Ruin His Reputation
There is a knock at the door a woman wearing a hotel uniform rolls in a rack with the clothes Qiao Rui had bought her. LiMei reaches for her purse to tip her, the woman waves her hand “It has been taken care of by Dr. Qiao.”
“Oh, thank you.”After she leaves LiMei thinks it looks like more clothes than she had picked out maybe there was a mistake.
LiMei gets into the shower, washing her hair she is thinking about Qiao Rui, he is too good for her. She doesn't deserve such an outstanding man after the life she has led the past five years in the Black Sky Organization. Every time she takes her clothes off the tattoo reminds her of who she became just to survive.
Is that why Kuang Fu had Kuang Bo tattoo her, so she would never forget who she is that she belongs to them? A constant reminder of her life as an assassin. Her good mood is fading she she washes herself, no amount of soap and water can wash away the memories. As she touches the tattoo on her hip she thinks of Father Lam. She needs to do as he told her, turn her life around by being a good person, use her skills to help people then she can find happiness.
She turns off the shower, she has a bottle of her jasmine lotion in her purse she rubs it on her skin. Jasmine was her mother's favorite flower, in their garden at their home the scent would drift through the air into her window. LiMei looks in the mirror, “LiMei be a good person and you can find happiness!” Noticing they even supply a hairdryer and curling iron, she dries her hair then curls it a little. Then she applies a little lip gloss and walks to the rack to pick a dress.
LiMei chooses a simple black sleeveless dress with a full skirt, the top is cut low but not too revealing, the waist is snug then the skirt flairs out. She puts on the crimson jade necklace.The Boutique sent heels but she decides to wear her pink flats she wore earlier they are comfortable. When she is ready she goes next door to knock on Qiao Rui's door. She is starving and can't wait to go eat some dumplings.
Qiao Rui opens the door, he is wearing a blue designer suit with a crisp white shirt no tie. The suit fits him perfectly showing off his broad shoulders and trim body. He has a light manly scent from just having taken a shower. LiMei almost gasps when she sees him, he is unbelievably handsome.
He walks out and takes her hand, on her palm he can feel the little bit of moisture as he holds onto her hand, she must be nervous. “Hungry?”
“Yes, very!”
They walk to the elevator, “LiMei you look beautiful in that dress.”
LiMei doesn't know how to respond , “Thank you for all the clothes Rui I don't know how I will repay you but I will try.” No one has ever treated her this well.
He decides he will say it, “Just stay by my side. I like you LiMei”
She is looking up at him when he says this and he can't resist her tempting pink lips any longer he leans down and kisses her softly. As he does the elevator door opens to the restaurant on the top floor.
LiMei is flustered, this is her first real romantic kiss, her heart is pounding in her chest. She sees there are people waiting to get into the elevator, her cheeks feel like they are on fire.
Qiao Rui casually takes her hand as though that kiss was the most natural thing in the world to do. He walks out of the elevator into the restaurant. A man approaches them, "Dr. Qiao would you like your private room?”
“No I think we would like to sit next to the window”, he thinks she might be uncomfortable after he impulsively kissed her if they then went to a private room.
The people in the restaurant stare at them as they walk towards the table by the window. They make a striking couple, he is tall and handsome, the girl he is with is petite,with long black hair and sparkling green eyes.
A man in the middle of the room says to his wife, “Isn't that the heir to the Qiao Corporation? Who is that girl he is with I don't recognize her.”
“I think it is I haven't seen him in over five years, didn't they disown him, then welcome him back last year. No one knows what happened.”
LiMei can hear their gossiping words because of her martial arts training and of course so can Qiao Rui. She pretends she didn't hear anything, rich people are the worst.
Qiao Rui ignores them the man is the CEO of a midsize Real Estate company, an ant in his eyes. He believes LiMei couldn't have heard it, but if she is going to be with him maybe he should explain about his family to her.
LiMei looks at the menu,“What's good Rui, I would like some dumplings.”
“The Crystal Prawn Dumplings are delicious”
“That is what I would like then.”
LiMei doesn't usually drink but she can't calm herself down after that kiss. “Do you think we could have some wine?”
Qiao Rui is surprised she would want some wine, “I will order a bottle.”
They sit and talk about the view it is amazing from the window, similar to the view from her room. The lake is beautiful at night there are lights on the shore, it is glimmering in the darkness.
The waiter comes over to their table, Rui orders the wine and some of the signature dishes. Qiao Rui can't take his eyes off LiMei, the taste of her lips is still fresh on his mind, he would have enjoyed tasting her more deeply. He needs to take his time though not be too greedy, she seems shy and inexperienced, that is partly what he likes about her.
