked.


"Well. You know me all too well, Feng Jiu." Cheng Yu smiled, and then she shyly added on, "It was nice."


"Nice? In what way?" Cha Cha asked curiously.


"Okay... Don't freak out if I tell you! So I actually kissed him on the cheek after the date." Cheng Yu smiled, and she blushed a little.


"What?! So are you guys officially dating?!" Feng Jiu was getting way too excited, and she started leaning in towards Cheng Yu.


Cheng Yu bowed her head in embarrassment and replied, "I'll try to make it short. So we took a nice little stroll after dinner. It was snowing, so the ground was slippery. I almost fell once, and Lian Song decided to piggyback me all the way to the car. It was definitely embarrassing at first, and I was 'kicking' him to put me down. He insisted on carrying me, and I also saw a serious side of him that night. I gave him gloves, and he wore them on for me. I guess I did open up my heart a little since it was Christmas. While we were driving home, he actually confessed to me in a serious way. So I kissed him before I left the car. I was too embarrassed and shy to talk about it after that. So I'm not sure if we are officially dating or not."


"You should ask him!" Cha Cha exclaimed. Feng Jiu also nodded her head and replied, "Yes! But I also know how hard it is. If it happened to Dong Hua and me, I wouldn't dare to talk about it too."


"Yeah, it's pretty hard to do so. Especially when Lian Song is always joking around." Cheng Yu smiled.


"I'll try to fish for some information when I see him then!" Feng Jiu said. Cheng Yu then shook her head, "Nooo. He would know that I told you girls about it!"


"Well, I think he already knows that long ago." Cha Cha chuckled.


"Okay... I guess you could try to ask him about it then." Cheng Yu blushed.


Feng Jiu then thought to herself, "Cheng Yu is definitely falling in love with Lian Song. I'm so happy for them! It's been years since I last saw her blushing and acting this way."


"Enough about me, how about you girls?!" Cheng Yu asked. Feng Jiu looked at Cha Cha, gesturing her to talk about hers first.


"Well... I actually have something to confess to Cheng Yu. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my feelings about Ye Qingti. Feng Jiu knew about it since she overheard me confessing to him at the hospital." Cha Cha blushed.


"Aww! Why didn't you tell us earlier?! I think you both make a good match too!" Cheng Yu exclaimed.


"Well... Because I was afraid to let people know about it, especially Qingti. If he knew about it, it would probably ruin our friendship too." Cha Cha frowned.


"Hey, I know that feeling all too well. It's okay; we will try to help you out once Qingti is awake. By the way, how is he doing?" Feng Jiu patted Cha Cha's shoulder.


"He's doing good so far. The doctors actually said that he's starting to have some brain activity, which is a good sign of him waking up soon. Let's just hope for the best." Cha Cha smiled.


"Oh yeah! I wanted to let you girls know that I actually entered into a big Architectural Design competition. If I win, I'll get prize money of $50k and an all-paid Europe trip for two. It was hard to decide who to bring on the trip, but I have chosen Cha Cha to repay her for taking such good care of Qingti. I'm sorry, Cheng Yu. Maybe next time!" Feng Jiu replied excitedly.


"Don't worry! I think Cha Cha deserves it too. What's more, I'm going to be busy with my exams and final year, so I wouldn't be able to leave the country anytime soon as well." Cheng Yu smiled brightly.


"Really? Thank you so much, Feng Jiu! I would love to go to Europe. Hopefully, you'll win the competition. I know it would make things easier for you if you won that huge prize money. You worked so hard to pay off Qingti's bills." Cha Cha smiled sweetly.


"Now, it's your turn to tell us about you and Dong Hua!" Cheng Yu smirked at Feng Jiu.


"Hmm... It's pretty much the same, to be honest. Well except that we... spend Christmas together." Feng Jiu blushed.


"Oh my gosh! Did you guys kiss?! You know, Mistletoe." Cheng Yu winked.


