Li Haojun finished his work of coordinating with customers who came to pick up their orders, and the afternoon was almost over. His long-term technical service work made him particularly attentive to customer experience, so he always preferred to provide services face-to-face with his customers.
Upon returning to his office and taking a seat, he was delighted to see Siena arrive as scheduled.
“Can we continue our conversation now?” Li Haojun asked cheerfully.
“Yes,”
“Could you tell me, when you were job hunting, did you directly choose this company, or did you also consider other companies?”
“No, I came here directly,”
“Then how did you learn about this company? Through a friend's recommendation or social media?”
“My family's service recommended it,”
“Oh, I see. I asked you these questions because...” Li Haojun lowered his voice further,
"Physical punishments like spanking were common hundreds of years ago, back when slave owners punished their slaves, or the head of a household might use such methods to maintain order among family members. And the whips used back then caused greater physical harm. But in modern, formal companies, such things don’t exist. That’s why I’m curious about why you ended up here—is there some kind of screening process?”
“Hmm,” Xiyena nodded as she listened to Li Haojun's explanation, seeming to try to understand,
“Actually, I'm new to this company too. I don't know the specifics here either. My superior assigned me to work here,” Li Haojun explained while trying to gain Xiyena's empathy, saying,
“It seems like we were both deceived into coming here, isn't that right?”
Hearing this, Xiyena also laughed. Li Haojun then asked,
“Have you ever, either intentionally or unintentionally, mentioned anything to your family about your intentions, which is why you ended up here?”
Xiyena thought for a moment and said,
“Sorry, I don’t remember much about my family’s affairs,”
Li Haojun wasn't sure if she truly didn't remember or if she didn't want to say, because there were too many things she didn't remember, so he reassured her,
“It's okay, it's a modern society now, there are no slaves, and there are no slave owners, ah,” Li Haojun hesitated for a moment, then said,
“My expression isn't precise, I can only say I'm not a slave owner,”
“Why do you say your expression isn’t accurate?” Siena fluttered her large gray-green eyes and looked at Li Haojun, asking,
Seeing her serious expression, Li Haojun couldn’t help but sigh, Thank goodness this innocent girl met me; otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble she would have gotten into.
As they chatted idly, time flew by, and it was already past quitting time. Li Haojun casually turned his head to look outside the office and noticed that everyone else had already left. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was long past quitting time and hurriedly said to Xie Na,
“Look, it’s already past quitting time. I’m sorry for keeping you here during your rest time,”
“It’s okay,”
“Why don’t I give you a ride home? It’ll save you some time,” Li Haojun hurriedly asked.
“Sure,” Xiyena replied without hesitation.
As they spoke, the two stood up. Li Haojun walked out of the office, while Siena went to her workstation to put on her coat. The two walked side by side out of the factory building.
Li Haojun’s flying car was quite low, with gull-wing doors. Siena watched as the doors opened and peered inside, looking delighted. She chose the seat behind Li Haojun on the right.
Fuel engines were rarely used in passenger vehicles on the market anymore, except for some high-performance vehicles. The vibration upon startup and the low rumble of the idle exhaust seemed to hold endless power,
but there was no opportunity to showcase its performance on this journey, as the road to Siena's residence was somewhat remote, with narrow asphalt lanes that could only accommodate two vehicles if the roadside grass was included. The two-story detached houses on either side of the road were tightly packed, seemingly designed for singles or small families, with courtyards so small that the houses along the road blocked the sunlight, making the road feel claustrophobic.
The dim golden sunlight diffuses across the dark asphalt road, contrasting with the gravel texture and the receding outlines of houses, fences, and windows along the street, while the flowing street scenes are reflected on the sleek silver body of the car. The contrast between movement and stillness, steel and brick, mechanical power and tranquil homes, is intensified by the deep, rumbling exhaust of the engine.
The curved surface and low angle of the front windshield reflect more sunlight into the interior. Li Haojun occasionally glances at Xie Na in the rearview mirror. She occasionally looks out the window at the street scene, The sunlight had dyed her hair a golden brown, obscuring her cheeks, ears, and perhaps her youthful shyness. At times, she would turn her head to look at Li Haojun, and when Li Haojun's gaze met her eyes—which appeared even more emerald-green and deep in the soft golden sunlight—a smile would appear on her face.
Soon they arrived at Siena's home, a compact little courtyard and residence with dark green fences, decorative greenery in the yard, pale green walls, and brown doors and windows. All the houses in the area were of this style.
Li Haojun opened the car door, and after thanking him, Siena got out and walked through the courtyard to the front door. Suddenly, she turned back and whispered,
“Ethan, would you like to meet my family?”
Li Haojun thought to himself that since they had already reached the door and there were elders at home, it would be impolite to decline the invitation. He got out of the car and followed Xie Na into the residence.
