Cloe couldn't make sense of the situation right now. Her brain couldn't comprehend how that was enough to make someone even notice her? To be honest, she didn't think there was anything special about either of those incidents that Cui Xukun mentioned. If someone said, she had left an impression on them now then she'd easily believe them.
She was a successful, confident, beautiful, and overall amazing woman. It was hard to forget her.
And that was also the reason she was more clear about what she was like back in her university days. She was shy, timid, a bit dull as well. And she wasn't even a beauty. At most, she was a little pretty. How could she impress someone back then?
But it happened.
"I don't know why but after that, your face was really stuck in my head. Without even me knowing it, I wanted to see you again. It's a shame that I never found you. It's so weird that I heard my brother-in-law mentioning your name plenty of time but I just didn't know the person he was talking about was you. I only learned about your identity when you came to see my nephew and niece on their birth."
Cloe did recall that she had stopped by the hospital to see Soren's kids. Originally, she might not have but when Soren called, he was crying and it actually frightened her. Considering how she was nearby, she decided to pay a visit. She even called Soren a fool for crying just because he became a father. But she was also jealous of him. Right after university, he was a father. He built his family while she was still trying to even get her life on track.
"Knowing you're my brother-in-law's friend, I thought it'd be easier to approach you but he told me that you moved to Country G for your job. I was so disappointed. And I even thought that was the end. I'd never see you again. And even we did meet, nothing could happen between us."
Cloe tsked at him, "I think something is wrong with your aesthetics. How could you have a crush on someone just like that?"
Cui Xukun chuckled, "Maybe you're right but I couldn't help it. It's not my fault that I kept noticing you. Especially when you became the face of Xiang Conglomerate. President Raelle liked to live a low-key life and that's why people were more familiar with your face. Every interview or press conference regarding the company's decisions would always have you at the forefront. And seeing that confidence exuding from within you really sucked me into the point of no return." He took a pause and added, "Perhaps the version of you that I first saw years ago wasn't all that eye-catching. I might have forgotten you with time. But the one I saw on tv and in magazines was hard to forget. It was that change of yours that made my heart turbulent."
"I don't even know what to say to you," she told him. "I find this situation quite fantastical. It's like while I was not looking, someone always had his eyes on me."
"Does that make you feel special?" he asked cheekily.
"Don't try your luck. Stay quiet for now." Cloe's brows knitted up as she went through all that he said in her head again. But no matter how she thought about it, she still found this situation a bit hard to believe. She never thought her life would have the plotline of a drama.
*Ring!*
"Oh, that's my phone," said Cui Xukun. "Can you untie my hands? That's my sister's call. I have to take it."
Cloe didn't untie his hands but she did take his phone and attended the call. She placed the phone against his ear while she was still in her thoughts.
"CUI XUKUN!" a roaring voice came from the other side that even jerked Cloe out of her thoughts much less Cui Xukun who was shaken badly. "HOW DARE YOU?!"
"Jie, what did I do now?" asked Cui Xukun in a meek voice.
"Where have you been?" came the question from the other side. "I've called you so many times but your phone was switched off. How dare you leave me hanging like this?!"
Cui Xukun gulped nervously. It seemed his phone's battery was indeed low when he came here. And his phone must have turned off. But it was a surprise to him that Cloe had so thoughtfully charged his phone for him. But now that his phone was turned on, his sister finally got the chance to reach his throat.
"Jie, I came to see my girlfriend," he said sheepishly.
Cui Xuqing was momentarily quiet before she sneered, "Oh, so once you found a girlfriend you've forgotten your nanny duties? You promised to babysit my kids so that I can go out with my husband today. I had to cancel my date because of you while you're having fun!"
Cui Xukun closed his eyes as he only now recalled that he had indeed promised to babysit the twins. But he didn't know things would escalate once he came to see Cloe. And now that he had indulged in his desires, he had to bear the consequences of ruining his sister's date as well.
"Jie, I'll babysit the twins tomorrow! I promise! You can go out with my brother-in-law tomorrow. Give some leeway to your brother as well. You wouldn't want him to die single now, would you?"
Cui Xuqing wasn't one to fall for his pitiful acts but before she could say anything, her husband's voice came from behind, "Let him be. There is no need to be so hard on him."
Cui Xuqing reigned in her temper and asked, "So, when are you bringing your girlfriend over?"
"I'm afraid she might run away because of your temper if I brought her to you so soon," said Cui Xukun honestly.
"You brat! Is that something you should say about your sister?" She sighed, "Forget it. I'm hanging up. But you better babysit the twins tomorrow. Or I'm gonna make your meat stew and eat it for dinner!"
And with that, the call was disconnected. Cui Xukun gave Cloe an awkward smile, "Trust me, she isn't as bad as she sounds."
Cloe shook her head, "I know."
"You do?"
Cloe nodded her head in response, "If she wasn't a good person, Soren wouldn't have fallen so hard for her. And with his bragging habits, I've heard way too many things about your sister." She took a pause and teased him, "By the way, I didn't know that apart from being a lawyer, you're a part-time nanny."
Cui Xukun smiled helplessly, "That can't be helped. My sister raised me, I at most help her look after her twins once in a while which is the least I can do." He looked up at his tied hands and said, "Are you really not untying my hands?"
Cloe moved her hands and untied the red rope that she used to tie him up with. Cui Xukun finally sat up and rubbed his wrists. Then he looked at the rope in her hand and looked at her with a complicated look in his eyes, "Did you have to tie me up like this?"
"Who told you to run away every time I tried to ask you something?" She looked at him in dissatisfaction. "Then my boss said I should just tie you up if I want some real answers."
"And you listened to your boss?" he asked.
"I always listen to my Chief," she replied.
"Your boss as if Raelle Xiang?" asked Cui Xukun as he raised his brows at her.
"She is the only boss I have," said Cloe. "And let me tell you something, Chief is never wrong. Even if it seems like she is wrong, you should never doubt her words because 99.9% of the times, she is absolutely right."
"I didn't know President Raelle had such tastes," he commented. "I wonder how my ex-best friend's been doing with her."
"You don't have to concern yourself with that," said Cloe. "Chief would never tie anyone even if that person is her husband."
"Why?"
"It's troublesome!" replied Cloe matter-of-factly. "She'd rather tear off the clothes and get down to business. After all, why would she waste her time on some fetishes when she can do better things in that time?"
"You've a very good understanding of her," said Cui Xukun.
"I do," said Cloe. "She even finds carrying her phone a troublesome matter. Why wouldn't she find all this troublesome?" She tossed away the rope in her hand casually as she added, "Chief would always avoid trouble if she can."
Cui Xukun hugged her waist as he placed his chin on her shoulder and asked, "But your Chief's husband is no less of a trouble."
Cloe shrugged, "Then I'll tell you what I learned from Hyson. Chief will only get into the trouble that she thinks is worthwhile.. And it's seems Shui Xian is worth it."