12_"I hate winter."

Li Yao arrived home in a most dazed expression ever. She didn't truly understand what happened back then.

She tried recalling back the things that happened after the meeting was over. But all she could think of was how easy she was behaving towards Mu Lihai, the president of Mu Enterprise.

They were strangers, yes. But just at their third meeting, she had already been in his arm albeit briefly, he had touched her face through his fingers, and they had already shared a private meal together!

He was her future employer for goodness sake!

"Ah.. stupid.." she rolled on the bed as a strange feeling came to her. She was slightly irritated for some odd reasons, but she didn't dislike his touches.

What had gotten to her?

*

On the same night but at another different place, a man was tossing and turning in his bed. He couldn't sleep. But this time it wasn't due to the stupid nightmare.

It was because of a woman.

"Geez.. man.. you're not a high schooler anymore." Mu Lihai scolded himself. He felt weird for suddenly having thoughts about a woman.

He was pretty popular during his middle and high school years. His mischievous and easy-going attitude really did attract some attentions. Girls loved flocking around him. But after he went abroad for six years, he never touched a woman.

"Ah.. I'm surprised at my own self control.." he muttered alone.

He was not stupid. Mu Lihai knew he was attracted to Li Yao the moment he realized that she was the same woman who had saved him on the street. But he thought he wouldn't see her again. Now, she was even one of the legal representatives from HL firm who were going to work with him.

He felt conflicted.

Why now of all times?

Was he ready to toss the past and come to terms with the present?

He didn't know.

Only time could tell.

And as Mu Lihai was thinking of Li Yao, he fell asleep without a nightmare on that night.

*

Two weeks passed and Li Yao's very first case was concluded without difficulty. She solved the problem of her client where he was sued against his own uncle for taking over his father's restaurant after his passing.

It was a small matter, to tell the truth. She just responded to the lawsuit accordingly, following the law. And her client was happy with the way she handled it.

Now, she could focus entirely on Mu Enterprise. Yesterday, the team was called on a meeting on the ninth floor. Mu Enterprise wanted to deal with some matters between the company and the internal formation. The government had issued some changes for the private sectors and how they should work on them.

Coincidentally, Mu Enterprise was going through a major reshuffling and it was hard to not depend on outside legal team for the time being. Li Yao was ecstatic to learn how corporate lawyers work their magic. She couldn't wait to further broaden her knowledge knowing that she was quite interested in this particular area.

While the meeting was ongoing, Li Yao was chosen to go with Head Attorney Han to Mu Enterprise to further discuss their course of action.

The thought of seeing Mu Lihai again somehow didn't sit well with her. He wouldn't stare at her again right..

The next day, she was already standing in front of the majestic contemporary building. How many floors this building had, she didn't know.

Walking with Head Attorney Han on tow, they were both escorted to the waiting room before they were escorted again to the second highest floor.

"Please wait for a while, assistant Zhu will come down soon." a woman with a modest fitting formal dress said with a smile. She then excused herself after serving them tea and sweets.

Not long after, Zhu Kang walked into the room as he greeted Head Attorney Han, then his eyes darted to Li Yao and they also greeted each other formally.

Meanwhile at the same Mu Enterprise building, Xu Cheng was walking directly to the private elevator after he strode along the lobby. He got a call from Zhu Kang that Mu Lihai caught a cold.

Xu Cheng pressed the elevator straight for the highest floor. When he arrived, he just walked without anyone escorting him since they all knew that he was already familiar with the area. Xu Cheng often visited Mu Lihai after he returned from abroad so this place was simply his playground.

Xu Cheng's family own a private hospital and its other branches. He was the deputy director of his hospital while his uncle and mother dominated the president and director's places. Xu Cheng's father had long resigned from his position as president and handed it to his brother since he wanted to teach his knowledge to young medical students. He was now a professor in medicine in one of their associated universities.

Xu Cheng walked to the door and he knocked twice but got no response. Then he just walked in. He saw his friend sitting on the sofa at the leisure area with a ghostly pale face.

"Gosh.. I told you many times over! Take care of yourself especially during winter." Xu Cheng's nagging irked his friend even further.

Mu Lihai was already in a bad mood but now Xu Cheng wanted to put over some more fire? He was fine this morning but then he started getting sore throat. His hands and feet felt so cold.

"Did you do your usual workout?" Xu Cheng asked as he went to Mu Lihai to take his temperature. He realized that the air conditioner in the room was shut down and the heater was on the highest level.

"Got no time for that." Mu Lihai answered. Xu Cheng started to feel stuffy in the room.

"It's hot here! How can you stand this?!" he complained.

"I'm not normal. That's why I can stand this." Mu Lihai said. He thought back to Zhu Kang's words where he said that HL firm representatives had arrived.

He really wanted to go and greet them himself but he couldn't. He wanted to see Li Yao's face again. But the damn cold just wouldn't go! It just had to ruin his plan!

"Ugh.. I hate winter." Mu Lihai told himself to which Xu Cheng shook his head.

"It's not just winter, the only time you don't get cold is during summer. The other three seasons are winter for you."