17: LAWYER

"How am I supposed to learn if you are leaving me behind?" Li Jun purses his thin lips, letting the woman know his disappointment.

"How am I going to let you join us when you look like you are going to punch him in the face?" Wang Xiu answers by setting both her hands on her waist.

The man looked away and didn't say a word to defend himself. Knowing that he can't hide his feelings is not something he would like to change. Li Jun believes that what makes him a good actor, he can easily express what he feels.

Wang Xiu took out her mobile phone then searched into her contacts and forwarded the business card that the director sent to her.

Li Jun's phone alarmed with a sweet melody of a love song, which made Wang Xiu arch her brow. He grabbed his phone and opened the screen for him to see the message that contains a contact name and number.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" The man pouted his lips while staring at the message.

"She's Director Lim's lawyer. Give her a copy of the contract and make sure you convince her that it's all good." Wang Xiu replies. She sits at the chair in front of the table while she lets Li Jun hunch himself at the swivel chair.

"He's on board already right? Why do we need to secure the lawyer too?" Li Jun takes a pen from the holder displayed on the table and lets it rotate around his fingers.

"Lawyers will question everything on the contract and I ask our legal firm to make it watertight." The woman crosses her legs and lets her fingers tap on the table.

"Watertight?" The man raises his brow. He knows what it means but saying that the woman made the contract indisputable is a smart move. One of the many problems in the film industry is directors flaking out with the slightest misunderstanding. Actors and actresses can easily be replaced but directors are not.

"That means once the director signs that contract, he has to finish it. No matter what happens." Wang Xiu explains lifting her brow and arching her lips in a smirk.

"Watertight and sealed." Li Jun exclaims, tapping his hand at the wooden slab that made the pen holder jump and fall. 

"Oh?!?! Sorry!" The man apologizes while putting the object back to order.

Wang Xiu shakes her head side by side, witnessing the clumsiness the man displays when her phone rang with a simple vibration on her hand. She stood up from the chair and answered the call, leaving Li Jun sitting comfortably on her leather chair behind the table.

The man opens up his phone and stares at the screen to read the name of the lawyer.

"Bao Hwei Ru, you are one lucky girl." Li Jun grins showing his clear white teeth.

π - π - π

Bao Hwei Ru, is a young and vibrant woman who graduated from National University in Political Science and Law with high honors and for that, she was easily drafted by one of the biggest law firms in the country, with clients ranging from politicians to famous actors and actresses. 

The twin sister of the CEO of Bao Metals, Hwei Ru, didn't bother to join the company that her father owns and her brother manages. She wanted to build a career for herself and let her passion be her guidance. Being a lawyer gives the excitement she likes to have in life, especially meeting popular actors and actresses that most people only see in movies and television.

"Hello?" Bao Hwei Ru answers the ring of the unknown caller. Her forehead ruffles as she thinks of the stranger on the other line.

"Hello, am I speaking to Ms. Bao Hwei Ru?" Li Jun asks with a sense of directness with his baritone voice.

"Yes. May I know who's on the other line?" The young lawyer answers, creasing her brows while scanning documents on her table.

'Long Li Jun from Long Construction Development Corporation." The man introduces himself with delight to the woman on the other line hoping his charm can get through to her over a call.

"How can I help you, Mr. Long?" The woman closes the folder of documents on top of her table and holds her phone tightly with her hand.

"About Director Ang Lim's contract with us, did he inform you about it?" Li Jun inquires, staring at his reflection from the glass wall of the hallway where he stands.

"Oh, he told me Ms. Zhang Wang Xiu will call me." Bao Hwei Ru replies, reaching for the notes that she took down when Director Lim informs her of the contract. The senior partners gave her the task of accommodating the director while the others took legal cases like divorce settlements.

"Wang Xiu told me to call you." The man explains, walking down the hallway going to the elevator.

"Well, I only received the news about the contract that Mr. Lim wanted me to review. Can I get back to you on that when we receive the document?" The young lawyer replies. She feels a slight irritation about the man inquiring about the document that isn't in their hands yet.

"I can give you a copy later if you like?" Li Jun offers, putting his hand inside his pocket.

"We can get a copy from Mr. Lim later." Bao Hwei Ru responds with his annoyance to the man starting to build up.

"I can give you a copy and treat you out to lunch." The man suggests, lifting his arm to take a glimpse of the time on his watch.

The woman is surprised by the sudden offer of the man on the other line. Did he ask me out for lunch???

"Meet me at Mr. Sho's restaurant at noon. I'll send you the address." The man says before hanging up the call. He let out a wide grin on his lips and pushed the button at the elevator door. His lunch date with the woman will make Wang Xiu happy to know he can be reliable.

