I haven’t eaten dinner yet. Have you? Gu Yi stopped and waited for her.
“Not yet. But—” Aria started.
She wanted to say she wasn’t here to have dinner with the vice president. She came for the induction cooker. Once she got it, she would leave.
“But what?” Gu Yi asked.
“Vice President, I…” Aria didn’t know what to say.
Should she admit she had no money to treat him? Or that she felt awkward asking him to treat her? She just wanted to grab her cooker and go back to her apartment to cook.
“What’s wrong with you?” Gu Yi pressed.
“Nothing!” Aria shook her head instinctively.
“Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after dinner.” He said it deliberately.
Aria was speechless.
Just then, someone walked into the lobby from outside. He saw Gu Yi and greeted him.
Then, his gaze lingered on Aria beside Gu Yi.
Aria froze for a second. The next moment, she wanted to explain—he must be misunderstanding something.
She couldn’t help stepping back, keeping a safe distance from Mr. Gu.
Gu Yi glanced at her. Aria felt embarrassed and forced an awkward smile.
They walked out of the lobby. The driver was already waiting outside with the car. More precisely, he was waiting for Gu Yi.
Gu Yi opened the door and let Aria get in first.
Aria got in.
Honestly, she just wanted an induction cooker. Was it really that hard?
After Gu Yi got in, he told the driver the location. The car left the company.
Aria clutched her bag, trying to think of a topic to break the silence. Otherwise, sitting quietly felt awkward. But she had no idea what to talk about.
“How do you like working in the administration department?” Gu Yi asked.
“It’s great! There’s so much to learn!” Aria replied.
“Have you ever thought about switching positions?”
“Huh?” Aria looked at him blankly. The next second, she quickly shook her head. “I still don’t know much. I should master the administrative assistant job first before thinking about anything else.”
Gu Yi looked at her with a smile and said nothing more.
Aria’s ears grew hot. She quickly looked away.
She was just a fresh graduate. She hadn’t even been at Sterling Group for a month. She wasn’t even a permanent employee yet. How could she think about switching positions?
Gu Yi took Aria to a Western restaurant. The environment and atmosphere were excellent.
It wasn’t Aria’s first time at a high-end place like this. But it was her first time here with the vice president. She still felt a little nervous.
Gu Yi pulled out a chair for Aria. Aria thanked him softly and sat down.
Gu Yi sat across from her. The waiter presented the menus.
Aria looked at the menu and the prices. She glanced up awkwardly at the vice president. Then, blushing, she asked cautiously,
“Vice President, can I afford this meal?”
“I’m treating you.” Gu Yi answered with a smile.
“Oh.” Aria replied.
If she had to pay, she would suggest the vice president change restaurants. Otherwise, with her old debts still unpaid and new ones piling up, she’d never get out of the hole.
“Do you have fried rice?” Aria turned to ask the waiter.
“Sorry, we don’t.” The waiter replied.
“You want fried rice?” Gu Yi asked Aria.
Aria nodded. The truth was, she wanted fried rice because no matter how expensive it was, it couldn’t cost that much.
“Anything else?”
Aria shook her head.
So Gu Yi turned to the waiter and said, “Please go to the Chinese restaurant next door and pack a fried rice.”
Then, Gu Yi ordered a set meal for himself and one for Aria. He handed the menu back to the waiter.
“Is takeout allowed here?” Aria asked curiously.
“Yes. If you want something else, you can ask the waiter to help you buy it.”
“Oh, no. One fried rice is enough!” Aria quickly replied.
Since the fried rice would take time, the waiter brought it up before the main course.
Gu Yi told Aria to eat first and fill her stomach.
Aria then realized the vice president had also ordered a set meal for her.
“Vice President, I already ordered fried rice. This set meal will be too much.”
“It’s fine. Take your time.” Gu Yi replied.
Aria had no choice but to eat along. She thought, if she couldn’t finish, she’d pack it up. Surely they allowed takeout here, right?
When the waiter brought the fried rice, Aria couldn’t eat anymore. She planned to take it back.
Well, if she had known, she wouldn’t have ordered the fried rice. What a waste of the vice president’s money.
After eating—whether it was dinner or a late supper—they walked out of the restaurant. Aria was still carrying the packaged fried rice.
The valet had already brought the car around.
Gu Yi opened the passenger door for Aria. She got in. He walked around to the driver’s seat and got in.
“Vice President, this isn’t the car we came in.” Aria noticed.
“No. I let Old Zhao go home early.” Gu Yi replied while fastening his seatbelt.
“Oh.” Aria answered.
She thought it was nice working with the vice president.
Gu Yi drove Aria back smoothly.
Aria couldn’t help sneaking a glance at the back seat. She wondered if the induction cooker was still there.
If it wasn’t, then this dinner was for nothing.
Well, not exactly for nothing. She had a big meal with the vice president.
“What are you looking for?” Gu Yi asked while driving.
“Nothing. Nothing.” Aria replied awkwardly.
“The induction cooker is in the trunk. I’ll leave it for you.” Gu Yi continued.
Aria’s face went dark. She didn’t expect the vice president to be so mischievous. He knew exactly what she was looking for.
“It’s fine.” Aria replied.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Aria’s apartment complex.
Aria unbuckled her seatbelt and thanked the vice president.
“Aria, what excuse do you think I can use next time to invite you to dinner?” Gu Yi turned to look at her and asked.
“Huh?” Aria looked at him, confused.
“Can’t you tell I’m pursuing you?” Gu Yi reached out and gently touched her cheek, asking with a smile.
The expression on Aria’s face froze. She didn’t know if she was scared or just hadn’t reacted yet.
“Vice President, this joke… isn’t funny.” Aria came back to her senses and replied with an embarrassed look.
“I always take my feelings seriously.” Gu Yi replied.
“Well… can I refuse?” Aria asked after a few seconds of hesitation.
“It’s your right. But I’d prefer you didn’t.” Gu Yi continued.
“Can I think about it first and give you an answer later?” Aria swallowed and said.
“Yes. Can I have two days?”
“Not enough. At least a week.” Aria bargained.
“Okay. See you next Wednesday after work.” Gu Yi replied.
“Thank you, Vice President. I’ll go back now. Bye.” Aria said, unbuckling her seatbelt, opening the door, and running off.