First Day
The alarm is ringing, LiMei can barely open her eyes, she rubs her tangled hair and rolls out of bed. She has drool on the side of her mouth she had been dreaming about Rui, she wipes it off and staggers into the bathroom, her entire body is aching. She looks into the mirror, what a sorry sight! There are purple and black bruises on her neck and her cheek is still slightly red, at least the swelling went away.
Her eyes have dark circles under them , yeesh.. Well, after her bath she will use the vanishing cream she bought at the drugstore. She runs the water in the bath adding some healing salts.
While the water is running she gets out her clothes for work. She has made up her mind she will be as invisible as possible, it is time to start that quiet life she has wanted for a long time. A navy blue sweater that is not form fitting and a grey full skirt that comes to her knees. LiMei is going to wear her short wig she bought to work at the hotel, and some black glasses.
She needs a scarf though the green and white one won't match. She can run into a store on her way, no actually this is better that it mismatches she looks like she has no style. She sees the gun still in her purse she will need to dispose of it later, for now she puts it under her mattress.
The other day she bought some blue contacts when she replaced her brown ones. It is most unlikely she would come into contact with the Chen brothers but this ensures she can work peacefully in the Accounting Department. If she stood right next to that stupid man he wouldn't recognize her!
LiMei sinks into the bath, lunch with Rui could be complicated she would have to change first. Maybe she can suggest dinner instead tell him she needs to work through lunch because she wants to acquaint herself with the job better. He would understand that. Dinner would be so much better she could go home take a nap be a little fresher. She will call him later.
After her bath she fixes some toast and has a glass of juice, she is nervous and her stomach is in a knot. She has never actually had a job in an office if you don't count the time she was with Black Sky and played the part of an office worker to get information. She puts on her outfit, pinning her hair up she puts on the wig, perfect! She straightens the scarf, she looks in the mirror and is satisfied with her disguise. As she is walking down the stairs she sees Du Chang about to enter the house downstairs, she is about to call out to him when she thinks she doesn't want to explain the way she looks.
Du Chang hears her low heels making a noise on the wooden stairs and turns around expecting to see LiMei, his expression changes when he sees this girl. “Who are you? Where is Feng LiMei?”
“She is allowing me to stay with her a few days, I am her coworker from the hotel. My apartment is being fumigated.” She lowers her voice using a Korean accent that Kuang Bo taught her.
“You are Korean? You don't look it.”
“I am not but I lived there my whole life with my parents.”
“Anyway, where is Feng LiMei?”
“She left for work.”
“Shit! I wanted to tell her something.”
LiMei is curious what that is he wants to tell her, should she act nosy, no. "Text her."
“ Good idea, alright I will text her later I need to get to school.”
What is with Du Chang he looks upset, she should text him while she is on the bus.
The weather is brisk as she walks down the tree lined street she is very excited to start her job, but so tired. When she gets close to the Cafe she can smell the aroma of the coffee brewing wafting out as a customer opens the door.
She follows a man in and walks to the counter to order, using a Korean accent, “May I have a double Espresso?” The flower boy behind the counter ignores her as he is filling a stack of paper cups. He is thinking the plain looking girl can wait until he finishes.
LiMei is not used to being ignored she says a little louder, “May I have a double Espresso?” He gives her a perturbed look, “I will be there as soon as I finish.”
A man in a black suit bumps into her and doesn't say excuse me, what is she air now! He steps in front of her and orders a tall Blue Mountain to go. She is beginning to get pissed when she realizes she has achieved her look. Most men only pay attention to pretty girls is the sad truth. While she is waiting she glances around the Cafe, she should have peeked into the parking lot when she arrived. wondering if the arrogant man had someone pick up his car. The beautiful owner of the Cafe surely got the key and note.
The beautiful owner comes from the back and walks in front of LiMei to talk to the man in the black suit. “Where's Chen Jianyu?” She is holding the key in her hand, she thought Jianyu would come to get the key and have his morning coffee.”He is out in the car with Wang Li, he has an important meeting, I will take the key.” LiMei glances out the door and can see five luxury cars out front of the Cafe. She can see Chen Jianyu in the back seat with black sunglasses on looking towards the Cafe.