"No, no! We didn't kiss! Please don't tell anyone this, especially Lian Song and Si Ming! Nobody knows about it except for the both of you now." Feng Jiu held her index finger up to her lips.


"What?! You guys are surely moving fast." Cheng Yu exclaimed. Cha Cha frowned and replied, "But it might not be a good thing too. It's hard to gauge Dong Hua's feelings for her if they are this close."


Feng Jiu also frowned and replied sadly, "She's right. It's been hard, but I find myself wanting to get closer. By the way, I also got closer to Su Moye. You girls remember him, right?"


The two girls nodded their heads, and Cheng Yu replied, "Yes, you mentioned to us briefly. I heard he's a gentleman but also a womanizer. How does that even work?"


"Well... He's definitely not a real womanizer. As I said, it's all an act, and he's actually a really nice friend to talk to. So... I told him that I have feelings for Dong Hua. I don't know why I did that, but I just felt comfortable around him. Like as if he was an old friend." Feng Jiu smiled.


Cha Cha replied with a smile, "Wow. I guess he must be really nice if you feel this comfortable around him. I know you well, Feng Jiu. You don't usually get close to the opposite gender."


Feng Jiu nodded her head. "You're right, Cha Cha. I guess it's fated since we share a lot of similarities too."


After that, they continued updating each other on their daily lives and finished up their dinner.


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The next morning, Feng Jiu decided to use the red lipstick that Cheng Yu bought for them. "I'll try a new look today. It's been long since I put on red lipstick."


She arrived early at work, but Dong Hua was even earlier than her. Dong Hua then noticed that she had red lipstick on and he remembered the 'Pick-up Chicks 101' article, "Wait, why is Xiao Bai wearing red lipstick today? Is she trying to impress me?"


"Good morning, Dong Hua!" Feng Jiu smiled. Dong Hua smiled and replied, "Good morning, Xiao Bai."


"I really need to start drawing my design drafts for the upcoming competition. It seems like I'm so distracted these days and I can't come up with any." Feng Jiu frowned. Then she started unpacking her stuff and switched on her laptop.


"What's wrong, Xiao Bai?" Dong Hua asked concernedly. In actual fact, Feng Jiu was feeling bothered about Yu Xi's situation and her feelings for Dong Hua. Sometimes she wished that she was still working in the Design Department office so that she won't be distracted by Dong Hua. She was distracted because she kept stealing glances at him too.


"Nothing is wrong. I just can't decide which drafts to submit for the first round." Feng Jiu frowned. Dong Hua then stood up and walked over to her desk, "Come, let me take a look at your drafts."


Feng Jiu showed Dong Hua a few of her drafts. "What's wrong with it, Xiao Bai? It all looks good to me."


"Hmm... I don't know. I just feel like it doesn't feel like 'home' to me. It's modern and minimalist, but I feel like something is missing." Feng Jiu replied.


Dong Hua pondered for a while, "Doesn't feel like 'home', what does that mean?" Then he replied calmly, "So what is 'Home' to you?"


"Hmm... Home... I see myself having a house big enough for five people. Maybe a two-story home but I don't want a big mansion too. Home is like somewhere I feel comfortable. All these drafts look nice, but it feels a little 'cold' to me. I like it simple, but I want it to be filled with memories too. I would love having neighbours as I want my future kids to interact with others also."


"5 people? So you want three kids in the future?" Dong Hua asked curiously. Feng Jiu then smiled warmly and replied, "Yes! I want three kids. Hopefully, a boy and two girls, and I want my son to be the first-born." Dong Hua thought to himself, "3 kids sounds nice to me too. Although it would be better if we enjoy our honeymoon period before we have kids." Then he smiled to himself, and he continued imagining their future married life.


Feng Jiu noticed him smiling happily, and she asked curiously, "What are you thinking of, Dong Hua?" Dong Hua immediately wiped off that big smile and replied calmly, "Oh. I was just thinking about what you just said about the drafts. Hmm... Filled with memories. Maybe you could create your own furniture? Like draw a painting with your future partner and hang it up in the living room."


