The Cage Of The Past

Rouzhen Gu did not come to work for three days, so Xiaoxi Chen did not have to make coffee for him, but whenever she thought of that night she yelled at the CEO, she still feels a bit of fear.

Now when she thinks of it, it was unnecessary. Isn't just a nine dollar and nine cents of ċȯndȯms? Isn't it just easier to earn the money? She only asked him to pay five hundred dollars afterward to drive him away from her. She's so impulsive!

Due to the absence of Rouzhen Gu, meeting the big client becomes Zion Ni's job. Xiaoxi Chen accompanied him to the reception center of the company. When a sales manager saw Zion Ni, he rushed to meet him. This person seems familiar to Zion Ni he might be some important manager but he couldn't recall the person's name. He quickly turned his head a little to asked Xiaoxi Chen: "Do you know who is he?"

"It says North region manager, Louis during the phone appointment!"

Zion Ni walked quickly striding forward and reach out his hand, firmly grasp Louis's hand, the left hand at the same time tap him on the shoulder, with the same enthusiasm as Hawaiian sun and said: " Manager Louis, how are you?"

Louis felt very happy as Gu Corp Manager Ni still remember him, he smiled warmly like a sunflower in bloom before he speaks, hurriedly said: Manager Ni how are you!" Xiaoxi Chen stood to look at the side and feel happy in her heart but she did not dare to show it out and just smile without making any sound, Zion Ni acts like he has known him for many years, too enthusiastic.

Until Louis left, Zion Ni turned back to look at Xiaoxi Chen. "See, whenever you meet unfamiliar people, you should also be enthusiastic, however, the order had been completed right?!"

Xiaoxi Chen nodded and admired from the bottom of her heart.

"Let's go, I will treat you for dinner, alright?

"Thank you Manager Ni, I have something to do at night!" Xiaoxi Chen refused with a smile. She had to pick up Chao and sell the goods at night. There was no time for dinner!

"Alright! How about tomorrow?" Zion Ni asked again, he looked as if he couldn't stop.

"Manager Ni, I am not free at night!"

"Then how about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Hmm!" Xiaoxi Chen looked at his serious face and sighed helplessly. "Manager Ni, I have something else to do. I should go first!"

"Xiaoxi, what's wrong with having a meal? It's not like going to hell". Zion Ni really doesn't understand why the tactic he used to chase a girl didn't work on Xiaoxi.

"Xiaoxi, the CEO said his arrival is at six-thirty in the evening and he said you personally pick him up and report the recent progress of cooperation project!" Secretary Qi Feng told Xiaoxi Chen as she was about to leave the office.

Xiaoxi frowned and looked at her watch. It was five o'clock and fifty minutes now, which means she only had forty minutes to get to the airport. She quickly grabs the phone and calls Chaoxing, then she took her bag and leave immediately.

Mei looked at the back of Xiaoxi Chen thoughtfully and muttered a sentence. "Secretary Feng, why do I think of… the CEO seems to have asked Xiaoxi to pick him up personally, is there really any special relationship between them?"

"Impossible!" It was Xui Huang's retort. "The CEO takes Emma Brown to go on a business trip, how possible that the boss will like this kind of low-class woman like Xiaoxi Chen?"

"Oh, you sound like a jealous girlfriend Miss Huang! Mei said it in a sarcastic manner.

"You… whatever!

Saturday and Sunday were fine and there were no harassing phone calls from Rouzhen. Monday. Xiaoxi Chen enters the company with some trepidation. After all, she didn't pick up the CEO that day, not sure whether he will be mad.

"Dear Xiaoxi, what are you dozing off? Zion Ni loud voices are heard.

"Manager Ni, good morning!" Xiaoxi Chen greeted politely, glancing behind him, has the CEO not come yet? "I dunno if he had come to work today? He replied.

"Give me a cup of coffee!" A deep, announcement-like voice came, and Xiaoxi was appalled, why did the CEO get to work early?

"Hmm! Came already! Go faster and send a cup of coffee to my office, did you forget it?"

"Yes sir, I'm sorry I thought you didn't arrive yet!" Xiao made coffee and sent over to Rouzhen's room.

After she knocked on the door and get in, she saw him behind his desk smoking a cigarette with his head down. The smell of smoke filled the room with some choking smell. Xiaoxi was thinking that he must have come earlier than her, and he smoked a lot today.

"Sir, your coffee!" Xiaoxi Chen put the coffee on the table.

After putting it down she hurriedly want to leave, suddenly, his voice was heard. "Why you did not come to pick me up? Is it really hard for you to do it?"

She's swallowing her saliva upon hearing his words, Xiaoxi was surprised and did not bother to explain the fact that no one will pick up her son if she will not do it: "It's after working hours and there's no rule against paying for extra work so I don't have to do it!"

Rouzhen Gu shot down the ash in the ashtray beside him and suddenly stood up. Then he strode towards her. Xiaoxi Chen was so scared and take a step back.

