Heavenly Cookies

Monday arrived, Feng Jiu happily skipped into her office after spending a sweet Christmas with Dong Hua. She started packing her stuff to prepare to move up to Dong Hua's office. At this point, she couldn't care much about what others would say. Her main focus was to get into the competition and to win it for Ye Qingti.

Si Ming walked into the office, and he noticed Feng Jiu humming her favourite song. "Wow, Feng Jiu. It's been long since I last saw you this happy. Any good news?"

Feng Jiu smiled warmly and replied, "Yes! I got into the upcoming competition, and Dong Hua said that he would personally mentor me for it as well."

"What?! I can't believe Dong Hua is doing that since he's usually very busy. Wait. Why are you packing up?" Si Ming exclaimed.

At this moment, Chong Lin walked into their office. "Do you need my help, Feng Jiu?" He asked. Feng Jiu shook her head and replied, "No! I'm all done here. Let's head up to the office now."

Si Ming held Feng Jiu back and asked confusedly, "Where are you moving to?" Feng Jiu then smiled and replied, "Oh! Dong Hua didn't inform you yet? I'm moving to his office temporarily until the competition is over."

"What?! You're moving to Dong Hua's office?!" Si Ming exclaimed. Xiao Yan also stood up and exclaimed loudly, "You're moving to Dong Hua's office?!" Then Jie Lu also stood up and said the same thing since they were all in shock. Everyone else in the office overheard them talking, and Feng Jiu quickly hid her face and shushed them.

"Don't be so loud! Now everyone would know that I'm moving to Dong Hua's office. Don't misunderstand; I'm only working as his personal assistant temporarily. I will be back after the Architecture Design Competition is over." Feng Jiu whispered to her friends.

Then she quickly left the office as everyone was staring at her.

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After Feng Jiu left the office, many of her co-workers took out their phones and logged onto the forum.

(Min Su) MiniSu14: Ice Monk and Top Beauty FJ are officially dating. I heard from a friend in the Design Department that she even moved up to Ice Monk's office.

GuardsSeizeThem123: Oh! That's why Ice Monk got some contractors to move stuff into his office. Early this morning, they even delivered a new work desk to his office.

KeyboardWarrior748: I guess we have a winner then! It's Top Beauty FJ!

AntiJH184: If I was Chao Ji Hen, I'll definitely pack up and leave Tai Chen Group. I'll be too embarrassed to stay here!

PaparazziPizza29: Can't wait for them to announce their marriage!

At this moment, Ji Heng logged onto the forum, and she screamed internally in her office upon seeing what happened. She bitterly thought to herself, "They are officially dating now?! I can't let this happen. I need to do something." Then she decided to start false rumours again.

(Ji Heng) BarbieGirl126: I need to be honest with everyone; I saw Top Beauty FJ kissing Fire Flower (Su Moye). I was out with some friends on Christmas Day, and I saw them dating.

NosyAunty174: BarbieGirl126 should just shut up. How many times had she fed us with false information? I don't believe a word she says.

DaZuiBa99: Yeah, me too. The first time was the fake picture of Xiao Yan and Top Beauty FJ and now this. Pictures could lie also!

Hater74: At least it's proven that Top Beauty FJ moved up to Ice Monk's office. I checked with my friends from the top management office, and they confirm that it's true.

MemeLord520: My friend from the HR Department could confirm that too. Top Beauty FJ has been getting pay raises, and she officially became Ice Monk's Personal Assistant today.

KingTroll69: "Personal Assistant," huh? More like Wife!

(Ji Heng) BarbieGirl126: Nothing is official yet, so it might not be true. Maybe it's just for work purposes. Back then, Ice Monk also came to the Design Department to spend time with Ji Heng. He specially came down for her too.

SofaKing444: Who is this BarbieGirl126? Why does she keep speaking up for Chao Ji Hen? A new spy?

KingTroll69: Yeah, I noticed that too. She's always providing false rumours. We should ban her.

AntiJH184: Yes! Ban anyone who sides that evil witch, Chao Ji Hen. I'm sure nobody likes her too.

