Serena Li picked up her phone and saw that the caller ID was an unfamiliar local number, so she went to a quieter place to answer it.
Hello.
As soon as she finished speaking, a respectful voice came from the other end of the phone: “Ms. Li, hello. This is Xiao, Mr. Mo’s driver. Mr. Mo instructed me to make sure you get home safely tonight. I’m waiting in the hotel lobby now. Once you’re done with your business, I’ll pick you up and take you to the parking lot outside.”
this…
Wasn’t that man away on a business trip? How did he know the school would be holding a banquet here? But then I thought, the banquet was booked a month ago, so if someone wanted to ask, they would definitely know.
Joyce Wu had originally said he would pick her up in the evening, but since Joyce Wu wasn’t a faculty member of the school and it wasn’t convenient for him to attend the banquet, and they didn’t know when it would end, she told Joyce Wu to go home first after the school anniversary performance.
“Hello, Ms. Li, are you still online?” Xiao Xiao on the other end of the phone was getting a little anxious when he didn’t hear a response from Serena Li .
Serena Li glanced at the endless stream of people toasting at the main table, all of whom were quite heavy drinkers. She was genuinely worried about being called over for a second round of drinks. Plus, she was really tired, and the little bit of alcohol she had just drunk had already made her dizzy. So she said, “Okay! Thank you for your help. I’ll come find you later.”
Xiao Xiao visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Serena Li ‘s response and quickly said, “Okay, I’ll wait for Ms. Li.”
Serena Li checked her phone and saw that Xiao had called her twice, but she hadn’t answered.
Back in her seat, she drank some warm water. Seeing that several grade directors had left, she spoke a few words to Ms. Sun next to her, explaining that she wasn’t feeling well and had an urgent matter at home, so she had to leave. Ms. Sun noticed her tired appearance and understood, then covered for her, carrying her changed dress and other belongings to the elevator.
Serena Li took the elevator down. As soon as she got off the elevator, she saw Xiao standing by the pillar closest to the elevator in the lobby.
As soon as Xiao saw Serena Li come out, he went up to her and took the things from her hands. Seeing that her face was only slightly red and she was walking normally, he didn’t help her. Instead, he led her to the open-air parking lot outside the hotel.
Serena Li got into the car and fastened her seatbelt, she said to Xiao, “Mr. Xiao, I’m sorry to trouble you to pick me up so late at night.”
“Ms. Li, please don’t be so polite. This is my job.” With that, he took a thermos from the passenger seat and handed it to Serena Li , saying, “Ms. Li, this is honey lemon water that Mr. Mo asked me to prepare for you.”
Serena Li paused for a moment, took the drink, thanked the maker, and took a sip. The sweet and sour taste was just right, and the warmth went straight to her heart.
Before starting the engine, Xiao glanced at her in the rearview mirror and secretly breathed a sigh of relief; the task assigned by Boss Mo was finally completed. He had been working for Boss Mo for several years, and this was the first time he had seen Boss Mo so attentive to a woman. But this Miss Li was indeed exceptional in both appearance and temperament. He wondered when his Boss Mo would finally win her over.
Serena Li got home, she received a WeChat message from Victor Mo : Serena , are you home yet? Are you tired today?
Serena Li hesitated for a moment before replying: Back to the party, thank you for today.
After replying to the past, I put down my phone and went to wash up.
When I checked my phone before bed, I saw a message from him: Get some rest early tonight, I’m about to board my flight to Seattle, see you later!
Two minutes had passed since her previous reply, and she checked the time before exiting the chat window.
Something inside me is inexplicably starting to loosen up.
I was so tired that I didn’t think too much and fell asleep shortly after lying down.
***
Three days later, on Monday evening, since Joyce Wu and Lynn Yan were both off work, Serena Li invited them over to her home to cook some simple home-style dishes.
Serena Li was washing vegetables in the kitchen when Joyce Wu came over with her phone and said, “Serena, your phone is ringing!”
Serena Li dried her hands and took the phone. She saw it was an unfamiliar number, but she answered it anyway.
Hello.
A very magnetic voice came from the other end, speaking slowly, “Hello, are you Professor Serena Li ?”
“Yes, may I ask who you are?”
“I’m Frank Wang . I’ve developed the photos from the last school anniversary performance. When is it convenient for you? I’ll send them to you.”
…
After hanging up the phone, Serena Li was a little dazed.
Isn’t Frank Wang the same person as Director Wang? How did he find her directly?
Joyce Wu, who was standing next to her , saw her staring blankly at the screen and asked, “Who is it? What scared you?”
At this moment, Lynn Yan also came over with a water glass and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Serena Li looked up and told her sisters what had happened.
“Need I say more? It’s obvious she’s got her eye on you!” Joyce Wu spoke first.
Lynn Yan frowned and said, “Your first graduating class from Z High School must be at least 36+ now. You should be married by now. Which bureau in the municipal government does he work for?”
“I think he’s the deputy director in charge of finance!” Serena Li noticed his title during the school anniversary celebration.
“What a lucky charm! No wonder Old Liu from your school wanted you to sacrifice your looks to build connections!” Joyce Wu said incisively.
“Unspoken rules? He directly asked you to meet him?” Lynn Yan asked.
“He just said he’ll check tomorrow’s work schedule and tell me the lunch address later. What do you think, should I go?” Serena Li really didn’t want to go, but she was afraid of offending someone.