Feng Jiu immediately smiled and replied excitedly, "You're so smart, Dong Hua! That would be nice, and it will also be filled with memories. We could even do pottery and make our own vases! Then we could also custom-made all our furniture. I want an indoor fireplace with a huge living room so we could watch movies and bond there." Then she began to draw some new drafts.


Dong Hua thought to himself, "Did Xiao bai just said 'we'? Is she referring to me?" Then he replied, "Take your time to draw, Xiao Bai. If you need help, just ask me anytime."


Feng Jiu smiled and continued drawing. "Can't wait to submit my drafts!" Dong Hua also left the office for his meeting with Su Moye and the managers.


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Half an hour before lunch-time, Dong Hua returned back to his office. He noticed that Feng Jiu was so focused on drawing and he didn't want to disturb her.


After a while, they heard some light knocking on their door. "Come in." Dong Hua said coldly as usual.


Chong Lin slowly opened the door, and it appeared that Su Moye was behind him. "Good afternoon, Sir. Sorry to bother you but Mr Su wanted to look for you and Feng Jiu."


Dong Hua thought to himself, "Why is he looking for Xiao Bai too?" Then he replied calmly to Chong Lin, "Okay, you can go back to work now."


Feng Jiu immediately smiled brightly and waved to Su Moye. "Hello! We still have 15 minutes till lunch-time." Dong Hua pretended that he wasn't jealous and he walked up to Su Moye. "I heard that you're coming to lunch with us."


Su Moye smiled politely and replied, "Yes. I arranged to have lunch with Feng Jiu today." Then he looked at Feng Jiu, who was still busy drawing.


Dong Hua thought to himself, "Is he trying to tell me that I'm a third-party? I was here before him." Then he calmed himself down and replied, "We could leave for lunch now."


Feng Jiu immediately stood up upon hearing that she could go early for lunch. "Yes! Let's go now! We would get good seats in the cafeteria if we went early." Then she grabbed her purse and gestured for the two guys to follow her quickly.


After they arrived at the Cafeteria, they managed to get their food without even having to queue. Then Feng Jiu gestured for them to sit at her favourite seating area.


Su Moye started to observe how Dong Hua treated Feng Jiu before deciding his next plan. Then he noticed Feng Jiu wearing a new shade of lipstick today, and he commented casually, "You look nice with red lipstick, Feng Jiu."


"Thank you! I got this new lipstick last night and decided to use it today." Feng Jiu smiled brightly. Dong Hua immediately thought to himself, "Xiao Bai said that she doesn't use red lipstick often so why is she wearing it today? Don't tell me it's because of Su Moye..."


Su Moye then noticed Dong Hua was really quiet and he leaned in towards Feng Jiu. Then he whispered to her, "Someone looks jealous." Feng Jiu briefly looked at Dong Hua and whispered back, "No. That's just the way he is around other people."


"I'm not sure about that. Let's test our next theory then. Whatever I say or do from now onwards, I hope you won't take it to heart. It's strictly for experimental purposes." Su Moye whispered, and he smiled.


"Okay, I won't take it to heart. Just don't go over the line since I don't want to upset Dong Hua." Feng Jiu smiled back.


Dong Hua looked up and noticed them whispering, and he felt even more uneasy. "What are they whispering about? I feel like I'm the third party here. This is so unlike me, and I need to think of something before I lose Xiao Bai to Su Moye."


Su Moye turned over to Feng Jiu, "So when do you want to come to my teahouse again?" Feng Jiu smiled and replied excitedly, "Anytime! I miss the Long Jing Tea already." Su Moye then stared at Dong Hua's face after saying that. Dong Hua bowed his head and showed no reaction towards their conversation.


"They even went to have tea together? I'm really not good at this at all. I should just leave." Dong Hua thought to himself. He felt inferior because he knew that Su Moye was a strong competitor, and this time, Feng Jiu also seem really comfortable around Su Moye too.


Feng Jiu leaned in towards Su Moye, "I don't think Dong Hua is jealous at all." Su Moye smiled and whispered back, "Just wait and see."