Bao Hwei Ru's face is disgruntled by confusion as she stares at the screen on her phone. Then a message shows up coming from the strange man named Long Li Jun with an address of the restaurant a few minutes away from the office. The woman let out a loud sigh and plop her hand on her face.

Did the man make a fast pass on her and she just let it happen???

π - π - π

The woman wears a satin maroon long-sleeve shirt with a ruffling ribbon on her neck tucked in on a black skirt an inch above her knee. She fixes her round clear glasses that move the short bangs on her forehead and folds her black shoulder-length hair under her ear as she enters the restaurant where she will meet the man named Li Jun.

"Where is he?" Hwei Ru mumbles while scanning the tables looking for a man. The dining place is filled with people eating lunch and the strange man didn't say if they are going to meet outside or inside the restaurant.

Then, Bao Hwei Ru's phone rang, on the screen is the number of the man who called her earlier. She answers with a high pitch tone as the irritation fills her head. 

"Hello? Where are you?" The woman asks scanning the tables for a man with a phone in hand.

"I'm here behind you." The man replies, putting the call down.

Bao Hwei Ru puts her mobile phone off her cheeks. She turns herself around to see the man and lifts her chin to take a glance at his face.

"Hi! I'm Long Li Jun." The man says, flashing a charming smile with his bright teeth sparkling from the light of the room that enhances his fair skin like a movie-star on a magazine.

"H-Hi… I-I'm Baooo…" The woman stutters with her mouth slightly open as she scans the man's face and says her name. 

The man has a pair of dark brown eyes that complement the thick brows that hang over the almond shape window for his irises. The intensity of the man's alluring gaze makes her mind temporarily forget who she is. His nose is tall and thin that matches his thin pinkish lips that look enticing to nibble and brush against her lips. The black hair falling on his forehead makes him young and innocent to stare at yet he exudes a charming prowess from the way he smiles.

"What???" Li Jun asks as he hears the woman say words he couldn't comprehend.

"I-I'm… Baoooo…" Hwei Ru tries to say her name properly but her words change into a howling mumble gazing at the handsome man.

"Ms. Bao Hwei Ru???" The man inquires, smiling at the way the woman looks at him. The white on her eyes is obvious and the slightly open rims make her appear to be shocked. He hides the embarrassment of being stared at by the woman yet he feels happy for the admiration.

"Y-Yes… I am she… I mean… I am her." The young woman answers, shaking her head, trying to get back her composure from a few seconds of losing her senses.

"I'm glad to meet you, Ms. Bao." Li Jun stretches his arm and offers his hand for a shake.

"Y-You can call me Ru." The lawyer reaches for the man's hand while bowing her head from embarrassment. The warm and large hand on her palm makes her skin shiver, an electrifying feeling that sends a hundred bolts to her heart. Not enough to kill her but make her cheeks flush. 

"Ru… that's a very cute name." The man continues to let out a gleam on his lips.    

Hwei Ru fixes the glasses on her nose while keeping her eyes down and say, 

"Thank you, you are so handsome… I mean—"

"Nice to know you think I'm handsome." 

"Glad to know you think it's nice."

Li Jun chuckles at how the woman makes herself lovely with her little quips. 

Ru giggles setting her fingers on her lips watching the man let out laughter that sounded like an angel singing on her ears.

After the sweet exchange between the two Li Jun guides the woman to a narrow hall into a room where they can dine privately together. 

"Thank you. That's a very gentleman of you." Hwei Ru says as the man helps her sit in the chair.

"Men should always be gentle with women." Li Jun let out a wink as he gets to his chair and sat at the opposite side of the woman."Let's order some food." He adds.

"Aren't you going to give me a copy of the contract?" The woman asks when the man handed the menu to her. 

"I told you I'm going to treat you for lunch. Let's do that first." The man insists, holding the folded glossy red cardboard in his hand.

"O-Okay." Hwei Ru accepts the menu. Their hand brushes against each at the quick exchange.

Li Jun looms at the menu and browses for any food. It's been two years since he last ate in a traditional restaurant and feels like wanting to taste everything they offer.

"What do you like?" 

"How about dumplings?"

"I love dumplings."

Hwei Ru stares at the man whose eyes are focused on the menu in front of him. She wants to know more about Li Jun and what he is doing in LCDC when he can be an actor with his beauty.

"Are you Ms. Zhang's secretary?"

"No. I'm the executive director of Marketing."

"Oh? That's great! Sorry, I thought… why did she ask you to do her work?"

"It's fine. She's training me to become a CEO."

"CEO???"

"I will be the next CEO of Long Construction Company."