Are You Allergic To Romance? - Chapter 32
Chapter 32: She’s Mine, Don’t Touch
After hanging up the phone, Xie Mianzhi was still in a stunned state.
What did she hear? Jing Yuan actually came all the way by car, came to find her to deliver the necklace. When? Today… today!?
She was going crazy, going crazy, going absolutely crazy!
Why didn’t this person tell her in advance that she was delivering the necklace today? It caught her completely off guard.
Damn it, she hadn’t prepared anything…
“Immediately check how long the bus Jing Yuan took will take to arrive, how much time we have left, quick!” Xie Mianzhi shot up from her seat, completely ignoring the fact that she currently had severe dark circles under her eyes. She quickly walked upstairs, giving instructions to Rong Cheng who followed her, and headed to her dressing room.
Rong Cheng immediately contacted a friend in the relevant department to get the most accurate arrival time at the main station. Miss Jing Yuan should have taken the direct bus from Minsong to Linxi City. Judging from her tone on the phone, Jing Yuan should have already boarded.
“Boss, if Miss Jing Yuan took the direct bus, there’s only one trip in the morning, and the estimated arrival time at the main station is 10:55 AM.” Rong Cheng looked at his Miss, who was currently frowning, her face cold, staring at the rows of luxurious clothes, deep in thought.
Xie Mianzhi didn’t say a word, her eyes quickly scanning the rows of clothes.
The row in her line of sight consisted of the latest styles the designer had custom-made for her last week. The black dress near her hand was one she hadn’t officially worn yet; it was elegant and sharp, full of a sense of boldness, and had a hint of subtle sexiness on the back. She liked it very much.
However, would wearing this outfit to meet Jing Yuan be too intimidating?
Maybe she should pair it with nude high heels for a touch of softness.
Xie Mianzhi glanced over the exquisite shoes in the shoe cabinet, but she couldn’t find a single pair of the perfect nude high heels she envisioned.
“Call Liao Li and have her immediately send over the nude high heels designed by S.Terra this year.” Xie Mianzhi instructed Rong Cheng. She remembered seeing one model in a magazine by STR that instantly caught her eye.
That pair of shoes should match the black dress better.
Just as Rong Cheng was about to relay the order, she suddenly remembered that a Xie Sheng Department Store was quite close to the main station. Maybe she should just go there and get her hair styled while she was at it.
The timing should be just right.
“Never mind. Just tell Liao Li to meet me at the Xinmao Street branch store.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Let me think about what I need…” Xie Mianzhi said, quickly running through all her plans for the day.
The company, the family, and everything else… there seemed to be no particularly important engagements.
“Boss, tonight is Luo Man of the Luo family’s birthday banquet. You previously said…”
“Have Xin Su take a gift on my behalf. She’ll probably go tonight. It’s just for show; I don’t need to go in person.” Xie Mianzhi sounded unwilling to waste any more words. What was so great about a business birthday banquet that required her attendance? She wouldn’t go even if she were free.
Besides, she definitely wasn’t free tonight.
“Yes, Boss, I’ll contact Miss Xin.” Rong Cheng understood Xie Mianzhi’s meaning. He would clear all of Xie Mianzhi’s schedule today and be on standby for the arrival of the “savior.”
Xie Mianzhi turned back to look at her most capable and proactive little general. “As for anyone else asking, you know what to say.”
“In anticipation of Miss Jing Yuan’s arrival, you can completely leave all other matters to me.” Rong Cheng said in a theatrical tone. The next second, he instantly caught the hanger that his boss angrily threw at him after having her careful plans exposed.
“Miss, I was just making a joke to lighten the mood. I didn’t think you were doing it for Ji—”
“Shut up and get out.”
“Yes, ^_^.”
…
At Xinmao Xie Sheng Department Store
It was already around 10:25 AM after Xie Mianzhi had her hair styled. During the process, she kept checking her wristwatch.
When she finally finished the long half-hour procedure, Xie Mianzhi didn’t forget to scold the stylist on her way out, telling them they should improve their efficiency.
The stylist, Sister Ping, was on the verge of tears. She had rushed and condensed a one-hour procedure into half an hour, yet Miss Xie was still not satisfied.
Now, she just needed to go to the STR shop to try on those shoes. The store manager had already prepared the pair she wanted.
She only needed three minutes to complete her final outfit.
“Where is she now?” Xie Mianzhi sat poised in a soft chair, watching the store manager take out the beautifully packaged pointed nude high heels, and asked Rong Cheng, who was waiting beside her. She needed precise, real-time information.
“Replying, Boss, the car has already passed Qinma. She is expected to arrive here in about half an hour.”
Just as Rong Cheng finished reporting the bus’s location, his phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from Miss Jing Yuan.
Rong Cheng quickly turned his back to answer the call while Xie Mianzhi was speaking to the manager.
A few seconds later, Rong Cheng quickly relayed the newly received message to Xie Mianzhi.
