If it was disgusting to work overtime, Comrade Tu was
disgusted. She was working overtime and not even getting a dime of overtime
pay.
Recalling the phone call she made earlier, a nameless fire
burned in her body.
‘Hello Director Lang, thig is Xiao Tu of the planning
department. I really tried my best; didn’t have lunch, didn’t take a nap,
didn’t have tea, didn’t go to the bathroom, but I couldn’t finish it before
work ended. Could I give you the report tomorrow?’
‘No, it’s not possible. But Miss Xiao, who strictly abides
by traditional Chinese etiquette, I thought you promised me it would be
completed?’
Xiao Tu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was so
unlucky to provoke someone like him.
Despite her anger, and shock, Xiao Tu replied in a
saccharine sweet voice, ‘Don’t worry, Director, I’m sure I can finish it today.
If I don’t I won’t leave.’
‘Miss Xiao, you don’t have to force yourself to finish this.
Our company is very considerate to its employees.’
Hello? This speaking skill is extraordinary! Making me look
bad.
She laughed falsely, ‘No, I volunteered to stay overtime.
You gave me this job, I must finish.’
As a result, she was still fighting at the end of work. She
watched in despair as everyone picked up their things and made their way out
one after the other, giving her a look of sympathy as they passed.
‘Tutu, do you want me to accompany you?’ Zhen-zhen was
worried about her. Xiao Tu had told her of her break up with Zheng Tai. Alas,
no luck in love, or the career – double blow. And now torture from a
psychopath, how to do?
Moved by her kindness, Xiao Tu looked up with teary eyes and
took Zhen-zhen’s hand and held it up to her chest.
‘Zhen Zhen, this song I want to dedicate to you: I am afraid
it is too late, I want to hold you, until I feel you…At least you are worth
cherishing. I know that I am still a happy friend for you. Don’t worry, I have
something to do! Don’t worry. Let’s go! Yeah!’
Zhen-zhen watched her friend who’s hair now stood on end
like a porcupine singing so off key she half expected someone to throw a bottle
at her, and the teary eyes, she came to the conclusion that her friend, a
lovely young lady of their generation, had lost her mind from the one-two punch
life had thrown at her.
After waving off Zhen Zhen and the rest of her colleagues,
she carried on her journey of the comprehensive report.
After an hour the lights were turned off. Only her desk lamp
and the glow of her computer lit up the gloom, and Xiao Tu’s determined little
figure.
An hour passed and the guard came, ‘Miss Xiao, you’re working
so late. I’ll give you the key. Please lock the door when you leave. I’m
getting off.’
He gave her the key, and left.
9:00…10:00 and finally at about 10:30, Xiao Tu jumped up
laughing maniacally. She held the printed report triumphantly into the air.
‘I am finished!’
Then she realised, what was the point, that stinky wolf had
already left. Who was she going to give it to? She might as well give it to him
tomorrow. And it would have turned out the same if she had gone home on time.
Why didn’t anyone give her a careful analysis?! (Zuben: Why couldn’t you think
for yourself, Sister Tu?)
She was completely fooled.
She sighed despondently, and collapsed back into her chair,
deflated.
Oh, forget it! The more frustrated she was the braver she
was. Yea!
Pack up and go home.
She changed her shoes from her pumps to her big slippers,
packed up her things and locked the office door. She pressed the lift button
and fell into deep meditation.
She couldn’t carry on like this. He could bully her but he
couldn’t bully her for the rest of his time here, fucking wolf! Wait until she
got home; she would devise a plan on how to clean him up!
Why wasn’t this damned lift here already?
Why…? The lights weren’t on. The lift had been shut down for
the night.
Damn.
Tutu went toward the stairwell. It was also dark. She
remembered many murders happened in dark stairwells. (Zuben: Stairwells
shouldn’t be dark in the first place.)
Tutu took a deep breath for bravery, and went down the
stairs singing
‘There is a bag of green sky in the open sea!’ (Zuben: Nani?)
‘To be honest and treacherous!’
Finally, she was out in the fresh night air. Looking at the
broad avenue, Tutu felt a sense of freedon. She felt like the had been trapped
in the building for a week. Time to go home quickly.
