Chapter 7
He asked, “Who’s the one who decided on this investment?”
The assistant stood humbly before the table, looking over at this and seeing that it was an investment into a TV series. “It should be Assistant Director Qi.”
Chu Ying continued, “The cast is chosen?”
“Not yet,” the assistant said. “But it will be decided by tomorrow.”
Ding!
The phone sounded once.
Chu Ying eyed it, lifting it up and opening the message.
Su Yi had sent a voice message.
He hesitated for a moment, before opening it.
“I was a little drunk yesterday, thanks for sending me home.” The background noise was rather loud: her heels clicking on the floor was audible. “As a thanks, I can treat you to dinner, I’m at Chu Xin Mall, see if you’re available… hey! What are you doing!? Hey!”
The voice message ended abruptly.
Chu Ying furrowed his brows, poking around his phone for a moment before looking up and asking, “How do you make a call on WeChat?”
“Ah?” His assistant got caught off guard for a moment, before he immediately got to teaching Chu Ying how to make a call on WeChat.
No one picked up, though the assistant’s phone rang at this time.
After listening to a few sentences, the assistant covered the speaker and said, “Director Chu, there’s some issue happening at Chu Xin Mall.”
If it’s a small thing there’s no need to report it to the boss, he could just have someone handle it, but when Chu Ying was listening to the voice message just now he’d put it on speaker and the assistant had heard everything.
Chu Ying said nothing, picking up his phone and leaving the office.
The moment he reached the mall, someone in charge had come up to him, smiling as they said, “Oh! Director Chu, what is it that troubles you to make this trip?”
Chu Ying said, “What happened?”
“It’s a little thing, a little thing.” The person waved his hand, “It’s already being settled, you don’t need to worry about it.”
Chu Ying coldly glanced at him.
“It’s, it’s like this,” the person was starting to sweat. “There’s a female customer who wanted to return a piece of clothing bought the day before yesterday, but the clothing had signs of having been washed but there’s nothing wrong with its quality so our salesperson refused her request. But she was rather determined and it got physical.”
“And?”
The person in charge had intended to hide the rest, but he hadn’t expected the new boss to be this sharp and know there was something more to it. He could only continue, “Then… another female customer couldn’t stand it anymore and returned the favour for the salesperson.”
Chu Ying raised a brow. “She got physical too?”
“Yeah,” the person in charge said. “And that female customer was a celebrity too, this, so, it’s a little problematic.”
“Where are they?” Chu Ying took a few steps before asking, “Was she hurt?”
“Yes, that celebrity was rather fierce, she managed to make the customer cry.”
“…” Chu Ying stopped, unable to help the smile threatening to show itself. “Was that actress hurt?”
The person in charge hurriedly shook his head. “No, if she was hurt this would become a huge issue.”
He’d just reached outside of the office when he heard the sounds coming from inside.
A woman was sobbing. “Don’t you leave! Don’t you dare leave! I’m going to sue you!”
“I’m not leaving, you haven’t apologized to this lady over here, why would I leave?” It was a familiar voice, taunting and rather attention-grabbing, just a little heavier and thicker.
Another female voice interrupted. “Talk a little less!”
Chu Ying stood at the door and finally got a good look at what was happening inside.
On the sofa to the left sat a lady, a little fat, her make-up messed up and her hair messed up. She doesn’t look like she’d been badly hurt, but she was dabbing at her eyes with napkins.
On the sofa to the right sat three people, one wearing something simple and clean, the other the salesperson still in uniform, a clear handprint on her face.
The remaining one was clearly Su Yi.
Unlike the person to the left, Su Yi’s hair was draped over her shoulder and she was in a well-fitted dress. On her face was a grey mask that didn’t fit with the rest of her look, that failed to conceal her seductive eyes with its detailed makeup – she didn’t look like someone who’d just fought.
Chu Ying looked down.
Hmm, just that she’d lost a shoe.
The person in charge walked in front, hands in a fist as he smilingly said, “Uh, the superior you asked me to find… has arrived.”
He might be smiling, but he was thinking that if he had the chance to do this again, he’d rather be scolded to death by these two ladies than notify the superiors.
The woman on the left spoke first, her tears welling up at once. “Where?! I’m telling you, if you don’t make this salesperson and this slut apologize to me I’ll sue your mall together with her!”
Su Yi didn’t even look at the person who came, sneering, “Go ahead, sue us and see who’s wrong… Ouch!”
Wu Xue had pinched her harshly on her back.
Wu Xue stood up. “Since the person in charge is here we’d be taking our leave. If the final decision is to report this, you can contact me directly, here’s my name card.”
The person in charge received it with both hands. “Good, good.”
The female customer at once got angry. “What? You’d hit someone and leave?!”
“I’m not leaving,” Su Yi crossed her legs, her pretty feet hanging loosely by her calf. “I’ll leave when this is settled.”
