Can I Not Marry

Chapter 62: The mysterious bouquet!

“Ah!” A scream came from the front desk rang, Du Lei Si hid behind the counter, with a panicked expression on her face: “Quickly take it away, take it away!”

The delivery guy from the florist guys held the bouquet of roses feeling very helpless, this is the third time this has happened. Every single time he came to deliver roses to Miss Du Lei Si with the very bold name, he always encounter such treatment from her.

In fact, this you can not be entirely blame Du Lei Si, if you need someone to take the blame, blame it on the mysterious person who has nothing better to do than to send bouquet of roses to her.

Before, if it weren’t for the pollen from the bouquet of roses causing her to have an allergic reaction, would she for no particular reason run off to the locker room to change her clothes?? If she didn’t go to the locker room, would she be followed by the President?? If it weren’t because of the President, would she be kissed confusingly and disoriently in the locker room, and even……

Thinking to this point, her face blushed red once again.

Excessive, truly too excessive!

Watching Du Lei Si’s face suddenly change from pale to scarlet, the flower delivery guy said: “Miss, if you don’t accept it, it’ll be very difficult for me to tell explain to my boss!” It’s not easy coming out to society to earn money, why must this female worker make things hard for him a young male worker?

“Don’t, don’t come over!” Du Lei Si anxiously shouted, she pointed her finger to Long Xiao Hua on the side, “Give it to her, give it to her instead!”

“Lei Si, it’s not very good to do things this way, right?” Long Xiao Hua who have taken three days worth of roses was starting to feel embarrass, “Regardless these roses are sent to you as a gift, that person also has good intentions, you should just……”

“I don’t want it!” Du Lei Si shouted like a slaughtered pig, “Xiao Hua, take pity on me this hay fever patient! In my next life I’ll work like a horse for you, please take it away!”

She has already spoken in such a way, Long Xiao Hua could only heave a sigh: Taking the bouquet of roses from the flower delivery. Alas, the morals of the world is really strange, the person who received roses didn’t want to accept them, yet a person like her who wants to receive flowers, no one was willing to send them! Life is so bitter ah!

While Long Xiao Hua was lamenting, she walked into the office with the bouquet of roses, carelessly without looking she bumped into a certain person wearing a face filled with woes.

“I’m sorry Jason, I didn’t notice you!” Long Xiao Hua busily tried to apologize.

“It’s okay.” Jason said, suddenly his eyes landed on the bouquet of roses in her hands, “Oh? You’re boyfriend gifted you those?”

“How could it be!” Long Xiao Hua said with a frustration, “Other’s didn’t want it so gave them to me!”

“Receiving roses and still didn’t want them?”

“Yeah! It’s your cousin Du Lei Si ah! She said something about having hay fever, simply insisting to give the roses to me, I have already received the three days worth of roses! Balabalabala……”

Next whatever Long Xiao Hua said, Jason did not listen to it, because his depressed brain have finally began to quickly jolt up with ideas.

Ever since the previous time Du Lei Si threaten him to sent the visitor’s list in her place, the President have bear a grudge against him, occasionally he (Lian Jun) would blurt out the word “Uncle” to frighten him, he is an almost forty-year old man, if things continue this way he will advance into menopause! For the sake of his own health. Jason decided to become a villain.

If the President found that another man was trying to pursue his wife, he will put all of his attention on the matter, then he (Jason) wouldn’t have to live his days on tenterhooks!

Haha, this is a great idea!

So Jason wasted no time and ran to the President’s office, in front Lian Jun who was going through files, he made a tip-off. After finishing his report, he eagerly looked at Lian Jun with anticipation: Erupt President!!

It was a long time before Lian Jun slowly raised his head, and calmly said: “Uncle, I know.”

……

Jason hung his head as he left the President’s, originally he wanted to divert the President’s attention, he did not expect the President to be so confident on his own charms, he didn’t even asked a single sentence regarding the issue, it seems like he this “Uncle” role will continue for a long period of time.

After Jason left, Lian Jun finished looking through all the files, then he neither fast nor slow made a call.

“Pres…… President!?”

After a loud yell, the entire front desk suddenly became very quiet, everyone was trying to perk up their ears to listen to the conversation.

“President, hel……lo! What can I do for you?” Xiao wang’s expression was overwhelmed by an unexpected favour, her hands were trembling.

“What’s wrong with him?” Du Lei Si asked Long Xiao Hua.