Just as she took a step toward the bus stop, she heard the
devil’s voice.
‘Isn’t this Miss Xiao? How come you’re still in the company
so late?’
Tutu turned around with a twisted smile, and saw the damned
wolf. His tie was off and his shirt was unbuttoned almost half way down his
chest. Xiao Tu could see his clavicle – very nice. (Zuben: Wipe the droll, you saddo)
‘Didn’t you say…Oh no, I went to your office to give the
document to you, but I thought you have gone for the day. So, I thought it best
to hand it to you directly tomorrow.’
‘I am glad the company has such hardworking employees. You
can give it to me tomorrow.’
How ruthless! I worked so hard for so long, and he had
forgotten about it!
Just then, a man came out of the building with a large plant
pot.
‘Director, I have this is the last of it. Your computer, the
plant pots and the picture that VP Wang gave you. If you bring the car around I
can put them in.’
So, she wasn’t the only one this stinky wolf was oppressing.
This one is even worse than her.
‘Assistant Li, your lumbago – you must have over done it
again. Go home and rest, you don’t have to worry about this.’ Lang said to Li.
Assistant Li looked at him in confusion, he didn’t have
lumbago. He’d never had lumbago in his life! He was as strong as a bull! Moving
these things were no big deal.
‘Director, I am fi-’
‘How can you be fine?’ Lang said winking at him, ‘You don’t
have to worry, Miss Xiao can help me. You go home.’
Seeing the wink, Li understood instantly.
‘Ow! Oh! Oh! My back. Oh, Miss Xiao, sorry to bother you.
I’ll leave first. Oh! The pain!’ Li groaned as he beat his waist walking away.
He wants me to move these things?!
‘Miss Xiao, what are you looking at? Don’t be dazed. I’ll go
get the car. You move these to the pavement.’
Comrade Wolf went off smartly, in a whoosh that fluttered Tutu’s
hair.
Left her no choice.
With a sigh of resignation, she swung the strap of her handbag over her
head across her chest, before squatting down to pick up the large flower pot.
Her face ended up in the leaves.
Xiao Tu watched as he drove up to the front of the building,
she thought he would get out of the car and come and take the plant from her,
but he merely opened the back seat.
‘Gently, don’t break the plant.’
Xiao Tu has no choice but the gingerly put the pot in the backseat,
and go back for the remainder things to put in the trunk.
She finished, her waist was aching, she knocked at the
window.
The glass slowly lowered, showing Lang Lang’s face. He
smiled with his glimmering eyes. And the corner of Xiao Tu’s mouth also tilted
upward.
He was almost completely fascinated by this sexy rabbit,
but, ‘Thanks for your hard work, Miss Xiao. See you in the morning!’ he said
before driving off in a cloud of exhaust. (Zuben: *facepalm)
Xiao Tu came out of her entrancement, and watched his tail light
in the distance.
Forget it, at least she can go home now.
Her body was dirty and stank of sweat, and her waist was
aching. She pounded her waist as she walked to the bus stop. She said down and
waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Thirty minutes passed, and she looked at her watch. It was 11:30.
The bus was for birds.
Tutu rose hoisted her bag and beat her waist as she walked
home. So, she had to walk for an hour. And she hadn’t even had dinner.
Who was this lord afraid of?
No one! Let’s go!
‘Sister, go forward boldly! Move forward! Don’t look back!’
‘In the wind and rain, what is pain?! Don’t ask why! Just
dry your tears!’
‘Shut up!’ Tutu sang her off key songs to accompany her on
the way home scarring the drunks.
Two streets away from her house, there was the frantic beep
of a car horn.
She turned around and found Lang Lang’s car beside her. The
glass slid down.
‘I got home and realised there would be no buses; why didn’t
you tell me? I would have kindly driven you home.’ (Zuben: Well sir, you were
so hell bent on revenge, you left me)
This fucking wolf. How dare he? This great pretender! Did
you give me a chance to speak? She raged inwardly. Did you give me a change to
speak before running off?!
Now, he’s claiming that he went home, then came out again?
If she believed that, then ghosts exist.
He had been following her to see her suffer!