“What? You said Jing Yuan… she’s here…?” Xie Mianzhi looked at her assistant, reporting with a look of disbelief. What happened? Didn’t he just say she passed the Qinma line?
“Yes, Miss Jing Yuan has indeed arrived in Linxi City. I don’t quite understand it either. I told her our current location, and Miss Jing Yuan said she would be here shortly.” Rong Cheng was also confused. He guessed Miss Jing might not have taken the direct bus, but it was an incredible coincidence that she was already nearby.
“Wait, are you saying Jing Yuan is already here?” Xie Mianzhi stood up in a hurry. She motioned to the manager beside her not to interrupt her with the shoe, as she was in a rush.
The manager, holding the other high heel, was stared at by Xie Mianzhi and immediately stood respectfully, although she really wanted to remind her that she was only trying on one shoe.
“Yes, Miss Jing has arrived. However, the mall’s signal was unstable just now. I’m not sure if she clearly heard the exact store location I told her…” Rong Cheng swallowed. He was about to pull out his phone and call back to confirm Jing Yuan’s location so he could arrange for someone to meet her.
To his surprise, his boss had already rushed out of the store, heading towards the closest North Gate entrance of the mall.
The store manager behind them quickly reminded Rong Cheng, “Mr. Rong, Miss Xie’s shoes…”
“Huh!? Miss!” Rong Cheng widened his eyes, watching his noble and gorgeous Miss run out, stepping in two different colored high heels.
Fortunately,
Just when Rong Cheng thought he’d have to chase her for a while, Xie Mianzhi only ran a few steps before slowly coming to a halt.
Because right in front of her—no, about five meters away—stood a person.
It was the person she had been thinking about day and night during this time.
It was the person she intensely longed to see again. Her little savior had magically appeared before her.
Jing Yuan was so pale…
The gloomy paleness of a medieval vampire.
Today, she wasn’t wearing a black trench coat, but a blue turtleneck paired with light-colored trousers. Such a simple and plain outfit made her already tall figure look even cooler and sharper, like a refreshing breeze in the summer.
However, even though it was July, Jing Yuan had wrapped herself up completely, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and yes, meticulously buttoned up to the very top.
She really must be sensitive to the cold.
Was it because she always covered her skin and avoided the sun that she was so pale?
Xie Mianzhi just stood there, her mind blank, lost in scattered thoughts.
She stared with wide eyes at the black-haired, gold-eyed, cool woman. Just staring, everything felt unreal. The person she thought about day and night was standing right in front of her.
It wasn’t until the person slowly walked closer to her, coming to stand right next to her.
That Xie Mianzhi gradually returned to her senses.
She was going crazy, what should she say as an opening line?
Xie Mianzhi slightly lifted her head to meet those pure eyes like a golden ocean. She truly missed those eyes.
She hadn’t prepared her words, but her mouth spoke anyway, “Hi, long time no see. I didn’t think you’d be half an hour early.”
Jing Yuan heard that long-unheard voice and instantly relaxed. Heaven knows what kind of nervous anticipation she was holding to see Xie Mianzhi.
She looked at the woman who had been occupying her troubled mind and heart. Miss Xie Mianzhi was as bright and moving as ever today.
It felt like everything around her was gray, while Miss Xie Mianzhi was a beautiful, vibrant color. That’s the feeling.
To be in the best state for seeing Miss Xie Mianzhi today, she had swum twenty thousand meters under the sea last night, and her morning jog was three times the usual distance. Her complexion should look a little better.
“That’s the intercity bus time. I didn’t take the bus.” Jing Yuan slowly explained. She hadn’t expected her first sentence to have a slight tremor. Was she too nervous?
She had even taken a few deep breaths as she walked into the mall.
Xie Mianzhi, consumed by the frantic pounding in her heart, didn’t notice the instability in Jing Yuan’s tone. That clear voice was truly highly recognizable, and she loved it.
Xie Mianzhi asked, somewhat confused, “Then how did you get here? You didn’t take a ride-share, did you?”
“Because I wanted to see you early,” Jing Yuan blurted out. When she saw Xie Mianzhi’s momentary look of surprise, she realized how direct her answer was and immediately lowered her head to add, “The necklace is quite valuable, so I wanted to return it to you early to be at ease.”
“Ah… that’s how it is, hmm,” Xie Mianzhi heard Jing Yuan’s latter explanation. She guessed the other party wanted to come early because of the necklace. But subconsciously, when she heard Jing Yuan say—
(I wanted to see you early)
Her heart was already bursting with fireworks. She admitted that such a direct statement from the other person made her feel a little elated.
“Although the necklace is valuable, safety comes first. Don’t take private ride-shares like that in the future. They aren’t safe.”
Xie Mianzhi instructed her seriously. She didn’t want Jing Yuan to take private cars or the like; absolutely not. For a girl, you couldn’t guarantee that some illegal drivers wouldn’t have other criminals with them along the way.
