Chapter 15 [15]

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There's something Luo Qingyue has to admit.

On the day of the interview, when she learned that the president of Mingyue was Lu Mingxiao, she felt a little secretly pleased despite her shock.

She had indeed felt a spark of attraction; she was curious about what his company was like, and how his employees perceived him, and she came with high expectations.

However, as time went on, this expectation plummeted like a rollercoaster.

She has always valued her personal feelings. In this glamorous world, men can be found again, but her future cannot be ruined in a place she doesn't like.

Therefore, she came to see Lu Mingxiao, determined to settle things with him tonight.

Somehow, she looked him up and down, going beyond the boundaries of social distancing.

It felt like I was back on the night we first met, my vision blurred, and for a moment I felt as if Cupid's arrow had struck me again.

Fortunately, she did not forget the purpose of her visit. She spoke her regrets aloud but kept them to herself, ultimately pointing to the fact that she still held onto her original aspirations.

However, it sounds a bit nonsensical; in Lu Mingxiao's interpretation, it's probably just as childish as a money tree.

Time stood still, and various thoughts flashed through Luo Qingyue's mind.

Since she wouldn't see him again anyway, she opened her eyes wider and stared intently at Lu Mingxiao until her phone vibrated, breaking the silence.

Lu Mingxiao picked up his phone from the table, slid to unlock the screen, and opened WeChat.

"Your brother seems to have super hearing; the news came quite promptly."

Oh, it's President Luo. Of course, we've only just mentioned him.

Luo Qingyue's legs were a little numb from standing for so long, so she sat down on a chair. Then she heard Lu Mingxiao say, "He asked me about your recent performance and whether I need to tell him the truth."

What should be communicated?

Try every means to kill the money tree in his office, or be arrogant and domineering, trying to ride on his head and become the master on his own turf.

Stepping outside of her own position, Luo Qingyue felt no sense of pride. Her gaze was piercing: "You said you wouldn't tattle on me to my brother."

Lu Mingxiao put down his phone and said seriously, "I'm going to tell him that you are conscientious and responsible at work, care about your colleagues, and are friendly and cooperative. Is this considered tattling?"

He was actually praising me.

Luo Qingyue reflexively questioned, "You would be so kind?"

Lu Mingxiao: "First of all, your willingness to work overtime is already surprising enough. Secondly, when your colleague was unwell, you accompanied her to the hospital, even though it was very late. You did not ignore her but did it without hesitation. Your spirit of dedication deserves recognition."

How did you know I accompanied a colleague to the hospital?

Luo Qingyue was dumbfounded, then suddenly realized, "Xiao Xie even told you this."

Luo Qingyue's colleague was Song Tao. After finishing overtime work on Monday night, she packed her things and prepared to go home.

Passing by Song Tao's workstation, I saw her slumped over her desk, looking weak and pale. Her forehead was burning hot when I touched it. Without hesitation, I helped her up and took her to the hospital in my childhood friend's car, until one of her cousins ​​from Dongchuan came to take over her shift.

He bumped into Xiao Xie at the park entrance and even took the initiative to ask if they needed any help.

Because her childhood friend was there, she declined. Firstly, she wasn't familiar with Xiao Xie, and secondly, having too many people would only cause trouble, so there was no need for that.

Faced with Luo Qingyue's surprise, Lu Mingxiao did not deny it.

"There's a lot of negativity in society right now, so I really enjoy seeing stories like this that have positive energy."

In his eyes, I am an excellent employee.

Could he have said that on purpose to try and keep me here?

Luo Qingyue expressed her doubts, telling herself that she couldn't be deceived by sweet talk.

"But I destroyed your money tree, yelled at you, and cursed at you many times every day."

“My personal grievances with you are not part of the work scope.”

Lu Mingxiao said calmly, "However, is your hatred for me because I promised your brother that you could come to Mingyue, or is there some other reason?"

"I don't hate you."

Luo Qingyue pursed her lips, took out a piece of paper with the negotiation draft written on it from her jeans pocket, and handed it to him. "It's a bit difficult to say, so I won't read it."

