My Second Life As A Secretary

Chapter 4.2 – The Heroine’s Drunk

If He Zening needed anything else, she could just let the waiters know. This was the first time she saw him smile, and he was rather good-looking when he did that. But she also noticed that his smile seemed to have a hint of mirth in them.

“Thank you, Fu Shao,” she said.

He Zening asked the waitress to look after the girl while she ran to the convenience store to pick up some hangover medicine and some milk. When she got back, she coerced the girl into taking the medicine. Later, she sat around waiting for the drug to take effect. Left with nothing to do, she read the forums. She remembered registering an account and posting some comments.

An idea suddenly hit her. She wanted to record the novel’s development using a pseudonym; she started with a disclaimer that her work is pure fiction, but part of the story reflected reality. Then, she enthusiastically started writing the first chapter, titled it: “The First Encounter at the Bar.”

Besides being a bookworm in her past life, she used to write about unpopular topics. Writing was no big deal, especially since the subject was about what she had witnessed first-hand. She injected true feelings into the story, and that made it realistic.

The first chapter was about a lady who accidentally caught her fiancé having an affair with her sister. Tortured by the sight of her cheating fiancé and her sister’s betrayal, she went to the bar to get wasted. That same night, she also met a mysterious man. Instinctually, she wrote many words flattering the protagonist.  When she reviewed her writing, she realized she had overdone it and quickly modified her work. The protagonist and heroine met by chance at the end of the first chapter.  She edited the text a bit before publishing the story.

Soon after, the girl woke up. The medicine must have worked. She looked at He Zening confusedly. “Who are you?” she asked.

“Are you awake?” He Zening asked, quickly putting her cell phone away. “Do you remember what happened earlier?”

“Earlier…? What happened?” The girl tried very hard to recall how her evening went. She remembered that she had gotten drunk at the bar. Later, she seemed to have bumped into someone…

He Zening patiently helped her recover her memory. “You were drunk and bumped into my boss. Do you remember that?” she asked.

The lady nodded. “I do remember. So that was your boss… Is he okay?” she answered, looking apologetic.

He Zening intended to answer yes, but instead, she decided to elaborate. “He is fine. He left after you spilled wine all over his suit. He arranged for me to stay with you to make sure you wouldn’t be taken advantage of,” she said.

Even He Zening was proud of her own performance; she was dedicated to playing her part to move the story forward!

“I am really sorry.” The lady touched her pockets and remembered she did not bring her cell phone or her purse with her. The only money in her possession was paid for her drinks.

She looked embarrassed. “I am so sorry… I forgot to bring my purse,” she turned to He Zening, “I will pay for the dry-cleaning fees if you leave me a contact number,” she said.

“It’s no big deal.I only have to make sure you are safe,” He Zening replied. She gave her a business card. “My name is He Zening. What is yours?”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss He. My name is Bai Yinan.”

That was a good name; a right fit for a heroine. He Zening was satisfied. She nodded, and smiled warmly. “You have a pretty name. How are you going to get home tonight?”

“I…”

Bai Yinan suddenly felt at a loss. He Zening could see she had a conflicted look on her face. Perhaps, something had happened at home that she’s not able to go back there. He Zening handed over two hundred Yuan and said, “I don’t know what happened to you, but it is dangerous for a girl to stay out this late. Go to a friend’s house or find a place to stay.”

“How can I take your money…”

“You can take it,” He Zening pushed the money to her hands. As Bai Yinan held the money, her eyes had become slightly red and watery. He Zening patted her on the shoulder and reassured her. “Get some rest. Tomorrow will be better,” she said.

“Thank you, Miss He… I am so grateful to have met you today.”

“To be accurate, you are fortunate to have met my boss.”

He Zening winked at her. Before bidding farewell, she made sure Bai Yinan was fully awake. Bai Yinan repeatedly pledged to pay back the money and the dry-cleaning fees tomorrow. He Zening, of course, chose to believe her. She wasn’t worried at all about being deceived. Why would she? Her boss was Gu Siye!