544: Food is strength, Miss Wei.

Food is strength, Miss Wei.

[PRESENT TIME]1

Ivy went to the security discipline office to see Tiger. She heard Tiger was held there to receive punishments according to the company's rules. She didn't know there was such a rule, but she assumed it was what they call for scolding Tiger while investigating his actions. 

The Lyon Group had a thorough way of dealing with their staff, after all. 

While she waited, she couldn't help but the remember years she wasted with a manipulative and abusive man. Silas drained her until there was almost nothing left in her, and yet, he was still able to do what he had done in the past. She treated him as a family. Despite not being blood-related, she thought of Silas as her brother. But alas, he still did what he did, as if she did nothing good to him. 

That was why it baffled her. 

Why?

She had been good to Silas, but all she got in return was his cruelty. Tiger, on the other hand, was a stranger. Ivy and Tiger didn't have any history in the past. They didn't even know each other and last night was the first time they had direct interaction. Yet, that man risked his job for her. 

Why?

Why would he do that?

Myriads of questions invaded Ivy's mind, and she knew they would remain in her mind unless she talked to Tiger. Therefore, she waited for him, canceling all her appointments for the day when she realized it might take a day before she could see him.

'It's been three hours,' she thought, checking her phone to see the time. 'Just how long will this investigation last? A day?'

Another deep exhale slipped past her lips, and she looked around at the building's lobby. The security office was a little strict and thus, she had to wait here. She had seen countless employees go in and out of the building; she even saw Heaven running errands at least twice during those waiting hours.

"Even if I needed a day, I need to talk to him…" Ivy trailed off as she turned her gaze to the corner and her eyes landed on the elevator. She perked up the moment she saw Tiger stepping out of the lift. 

His hair was a mess, his blazer was resting on his shoulder, and his tie was loose with the first three buttons of his white inner shirt unbuttoned. Tiger dragged his feet lazily and his face screamed with annoyance, as if the world owed him an apology. 

"Damn…" he muttered in an annoyed tone, kicking an invisible pebble on the tiled floor. "Those guys are really cruel. Can't they wake me up properly? Why kick me out when they detained me — damn. My sleep is not complete."

Tiger clicked his tongue as he woke up wrongly from a deep nap. The committee put him in the hot seat in the morning, and then they told him he should stay in the office. He wasn't interested in whatever punishment he would meet and thus, he took a nap. But then, they woke him up, telling him he was not taking things seriously and that he should sleep in his own place instead of treating the office as his own house. 

They were all crazy!

His steps slowed down when he caught a figure from the corner of his eyes. He furrowed his brows as his steps stopped, standing meters from the woman standing up from the chair in the lobby.

"Miss Wei?" he called, tilting his head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

Ivy drew a deep breath as she sported a solemn look. She studied him from head to toe, lips drawn into a thin line. 

"Can we talk?" she asked quietly, but her voice still reached his ears. "Captain?"

Tiger arched a brow, confused. But in the end, he agreed.

*

*

*

Ivy opened and closed her mouth, but her voice wouldn't come out. All she could do was watch the man across from her, gobbling up the food on the table without any trace of table manners. Tiger's big appetite stopped her from even starting a conversation.

'He probably hasn't eaten since this morning,'she thought, looking around at the small restaurant she didn't even know existed. 'I should let him finish first.'

With that thought in mind, Ivy simply watched Tiger eat to his heart's content. As she did so, she couldn't help but wonder just how monstrous this man's appetite was. Even in her most starving state, she couldn't eat that much. Her eyes veered to the empty plates on the side, making her face twitch a little in dismay. 

"Oh." Ivy raised her brows slightly as she reached for the pitcher, pouring it into the empty glass of water before offering it to him. "You should be careful," she said, watching Tiger pound his fist against his chest and then snatching the glass of water to chug down the food down his throat. 

"Hah!" Tiger huffed in relief, looking back at the young lady across from him. "Thanks."

"Are you finished?" 

"No. Can't you see?" Tiger swayed his hand over the table, displaying the food on it. "Some of my orders hadn't even arrived."

"There's still more?"

"Food is strength, Miss Wei. If I don't eat, how can I have the energy to do my job?" Tiger's voice was laced with slight sarcasm, picking up the cutlery and resting his arm against the edge of the table. "You should eat too. Don't worry. The food here is good but cheap."

"..." Ivy watched him resume his meal, glancing at the old auntie serving them another batch of food with a kind smile. She smiled back a bit and then looked back at Tiger when the old auntie left. 

"You won't eat?" he asked, seeing that she still hadn't picked up the cutlery. 

"No, thanks."

"Well." Tiger shrugged indifferently, reaching for the bowl of soup in front of her. He chugged the hot soup straight from the bowl. "Ah, that's hot — my tongue!" and yet, he continued to shove a piece of meat into his mouth. 

Ivy kept her mouth shut while he heartily ate his meal. When she realized Tiger might take some time to finish, her lips parted as a question flew out of her mouth. 

"Why did you do that, Mr. Captain?" she asked, watching Tiger slow down to look at her. "I heard what you did to Silas last night. Even if I used all my brain cells, I just cannot see the logic in why would you do that for me. Please give me an answer or I might lose my mind."

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