The cafeteria started to get busy since it was lunch-time. Everyone stared at the three of them having lunch, and they gossiped among themselves. Nobody dared to sit around the three of them as well. A few of them also tried to take pictures of them having lunch together. "Ice Monk VS Fire Flower."


The gossip duo then walked over and smirked while sitting down beside them.


Lian Song said loudly to Si Ming, "Is it just me, or is it hot in here?" Si Ming smiled and replied, "Oh, you feel hot? I feel cold." Then they smirked at each other.


Su Moye noticed the gossip duo, and he smiled at them. "Hey there. Lian Song and Si Ming, right? Do you guys want to join us?"


The gossip duo immediately got up and joined their table. "Oh, it feels nice to be eating together." Lian Song raised his eyebrows at Feng Jiu.


Dong Hua immediately replied, "There are so many seats around. Why are you both sitting beside us?"


Lian Song then sighed and said to Si Ming sarcastically, "Life is just like this coriander. Even if I didn't do anything wrong, people still hate me." Then he threw away the coriander in his plate.


Si Ming then replied sarcastically, "You should just change your name to Coriander."


Then they both shook their head and continued eating.


Feng Jiu then turned to Su Moye, "Oh yeah! Dong Hua makes really heavenly cookies by the way!" Su Moye smiled politely and replied, "Wow, I would never have expected that. It would be my honour to try it someday."


Dong Hua thought to himself proudly, "See? Feng Jiu praised me." Then he tried to hide his smile. But his smile quickly faded off the moment Feng Jiu said, "You want to try some cookies? I also made some. Let's go to my office after lunch, and you can try our cookies!"


"What? Did I even said that I would share her cookies with Su Moye?" Dong Hua thought to himself. Then he quickly finished his lunch and prepared to leave.


Without saying a word, Dong Hua stood up and left the cafeteria. Su Moye instantly smiled at Feng Jiu and said, "He's definitely jealous. I can see right through him." Then he nudged Feng Jiu to chase after Dong Hua.


"Let me quickly finish up my lunch first." Feng Jiu continued eating since she didn't like wasting food.


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Dong Hua arrived at his office, and he quickly locked the door. Then he immediately took out Feng Jiu's cookies from his drawer and finished them all. "Now, Su Moye can't eat Xiao Bai's cookies."


After a while, Feng Jiu knocked on the door. "Dong Hua, it's me. Why did you lock the door?" Dong Hua immediately brushed off the cookie crumbs off his mouth and walked towards the door. "Oh, I probably locked it by accident." Dong Hua replied casually.


Then he noticed Feng Jiu was alone and he asked her, "Where's Su Moye? I thought he said that he wants to try our cookies?" Feng Jiu teased Dong Hua, "I thought you didn't hear that since you're so quiet at lunch."


"Oh? I'm not someone who talks a lot." Dong Hua replied calmly.


"Where's my cookies?" Feng Jiu asked curiously. "Oh. I finished them all." Dong Hua replied casually while typing on his laptop.


"What?! You finished all three packets?" Feng Jiu exclaimed. Dong Hua nodded his head lightly and replied, "Yes. It was too good, so I couldn't stop myself from eating it all."


Right at this moment, Su Moye knocked on the door. "Hey, cookies time?" He said.


Feng Jiu immediately smiled and replied, "Yes! It's cookies time." Then she quickly took out another pack of her cookies from her bag and handed it to Su Moye. She thought to herself, "Luckily, I made extra for myself."


Dong Hua widened his eyes with shock and thought to himself, "What? Xiao Bai had more cookies in her bag? How many did she even make?"


Su Moye then smirked at Dong Hua while holding the bag of cookies up directly in front of his face. "I'm sure these cookies are delicious. I guess I'll leave now and head back to my office."


"Okay! Let me know if you're coming to Tai Chen Group again." Feng Jiu bid goodbye to him. Su Moye then quickly left their office.


"This time, I really feel threatened by Su Moye." 
- Dong Hua

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