My Dongguan Love Story

Lin Guilian gripped the handle of the thermos tightly with her fingertips. The warm thermos made her palms throb, but she was completely unaware of it.

She watched Dazhuang and Secretary Su from afar; the two were sitting very close, eating quietly and occasionally talking in hushed tones, which made her eyes sting with anger. The little bit of excitement and anticipation in her heart was instantly suppressed, replaced by a surge of anger that almost spiraled out of control.

She almost stepped forward, about to ask, "Who is that woman? What's her relationship with Dazhuang? Why are they standing so close?"

But as soon as the thought popped into her head, she bit her lower lip hard, swallowing all her questions back down her throat.

She couldn't. If she went up to him, she would appear petty and unreasonable, like a clingy pest. Ironically, she and Dazhuang weren't even friends, so she didn't even have the right to be jealous or question him.

Da Zhuang was never short of women fawning over him, all sorts of them, without a break. A thought suddenly popped into her mind: even if she were willing to try and win over others, Da Zhuang had never given her a chance. Why waste her time so pathetically? It would be better to gracefully withdraw and leave with dignity.

But just as she was about to back down, Tang Yan's arrogant and boastful demeanor suddenly flashed into her mind. A surge of resentment instantly rose within her. She was determined to be with Da Zhuang, to stand taller than Tang Yan, and to slap her in the face, making sure the other woman couldn't be so smug.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness and anger welling up in her eyes, gradually calming her emotions and adjusting the expression on her face.

She gripped the warm lunchbox tightly in her hand, her fingertips tightening slightly. Summoning the last bit of courage, she carried the food, filled with heartfelt care, and walked step by step toward the door.

As soon as she reached the door, Dazhuang kept his head down, eating. He didn't look up and was completely unaware of her arrival.

Li Jie and Secretary Su, who were sitting to the side, had sharp eyes and caught sight of Lin Guilian standing at the door with a lunchbox in her hand.

Secretary Su paused slightly, subconsciously looking up at her with a hint of surprise and a subtle scrutiny in her eyes.

Li Jie glanced at Lin Guilian and was slightly taken aback when he saw her carrying lunchboxes of various sizes.

He recognized her at a glance; she was the one who had boldly fed Dazhuang lunch yesterday. Why was she bringing food over again today?

His gaze unconsciously swept over Secretary Su next to Da Zhuang, and the food already laid out on the table, and he was momentarily dazed.

He could easily see through this scene, and a subtle meaning instantly dawned on him. He thought to himself that Da Zhuang was incredibly lucky with women; he had so many girlfriends he couldn't count them all, and each one of them was devoted to him. It was just a middle shift job, yet it was like a farewell dinner, with all sorts of women lining up to bring him food and fawn over him.

His gaze inadvertently fell on Lin Guilian's forlorn yet resilient expression. He understood immediately and quickly nudged Dazhuang beside him with his elbow.

I was eating with my head down when he bumped into me, and I immediately turned to look at Li Jie in confusion.

Li Jie raised his chin and gave Fei a quick wink towards the door.

I followed his gaze and met Lin Guilian's bewildered expression as she stood at the door. I was slightly taken aback and blurted out, "What brings you here?"

When Lin Guilian saw me asking her, she forced a smile from her previously embarrassed expression: "Dazhuang, I know you're working the afternoon shift today, and I was worried you wouldn't eat well tonight, so I specially cooked a few of my signature dishes for you. I didn't expect you to already be eating them."

Upon hearing about his specialty dish, Li Jie licked his lips, stepped forward to take the food from Lin Guilian's hands, and turned to me, saying, "Dazhuang, she's just being kind, let's eat quickly."

After he finished speaking, he opened the lunchbox one by one, revealing glistening and flavorful boiled pork slices, richly colored braised pork, and fragrant mutton.

He clicked his tongue inwardly; these were all truly hearty dishes. Lamb wasn't cheap these days; he himself hadn't been able to afford it in a long time.

His mouth watered as he looked at it, but he was too shy to eat it directly. He looked at me and said, "Dazhuang, this mutton smells so good, you should try it."

"Hmm." I nodded, then hesitated for a moment. Under Lin Guilian's expectant gaze, I picked up a piece and put it in my mouth. To be honest, the mutton Lin Guilian made was quite fragrant and delicious, not gamey at all.

Secretary Su, sitting next to Da Zhuang, remained silent throughout, secretly observing Lin Guilian.

She felt a little uneasy, unsure of the relationship between the woman in front of her and Dazhuang. If she was his girlfriend, then it would be too abrupt for her to come and have dinner with him tonight, and she might even be confronted and kicked out.

On the other side, Lin Guilian was also observing Secretary Su discreetly.

Although the other person was sitting right next to Dazhuang, in a friendly manner, she observed from the doorway for a moment and slowly formed a judgment in her mind. Judging from her appearance, Secretary Su was probably not Dazhuang's girlfriend, but most likely just an ordinary friend who revolved around him, like herself.

Li Jie took a few bites, then became intoxicated by the aroma of Lin Guilian's cooking. Seeing Lin Guilian still standing at the door, he somewhat embarrassedly invited her in, even making room for her to sit next to Da Zhuang.

