After the vexing encounter between Zhang Chenric and Wang Reiji, the latter was contemplating whether to still continue with the dinner meeting which was the original plan or head home before Zhang Chenric recovered to pester her again.
Sensing that the mood of his boss suddenly became gloomy, Rentao did not hesitate to ask her if she was feeling okay.
"Boss? Is there something wrong? Your complexion does not look okay. Shall I postpone this meeting so you can go home and take a rest instead?"
"I am fine. We shall continue with this meeting. Also, Miss Teri will be arriving any minute now and I do not want her to have a bad impression on us."
Wang Reiji responded as she took a sip of icy cold water from her goblet which was held by her hand that punched Zhang Chenric's face.
"B-boss, is your right hand okay? It looks swollen!" Rentao asked with his face full of concern.
"Stop overreacting, will you? It is not swollen. Maybe you are already starving that you are starting to hallucinate!"
Wang Reiji immediately dismissed the idea that her hand was swollen as she tried to hide the pain radiating from deep inside her right knuckle.
She must have punched too hard that she also hurt herself in the process.
"Boss, I hope you will forgive me if I will overstep on my boundaries as your personal assistant and secretary this time. I grew up in the slums and I am always present in every brawl in my community. So, I know a swollen knuckle when I see one."
Wang Reiji: ...
"If you ignore that small injury now, it might cause bigger and more serious problems in the future. I suggest you pay more attention to your health, boss. Please do this for the sake of Miss Europa."
Rentao was brave enough to give Wang Reiji his honest opinion, not caring if the latter will fire him because of what he just said.
Because of the genuine sincerity Wang Reiji saw in her subordinate's eyes, she can't help but feel moved with his honesty.
However, the show must go on, and she must act professionally or Miss Teri will have a negative impression on her.
For now, she must endure the pain until the dinner meeting reached its conclusion.
Once the meeting was done, she will ask Rentao to take her to the hospital.
"I appreciate your concern, Rentao. But we still have a commitment to fulfill. Please do not be worried about me, after tonight's meeting we will head to a hospital so I can have my right knuckle checked by a specialist."
Wang Reiji said as she let out a quick smile to show that she was still okay and that the pain was tolerable.
"I understood, boss. But we still need to apply first aid to make sure nothing serious will happen. I will just get the first aid kit in the car. Excuse me, boss."
Rentao did not bother to wait for Wang Reiji's reply as he quickly stood up from his seat and sprinted towards the parking lot.
Upon seeing her subordinate's swift exit, Wang Reiji exhaled sharply as she watched Rentao's back slowly disappeared from the crowd of people in the lobby.
She then called for a waiter and asked for some ice and an extra table napkin.
It did not take long for the waiter to return, bringing all Wang Reiji had asked him for.
After thanking the waiter, Wang Reiji made a cold compress out of the materials she asked the waiter to bring her.
She then gently pressed the cold compress on her painful joint.
As she silently attended to her injury, she started to ponder on the words that came out from Zhang Chenric's mouth as well as the tone of his voice.
For some unexplainable reason, the moment Zhang Chenric's voice started to crack, it somehow tore a part of her heart.
Every word that hit her ears went straight to her heart.
It was as if Zhang Chenric's words were packed with heavy sorrow.
As his words pressed against her, her heart suddenly became clouded in pain.
The hurt was so great making her want to wail out loud so she can let out the pain and anger that was clogging her system.
However, since things were different now than it was before, Wang Reiji did not let her emotions take over her.
She did not want to make big decisions especially when her mind was not working fine and her heart was blinded by emotions.
She must find her focus for she cannot afford to make history repeat itself, especially now that she had a daughter to protect, a brother to support, and a company to run.