The flower boy raises his voice he has called that plain girl twice her Espresso is ready. “Hey girl your Espresso!”
When he raises his voice Lau An glances over to see a girl with black glasses that cover half her small face and a horrid outfit staring out the window at Chen Jianyu's car. She says to her, “Miss your coffee is ready.” She has seen that look a million times girls staring at Jianyu because of his godlike looks. It is still annoying.
“Oh,thank you.” She reaches to pay stretching her slender hand towards the flower boy, Lau An notices how jade like her hands are, it is too bad her looks are barely average. LiMei takes her coffee and walks out the door, so he decided to have his bodyguards accompany him to the meeting, he is finally using his brains.
She is drinking her espresso and still looking at him as she is walking by his car. Chen Jianyu can feel someone's eyes on him and opens his phoenix like eyes behind his designer sunglasses to see it is a small plain girl. He frowns looking at her clothes, girls should take more care in dressing, that scarf doesn't even match the outfit.
Yang Song gets into the car and hands the coffee to Chen Jianyu, as they drive off he is looking out the window and sees the messy girl trip because she is getting pushed around by the crowd of people getting on the bus He shakes his head, not only unsightly but clumsy.
LiMei finishes her espresso just as the bus pulls up to the bus stop. People are shoving her out of the way to get on the bus, she accidentally elbows one man who made her trip. He glares at her, “Ugly girls shouldn't provoke me.” She gets a murderous look in her eyes but calms down as the driver tells the man to hurry and get on or he is leaving. They both get on the bus, LiMei sits in the front so she doesn't have to look at him. She closes her eyes it is a half hour she can rest.
The bus stop is a half block down from the Hushang Group, LiMei walks down the sidewalk watching all the people rushing along to work. She left a little early because she isn't sure where the Personnel office is located in the building, she needs to go there to get her employee badge. When she enters the building she stops at the information desk to ask where the Personnel office is located. The girl behind the counter is beautiful, her makeup is exquisite and she is wearing a black tailored suit with a silk blouse that exposes just a hint of cleavage, business like but seductive.
“Miss, Housekeeping goes through the entrance in the back.” her smile barely hides her contempt looking at LiMei.
“I'm here to work in the Accounting Department. “
The girl behind the counter is shocked Sun Yichen would never hire a homely girl with no fashion sense, well maybe she is a genius, no she doesn't look like one. LiMei can see the expressions on this girl's face keep changing. Is it so hard to give her directions?
“Go to the elevator Personnel is on the 20th floor to the right.”
“Thank you.” LiMei walks towards the elevator.
Suddenly she hears a commotion behind her several men dressed in black suits are surrounding an old man in a wheelchair coming towards the elevator. The old man in wheezing and has tubes in his nose connected to an oxygen tank. The elevator opens she waits for them to wheel the old man on and bows towards him smiling and enters the elevator.
The old man seems to be having a coughing attack and none of the men are doing anything just standing there like statues. LiMei takes her unopened water bottle out of her purse and opens it, “Sir, this is a new bottle of water please drink some.” She has worry in her eyes looking at the poor man. These brutes next to him don't seem to care the man is sweating and having a coughing fit
One of the men holds out his arm to prevent her from handing it to him. The old man knocks his arm away and in a hoarse voice says, “Thank you.” and drinks the water. LiMei takes her handkerchief out of her purse and without thinking dabs his face where he is sweating from coughing.
The old man thinks her hand feels soft as it brushes across his cheek, then she pats his forehead with the handkerchief. Before anyone can recover from the shock of an unknown woman touching Old Man Zhao the elevator stops at the 20th floor, LiMei smiles and bows exiting without saying anything.
Inside the elevator Old Man Zhao is smiling, it has been a very long time since he felt the caring touch of someone. All the nurses he hires are efficient but lack any compassion.
He holds the handkerchief she had pressed into his hand. “What are you morons looking at, which floor do we get off on to meet that arrogant bastard Chen Jianyu?”