Chapter 119 - Xu Ming Yue
Xu Ming Yue reached the fancy restaurant where she would be meeting with the point man -- Du Zheng but how and when she would be meeting him, she was not informed of.
The restaurant was situated outside the city. It was a very classy and fancy place. Probably, it was the place where all the important rich people met and conduct their business meetings.
Never had she ever entered such a fancy place much less dined here. God is surely cruel and biased. Some people would be eating dishes that almost cost a kidney and on the other hand, some were dying of poverty and famine.
Nevertheless, pushing her thoughts aside she entered the restaurant for her thoughts were neither needed nor appreciated and her boss Xin Zhenyi had made it crystal clear. She huffed in exasperation. She couldn't believe she actually agreed to be a part of this bizarre act and signed the contract with Xin Zhenyi. It was not like she was given any other choice and what Zhenyi wanted, Zhenyi got no matter how insane her plans were.
When she first met her, she knew that the woman was dangerous with her queen-like body posture and I-own-the-world attitude she was the reason for Xu Ming Yue's exasperation but there was something in Zhenyi she couldn't put her fingers on which impressed her.
Of course, Xin Zhenyi never cared about the other party's impression and opinion and she made it perfectly clear. Zhenyi was crazy and what she truly needed was a psychiatrist to check her head and inform what actually resided in her head.
The real reason she signed the contract was that Zhenyi was generous in her offer. She was providing Xu Ming Yue what she truly desired along with a million dollars. She could easily leave the county when she was done with this Du Zheng.
She occupied the table reserved for her and put her handbag on the table as a waiter came to take her order.
Ding.
"Excuse me, " Ming Yue said with a smile.
'Don't order until your date comes.' the message read.
Xu Ming Yue mustered up a smile and looked at the waiter as she said," Sorry but I'd like to wait for my date before ordering."
"Sure Ma'am," the water said and left with a bow.
She was starving but fear occupied a spot in the pit of her stomach. She had read the profile of Ceo Du and was quite aware of what kind of a man he was. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the man her boss had sent for her protection if things went south sitting two tables away from her with a disguised date.
Thirty minutes passed and no one came. The fear of the unknown had reared its ugly head again, Xu Ming Yue was barely smiling. She didn't know what Zhenyi had planned but if nobody came within the next ten minutes she was leaving, contract or not.
Across the room, a pair of eyes were constantly following her every movement how she was often checking her phone, her hesitant smiles and a look of panic in those mismatched eyes. Her eyes reminded him of someone he was familiar with.
But she didn't look like that someone from any angle. Both of the women were beautiful but in their own way. The woman sitting before him could be described as an angelic and innocent beauty on the other hand that someone was sinister and wicked to the core and so was her beauty.
Du Zheng was here for a business meeting with the team of Air China. Since he succeeded in canceling Air China's deal with Xin cooperation, he decided to venture into the aviation industry. He was blocking every way for Zhenyi.
Once they left, he decided to approach the beauty sitting alone waiting for someone looking at her phone.
"Excuse me? ," a husky and masculine voice called her out.
Xu Ming Yue blinked at the interloper. He looked somewhat familiar to her but where had she seen him. He was gorgeous. She has no words to utter. For the first time in her life, she was dumbfounded.
Holy shit. He was Du Zheng, the point man. The man she had to con.
"May I join you?" He said with a smile.
Charming Asshole. Of course, he'd be. No wonder he conned many innocent women. Who had thought such a beautiful man would have such an ugly heart?
"I'm sorry but I'm actually waiting for my date," she managed to speak unfalteringly.
"Date? I've not seen one from the last thirty minutes," He said as a matter of fact.
"Excuse me?" She manger to push the words out. "You were watching me?"
"No, I was not intentionally watching you. My eyes just refused to be drawn from your sight," he said solemnly.
She blinked her eyes again at him. She didn't know how she was supposed to prolong the act. She wanted a signal to know if she had to act now or leave. Didn't Zhenyi said 'play hard to get?'
"I'm sorry, Mister, but you have to leave I have a date and he will be here any minute. I don't want him to misunderstand," Xu Ming Yue told him.
"A drink that's what I ask for. I won't take much of your time," He said.
She stood up ready to leave the restaurant when her phone placed on the table dinged.
'Sorry. My mother is in hospital I've to leave. Once again I'm sorry for leaving you waiting for me.'
Du Zheng grinned at her as he took the chair beside her and said," Now, he's not coming back. You owe me a drink now."
"I do?" Xu Ming Yue narrowed her eyes at him.
He nodded playfully.
Getting the cue, she sat down on the seat and ordered the drinks. The message meant she had to spend the time with him while playing hard to get. Zhenyi also said to be herself and Xu Ming Yue wouldn't spend much time in the company of a stranger.
The waiter served them the drinks.
"So, you're an artist? " Du Zheng asked while looking at her fingers.
His question halted Xu Ming Yue's action as she followed his gaze which rested on her hands. Then she looked at him in confusion.
His mouth widened into a smile as he said, "Your nails are smeared with paint. Either you are a painter or you were fiddling with paint."
She was busted. She was helping her niece in painting a forest picture. Never had she thought he was so observing? Was it too late to leave and never come back? She was already told to say what she did profession-wise.
She smiled and took another sip, " You are wrong I'm not an artist especially not a painter. But a very wise man once said we all are artists. So, I'll take myself as an artist if you say so."
He chuckled and shook his head. " Indeed."
"An artist who doesn't paint but loves to play with colors," he added.
"I was actually helping my niece with painting. She had a very bad color sense. Once she colored all the butterflies black. Such torture on beautiful insects." Xu Ming Yue laughed.
Her recent comment changed something in Du Zheng. He straighten up and a hardened his jaw. Xu Ming Yue noticed the change in the atmosphere around them.
"Umm... Everything alright? " She asked cautiously.
"Yeah, " he gave her a small smile which resembled a grimace.
"You should tell your niece that butterflies are beautiful beings, meant to be appreciated and loved," he said in a very flat tone which sounds a little weird to Xu Ming Yue.
"Sure." She nodded.
"Would you like to accompany me to an art exhibition?" He asked her out of nowhere startling the otherwise steady Xu Ming Yue.
"I'm sorry. I don't even know you. I accompanied you for a drink because I was waiting for my date who in the end moment ditched me but accompanying you to an art exhibition? It's too much for me for the fact that I'm not even aware of your name and yet, I'm having a drink with you. You can be a serial killer for crying out loud," She said.
"Trust me, I'm not a serial killer who likes inflicting pain on the women. I'm merely asking you to accompany me to an art exhibition as a favor. Nothing else."
'You are worse than a serial killer' Xu Ming Yue wanted to add but stopped herself.
"Pardon me. I must take my leave now." Xu Ming picked her handbag and phone and turned to leave.
"You are leaving already?" Du Zheng couldn't believe any woman could resist her charms. The more she was resisting him, the more he wanted to possess her.
She was a rare beauty who looked no less than a goddess in the emerald bodycon dress that she was wearing. And those mismatched eyes were calling to him to possess her and made her his.
Though his butterfly was refusing his advances, he could use this woman to make her envious, and then his butterfly would get what she was missing.
She pointed towards his empty glass and said," One drink. Time over. By the way, my name is Xu Ming Yue."
And with this, she left without turning back.