Unexpected Actions

Lianne looked at herself in the mirror.

Okay, so she took *slightly* more effort today for her 'date' with Kai.

Although it was going to be in his office, it was still a date, right?

She would be going to a place that he actually worked at. She was both nervous and excited at the same time. It was a place that he spent half of his life at, so it was an important place.

In the end, Lianne wore her usual dark capri pants with a nice blouse and a light sweater. Her short, curly hair bounced on her shoulders as she neatly braided the slightly longer hair at the side. The slim braid was then tucked behind her ear.

She ruffled her fringe a bit, so that it curled over her forehead and she sighed.

It was his office, so it wouldn't be good to be too casual. She also couldn't dress up like she was heading to a party. As Kai's girlfriend, she would need to be dressed appropriately so that she wouldn't be an embarrassment to him.

No matter what people say, at the end of the day, Lianne knew very well that once their relationship went public, what she did or said would be a reflection of him and his taste. Though she said she didn't care what other people thought about her, it didn't mean she didn't care how they would then view him.

It's the same concept as to when someone sees a child not wearing good clothes, or torn clothes - the parents would be looked at in disdain for failing to take care of the child properly.

As well as when an aged parent is not taken care of, the child is the one who is viewed as being heartless - even if the child is to state that the parent was the one that didn't take care of them properly in the first place. Filial piety is one thing that is rather strongly adhered to in Country Tz (just like in Country M).

It's not like she would be changing herself to suit him but rather, she is self-conscious of her role as his partner. If they didn't like her, that's not her concern because the only one that is important would be Kai - and his mother.

However, if her actions or behaviour means he is the one that has the 'dirty water' splashed on, then she would feel bad for him. More so when it could easily be avoided if she was more mindful of him.

Lianne felt that these are things that need not be told, but it did not mean that Kai can take it for granted. If he does not show appreciation for her efforts, then she'll give him an earful.

Of course, it was still too early to tell.

Lianne twirled a bit in front of the mirror, to make sure that everything was neat and tidy. Once she was satisfied, she went down to the lobby to wait for Carl, the driver that Kai said would be picking her up.

Although one said she waited in the lobby, she wasn't just sitting down and waiting for Carl to come to her. Instead, Lianne would look out occasionally to see if Carl had arrived. As soon as she saw a red BMW in the distance, she got up and went out, waiting and observed the car as it got closer.

Once she could see the license plate, she took note of it and discovered it to be correct. Thus, she waited patiently until the car came to a full stop.

Carl was surprised to see the lady that he was supposed to pick up to already be waiting for him. Normally, anyone he was sent to pick up would be waiting inside for him to come and announce himself - so it was a pleasant surprise to see that this one was different.

Carl was Kai's personal driver, and this was actually the first time Kai had been very meticulous in his instructions about the lady he was to pick up. Carl looked at the picture one last time to make sure that he got the right person before he went out.

"Ms. Lianne," Carl said with a polite nod as she came closer.

"Carl," Lianne replied with a smile, "Nice to meet you. Sorry for the trouble."

"Oh, no trouble at all, Ms. Lianne," Carl answered as he opened the door behind for her.

"Thank you," Lianne said as she entered.

Carl smiled a bit at that.

Polite, too.

It wasn't that every person he picked up was rude but this was the first time someone actually thanked him for doing his job. The most he ever got was a nod and that, to him, had been more than enough.

It was only normal that the 'help' did not get much acknowledgment from their boss, or those of the 'upper class'.

Even if they weren't from such background, the fact that they were associated with the CEO of Sheng Corp was more than enough to give him those 'uppity noses', so to speak. So Lianne was a breath of fresh air.

She wasn't just saying the words to be polite. She really was sincere in her thanks.

That was what made the difference.

Carl remembered how worried Kai had been, and how insistent he had been in treating Ms. Lianne properly and with due respect. Thus, Carl had thought Ms. Lianne was a VIP; someone that was either from a big company seeking collaboration with Sheng Corp, or from a major family.

Carl stole a glance at the quiet girl behind.

She did not look like she was either of that.

So why did CEO Kai act the way he did?

His question was soon answered.

When they reached their destination, unsurprisingly, his boss was right there, waiting. It was only natural since Ms. Lianne was a VIP.

What Carl did *not* expect was that his boss would not only open the door for her to come out, he helped her out.

Then, right in front of everyone, his face broke out to a smile and he held her hand. As if that was not enough to tell everyone in the vicinity who the woman was to him … he not only kissed the back of her hand, he then stepped closer and kissed her forehead.

The surrounding area suddenly became so quiet that you would be able to hear a pin drop.

If one was to look around, one would see people with their mouths hanging open - ready to catch any bugs or flies like a venus flytrap. They were so 'out of it' that they would probably swallow those bugs without a thought.

Was that really their CEO?

Yes, he was the type that flirted and had different women by his side all the time. However, he never did anything openly other than taking them out for a meal.

But now?

He actually came down to wait for her, and for the first time ever - he actually made such blatant shows of affection. It was usually the women that were flinging themselves at him or hanging on to him.

Such unexpected actions were beyond their capabilities to comprehend. They were seeing it, but they couldn't believe it.

What was going on?!