(So apparently Xiao Wang is male, I thought he was a “she”)

“You don’t know? President Lian has always been Xiao wang’s idol, allegedly even his computer background is set with President Lian’s photos.”

Xiao Wang and Lian Jun?? Du Lei Si could not help but feel a burst of chills.

“It’s strange that President Lian recently seems to be very concerned about our front desk,” Long Xiao Hua mumbled to herself.

“Is it?” Du Lei Si suddenly felt a bit guilty.

“Yes, President’s Lian work is usually very hectic. I’ve heard that he doesn’t even have time to go home.”

Du Lei Si was slightly embarrassed for a moment, clearly everyday he returns home promptly to torture her!

“It couldn’t be that exaggerated……” She said sheepishly.

“What exaggerated? I’m telling you, the current business elites, most of them are workaholics, aged thirty or forty years old who have yet to wed a wife, they are also considered as a diamond bachelor. Actually everything is a lie to deceive young girls, for them their work is everything, whoever marries them will have misfortune upon them! Lei Si, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” Du Lei Si wiped her sweat, “I suddenly feel fated to this misfortune feeling……”

Her sentence wasn’t finished when Xiao Wang suddenly rushed over.

“Xiao Du, phone…… phone call” Xiao wang’s facial expression contain joys doped with a little excitement, within those excitement there was a mixture of some panic, seeing this made Du Lei Si shudder with fear.

“Who is it?” She asked.

“The President!”

Du Lei Si’s heart slightly trembled in fear.

When she answered the phone call, she could feel the shooting glazes from all sides, even Su Mali who passed by stop to observing the situation.

“hello.” She said softly.

“Are you accustomed to your work yet?”

“It’s all right……”

“Did you eat yet?”

“I have just eaten……”

“In the evening, let’s go home together.”

“Okay……”

“Okay, I’m hanging up.”

“En……”

Then the “beep…… beep……” sounds came from the phone, Du Lei Si who still held onto the phone has turned into a statue.

It was clear that the President intentionally make that phone call to embarrass her. These sort of things, he could have sent her a text message or even asked her at home. However, he chose to call the reception and say these on the company’s phone, causing all those who were unaware of the truth to set their eyes on her. Those naked eyes was what you call…… murdering a person with a borrowed knife!

Sure enough, not long after all her colleagues rushed over, especially Xiao Wang, with an urgent expression he asked: “Xiao Du, what did the President say to you?”

“That’s right! What did he say? Quickly tell us!” Those besides her all said in unison.

Du Lei Si was embarrassed, she couldn’t tell them that the President called to asked whether she had dinner, right?

“President Lian called to…… get an understanding of new employees’ working conditions!”

“No that can’t be right,” the crowd burst as if they were in a pot of hot frying oil, “why didn’t I receive a call from the President when I first entered in the company?”

“Yes that’s right, this is also very strange! Xiao Du, could it be you and President Lian previously known each other beforehand?”

“That’s impossible!” Du Lei Si anxiously said, “you guys should stop making…… disorderly guesses. In fact, President Lian…… he’s actually…… actually is randomly selecting employees to conduct some surveys!” She managed to find an excuse and started to add inflammatory details to start adding the trimmings as she explained herself, saying a coincidence became a probability, from a probability to came down to one’s luck, to finally she firmly draw a conclusion that President Lian picked her because her name is special, just one glance at her he decided to pick her!

“I understand!” Xiao Wang said as he patted his head, “if I was called Wang bai[1], the President would have called me instead!”

Xiao Wang, you finally spoke the truth! Du Lei Si was so excited that her face was almost filled with streaks of tears.

This horror of the episode eventually didn’t set off big waves due to Du Lei Si’s wits, however that day when Du Lei Si returned home, she became very depressed.

She deeply felt that if she continues to do things sneakily, eventually she will have schizophrenia.

“You don’t have to wait for me tomorrow, I can go home by bus,” She said.

“Why?” Lian Jun calmly asked.

“It’s because of your phone call today!” Once Du Lei Si thought of it again, she became very annoyed, her tone also became a few degrees heavier, “if you have need anything you should just call my cell phone, why must you call the front desk line? Did you know you almost had exposed my identity today!”

What if others discover her travelling in the President’s car after work? Even if she has ten mouths she still wouldn’t be able to explain the situation.

“You don’t want to let other’s know of our relationship?” Lian Jun’s voice suddenly became serious.

