The Ocean of Vinegar

Li Juan woke up later than usual time.

The moment her eyes caught the sight of the digital clock, she jolted awake from her bed.

She was supposed to reach the university by  8.30 am and it was already 8 am.

Cursing her insomnia, Li Juan ran into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Though she was a research scholar at Jing University, her research was funded by a private organization. So it was normal for them to report the research updates once in six months. However, today's meeting was arranged on short notice, making the research team go without prior preparations.

Getting out of the shower, Li Juan opened her wardrobe and looked for a formal outfit. 

Thanks to her last day's thorough inspection, every single piece of clothing in the wardrobe appeared wrinkled and in need of proper ironing.

"Aiiishhhh!!!!" Li Juan grimaced at the sight of her wrinkled suit. She was already late for an official meeting, not to mention that she got no time to iron her suit.

"Don't panic, don't panic, let's wear something that almost looks like formals," Li Juan repeated as she picked a white plain shirt, blue jeans.

Wearing a black blazer over her shirt, she looked at the clock that struck at 8.20 am.

Without even thinking about makeup, Li Juan ran out of her house with the bag.

Her priority was to reach Jing university before the meeting starts. However, due to the heavy Monday morning traffic, Li Juan arrived at the university grounds around half-past nine. 

Li Juan ran towards the seminar hall in the school of Humanities building, where the meeting/presentation was supposed to take place.

As soon as she reached the meeting venue, Li Juan was stopped by a group of bodyguards in black suits and asked for her identity card.

  "How privileged and high profile people are attending their meeting?" Li Juan wondered as she showed them her identity card before entering the meeting venue.

She stepped into the dimly lit hall without making any sound and looked in the direction of the podium.

Professor Han Guang, a man in his late forties, was presenting the research progress with the help of PowerPoint slides.

Li Juan quietly walked towards the operator's desk in the corner where the rest of her teammates were seated.

Professor Han had three research scholars and Li Juan was the only woman among them.

"Senior Cheng," Li Juan greeted in a low voice and sat beside her fellow researcher.

"Oh, Thank God, you have finally reached. I thought you couldn't make it on time," Cheng Tao, Li Juan's senior and one of her best friends, sighed in relief.

"I thought it was just to a briefing of the research updates, but the whole set-up seems like a PhD thesis defence," Li Juan gave a sidelong glance at the podium and commented.

"Our main investor is here to oversee the progress till the date. Professor said that they are considering a site check," Cheng Tao reported,

"Oh really!!!" Her eyes widened in excitement. For those who work in the field of archaeology,  "site check" was one of the best things of their work life,

"By the way, how was your date?" Cheng Tao curiously asked.

"It wasn't a date," Li Juan refuted with a frown.

"Don't lie, I saw your post last night. You even got dressed up like a doll and was online till 2 am," He tried to argue with pieces of evidence.

"It. was. a. birthday. party," Li Juan enunciated each word and argued back.

"I know that you don't go to parties, tell me the truth? who is the guy?" Cheng Tao refused to back off and bickered again.

"Shoo!!!!"  The young man who sat next to Cheng Tao asked them to keep quiet.

Cheng Tao gave him a casual glance and ignored his words as he continued his conversation with Li Juan.

"Ah, Lily, you should've seen our investor. He was so dashing that all the girls in our department went crazy when he arrived. They even had to call bodyguards to stop girls from barging into the hall," He went on describing the hassle that happened earlier.

"Hey don't lie, senior Cheng, no man is dashing than our Tae Min," Li Juan looked at the man beside Cheng Tao and made a complimenting remark.

"Noona!!!!" Lee Tae Min, their junior, the youngest one in their team, called her in a low and husky voice as a warning. 

"He is even good looking than your Zhang Zhi Jun," Cheng Tao taunted Li Juan by comparing their investor with her celebrity crush.

"Aye, no one can beat Zhang Zhi Jun," She said in a protective fan girl tone.

"No one? Not even our Idol king Tae Min?" Cheng Tao dragged their silent junior who is well known for his good looks, into their conversation,

"Both of them are handsome in their ways," Li Juan tried to frame her answer without any partiality. One of them was her favourite idol and the other one was like her brother.

"No, I don't believe you," Cheng Tao folded his arms over his chest and rebutted her.

