When the lunch break bell rang, I stared at the computer screen, my gaze a little vacant.
Earlier, Ning Dongya had told me to come find her. Should I go now? Or should I not? My fingers unconsciously twisted at the hem of my shirt, and my cat tail swayed anxiously under the chair, even my ears burned red at the tips.
If I go, this hard-earned lunch break might be anything but peaceful again.
But if I don’t go, I can only avoid her for a while, not forever…
Who knows, if she sees I didn’t show up, Ning Dongya might come looking for me herself, and that would only make things more troublesome…
“Fine, you win!” I gritted my teeth, closed the software, grabbed my employee badge, and headed for the President’s office.
The carpet in the corridor absorbed my footsteps, but every step felt like I was treading on cotton. In my mind, I kept rehearsing all the possible things that might happen next, and how I should respond.
With my head down, I stared at the floor, my cat ears pressed tightly against my scalp from nervousness.
Suddenly, my nose bumped into a suit jacket that carried a subtle scent; beneath the soft fabric was a warm body.
“Meow!!!”
That familiar oppressive aura made me spring back like a startled kitten, slamming my lower back against the corridor railing with a dull thud.
“Not watching where you’re going?” Those silvery-grey pupils curved into a smile right in front of me. Ning Dongya’s hand was still on my shoulder, her fingertips gliding lightly over my trembling shoulder blade.
I felt as if I’d been hit with a freezing spell. My tail uncontrollably slapped against the railing behind me, making a muffled “pa pa” sound.
The sound of a coffee machine came from the end of the corridor. A few colleagues passed by with paper cups in hand, but the corners of their eyes were like searchlights, fixed on the spot where my clothes touched Ning Dongya’s.
“S-sorry, President! I wasn’t watching where I was going!” I hurriedly bowed in apology, my cat ears trembling like a sieve.
She suddenly leaned in, her warm breath brushing over my ear tip. “Were you that eager to see me?”
Her tone was drawn out, soft and teasing in a way only I could understand.
“N-no! I just…” Before I could finish, she lifted my chin, her fingertip brushing over my burning lips. “Then why is your face red as a ripe peach? Looks delicious~”
“Meow!!!”
I heard the faint sound of coworkers stifling their laughter, and it felt like all my blood rushed to my head. Even the tip of my tail curled into a tiny ball from embarrassment.
She suddenly reached out and pinched my trembling cat ear, gently kneading the hot tip between her fingers. “Your ears are bright red, and you say you weren’t in a hurry to see me?”
The cool touch of her fingertips made me shudder all over. My tail instantly went stiff and straight, and I even forgot to breathe.
The air in the corridor seemed to freeze into solid ice, my colleagues’ gazes stabbing into my back like needles. I wanted to dig a hole and crawl in.
But she didn’t let go. Instead, she became even more brazen, brushing her fingertip over the soft fur behind my ear. “Or is it… you’re looking forward to that private tutoring I mentioned this morning?”
Like a frightened rabbit, I shook my head desperately, my cat ears trembling so fast they almost left afterimages. “No, absolutely not!” My voice was on the verge of tears, and I nearly tripped over my own tail as I backed away.
She suddenly released my ear, her silvery-grey eyes glinting with calculation under the lights. Her fingertip lazily slid over my burning earlobe, her voice as soft as a feather tickling my heart. “Even though you came so eagerly, you still made me wait so long—how are you going to make it up to me~”
“I…”
I wanted to make some excuse, but remembering all the time I wasted hesitating whether to come, I could only apologize quickly. “Sorry, President! I shouldn’t have kept you waiting so long! Please don’t be angry…”
When she heard my apology, she laughed softly. “Since you’re so bad at being on time, as your supervisor, I’ll just have to help you develop some punctuality, won’t I?”
She suddenly leaned in, her eyes flashing with mischief. “This afternoon, after work, report to my office. Let’s see if you can be on time this time.”
“Meow!!!”
I wanted to refuse, but I knew it would only invite even more teasing from Ning Dongya.
Ugh, so infuriating! I really have no choice but to give in…
This is just plain bullying!
Ning Dongya didn’t bother with my reaction. She strode to her office door and unlocked it with her fingerprint.
“All right, come in. You made me wait outside for so long.”
Hearing her say she waited so long again, I realized something.
She did it on purpose! She definitely waited in the corridor just so I’d bump into her! It dawned on me all too late, and I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. Other people get to start lunch as soon as break begins, but I have to come running whenever this wicked woman calls me.
If that were all, fine—but now she’s even turning things around, blaming me for being late. And this is probably just the beginning; who knows how much more she’ll mess with me…
Thinking about this, my cat tail thumped anxiously against my thigh, and a sour feeling of grievance welled up in my eyes.
I lifted my head and stared at Ning Dongya with resentment, but when I met her smiling, silvery-grey gaze, all the words stuck in my throat.
When Ning Dongya turned and walked into her office, the hem of her black suit skirt traced an elegant arc over the carpet. “Still spacing out? Come in.” It was as if some invisible string pulled me after her, my palms sweating so much I almost dropped my employee badge.
The heavy mahogany door closed behind us, shutting out the prying eyes from the hallway. But in the enclosed space, the scent of cedar was even stronger, almost suffocating.
The President’s office was more spacious than I’d imagined. A deep brown leather sofa matched the desk, abstract oil paintings hung on the walls, and the crystal chandelier cast icy patches of light.
The most eye-catching thing was the bar by the window, where a silver thermos was letting out wisps of steam. I stood awkwardly in the center of the room, my cat ears swiveling at every tiny sound, my tail so tense it wrapped around my ankle.
“Sit.” Ning Dongya pointed to the chair across from her desk.
No sooner had I sat down than I heard the soft click of the thermos opening. She actually brought out two exquisite white porcelain lunch boxes. When she lifted the lids, my breath caught: glossy Boston lobster tails resting on rice, bright green asparagus and golden fried eggs beside them, and even the dipping dish was fine bone china.
The enticing aroma filled my nose. On top of that, I’d been hungry all morning—my throat bobbed uncontrollably.
But soon, I realized how embarrassing my reaction was, and quickly lowered my head.
“So, so… what are we supposed to do now?”
“Nothing special, just that it’s boring to eat alone. I called you here to keep me company.” Ning Dongya replied offhandedly, handing me a pair of chopsticks.
I accepted the chopsticks, looking at the luxury meal before me. There was no way this could be put together at the last minute. I couldn’t help cursing her in my heart.
She definitely did this on purpose! She planned it in advance! As for being “bored eating alone”—that’s just an excuse, meow!!
But even so, there was no way I could say it out loud. What if she stops pretending altogether one day? That’d be even worse for me!