Mr. Tycoon's Daring Wife

On Sunday morning, bright and early, when there were only a handful of people on the top floor, Zhao Lifei strolled out of the private elevator. It was quiet in the building today, mainly because it was an off day for many people, but many of the newer employees in the lower floors still came in anyway.

Zhao Lifei came into the company with a purpose. She walked down the hall leading to Huo Qiudong’s office, a sneaky little smile on her face.

She was dressed in a yellow summer dress that hugged her waist and flowed out from thereon. It stopped two or three inches above her ankles, revealing the stars and moon anklet she found in her jewelry box. Lately, there have been many random little accessories popping up here and there. It was strange, but she already knew who was behind it. Yang Feng always gave her gifts in secret so that she could not reject it on the spot.

She didn’t bother knocking when she slammed the door of his office open, surprising the man behind the enormous mahogany desk. His fingers finally got a break when he jumped. His head snapped up so quickly, she worried if he got a whiplash or not.

"Good morning, boss." Huo Qiudong warily said, an edge to his voice. He was not happy with the dramatic entrance. "Next time, can you please open the door a little gentler and not give me a heart attack?"

"I’m just trying to keep you on your feet." Zhao Lifei teased as she sauntered into the room, her marigold dress fluttering with each step. He stared at it before averting his gaze. Her lips broke into a grin, "Yes, I know this is not an outfit appropriate for the office."

Huo Qiudong cleared his throat, a light blush traveling to his ears. "I would never dare to badmouth the boss."

"Yeah, yeah and tomorrow it will snow." She rolled her eyes, setting down her tiny bag.

"Anyways, I’m not dressed in office attire because I do not plan on staying here today." She walked to the edge of his desk and confiscated the laptop, closing it shut.

"Boss, I still have next Wednesday’s presentation to do—"

"Did you finish today and tomorrow’s work already?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then you have time to have some breakfast with me." Zhao Lifei grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet, tugging the reluctant man out of her door.

"But Boss, next Wednesday’s presentation—"

"Can wait until Tuesday approaches, Mr. Workaholic." Zhao Lifei sang her reply, turning back to give him a wink. "And as your Boss, I give you permission to slack off for one day."

"I can’t afford to slack off—"

"Sucks to suck." She shrugged, pressing the door to the private elevator and tugging him inside.

If Huo Qiudong was trying to hide his sulking and displeasure, he was not doing a very good job. His eyes were stormy and gloomy, his lips tucked into a thin line.

"How about this? I’ll give you a bonus for accompanying your poor boss to breakfast. It’s so lonely to eat by myself."

"It’s eleven in the morning, I believe it’s brunch now." He snorted, adjusting his suit by flicking his wrist and tugging it down a bit.

Zhao Lifei absentmindedly nodded her head. "In the end, it’s still a meal isn’t it?"

Huo Qiudong was left speechless by this shameless woman who also happened to be his boss. "It sure is." He huffed under his breath.

- - - - -

Huo Qiudong’s eyes flickered with disbelief when he found himself at the well-decorated doorsteps of Bellovaurd.

It was an unsuspecting black door with a tinted window and nothing on it except the characters of the restaurant of this place. Entering here was nearly impossible and if you even dare to set foot here without a membership, you can find yourself behind bars. That was only the surface of how well-connected the owner of this place was.

The membership here was not something bought with money or fame. If someone even showed the slightest hint of interest in the restaurant, the possibility of gaining entrance was zero.

His eyes landed on his unassuming boss who had a loose smile on her face. She pulled out a black card that resembled the limitless credit card she possessed, but the only difference was that this one was completely black, no design or number. The only thing visible was the small carving, in silver letters, spelling out "Diamond Member — Zhao Lifei."

Zhao Lifei scanned her card, opened the door and waited for Huo Qiudong to walk inside before she accompanied after him. They boarded a vintage elevator with hues of orange and red. The door opened and all eyes set onto her and Huo Qiudong.

The top socialites, gossipers, elites, and so forth, of this country, seemed like they were all engrossed in their conversations, but they were secretly scrutinizing the two newcomers.

"Welcome to Bellovaurd, may I have the liberty to see your membership please?" A host behind a tall booth asked, his voice tinged with a foreign accent.

Zhao Lifei silently handed it to him, not bothering to spare him eye contact as she turned to Huo Qiudong, worried that he might run back into the elevator at any given second. She grew up with judging stares, but this man did not.

Her shoulders relaxed a bit upon seeing his expressionless, nonchalant face. His stormy eyes were set upon the exotic plant beside him. He looked so bored by this place, she was impressed by it.

Not many people could remain so firm in a crowd of piranhas waiting for you to make a mistake. Acting as if you did not want to be in this place was the biggest unsaid rule here. And so far, both of them were stellar examples of that.

The host’s eyes widened upon seeing who she was. Goodness, gracious! He repeatedly jammed his fingers, as discreetly as possible, against the manager button underneath the booth. No less than a second later, a man stepped forward, dressed in a perfectly tailored grey suit.

"Miss Zhao, you should’ve told me you were coming. I would’ve personally greeted you in front of the door." Tang Chen said, his voice laced with astonishment.

Everyone was taken back by his treatment towards the two new guests, but seeing her being placed on such a high pedestal, the socialites stopped their hidden stares. From far away, they could not realize Zhao Lifei had entered, until her surname was used.

"That would be too much for me." Zhao Lifei mused. It was so interesting to see that both Tang brothers were managers of world-renowned restaurants. The Tangs have always had a great relationship with the Zhaos and the majority of them usually served the latter, for example, Old butler Tang.

"Well, only the best treatment would be suitable for you." Tang Chen let out a smooth laugh before ushering her beyond the velvet ropes. "I already have the perfect table in mind for you."

"Actually, a friend of mine booked a private room for me." Zhao Lifei leaned closer and whispered the name. Tang Chen’s eyes flickered with recognition as he readily nodded his head.

"I deeply apologize, I should’ve known earlier. I will guide you there right away." He changed their path and directed them towards a private room.