"How should I explain?" She contemplated for a moment,

"Ah, let's consider Tae Min's looks like a well-maintained pond with beautiful flowers and swans. It brings happiness and calmness to the onlookers. Zhang Zhi Jun's looks are like a smoothly flowing river, so pure and refreshing, sustain lives and ends everyone's thirst. And whenever he smiles, oh my god, it's like the river has turned into a stunning waterfall. He is the blessing of deities for the entire humanity." Li Juan went describing Zhang Zhi Jun and smiled like an idiot.

"Uffo, you and your Zhang Zhi Jun!" Cheng Tao threw a tissue onto Li Juan's face and said in a teasing tone, "Take this and wipe the drool off of your face," He said to make fun of the fangirl in Li Juan,

"If your Zhang Zhi Jun is a river, then that man over there, he is like the entire Pacific Ocean. Majestic yet calm and composed," Cheng Tao pointed at the first row and remarked.

"What about you, senior Cheng?" All of sudden, Lee Tae Min asked in a low voice and joined their conversation. "Sewage system?"

"YAAAAAAA!!!!" Cheng Tao raised his voice and almost yelled at him.

"Shhhh...."Li Juan pulled his arm and stopped her senior from yelling.

"You know me, I don't appreciate anyone so easily but that man, even my heart fluttered for a moment," Cheng Tao justified his stance.

"Are you sure that you didn't fell in love? like love at first sight?" Lee Tae Min asked frankly.

"YAAAAAAA," Cheng Tao smacked Lee Tae Min's head without any second thoughts.

Hearing their commotion, professor Han looked in the direction of his assistants and silenced them with a glare.

The meeting finished after an hour and the hall got lit again.

"Lily, there he is, The Pacific Ocean," Cheng Tao pointed at the man who was talking to the department head. 

Li Juan followed Cheng Tao's line of sight and found a group of men in the first row of the hall. 

The man who Cheng Tao referred was facing towards the other side and she could only see his broad shoulders. 

However, looking at his tall and well-built silhouette, one could easily figure out that the man is quite eye-catchy.

"Oh he is facing the other side, I can't see his face," Li Juan tilted her body to get a good look at the handsome stranger and complained.

"Thank god, he is facing the other way," Cheng Tao narrowed his eyes at her,  "Look at you, did you come straight after the shower? Or"

He paused and sniffed as he chided Li Juan,

"Don't tell me that you didn't shower," He covered his mouth as he started to make fun of her plain face. 

Over the years, teasing and taunting his juniors has become a daily routine for Cheng Tao.

"Cheng Tao!!!" Li Juan raised her hand and made a  punching gesture. However, instead of punching him, she retracted her hand. 

"Oh, I'm starving," Li Juan touched her stomach and whined, "I didn't eat anything. Let's go and eat something, Senior Cheng," 

She pulled Cheng Tao's sleeves and acted cutely,

For others, Li Juan was nothing but an aloof person who had a cold personality. However, her funny and cheerful side has only revealed to people who are close to her.

"We are supposed to stay here and clean after," Lee Tae Min sternly reminded his seniors who were trying to sneak out.

"Tae Minah, your noona is hungry. We will be right back after having a cup of coffee,"  Cheng Tao made his point and tried to walk away. However, even before they could move, Lee Tae Min took out a food packet from his bag and shoved it into Li Juan's hands.

"Here, eat this now," 

"What is this?" Cheng Tao asked and checked the packet in Li Juan's hands.

"Macarons," He replied with a straight face,

"Ohhhh our Tae Min is the best!" The corners of Li Juan's mouth turned upward as she heard about the food and patted Lee Tae Min's hair in compliment. 

  Lee Tae Min had a huge interest in cooking and he often brings some delicacies to share with his teammates and professor.

Li Juan unwrapped the packet and served the macarons among them.

"Why are you giving this to me? I made it for you," Lee Tae Min refused her,

"Senior Cheng," Li Juan turned to Cheng Tao with the macarons.

"You eat first," Cheng Tao took two macarons and stuffed them into Li Juan's mouth.

"Guys," Professor Han called them over. As Li Juan struggled to chew the macarons in her mouth, Cheng Tao pulled her and walked towards their professor,

"CEO Tang, they are my assistants. Guys, meet our investor Mr Tang Wei Sheng, the CEO of Tang Corporations,"

The moment Tang Wei Sheng's eyes caught the sight of Li Juan's pretty face, the smile on his lips got widened and he almost called her "sweetheart,"

"What? Senior Tang is our investor? Li Juan was left dumbfounded when her professor introduced Tang Wei Sheng as the main investor of their research project.

