Chapter 129 - Nickname

"Hurry up, Benji!" Lina yelled as she pushed the elevator's button.

"Com...ing" His reply was muffled because there was a piece of toast in his mouth and two bags in each of his hands.

'Do I know how to squeeze out work for my employees, or what?' She chuckled and stood with her hands on her hips.

Her hands were absolutely free right now but she did not take a single step forward to carry one of the bags which could allow him to eat peacefully.

"That's what you get for delaying your arrival. Hmph!" She scoffed at him and turned back to face the elevator.

"What's taking this shitty elevator so long!?" She kicked the door in frustration.

Why was Lina so pissed off this early in the morning? The answer was simple. She had started her period while in the shower.

Her plans of wearing white today had gone down the drain along with her happy mood.

Benji made her a filling breakfast to calm the monster within that would unleash if she was left unchecked.

After preparing her food, he went to get dressed which was why he couldn't enjoy the scrumptious breakfast that he had prepared and just had to make do with the toast.

It was a blessing that she always carried her sanitary stuff in all her bags or else Benji would be faced with the awkward dilemma of running out to buy her some from the supermarket downstairs.

While Benji was counting his blessings, the elevator finally arrived.

"Finally!" Lina sighed and waited for the door to open.

As the door opened, her eyes met with those of the handsome man who had just teased her and made her flee just half an hour ago.

He was wearing a grey suit and mint green tie which made him look like a dapper gentleman.

Reuben looked up and noticed the frown on her face and tilted his head.

She just rolled her eyes and stood beside him as they rode down in complete silence.

He could sense that something was off about her so he did nothing to worsen her mood. Though he did look at Benji with questioning eyes all he received was a shrug from him.

When they reached the lobby, Lina got off first and strut towards the exit while the two men followed after her.

"Psst.." Reuben called out to the man who was wiping his hands after he gulped down the remaining piece of the toast.

Benji looked up and raised his brows when he heard him.

"Did something happen? Why is she so pissed off? Did you do something to her?" He asked everything that was in his mind in one go.

"Yes, something happened. You wouldn't understand it and no, I did not mess with her in any way." Benji answered all his questions at once.

Reuben appreciated his precise and to the point answers but according to all the times he heard Wayne bitch about girl problems, when has a precise answer ever worked out in a guy's favor?

When they reached the front door, they saw a completely different Lina.

She stood beside Mathew Kim and was happily smiling as they conversed about something.

"Who are you?" 

Before Reuben could speak a word, Benji was already in front of Lina and he scowled at Mathew.

Mathew was taken aback when such a big man came at him out of nowhere. He stuttered a few times before he could utter his own name.

"Benji, stand down. That's my friend and Reuben's assistant, Mathew Kim." She introduced Mathew to him.

"Oh, Mathew, meet Benji. He's my assistant cum bodyguard." She patted on Benji's back.

"Oh… What did you just do that changed her mood in no time?" Benji asked with sparkles in his eyes when he heard that Mathew was an assistant just like him.

'A comrade!' Mathew squealed on the inside.

"I noticed that she seemed angry so I just gave her this." Mathew took out something from his pocket and showed it to them.

"Candy?" Reuben was bewildered that this woman was so simple that she was pleased with just one piece of candy.

'I cooked breakfast for her and she did not give me a single smile and here she's so happy about getting some cheap candy?' Benji was glaring at Lina accordingly.

"Yep, boss. Women on their periods can be sensitive to little things as well. Just a small gesture is enough to make them happy." He spoke like a wise sage thanks to his vast experience.

"Period?" Reuben turned to look at Lina and saw that she had raised her brows at him challengingly.

"Anything you want to say?" She asked when she saw him staring.

"No, Ma'am." He quickly replied.

She then looked at the other two and they shook their heads as well.

Three grown men and they were scared to piss her off. This made her feel OP and she smiled as though she was satisfied with their reactions.

Reuben was aware of how scary women can be on their period thanks to his mom. So he always tried to minimize his presence as much as possible at those times. 

'I always stayed away from mom when she got pissed off but now I don't know what I can do to help Lina out.' He frowned when he realized this.