(Ji Heng) BarbieGirl126: I don't side anyone, I side facts. If you guys don't believe me, just wait and see. Time will tell. Fire Flower would be coming to our office more often so we can see if it's true.

(Min Su) MiniSu14: Let's just start a petition to ban BarbieGirl126 from the forum. Start reporting her for fake news, everyone.

Everyone then started reporting Ji Heng's account until she got banned again.

"Arghhhhh!!! I got banned again?! I guess the forum is useless now, and I need to do something in real life. I won't let this go." Ji Heng angrily thought to herself. Then she decided to think of another evil plan to ruin their relationship slowly.

Soon, almost everyone in the company heard about Feng Jiu moving to Dong Hua's office. Feng Jiu was then named "Mrs. Tai Chen" among the employees.

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On the other side, Feng Jiu arrived at Dong Hua's office, and he was already waiting for her there.

Feng Jiu's new work desk was positioned perpendicular to Dong Hua's desk, facing the view outside.

"Morning, Dong Hua!" Feng Jiu smiled sweetly. Dong Hua immediately smiled upon seeing her and replied cheerfully, "Do you like your new work desk, Xiao Bai? You could also lock your snacks in the bottom drawer."

"I love it! The moment I lift my head, I could admire the view outside. By the way, here are your candies!" Feng Jiu stood up and passed the bag of candies to Dong Hua.

"Oh? This bag feels light; I hope you didn't steal some of my candies before giving it to me." Dong Hua teased her.

"I did not! I even added extra chocolates! We packed them together, remember?" Feng Jiu pouted. Dong Hua smiled and replied, "I know, but I can't be sure about you not stealing my snacks."

Feng Jiu then took out a whole packet of milk candy and left it on Dong Hua's table. "See? I even got you milk candy!" She said.

"I thought you said I'd only get milk candy after you get into the second round?" Dong Hua replied sarcastically. Feng Jiu instantly took back the milk candy and hugged it. "I'm taking it back now." Then she felt bad and decided to give Dong Hua one milk candy. "Since I'm a nice person, I'll just leave one for you."

Feng Jiu went back to her desk and sat down while enjoying her milk candy. Truth to be told, Dong Hua actually said that because he wanted her to have more milk candy and he knew that Feng Jiu would share them with him.

"Xiao Bai. I bought my cookies to work. Should I ask Lian Song, Si Ming, and Chong Lin to come to my office now?" Dong Hua smirked.

Feng Jiu laughed out loud and said, "Yes! Tell them to come up to your office now, and I could also pass them these candies." Then she quickly unpacked her bags of candies, and she put it on her desk. Feng Jiu also made more cookies last night to share it with her friends.

Dong Hua immediately called the gossip duo and Chong Lin into his office.

"You made more cookies?" Dong Hua asked curiously after seeing the cookies on her table.

"Yeah. I made them last night before bed. I thought it would be nice to share it with my friends." Feng Jiu smiled.

"Where's mine?" Dong Hua stared at the bags of cookies. Feng Jiu smiled and replied, "You already ate my cookies on Sunday, so I didn't make more for you."

"But... I want..." Dong Hua wanted to have her cookies so badly. But before he could finish his sentence, the gossip duo and Chong Lin knocked on his office door. "Come in." Dong Hua said coldly.

The three guys then stood there like guilty suspects in a police lineup. Chong Lin then bowed politely and asked, "May I know why you summoned the three of us to your office suddenly?"

Dong Hua stood up and cleared his throat. Then he pointed towards the sofa and said, "Take a seat." The gossip duo then followed after Chong Lin, like baby ducklings following their mother. Then they sat in a row on the sofa, facing Dong Hua's desk.

The gossip duo looked at each other and thought to themselves, "Are we in trouble again?" The three of them adjusted their ties and waited nervously for Dong Hua to speak.

Feng Jiu then took her cookies and walked towards them. "So, we have some cookies for you guys." The gossip duo smirked to each other, and their minds telepathed, "We?"