Lu Mingxiao took the handwriting, written in a cartoonish girl style, and quickly scanned it.

Seeing him raise his head, Luo Qingyue said frankly, "Life is only 30,000 days long, how can I waste it on work? If I leave on my own, my brother will definitely be furious and cancel my credit card, but if you fire me, the outcome will be different. All my previous actions were for this purpose. A gentleman should help others achieve their goals, and I hope you can grant my wish."

"I want to be fired."

Lu Mingxiao muttered to himself, then changed the subject, "Then you didn't need to go through all this trouble."

Luo Qingyue: "?"

Lu Mingxiao gave her some advice: "Being absent from work for three days, selling internal company data, misappropriating company property, or forging documents can all automatically trigger the dismissal process."

"I have principles."

Luo Qingyue straightened her back and emphasized, "If I skip work, my work will have to be done by others, increasing their workload. You are my brother's friend, and I cannot harm your company's interests for my own selfish desires."

Lu Mingxiao raised an eyebrow slightly: "Quite upright."

Luo Qingyue readily accepted: "This is just one of my many strengths."

After a moment of silence, Lu Mingxiao didn't respond to her words, but instead said, "A friend gave me two bags of decaffeinated coffee beans. Would you like to try some?"

"Caffeine-free coffee beans".

This was the first time Luo Qingyue had heard such a term. "Does it mean that the caffeine content of the beans is lower than normal?"

Lu Mingxiao folded the paper in his hand and placed it aside.

"Low-caffeine beans are made through a special process that removes most of the caffeine from the beans, making them suitable for people who are intolerant to caffeine but still want to try the aroma and flavor of these beans and are prone to insomnia."

Having talked a lot, Luo Qingyue was a little thirsty, so she didn't refuse.

"Then I'll have a drink."

Luo Qingyue got up and followed Lu Mingxiao to the coffee corner.

Lu Mingxiao stood behind the bar, picked up a bag of decaffeinated beans, opened it, and skillfully poured out the beans.

Luo Qingyue stood outside the bar, looking at his profile, and said apologetically, "The latte you made last time, I fed to the money tree. Its tree friends will definitely praise it for being lucky."

"You're not bad either."

Lu Mingxiao chuckled, "No one has ever poured out my coffee and been able to drink another cup."

"You hold grudges."

Luo Qingyue rested her chin on her hand and looked at him irritably, "I am one of the people you mentioned who is intolerant to caffeine, and I really can't drink it."

Lu Mingxiao started frothing the milk: "When you asked me to make dark chocolate, you probably guessed it."

He paused, then added, "The low-risk ones are fine."

It's been a month since we met at Hi Coffee & Car, and he still hasn't forgotten.

Luo Qingyue was surprised for a few seconds, but Lu Mingxiao had already picked up the latte art bottle and drawn a swan just like the one he had drawn for Jingxi's uncle.

Decaffeinated beans, having their caffeine removed, will taste less appealing than regular beans.

Lu Mingxiao also made himself a cup, but after tasting it, he found the coffee to be rather weak and only drank a small portion.

Luo Qingyue, who rarely drinks coffee, had the opposite experience to him.

It has a strong milky flavor and a rich coffee flavor; it's clearly quite good.

She savored it carefully, and thanks to Lu Mingxiao, she developed a sense of happiness that she thought she couldn't drink coffee, but could still satisfy her cravings with decaffeinated coffee. Her nerves were no longer tense, and she felt much more at peace.

Lu Mingxiao held a coffee cup, his elbows resting on the bar counter.

When you started your business, what prompted you to open a Western restaurant?

Opportunity, what a professional term.

Looking at the various decorative bottles and jars on the shelf, Luo Qingyue answered without hesitation: "There was no particular reason. It was just because of a very cliché idea. I think opening a Western restaurant is very high-class. Telling people 'I am the owner of a Western restaurant' is better than 'I am the owner of a snail rice noodle shop,' right? Of course, this is just an analogy, and I don't mean to put down snail rice noodles."