His friend would be in pain for the next few days and he doesn't know what to do. For some reason, he did not like this feeling.

Then he suddenly remembered that he had his 'wife obsessed' assistant by his side. 

'Who could be better to help me out than this clingy guy.' He smiled at Asst Kim.

Mathew was overjoyed when he saw his boss smiling at him.

'Does this mean that my paternity leave is approved?' He had misunderstood and was celebrating on the inside.

Soon Lina's car arrived and Benji placed their stuff inside. 

Lina turned to the two men who had been waiting with them and waved at them.

"Bye, Mathew." She smiled and thanked him for the candy.

"Bye, Ruby!" She then turned to Reuben and winked at him.

This time it was Reuben's turn to blush when he saw how brazenly she winked at him, without caring about the other residents who were passing by.

'That's payback for all the times you walked away after winking.' She smirked and turned to the car.

Benji opened the door for her and then he walked to the other side and boarded the car.

As Reuben watched the car slowly drive away, something struck his mind.

"Ruby? Who the hell did she just call Ruby?" He looked at his assistant who dared not answer.

'You! She called you Ruby!' But in his mind, Mathew was yelling this out and was trying hard not to laugh out loud.

The people who had been observing the Emperor's weird behavior until now, we're finally relieved when they saw him go back to the usual poker face.

One such person was his driver.

Reuben's driver had arrived even before he had exited the building, but he had been asked to wait until now for Lina's driver to arrive.

As the driver opened the door for him, Reuben sat alone in the back seat as Mathew chose to ride shotgun today.

He quickly took out his phone and dialed Lina's number. After a few seconds, the call was answered.

"Yes, Ruby? What's up? He heard her cheerful voice.

'Women's mood swings can be crazy.' He remarked but got back to the reason why he had called her.

"Ruby?" He asked her in an uncertain tone.

"Yes. Didn't you give me permission to call you 'Any. Thing. I. Want'?" She imitated how he had said those words last night.

"I did, but…?" He did not know how to continue.

"Did you not mean what you said?" She gasped.

"Or is it that you dislike the name I worked so hard on?" She then continued hesitantly.

Reuben could hear the hurt in her voice and shook his head even though she would not be able to see his action.

"No...No… You can call me whatever you want." He hurriedly answered.

"If Ruby is what you chose then you can call me that as much as you want." He closed his eyes and forced himself to say those words.

"Aww… My Ruby is the best! I've reached Obsidia, let's talk later!" She then hung up before he could answer.

'My?' Reuben froze when he heard her say this but then he decided not to take her words seriously.

'Whoa... Lina is brave to hang up on him!' Mathew was already aware that she was a brave soldier but he was surprised every time he met her.

'Ruby, huh?' Reuben looked at his phone and sighed.

'First Emperor and now Ruby. Am I being cursed by the name gods?' He shook his head and glared at his assistant whose shoulders were trembling because he was trying to control his laughter.

One confused boss, one hysterical assistant and one ignorant driver made their way to Ming Enterprise. 

---

In the other car, Benji was shaking his head when he saw how Lina was laughing uncontrollably.

"WOW! I did not think that he would agree that easily." She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and glanced at her phone which she had just hung up.

"I only called him Ruby to mess with him but it looks like that name's gonna stay." She smiled when she recalled his blushing face before she left.

'I just chose that nickname as payback for teasing me with his muscles. I did not expect him to take me seriously.' She thought as the car stopped at Obsidia.

"Have a great day, Young Miss!" Derek waved at them as they entered the building.

Lina waved back and walked away with Benji by her side.

'I did not know that Reuben was such a sweet guy!' She giggled when she thought of how selflessly he agreed to her whims just then.

The security guard vigilantly watched as Lina was accompanied by a strange and huge man today.

Benji just followed after Lina as she merrily walked in the elevator's direction.

Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of someone and his expressions changed from his usual poker face to an angry face.

"Lina?" He called out to her in doubt.

When she turned around, she noticed that he was staring in a certain direction. So, she too turned that way and understood why he had stopped.

"Why is she still here?" He looked at Lina and asked with a scowl on his face.