She did not flinch, shout, or push at him. She remained in his hold, her eyes guarded and her face impassive. In a calm and collected voice, she said, "Let go of me." Her voice sounded foreign to him. Her walls were up and as the seconds trickled by, she became more level headed.
Yang Feng could not decipher what she was thinking or planning. He could only follow her words, releasing her. He watched as she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
He refused to chase after her. Not after her stubbornness. Not every relationship was perfect and theirs most certainly was not.
Zhao Lifei did not know where she was going and where she should go. She went wherever her legs took her. She needed fresh air and she got it when she found herself at the entrance of the base.
There were armed men and women everywhere, some were guarding the place, others were walking to their destination. She needed a place to clear her mind. Somewhere quiet and secluded.
She placed one foot outside, then another, and eventually, she was able to take a couple of steps out when a voice spoke from behind her.
"Lady boss, it's best if you do not leave the premises unattended. This place is surrounded by wild animals, traps, and landmines set up to discourage intruders. It's very dangerous."
Zhao Lifei glanced at the woman who spoke up. She was the same one who brought her the clothes.
Zhao Lifei was not thinking rationally. Who could do so in a state of anger? Even so, she forced herself to try and be level headed. "Take me to the waiting room."
The woman nodded. "Of course, please follow me."
Zhao Lifei accompanied the woman upstairs to the waiting room where her purse still remained on the couch. She then realized that she could lock the door from the inside as well.
"That is all, you may leave."
The woman bowed her head and opened the door, but Zhao Lifei spoke up. "If your boss asks where I am, tell him, I needed a place to think rationally."
The woman hesitated. She could not lie to her boss, but technically, her commands were not a lie. She was informed this would be their lady-boss, however, she did not have much confirmation about the details. Nonetheless, she nodded her head and left.
Zhao Lifei walked back to the door, locked it and then slumped down on the couch. She let out a sigh she never knew she was holding in. She laid down on her back and stared up at the boring ceiling.
Wei Hantao had feelings for her? She did not want to believe something like that. She also did not want to force herself into believing the polar opposite of it. It would be unfair to Yang Feng if she forced him to push Su Meixiu away, but could not do the same for Wei Hantao. However, both people were very different. One was a disposable private secretary and the other was an extremely important Vice President.
Zhao Lifei grabbed her phone and sent out a text to Wei Hantao.
[Xiao Li: Hey, are you free right now?]
Wei Hantao was midway in a meeting when he received the text. His phone buzzed on the table, interrupting the presenters.
"Continue." He instructed them. They continued explaining the presentation, with him intently listening on.
Zhao Lifei swung her legs back and forth, awaiting a reply. Seeing as it had already been five minutes and he wasn't replying, she concluded that he was busy. She sent a text to Huo Qiudong.
[President Zhao: Is Wei Hantao in a meeting?]
Huo Qiudong could feel his phone vibrate in his hand which was luckily quieter than Wei Hantao's phone. He discreetly turned it over and saw who the text was from. He glanced back at the man in question.
[Huo Qiudong: Yes, Ma'am. Mr. Wei is currently in a meeting which will last for another thirty minutes.]
Zhao Lifei glanced at the time. Thirty minutes? That was a long time.
Huo Qiudong believed the previous notification that interrupted the meeting was also sent from Zhao Lifei. He inched closer to his Boss and whispered, "Sir, President Zhao has sent you a message."
Wei Hantao instantaneously flipped his phone over to see the text. He excused himself from the meeting right away. "Take down notes." He said to Huo Qiudong before stepping outside and calling her.
Zhao Lifei was anxiously tapping her finger on the table when her phone suddenly rang. She saw the caller ID and picked up. "I want you to tell me the truth." She skipped the greetings and got straight to the point.
Wei Hantao gulped. Did she find out about the meeting with Zheng Tianyi?! Damn it, who told her? Was it Huo Qiudong?! Neither of the men had the authority to reject a meeting with Zheng Corporation, especially with Wei Hantao's father breathing down his back. Zheng Tianyi was one of the major shareholders of Weida Law Firm, rejecting Zheng Corporation would be a slap to his father.
"What is it?" Wei Hantao nervously asked her, glancing back to the glazed meeting room windows. He could not see the details inside but could make out the blurry silhouette of Huo Qiudong.
"Do you— Ahem, actually, will you be free in an hour?" Zhao Lifei decided at the last minute to ask him the important question in person. If it was through the phone, she would not be able to analyze his expression or body language and come to a conclusion. It was harder to lie face-to-face.
Wei Hantao checked the time and joked, "Wow. I guess we're going to meet up at an actual lunchtime instead of brunch."
Zhao Lifei laughed. "I suppose so. I'll meet you at the coffee shop in front of our building?"
"We're only going to have coffee? What about lunch?"
Zhao Lifei thought about a spot that would not look as romantic as the restaurant this morning. "There's a traditional restaurant known for their tea a couple of blocks down from Feili. I'll treat you. How about it?"
Wei Hantao agreed. "Alright, I'll see you there." He hung up the phone and made an advanced call to the restaurant, booked an appointment using his family name as a backing and tool to skip the line. He informed them of his credit card number so that the bill would be on him. He did not want to repeat what happened this morning. Letting a lady pay was beyond the behavior of a gentleman.