As a result, Lin Guilian sat to Dazhuang's right, and Secretary Su sat to Dazhuang's left. Li Jie sat opposite Dazhuang.

As he watched Dazhuang eat, his gaze kept darting back and forth between the two charming women on either side of him, and he couldn't help but marvel.

I really can't understand what kind of spell Da Zhuang cast on them that made two such beautiful girls willingly revolve around him. Even though the atmosphere was subtle and undercurrents were surging, neither of them was willing to leave easily.

Seeing that Da Zhuang wasn't paying much attention to Lin Guilian, Secretary Su knew that the two weren't a couple. Emboldened by this, she quickly picked up a piece of her homemade pickled fish and placed it in Da Zhuang's bowl: "Da Zhuang, have some fish."

Seeing this, Lin Guilian naturally refused to back down. She immediately picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of stewed mutton that was tender, and gently placed it into Dazhuang's bowl, saying in a natural tone, "Dazhuang, have some mutton."

Not to be outdone, Secretary Su immediately reached out and served food to Da Zhuang.

The two of them went back and forth, secretly competing with each other, and kept adding food to his bowl.

In no time, my bowl was piled high with food. He looked at the full bowl in front of him, pursed his lips helplessly, and didn't know where to start eating.

Li Jie was completely stunned as he watched the two of them go back and forth in a contest, inwardly cursing his bad luck.

I was just enjoying my meal, but I got so full from watching all the lovey-dovey displays that I lost my appetite.

After the meal, Secretary Su and Lin Guilian tidied up each other, and soon all the dishes and chopsticks were cleared away. They sat down on either side of me, not saying a word, but occasionally glancing at each other.

I lit a cigarette, sighed, and called Secretary Su outside the door, asking her, "What's wrong? Just say it."

I made myself perfectly clear to her last night, laid everything out on the table. If she had listened, she wouldn't have bothered to come all the way here to bring me food today.

Just now, in front of Li Jiehe, I was only trying to save face for her, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to forgive her.

Listening to Secretary Su's soft sobs beside me, I felt numb. It was the same old story: she didn't like Wu Hao at all, she was forced into it, she had no choice. Every word was a plea for help, a desperate attempt to soften my heart, forgive her, and get me to accept her again.

She even bluntly stated that she was willing to be my girlfriend and give herself to me in an attempt to win me back, rambling on and on.

With a cigarette between my fingers, I listened quietly as she poured out her heart, remaining calm throughout and patiently exhausting all her grievances and explanations.

As the cigarette burned out and a spark fell, I gently patted her shoulder, interrupting her before she could finish speaking, my tone calm and distant:

"Secretary Su, I don't care if you're from the Hunan gang or if there's another reason. I have no feelings for you and I won't like you. Please leave."

After I finished speaking, I turned around and was about to walk into the security room.

Secretary Su was stunned when she heard my words. Seeing that I was about to leave, she rushed up to me and asked me with a resentful look, "Why don't you like me? I really like you, Da Zhuang."

She considered herself to be exceptionally beautiful and with a great figure, the type of woman men always flocked to. She took the initiative to lower herself and throw herself into his arms. In her eyes, no man would be so heartless as to refuse her.

I listened to her words and shook my head. To make her give up, I said, "There's no reason. I have a girlfriend."

Upon hearing my words, Secretary Su sneered and said, "Girlfriend? Who? Her?"

I was about to speak, but before I could utter a single word, Lin Guilian suddenly stepped forward and hugged me tightly. She stood on tiptoe, tilted her head back, and leaned in, her warm lips covering mine in a deep kiss.

I was caught off guard by her sudden passionate kiss, and I froze on the spot, unable to react for a moment.

Even as she slowly withdrew her lips, I remained staring at her, mesmerized.

Lin Guilian raised her eyes, her gaze turning icy as she looked at Secretary Su beside her, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"Dazhuang is my man, so please don't bother him anymore. Otherwise, I won't be polite to you."

The way she was acting at that moment was as if she were the mistress of the house, asserting her dominance.

Lin Guilian saw things clearly; having observed the whole situation from the sidelines, she had already grasped the situation. Secretary Su had clearly taken the initiative to pursue Dazhuang, but Dazhuang's attitude was indifferent, and he had no intention of accepting her at all.

Isn't this the perfect opportunity for her to take advantage of the situation? She can not only help Dazhuang out of a predicament, but also get rid of a strong competitor. One less woman is entangled around Dazhuang.

Secretary Su looked down at Lin Guilian, whose expression was as cold as ice, and her heart sank.

Secretary Su was already aware of the entanglement between Dazhuang and Sister Zhao, and the addition of Lin Guilian was of no consequence to her. Moreover, she had come with a mission assigned by Brother Nan, and could not easily back down.

So she gently shook her head, her gaze sweeping over Lin Guilian, who was assertively asserting her dominance, before finally settling on Dazhuang, her tone carrying a hint of stubbornness:

"I don't mind if you have a girlfriend."

Before I could recover from the kiss, Lin Guilian was completely enraged by these words. She strode forward and slapped Secretary Su hard across the face.

Her eyes flashed sharply as she rebuked him sternly, "Have you no shame? He already has a girlfriend, and you're still shamelessly clinging to him?"