She led the way without looking back or saying anything, then went upstairs. Li Haojun wondered if her parents were in the bedroom on the second floor? He didn't ask, as it seemed impolite to speak before the host did, but Xie Na still didn't turn back or speak. Instead, she walked while taking off her clothes and tossing them onto the sofa in the hallway, then entered the bathroom alone, showering as if no one else were there. Behind the glass partition, her swaying figure was visible—whether she hadn't noticed Li Haojun's presence or didn't mind Ethan seeing him,
Li Haojun surveyed the second floor, finding only one bedroom and one bathroom, with no one else present. Why had she mentioned wanting him to meet her family earlier?
Pondering this, he went downstairs. There seemed to be no one else, and the doors were locked. He inspected the living room and kitchen on the first floor but found no signs of others living there.
With lingering doubts, Li Haojun returned to the second floor, tidied up her clothes, and sat on the sofa to wait, intending to ask her later what was going on.
Soon, Xiyena emerged from the bathroom. Her young body was slender and graceful, radiating youthful vitality. She walked past Li Haojun with bare feet, her steps light and gentle, her gaze fixed ahead, as if no one else were there, and returned to the bedroom.
“Xiyena?” Li Haojun watched her retreating figure and tried to call out to her, but before she could finish speaking, Xiyena had already entered the bedroom.
Feeling something was off, Li Haojun went to the bedroom and leaned over to observe. Siena was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, seemingly already asleep.
Falling asleep so quickly was highly unusual. Li Haojun quickly placed his finger near her nose—there was a breath—and then touched her carotid artery—there was a pulse.
“Siena, Siena,” Li Haojun called out twice but received no response. He shook her shoulders, but there was still no reaction.
Such deep sleep could lead to suffocation if the airway was blocked during sleep. Had she taken some medication? Realizing this wasn't good, Li Haojun wrapped her in a blanket, carried her downstairs, and prepared to take her to the hospital.
As he carried Siena out the front door and placed her in the car, she suddenly opened her eyes, looked around dazedly, and mumbled,
“Am I going to work? Why is it still dark? Why did I wake up so early?”
Seeing her confusion upon waking, Li Haojun hurriedly explained,
“It’s not yet time for you to go to work tomorrow. Right now, you’ve just returned home after work. You took a shower and fell asleep. I couldn’t wake you up no matter what. Now I’m taking you to the hospital.” After speaking, he looked into Xiyena’s eyes, waiting for her response,
“Oh, don’t worry. that's just how I am—I fall asleep as soon as I get home. Take me back to my room..."
When she lay back down on the bed, she fell asleep just as quickly. This time, Li Haojun didn't try to wake her again. Looking out the window, he saw that it was completely dark outside. Checking the time, he realized they should be almost home. To avoid worrying Tan Wenjing, he called her on video chat to explain the situation,
"Let me see your little sleeping beauty first, ” Tan Wenjing, after hearing Li Haojun’s explanation, made this request first, completely adopting the mindset of a bystander.
Li Haojun moved the camera toward Xie Na,
“Closer, let me see her face shape. Hmm, she seems pretty young. Now show me her profile,” Tan Wenjing said on the other end while making more requests,
“Ah, look at her nose—the bridge is a bit flat, and the tip is slightly upturned. It’s quite cute. Hey, does she remind you of Malaya?”
“Haha, there is a resemblance,” Li Haojun replied with a wry smile. The video showed him being caught by his girlfriend having a private meeting with another woman.
“Is her figure good? Zoom out a bit and take a look,” Tan Wenjing seemed to have found a new pastime while alone at home.
“Oh, I can't tell like this. Lift her blanket and take a look,”
“No way, is that okay?” " Li Haojun replied,
“Don't you want to see?” Tan Wenjing giggled on the phone,
“Alright, stop teasing me. I'll head back now,”
“Forget it. If it's not a beautiful trap over there, just stay the night. Just be careful,” Tan Wenjing said seriously,
“Are you really okay with this?” ” Although Li Haojun understood his woman’s trust in him, he still didn’t want her to face the loneliness of the night alone while he was with another woman, even though nothing had happened,
“It’s better than having me worry about your safety,” Tan Wenjing directly expressed her concern,
“Then let’s video call until I fall asleep with you,” Li Haojun suggested. He couldn’t think of a fairer way to treat Tan Wenjing…
That night, everything was completely silent. Li Haojun looked at the crescent moon outside the window, his thoughts racing. Were all the people here like Siena, going home to sleep as soon as they got there, so there were no crowds out on the streets for entertainment or strolling? But if that were the case, when did the people in this town have children?
“I have the opportunity to do that, don’t I?” Li Haojun mocked himself with a grin. What was he thinking? He glanced back at Siena lying on her side on the bed. Moonlight shone on the strands of hair scattered across her forehead. Li Haojun could even hear her peaceful breathing as she slept so deeply.
Li Haojun fantasized again: If he went over and gave her a sincere kiss, would she really wake up like a princess in a fairy tale? Would the spell on her be broken?
O moon, O moon, can you answer? Is she truly under a spell?
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