He stands in front of her, the tall figure of oppression appeared and the smell of cigarette swept in. "CEO, if you think that I am not suitable to be your secretary, you may fire me immediately!" She said bravely.

He didn't say a word, but Xiaoxi Chen found that he was looking at herself with an unfathomable face, and his slender body slowly leaned towards her direction.

The heavy cigarette flavor on his body can instantly smell, which lingered into her nostril, mixed with a faint smell. It was very fresh and seemed to be the fragrance of expensive cologne, but somehow like the poisonous one that makes her weak floating within the breath that activates her whole body cells.

Rouzhen Gu has a faint facial expression with his eyes flash with teasing light, and he reached out her hand to touch Xiaoxi Chen's hair. He was looking passionately in her innocent and beautiful face. Damn, he was then again driven by his ŀustful dėsɨrė with this woman, her aura makes him felt crazy. Xiaoxi Chen's eyes were straightened up and looked at him dully. Her face was ruddy and the bright color seemed to drip out of the blood.

She thought of his kiss that night! What does he want to do this time?

"You have a patch of cotton in your hair!" Concealing a smile, Rouzhen Gu out his slender fingers across her face, fell on the hair and then lightly flip it, then he looked thoughtfully at Xiaoxi Chen at sat back on his chair.

Cotton wool? Xiaoxi Chen slowly moves her sight to Rouzhen Gu's body who already returned to the table and then looked at him with suspicion.

For the first time Xiaoxi Chen found that he is not only had a cold face but a clever one, his mouth seems to have a fox-like smile. Thinking that way flashes an old memory of that man who destroyed her life five years ago.

After a while, Xiaoxi Chen suddenly became angry and said: " you did it on purpose!"

"Purposely do what?" Rouzhen Gu acting innocent and asked without looking at her.

"Purpose…" hesitating for a long time and really do not know how to express her thoughts, Xiaoxi was so frustrated and beep her mouth, cold hum once and lowered her head, she thinks that there is something wrong, also did not catch him having a devilish smile on his face.

"Whatever!" she suddenly out of words to say.

Rouzhen Gu's smile fades immediately and looks at her without any facial expression. "What's wrong? Thinking of something? Perhaps a kiss from me?"

"It's an autumn season, where's the cotton came from?" She finally realized, blurted her opinion.

Rouzhen Gu flashes a sly from the bottom of his eye and changed the topic. "Why didn't you pick me up last Friday? Did Secretary Feng forget to inform you?

"She told me but I don't feel like going!"

He felt mad but he controlled his temper, this woman really so stubborn. "Is the proposal done?" He asked another topic and seemingly oblivious of her bad mood.

She did not answer him. She pissed him off several times in a row and now she did provoke him again but why he didn't fire her?

"Miss Xiaoxi Chen, where is the proposal?" Rouzhen raised a playful smile.

"I will go and get it now!"

"Directly take your proposal to the conference room, today major department regular meeting will be held, I hope your proposal can stand up to scrutiny in other's judgment!" Rouzhen Gu said and stand up. " Go downstairs to the conference room at the fifty-eight floor!

"Yes!"

All the managers and heads of all departments are here in the conference room. Xiaoxi already showed up with her proposal anxiously and all of them were curious about what she had prepared.

The main door was suddenly pushed by someone and the crowd rose to their feet and greet him in the chorus, "Good morning CEO Gu!"

Rouzhen walked steadily into the conference room, followed by Zion Ni and secretary Feng behind.

Rouzhen Gu took the lead to take the seat. Xiaoxi was already there waiting for him to let her present her proposal. This is the first time she joined a meeting with other department heads, she was so nervous because she thinks about how she will going to start presenting her proposal. She turned her head to look at the crowd, sweep her sight to all of them and she saw Rouzhen looking at her.

Zion Ni blinked his eyes and then turn to his seat beside Rouzhen Gu. He is signaling Xiaoxi to relax and be ready. Xiaoxi Chen feels a little uneasy.

"Secretary Chen, relax!" this is the first word said by Rouzhen Gu as he came in. She remains silent trying to fix her composure.

"Let's begin the meeting." Rouzhen Gu put his hands flat on the arm of the chair, slightly crossed on the ċhėst, waiting for the meeting report. The manager of each department reported the situation of last week methodically.

When everyone finished their tasked, Rouzhen said: "secretary Chen, it's your turn to tell us about the proposal cooperation with AVL!"

Xiaoxi Chen takes a deep breath, slowly get up and walk to the center where the projector is located. Look up with a professional smile on her face, hoping to cover her nervousness with a smile. Then she plugged in her ŀȧptop to the projector and started to talk looking her presentation on the screen. "Everyone knows that the host of this winter fashion show is our Gu Corp in collaboration with AVL. The show is different from the previous fashion shows, this time we will move the stage to outdoor and let the larger crowd join our event.