Lynn Yan thought for a moment and said, “Go for your first time. Don’t offend anyone. When you get there, just be flexible and adapt to the situation. If anything seems off, call me. I’m also on the early shift tomorrow, so I’ll wait for you nearby.”
Joyce Wu also agreed with Lynn Yan ‘s statement.
After class on Tuesday, Serena Li went to a very secluded private restaurant at the address Frank Wang had sent her. Lynn Yan dropped her off and then left to wait for her at a nearby shopping mall.
This restaurant is located in a villa area and looks like a family villa, but once you go inside, you’ll find that it’s a high-end private restaurant.
Serena Li got out of the car, someone came over to greet her and, after confirming her name, led her up to the second floor of the restaurant.
Serena Li arrived at the private room at the end of the second-floor corridor, she saw Frank Wang standing by the floor-to-ceiling window making a phone call.
He had his left hand in his pocket, and as he spoke, he pointed forward with his right hand, which was holding a cigarette.
A moment later, Frank Wang turned slightly to the side, glancing at Serena Li standing at the door out of the corner of his eye , and said to the person on the other end of the phone, “Okay, go back and revise this plan.” After saying that, he casually stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.
As he turned around, Serena Li saw him. The deep furrows between his brows connected to his straight nose. Even under the yellow light, his dark skin was still very distinct, exuding a strong masculine aura.
After hanging up the phone, Frank Wang waved for Serena Li to come in, “Li, you’re here, come in and sit down.”
Serena Li walked in and greeted him respectfully, “Director Wang, hello.”
Frank Wang nodded, sat down, and then ordered the dishes to be served.
When only the two of them were left in the room, Frank Wang took an envelope from his briefcase and pushed it in front of Serena Li : “Li, these are all your photos, take a look.”
“Thank you.” Serena Li thanked him and then quickly flipped through the photos. She was surprised by his photography skills; the lighting and angles of each photo were exceptionally well chosen.
Frank Wang leaned over, pointed to one of the photos showing her profile, and smiled as he looked at the photos ahead, saying, “This one is particularly good. Take it back and show it to your parents. It’s a rare opportunity for your family to share it.”
When she saw this photo, her first reaction was to send it to her father. Joyce Wu was far from the stage that day, and the photo was not as good as the one taken by Frank Wang .
“Director Wang, thank you so much! I’m so sorry to have troubled you to print it out!” Serena Li said politely.
Frank Wang pressed his temples and shook his head. “I often take pictures of my daughter whenever I have a spare moment. This is just a quick printout. I’ve been too busy with work and missed a lot of her growth. I also don’t always have time to spend with her.”
Serena Li asked, “How old is your daughter?”
“He’s five years old now, chubby and round. When he runs towards me at home, his arms are all round and bulging,” he said, spreading his arms to imitate the gesture. “He can draw now. This year during Chinese New Year, he drew a picture for me that told me not to smoke anymore…”
He paused here, as if he were a little sad. He had spoken so warmly about his daughter. Serena Li suddenly felt that Director Wang was very down-to-earth. She thought of her own father. When she was little, her father also liked to take pictures of her. Now, there are about a dozen photo albums on the bookshelf at home in G City.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Frank Wang said “Please come in,” and then a waiter pushed a food cart in.
“Xiao Li, I can tell from your accent you’re from the South. I ordered all non-spicy dishes. Here, try the fish maw and scallop soup first; it’s nourishing and good for your complexion.” As she spoke, she took the soup ladled out by the waiter and placed it in front of Serena Li .
Serena Li quickly said, “Director Wang, you’re too kind. I can do it myself.”
After the waiter set out the dishes, Frank Wang gestured for the waiter to leave and asked, “Xiao Li, how many years have you been teaching at Z Middle School?”
“This is the fourth year.”
Frank Wang nodded and said, “You don’t talk much. What’s wrong? Are you nervous seeing me?”
She smiled and nodded. “I have a fear of being on top, Director Wang, please don’t mind.”
“Haha, it seems your Principal Liu has exploited you quite a bit at school.” He spoke slowly, but with a hint of arrogance, and continued, “Don’t be nervous eating here, eat more!”
with Frank Wang , she didn’t say much, but there was never a dull moment. Towards the end of the meal, we even felt like we were getting to know each other a bit better.
Just as they were finishing their meal, someone knocked on the door and whispered a few words in Frank Wang ‘s ear. Frank Wang ‘s brows furrowed.
After the man left, Frank Wang said to Serena Li , “Li, I have something to do here. I’ll have the driver take you home later.”
“Director Wang, no need, I can take a taxi back,” Serena Li said hurriedly.
“It’s dark now, and I’m worried about you taking a taxi alone. Listen to me.” This kind of attitude is harder to refuse than an order, so Serena Li could only nod.
A moment later, just as Serena Li got into the car waiting at the door, she saw a black Mercedes-Benz pull up in front of her. A man in his fifties got out, dressed impeccably and looking every bit the part of an official. After straightening his clothes, he went into the villa. He probably had an appointment with that Director Wang!
At this moment, the driver in the driver’s seat had already started the car. Serena Li looked down and sent a WeChat message to Lynn Yan , so she didn’t see that two more beautiful young women wearing miniskirts got out of the Mercedes.
After getting out of the car, the two women were very cautious, looking around before entering the villa.