Dong Hua sat down on his chair and stared at the three guys with a cold and stern expression. He thought to himself, "I really want to eat Xiao Bai's cookies. I need to find a way to take it away from them."

Feng Jiu passed each of them a bag of cookies, and Lian Song took a big bite of it while raising his eyebrows at Dong Hua. "Mmm... Feng Jiu's cookies are the best." He knew that he was 'safe' since Feng Jiu was around to shield them from any harm.

Dong Hua instantly stood up and walked towards them. "I made cookies too. Save your stomach for mine instead." Then he grabbed the three bags of cookies and kept it in his desk's drawer. Dong Hua then took out his cookies and walked back to them.

"Try my cookies and tell me how it is." Then he smiled at the three of them. Feng Jiu also smiled sweetly and replied, "Yeah, try his cookies." Feng Jiu and Dong Hua then turned around and smirked to each other. After that, they went back to their desks and continued staring at them.

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The gossip duo started breaking out in cold sweat again, and they thought to themselves, "Cookies...? It's probably more deadly than his Sweet and Sour Fish." This time, Chong Lin also broke out in cold sweat because he knew that Dong Hua is a well-known 'Heavenly Masterchef.'

"I have a stomachache!" Chong Lin bent down and held onto his stomach. Then he quickly ran out of the office and hid in the washroom. The gossip duo then thought to themselves, "What? This Chong Lin actually managed to escape? We need to find a way to escape too."

Lian Song then yelled out loud, "I suddenly feel so sick." Then he dramatically lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes. "Oh, I feel so terrible. I think I need to go to the hospital now." Si Ming immediately stood up and replied to Lian Song, "Oh no, Lian Song. I need to bring you to the hospital now. Let's go!"

Dong Hua then stared at Lian Song intensively and said sarcastically, "Oh? You feel sick? Maybe I could make some home-cooked fish porridge for you?"

Lian Song immediately sat up straight and replied, "Oh. I don't feel sick anymore. Luckily, I take a lot of vitamins daily, and my body is strong." Si Ming glared at Lian Song, and their minds telepathed, "What now?!"

Dong Hua smiled and replied sarcastically, "Oh? Glad to hear that you recovered so quickly. Now, try my cookies."

Si Ming slowly raised his hands, like as if he was trying to ask the teacher a question in class. "May I request for two cups of water first? I mean, I might feel thirsty since cookies are pretty dry."

"So, you're saying that my cookies are dry?" Dong Hua asked coldly. Feng Jiu hid her face behind her laptop as she was trying hard to hold back her laughter.

"No, no. I don't mean it that way." Si Ming replied nervously. Lian Song then kicked Si Ming's leg and glared at him. "You're getting us into more trouble." Si Ming then whispered to Lian Song, "How about you try to help us then?!"

Lian Song decided that their best way out is to use Feng Jiu as a shield. Then he boldly called out to Feng Jiu, "Hey, Feng Jiu. I think we should share the cookies. You like cookies, right? Come over! We have too many cookies."

Feng Jiu almost burst out into laughter, and she thought to herself, "Gosh, these two are sure dramatic." Then she decided to play their game, and she tried to calm down before walking over to them. She subtly winked to Dong Hua while she was walking towards the gossip duo. Dong Hua raised one eyebrow and thought to himself, "Oh? Xiao Bai is up to something. This is interesting."

Feng Jiu then sat down beside Lian Song and took a cookie. "It's so nice of you to offer me some cookies." Then she smiled sweetly, and the gossip smiled awkwardly at her.

They nervously swallowed their saliva while watching her put the cookie into her mouth. Suddenly, Feng Jiu acted like she was choking, and she pretended to faint. "I can't breathe... Help!" She said before 'fainting' on the sofa.

The gossip immediately dropped onto their knees and started kowtowing. "I didn't mean to kill Feng Jiu." And they started shedding some tears too. "Wake up, Feng Jiu." Si Ming tugged on Feng Jiu's hand gently. Then they slowly turned over to Dong Hua and kowtowed non-stop. "I'm sorry, we killed your Feng Jiu."

