Chapter 6
They were so happy for her the moment she told them the news. They both told her she should take the day off tomorrow, but w.a.n.g Yi-An wanted to work and make that extra cash. She firmly rejected their offer and continued with her work.
There would be two more weeks before she officially starts working at Yang Corps. During these two weeks, w.a.n.g Yi-An would work at the restaurant every day, until her school begins next term. She has the interns.h.i.+p at Yang Corps for the entire summer. Still, she needed to make enough money so that she could help her mother pay off the mortgage as soon as possible.
w.a.n.g Yi-An's long-term goal is to have her mother retired early and enjoyed life. w.a.n.g Yi-An's mother is a single mother, and she worked so hard to raise her by herself. She wants to give all the best to her mother.
For two whole weeks, Yang Tian-Xu would make excuses to his parents that he is overwhelmed with work. The business project with Jin Qi-Long and his company Faithful Gold Enterprise was very demanding, but he could handle it. Still, he would personally tell his friend, Jin Qi-Long to cover for him.
It is unusual for Yang Tian-Xu to make this request, so he unquestionably helps him. Often, when Mrs Yang called Jin Qi-Long to ask him about Yang Tian-Xu's whereabouts, he would tell them they are going to meetings.
Yang Tian-Xu wanted to avoid his parents, so he stayed at Yang Corps most of the time. He knew that his parents would pressure him to date Tong Yue-Yan, but he is a man who knew what he exactly wanted.
Every single day he would return to that coffee shop and look out the window, every day just like that. On his days off, on his way to work, or off work. He would always pay attention to the street and road, and perhaps sometimes he would walk more than he usually would. Yang Tian-Xu hoped that one day he could see her again.
Yang Tian-Xu became more easily irritated as the days go by, and sometimes he would be in his trains of thought that kept him s.p.a.ce-out the entire day. His a.s.sistant noticed that his behaviour had been strange lately, but remain silent. Until it was at the end of the second week, it was Friday and April had ended.
There were countless times when Yang Tian-Xu thought he would see her. He would greet her, ask for her name. Perhaps ask her for her phone number? How could he ask a stranger for that? He would probably try and stalk her and find out where she lives?
No, that would make him too suspicious and creepy! Perhaps he'll pretend he lost his phone and needed to make a call and ask her if he could borrow her phone? That way he can thank her for letting him use her phone, then he can get her number, and her name!
"Ah!" he let out a frustrated expression that startles a.s.sistant Tseng. Yang Tian-Xu seems to be in his deep thoughts, that he had lost his mind. Those trains of thoughts in Yang Tian-Xu mind kept going on endlessly. He ruffled his head in depression. He asked himself out loud, "Just how pitiful am I?"
"Ah? Boss?" His a.s.sistant finally brought out the courage to ask him, after two weeks. He notices that President Yang has acted oddly since ever since two weeks ago. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. I had a long night." He replied as he pushes the question off like it was nothing, the tone of his voice seems depressing, of course, a.s.sistant Tseng didn't want to pry.
Yang Tian-Xu wanted to talk about it, but he didn't. Even when it was killing him inside, he wondered how he could go about asking a stranger out? He must be crazy; he had only met her once. It is not like he had a whole conversation with her, but he just saw her once. There wasn't even a single word of exchange between them. It had already been two weeks. Nevertheless, the images of her smiling at him remains fresh in his mind.
Well, he wasn't sure she if was smiling at him or not. She was pus.h.i.+ng the cart for the old-lady while laughing and smiling. At that time, Yang Tian-Xu was waiting for them to pa.s.s in his car. Did she see him, and smiled at him as a thank? His reaction was silence for a minute before he screamed, "Ah!" He became frustrated with himself again and this time slammed his hands onto his desk hard, a.s.sistant Tseng's eyes almost pop out of their socket from the shock.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" He looked back and forward, and maybe it was something in the room? a.s.sistant Tseng thought to himself as he looked around. "Are you feeling sick, boss?"
"I told you I had a long night." Yang Tian-Xu had this irritable tone in his voice like he wanted to be left alone when he replied to him. a.s.sistant Tseng started to feel awkward, "Very well then, boss, I would go to do the interns' schedule, and get that sorted out for you to view and sign for."