Jing Yuan quietly listened to Xie Mianzhi’s “admonishments.” This person was still the same, habitually arching her eyebrows when speaking—a little fierce but very cute.
She wasn’t actually taking a ride-share or an illegal car, as Xie Mianzhi assumed. She had driven herself, which was much faster.
However, Xie Mianzhi didn’t seem to know she could drive, and she didn’t want to clarify just yet.
Selfishly, she thought, maybe it was okay to let Xie Mianzhi worry about her a little more… right?
“Why aren’t you saying anything? I’m not being fierce to you. I’m just telling you that no matter how urgent it is, you can’t take cars like that. It’s unsafe and dangerous.” Xie Mianzhi noticed the other person was just staring at her eagerly, which made her feel a little awkward. Why was this girl so quiet?
“Then I’ll try not to take them in the future.” Jing Yuan answered obediently, but this response clearly didn’t satisfy the other party. Xie Mianzhi immediately shot her a fierce glare.
“No, I won’t take cars like that in the future,” Jing Yuan promised again.
Hearing Jing Yuan immediately change her answer like that, a wonderful feeling arose in Xie Mianzhi’s heart—
Oh dear, she’s like a well-behaved puppy.
“Ahem, that’s good.” Xie Mianzhi desperately suppressed the urge to smile, regally accepting the other person’s ‘correction of their mistake.’
Rong Cheng, who had caught up earlier, and the shoe store manager watched the two people exchanging restrained words in a bizarre cloud of pink bubbles. They were so engrossed in each other, completely oblivious to their surroundings, which gave the two staff members a headache.
This was a high-end mall with people coming and going. Customers occasionally cast curious glances their way, and some of those glances were directed at the fact that their boss was currently wearing two different high heels.
Xie Mianzhi hadn’t noticed at all!
“Um… actually, I’m embarrassed to have you deliver it to me. It was my fault for leaving it behind, and I had to trouble you,” Xie Mianzhi pursed her lips and smoothed her hair, feeling a little awkward.
Rong Cheng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head listening to this. His Miss, the eldest daughter of the Xie family, was actually using words like ’embarrassed’ and ‘trouble you’ so gently!
He had thought that the Xie family’s eldest Miss didn’t know such polite phrases.
However, the current situation was clearly not the time for such a sweet exchange of thanks. More and more eyes were watching.
“Boss, Boss, your shoes, the manager has brought them.”
Rong Cheng had no choice but to whisper a reminder by her ear.
Xie Mianzhi was initially unhappy about the interruption, but then she realized she had been standing there for so long wearing different high heels…
And right in front of Jing Yuan! Why would such a thing happen the one time she finally got to see her again? She could have perfectly displayed her immaculate self. Damn it, this was so embarrassing!!
You reminded me just in time,
Xie Mianzhi retorted with a clenched jaw, her expression as sour as if she’d eaten a handful of dirt. She gave Rong Cheng a ‘smiling’ glance, wondering why he hadn’t reminded her earlier.
Rong Cheng didn’t dare open his eyes.
But Xie Mianzhi maintained her composure and didn’t lose her temper. She had to be a lady, at least in front of the little savior.
So, she first said gently to Jing Yuan, “Wait a moment.”
Then, she turned and frowned, motioning for the manager to bring the other nude high heel. She’d just make do and change it while standing. However, since she was wearing a tight, long dress, it was inconvenient to bend down to put on and take off shoes. The manager was a man, and although she knew him, she still frowned. Why hadn’t the female clerk who had served her earlier followed her?
How could they be so clueless?
“Where’s that female clerk?”
“Miss Xie, I’ll have her come over right now!”
Xie Mianzhi didn’t want to waste time. “Forget it, hurry up.”
The manager now didn’t dare to delay. Seeing Xie Mianzhi’s face clouding over, he immediately put on gloves, took the limited edition high heel out of the box, checked it for flaws, and was about to bend down to help her try it on.
“I’ll do it.” The speaker was Jing Yuan, who had been standing silently all this time.
When she saw the manager pull out the high heel, she noticed Xie Mianzhi’s displeasure, and she also didn’t want Xie Mianzhi’s ankle to be touched by anyone else, man or woman. Instinctively, she did not want to see that sight.
So, without overthinking, she subconsciously took the high heel from the manager’s hand. Before anyone could react, she slowly crouched down and helped Xie Mianzhi change the other shoe.
Xie Mianzhi was utterly astonished, looking down at the scene. It wasn’t until her ankle was gently held by a cold hand and slowly slipped into the shoe.
Her body went stiff. Her gaze landed right on the top of Jing Yuan’s head—black, fluffy hair, soft and fuzzy.
Jing Yuan was actually helping her put on her shoe…
Xie Mianzhi felt it was unreal, staring blankly at the top of Jing Yuan’s head.
She couldn’t quite believe it. She had never imagined this scene. Then, as if possessed, she tentatively reached out and gently patted the top of that beautiful, black ‘puppy’ head.
Wow, it feels real~