The Cold President's Adorkable Girlfriend - Chapter 5

“Are you leaving or not?” Xu Kaihan was done wasting time with her.

“Of course I’m leaving, but not with you.” He Yueya made her stance clear.

“Fine. If you don’t want to leave with me, but I want to stay with you, then we’ll do things my way.” Xu Kaihan said as he picked her up and carried her toward the elevator.

“Put me down!” He Yueya struggled and shouted.

“Feel free to shout louder. I’m not bothered in the slightest.” Xu Kaihan teased her with a mischievous grin.

“What if I DO shout louder?”

“Great, go ahead. Maybe you’ll even manage to get Li Er from across the hall to hear you.” Xu Kaihan bantered back with a smirk, clearly enjoying their exchange.

“Mmph-” He Yueya’s eyes widened as she clamped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from yelling further.

“Put me down! I can walk by myself.” He Yueya continued struggling, draped over his shoulder.

“Stop wriggling. Knowing you, you’ll probably trip over your own feet. I seriously don’t know how you’ve survived this long. Truly, some people are just blessed with dumb luck,” Xu Kaihan sighed, finally setting her down but keeping an arm wrapped firmly around her waist to prevent another bout of struggling.

“Yueya, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now? I had a feeling you’d be up to no good the moment you were gone for that long.” Wang Li Er spotted them from a distance and hurried over, concern etched across her face.

“Li Er… I…”

“Are you the owner here?” Xu Kaihan interrupted, turning to Wang Li Er.

“Yes, I am. I’m not sure what Yueya did wrong, but whatever it is, our shop will take full responsibility.” Wang Li Er said earnestly.

“So this adorkable girl really is as much of a walking disaster as she looks,” Xu Kaihan remarked, his expression unreadable.

“She might be scatterbrained at times, but I can assure you it’s never intentional. May I ask…?” Wang Li Er trailed off, puzzled about what Xu Kaihan’s intentions might be.

“Oh, it’s nothing major. The first time I met her, she spilled bento all over me and promised to replace my ruined suit with a new one.” Xu Kaihan brushed off the issue like it was no big deal.

“What? You’re the guy I doused in food last time?” He Yueya gasped as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs.

Oh no, he’s here to collect! What am I going to do? I don’t have the money! Even if I sold myself, I wouldn’t make enough to pay him back. What now? He Yueya’s thoughts were spiraling into full-blown panic.

“That’s right. Didn’t see this coming, huh?” Xu Kaihan couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at the sight of her flustered expression.

“I don’t have that much money right now, but I can use my entire monthly salary to pay you back. Please, believe me,” He Yueya said anxiously.

“How much do you even make in a month? I doubt your whole salary could even cover a month’s interest,” Xu Kaihan said matter-of-factly, kindly pointing out the harsh reality.

“Then… how about I come to your place every day at noon to help clean your house?” He Yueya persisted, unwilling to give up.

“This gentleman, why don’t you just say what you really want?” Wang Li Er asked him directly, cutting through the guessing game.

Xu Kaihan was enjoying teasing He Yueya, entertained by her flustered expressions. He liked seeing her this way-earnest yet adorably naive.

This man didn’t look like a shameless villain. Perhaps he wasn’t really after the money; maybe, Wang Li Er thought, he was interested in this adorkable girl. She glanced at him carefully, assessing his intentions.

“Actually, I think you’ve already guessed what I want. I’m just hoping you’ll make this easier for me,” Xu Kaihan said, now addressing Wang Li Er.

From her expression, Xu Kaihan could tell that not only was Wang Li Er a sharp and intuitive woman, but that she’d figured out his feelings for the “adorkable girl.” More importantly, she seemed to hold sway over He Yueya. This prompted him to be straightforward with her.

“Oh? What have I guessed? I haven’t guessed anything,” Wang Li Er replied, her eyes sparkling with a knowing and approving glint.

“If you don’t believe your assumption is correct, then perhaps we should talk in private. Would that be convenient?” Xu Kaihan said impassively, his gaze steady on Wang Li Er.

He wanted to learn more about this adorkable girl and, most importantly, find a way to bring her into his life as soon as possible. That way, he could take care of her-and ease the ache in his heart at the same time.

“Here’s the lunch I saved for you. Go eat it quickly, or you’ll end up with a stomachache again,” Wang Li Er said as she retrieved a lunchbox from behind the counter and handed it to He Yueya, deliberately trying to get her out of the way.

“Oh,” He Yueya replied, obediently taking the lunchbox and heading to sit at a nearby table.

“Alright, tell me-what do you want to talk about?” Wang Li Er asked, crossing her arms with a haughty expression.

“It’s simple. I just want her,” Xu Kaihan said, motioning toward the adorkable girl who was busy wolfing down her meal.

“Why?” So her instinct had been right all along.

“I don’t even know why myself,” Xu Kaihan admitted. “But if you really need a reason, I can only say… it feels right.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely sure,” he answered firmly.

“What do you need me to do?” Wang Li Er asked, getting straight to the point.

“I need her by my side,” Xu Kaihan stated without hesitation, revealing his intention.

“She’s not cut out for a big corporate job,” Wang Li Er pointed out bluntly, being honest about the undeniable truth. “And I’m sure you understand she’s not just a little clumsy-she’s on a whole other level of adorkable.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is the way she makes me feel-a feeling I’ve never experienced in my 28 years of life. I think this feeling… must be love.” Xu Kaihan admitted sincerely.