Yang Tian-Xu had one hand supporting his head, and with his other hand, he shooed a.s.sistant Tseng away, a.s.sistant Tseng takes it as a signal to leave him be.
a.s.sistant Tseng returned to his office and started to finish up the schedule for the interns. There are three interns this year, and he had personally selected them all on behalf of President Yang.
Yang Tian-Xu was an extremely busy man. He had lots of meetings with partners.h.i.+p company for the Yang Corps Mall. There was also the issues about the Marketing, and Advertis.e.m.e.nt department is missing a Head-General Manager.
Yang
The guy loves teaching and would never stop talking about pa.s.sion. a.s.sistant Tseng nodded his head, and sent out the schedule for the three interns, and as well as a copy of the Art Director, HR Manager, Vice-President and President Yang.
Yang Tian-Xu opened up the doc.u.ments and had a quick look at it. He signed to show that he had read it and approve of the schedule. Then he continued reading up other contracts that needed to have his signature sign. The days go by quickly for him, and the day soon turns into night, the weekends would be a repeat of his everyday life.
The weekend was like any other weekends in Happiness Restaurant; she would work hard and get home late. However, tonight she left work earlier because she would have to start the interns.h.i.+p tomorrow morning, and w.a.n.g Yi-An was very excited for her very first day at work on Monday. She had waited two entire weeks for the day to come.
w.a.n.g Yi-An was pretty excited and couldn't sleep, getting ready for bed, she stayed in the living room waiting for her mother to return home. Her mother did say she'll be home as soon as she could. Then the sound of the doork.n.o.b twisted along with the sounds of rustling keys, the door opens up, and w.a.n.g Yi-An came over to greet her mother.
"Mommy, you're home!" She said as she falls into her mother's arms. Her mother had just gotten back home from work, and the time was 7:00 PM. w.a.n.g Yi-An had eaten first already and had left some food for her mother, in the refrigerator to be reheat. She wanted to see her mother and be a baby to her. w.a.n.g Yi-An waited, and as soon as she saw her, she hugged her like a little girl would hug her mother when she wants something.
"Yes, yes! Why is my little An-An such a baby?"
"Mom! I love you!" she said, her mother smiled and patted her head. "I love you too." as she let out a peaceful smile.
"After my job gets stable I want you to retire early and enjoy life. I don't ever want you to worry about money problems ever again!" w.a.n.g Yi-An was determined for her mother to have a better life. She felt like her mother deserved it, and she hates having to see her mother return home late at night.
Sure, tonight she came home at a regular hour, but there would be days she would have to work late and won't be home until morning! For the past two weeks, her mother would be home late at night, sometimes even at midnight at times. w.a.n.g Yi-An honestly worries about her mother.
Her mother let out a sigh, "An-An." As she patted her daughter's back and said, "Mommy is thrilled to have you as my daughter."
"Hm!" she smiled and held her mother tightly in her embrace, "I am happy to be your daughter too."
"Okay," her mother said as she let go of her, "You should sleep earlier, don't you have to start your interns.h.i.+p tomorrow?."
"Hm!" she nodded happily, "But I want you to tuck me in!" Her mother smiled, and told her, "You're already 22 years old! Stop being such a baby! Go now, go to sleep."
"Hm!" she nodded her head with a smile and head to her bedroom. w.a.n.g Yi-An slept peacefully that night.
Meanwhile, Yang Tian-Xu still could not fall asleep. He had many sleepless nights like this for the past two weeks. He thought to himself out loud, "G.o.d, Dear Lord. If you want to torture me, please stop it and end my life already, stop making me suffer. If not, please just one more time, please let me see her again. Just one more time!" Yang Tian-Xu covered the bedsheets over his head.
He ruffled around, again and again, he turned right and then left, he tried to count sheep. It all makes him seem restless, but the only thing that could keep him calm was imaging the images of that girl again.
As he thought about her smile, he slowly fell asleep. In his dream he dreams about her still, in his dream she smiled at the dog, but the dog slowly turned into him. She would help the old-lady pushed her cart, and she would laugh at him. In the dream he could hold her, and again. He wanted to kiss her, but as he leans in for the kiss. His alarms went off again. The time was 8:00 AM.
Yang Corps was not only a business building but also a shopping mall. Although, every individual owner has their hours for their business. The Yang Corps building entrances are open 24 hours a day, with a 24-hour security unit. Yang Corps offices are open at 8:00 AM and closed at 5:00 PM. Yang Tian-Xu would be in the office at 9:00 PM and would stay until closing.
