"Lu Yanming, you do not look mixed race at all. You are like a sculpture crafted by an artist," Li Zhen took her time to examine Lu Yanming's facial features.
Lu Yanming knelt down on one knee and placed Li Zhen's ankle on his thigh.
He looked up at her, exposing his sturdy Adam's apple. "So pleased with me? Is this flattery real or fake?"
"President Lu, you're smart. You tell me, is it real or fake?" Li Zhen reached out and outlined his brows, nose, and jaw.
She was satisfied.
The genes she stumbled upon were too perfect!
"Then I guess it's real," Lu Yanming's eyes glimmered with laughter. "Bear with me."
Li Zhen was about to ask what he meant by 'bear with me' when a sharp pain radiated from her ankle.
"President Lu! It hurts!"
"That's why I said to bear with me," Lu Yanming's hands kept working while his voice softened considerately, "I've got to knead it open."
Li Zhen bared her teeth in pain, knowing he was right. She whimpered but didn't yell anymore.
While kneading, Lu Yanming asked, "What do you think of President Yu?"
The atmosphere froze instantly.
"Haha, why are you suddenly asking about President Yu?" Li Zhen's back stiffened slightly.
"I heard he was the one who resolved the incident for you today. President Yu is quite warm towards alumni," Lu Yanming's tone was nonchalant, as if just making small talk.
"Yes, President Yu...is decent." Li Zhen was rather perfunctory.
Decent, my ass.
Arrogant, bad temper.
Lu Yanming didn't ask about Yu Sheng again. He put away the medicine kit and stood in front of her, his tall frame casting a shadow over her.
He loosened his tie and threw it onto the armrest. "It's half past ten. Isn't it time I paid my conjugal debt?"
"Cough cough... no, President Lu, where did you learn that term?"
Li Zhen thought to herself that his train of thought was jumping too much.
He went from asking about Yu Sheng to paying conjugal debt?
"I heard it today at the lunch table next to me at the company. 'Conjugal debt' fits the situation very aptly," Lu Yanming explained earnestly, his light eyes glinting with laughter. "My wife is young and healthy, demanding too. I've decided to take initiative and pay more..."
Take more initiative?
He's already very proactive! Aside from worrying she can't handle it, he's eager every night!
Li Zhen didn't dare imagine what 'more initiative' entailed.
Recalling how she had said he was unhealthy in the elevator...
She really lacked experience and completely misjudged.
"President Lu, you said before that it's natural for beginners to be a little greedy. I was immoderate the past few nights, but it's different now..." Li Zhen pulled over the blanket from the sofa and bundled up tightly.
Blocking any possibility of arousing his lust again.
"You're tired of me already? Use and throw?" Lu Yanming asked lightly.
This hit too hard.
Panicked, Li Zhen hurriedly said, "No, no, President Lu, I just think we should be more moderate. You work hard every day, toiling every night, won't it be too taxing on your body?"
"I can handle it." Lu Yanming placed both hands on the sofa's sides, enclosing Li Zhen in his shadow.
Li Zhen shrank back, uncomfortably tugging her lips into a faint smile. "I... I can't handle it. President Lu, I need more rest. I suggest you rest more too. Let's take a month off to recuperate and conserve energy."
Lu Yanming was still for a moment.
A month?
She had eagerly wanted it night after night before, why suggest a month all of a sudden?
Lu Yanming gazed at her intently. His magnetic voice was slow and measured. "Just a few days ago, who was eyeing me saying she was all better down there and urging me to get in bed sooner? Who took off my clothes..."
Li Zhen's face flushed crimson in embarrassment. "President Lu, watch your words!"
"You can do it but not speak of it?" Lu Yanming suddenly straightened, his distinguished light eyes narrowing slightly. "Li Zhen, are you just using me for practice?"
What a huge accusation to make!
She wouldn't take this pot[1]!
"President Lu, I'm not that kind of person." Li Zhen quickly clarified.
"Then why wait a month later?" Lu Yanming asked.
Li Zhen mumbled softly, "You'll have to ask a human geneticist for that."
The ovulation period was only a few days spaced apart by roughly a month.
"What did you say?" Lu Yanming didn't catch it clearly.
Suddenly, Li Zhen's phone rang.
She had been racking her brain for a reason to end Lu Yanming's probing. She hurriedly picked up, "Hello, Manager?"
"Li Zhen, come back to IF Mall." Ren Zongshun's voice was tired.
"Now? Manager, it's almost eleven." Li Zhen regretted picking up the call.
"The samples are missing. Everyone's rushing back, hurry." Ren Zongshun hung up after speaking.
Li Zhen frowned slightly at the beeping dial tone.
How could the samples be missing?
In her three years at the company, the advertising department had never lost anything before.
Having heard the voice on the phone, Lu Yanming said, "I'll go with you."
"President Lu, I'll go myself. If you show up, people will be distracted from the lost items." Li Zhen got up to grab her things and headed out.
Lu Yanming went to the floor-to-ceiling windows and watched Li Zhen get into a cab.
She had said a month?
Why a month later?
She was hiding something from him.
Thinking about what was said on the phone, he reined in his thoughts and called Fei Zhao, "How's the interrogation going?"
"Young Master, he still hasn't talked."
"Take him from the police station. You interrogate him. I want results today."
"Understood, Young Master." Fei Zhao excitedly flexed his wrists. Ever since returning to the country, he had been bored out of his mind every day.
He was finally given something to do in secret about Li Zhen getting injured at the outdoor shoot last time.
Yet the guy he caught was handed to the police by the Young Master?
And this bastard still wouldn't talk.
Now things were finally in his hands!
When Li Zhen got back to the mall, half of the people had returned.
Everyone was gathered in the break room.
Zhang Xiya stood in a corner, stifling a yawn. Seeing Li Zhen arrive, she waved at her.
Li Zhen walked over and softly asked, "What's going on? How could the samples be missing?"
"Who knows? I can't believe it either. I was halfway through my shower when they called me back!"
The body wash hadn't even been rinsed off completely!
After another ten-odd minutes, everyone finally arrived.
Ren Zongshun stood up from the sofa, his expression solemn. "Our samples actually went missing during this offline event! Considering this is the first time, I haven't reported it to the company yet."
"Whoever took them, come forward and I'll let this go. If the company investigates, it won't just be a loss of face for the department. You won't be able to continue working at the company either."
"The breach penalty is huge, as you all know."
"I'm giving you ten minutes to think it over clearly. The thief, message me yourself!"
After speaking, Ren Zongshun sat back down on the sofa and sighed heavily.
At the weekly meeting on Tuesday, the CEO had still praised their department for being the busiest. Now this happened, things were actually stolen!
Everyone started whispering among themselves, looking around for anyone sending a message.
Manager Ren hadn't given any specifics about the situation from start to finish, only urging the thief to turn themselves in. Li Zhen was curious and asked Zhang Xiya, "Why is the manager so certain it's an inside job? Couldn't it have been mall staff or visiting guests too?"
Before Zhang Xiya could reply, Xiao Cai from the admin department cried out, "It must be an inside job! The break room cameras were broken but the entrance cameras show only our people going in and out today."