Lu Mingxiao put the coffee beans back in the storage area: "If I tell others that my staff are all high-quality male models who are 188cm tall, it will sound even more impressive."

"I made that up, I didn't expect President Cheng to actually believe it."

Luo Qingyue spoke frankly without any reservations, as if revealing a secret known only to them, "Actually, it's a garden restaurant, decorated with artificial flowers and trees. A lot of effort was put into the renovation. I'm not good with words to describe its beauty, so let me show you some photos."

She took her phone out of her bag, opened the photo album, leaned slightly forward, and handed it to Lu Mingxiao.

With gentle movements, she scrolled through the photos one by one, explaining to him, "The restaurant's main theme is natural charm. I hope that guests who come here can return to simplicity and achieve ultimate relaxation of body and mind."

Inside the restaurant, flowers, plants, and trees complement each other beautifully, and there are also very cute animal dolls.

The seating is available in both rattan and wood, and the white brick railings separate the different areas.

Lu Mingxiao could tell that it had been carefully designed and had the feel of "it must be Luo Qingyue's shop".

Luo Qingyue swiped past another picture; it wasn't of the shop's interior, but rather the exterior of the courtyard.

She looked at the photo and told Lu Mingxiao, "This was taken in my office. I especially like this angle. When I'm tired, looking out the window makes me feel better, and I can also enjoy the most beautiful sunset. When I was making marketing plans, I even put this video in. Isn't 'the most beautiful Western restaurant' very fitting?"

In the picture, the clouds and rosy hues paint the sky red.

A small bridge spans a flowing stream, passing a solitary ornamental tree on a wooden platform. Climbing roses extend from the wall, overlapping with shrubs to create a forest-like natural landscape. In the distance, a tall tower and traditional Chinese-style buildings are faintly visible.

"Is the address on Pingtan Road?" Lu Mingxiao deduced based on the tower.

Luo Qingyue gave a soft "Mmm": "No. 132, South Street, Pingtan Road, the name is 'Moonfall'."

Lu Mingxiao suddenly asked curiously, "You studied marketing, so do you plan the promotion yourself or outsource it?"

Luo Qingyue answered the former, her bright eyes sparkling: "Speaking of this, I'm no longer sleepy."

Her expression suddenly turned proud: "At that time, the main way to promote Moonfall was to shoot short videos and upload them to the official accounts of various platforms. I wrote all the scripts myself, they were all original. Each video could get more than 10,000 likes. Later, I also shot short dramas, and my followers grew very quickly. Business was indeed quite good at that time."

Luo Qingyue clenched her fists, her face darkening instantly, and Lu Mingxiao realized that things had taken a turn for the better.

"The bigger the tree, the more the wind blows. I don't know which bastard reported all my videos. Every time I post one, he reports it. I'm so angry that I don't have the energy to make any more videos."

Lu Mingxiao: "Is the video still archived?"

The video is on the computer; he asked this question because he probably wants to see it.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Luo Qingyue said, "I'll send it to you when I get home."

Lu Mingxiao responded, while Luo Qingyue's tone was tinged with regret.

"After suffering huge losses, I decided to quit. I handed Yue Luo over to my brother. He's always been efficient. He should have transferred it out by now, but I didn't dare ask."

Luo Qingyue had coffee foam on her lips, and Lu Mingxiao pulled out two tissues and handed them to her.

"Besides being highly efficient, he is also extremely persistent."

Luo Qingyue took the tissue and agreed, "When my brother was working on projects, the whole team didn't think much of them, but he would rather replace people than give up on the projects. My dad often said he was like a gambler, and no one could easily change his mind."

Lu Mingxiao: "Based on this, if you leave Mingyue, can you guarantee that your brother won't look for a new company?"

This question really stumped her.

If Luo Hanzhou were willing to let her lie down, she would never have appeared at Mingyue.

Luo Hanzhou didn't want her to have an easy time; even if she escaped to the ends of the earth, she would definitely be caught and brought back.

She had at least met Lu Mingxiao and knew something about him.