Today had finally arrived, w.a.n.g Yi-An came early today. Her orientation was at 9:00 AM but still being early kept her mind at peace. There she had gotten the chances to meet the other two interns. Kwon Li-Mei and Liang s.h.i.+ng, they sat in the chair in the waiting room in the lobby as they were told so by the receptionist.
The three of them are about the same age, however. Liang s.h.i.+ng seems to be the oldest as he was two years older than them. He wanted to be sure he could get in Yang Corps and so he had completed his degree, while w.a.n.g Yi-An and Kwon Li-Mei are in their third years. Kwon Li-Mei went to an expensive university, and w.a.n.g Yi-An goes to a cheap third rate college. Kwon Li-Mei has a pretty face and seems to be pretty smart, but she sure loves to gossip, especially about President Yang.
"Did you know that in the Country's Top 10 Magazine, they had featured our President Yang as the hottest and desirable bachelor?" she had a copy of it in her hand and sure enough on the front cover was Yang Tian-Xu. "The people that work with him say he is strict at work, but fun when not. President Yang is also a known to be a very filial son as well. Oh, my G.o.d, he is so my dream guy!" Kwon Li-Mei would point at Yang Tian-Xu's picture and what not, but w.a.n.g Yi-An wouldn't pay attention. She has a sketchbook out and starts to draw the area.
"Woah, you are very talented." Said Liang s.h.i.+ng, who was sitting in the middle of the two girls. As he listens to Kwon Li-Mei gossips, he turned over and saw w.a.n.g Yi-An sketching.
w.a.n.g Yi-An smiled and said, "Thanks." The three of them waited until the clock turned to 8:45 PM, a.s.sistant Tseng arrived and saw them and said, "You kids sure are early today. Excited?"
"Yes," they said in unison. He smiled and said, "Okay, let's get all you youngsters started." a.s.sistant Tseng tells them to follow him, and he would explain the overall structure of Yang Corps, as they walked into the elevator going to the 7th floor. He tells them a little history, and most important, he asked them.
"Anyone here watches the historical drama about Legend of the Yang Family?"
"Oh, I love that drama!" Kwon Li-Mei was excited about it, because of the drama, she had chosen to work for Yang Corps and not Pan holdings Inc.
"That was my favourite drama of all time!" Liang s.h.i.+ng couldn't help it, but he also had to express his love for the drama. However, w.a.n.g Yi-An simply said, "I don't have time to watch dramas."
The three interns walked into the 7th floor and saw a busy office. Each person was busy doing their job, some were on the computer typing, while somebody else was on a call line. The atmosphere was overall chaotic, and standing to the side talking was Art Director, Mr Han, and their President, Yang Tian-Xu. Yang Tian-Xu had his back facing towards them, they can't see his face as they walked in, but a.s.sistant Tseng saw him and immediately call out to him. "President Yang!"
Yang Tian-Xu was busy telling Mr Han that he would be supervising the three new interns. He would want Mr Han to show them the production process and be sure to give them as many hands-on experiences as possible. Mr Han nodded his head and listened, and then suddenly he heard a.s.sistant Tseng called him. "President Yang, here are the new interns."
Yang Tian-Xu turns his head, and just as he turned, he saw her, w.a.n.g Yi-An. They had reached him, and she was only an arm's length away. If he wanted to grab her, he could. His thoughts are going mayhem again. He didn't even hear a.s.sistant Tseng explains to the interns, or if he had already introduced him and Mr Han.
a.s.sistant Tseng tells them that Mr Han would be their supervisor for three months and he would be evaluating them. Yang Tian-Xu mind went blank, and a.s.sistant Tseng voice echoes in the background along with the others as they greeted each other.
The interns didn't reach out their hands to shake, but the three interns would give them a head bow. After all, the company's President is currently present. A handshake would be like reaching high. Just when a.s.sistant Tseng told them to follow Mr Han, and Mr Han would show them to their workstation.
They walked by President Yang. w.a.n.g Yi-An was behind, she was at the end of the line-up and was the last person to pa.s.s by him. Immediately, like it was an instant reaction, he reaches out his hand and grabbed her arm and pull her in towards him and shouted out for everyone to hear him. "I like you!"