"Can I choose not to open it?"
"No."
"..."
"..."
"I just won't accept it then."
"..."
Lu Chen's eyes paused for a few seconds on her face before he pushed the doc.u.ment to her hands, letting go of it. If one is looking closely, you'll even see the slight curl at the corner of his lips but Xiu Mei completely missed this, and instead, her sight was glued on the folder on her hands.
She froze in her place and treated the folder as if it was a bomb that would explode once she moves even just a bit.
Whatever is in this…. Xiu Mei is definitely sure that it's not good.
Judging by Lu Chen's tone, it's something she would dread to know… or something that was better left unknown. Xiu Mei's gut feelings are screaming to 'Do not open!' this ominous folder.
She took one last suspicious look at Lu Chen who looked so tall beside her as he looked over her as if he was a supervisor waiting for the student to comply with his words.
Should she just run away? No, she won't even get past the nurses' reception at all.
Fling it away? I doubt Lu Chen would allow her to throw it away just like that.
...Curse him out?
Xiu Mei peeked at the little kid sleeping beside her. Nah, there's a kid in here. Definitely not the best words a child could listen to.
Or should I just resign right at this moment? So that Lu Chen won't have the right to order her to open this file?
Xiu Mei carefully considered the idea and she found this wonderful. This may be the best option out of all the current options.
"I resign!"
"Resignation denied."
"Why?!"
"Because I said so."
"You can't do that! That's against the law."
"No, because you didn't email any resignation letter at all."
"I can write one now."
"I won't allow you to." Lu Chen then quickly grabbed her laptop sitting at her sidetable just within her reach.
Xiu Mei hissed in annoyance as she glared at him. Her eyes jumped as if remembering something. She quickly pulled out her phone and spoke.
"Actually I remember I've prepared one before."
"Letter not accepted." Lu Chen grabbed the phone from her hands and hid it in his inner pocket. His movements stopped when he realized what Xiu Mei had said.
"Wait, what? Why do you have a prepared resignation letter?" His eyes narrowed at the woman in front of him. Since when was she planning to leave the company?
"Hey, that's my phone!" Xiu Mei attempted to snatch back her phone but exceptionally failed.
"Xiu Mei, were you planning to leave the company?" He grabbed her wrist to stop her hands from reaching towards his inner pocket anymore.
"What? No! Give me my phone back!" She rose from her bed and attempted to pull out her hand from Lu Chen's grasp which he held firmly.
"Then why do you have a resignation letter prepared beforehand?"
If she's not planning to leave, why does that piece of letter even exists at all?!
"Just in case!"
Damn it, Lu Chen is clearly being weird today. He's even saying a few more words outside the conference room! Did he also hit his head or something?
Xiu Mei grunted in annoyance as her other free hand still tried to snatch back her phone from his possession.
"What do you mean by just in case?" Lu Chen almost got speechless with Xiu Mei's answers. He walked to the other side of the bed on her side whilst keeping her other hand in his grasp.
His eyes grew slightly colder as he questioned what kind of thoughts are actually running in Xiu Mei's everyday to come up with an idea of preparing a resignation letter beforehand?
Did she think he'll fire her someday? Or once the company gets bankrupt or involved in a serious scandal then she'll run away immediately?
Really this girl! Should he teach her a lesson? Did she really think he was that kind of person?
"Just in case is just in case!" Xiu Mei tried to reason out with Lu Chen but it seemed that he wouldn't budge unless she answers him seriously so she just threw out whatever she thought of to grab back her phone. "I was just kidding okay. Heck, I wasn't even planning to resign anytime soon you know. So please, just give me back my phone?"
Lu Chen looked at Xiu Mei as if he didn't believe her words at all.
"Did you think you could fool me?"
"Before, no. But seeing your reaction right now, I think I'd have to change that opinion very soon."
"Are you really not resigning?"
"No."
"Really?"
"I really won't resign, okay! It was just a joke."
God, why is it so hard to reason out with an ice block who somehow looks like a fool right now. Xiu Mei complained in her mind.
"Then let's renew your employee contract."
"Why?"
"You said you won't leave so to make sure you keep your words, let's renew your contract."
"Hey, are you saying I can't resign at all in the future?!"
"So you are planning to resign after all?" Lu Chen narrowed his eyes again at Xiu Mei.
"Didn't I just say I won't?"
"Then there's no problem with renewing your contract right?"
Lu Chen then finally freed her arm as he pulled out a pen from his pocket and tapped on the folder on her lap. "Sign it."
"Are you crazy?"
Damn it, why is it so hard to communicate with a person on a different wavelength! Xiu Mei felt like pulling out her hair in frustration right at this moment.
"No. Sign." Lu Chen grabbed her hand and placed the pen on her palm. He pressed her fingers to curl over the pen, making her hold it.
Xiu Mei was so speechless over Lu Chen's childish argument that she couldn't think of anything to argue back anymore. It felt like if she continued to fight with him because of her resignation, she still wouldn't end up winning anyway.
Fine. If that's what he wants, then just renew it! It's not like she'll be leaving the company anytime soon anyway.
Xiu Mei clicked her tongue in annoyance as she finally opened the folder. She quickly signed on the signature space at the bottom of the page where her name was printed on. Putting the cap back on of the fountain pen, she threw back some words at Lu Chen.
"Happy now?"
She did not hide her annoyance at all as she glared back at him. She paused and fell into confusion when she finally saw a smile on Lu Chen's face. She stopped for a few seconds and recognized that smile. It looked like…. A triumphant smile?
Xiu Mei was suddenly puzzled as to why Lu Chen's mood suddenly turned 180 degrees, different from his childish self a few seconds ago. It took her a few more seconds before she realized what happened.
Her eyes swiftly fell on the pen on her hands…. And then on the paper she had just signed a few seconds ago.
Oh my god.
OH.MY.GOD.
What did she just do?!