Wu Xue frowned, leaning over and asking in a lowered tone. “What are you doing, do you want to be trending again? The tag being ‘Su Yi sent to the station for fighting’?”
Su Yi didn’t lower her volume, harshly saying, “No, this woman is calling for reinforcement, what if she bullies this salesperson later?”
“We’dll look at the CCTV.”
A low voice sounded from outside the door.
The people in the office all paused for a moment, instinctively looking at the door – except for Su Yi.
This voice! It can’t be?! It can’t be?!
… It can’t be this coincidental?!
She raised her left hand unnaturally, pretending to be arranging her hair as she sneaked a peek at the door.
It’s rather strange to say this, but just seeing the guy’s forehead was enough for her to confirm her suspicion.
It really was Chu Ying.
Oh, he’s wearing a suit today?
Thus, Su Yi pretended to be fixing her hair once more, taking another look.
… Really handsome.
Wu Xue recognized him too. She turned back and saw that her actress was so shy she didn’t even dare raise her head.
“Alright.” The person in charge prepared to ask the security guards to get the recordings, before he asked, “Director Chu, which section are we looking at?”
“The one in front,” Chu Ying said. “We’re looking for the person who hit first.”
The female customer slammed the armrest of the sofa. “What do you mean?”
Chu Ying ignored her, turning around and looking at Su Yi.
Wu Xue immediately put on a professional smile. “Director Chu, was it? Can we speak elsewhere?”
Chu Ying retrieved his gaze. “Yes.”
Su Yi unwillingly moved to the next office with them.
“It’s like this,” Wu Xue said. “My actress and I came to your mall’s newly opened Pasion for the opening ceremony, but right before we were leaving we saw that this customer was making it hard for the salesperson and that she slapped the other. We got angered by that and didn’t hold back, and got involved.”
Chu Ying was sitting upright, his spine really straight. Even if he’s actually shorter than all those standing, he managed to make himself feel taller than all involved.
Since coming in, Su Yi had sat in the corner and kept quiet.
He looked at the lady sitting on the sofa, head bowed and completely silent. “You got physical?”
Picking up that the other was asking her, Su Yi nodded a little, before shaking her head.
Chu Ying found it funny. “Hmm?”
“I did,” Su Yi made sure to keep her voice hoarse. “But just a few times.”
“Take off your mask,” Chu Ying said. “Or have you drank too much and had allergic reactions?”
Fine!.
Su Yi took a few seconds to make herself emotional, reddening her eyes before taking off the mask.
She turned around, softly saying, “…Hi.”
Completely without the imposing manner in which she’d picked up her shoe and got ready to fight.
Wu Xue felt that this actress was probably destined to be an actress for the rest of her life – this skill, it’s hard not to be impressed by it.
Chu Ying asked, “Did that customer recognize you?”
Wu Xue answered for her, “No.”
When Su Yi rushed up to help, the lady’s hair had been a complete mess and was getting in the way of everything. It was chaos, and anyways immediately afterwards Wu Xue made sure that she put on the mask – she was certain that the other hadn’t recognized her.
If you think about it, had that customer recognized her, she wouldn’t be throwing a tantrum right now, she’d be posting a Weibo.
Chu Ying evenly let out a hum. “Go back.”
“Ah?”
“What?” Chu Ying said, “Do you want to stay?”
Su Yi’s “I do” was just on the verge of spilling out when Wu Xue cut in and said, “Thank you Director Chu, I’d be taking her back then. If there’s another situation or any need, please feel free to call me.”
After being dragged out of the mall, Su Yi finally reacted, “We’re just leaving?”
Wu Xue was enraged. “How about you go back and fight with that woman again?”
Su Yi said, “That one’s not on me, she’s the one who crossed the line.”
If Su Yi hadn’t gotten involved, she might have yanked off most of the salesperson’s hair.
“We could have gone and gotten a security guard,” Wu Xue said. “What could you do? Fight violence with violence?”
Su Yi went silent.
Immediately after Wu Xue finished reprimanding her, she started regretting it a little. Su Yi might revel in attention, but usually she’d be cool, calm and collected. If it was something else she wouldn’t have run up there herself.
This time, must have gotten into her heart.
Wu Xue changed the topic. “Oh right, what is Chu Ying’s background?”
“No idea.” Su Yi played with her phone case half-heartedly.
Actually, when they were in the office, Su Yi had already calmed down.
But when she saw Chu Ying, her heart was electrified, all the little buzzing keeping her from truly getting peace.
Her expression switched between glee and sorrow, before she finally turned around and asked Wu Xue. “Little Xue Xue, did my make-up melt off?”
Wu Xue took a glance. “A little.”
Su Yi was more worried.
The phone let out a ‘ding dong’.
[Chu Ying: Photo]
In the photo was a single red high heel.
Su Yi looked at the slipper on her right foot and felt darkness come at her.
Another message popped up.
[Chu Ying: Returning it the next time we meet.]