He would make her coffee and, even after being threatened by her, would calmly chat with her.

His temper seemed better than I imagined; if it were someone else, they might have thrown her out the window.

Luo Hanzhou has a friend who is in the mining business in Africa. Even if Mingyue is not up to par, it's still better than going there to live a life of hardship.

Mosquitoes, yellow sand, scorching sun... Thinking about it this way, working overtime in the office doesn't seem so terrible anymore.

Faced with the harsh reality, Luo Qingyue asked, "Doesn't Mingyue have any relatively easy jobs that don't require thinking or physical exertion, where you can just sit there from dawn till dusk without having to use your brain or exert any physical strength?"

"Work intensity and company profits are positively correlated."

Lu Mingxiao bluntly stated, "If that's the case, then Mingyue is probably not far from going bankrupt."

Luo Qingyue let out a long sigh, feeling powerless and heartbroken: "All I want is to be a lazy bum, why is it so hard!"

"Besides referring to a life of lying flat, 'salted fish' can also mean a good mindset of not being anxious and taking things as they come."

Lu Mingxiao took a lemon candy from the glass tray and handed it to her. After Luo Qingyue took it, he spoke again, "A sense of responsibility and justice will influence your choices, making you destined to never be able to lie down and accept defeat."

——

"Lu Mingxiao is quite capable of seeing through appearances to the essence of things."

"As expected of a big company boss, I admire his keen eye."

On Friday evening, Luo Qingyue invited Jingxi to visit Guanjiangyue.

Jingxi brought two bottles of low-alcohol fruit wine, and the two sat on the sofa to enjoy a small drink.

Luo Qingyue recounted her struggles to get expelled, and after praising Lu Mingxiao, Jingxi reminisced about her university days.

“Your class monitor had an emergency and had to go back to her hometown. She asked you to deliver something to her friend, but her friend forgot because she was playing games in the dorm. You idiot, you waited until the fifth floor of the teaching building closed. I even brought you dinner.”

“During the pandemic, when our building was locked down, you took the initiative to deliver the supplies you had stockpiled to every household, helped to collect the needs and report them to the property management, and you also took the initiative to take the injured stray cats in the community to the vet.”

During her university years, Luo Qingyue did not live on campus, so Luo Hanzhou helped her buy a small apartment near C University.

Jingxi was her neighbor across the hall and also a fellow alumnus of the same school. They looked after each other, and their relationship quickly became familiar.

Jingxi held a glass and clinked it with Luo Qingyue's.

After finishing her drink, Jingxi continued, "You seem so lazy and languid, and you're clearly a rich and beautiful woman who doesn't have to worry about anything, yet you contribute your strength to the harmonious operation of this world."

Luo Qingyue exclaimed, "Wow! So that's how tall and mighty I am in your heart!"

"Just stating the facts."

The air conditioner was blowing blasts in the room. Jingxi picked up the blanket that had fallen on Luo Qingyue's side and covered her feet with it. "I'm honored to be your friend."

Goosebumps rose all over her body, and Luo Qingyue hugged herself tightly: "I'm allergic to romance, can you please stop being so sentimental late at night?"

"good."

Jingxi stopped her, "Then I'll ask you a question, and you must answer me truthfully and without any falsehood."

Luo Qingyue placed the glass on the coffee table and listened attentively: "Go on."

"If you don't stay in Mingyue, your brother will send you to Africa. What a ridiculous reason. Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

Jingxi chuckled lightly, "The real reason you stayed is Lu Mingxiao, isn't it?"

Luo Qingyue winked at her, her face beaming with a lovestruck expression.

Feigning shyness, she covered her head with the blanket, only to have it pulled off by Jingxi without explanation.

Luo Qingyue regained her composure, filled Jingxi's glass with wine, and earnestly explained to her.

“I thought all the 'Kings of the Scrolls' were selfish people who only cared about themselves and didn’t care about others, but Lu Mingxiao is different. He is patient and empathetic. Even though I went so far, he didn’t hold it against me and even chatted with me. Originally, I went to settle things with him, but he won me over with his personal charm. I think he is a very easy person to get along with and I am willing to continue to be loyal to him.”