Du Lei Si who was in the middle of complaining suddenly froze, she realize her attitude before may have come across as excesses, she quickly tried to explain in a sweet and girly voice: “What I meant to say is, in fact our relationship as long as we know it, it’s fine. We don’t necessarily have to let the employee’s at company know as well…… don’t you think so?” She said, secretly took a glance at Lian Jun’s reaction from the corners of her eyes.

He started driving the car and did not answer her.

Sure enough, the President still got angry!

That day, when they returned home, for the entire night Lian Jun ignored Du Lei Si, even when she was sleeping, he is still in the study looking through files, which made Du Lei Si feel extremely suffocated.

Actually this time she really didn’t do anything wrong, she just didn’t want to become the topic of gossip among the entire company, is this demand too much to ask for? Besides, even if her attitude was slightly poor, she also quickly apologized to him, why must the President fuss over such a small issue with her?

The more Du Lei Si thought, the more she felt the President was being too excessive, ever since they wedded, regardless of whether the issue is big or small he’ll make the decision, she never once only disobeyed his commands. In retrospect, this is simply the model of a male chauvinism! New China was founded 60 years ago, women have been liberated for already more than half a century, she as an independent contemporary Chinese women, how could she be lenient towards villains and let them grow, letting the President indulge on such bad habits of the old society?

She absolutely can not compromise!

Du Lei Si clenched her hands into a fist, raising it in a forty-five degrees angle looking up at the sky, she vowed to fight the forces of evil, vowed to fight to the end!

The next day, Du Lei Si woke up early at the break of dawn, she got on the bus to head to work without eating breakfast.

Since it was too early, it wasn’t even morning peak when she reached the company, the entire office building was even closed.

After staring at the closed-door in a daze, Du Lei Si felt hungry.

Ah! If she knew earlier she would have eaten something before heading out today, and only when she has eaten enough will she have the strength to head into battle with the President!

Du Lei Si regretfully rubbed her belly and started thinking whether were any breakfast shop nearby, while her eyes scouring her surroundings, suddenly a containing bag breakfast was presented before her.

Du Lei Si thought if it was the President, she would forgive him.

However, as she looked down at the hand that was holding the paper bag, she was filled with disappointment.

“It’s you?” She dryly crooked the corners of her mouth.

Xiao Yin stared blankly at her: “Du Du, you are in a bad mood?”

“No la.” She shook her head, “I’m just a little sleepy…… that’s right, how come you’re here?” Du Lei Si quizzically looked at Xiao Yin, it’s only six o’clock in the morning, for him to suddenly appeared here holding the breakfast, it’s simply too strange!

“Stop looking,” Xiao Yin smiled, “That’s right, I followed you here.”

“What?” Du Lei Si looked at him with astonishment, “did you followed me?”

“Don’t make it sound so bad! I was on my morning run and passed the entrance of your home, early in the morning I saw you running out, I was afraid something might happen to you, so I just follow you.”

“Morning run?” Du Lei Si eyed Xiao Yin from head to toe, and indeed he was wearing a pair of sportswear, “I did not expect such a playboy like you would have such healthy living habits.”

Xiao Yin laughed: “Du Du, you wouldn’t think I was the kind to indulge in wine all day, be in the world of wine and women, a man who couldn’t differentiate morning from night, right?”

Du Lei Si nodded.

For a moment, Xiao Yin was choked and said: “Well, I admit there was a period of time where I was relatively wild, but……” He winked at her, “I’ve been abstinence for a long time.”

Poof! Du Lei Si spray out her saliva.

“Xiao Da Gong Zi[2], you wouldn’t be having intentions to become a monk, right?” Du Lei Si didn’t know why, but her eyes suddenly appeared Jordan Chan‘s version of Wei Xiao Bao[3], wearing a cassock[4]. Facing such a doublet scenes, not giving him any face she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Du Du, you want to laugh at me, you also don’t have to make it so obvious, right?” Xiao Yin frowned.

Du Lei Si was choked with laughter, holding onto her stomach: “So…… sorry! I just feel that it’s very…… very funny! Hahaha……”

Xiao Yin was speechless.

After a while, when she finally finished laughing, she had felt as if she was going to faint, so very bluntly she took the hamburg from Xiao Yin’s hands and maliciously bit a mouthful of it.

“En…… it’s…… very…… deilicious……” She spat out those few words as she continued chewing on the hamburger.