Dong Hua stared at them intensively and stood up. The gossip duo immediately covered their heads and yelled out, "Don't beat us! We will eat the cookies and join her in the afterlife."

Feng Jiu opened one eye to peep at them, kneeling and kowtowing to Dong Hua. Then she quickly closed her eyes when she noticed the gossip duo turning back to look at her.

The gossip duo took one cookie each. With their shaky hands, they stared at each other and slowly put the cookie into their mouth. "To Feng Jiu!"

They closed their eyes and dramatically took a small bite of the cookies. "Wait. What? This cookie... It tastes heavenly." Lian Song then pinched Si Ming on his cheek. But this time, Si Ming didn't feel any pain at all because the heavenly taste of the cookie consumed his mind. Lian Song shook his head and replied sadly, "I'm sure we are in heaven this time. Si Ming doesn't even feel any pain." Then he took another bite of the cookie, and he slapped himself. "No pain too."

Right at this moment, Feng Jiu sat up and laughed out loud. Dong Hua immediately spun his chair around to hide his laughter.

The gossip duo immediately turned their heads to stare at Feng Jiu. "What?" They said at the same time. Feng Jiu couldn't stop laughing, and she was in stitches from laughing too much. Then she tried to calm herself down before answering, "Both of you are so dramatic. How are Dong Hua's cookies?"

The gossip duo took another bite, and then they took another cookie. "Are you sure Dong Hua made this?" Lian Song whispered to Feng Jiu.

"Yeah, he did. I know, I had the same reaction when I ate his cookies." Feng Jiu whispered back. Dong Hua then looked at the gossip duo and asked coldly, "So what's your verdict?"

Lian Song swallowed the remaining cookie in his mouth and replied confidently, "I think you should forget about cooking from now onwards. You should just be a baker."

Si Ming nodded his head and replied, "Yeah, be like the girls' scout and sell your cookies. You might earn more money selling cookies than in Tai Chen Group."

Dong Hua blinked his eyes slowly and replied sarcastically, "Oh? Would you both like to work in a cookie factory?"

The gossip duo immediately bowed and replied, "I think we need to get back to work now. Thank you for the delicious cookies. I feel like I could fly now." Then they quickly took their leave and went back to work.

After they closed Dong Hua's office door, they held their palms up to their chest. "We escaped death once again."

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On the other side, Chong Lin was still hiding in the washroom. "I think it's safe to go back to work, right?" He thought to himself.

The moment he unlocked the door and opened it, he saw Dong Hua standing right outside his cubicle. Dong Hua smiled and replied, "What a coincidence to meet you here, Chong Lin. You took a long time."

Chong Lin bowed politely and replied, "Stomachache, Sir." Then he tried to close the door again, but Dong Hua held out his hand and stopped him from doing so. "You must be hungry. But I have cookies for you in my office. Come." Dong Hua then slowly walked back to his office.

Chong Lin's knees went weak, and he could barely move his legs. "What are you waiting for?" Dong Hua asked coldly. "I'm coming..." Chong Lin then used his hands to move his legs, and he slowly 'walked' back to the office.

Feng Jiu briefly looked up from her laptop when she noticed Chong Lin entering the office. "Another victim." She thought to herself and secretly smiled.

"Try the cookies." Dong Hua said sternly. Then he tilted his head up slightly and gestured for Chong Lin to try the cookies that were placed directly in front of him.

Chong Lin slowly fell back against the sofa, and he thought to himself, "Dear Gods, why are you doing this to me? I escaped the Sweet and Sour Fish many times, but this time I can't escape the cookies." Chong Lin stared at the cookies, and he ran his hands over his hair. Then he started pulling them slightly as he was feeling stressed out. "Here goes nothing."

Then Chong Lin picked up a cookie and stuffed the whole cookie into his mouth. "If I have to die, I want a quick death." He thought to himself. After chewing on the cookie, he shed a tear. "What is this? A heavenly cookie?"

