"Ah, our old Qi is too slow," Sheng Mumu complained discontentedly as she tapped her chin with her finger and started to grumble:
"Last time, it took him so long to finish and he just wouldn't come out."
"Dragging his feet."
Su Tingran, Mrs. Qian, and Mrs. Sun were completely confused.
Their faces grew redder and redder as they listened.
Was this the part they could hear without having to pay?
What's too slow?
What took so long?
Even with the rich experience of these three married women, they were still shocked by Sheng Mumu's "bold remarks."
Su Tingran tugged at Sheng Mumu's clothes and politely coughed.
"Mumu, okay, okay, it's still daytime now."
Sheng Mumu looked over in puzzlement and asked uncomprehendingly: "Huh? You can't say this during the day?"
"Oh my!" Mrs. Qian glared reproachfully at Su Tingran. "Mrs. Sun and I are both mothers. We won't be choked to death by dog food. Go on, keep talking."
Mrs. Sun chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Mrs. Qi, tell us more."
Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Sun sang in chorus.
They left Sheng Mumu completely confused.
It seemed she didn't quite understand what they were talking about.
When had she lost track of their conversation?
Two pairs of expectant, story-hungry eyes stared at her.
She finally belatedly asked:
"I was talking about shaving. What did you think I meant?"
Mrs. Qian: "............"
Mrs. Sun: "Shaving?"
Mrs. Qian: "Shaving is too slow?"
Mrs. Sun: "It took so long to finish?"
Mrs. Qian: "Wouldn't come out? Does that mean he couldn't get out of the bathroom?"
Sheng Mumu blinked her limpid eyes, her long lashes fluttering. "Yeah, didn't I just tap my chin earlier? I meant shaving. Did my gesture not come across clearly enough, or is my ability to...express myself a bit lacking?"
Mrs. Qian took a deep breath and patted her shoulder. "No, Mrs. Qi, it's not your problem, it's our problem."
Mrs. Sun pulled up the corners of her mouth in a smile. "Yes, there was a deviation in our understanding."
Sheng Mumu was still completely confused. "What did you think I meant? Eating too slowly?"
"Pfft~" Su Tingran covered her mouth and laughed. This was the Mumu she knew all right.
It wasn't until the four women had finished their essential oil spa and Mrs. Sun and Mrs. Qian left early to pick up their kids from school that Su Tingran told Sheng Mumu about their "mistaken understanding."
Sheng Mumu's face instantly turned red and she stammered as she spoke.
"This, I...he...I..."
She could swear to the heavens.
She really didn't have the slightest intention of alluding to bedroom talk.
Just then, her phone buzzed twice.
Qi Mo: "[Picture]"
The photo showed a shirt laid out on the bed with two ties beside it, one patterned and the other a solid color.
Qi Mo: "I have a friend’s dinner party tonight. Which tie looks better?"
Sheng Mumu rolled her eyes, though not maliciously.
She couldn't help but blame this man who had shown up at just the right moment for the embarrassment she had just suffered, and replied impatiently:
"They both look good. Don't drag your feet. If you want to go out and have fun, then get out the door!"
On the other side.
The man standing leisurely by the bed, a smile on his face, waiting for a reply. His gaze suddenly froze.
His brow furrowed slightly in puzzlement.
Just then.
The hotel room doorbell rang.
The man was still pondering the meaning of that message. He casually responded, "Come in."
Assistant Dong walked in holding stacks of documents, using the spare key card.
"Mr. Qi, I've organized all the materials for you to review."
The man's tone was impassive: "I'll look at them later. Just put them down for now."
"Yes, Mr. Qi." Assistant Dong put the stacks of important documents in the hotel safe.
He turned and saw his boss standing in front of the two ties, his face cold and stern as if deep in thought.
He was surprised.
Upholding his determination to share his boss's worries, he walked over.
"Mr. Qi, is there anything you need me to do?"
The words fell, and the man with the steady, dignified aura turned around, his gaze fixed on his subordinate for a few seconds. Then he spoke:
"Little Dong, do you have a girlfriend?"
Assistant Dong halted. He answered truthfully: "I've had them before."
In his heart he couldn't help but feel strange.
Mr. Qi had never asked him personal questions unrelated to work before.
Why was he suddenly asking this? Did he have some purpose?
He held his breath and carefully observed his boss's every move.
Then he heard Mr. Qi say: "Never mind, it's useless to ask you."
Next, he saw Mr. Qi stride over to the floor-to-ceiling window on his long legs.
He stood there for half a minute, murmuring a few sentences in an extremely low voice.
He couldn't make out the words clearly.
It sounded like he was listing the attendees of the dinner party tonight.
When he vaguely heard the names Miss Jiang and Ms. Yuan,
Mr. Qi's tone paused.
As if having figured something out, he gave a low, deep laugh.
Then he turned and instructed:
"Tell Mr. Ou I won't be going to the dinner party tonight. Let's meet one-on-one next time I'm in Hong Kong."
"Yes, Mr. Qi."
Having received his orders, Assistant Dong left the suite.
He had just closed the door behind him from outside.
Still not understanding, he scratched his head.
After working under Mr. Qi for so many years,
Lately,
He was unable to figure out Mr. Qi's thoughts more and more often.
It seemed the road to becoming a competent assistant who could share his boss's worries was still long.
He still needed to work hard.
When Sheng Mumu left Su Tingran's house and had just walked up to the door of her own villa,
She received a message that bewildered her.
Qi Mo: "Not going out to play anymore."
Sheng Mumu: ???
Didn't he just pick a tie and was about to head out? Why wasn't he going anymore?
What a fickle man.
Sheng Mumu didn't bother guessing what had made him change his mind. She casually replied:
"Okay, if you don't feel like going then don't go. I'm planning to meet Li Li for dinner later. My mom's away traveling and she's bored home alone."
Qi Mo: "Sure, go ahead."
Seeing the quick reply on her phone screen, Sheng Mumu suddenly halted and pursed her lips.
Strange.
It felt like the wife home alone reporting her plans to her husband away on business.
At that moment, on the other end of the invisible waves linking their phones.
The man's pitch-black eyes flashed with a smile appearing and disappearing.
He got up from the sofa and walked to the hotel safe.
His long, well-proportioned fingers spun the combination lock and pulled it open.
He flipped through those documents.
A confident curve pulled at the corners of his lips.
