Kang Mei

LiMei enters through the employee entrance smiling at the few people walking into work. It is only six o'clock so mainly it is the kitchen staff and housekeeping employees. She walks through past the time card machine, a young man behind her says, “Aren't you going to punch in for work.” He thinks she is cute in her pink athletic pants, he wonders what department she works in at the resort.

She giggles he reminds her of Du Chang. “I usually change first then punch my time card. Where do you work?'

“I work in the Western style restaurant as an assistant to the chef.”

“Really?” LiMei's eyes light up, she grabs his sleeve, “Do you make Belgium Waffles with Whip Cream and Strawberries?”

He smiles at her excited tone, “Yes, they are fluffy and light, the chef has a secret recipe.”

“When does the restaurant open?”

“Nine o'clock.”

LiMei's stomach is making noises from hunger, dejectedly she says , “Oh, I was hungry now.”

“What time do you start work?”

“Huh?”

“If you have time before your shift come up with me, I will make you some before the chef arrives at 8:30. I do the prep work before he comes .”

“Alright let's go.”

“What is your name?”

“Kang Mei”

“Yours?”

“Qia..ah..Qing Delun.” He doesn't want to tell her his name is Qiao Delun, he studies at a Culinary School in Paris but is on break working here for fun.

They go up to the restaurant he turns on the lights, it is beautiful with a minimalist design, unlike the Chinese restaurant she and Rui ate in last night which was elaborately decorated.

“So pretty.”

Qiao Delun is proud of this restaurant he and his brother Rui helped design it, both of them had spent time in New York City and wanted to duplicate that type of uptown American style.

He takes her hand, “Come into the kitchen with me.”

She sits on a stool watching him make the waffles, he is a handsome boy, tall and slender with deep brown eyes. “How long have you been working as a chef's assistant.”

“Not long, I actually am on a break from school, here come help me, do you like to cook?”

He hands her the flour to sift into a bowl.”I do like to cook but I can only make Chinese food.” She sifts the flour into the bowl, some flour is on her hand when she touches her face afterwards.

Qiao Delun smiles when he looks at her she has flour on her cute little nose. He walks over with a towel and cleans her face with it, “You are a messy cook I see.”

LiMei's cheeks start blushing as his slender fingers brush against her cheeks.

He mixes all the ingredients together then pours it into a waffle maker. Then he makes fresh whip cream while he is doing this he tells LiMei to get strawberries out of the refrigerator to cut up. She takes a knife and slices the strawberries putting them in a bowl he gave her.

When the waffles are finished he makes a plate for LiMei and himself taking them into the restaurant. He puts them on a table that overlooks a beautiful garden down below.

LiMei looks out the window, “That garden is absolutely breathtaking with the mountains in the background.”

Qiao Delun gets quiet for a moment, his mother loved flowers so when they opened this resort she helped design the gardens it was her last project before she died.

“It is unique... eat while your Waffles are hot!”

She is drooling looking at the whip cream and fresh strawberries on top of the golden brown waffle. LiMei smiles at him then takes a bite, her beautiful green eyes light up, “These are the best Belgium Waffles I have ever tasted and I had them in Brussels once!”

Qiao Delun looks at the beautiful girl across from him, why was she in Brussels, not too many girls from small towns like the one by the resort have been to Europe.

“You have been to Europe?”

LiMei is engrossed in eating her waffles, “I was there for work.” She realizes it is odd a girl who works in a resort would be in Belgium, “I was a nanny at the time.”

“Oh, did you like Belgium?”

Actually no she didn't like Belgium at all. Kuang Fu was there and she was pretending to be his daughter to get close to a shady diplomat. They needed some information from his safe, so she was to get close to his son for access to the house. The man's son was unattractive and rude, she had to fawn all over him while avoiding his disgusting advances. If she thinks about it anymore she will lose her appetite.

“It was brief they were on a tour. Qing Delun you shouldn't just be an assistant you should be the chef!”She finished the entire plate and is leaning back in her seat with a satisfied look on her face.

Qiao Delun likes this girl she is relaxed and thoroughly enjoying her food. He hasn't eaten but half of his and he is full, she has quite an appetite for a petite girl, he would like to cook for her again.

She needs to get to the Suite to take a shower and see how Rui is, then maybe even go back to sleep after eating her eyes are getting heavy.

“Can I help you clean up?" she picks up her plate noticing he didn't finish his breakfast. “You aren't going to finish your Waffle?”