“Du Du, you behaving like this isn’t very lady like.” Xiao Yin said.

Du Lei Si merely swallowed the last bit of the hamburger down, and stared at Xiao Yin as if she was looking at an alien, “You are too OUT[5]! I’m tell you in this time and age there’s no need for one to present themselves like a wise and virtuous woman, a woman who lacks virtuous is talented[6], understand?”

Xiao Yin was choked speechless.

“Du Du, you are really special, worthy of being the woman I like.”

This time it was Du Lei Si who was choked speechless, covering her mouth as she coughed.

Brother, I’m still eating my breakfast! Can you not frighten me like this? She didn’t openly say this, however she used sad eyes to silently condemned Xiao Yin.

“Du Du, I’m being serious.” Xiao Yin’s expression suddenly became solemn, “I like you,”

“You! *Cough cough*…… *cough cough cough*……”

Once again Du Lei Si choked until tears stream down her face, she continued to cough as she wiped away the tears, “You don’t tell me those bouquet of roses were sent by you ah?”

Xiao Yin nodded.

This time Du Lei Si was completely speechless.

He wouldn’t be serious, right? He likes her? Oh my God! It’s unimaginable!

In the past, she has always thought Xiao Yin’s frivolous behaviour was due to his Playboy habits, she never thought that he would unexpectedly earnestly like her, this is really hard to accept!

Besides, she was a married woman, although her family contain a male chauvinism President who slightly liked to bully her, who’s slightly selfish, but also slightly parsimonious. Even though she’s been crazily abused, however she likes him to death!

Thinking to this point, Du Lei Si could not help but feel array grief.

“Du Du?” Xiao Yin’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “are you listening to me?”

Uh

Du Lei Si paused for a moment and thought of the President, she actually didn’t pay any attention to what Xiao Yin said after, if he (Xiao Yin) knew she was absent-minded while he was confessing, he must feel very sad. Du Lei Si pondered for a moment before she decided to lie to him: “Oh, I’ve heard it! How can I not have heard it? Hahaha……” She laughed rather guilty.

Xiao Yin’s complexion darken: “What are your thoughts?”

“Me……” Du Lei Si creased her eyebrows together, what did Xiao Yin just say to her? She estimated it must have been a deep love confession vindicating his feelings, ah forget it! Doesn’t matter what he said she’s going to decline regardless!

She made an awkward expression as she said: “As a matter of fact…… I don’t have anything worth for you to like! I…… I’m really stupid, put off my work with all sorts of excuses, I can’t even differentiate North, South, East and West…… balabalabala……” Du Lei Si racked her brains out to express her shortcomings, “So, I think you should think things thoroughly……”

“I just want you.” Xiao Yin interrupted her speech, his tone was very firm.

Du Lei Si’s mouth twitch: Handsome guy, I’ve said so much, how come you still don’t understand my intentions? She harden her heart, closing her eyes, she lowered her head as she said: “I am sorry, I can not accept you.”

Suddenly the surrounding became very quiet, Xiao Yin’s eyes suddenly darken even more, and after a long time, he suddenly smiled as she said: “Actually, I had expected this……” Once he said this he leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

Du Lei Si became slightly ignorant. Why did he suddenly hug her? Her astonished soul haven’t returned when he suddenly planted a warm kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you, at least giving me a chance to kiss you.” Xiao Yin let go of her, and took a step back, “however……” He blink, “if you suddenly like me, I will return to your side the very chance I get.”

He then turned to leave, leaving Du Lei Si still in a daze.

What give him a chance to kiss her? My mother, who can tell her what he just said?!

T_____T

Just as she was thinking hard on the issue, a black Land Rover not far from her slowly moving, disappeared in the corner.

A cool breeze blow over making Du Lei Si shivered.

Note:

[1] 王八 means turtle the Wang in turtle is the same character is the Wang in 小王 Xiao Wang.

[2] 大公子 Da Gong Zi: son of nobility

[3] 韋小寶 Wéi Xiáo Bǎo is the protagonist of the novel, The Deer and the Cauldron. During one of the series task Kangxi Emperor gave him, he was order to become a monk to protect the late Emperor Shunzhi.

[4] What a cassock looks like

[5] What Du Lei Si meant as Xiao Yin is too old fashion.

[6] Du Du changed the words ‘talent'(才) and ‘virtuous'(德) around in the idiom: 女子無才便是德 which translates as ‘a woman who lacks talent is virtuous.’