CH 3

Zhen Zhen and Nan Ma rushed to Zhen Wu’s school.

‘Big sister, where did Zhen Wu disappear to?’ Zhen Zhen asked in a panicked tone.

‘Little sister, don’t cry,’ Nan Ma said. ‘Zhen Wu’s a genius. He knows his way home.’

Zhen Zhen was happy to hear a familiar ring tone. It was the ring tone Nan Ma saved on Zhen Zhen’s phone.

‘Zhen Wu?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘Mum!’ Zhen Wu said. ‘I’m home.’

Zhen Wu heard the phone disconnect and ten minutes later his mum was hugging him. From the school to their home was at least thirty minutes. He knew his mum must have sped home.

‘Mum why are you crying?’ Zhen Wu asked.

‘No I’m not crying,’ Zhen Zhen denied.

Zhen Zhen didn’t want to look like a cry baby in front of her son.

‘Mum I knew you forgot to pick me up so I went home on my own,’ Zhen Wu said.

‘I promise I won’t forget to pick you up from school again,’ Zhen Zhen said.

Zhen Zhen heard his mum promised him she wouldn’t forget too many times. He didn’t know when his mum would let him go, his tolerance was waning.

Zhen Zhen wiped her eyes and glanced at Zhen Wu’s laptop on the table.

‘Zhen Wu, you made a coding error,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Really?’ Zhen Wu asked.

Zhen Zhen was happy Zhen Wu was home and safe. She let go of him and walked into her lab.

Zhen Wu knew his mother was still smarter than him so he carefully checked for the coding error.

No one noticed Nan Ma was vomiting outside. She was in the death seat while Zhen Zhen sped like a maniac home.

A month later, apart from eating Zhen Zhen was cooped inside her lab. Her recent research took longer than usual. It wasn’t Zhen Wu who disturbed her but the MF Reynold. Reynold kept calling her phone. But she couldn’t turn off her phone in case something happened to Zhen Wu.

‘Mr Reynold what do you want?’ Zhen Zhen asked politely.

‘I want to eat dinner with you,’ Reynold said.

‘If I agree will you stop calling me?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘Perhaps,’ Reynold asked.

‘Ok what time and where?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

Zhen Zhen hung up the phone and changed into a T-shirt and jeans.

‘Xiao Wu tonight eat at aunty Xiao’s house,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Tonight I need to meet someone.’

‘Is it that uncle?’ Zhen Wu asked. ‘Does he want to be my dad?’

‘Of course not,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Zhen Zhen, next time if he calls and proposes to you while you’re experimenting I hope you’ll be alert and careful,’ Zhen Wu said.

‘Of course,’ Zhen Zhen said.

Zhen Wu waited for his mum to leave. Then he called the teacher.

‘Hello teacher, mum isn’t home,’ Zhen Wu said. ‘You can ask a driver to pick me up.’

A while later Zhen Zhen arrived at the exclusive Lan Jin restaurant.

A guard stopped Zhen Zhen from entering Lan Jin.

‘Miss I need to see you ID,’ the guard said.

Zhen Zhen looked into the fancy restaurant of men in suits and women in cocktails. She understood her comfortable T-shirt and tattered jeans wasn’t suitable and why the guard stopped her.

‘Zhen Zhen!’ Reynold called.

Reynold walked to the door and looked at the ghastly way Zhen Zhen dressed.

‘How can you come inside dressed like that?’ Reynold asked.

‘What else should I wear?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

Zhen Zhen didn’t care what she wore as long as she was comfortable.

‘This is the most exclusive restaurant in the city,’ Reynold said. ‘To be a VIP a person needs to pay at least 500k for a VIP card. You can’t dress like that and expect to come inside.’

‘Ok then let’s eat somewhere else,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Of course not,’ Reynold said. ‘I’ve reserved a table. I’ll take you to buy clothes.’

‘No-’ Zhen Zhen said.

Reynold dragged Zhen Zhen to the boutique across Lan Jin. The shop assistants looked down at the way Zhen Zhen dressed. But the shop assistants listened to Reynold and helped Zhen Zhen to choose some outfits.

At the counter Reynold pulled out his card but Zhen Zhen stopped him.

‘I can pay for my clothes,’ Zhen Zhen said.

Reynold didn’t think Zhen Zhen could afford to pay for clothes that cost more than 10k. He silently waited for Zhen Zhen to be embarrassed.

Zhen Zhen gave a shop assistant a card. The shop assistant swiped it and was as shocked as Reynold that Zhen Zhen’s card was approved.

‘Miss please sign your name on the receipt,’ the shop assistant said.

Zhen Zhen signed the receipt and the shop assistant returned her card.

‘Help me to deliver my clothes to this address,’ Zhen Zhen said.

Zhen Zhen admitted Reynold had good taste in clothes. The black knee length dress he chose for her suited her body shape. She let her hair down to shield her bare back.

Reynold led Zhen Zhen back to Lan Jin. Earlier Zhen Zhen looked like a beautiful young woman but after wearing formal wear she looked like an elegant angel.

Reynold and Zhen Zhen were seated at the table and ordered their dishes.

‘Mr Reynold I don’t understand why you insist I eat dinner with you,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘I’m pursuing you,’ Reynold said.

‘Why?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘You’re a beautiful genius who won many science awards,’ Reynold said. ‘It looks good for me to be seen with you. Also you made me curious why you keep rejecting my dinner invitations.’

‘Mr Reynold if I knew why earlier then I would have accepted your dinner invitation the first time you asked so I wouldn’t be disturbed,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Everyone says you’re weird but I find you interesting,’ Reynold said. ‘I think I’m falling for you.’

‘Mr Reynold I’m sorry I can’t accept your good intentions,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Why?’ Reynold asked.

‘I have a boyfriend,’ Zhen Zhen lied.

Zhen Zhen asked the heavens to forgive her for lying. But it was the heavens own fault for sending a troublesome man to disturb her.

‘Impossible, I had you investigated and there is no man in your life,’ Reynold said.

Zhen Zhen got a headache. She noticed a familiar man was walking toward them and decided to use him as her escape.

‘Honey, why are you here?’ Zhen Zhen asked. ‘Honey this is Reynold. Reynold this is my boyfriend.’

Cheng Yi and Bai Yu Tian saw a familiar woman called their boss her boyfriend but they didn’t dare interfere.

Yue Gu Zui felt the woman’s cold sweaty hand held his hand and she was smiling pleadingly at him to save her. He pulled her up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

‘Hello I’m Reynold, Lei Thi’s CEO,’ Reynold said.

Yue Gu Zui didn’t accept Reynold’s business card and led the woman in his arm outside Lan Jin.

Cheng Yi and Bai Yu Tian were shocked to see their boss was leaving Lan Jin with the woman and they quickly followed their boss to the car.

Reynold was angry Bai Yu Tian took Zhen Zhen into a car without accepting his business card.

‘Who’s he?’ Reynold asked a waiter.

‘I’m sorry I can’t divulge a VIP member’s identity,’ the waiter said.

Reynold was shocked. He knew Lan Jin had only given out two VIP cards. It made him more curious about Bai Yu Tian’s identity.

***

End of Chapter Three