‘No need, director, I am already home. You can go back now.’
‘Get in the car.’
This mo-fo! He dares play me and now he’s ordering me about?
Just because he was smarter than she was doesn’t mean he could run rampant.
Xiao Tu ignored him and carried on.
Lang Lang followed her in his car until she reached her
apartment building and took out her keys. (Zuben: So, he’s being a creepaziod
and following her home?)
Xiao Tu continued to ignore him and went up to her building,
but as she reached the door, Lang Lang got out of the car and ran up to her to
pull her back.
‘What’s wrong with you, are you angry?’
‘I dare not.’
‘Did I upset you?’
‘No, I want the one who offended the director.’
‘Well, you still have knowledge.’
They fell into silence. Xiao Tu felt weird and turned to
look at him. He was looking down at her with an enigmatic expression on his
shadowed face.
^$&%^&$=*&^$^%. Rabbit’s brain scrambled.
Under the sodium street lights, the stinky wolf’s skin
seemed a bit sallow, with his messy hair, and his unfathomable expression, he
had a melancholic air. It was not normal. (Zuben: Thinking of how he wants to
roast you over the bed)
Lang Lang looked down at her startled face, her eyes
glittered with the light of the street lamb, she really looked like a rabbit.
He smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.
‘Good night, don’t be late tomorrow.’
He turned, got back into his car and drove off.
Xiao Tu finally moved; she guessed he must have driven miles
out of his way.
Wow! A handsome guy ruffled my hair! So happy! [Please, a
few seconds ago you were thinking of how to clean up their house]
When Xiao Tu got into her apartment and saw her frightful
visage in the mirror, her glow of delight was completely extinguished.
What was the most tragic thing in the world? For a handsome
man to see you at your ugliest… (Zuben: Girl, he better see it. If he still
hangs about, then you know he’s a keeper)
It was absolutely necessary to say, when Comrade Xiao Tu has
made up her mind to do something, it was absolutely necessary to achieve it –
without regard for consequence. (Zuben: So, she’s an idiot)
No, it was a lesson from one of the neighbourhood aunties
early in the morning. (Zuben: er, yeah…sure)
Xiao Tu decided to get up early because she was afraid of
Director Wolf. She decided to set the alarm to get up early because of Director
Lang. She set an alarm to precede the alarm to get her up to go to work early
because she was afraid of Director Lang.
Comrade Xiao turned over all the resources in her family so
she could sleep safely.
The next morning, when her alarm rang she still had time and so,
she kept sleeping. She didn’t get up but the ringing alarms woke her
neighbours.
When she finally woke up, it was 7:30! Who could she blame
for this? Of course, it was that stinking wolf. But she was now going to be
late, she could only curse his name later.
Tutu, with her training from childhood, was ready in ten
minutes. She folded her quilt, took a slice of bed for breakfast and ran out
the door. As she burst out of her apartment building, she saw a nice car. Wow,
do rich people live in her area?
Why was the car familiar?
As she ran past, the window opened to reveal the handsome
face of Lang Lang.
‘Get in the car.’ He commanded, with a brilliant smile.
Tutu’s mouth widened, dropping her slice of bread. But food
was more important than beauty, so she caught the bread.
The passenger door had already opened, so there was no other
recourse. And one of Xiao Tu’s tenets was not to disobey authority – within
earshot, of course.
She stepped in and sat. Wow! This feeling, a word –
comfortable.
Um, but why wasn’t he driving?
She turned to look at him in puzzlement, but the wolf was
looking at her with his peach blossom eyes that reverses all living beings.
Tutu was suddenly self-conscious. There was no way a
handsome man was staring at her because she was beautiful. She wasn’t. Hence,
she didn’t get the attention of the best men, so what was he looking at?
She suddenly remembered her manly run-about slippers. Ah.
using these to step into the handsome man’s fancy car – funny ah!
She laughed, ‘Ha ha ha! I usually go to work in these so I
can walk comfortably, ha ha ha.’
The beautiful man showed no sign of hearing her.
Oh right, her hair was like a bird’s nest,
She patted her head, ‘Ha ha ha, well the bus is always
crowded, so there is no point dressing up only to have to tidy up at the
company again hahaha!’