He believed honesty was the way to go when speaking to someone who genuinely cared about He Yueya.

“Alright, I’ll trust you. But if you ever hurt her, I won’t let you off the hook so easily,” Wang Li Er warned him.

She genuinely hoped He Yueya could find someone who truly loved her. With the protection and care of a loving partner, perhaps Yueya could finally move on from her past pain. Yueya, you must find happiness, Wang Li Er thought silently. Please believe that not everyone in this world is a betrayer. True love does exist.

“Starting next week,” Xu Kaihan added with a smile before walking over to where He Yueya was eating.

“I have to get back to work. Be careful when you walk, and remember to apply medicine to your leg when you get home. That’ll help the bruising fade faster,” Xu Kaihan bent down slightly so he could meet her gaze as he reminded her.

“Mm-mm-mm,” He Yueya nodded frantically, her mouth too stuffed with food to form proper words.

“Eat slower. No one’s going to steal your food,” Xu Kaihan said, ruffling her hair gently before turning and striding away.

What a strange guy, He Yueya thought, staring blankly as he walked off.

“Secretary Huang, come in for a moment,” Xu Kaihan called out to his secretary through the intercom on his desk.

“Understood,” Secretary Huang put down her half-eaten cake, tidied her fitted skirt, and walked toward the President’s office.

The President never called staff in during their breaks-what was going on today?

“Mr. President, what can I do for you?” Secretary Huang stood respectfully in front of Xu Kaihan’s desk.

“Secretary Huang, there’s no need to be so formal during break time,” Xu Kaihan said with a smile.

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

Xu Kaihan chuckled lightly at her still-formal demeanor.

“Is this yours, Secretary Huang?” Xu Kaihan asked, holding up a bracelet for her to see.

“No, that’s not mine,” Secretary Huang immediately shook her head.

“That’s odd. Whose could it be?” Xu Kaihan mused, puzzled.

“What is this…?” Secretary Huang asked, confused.

“Oh, I found this on my office floor this morning. I thought it might belong to you,” Xu Kaihan explained.

Strange. Aside from Secretary Huang, what other woman had been in his office? Could it be…? He narrowed his thoughts, piecing things together.

“Mr. President, I think I might have seen a bracelet like this on Yueya before, though I can’t be certain if it’s hers,” Secretary Huang offered thoughtfully.

“Alright, I understand. You may leave now,” Xu Kaihan said with a smile, gesturing for Secretary Huang to go.

“Understood.” Secretary Huang nodded, turned, and left the office.

It looks like I was right. This really is a meaningful keepsake, Xu Kaihan thought, a rare smile appearing on his face as he gazed at the bracelet resting in his palm.

“There are three days left until the time we agreed upon,” Wang Li Er reminded him.

“I know. I will honor our agreement,” Xu Kaihan said calmly, his hands resting casually in the pockets of his tailored suit pants.

“Then why are you here today?” Wang Li Er asked suspiciously.

“I just wanted to see her,” Xu Kaihan replied with a gentle smile, revealing his purpose for showing up.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but you’ve made this trip for nothing,” Wang Li Er said, a hint of glee in her voice.

“What do you mean?” There was a trace of tension in Xu Kaihan’s voice.

She didn’t hurt herself again, did she?

“Want to know, huh?” Wang Li Er teased him, wanting to see how the famously cold and ruthless President of Xu Group would react.

“Don’t waste my time,” Xu Kaihan said, his voice low but commanding.

“What’s in it for me if I tell you?” Wang Li Er put down her pen and looked at him with amusement.

“What do you want?” Xu Kaihan asked, his expression turning cold.

Women are always so materialistic, he thought to himself. Thankfully, that adorkable one isn’t like them. He felt fortunate for that.

“Oh, I want a lot of things,” Wang Li Er said playfully, deliberately stringing him along.

“Speak,” Xu Kaihan demanded, his authoritative tone brooking no argument.

For a moment, he had believed Wang Li Er wasn’t the type of woman who chased after material gains, but now he thought he had judged her incorrectly.

“How about… a date? Or maybe a villa? Or perhaps…” Wang Li Er blinked at him mischievously. She wasn’t serious-she just wanted to test him.

“It’s a pity that Xiaoya has a friend like you,” Xu Kaihan said with contempt, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The business world painted him as a cold and ruthless beast, but seeing him in this situation, Wang Li Er began to suspect he might be much more than what the rumors suggested. She felt more certain than ever that he was someone who could bring He Yueya happiness.

“She has classes every Thursday evening and during the daytime on Saturdays and Sundays,” Wang Li Er said, now speaking earnestly. She was satisfied with his reaction and decided to stop testing him.

“Classes? Where does she take them?” Xu Kaihan pressed her for more information.

Thank heavens she hasn’t gotten herself into trouble again, he thought, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

“Yes, classes. As for where, that’s something you should ask her yourself. I’ve told you more than enough,” Wang Li Er replied before walking behind the counter to continue balancing her accounts.

“Thank you,” Xu Kaihan said flatly, realizing from Wang Li Er’s nonchalant demeanor that he’d been played. Without showing any further emotion, he turned and left Li Er Cha Chaan Teng.

He Yueya looked up, her eyes following his retreating figure. Deep in her heart, she hoped Xu Kaihan would prove himself to be a trustworthy and good man.