2.9

"Here, the candied hawthorns you wanted." Feng Mian shoved two bright red candied hawthorn sticks into Hao Junlin's arms.

She plopped to the couch, her spine sinking into the cushions as she let out a weary sigh. There were so much paperwork and meetings she had to oversee and as soon as she got off work, she had to move her man-sized feet to scour the street markets in search of an open candied hawthorn stand in the middle of the day. She was dead tired.

Hao Junlin's face scrunched up. "I don't want it anymore. I feel like having Sichuan boiled fish now."

"....."

... Where was she supposed to find Sichuan boiled fish at this hour?

He was also aware of how recalcitrant the request was. With one chagrined sigh, he relented, "Nevermind."

Hao Junlin's day was not great, throughout the day his mood had been changing as quickly as the turning of one's hands. From sour, to spicy, to sweet - an endless cycle of cravings he would faster to admit was due to him being an insatiable rice bucket rather than the child inside his bloating stomach. When the sour cravings annoyed him to the point of eating bizarre combinations like that jar of pickles he emptied and dipped into generously into mayonnaise, he was driven to pick up the phone and call Feng Mian in an outburst of irritation.

What Feng Mian did not know was that after that phone call, he went ahead and dipped another jar of pickle in hot chilli oil. When the pickles ran out, he then scrupulously scooped out the remaining mayonnaise with a spoon until only the bottom glass could be seen.

It was only after seeing the aftermath in the form of bottles of empty jars and squirts of mayonnaise all over the counter did he realise what pregnancy cravings really meant.

What a shitty feeling.

Yet he continued to stuff himself like a little glutton, spoon after spoon. As if he could eat his miseries away.

Hao Junli turned his head and noticed the pile of cardboard boxes on the table.

"Did you buy something?"

"They're yours," Feng Mian said as she rolled onto her back comfortably.

Hao Junlin walked over to the counter and stripped the boxes open. He was a meticulous person by nature and even if the wrappers would be discarded right after, he still peeled them open in a way that they would avoid tearing. Feng Mian knew this habit of his very well because they would always wait to open their Christmas presents together and compare who had the best gifts.

Thinking of their previous lives in their original world made her somewhat nostalgic.

In the largest box were an easel and several canvasses packed neatly with bubble wraps. Hao Junli saw a glimpse of wooden paintbrushes hidden in the corner and moved up the speed of unboxing. There were high-quality brushes, paints, palettes, oils and such. One could see just how much care and thought was put into selecting these items.

For some reason, Hao Junlin felt incredibly weak in the heart, as if a cloud had taken a punch towards it. His feminine voice fluttered softly, "You got this for me?"

"En. I thought you might be bored at home with nothing to do-- Wait, are you crying?!"

The roller coaster of emotions was too much, even for Hao Junli. And he didn't know what got to him that he became so emotional. He was feeling fine just a few seconds ago but now he felt that his train went through a sudden 360-degree loop without warning. Before he knew it, his tear ducts were already collecting water.

"I'm not!" he lashed out.

Feng Mian really didn't know how to deal with a crying person, especially Hao Junlin who was usually a puncher, not a crier.

"Okay- okay, you're not crying. You're just sweating through your eyes. I was wrong. Don't cr- sweat anymore," she consoled.

Hao Junli really did stop crying and how quickly the tears came was how quickly they ceased.

There was a gauche air of silence looming between them after the sudden outburst. Housemate Hao Junli became a bit embarrassed.

"It's the testosterone," he explained albeit awkwardly.

Feng Mian: 'Uhuh, whatever you say, buddy.'

But it was probably for the best if this matter was never mentioned again.

***

The company's financial report and a heap of account books were placed on her table first thing in the morning. The entry was dated back all the way to five years ago and as overpowered as her male lead halo is, Feng Mian felt that it was not possible to go through every single one of these accounts all on her own.

Feng Mian: "Baobei, is there a little accounting system that can help me sort this out?"

System 555: "There is one. A financial helper for 20 000 points. Able to sort out your account and detect any accounting fraud such as misstating assets, liabilities and overstating revenues. Do you want to buy Xiao Mian?"

Feng Mian: "Ugh, so expensive ah? Buy, buy."

System 555: "Financial helper bought for 20 000 points. You have a balance of 30 200 points left, host."

A miniature fox with glasses popped out and jumped onto her writing desk. Without a word, it began to read and jot down notes on the ledgers with a feather pen. Feng Mian watched the cute little guy work tirelessly with an inhuman speed for two hours.

"Little fox, does the account tally with the financial report?" Feng Mian asked the fox.

The little helper tilted its fury head and shook its head. It pointed to several digits with red marks made on them. The fox then began to revise the report on the table quickly, marking all the wrong numbers with the tabulated new ones it calculated.

Feng Mian frowned as she looked at the corrected numbers. "So many overdrafts." She tapped her desk in cadence and contemplated.

Secretary Hong was called in and she slid the new report to him.

