Sonata: Fleeing to Avoid an Arranged Marriage Chapter 17

Xiao Gu did not satisfy Xiao Dezi's curiosity, and after sending the three foreigners away, he too took his leave.

Xiao Dezi gawked at the particularly outstanding rear view of his back, then turned to Lin Jingrong: “Rong Rong jie, what did boss do before? How come he could speak English so fluently?”

Lin Jingrong frowned. Xiao Gu's past isn't clear to her. When she met him, he has already been the owner of this Chuan Chuan store. 

Hearing no response from her, Xiao Dezi blinked: “Rong Rong jie, don't you even know?”

Lin Jingrong shot him a glance, "What are you doing asking about your boss's affairs? Mind your own business." 

Xiao Dezi sullenly stomped his way to the lounge on the second floor to take a nap.

When Mi Qing came to work in the afternoon, she was bitten by curiosity listening to Xiao Dezi's recount on the happenings at noon. She has always had this notion that Xiao Gu is the kind of man who started doing business as soon as he graduated with flying colors from school — maybe even before he graduated. It was hard for her to imagine Xiao Gu speaking fluent English.

As the number of customers in the store gradually increased, Mi Qing left the matter behind. Xiao Dezi welcomed waves of guests in, while Mi Qing carried a teapot to pour water for them.

"Ah, beautiful jiejie, why are you working here too?” It is the little fat guy who posted the small advertis.e.m.e.nt before, accompanied by the little dark guy, with their family.

Mi Qing smiled at them and answered, “Yeah, I'll be here to help for the time being.”

The fat guy's mother looked at her and asked a bit enthusiastically: “You must be Mi Qing. I just heard from Xiao Dezi. Do you really speak English well?"

Mi Qing was clueless of how Xiao Dezi informed others and so responded sheepishly: “I've spent a few years abroad. It's fine.”

“Ah, you've been abroad?” Fatty's mother exclaimed fervently, "Can you tutor my Xiao Pang (Little Fatty) in English?"

Mi Qing wasn't expecting that, her brows drew together: "”Tutor him in English?”

“Yeah!” Fatty's mother's glanced at her son and complained. “He has poor grades in English. We've sent him to a cram school before, but he has been skipping cla.s.ses. He's simply out of control. Our home is nearby. If you can come to our home to give him remedial lessons, I'll pay you the same hourly rate according to the basic salary of a tutor."

Mi Qing originally thought of it as troublesome, but hearing the last sentence, her eyes lit up: "!Alright, leave it to me!" She whooped in excitement, but when she calmed down, she began to worry again. She only has four days off a week, which might not necessarily fit with Fatty's schedule…. Never mind! Isn't there a three-hour break in the afternoon, she doesn't have to take a break!

After making up her mind, Mi Qing's mood turned sunny. Xiao Pang was also sprang up delighted, hearing that this beautiful jiejie will be tutoring him privately. The little dark guy (Xiao Hei) sitting beside him nudged her mother and demanded resolutely: "Mom, I also want to have remedial English cla.s.ses. Let me have tutoring with Xiao Pang!"

Xiao Hei's mom looked at her son as if an alien came to visit: "Did the sun rise from the west today? You actually asked for tutoring willingly."

Xiao Hei said firmly: "If I don't learn English well, in the future, I might turn up ushering guests at the entrance of a small store like Xiao Dezi."

Xiao Dezi: “…”

He's working as a doorman in a Chuan Chuan store not because he was poor in English, but because… he didn't study well in every subject.

After he left in defeat, Mi Qing, who seized two sources of income, followed behind in euphoria, she could almost fly. She's one step closer to her goal of reaching the pinnacle of life!

The moment Mi Qing left to serve other guests, Pang and Hei's mothers stuck their heads together without delay and began whispering.

Xiao Pang's mother whispered: “What do you think is Mi Qing's relations.h.i.+p with Boss Xiao? I heard that she is a tenant of Boss Xiao before. And now she's working at the store. It sounds fishy.”

Xiao Hei's mother returned: "It does look shady, but isn't there Rong Rong also in the store? I've always thought she fancies Boss Xiao."

Xiao Pang's mother shook her head in disagreement: "If she's in love long ago, why wait till now? I'll watch out for the reveal."

Xiao Hei's mother mulled over it for a moment and decided that she made sense: "But Mi Qing has the making of a young miss. Moreover, she's been overseas. She must have high standards."

Xiao Pang's mother chuckled: "If you say it that way, it's as if our Boss Xiao is inferior. Didn't you see how many young ladies are rus.h.i.+ng to him just to eat a bunch of skewers?"

Xiao Hei nodded in tacit understanding. The two exchanged smiles and settled in silence.

There are indeed a lot of customers coming for Xiao Gu, and now there are two in front of Mi Qing.

These two girls are about her age and should have just graduated from college. After Mi Qing asked them if they wanted some drinks, the young lady with dark flaxen hair pulled her aside and asked, “Can I have your Boss Xiao's phone number?”