"I'm Cheng Tao, it was a pleasure to meet you," Cheng Tao began to introduce the research team,

"Lee Tae Min,"

Li Juan gulped the macarons in her mouth and said her name hurriedly.

Watching her actions, the smile on Tang Wei Sheng's handsome face turned into a grin.

She looked like a child who caught redhanded by her parents while sneaking food.

Cute! He muttered under his breath and turned at Han Guang,

"Professor, let me treat you all with a meal. Your team has arranged everything on short notice,"

"Oh, CEO Tang that will be a pleasure," Professor Han accepted the offer without any hesitations.

"Let's go then," Tang Wei Sheng suggested and led the way,

"What are guys waiting for? Hand over the keys and meet me at the parking lot," Professor Han said to his students and immediately followed Tang Wei Sheng with an apologetic face.

As soon as the investors and professors left the hall, Cheng Tao turned to Li Juan and started to laugh out loud at the very sight of her face. 

"Oh my dear, I was wondering why is that CEO couldn't stop laughing,"

"What?" Li Juan asked without having an idea about the crumbs of macaron smeared on her lips.

"Oh, Noona…are you still a baby?" Lee Tae Min took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it off,

"Guys we are getting late, come let's go," Cheng Tao looked at the empty hall and dragged his juniors.

"Senior Cheng, you go with professor Han. I'll come with Tae Min," Li Juan suggested and stood back.

"Then I'll text you the location. Don't be late," Cheng Tao instructed them and walked towards the entrance.

"Lily," As he stepped out of the hall, Cheng Tao halted his tracks and called Li Juan,

"Put some makeup and wipe off the drool from your face. You look hideous," He laughed and ran outside without waiting for her reply.

"Cheng Tao !!! you nasty!!!" Li Juan yelled and tried to run after him.

"Uffooo!!!" Lee Tae Min grabbed her clothes and stopped Li Juan from running after Cheng Tao.

"Tae Minah, how do Noona look?" Li Juan wiped her face with her palms and asked Tae Min.

Tae Min took a look at her with his master poker face. 

Even though Li Juan didn't use any makeup, she looked pretty with a natural glow on her face.

"Do you want to hear the truth?" Lee Tae Min frankly asked her.

"Forget it," Li Juan pouted and turned away. She was well aware of her sharp-tongued junior who throws honest answers right at one's face no matter how ugly the truth is,

"Then let's leave now. You are looking good," Tae Min held her hand and led Li Juan out of the seminar hall,

While walking towards the parking lot, Tang Wei Sheng continuously looked back to search whether Li Juan is coming with them or not.

"Boss, is there any problem?" Yang Xiong asked when he noticed that his boss was acting weirdly.

As they reached the spot where the car was parked, Tang Wei Sheng stood frozen to the ground, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the archaeology department,

" What happened?" Yang Xiong wondered and followed his boss's line of sight and saw  Han Guang's assistants walking hand in hand, towards the parking lot, 

"Don't tell me, young master is jealous of a young couple," Yang Xiong tried hard to hide his laughter and called his boss again,

"Boss,"

Tang Wei Sheng averted his murderous gaze from the couple,

"Let's go," He ordered and got into the car. 

Yang Xiong took a look at the couple once again as he felt a sense of familiarity towards the girl.

" Where did I meet her?" He thought as he got into the driving seat.

Through the tinted car window, Tang Wei Sheng examined the man who stood next to Li Juan, 

"Lee Tae Min," He recalled the young man's name.

Lee Tae Min was handsome. With his tall and linear stature along with a perfectly chiselled face, he looked like an idol group member.

"Boss, where are we going?" Yang Xiong who waited for his boss's order to start the engine, turned back when deadly silence filled inside the car.

Tang Wei Sheng didn't even hear the question as he busied himself on checking Li Juan who stood waiting for Lee Tae Min to bring his bike.

The moment Lee Tae Min left, Li Juan got immediately surrounded by a group of young boys.

"What the hell? When did she get these many admirers?" His eyes almost bleed at the sight of the men surrounding her like petty flies flocking around the light.

Tang Wei Sheng has always wondered how Li Juan got such a unique physiognomy. It was so magnificent that she could fall easily into everyone's eye.

Looking at the despondent face of his boss, Yang Xiong could not help but mumble,

"Yes, someone is drowning in an ocean of vinegar,"