170 READY TO EXPLODE

When Hu Lei entered the Sonata Publishing building, she felt that the atmosphere was not quite right. The receptionist who received her had a cold attitude and looked at her with an obvious sense of dislike. Though it was quite subtle, Hu Lei noticed it immediately.

She mulled about the problem as she was directed to the lounge. This was the first time that she had come to the publishing house. Zhong Feng had not wanted her to strain herself unnecessarily because of her health. Therefore, her dealings with the company were handled by Bo Qian directly.

Therefore, she could not figure out the reason for the cold attitude. As far as she knew, she had not beat up any of the people working in the company or their families. She looked at Beatrice who also showed a sign of displeasure at the receptionist's attitude.

Hu Lei could not help smiling at her fierce expression. It looked like she was about to jump up and demand an apology from the unpleasant woman walking in front of them.

The author's lounge was a tastefully decorated room. It had comfortable couches, posters of some popular books and a collection of books. This space was specially planned to accommodate the authors who came for meetings in the building.

The receptionist coldly snorted as she left the lounge. Another woman entered with a badge that indicated lounge manager. Like the receptionist, she did not have a pleasant attitude. Hu Lei looked at her with interest, and a plan formed in her mind.

"Would you like anything?" She asked carelessly.

Hu Lei smiled a little.

"I would like black tea with freshly squeezed lemon and lime. Half of each, or the entire cup will be ruined. I would hate for you to have to make it again. Add two and a half teaspoons of honey, no more." She said with the attitude of a queen.

The lounge manager looked displeased with the order, especially because Hu Lei threatened to force her to make it again. However, ultimately, it was her job to entertain guests. She turned to leave the room with almost obvious anger.

"Wait, I have not ordered for my assistant. She has been driving me all morning. She must be parched. Prepare a cup of Earl Grey tea with a splash of milk. Any more than that, it will be completely ruined." Hu Lei then looked at the woman with a 'go along' stare.

As soon as the woman exited the room, Beatrice looked at Hu Lei in question. Her little eyebrows scrunched up eyebrows betrayed her confusion about the unusual behaviour. She could not understand the plan, or the purpose of the beverages.

"You are much too young, my dear Beatrice." Hu Lei smiled sneakily. "For a limited period, I shall take you on as my little apprentice."

"Apprentice for what?" Beatrice looked confused.

Hu Lei did not respond. After a while, she stood up and walked out of the lounge. Beatrice could only follow with a helpless expression on her face. As she walked behind Hu Lei, she realised that there was something strange about the situation. It took a moment for her to discover what felt off.

It was Hu Lei's walking. The little boss was walking normally with her compact body swaying rhythmically and beautifully. However, there was no sound, not the slightest clacking of her heels against the polished floor. It was almost as if she was floating.

Beatrice could walk silently because she had grown up in a military environment. Her father and brother would force her to train since she was a child. Therefore, she knew how to walk without a sound. However, this could only be accomplished through a combination of factors, including shoes that were not meant to put holes in floors.

She had already realised that her cute and harmless-looking boss was not simple. However, it seemed that she had underestimated her. She had numerous secrets.

Hu Lei stopped at a window and looked through it casually. Beatrice stopped behind her and realised that she was spying. Her lips twitched. Who would be spying so openly? She also looked in and discovered that there were two people in the office kitchen.

"Why are you so angry? You look ready to explode." The man spoke as he stirred something in a cup.

The lounge manager laid out two cups on the kitchen counter noisily, like a protesting child who had been made to do a chore.

"There is just an arrogant writer in the lounge. She thinks that she is at the top of the world." The lounge manager responded angrily.

"Is this your first time on the job?" The man laughed. "You know that most authors are almost as arrogant as some celebrities."

"But this one is unbearable." The woman paused. "Do you remember that there was someone making trouble for Bei Gong Jiu? It is her."

The lounge manager had received quite some benefits from Bei Gong Jiu during her time in Sonata. So, she felt that Bei Gong Jiu was an angelic figure who had descended to earth. Even though she was famous, she did not make things difficult for anyone even though she was the future mistress.

Yes, Bei Gong Jiu had not cleared up the misunderstanding in spite of everything that had happened. Perhaps she had hoped that everything would be forgotten. Or perhaps, she could not give up on the perks of being the apparent future Mrs Zhong.

"Oh, why doesn't Bei Gong Jiu have her kicked out of the company? It shouldn't be too difficult if she has the almighty boss' ear." The man asked.

"You don't understand anything. Our future lady boss is a kind woman who does not want to cause trouble for anyone. However, I know everything. I am good friends with her assistant. I have made sure that everyone in the company knows about this calculative bitch." The manager said righteously.

"Today, I will help her understand her position." She spat into the cups in which she was using to make tea.

"Aren't you afraid of repercussions?" The man asked with a laugh.

"Who will know? Furthermore, I have the future mistress of the Zhong family in my corner." There was arrogance and a carefree attitude.

Hu Lei felt absolutely disgusted and nauseous when she saw these actions. Of course, she had never intended to drink the tea in the first place. However, if this woman had attempted to do this to her, it could only mean that it was not the first time. She felt deep anger when she thought of this malicious action.

It could be considered as an act of attempting to deliberately spread disease. This was no different from assault. Hu Lei was quite sensitive about the communication of disease because she had seen the havoc that could be wreaked by contagious diseases. Some of these illnesses would not spread as far as they did if some people were not deliberately careless and malicious.

Beatrice felt a subtle killing intent from her little boss. It was controlled, but the cold edge was unmistakable.