Our Love, A Public Service - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
To ensure a comfortable dining environment, Number Nine always kept its seating capacity at around eighty percent, requiring reservations a week in advance, which weren't always successful.
Someone as impetuous as Chi Jia would never dine at such a fussy restaurant. If it weren't for her colleagues' insistence, she would have settled for any hot pot place near the company.
The waiter served the dishes one by one; they looked exquisite.
"Looks good, not sure how it tastes though."
"How good can the food be at these trendy internet-famous restaurants? Only you fools would believe it." Chi Jia routinely dissed the men in her department.
"Not necessarily, I see this place is quite popular."
"Would you guys come all the way here if the owner wasn't beautiful?" Chi Jia glanced at her male colleagues, hitting the nail on the head.
The ulterior motives of these men were too easy to guess.
Except for the manager, AS Design Department Three consisted mainly of recent graduates.
Six men and one woman in the department, Chi Jia stood out like a lone flower among green leaves, cherished and protected.
Although Chi Jia only had a year of work experience and was a newly promoted designer, it didn't hinder her outstanding professional skills, making her the star of the department.
"No matter how beautiful she is, she can't be more beautiful than our Queen Chi. We can just look up to see a beauty, why bother coming so far?"
"That's right, absolutely no one can be more beautiful than our queen."
"Definitely."
"..."
Each of them had transformed into a flatterer.
After all, it was almost the end of the month, and with the design departments' performance evaluations coming up, they were counting on Chi Jia to secure more projects and win first place.
Although she knew their words were mostly empty flattery, the content was still pleasing.
Chi Jia chuckled dismissively, "Cut it out. You guys should spend this energy on flattering the clients. How many projects have you guys secured? It's almost the end of the month."
"Sister Xiao Jia, we finally get to have a meal together, don't be so harsh, okay?"
Chi Jia was telling the truth. As recent graduates with little experience, no resources, no connections, and insufficient seniority, they had to painstakingly fight for every client.
Unlike the company's veteran designers, who could sit in their offices and have projects coming to them.
But then again, since they were here, Chi Jia was quite curious to see the restaurant owner, to see if she truly lived up to the hype, captivating everyone with her beauty.
Sometimes, women appreciated beautiful women even more than men did.
The aroma of the dishes filled the air. Chi Jia picked up a piece of beef brisket and put it in her mouth.
Savoring it, it was tender and flavorful.
Perhaps because she hadn't had any expectations, the deliciousness came as a pleasant surprise. The food was visually appealing, aromatic, and tasted great.
So it turned out this restaurant's popularity wasn't solely due to the owner's looks.
Chi Jia hadn't eaten anything since morning, having only chewed on beef jerky for lunch, and even unluckily dropped half of it. She went to the client's place on an empty stomach to take measurements, busy until now, without even a chance to drink water.
Now she was starving, eating rice and dishes as if she hadn't eaten in three days.
Their profession sounded glamorous, but the reality was exhausting.
Chi Jia could list a hundred reasons not to be an interior designer.
Having worked with a group of rough men for a long time, Chi Jia's eating habits had also become less refined; it was a subtle influence.
As Jing Rui walked diagonally in front of Chi Jia, her gaze involuntarily fell upon her.
At that moment, Chi Jia was stuffing vegetables into her mouth with no semblance of ladylike behavior.
Chi Jia slightly raised her head, and their eyes met again. Her cheeks were puffed out from the food in her mouth.
They held each other's gaze for two seconds, maybe less.
The woman before her made Chi Jia deeply understand the meaning of "charming," while Chi Jia perfectly demonstrated what a "tomboy eating" looked like.
Chi Jia thought this vixen was coming to pick a fight. She swallowed her rice in one gulp, almost choking, then straightened up, giving what she thought was a cold stare.
However, as the other woman passed by, she simply curled her lips into a smile and walked away.
What was the meaning of that provocative smile?!
Chi Jia was stunned, bewildered.
It wasn't until a colleague next to her reminded her of the grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth that she realized the meaning of the vixen's smile.
Defeated! Utterly defeated!
Why did she always embarrass herself in front of this woman?
Usually, with a bit of effort, although she couldn't be considered devastatingly beautiful, she could still pass as a goddess.
Chi Jia fiercely ate the remaining rice grain and continued eating her vegetables.
The men exchanged glances, extremely excited, their unspoken words: "Wow, what a feast for the eyes!"
But no one dared to praise another woman's beauty in front of Chi Jia.
This was a well-known taboo in the department.
Seven dishes were swept clean.
Having finished dinner at eight, they enthusiastically decided to go clubbing, harboring hopes of romantic encounters.
Chi Jia, whether it was from overeating or something else, felt a bit of discomfort in her stomach. Coupled with several all-nighters spent working on designs, she wasn't in the mood to party tonight, just wanting to go home, take a shower, and sleep.
"I've been pulling all-nighters for a few days, I'm a bit tired. You guys go have fun, I'll pass."
"Do you want us to take you home first?"
Chi Jia could recognize polite formalities. "No need, have fun."
After settling the bill, everyone else left, leaving Chi Jia alone at the table.
She rubbed her stomach; it was still uncomfortable, so she asked the waiter for a glass of warm water and sipped it slowly.
However, fifteen minutes passed, and Chi Jia, slumped on the table, showed no signs of improvement.
A dull ache started in her stomach, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Jing Rui noticed this from upstairs and sensed something was wrong.
