Imperfect Desires

30 Mismatched Pair

The light of the day has long drained away, giving way to the velvety dark of night. Under the moonlight, the city was mesmerizing with skyscrapers littered all around and the neon lights that were illuminating the city as stars did to the dark sky.

While people were making their way back to the houses after a long and tiring day, in a sky-high tower, the top floor was still lit up.

Furious typing on the keyboard could be heard as a pair of eyes were glued on the screen. The woman rubbed her eyes as her shoulders slumped tiredly. She looked exhausted. Her droopy eyes turned to look at the office beside hers and saw the lights were still blaring back at her. Turning off her desktop, she picked up a folder and stood up from her seat.

She curled her fingers and gave a warning knock before pushing the door open to see two handsome and dashing men locked in a staring competition. It wasn't something new to her at all.

She coughed lightly to make her presence known and saw both a pair of gray eyes and a pair of ink-black eyes shifting towards her.

"You haven't left work yet, Ms. Li?" The gray-eyed person asked with a crease between his brows.

Li Qi'er sighed out, "You should be asking that question to your dearest friend, Mr. Salvay."

The frown between his strong eyebrows deepened as he turned his eyes back to his best friend, "Didi, how can you make her work till this time? It's already 9 pm."

"Daz, stop calling me Didi. You know I hate that nickname." Dylan showed his annoyance without restraint. "Besides, I didn't ask her to stay. Her working hours are over long ago." Shifting his eyes from his laptop, he looked at Li Qi'er and said, "Ms. Li, why are you still here?"

"I have something to discuss with you but you have been busy all afternoon. I could only wait." Li Qi'er said exasperatedly, not caring whether the one before her was her boss.

"When did you start getting vigilant?" Darren was the one who asked that. "You have been with our Didi for ten years since the time he started getting his business training."

"Since the time he has become temperamental." Li Qi'er replied back.

Darren pursed his lips to stifle his laughter. "Don't blame him. A monster kid has made him grumpy these days." The reminder of Xiu was like someone jabbed at his wounds.

"Haha. Was it supposed to be a joke? Because I couldn't bring myself to laugh at it." Dylan shot back with a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Aww! Poor thing. I knew you lost your funny bone." Darren didn't back out. They both held their gaze for a moment longer before bursting out in laughter.

Li Qi'er looked at them with smiling eyes. She had known both these best friends for years. They both had plenty of similarities and also plenty of differences as well. But in all these years, she had never seen them fighting with each other. Their bond had been stronger than real brothers. She could hardly believe that anyone could come between them.

Dylan Qiu also known as Qiu Hedi had been her boss for the past ten years. One and only heir of Qiu Group of Corporations. He had the haughtiness of a young master, it was embedded in his mind and soul from the very beginning. Perhaps, that's why he was short-tempered. In normal life, he was a very easygoing person but when it came to working, he always turned into a bad boy.

Finance magazines often described him as the bad boy of the business world. He had the qualifications for sitting in the office of CEO of Qiu Group of Corporations' Head Office.

As for the person sitting opposite of him, R.D. Salvay. He was said to be one of a kind business magnate. He didn't get everything on a silver plater served to him like Dylan. He had earned everything with his own efforts and hard work. Perhaps, that's why he was always serious but level-headed.

One being haughty and the other being humble. They were an oddly mismatched pair of best friends.

"Ms. Li, what did you have to discuss?" Darren asked Li Qi'er since Dylan still wasn't focused on her.

"I have the list and resume of all the candidates for Mr. Qiu's Head Secretary." Li Qi'er placed the folder at his oakwood table gently. "I've personally selected each candidate from within the companies that are under Qiu Group."

"Head Secretary? For what?" Darren asked in confusion.

"Mr. Qiu being his temperament self fired four of his secretaries from Spark International Group." Li Qi'er answered as it was the most obvious thing.

"Why do I need those useless fellows when I have you as my Executive Assistant?" Dylan retorted as he read the proposal files on his laptop.

"Are you serious? You forgot again?" Li Qi'er almost shrieked at her forgetful boss. Actually, no. He wasn't forgetful, he was a big apathetic jerk!

"What did I forget?" Dylan asked indecisively.

Darren coughed lightly as he stated, "Didi, Ms. Li is resigning in a few months."

"What? Why?" Dylan's reaction really made Li Qi'er want to smash his head on a wall. What a lackadaisical ignoramus!

Darren shook his head and added, "Boy, are you sure you listen to what she says?" Darren was seriously questioning Dylan's working ethics. "Ms. Li is pregnant. So, she asked for resignment because she wants to be a stay at home mother for her child. Remember, she said it last month?"

"I can't recall." Dylan gave a dumb and lost look. "Oh, by the way, congratulations!"

"For what?" Li Qi'er asked.

"For your wedding. I didn't know you're married." Darren facepalmed himself as he heard this reply.

"Oi! You even went to her wedding with me. She married my bodyguard, Shota last year."

"Huh? Shota married her? I'm so sorry, Ms. Li. You were wearing a veil. So, I didn't recognize you." Dylan looked at her apologetically.

"Forget it. I'm used to it in all these years." Li Qi'er could only grumble with a belly full of anger. "Anyways, I'll be choosing four final candidates. And one of them will eventually be my successor. And I'd like your presence during the screening process."

"I told you to just deal with it yourself. Just choose someone less nagging person unlike yourself." Dylan mumbled the last part softly.

Li Qi'er, however, smirked as she remembered Xiu. Less nagging? Hahaha. She'll be the death of you!

"Ms. Li, you can look for me if you need any help." Darren offered in his usual good manners.

"Thank you, Mr. Salvay!" Li Qi'er looked at him gratefully.

"Yes, look for Daz. He loves hiring people." Dylan also chimed in as he turned off his laptop.

"Not more than you love firing people," Darren replied nonchalantly but it made Li Qi'er laugh out. "Oh and Ms. Li, I told you to stop calling me Mr. Salvay. You're Shota's wife now and he's like family to me. So, you are indirectly also a family member."

Li Qi'er couldn't help smiling at Darren's gesture. Indeed, this man was really different for people who mattered to him.