Chapter 20 - The Invitation

Li Zongying was possibly the best employee anyone could hire. She would tend to your needs even before you need it. Another thing, she took her work seriously. If it was work, then it was work.

And while Li Zongying could possibly be the best secretary the world could offer, she was also a very beautiful young 23-year-old.

She would wake up 5:30 in the morning because she had to be at the office by seven. She wanted everything prepared before her boss would come. It would take her more than an hour to get ready that was why she needed the extra time. She always wanted to look her best.

It was important that she was always presentable because it reflects on how her boss treated her. She didn't want to get any dirt on Qing Chen's image. Li Zongying would carefully choose her outfit everyday.

Most of the time, she would be in a pencil skirt, fitting her perfectly shaped bottoms, and a loose long-sleeved bloused to add a softer texture. Her hair would be up in a ponytail, this she believed, allowed her to look like she was always ready for anything.

There had been a time that Qing Chen was not included in the people she wanted to impress with the way she dressed. But after that one episode, Li Zongying him a part of it. She had never planned to be Qing Chen's lover--that was the last thing in her mind as she treated him like her boss and a companion in the daily woes of the business. It was just something that suddenly happened after a really long night and she asked if Qing Chen wanted a drink with her. They had one too many.

She knew it was only a one-time event. But she could not stop thinking about him. She didn't want to believe it, but she thought she had fallen head over heels for him. It had been weeks--months already even--since it happened, but she just wanted him more. It honestly made her sigh that she was in such a cliche that she was running after someone who was so out of her league.

But hey, the Cinderella story exists for a reason. Who said it could never happen in real life?

The days inside the hotel as big as The Kingly were pretty long. Many times, Li Zongying experienced being awaken in the middle of the night by a sudden crisis. This day, was no different from the other days. It started with her energy at the top of her head and ending with it at her ankles.

Li Zongying was scheduling some emails for tomorrow when the phone rang. She immediately picked it up. "Mr. Qing Chen's office."

"Hello, Secretary Li. There is a woman here who wants to see Mr. Qing Chen."

Li Zongying's eyebrows furrowed. She rechecked her clipboard to make sure. "Mr. Qing is not scheduled to meet with anybody at this hour. You can tell her to make an appointment."

"Ah, yes," the other woman from the reception said. "See, I already told her that."

"And what did she say?"

"That she's Mr. Qing's wife."

A laugh immediately came out her lips. "What? How does she look like? Does she look crazy?"

The woman from reception lightly chuckled and it sounded different. Like she was nervous. "Actually, she said that she's Mr. Feng Lizhao's daughter."

Li Zongying's muscles froze. "What?" she nervously asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, we also checked her ID. Should I send her upstairs?"

Then she heard a voice, calm and beautiful. "If it's too much trouble, I'll just call Qing Chen."

"She said--"

Li Zongying interrupted, "I heard her." She looked at Qing Chen's closed door. "I'll just phone Mr. Qing for a moment. Please hold."

Li Zongying's heart was palpitating inside her chest. Was it really possible?! How could it not be possible? The girl was Mr. Feng Lizhao's daughter. It really was a possibility.

When she last tried to seduce Qing Chen, he told her he was off to see his wife. She thought he was only joking just to get rid of her. What were the odds that it was really true?

"Yes?" Qing Chen answered.

For a second, Li Zongying lost her voice. She cleared her throat. "Sir, a woman at the reception is looking for you. She says that she's your wife."

"Feng Xuan?"

Oh, her mind whispered. There really was a wife. Then the letter from a few days ago when she took a message from a certain "FX". WAS THAT HIS WIFE?!

"Send her up."

"Y-yes, sir," she choked and pressed the button. Her fingers were shaking a little. Because of what? She was not yet sure. She did not know what to make of all the emotions she was feeling as of the moment. "Mr. Qing would like to see her."

"O-okay. Thank you."

Was this really happening? Had she fallen asleep and was in a bad dream? How come she did not know any of this? She handled every minute of Qing Chen's hours in the office. When did this happen?

She found herself looking at her powder mirror. She wished she didn't have to see the wife with her current state. Nothing was really wrong with her clear skin. But deep inside, Li Zongying knew she looked tired.

Finally, the elevator dinged and a woman in a white off-shoulder and a pink skirt came out. Her black boots shaped her legs that looked like it could go on forever. In her hand, a plastic bag filled with containers of food.

As much as she was in awe with Feng Xuan's pretty face and body, she felt sick in her stomach; like she wanted to vomit.

"Hi," the goddess-looking girl smiled at her. "Is this Qing Chen's office?"

Li Zongying felt lost for words. Feng Xuan looked like someone from an old painting, like a princess. It seemed like all her features were soft, like an angel's. No wonder she was Qing Chen's wife.

Before she could answer, Qing Chen's door opened. "There you are," he said with a deep breath.

"Husband," Feng Xuan said happily.

"Come inside."

The woman got inside Qing Chen's office and Li Zongying felt her face had gone cold when Qing Chen looked at her. "You should be heading home already. It's getting dark."

"Y-yes," she answered. "I'm just finishing the emails, sir."

He nodded. "Don't forget the envelope I gave you earlier. Take care going home."

"Yes, sir," she said. Qing Chen's office was soundproof and Li Zongying had never been in more of a rush to get out of the office. She snatched the envelope from the desk. Only when she was in the bus did she open it.

It was a shiny pink envelope, laser-cut to make roses on the four folds covering the text. Inside, a flower smelling paper rested and written in foil was Qing Chen's name and Feng Xuan's.

We are inviting you to celebrate our wedding...

Never had Li Zongying been put in her place harder.