Feng Jiu snickered and thought to herself, "I have never seen this side of Chong Lin. He had always been so serious. Oh my gosh, I can't hold my laughter back anymore." Then she started laughing out loud.

Dong Hua looked at Feng Jiu, and he smiled. Then he thought to himself, "It's nice to see Xiao Bai smiling and laughing so much. Maybe I should 'summon' Lian Song, Si Ming, and Chong Lin to my office to make her laugh. The three musketeers are useful after all."

Chong Lin wiped away his tears and asked confusedly, "You made this, Sir?" Dong Hua gave a half-smile and replied casually, "What's wrong with it?"

"No, no. Nothing is wrong with it. It's the best cookie ever. May I have your permission to give one cookie to my girlfriend?" Chong Lin replied politely.

"Go ahead." Dong Hua replied. Chong Lin then ran out of his office and went to look for his girlfriend at the front-desk counter.

After Chong Lin left the office, Dong Hua smiled warmly at Feng Jiu. "Xiao Bai, are my cookies really that nice?

"Of course! I wish I have more." Feng Jiu pouted. Dong Hua then pulled out a bag of cookies from his drawer and replied, "I knew it. I made more for you last night since I know that you'll want more cookies. You're a glutton."

Feng Jiu's eyes lit up, and she ran over to Dong Hua's work desk. "You made more cookies for me?! You're the best, Dong Hua!" Then she smiled happily and took out a cookie. "Too good! I'll call them heavenly cookies from now onwards."

Dong Hua smiled and replied lovingly, "Eat slowly, Xiao Bai. I'll make more for you whenever you want to eat them. Just let me know, and I'll bake them for you."

Feng Jiu continued munching on the heavenly cookies and nodded her head excitedly. "Yes!" Then they both continued doing their work.

"Xiao Bai, I'll be busy today, so I can't accompany you for lunch." Dong Hua said. Feng Jiu smiled brightly and replied, "It's okay! I'll have lunch with my friends!"

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Lunch-time arrived. Feng Jiu grabbed her purse and prepared to leave for the cafeteria. "I'll get you some food later." She said to Dong Hua.

"Okay. Just get me the same lunch set that you're having for lunch. I'll eat anything, and I'm not picky." Dong Hua looked up at her briefly, and then he continued working.

After Feng Jiu left the office, Dong Hua called Chong Lin.

Dong Hua: Chong Lin, I need you to check something for me. Check what Feng Jiu did when she was working here as an intern. I also want you to keep a close watch on Ji Heng. Report to me immediately if you found anything suspicious.

Chong Lin: Yes, Sir. I'll do so immediately and keep you updated.

Dong Hua: Good. Keep it low profile too, as I don't want others to know about it. In case they tried to erase all evidence.

Then Dong Hua opened up the anonymous email with the picture of Xiao Yan and Feng Jiu. "Not many people know about my personal work email. Only those who I personally worked with before would have it. But it's not a small number of people, so I'll still need time to find the culprit. Maybe I could try to ask Xiao Bai about it too? But she seems really upset, and I don't want to remind her of it too."

Dong Hua then decided that he would investigate on his own and return justice to Feng Jiu once he found out the truth. He also knew that Ji Heng definitely played a part in this.

"If I weren't indebted to Ji Heng's father, she would be long gone. But if I found out that she's the culprit, I won't let her off." Dong Hua thought to himself.

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During lunchtime, Feng Jiu noticed Si Ming seems a little distracted. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"Well. Yu Xi isn't replying back to my messages. I called her a few times, but nobody picked it up. I also called the house phone." Si Ming frowned, and he appeared really worried.

"When is the last time you talk to her?" Feng Jiu asked.

"Last night, after I send her home. I texted her after I got home, but she didn't reply, so I assumed that she was asleep. But it's unlike her to not reply to my messages. I waited for the whole morning, but there's no response." Si Ming was so worried that he couldn't even finish his food.

"Should I accompany you to visit her tonight? It's probably nothing. Maybe she's tired and just slept in late since it's only 1 PM now." Feng Jiu patted his shoulder gently.