Jingxi probed, "Is it merely loyalty?"

Luo Qingyue smiled gently and said, "Haste makes waste. Let's take it slow."

Jingxi is staying at Guanjiangyue tonight, and Luo Qingyue helped her get a brand new set of toiletries and placed it in the bathroom.

Jingxi went to take a shower first. Luo Qingyue scrolled through her phone for a while and suddenly remembered that she hadn't sent Lu Mingxiao the "Moonfall" video yet. She got up from the sofa and rushed to the study.

Sitting at her desk, Luo Qingyue opened her laptop, with her "Moonfall" folder on the desktop.

She packaged it into a compressed file, found the email address Lu Mingxiao had given her on WeChat, uploaded the attachment, and pressed the send button.

Luo Qingyue sent a message to Lu Mingxiao, but Lu Mingxiao was probably busy and didn't reply immediately.

Luo Qingyue scrolled through her WeChat Moments for a while, then returned to the chat interface. A new message appeared, and the simple two words "Received" stirred a ripple in her heart.

There was actually a little incident last night regarding staying at Mingyue.

Luo Qingyue recalled that Lu Mingxiao told her, "I know very well that you don't belong to Mingyue and will leave sooner or later. So when your brother mentioned it to me, I asked him to add a time limit. The time we agreed on was one year."

One year...

It's only been two weeks.

"Where did he get the confidence to think I could stay this long?"

Luo Qingyue was puzzled at first, but then she thought, "It must be that he has confidence in you and thinks you can keep me in check."

The title "Luo Qingyue's Nemesis" is by no means an empty boast.

Lu Mingxiao: "Your brother told me not to go easy on you and to do everything according to Mingyue's rules. I said if that's the case, she won't even pass her probation period, let alone a year."

Luo Qingyue knew that the trial period was three months.

Lu Mingxiao paused, then said with a rather helpless tone, "Your brother was furious. He said, 'How dare you look down on my sister!' If it weren't for his status and fear of leaving a dark history, he probably would have punched me directly."

Luo Qingyue felt a warmth in her heart, but she pouted and said, "He's quite shrewd. He hurts me first, and then uses you to give me some sweetness."

There's a misconception you probably need to correct.

What? Luo Qingyue listened attentively.

Lu Mingxiao: "Your brother arranged for you to come here not to torment you or make your life difficult, but because he genuinely hopes you can learn something. It could be professional skills, workplace thinking, or interpersonal skills. As long as you gain something in any aspect, it won't be a waste of time."

After listening to his words, Luo Qingyue stared intently, seemingly lost in thought.

"Actually, I've learned a lot in these two weeks. Sister Xu and my colleagues have taught me a lot."

Luo Qingyue told Lu Mingxiao about her harvest.

Lu Mingxiao was very patient, and his expression was gentler than she had ever seen before.

He would give her feedback in a timely manner, and before she knew it, her heart was beating faster than she could control.

After Luo Qingyue finished speaking, Lu Mingxiao asked her, "Then, should we stay for another three months?"

Luo Qingyue had already made up her mind: "I plan to stay for a full year."

"That depends on your performance."

Lu Mingxiao reverted to his aloof demeanor, "I always keep my word. If you don't pass the probation period, even if you want to stay, I will let you go."

At this point, Luo Qingyue realized that she was quite susceptible to being provoked.

She faced Lu Mingxiao, raised her chin, and snorted, "Don't go easy on me, I don't want to win unfairly."

"Won't."

Lu Mingxiao smiled and said, "If you can slap me in the face, it must be because of your own ability."

[Author's Note]

Yue: Of course I'm staying, after all, I'll be... [exaggerated emojis]

Xiao: It's so much fun to coax kids! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]

Cheng Wang: You're not releasing water, you're releasing the ocean! [eating melon seeds][eating melon seeds][eating melon seeds]

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The next chapter will still be updated at midnight.