She spoke as calm as she could and let others think that she is feeling confident. Rouzhen Gu's eyes involuntarily sweep to her and paused his sight on her fair small face that added a more profound meaning. The little mouth was coherent and sonorous, and her face which had no make-up on it matched with the natural color lips, unlike those women he knew, her body and eyes are purely natural...make Rouzhen think about her again and again. His little boy had a huge resemblance of her, so fragile…

"The initial budget is $5 million USD, but the outdoor show can accommodate 50,000 people. The VIP table is set for 4,000 people, in between, there are 2,000 regional distributor participants. Another 2,000 seats reserved for reporters from newspapers, TV station, social media outlets, and bloggers. These people can carry alone the best advertising effect that will bring a possible profit of 1 million USD in a row during that time.

"Secretary Chen, how can you make sure that it can bring such a huge profit to our company?" Someone begins to ask questions.

"According to the previous statistics, last year Gu Corp company spent 40 million dollars on TV advertisements and major newspapers ads, I believe everyone clearly had comparison how much profit we can bring in when bring out our fashion show to an open venue. TV stations, magazines, newspapers, social media bloggers along with VIP guests have huge followers whom our major target market. We invited the major television stations in our country to do the live broadcast of our fashion show, they have certain influence across our country and abroad. I think we don't need to invite the whole Gu family to avoid additional costs, now from your own perspective with this huge target market having lesser budget costs would our company not going to earn?" She asked confidently.

She looked confident and smiled at all of them, waiting for the next question.

Her sight inadvertently met with Rouzhen Gu deep eyes and did not avoid, as if to ask him whether he would have any question. Then she saw him and Zion Ni eyes interact with each other that only the two of them understand what it means.

Rouzhen asked again. "Secretary Chen, the season is already autumn and it is an evening show, do you ever consider the humid temperature inside the dressing room of all our model's?"

She smiled confidently. "CEO Gu, the plan has been written, we will build a temporary backstage with centralized air conditioning to keep it cool. I've coordinated the supplier for these materials needed and the entire backstage is huge enough to let the model's move freely during the show.

Zion Ni nodded in satisfaction, hmm as new project coordinator, she is really doing great!

Secretary Qi Feng looked Xiaoxi with admiration too! The meeting was finally concluded after the discussion. The crowd left the meeting room one by one, Zion Ni walked towards Xiaoxi and praised her with a generous exclamation, "Xiaoxi you're doing great!"

He did not expect that if she made it in a short period of time, and she did it so well. No wonder that Jenny Smith who was always arrogant treated her differently and invited her to a meal. So, it looks like her ability was strong.

Xiaoxi Chen smiled shyly. "Thank you, manager Ni for guiding me as well!"

Rouzhen Gu suddenly stopped before he walked out of the conference room and turned around, deeply looked at her who still in front of the projector. Xiaoxi Chen felt something hit her heart the way he stares her and unexpectedly has some tension without knowing the reason.

"Rou, you have something to say?" Zion Ni asked him.

Rouzhen Gu deep eyes flash an unknown faint light, sip his lips, then said: "if the profit of this season's winter clothing is really reaching to 100 million USD, your bonus will have 50 times of your salary!"

"Wow! Rouzhen you are so generous to her!" Zion Ni said.

Xiaoxi was shocked and suddenly showed a shy smile, will there really be that day? And her smile, let both of them astonished.

"Xiaoxi, you are great!" before she had reached her desk, Mei came to her and hugged Xiaoxi. "Secretary Qi Feng said you were excellent!"

"No!" Xiaoxi Chen shook her head a little discomfort with Mei intimate action. "The CEO is here!"

"Hehe!" Mei immediately returned to her seat, eyes like a rat clinging to Rouzhen Gu, not long after he came back, lowered his head and discussed something to Zion, then he entered his room.

Xui Huang walked out from the secretary room and her sight dropped at Xiaoxi Chen's face with a tiny flash and twist her buŧŧ to the pantry.

Lunch at the company's restaurant, Xiaoxi is eating with Mei Zhao and Xui Huang came from nowhere carrying a very hot soup. When she passed by beside Xiaoxi Chen, suddenly her plate tilted and knocked over!

"Ahhh... " Miss Huang shouted. "sorry, Xiaoxi, I didn't do it intentionally!"

"So hot!" Xiaoxi Chen said in lower sound. Her armed got scalded immediately.

"Ah, it's bubbling!" Mei Zhao noticed that the hot soup was all over Xiaoxi's arm. "Xiaoxi, are you okay? Your arm gets burned, do you feel pain?"

Al the diners looked at them, some were showing sympathetic looked and some of them were gloating, but no one spoke because everyone knew that Xui Huang is Rouzhen Gu rumored treasure girl.

"Xiaoxi, sorry, I really don't mean it!" Xui Huang face is full of fake apologies.

Xiaoxi Chen shook her head, she's silently gritted teeth cause she feels the pain from her scald arm and it has been stretching several bubbles. "Never mind, I know you didn't mean it!

Xiaoxi Chen said calmly but Mei felt bad and aggrieved for her. "Secretary Huang, you'll slip on such wide road, it really terrific. Save your fake apology and try to be more cautious with your act. Don't be too arrogant because we are equal here as an employee of Gu Corp!"