"Someone's been stealing from the company. I want to know who."

Secretary Hong read through the pages of the revised report meticulously, his face growing more solemn with each turn of the page. This was a serious scandal! There were serious problems with records of the company's actual assets not to mention some unrecorded expenses. If a rival company had gotten hold of this, they could be sued for fraud.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said with the utmost seriousness, "It must be someone from the accounting department. I'll be on it, Mr Li."

Feng Mian waved her hand. "Don't beat the grass and startle the snake. The holiday is coming, I need you to install some cameras in that department. Let's see who our little corporate spy is working for."

Secretary Hong understood what his boss was getting at and nodded in acquiescence.

"Another thing, what about those charity programs I asked you to investigate?"

"I have the list here Mr Li. These are the ones with a clean reputation." Secretary Hong pulled out a dark folder.

Feng Mian skimmed through the list briskly and nodded in satisfaction. There were at least 50 charity foundations on the list. "Good. Donate one and a half million yuan to those in the list."

"To... each one?" Secretary Hong asked, uncertain.

"Yes, to each one."

Was Mr Li possesses by a charity demon? That's over 50 million yuan in total ah! Is Mr Li donating to build up good karma for his child?

Secretary Hong was still a professional who valued work ethics above all else and despite his curiosity, reigned in his surprise.

"Will do, President Li." Secretary Hong made haste and composedly walked out with the list.

The saying is true; that men change when they get married. Look at Mr Li here, he only used to know how to bankrupt others. Now, he's giving away free money to the destitute. Mrs Li is really a goddess who came down to earth to turnover this tyrant. Really makes one feel respect.

Hao Junli who was lounging at home suddenly felt his left eye twitching and gave out a sneeze. 'Was Feng Mian talking about him behind his back?'

Feng Mian packed her things as soon as work hour was over. The staff gave professional yet friendly greetings as she made her way out. As a CEO with an aloof disposition, she could only nod her head apathetically in response.

One of the perks of being a CEO was that she has her own elevator for use so the rush hour didn't affect her by much, unlike regular workers who scramble to catch and squeeze their way into an elevator once the clock ticks five.

Feng Mian didn't expect that there was someone waiting for her by the parking lot. This Huang Chun was really a worm in her intestine who has a personalised GPS used to locate the male lead.

"Li Xiaocheng gege!" Chun Hua called out.

Feng Mian feet almost ran back to her office on its own. This side mistress was an extra rope that should be cut neatly and efficiently to avoid future problems. Feng Mian moved to her car with Chun Hua following behind.

She stood next to the car door without unlocking it.

"Xiaocheng gege, why did you block Hua-er's number? Did I do something wrong?"

Apparently, this cannon fodder had wiped all traces of the hospital's fiasco from her memory. It was rare to have this kind of shamelessness, even by Feng Mian's standards who had a high degree of shamelessness running through her bones.

Feng Mian looked at her square in the eyes and confronted directly. His voice was devoid of any frivolousness. "Do you know that I'm married?"

Even the dense Chun Hua could sense the impatience in Feng Mian's tone. Chun Hua, who grew up pampered and had never suffered grievances was stumped by her gege's question.

"Did that slut Wan Junli say something about me? You can't believe her gege, she's trying to come betwe--"

Feng Mian moved closer to Chun Hua in one big stride. Chun Hua, who was surprised by the momentum stepped back in fright.

Her words were slow and venomed, "Careful there. If I were you, I'd consider my next words carefully."

Chun Hua couldn't stand that her gege who had always picked her side was now speaking out for someone else. "But I met you first! You loved me!"

Li Xiaocheng in the past really did love this little ticking time bomb. You can't clap with one hand, and if Li Xiaocheng hadn't entertained this Huang Chu, she probably wouldn't be holding out this much hope right now. But it was one thing for a married man to seduce you, it was another thing to have clandestine meetings behind the wife's back.

For a moment, an image of a certain consort superimposed itself on Chun Hua's face. 'Birds of a feather!'

"That was then, this is now. Today, I, Li Xiaocheng will tell it to you straight. As of now, I don't love you. In the future, I still won't love you. So I ask that Miss Huang Chu, please have some form of self-respect and not be the third person in someone else's marriage."

Chun Hua's cordial mask broke to pieces, her disbelieving eyes grappling open. Xiaocheng gege was serious! He was going to cut ties with her!

Chun Hua searched the eyes of the man she had been obsessed with for the longest of time for some sign that this was all a joke he made in bad taste. "Is it because of her? Have you... fallen for her?"

"No, it's because of me. I respect myself too much to have an affair outside of marriage. Your affections, Ms Huang Chu, I can't afford it." Feng Mian opened her car's door and got inside.

Chun Hua watched the car go with blank eyes. Behind one of the pillar, Yu Yan stood hidden as she clenched the papers in her hand. Today she had also coincidentally waited for Mr Li at the car park to apologise for the other day's matter but didn't expect to see this scandalous scene.

'Mr Li… has a lover?'