Still nothing?
What did he want from her?
Does he think he is so great? Who is as rich as him driving
in a fancy car everyday to work?! If he wants he can give her a fancy American
car, and she can treat herself like a flower everyday!
Oh right! Bread!
‘Ha ha ha! This bread! Absolutely wholewheat, nutritious and
delicious. You will have a healthy and balanced diet. There is a little left,
would you like to have a taste?’ Tutu said, dusting off the bitten slice of
bread and holding it at him reluctantly.
Please do not eat it! Don’t eat it! This one was not
discounted at the time of purchase – very expensive.
Her hand trembled holding the slice of bread and her eyes
focused on his sensual mouth afraid his mouth would open.
Suddenly, he moved closer. No, he was going to eat it! Why
her food?
What was he doing, by the way? Why was he coming so close?
Tutu leaned back as he leaned forward, until she was up
against the door and could retreat no more.
Ah, did he want to kiss her?!
Tutu closed her eyes and shut her mouth tightly.
In her mind, two people popped out to talk.
Villain A said, ‘And you put on a layer of foundation on
this morning, it’s so evil to kiss you.
Villain B replied, ‘No, he can’t kiss! He’s harassing his
subordinate!’
‘Shush, a handsome guy kissing you is the virtue of your
ancestors!’ Villain A replied.
‘No, he’s an enemy!’ Villain B protested, ‘We can’t let the
enemy take advantage!’
But Villain A countered, ‘After the kiss, there will be no
more grudges…’
She opened her eyes to shut those to up to see Lang Lang
reach for the seat belt and fasten it.
Oh, the seatbelt, why didn’t he say so earlier? Why the
ambiguous atmosphere?
Pooh! Pooh!
Xiao Tu put her bread in her mouth and chewed
unceremoniously. She didn’t care how she looked to him.
Wait a moment, why did he come to pick her up? She wasn’t
beautiful, but she knew she was charming! This time Villain 2 didn’t have to
appear, she was sure he absolutely liked her.
Oh yeah!
‘Director Lang, why did you come to my place to pick me up?’
she asked. He didn’t reply.
Yo! Not talking? Haha! I knew you were shy? Too shy to say
it? It’s okay, if you don’t tell me, I will speak for you!
‘My apartment isn’t close to your apartment, right? You had
to get up early, right?’
Nothing yet? You’re pretending! If you have the courage to
be here, don’t you have the courage to recognise me!
‘You remembered how to get here just from coming yesterday,
you’re really brilliant.’
Pretending to be dumb? Master can’t believe this one. You
have to say it out loud!
So as Comrade Tu ate, her mouth wasn’t idle all the way to
work with bubbles of love bloating out of her heart.
Wow, a handsome guy finally noticed her.
When they pulled up to the front of the office building, the
handsome man finally spoke, ‘Miss Xiao, first; I wanted to understand why
you’re late everyday. Secondly, unlike some people I can’t afford to lie in.
Third, you have been living there since you started working so the company. As
for questions four to ten, I won’t answer them because you’re already late. I
will remember to deduct your bonus next month.’
Tutu shuffled out of the car dejectedly, her head filled
with the song, “I think too much”.
The others say Xiao Tu enter like this with no gods in her
eyes, and immediately smelled gossip.
‘Sister Tu, what happened? Why are you like this? Are you
ill?’
You guys are the ones who are ill! Your family is ill!
Xiao Tu sat in her chair, and Zhen Zhen looked at her
appearance, and shook her head,
‘You’re late again.’
‘Yeah.’
‘You haven’t changed your slippers yet.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Tutu, you haven’t combed your hair.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Tutu, Wu Zun wants to have dinner with you.’
‘Oh.’
Even hearing a handsome guy wants to have dinner with her,
she didn’t react.
Yu Zhen put the short stories she had printed out on Tutu’s
desk hoping she would regain her confidence after reading it.
“Girl who was dumped stood bravely, and found second spring
successfully in business!”
“Husband and wife divorced decisively, and wife took her
children to fight along for ten years before becoming the richest woman in N
City!”
At least TuTu has friends who are concerned for her well being.
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