"Rong, do you have a date today?"
Choking on her breath, she instantly refused. "Are you kidding me? I'm going out for some work."
As they were talking, her phone buzzed, gathering their attention. She glanced at the screen. It was from Wen Shaoqing.
"Zhao Ming, I'll come late today. You can have dinner alone."

...............................................

Hiding behind a car far away, she was squinting at Rong. She swam several times to see the face of the man standing beside her. Wrapping her arms around, she narrowed her brows. "Who the heck is this guy?"
Just then, she heard a whisper coming from behind, making her flinch at her place. Soon as she turned with a little scream, a familiar hand covered her mouth, stopping her from screaming further.
Glaring at him, she threw his hand away. "Xiaomi Ge, what are you doing here?"
"The same thing you're doing. I'm observing my best friend."
"Your best friend?" She narrowed an eye while turning to glance at them. Her eyes widened when the realisation hit her. "Don't tell me." She put her hands over her mouth and glimpsed at him. "Is he our boss?"
He slightly nodded his head, confirming her doubt. "Wait, why are they meeting alone? What's happening?"
"How will I know? That's why I came here."
They turned around to keep an eye on them, but they were no longer there. She barely frowned. "Umm, where are they?"
"I guess we lost them because of your constant chatter."
"Yaa! You started it first."
"Don't forget, I'm your boss too. You work under my supervision."
Scoffing, she rolled her eyes. "It's the weekend, and we're not in the office. I'll consider you a brat deskmate I had in the past."
Upon listening to it, he just gave up with a sigh and commanded, "Let's go."
"To where?"
"We have to find them to know the truth, right?"
"I'm not working with you. We can go individually."
"Okay. Best of luck, as you have to find them alone in this big mall without any source of help." He smirked at her before walking away.
She sneered at his reaction and followed him. "Wait for me!"

................................................

While wandering, Shaoqing and Rong reached an expensive boutique. Looking at the dresses kept here and there, her mouth remained wide open. Her eyes were filled with sparkle. She couldn't resist checking out every dress.
The manager approached and greeted them. "Welcome to our boutique, Sir and Mam. How can I help you?"
"We want to check gowns for a party."
"Sure, Sir. We recently got the newest collection. Please come with me."

....................................................

Even after searching for a long time, when they could not find them, he gave up after getting tired.
He put a hand over his stomach and suggested, "Let's eat. I don't think we'll be able to find them."
"I'm not hungry," she replied while continuing to search for them. Abruptly, they heard a growl coming from her stomach. She put her hands over her stomach awkwardly.
He let out a tiny laugh before clearing his throat. "Ahem! Still, you can come and watch me eat." He leaned slightly to reach her height and patted her head. "It's okay to listen to your stomach instead of your mind."
As he walked ahead, she remained frowning, dealing with what had just happened. She bit her lower lip as she felt her cheeks burning.
"Calm down, Ming. It's nothing." She took a deep breath before following him.

..............................................

Coming out of the changing room, she glanced at herself before turning to see his reaction. She wore a chic white puff-sleeve dress. But it wasn't enough to win his heart. Instead, he stared at her in disappointment.
"Can you try some more?"
With rolled eyes, she hummed and headed back to the changing room. She tried a few more outfits, but none could impress him until she came out in a slip dress.
The deep v-neckline splendidly revealed her cleavage, making her stand out.
The moment he raised his head, he couldn't help but stare. His heart pounded when she asked, "How am I looking? Pretty hot, right?"
It was then that he realised her charisma. Narrowing her brow, she waited for him to answer, though his eyes were filled with the unsaid replies he had already given.
With a shaky voice, he replied, "No. In fact, you're looking awful. Change it."
"Seriously? I think I'm looking damn great. The guys will stop and stare for a while. I'm sure."
Standing up, he glimpsed at the manager as she took her inside.
"Stare for a while? What a joke."
After a protracted discussion, they finally bought a black mullet-fit dress.
Coming out of the shop, she gawked at him. "I was literally looking my best in that wine dress."
"I don't agree." As she sneered and walked faster, leaving him behind, he giggled. Deep inside, he knew he could do nothing but agree with her. He knew how flawless she looked in each outfit, yet he picked a decent dress. Maybe he was aware of guys realising her beauty too. But why did he want to keep her? Would he be jealous? But why?

..................................................

As soon as she reached home, she quietly went to her room. A roar from the kitchen stopped her. Shifting her gaze, she found Ming with her hands wrapped across herShe had a pissed-off look plastered all over her face.
With an awful smile, she waved at her. "Hey, Ming. I'm back."
"Don't you think you forgot to tell me something?"
"Do I?" 
"Are you sure? I wonder why you needed my boss's address. And why did I find you two together in the mall today? Rong, are you hiding something from me?"

When she dug into the matter, Rong had no other option left. She hunched her head and told Ming everything. She took time to digest her words as they choked her. "What? You're pretending to be his girlfriend?"
"I'm only repaying him. Once we attend his brother's wedding, we get back to normal."
"But are you sure about this? I mean, what if one of you actually caught the feelings?"
"Aye! There's nothing like that. Don't worry."
"If you say so."