Descending the wooden stairs, she walked over to Chi Jia, bent down, and asked indifferently, "Miss, are you alright?"
A shadow blocked the light, accompanied by a faint fragrance of perfume.
Chi Jia clutched her stomach and looked up. It was her.
Speak of the devil.
For the first time, Chi Jia saw the vixen's exquisite face up close, even her eyelashes were distinct, like a high-definition image.
She subconsciously labeled this woman as a vixen—the kind who enjoyed juggling multiple men, wielding her so-called charm.
A woman's intuition couldn't be wrong.
"Stomach ache?" Seeing Chi Jia pressing her hand against her stomach, her face pale, Jing Rui suspected food poisoning or an upset stomach. She reached out to help her. "I'll take you to the hospital."
She would take her to the hospital? Chi Jia didn't understand the situation. Logically, their relationship should be like fire and water.
As the other woman's hand reached out, Chi Jia frowned, angrily shook it off, and snapped, "Don't butt in..."
Her voice was slightly weak.
Chi Jia disliked this woman, intensely so.
Although Jing Rui didn't know about her existence when she was flirting with Jiang Shen, it didn't stop Chi Jia from disliking her.
Perhaps some people were simply incompatible.
What a stubborn temper. Jing Rui patiently explained, "I'm the owner here. You became unwell after dining in my restaurant, so I have a responsibility to take you to the hospital."
So she was the owner...
Chi Jia suddenly understood.
Taking advantage of the proximity, Chi Jia stared at the other woman's face, scrutinizing her features. With this level of beauty, choosing to run a restaurant instead of entering the entertainment industry was indeed a gimmick, no wonder there were so many rumors about her.
Her appearance alone was bewitching.
But Chi Jia still resented her. Seeing her face brought back the memory of that night, the way she flirted with Jiang Shen.
Chi Jia didn't realize she was staring a little too intently.
Jing Rui lowered her eyes, her expression unclear.
She leaned closer to Chi Jia's face with a smile, suddenly lowering her voice, "You keep staring at me like this, it's easy for me to misunderstand."
Earlier during dinner, Jing Rui had also noticed Chi Jia stealing glances at her, catching her in the act.
Chi Jia didn't react immediately. "Misunderstand what?"
Jing Rui continued in a low voice, "That you like women."
Pfft...
This was probably the highest level of narcissism.
Chi Jia, a straight woman for over twenty years, had never been told she seemed gay. It was ridiculous. Just because she had some good looks, did she really think she was so beautiful that she was universally adored, appealing to both men and women?
A few glances meant having those kinds of feelings? Or was this how vixens thought?
Otherwise, why would they be messing around with different men all the time?
"Miss," Chi Jia smiled, gritting her teeth, "You're overthinking it. I simply dislike you."
Seeing Chi Jia's worsening complexion, Jing Rui stopped joking. "Come on, let's go to the hospital."
Chi Jia didn't bother responding. She knew her own stomach; it was always a bit sensitive, and with her irregular eating habits after starting work, minor issues were common. She thought she could tough it out, but as soon as she stood up, she knew she was being stubborn. She stumbled over a table leg, on the verge of falling.
At the critical moment, Jing Rui caught Chi Jia's waist, steadying her.
They ended up in a close embrace.
Hugging each other so intimately, anyone who didn't know better would think they were close.
Chi Jia had to admit, the vixen's perfume smelled amazing.
"Let go of me!" Despite having been saved from a potentially nasty fall, Chi Jia, once steady on her feet, immediately turned hostile, showing no gratitude for Jing Rui's timely rescue. Enduring her stomach pain, she said angrily, "Are you unreasonable? I said I don't need your help!"
So young, yet such a temper.
Jing Rui frowned, "Do you think I enjoy meddling? I'm taking you to the hospital precisely because I'm being reasonable."
"I..." Chi Jia bit her lip, unable to maintain her tough act any longer.
Her stomach was extremely painful, far beyond a minor discomfort. She couldn't help but grab onto Jing Rui for support, her expression awkward.
Jing Rui looked at her, a mixture of exasperation and amusement in her eyes. She steadied Chi Jia. "Let's go."
Thanks to her stomach ache, Chi Jia had her first experience in a sports car.
As the limited edition Aston Martin drove down the road, even the wind seemed to carry the scent of money.
How extravagant.
Damn, so the restaurant business was this profitable.
Chi Jia turned to look at Jing Rui, who was focused on driving.
Her long, curly hair was slightly disheveled, and under the dim light, the profile of her face was stunningly beautiful.
As if the words "rich woman" were written all over her.
Such a beautiful and wealthy woman probably wouldn't look twice at Jiang Shen, right? The thought suddenly crossed Chi Jia's mind.
The car headed towards the hospital.
"I don't know your boyfriend; I have no relationship with him," Jing Rui spoke first, her tone clear and concise.
These two had one thing in common: they both disliked beating around the bush.
"Hold on." Chi Jia didn't want to talk about Jiang Shen. Her stomach already hurt, and she didn't want to feel worse. "He's not my boyfriend now! I have no relationship with him either!"
After saying this, Chi Jia bent over and clutched her stomach again.
Still restless even in such pain.
Jing Rui glanced at Chi Jia. "Don't talk if your stomach hurts. Be quiet."
"Weren't you the one who started talking to me?!" Chi Jia instantly regained her spirit, only to deflate a second later, the pain intensifying.
Hmm
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