“I'm full. ” He wonders how she ate all of hers so quickly, is she a starving mouse.

LiMei takes the plates into the kitchen to wash them. Qiao Delun comes in, “Just leave in sink the dishwasher will be in soon.”

“Well, thank you for the delicious breakfast!” she gracefully bows, “It was too delicious! Now I need to get to work.” LiMei starts to leave.

Qiao Delun lightly grabs her arm he would like to get to know her, “What's your department?”

“Ah.” she decides to tell him the truth, “I was escaping someone's grasp and followed the employees in as though I worked here. I need to go before I am discovered.”

Qiao Delun laughs out loud, this girl is interesting!

When he is laughing his deep brown eyes crinkle up in a familiar way, even his voice...but she has never met him before. He is handsome in a boyish way, who does he remind her of...

“I need to check on a friend then I am going back to Pushong City.”

“You are from Pushong?” His eyes light up., that is where my family lives, I should go down there for a visit take her out.

“No, but I live there now.”

“My family  lives there I am going down next week for a visit, can we get lunch while I am there?”

He did feed her when she was starving, “Alright, here is my number.”

Qiao Delun quickly gets out his cell and enters her number under Kang Mei.He walks her to the elevator as the chef is getting off. The chef wonders why a girl is getting into the elevator the restaurant isn't open yet. This boy!“Qia..”

Qiao Delun pulls him off before he can finish saying his name and waves bye to LiMei who is getting into the elevator.

“Qiao Delun why was there a girl here?”

“She thought we were open, I sent her off.”

The chef is under strict orders to keep an eye on this naive boy that no woman gets her claws into him while he is working at the resort. He is the sheltered and pampered youngest  son of the Qiao Family, in Paris he almost got in a scandal with a girl at school who was scheming on him. “Did you get the prep done for this morning?”

“I just arrived sorry I was late this morning.” He scratches his head, it will be worth getting scolded by this old fart, he looks at his cell, 'Kang Mei'.

“Qiao Delun! We open in a half hour, where is Jean Claude?”

“He should be here any minute.” They walk into the kitchen together the chef sees two dirty plates on the counter. Looking over at Qiao Delun who is standing there looking at his phone smiling he wonders who that girl was that just left.

LiMei hurries to her room, she peeks through the adjoining door Rui is still sleeping soundly. Good! She throws off her clothes quickly runs water in the bath adding the scented bubble bath to the water, normally she takes a shower but her body is achy from sleeping on the ground. She sinks into the bubbles, this is heavenly after my bath I will take a short nap by then Rui should be awake.

Chen Jianyu enters his room sits on the bed and immediately calls the front desk. “This is Chen Jianyui is my Suite ready?” He doesn't even think the bathtub in this tiny room is big enough to accommodate him.

It is the morning staff she needs to check what is going on, “Just one moment. “ She pulls up the Suite number of his reservation. “Yes, I can have someone meet you there with the room card. “Fine, and in what department does an employee Kang Mei work ?” He is looking forward to seeing her again today.

“I'm sorry CEO Chen we can't give out that information.”

“I'm a good friend of Qiao Rui's I'm sure he wouldn't mind.”

“If you could have Doctor Qiao call to confirm his permission, I will access the information for you.”

Dammit! His giant Hushang Group doesn't have as many rules as this little resort. In an agitated voice he says,“I'm leaving for the Suite, have your person meet me now.”

He never unpacked his bag so he takes it to the elevator, he can't wait until Wednesday to see Kang mei again and he is unsure if she will even come to his office.

A girl in a blue and white uniform meets him at the Suite, she bows then smiles up at him. He is very tall and handsome she thinks, she grabbed the opportunity to take the room card to him. If she could entice him..but he is looking at her with a cold and indifferent look, she even unbuttoned her to two buttons to expose her chest in a tempting fashion.

He takes the room card from her as he is about to dismiss the woman  he thinks maybe she knows Kang Mei. “Do you know a fellow employee by the name of Kang Mei?”

She has no idea who Kang Mei is, “No the name doesn't sound familiar.”

He doesn't respond, ignoring her he enters his Suite, leaving her standing in the hallway.

“Hmmph.”Maybe she can find this girl then come to his Suite with the information and try to seduce him.

LiMei finishes her bath and rubs her jasmine lotion on her body, she puts on a casual dress that Cherise had helped her pick out, it is simple, light blue which gives a pure and innocent look. Exhausted she lays on top of the bed to take a short nap it will be approximately three hours until Rui wakes up.