Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman

late. Although John was an assistant, he also had his own office.

"I thought you'd gone home already. Why are you working late?" Jean felt relieved when she saw John. She was also somewhat surprised. She didn't think that anyone else was working overtime at the company except herself. She hadn't expect that John would stay this John's office was next to Sonny's, which was far from her office. Perhaps that's why she hadn't seen any lights or heard any sounds that indicated that anyone else was still at the company.

"Our boss sent me some photos from abroad. I have just finished editing them." John looked around and asked in wonder, "Why are you at the door of the men's restroom?"

It was clear that Jean was about to open the door just as John had stepped out.

When she heard John's question, Jean's expression froze. She wondered if John would now think that she had a peculiar taste. As awkwardness settled around them, Jean deliberated on how she would explain this situation to John.

"Ho ho ho... I was about to leave but heard a noise from the restrooms. I thought there may be a thief. And when I was about to enter to inspect, you opened the door."

"If I had opened the door a minute later, you may have seen me naked."

"I'm sorry. I hope there is no misunderstanding. I have to return home now. I'll see you tomorrow." Jean smiled in embarrassment and turned to leave.

John raised his hand and looked at his watch. He said, "Have you had dinner? If not, would you mind joining me for dinner? I have something to talk about with you."

Hearing that, Jean turned around. She was a little surprised. Didn't John hate her? Why did he take the initiative to invite her to dinner?

"It is late. Restaurants may have closed."

"I know of a restaurant that is open this late. Wait for a moment." After saying that, John went back to his office to collect his belongings.

John took Jean to a restaurant where he often dined. It was a small but distinctive restaurant. The restaurant's ambiance was homely. It had been delicately and comfortably decorated. And the dining environment was relatively quiet.

After sitting down, John poured a glass of water for Jean and said, "The owner of this restaurant is my friend. It won't close until midnight."

"Do you often come here to have dinner after working overtime?" She looked around and asked.

"Yes. But this is the first time that I have brought a lady to the restaurant." Just as Johan was speaking, a man came over, with the menu in his hand.

The man put the menu on the table and carefully examined Jean. He patted John on his shoulder and smiled, "Is this your girlfriend?" Jean was stunned. Girlfriend?

The man who seemed to be a waiter was the friend that John had mentioned. He was a young man. Jean guessed that he was about twenty-seven years old. He was tall and well built. With braided hair and a beard, he looked like he had a wild side. From his good figure, Jean guessed that he may be a model.

"I'm not John's girlfriend. I'm his colleague." Jean explained to the owner.

The owner was stunned for a few seconds. He looked at John and said, "Your colleague?"

"Yes." John nodded before taking a sip of water.

"Hey, this is unusual behavior for you. I have never seen you bring any girls here. When I asked about that, you said that you enjoying dining quietly. Since she isn't your girlfriend, why did you bring her here? Is it because you like this lady?"

The owner teased John. Then he turned and explained to Jean, "I'm a frank person and I like jokes. Please don't mind me."

"I'm not offended." She smiled gently and shook her head.

John flashed his friend a disgruntled look before handing the menu to Jean. "You have been working at the company for half a month and I haven't invited you for a meal. Today, I will treat you."

"No, you don't have to do that. I..."

"Please order some food." John had never been the kind of person to speak a lot. He was always polite, but he was also used as few words as possible.

Jean puckered her lips as she debated over the situation. She didn't want to offend John. She was unfamiliar with John as they had only just started working together and hadn't spoken much about their personal lives. She couldn't help thinking about the time she had asked John for a favor and his harsh refusal.

His behavior was very different then. Now, John was being nice. Jean had been very surprised when John suddenly asked her to have dinner.

Since it was late night, there weren't many people in the restaurant. To Jean, it felt as though she were in a peaceful coffee shop in the afternoon. Jean liked this kind of ambiance as it made her feel tranquil.

John had asked Jean to dinner as he had learned the truth about the Weibo incident. He was ashamed about how he'd behaved with Jean and thought this would be a good way to apologize to her. Once they sat down at the restaurant, however, John found that he didn't know what to say.

He thought back to the day when Jean had joined the company. At first sight, John had thought that she had a unique charm and that she was quite different from other women. But because of the negative news about Jean, he didn't think highly of her.

Thinking of the incident that happened at the Qi Group a few days ago, John felt somewhat guilty. If he hadn't refused her request, Jean wouldn't have been insulted by so many people in public.

John studied Jean. She was staring out the window and seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

"I'm sorry for the incident that happened a few days ago." After keeping silent for a long while, John finally said.

Jean had been thinking about Zed. John's words interrupted her thoughts. Hearing that, she was confused for a few seconds and said, "What?"

"If I had helped you that day, you wouldn't have been humiliated by those people..." John stopped and waited to see Jean's reaction to his apology.

The glass Jean had picked up, shook in her hand. She was stunned. She lowered her head and smiled. "I had forgotten about that. You don't have to apologize to me. After all, I was requesting you to help me. You weren't obligated to help. So, you don't have to apologize to me." John didn't say anything more about that incident. The owner personally came to serve the dishes they had ordered. He told them to enjoy themselves before leaving with a sly smile. Jean knew that the owner had probably misunderstood her relationship with John. "You must know each other for a long time, right?" She asked John.

"Well, we have been friends since we were young. He's older than me. When we were young, he always asked me to call him elder brother." John raised his eyebrows and continued, "But I have never addressed him as elder brother. He argued with me for several months because of this."

Jean looked at the rice in her bowl and smiled wishfully, "You must have been very happy during your childhood. It's rare to have a playmate who is as close to you as an elder brother." Although Jean was talking about John's childhood, her tone and expression betrayed that she was thinking about her own experiences.

John understood her meaning. He hesitated for a second before replying, "God is fair. If you lose anything, you will get something in return. He will open a door that leads you into darkness. Equally, he will open a door that leads to brightness."

Jean was surprised by John's insightfulness. Had he been able to relate to her misery by just that one statement she had made? He barely knew Jean and yet, here he was, comforting her. Because God had taken away her childhood, God would give her a happy future. The thought gave her hope and made her smile.

Jean liked the way that John was speaking with her. Even though he had been harsh that first time, she had heard John speaking with other colleagues at the office. John never spoke directly or candidly. He often expressed his thoughts in a way that brought solace. "Thank you." Jean smiled. Her facial features were extraordinarily beautiful and charming under the dim restaurant lights. Her smile, like poppies, enchanted people.

They had a happy dinner. Although John was on the quiet side, what he had said made Jean feel comfortable. Jean liked the dinner she had at the restaurant. With how her day had gone, Jean had been a little upset when she arrived at the restaurant. After having dinner with John, she felt at ease.