"I guess so, but it's just strange. Yu Xi usually gets up by 10 AM latest. I'll see how it goes, and if she still doesn't reply, we will head over to her place?" Si Ming frowned again.

Then they quickly finished up their lunch and went back to work.

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Soon, 6 PM arrived, and Feng Jiu called Si Ming.

Feng Jiu: Any news from Yu Xi?

Si Ming: No, not at all. I'm really worried. I'm heading over to her place now. You're coming with me, right?

Feng Jiu: Yes, I'm coming along. I need to make sure you stayed focused on the road too. Wait for me in the lobby, and I'll head down soon.

Si Ming: Okay, I'll drive the car over. Thank you, Feng Jiu.

Then they hung up the phone. "Is there something wrong, Xiao Bai?" Dong Hua asked upon noticing that Feng Jiu looked worried.

"I don't know. Si Ming said that Yu Xi didn't respond to his messages. We are going over to her place to check on her now." Feng Jiu frowned.

Dong Hua then replied casually, "Maybe she just forgot to charge her phone, just like you." Feng Jiu pouted and replied, "I don't always do that! But anyway, I'm worried too, and I hope nothing happened to her."

"Don't worry about it, Xiao Bai. I'm sure she's fine. I'll need to work overtime tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Dong Hua smiled.

"Okay! I'll see you tomorrow! Don't stay too late in the office, and remember to eat your dinner." Feng Jiu smiled. Then she grabbed her belongings and ran out of the office. "Bye, Dong Hua!"

When Feng Jiu arrived at the lobby, Si Ming was already waiting for her there. She quickly hopped onto his car, and they drove off towards Yu Xi's apartment.

"Don't overthink it, Si Ming. We will reach her place soon. I know that you're worried, but you have to drive safely too." Feng Jiu tried to keep Si Ming focused on the road.

"Don't worry, Feng Jiu. I'll get us there safely. I'm a safe driver, remember?" Si Ming smiled.

"I know. I'm just worried about you." Feng Jiu nodded her head and smiled.

After driving for 20 minutes, they finally arrived at Yu Xi's building. Si Ming quickly parked his car, and both of them ran towards the elevator.

Si Ming waited anxiously for the elevator, and he thought to himself, "I really have a nagging bad feeling about this. I really hope that I'm wrong this time."

Although Si Ming knew the passcode for the main door, he didn't want to barge in first. They started banging on the doors, but there wasn't any response. "I'm going to barge in now. Maybe she fainted." Si Ming said worriedly.

Then he quickly typed the passcode and swung open the door. He kicked off his shoes and ran around the apartment, trying to look for Yu Xi. "Where are you, Yu Xi?" He yelled out loud.

Then he found her phone on the floor in the master bedroom. He walked to the other side of the bed and realized that the Christmas gift that Yu Xi gave to him was shattered into pieces.

"What's that?" Feng Jiu pointed out to the shattered glass on the floor.

Si Ming immediately replied with a panicky voice, "Something is wrong, her dad must have kidnapped her! She drew a picture of us and framed it up in the bedroom. She's missing, and her phone is also here. What should I do? I can't think now. Help me, please, Feng Jiu." Then he broke down and fell to the floor. "Yu Xi, where are you?" He mumbled to himself.

"Try to calm down, Si Ming. I'll help you think of something." Feng Jiu patted his back gently. Then she carefully walked around the room to see if she could find any clues.

Then she headed into the bathroom, and she noticed some lipstick marks on the mirror. Feng Jiu immediately pulled Si Ming into the bathroom to check it out.

They also found a half-used lipstick on the floor, and Si Ming immediately picked it up. "I bought this lipstick for Yu Xi. It's her favourite one." Then he looked at the lipstick marks on the mirror. It was one small cross drawn on the mirror.

Si Ming immediately yelled, "She's asking for help. I taught her this in case we ever needed to send a silent code for help. It must be her dad. There's no one else who would do this."

"Wait for me, Yu Xi. I will come to save you." - Si Ming