Mi Qing froze and blinked: “Why are you looking for Boss Xiao?”

The young lady answered: "Just to have a chat."

Mi Qing blinked again. It turned out the Boss Xiao can be requested to keep somebody company for a chat. She took out a stack of business cards from the pocket of her uniform, and handed them to the girl opposite her: “This is our business card with the reservation hotline of the store, and also the phone number of Boss Xiao.”

Who would have known that the young lady would refuse to take it: "I have a lot of this business cards. I 've called that number multiple times but no one answered it, I also texted him, but he never replied." She whined then sent Mi Qing a rather ambiguous meaningful wink, then whispered again: "I'm asking you for his private number.”

Mi Qing was caught in trance. No wonder n.o.body answered all three calls she made on the first day she came. It turned out that she was also thrown into the list of one of his fans making hara.s.sing calls.

She took back the business card in the young lady's hand and smiled apologetically at her: “I'm sorry, I don't know Boss Xiao's private phone number. You can ask him directly when you see him next time.”

The girl pouted in apparent disappointment. She glanced at her companion and again asked Mi Qing surrept.i.tiously: "What's the relations.h.i.+p of Rong Rong jie in the store with Boss Xiao? Isn't she his girlfriend?"

"Uhm…" Mi Qing paused, "It's really no good for us employees to meddle with the boss's affairs."

The girl still has plenty to ask, but a guest at a nearby table called for tea, and Mi Qing seized this escape.

Four or five men were sitting at the table with several beer bottles scattered on the floor. Mi Qing carried the teapot towards the man who has just called for the tea and filled the tea cup in front of him.

The man was wearing a black woolen sweater, flaunting a crew cut and a rather buff figure. Mi Qing finished pouring tea and wanted to leave, but the man managed to catch hold of her.

"Beauty, have I seen you before?" He grabbed Mi Qing's wrist and refused to let her go.

Mi Qing frowned almost invisibly. The man pulled tugged at her wrist a tad too strong. She attempted to fling his to no avail, so she took a deep breath and forced a smile: “Yeah, I haven't been here long, please let go.”

The guest however shrugged her request off: "There's no hurry, chat with your brother for a while."

Mi Qing's brows jumped. She resisted the urge to slap him with great difficulty, holding back the nausea: “I still have to work, please let go.”

The man turned a deaf ear and even dragged her beside him. Chen s.h.i.+s.h.i.+, who was nearby, heard the scuffle and quickly walked over, trying to free Mi Qing out. But before she could reach the table, a figure clad in army green arrived a step ahead of her and grabbed the guest's wrist. 

"Bullying my people in my shop, did you think I'm dead?"

This gruff voice rings particularly magnetic and melodious at ordinary times, but now that it was tinged with a layer of anger, it evokes a rather imperious air. 

Mi Qing jerked her head to the side and confirmed that this man was indeed Xiao Gu.

He must have squeezed the guest's wrist forcibly because the guest hissed and released Mi Qing's hand. It was only then that Chen s.h.i.+s.h.i.+ Mi Qing to her side and asked with concern: “Are you all right?”

Mi Qing shook her head and looked at Xiao Gu's direction.

The guest shook his painful hand, stood up and banged the table in a fit of anger: "What's it with you? I'm just chatting with the little sister, it's none of your business!"

Many customers in the shop were shocked at his holler and looked at them in unison.

Xiao Gu met him head-on calmly, without a hint of his mood in those pitch-black eyes: “I am the boss here.”

"The boss?" The man was even more aggressive, "Is this how your store treats customers?”

Xiao Gu snorted in the same bland tone: “Our shop does not welcome guests like you.”

The man took a rough step forward and seemed up for a fight, but his companions stopped him: "Sorry, our brother drank a bit too much.”

Xiao Gu remained silent. The man in black sweater was still burning with fury. He yelled while struggling to break away from his companions.

Another man came over and inquired, “What's the matter?”

Seeing him, the man in the black sweater raged disdainfully, “Who are you? Stay out of my s.h.i.+t!”

The man opposite stared at him and flashed his police badge, "I'm from the District Public Security Bureau.” He answered, pointing to the table behind him, "Our colleagues frequently eat chuan chuan here, so better not to stir up trouble here."

The man in black sweater followed his finger and surveyed two tables brought together, crowded with….. All officers from the District Public Security Bureau. 

The man's lips quivered and finally stopped. The companion who stopped him apologized to everyone again.

“Okay, it's okay, everyone enjoy your meals!” Lin Jingrong stepped out and smiled rea.s.suringly at the diners in the hall.

Xiao Gu thanked the comrades from the District Public Security Bureau, turned around and looked at Mi Qing, then approached her: “Are you all right?”

Mi Qing shook her head: “It's nothing …”

Xiao Gu looked down at her wrist, which was pinched red and quietly headed into the second floor: “Come with me to the lounge. I'll get you some ointment.”