Reserving You for Dinner

She lays out all the gifts in a neat square, making sure to put the underwear front and centre, before taking a photo. She then draws a circle in red ink around it and adds an arrow, before sending that picture along with the message 'EXCUSE ME? DO EXPLAIN."

She gets a call less than a minute later.

"Oh good, you received my delivery!" was his excited reply.

"Did you accidentally mix my outfits with the ones meant for your girlfriend?" Xue Ning asks flatly.

"Of course not! I don't have a girlfriend! All these are handpicked for you!" Jingwei exclaims.

"You handpicked underwear for me?!" She squawks, face red. "We're not that close!"

"How can you say that? You're practically my saviour! I owe you a life debt!" Jingwei argues. "Sexy underwear is the least you deserve!"

"You're giving your saviour underwear?" She asks incredulously in return. "Do you not find anything weird with this?"

"Does my saviour not need underwear?" He asks, and Sun Jingwei must have no sense of self-preservation, he continues, "are they the wrong size? If so, I'm sorry - tell me your size and I'll get you new sets."

"No need! They are fine!" It did not escape Xue Ning's notice that the underwear would be a perfect fit based on her measurements, which was why she felt so rattled. How could he guess her underwear sizes so effectively?

Did he research her underwear sizes?

"Oh good," came his relieved voice. "I had to guess based on my observations of your breast size and hip size. Thankfully it worked!"

"You what," she replies flatly.

"Well, I had to guess," he explains with a tone that implies that Xue Ning was being unreasonable about his hidden ability to figure out women's sizes with his eyes alone. "You didn't tell me your three measurements, remember?"

"Of course I wouldn't!" She splutters a reply. "Look at what you sent me!"

"So you don't like black lace?" He asks in confusion. "Strange, that's usually a design preferred by women. I thought it would look great on you!"

"It's not the design I have issues with!" Xue Ning replies hotly. "Why are you sending me underwear in the first place! How is that related to my job?!"

"You might need it!" Sensing her confusion, he elaborates further. "What if I'm attending a gala or a cocktail event, or I'm choosing to go to a club to find out more about the people trying to drug me? You'll need to blend in!"

"...Are you going to a club? Have you found any leads?" She asks, heart beating quickly in excitement.

"Not exactly. But me going back to clubbing will definitely help! My brother thinks so too!"

"Your brother?" If it was a suggestion by Jingwei's older brother, then it wasn't complete nonsense.

"Yeah! My brother brought up a really good point - if I go into 'hiding', they won't know how to strike at me - so the police won't be able to get more evidence to catch them."

"So… your plan is to use yourself as bait?" She asks incredulously.

"Precisely!" She can hear him beaming from the other end of the line.

"I… wouldn't your father be very angry at you for putting yourself in possible danger?" She asks, trying to wrap her brain around this ridiculous idea.

"That's why I hired you. Duh." He replies smugly. Xue Ning wonders what's the protocol for professional bodyguards when they are assigned to someone with no sense of self-preservation. Somehow she doesn't think punching them in the stomach until they change their mind is the right course of action.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing that sexy dress," she replies. "The pants and shirt are fine - I want to look invisible enough that people think I'm another bartender."

"If you say so," he gives a wistful sigh. "I just think it would be a shame for your legs to be hidden from the world."

She rolls her eyes. "Keep talking like that, and I'll make sure these legs end up wrapped around your neck."

"Oh will they? I'm looking forward to it," Jingwei's voice suddenly becomes deeper, sultrier, dangling the promise of a wickedly good time.

Her face flushes in response, and she has to give herself a good mental smack. Why did she say such things without thinking? This man was technically her boss, even if they were the same age. She can't be treating him like a drinking buddy.

"I meant I was going to strangle you - get your head out of the gutter!" She scolds him, before realising that it wasn't polite. She is greeted with laughter from the other end. So much for maintaining professionalism.

"Hahahaha oh man, you just walked right into that one," Jingwei says, still laughing breathlessly. Was it fondness she detected through his voice? Impossible, he was probably just amused.

"Yes, I walked into that innuendo with my legs that will not be wrapped around your neck, yes." Xue Ning replies dryly. "Buried in your stomach on the other hand…"

"Tsk tsk Miss Li, please redirect that violent streak of yours to the people trying to harm me. If you do that, I'll reward you handsomely!" Jingwei responds with the slightest whine in his voice.

"You'd better, or I'll hold you hostage instead," she threatens. Oh crap. Even less professionalism.

But somehow, Sun Jingwei must have a great tolerance for rude employees because he merely laughs louder in response. Xue Ning didn't think she was that funny - or maybe he just found her attempts at threatening him hilarious.

Who knows? He must have had many people threatening him. One of them got close enough that he needed to hire Xue Ning, a not even certified bodyguard.

"Then we have a deal. Tomorrow evening at 6pm. Crystal Palace Gardens. I'll pick you up! Wear the dress if you like! See you."

"Wait what -"

The phone line goes silent. Xue Ning blinked rapidly, the conversation moved so quickly that she was blindsided with the details.

It sounded strangely like a date, but that thought was so impossible Xue Ning disregarded it the moment it appeared.

So… tomorrow. He was picking her up at 6pm? What club opens so early?

And technically, shouldn't she be the one picking him up? Whoever heard of a boss driving their employee to do their job? But then again, she had no car, and she doubts he would like to sit behind her rickety bicycle.

She swears to herself to get her hands on the keys to the company cars. It would be embarrassing to be chauffeured by the very person she was supposed to protect.

Now… What kind of club is this Crystal Palace Garden?