The wine arrives and the waiter pours it. LiMei takes a sip, it is sweet and warm as she swallows it.
While they are waiting for their meal trouble is brewing at the Lau's party. Lau An has been greeting guests looking for Chen Jianyu to arrive, her father has spoken to his grandfather who is in agreement it would be a beneficial marriage for both their families. When Chen Huan arrives he causes a stir because he has two girls on his arm that are obviously sisters. The old men in the crowd look at them with lustful glances mumbling what a womanizer he is, but envying him for his youth and ability to gather beautiful women.
Lau An pulls Huan away almost pushing the girls off him. “Where is he? You said you would make sure he attends!”
“An you know Jianyu, I tried everything I could, he refused to come. He had a hard week, worked all day at home today trying to fix a business proposal. Really it is for the best would you want to be embarrassed in front of all these people when he refused you? You know his temper, going behind his back for a marriage contract... he would have humiliated you tonight. Just enjoy your party and find another way to get him to marry you.”
Lau An wanted to refute what he said but it was true, she didn't want to admit it. She finds her father and tells him Jianyu isn't coming, she wants to cry but her pride won't let her. She walks around talking to several people everyone commenting how beautiful she looks, like a Princess.
In another corner of the room Qiao Rui's stepmother and her son Xiaotong are wondering where Rui is, they have a plan to ruin him tonight, after the incident five years ago every one will believe it when he is accused of rape. They have already paid a woman of a third rate family to drug him then accuse him of rape when he has sex with her.
They have cameras placed in the room she is to take him to in the mansion, Lau Zemin owes Xiaotong for ridding him of Qiao Rui when he was dating his daughter An five years ago so he agreed with the plan. He always hated him thinking his daughter An could do better by marrying Chen Jianyu.
When Qiao Rui was disowned and kicked out of the Qiao Family five years ago he never thought he would come back and threaten him. Before he has a chance to make good on his threat to destroy Lau Zemin he needs to get rid of him. He is only hosting this Charity Event for the hospital because An said Chen Jianyu would come to support him.
Xiaotong receives a call from The White Cloud Resort from one of his men there, he is a bartender in the Chinese Restaurant. Xiaotong pays him for any information he gathers from drunk guests or lonely wives. “What the fuck? He is in the resort with a woman? It can't be Qiao Rui, he doesn't date anyone.”
“I will send you a picture”, he takes a picture, from behind the bar where he is you can see Qiao Rui clearly and just the back of a woman's head but they are holding hands on the table.
“Fuck no! There go all my plans!” Xiaotong's veins bulge out on his neck, his mother whispers, “What's wrong?” He doesn't answer her his face is contorted in anger.
Qiao Xiaotong storms out the French doors to the patio, what is he going to do now, the Board members are unhappy with him, Rui has a good chance of becoming CEO of Qiao Corporation. He has impressed them with his Hospital and his investments, he is wealthier now than their father. Dammit, he squeezes the phone in his hand. Okay I will change the plan.
He calls the bartender, “Have someone relieve you and go somewhere you can talk.”
The bartender calls him back from the storeroom. “What?”
“Can you get a hold of a potent aphrodisiac”
He laughs, “I'm a bartender in an expensive resort,what do you think?”{Seems like he gets asked for aphrodisiacs at least once a week these days.}
“Do you know a woman we can trust to have sex with him then accuse him of rape. She would need to be someone who won't fold under pressure, she will need to stick to the story.”
“My sister.”
“...”
“Can you get her and the drug tonight, this can't wait. We can't set up cameras in his suite it is too late to coordinate that, but she would need to take compromising pictures.”
“Yeah she works here in Housekeeping, but what about the girl he is with having dinner”
“Find a way to prevent her from going to his room. Are they sharing his room?”
“How the hell would I know, I can find out.”
“No matter just prevent her from interfering.”
“Before I agree how much are you paying?”
“One million USD, 200,000 up front the rest when he is convicted by public opinion. I don't even care if it goes to court I want his reputation destroyed. I will leak pictures to the media, maybe with some bruises on her face and body would be good. Then you two will need to leave the country.”
“300,000 up front, send it to this account in the next ten minutes, I will then get the drug and my sister.”
“If you try to rob me you are a dead man.”
“Don't worry I want the whole million from you.”
The bartender waits, when he sees it in his account he calls his sister, “Hey Sis do you want to make 1,000 dollars?”
She stops her cart of cleaning supplies in a hallway, “What do I need to do?”
“Meet me in a half hour behind the kitchen entrance.”