Chapter 652: Chapter 652: Old-fashioned Romance
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it." The girl said while continuously rubbing Xu Ke’s chest with her hand.
At first, Xu Ke was caught off guard and was touched several times by the girl. When he realized what was happening, he instantly stepped back, causing the girl’s outstretched hand to miss.
"Ah, Mr. Xu!" The girl’s eyes widened like little bronze bells as she looked up at Xu Ke.
"Why is it you! No, I mean, I didn’t mean to bump into you, please don’t fire me." The girl’s eyes started to well up with tears, as if she would burst into tears at Xu Ke’s words of dismissal.
"Forget it, be more careful next time, don’t rush." Xu Ke saw her young face and noticed the intern badge hanging on her chest, which gave him a general idea of her background — a fresh graduate just starting her career. He was willing to give her a chance to correct her mistake.
"Clean up this area, it’s too messy." Xu Ke said, frowning at the coffee-stained floor and the broken cup.
Seeing that Xu Ke didn’t intend to fire her, the girl discreetly breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, I’ll clean it up right away." She said respectfully.
Xu Ke nodded at her and prepared to leave. The sticky feeling on his chest made him uncomfortable, so he wanted to change his clothes. But that very girl blocked his way.
"What else do you want?" Xu Ke asked, suppressing his discomfort.
The girl glanced at Xu Ke shyly, then immediately looked down, and quietly said, "Let me wash your clothes for you. After they’re clean, I’ll return them since I dirtied them."
Xu Ke noticed her fiddling with her hair, revealing her slender neck. His brows furrowed even more as he coldly replied, "No need, just do your job."
"No, I made a mistake, so how can it just end like this? Just take your clothes off and give them to me. I’ll clean them and return them. I’m happy you’re willing to forgive me, but I can’t overlook my mistake as if nothing happened. This goes against everything I’ve learned while growing up." The girl said firmly, looking at Xu Ke with determination.
"Are you sure you’re willing to take responsibility for your mistake?" Xu Ke raised an eyebrow, looking at her, his black eyes full of sarcasm.
"Yes." The girl nodded determinedly, Xu Ke noticed.
"Since you insist, I won’t stop you. This outfit’s fabric is special; it can’t be washed or dry-cleaned— it’s a one-time wear. To compensate for your mistake, you can only choose to pay for it." Xu Ke said, "And the price of this clothing isn’t cheap, even so, do you insist on compensating me for your mistake? If you regret it now, I can pretend you never said anything."
The girl looked momentarily astonished but quickly regained her composure and nodded, "People need to pay the price for their mistakes, so I am willing to compensate you." She swallowed as she spoke.
A peculiar smile appeared on Xu Ke’s face, "Since you say so, I won’t stop you. This is a custom-made piece from Italy, globally one of a kind, starting at a seven-figure price, beginning with ’3’. Aside from that, there are other costs like shipping, but given how genuinely you admitted your mistake, I’ll give you a discount, just three million." Xu Ke extended his hand toward the girl.
The girl’s face first turned white, then flushed red. She nervously twisted the hem of her dress and whispered, "That expensive?"
"Is it expensive? Not really, it’s a standard price. I have more expensive ones, but I didn’t bring them, so I didn’t wear them. I don’t have much time; if you want to compensate, do it quickly." Xu Ke’s hand remained outstretched.
"I... I don’t have that much money right now. How about this: I’ll write you an IOU, and you can deduct the money from my salary." The girl closed her eyes and replied boldly.
"With your intern salary?" Xu Ke’s raised eyebrow and the tone of his voice made the girl feel embarrassed, yet it wasn’t the end but another beginning, "Not to mention whether you can pass the internship to become a full-time employee, but your salary, as a newcomer, can reach ten thousand a month? If not, how many years will it take to repay this amount? Decades? That’s quite a thought-provoking question."
The girl’s whole body trembled with anger at Xu Ke’s words, "What do you mean by that?" Clenching her fists tightly, she looked at Xu Ke, her eyes rimmed with red.
"It’s simple, don’t rashly take on something you can’t handle. Make sure you have the capability before considering taking on something tough. Also, be careful in your work, try not to make mistakes, because you never know if your mistake will become a mountain that crushes you. Let today serve as a lesson; you don’t have to pay for this outfit, but if you spill coffee on me again, I’ll make you compensate and also lose your job, so be careful at work."
While Xu Ke was talking to the girl, the coffee on his clothes had nearly dried. The coffee smell lingered but was much less harmful than before, at least not driving Xu Ke crazy anymore.
This matter could have ended here, but someone refused to let it.
Just as Xu Ke was about to walk past the girl to the elevator, she grabbed his arm.
"What do you mean by that? Are you humiliating me, mocking me, trampling on my pride? I admit you’re rich, I’m not as rich as you, three million would indeed take me decades to repay, but that doesn’t give you the right to trample on my dignity. I want you to apologize for what you just said." She said, tears streaming down her face.
Xu Ke’s gaze fell on the girl’s hand holding his arm. If someone could read Xu Ke’s mind now, they’d see three large question marks slowly forming above his head.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Xu Ke looked at her in confusion, unable to understand which part of his words had somehow pierced her ludicrous pride. Wasn’t he giving her advice?
"I said, apologize to me!" The girl demanded resolutely. Her voice was loud, and because of their earlier clash and Xu Ke’s identity, they already attracted many eyes. Now, with her outburst, more gathered to watch, their curiosity overcoming fear, observing openly instead of sneakily.
"You spilled coffee all over me and expect me to apologize to you? Are you out of your mind?" Xu Ke’s patience, already thin, evaporated as he saw her gearing up to keep this unreasonable farce going. His expression turned grim.