historical

"Mr. Tan Enlai," Zhang Xiaoling said, getting formal, "I don't think my being unmarried at a certain age has anything to do with you."

She made sure to show and tell him her annoyance so it could etch deeply into his head.

She didn't see this as a weak point because she has never been ashamed of her age and still being single because it was her choice.

"I'm sorry to have offended you by mentioning your status." Seeing that she seemed to be offended by his remarks, he quickly apologized, but she refused to let it lying down.

"I am not offended by your words, but by the perspective of your thoughts," She said to him with knitted brows.

A visible frown was already permanently smeared on her face.

'Huh?'

Tan Enlai stopped and peered intently at her with a look of puzzlement crossing his face. His head tilting quizzically.

Zhang Xiaoling understood the confusion on his face since he was not expecting to be angry at something else other than the initial thought he had in his head.

Being benevolent enough, she decided to explain things to him.

"Do you have a problem with women not being married in their late 20's?" Not waiting for his response, she went on.

"Mr. Tan, you are still unmarried at 35 years, and I am unmarried at 27, is anything wrong with it?"

Zhang Xiaoling was trying to tell him that if a man could still be unmarried past the age of 27 with society not seeing anything wrong with it, then a woman could also do the same.

This time around, Tan Enlai got the message and smiled over it.

"Miss Zhang," he called in a low chuckle. Definitely, he found her words to be funny.

Zhang Xiaoling's brows creased further while wondering the reason he was laughing out loud.

'Did I say anything funny?'

Tan Enlai did her the honor of answering her thoughts. "I have no problem with your age. I was only curious to know what you have been busy with that took marriage off your list."

"I didn't mean to offend you." He continued.

Slowly, Xiaoling's brows began to relax.

*******

"Why can't I find anything useful in this wardrobe?" Zhang Liling muttered under her breath while going through her closet.

There was a big frown sitting on her pretty face as she moved clothes aside with her hands in search of a particular kind of dress.

A moment later, shut the door to her closet in anger and went to sit at the foot of her bed in disappointment.

Only she knew what she was desperately looking for.

Staying put on her bed for a few minutes, an idea came to her, causing her to immediately sprang up and rush to her desk.

Picking up her phone, her fingers swiped across the screen, lighting it up in the process.

As soon as the screen of her phone lit up, she saw the time and smiled to herself.

"I still have time," She said aloud as she smiled. Her natural pink lips curved as her rosy cheeks glowed.

With her phone in hand, she rushed to the nightstand and pulled the drawer below it open.

Taking out her bank card, she went back to her closet to pick up her purse before putting on a pair of black leather sandals and leaving her room in a flash.

Going down the long hallway, her quick steps elated some slight sounds. Taking a turn at the end of the corridor, she came out to a short one and walked ahead with her sharp eyes glistening around.

Zhang Liling was searching for someone and fortunately, she saw the housekeeper and hurriedly went to her side.

"Ms. Chu, I have to go to the mall to get something." She reported with her forehead perspiring a little.

Seeing her in so much of a hurry, the housekeeper asked, "You are going out now? What about the stairs you are supposed to clean in a few minutes?"

Zhang Liling released a deep sigh at that reminder before quickly changing her facial expression in a flash.

What she wanted to go and get was far more important than her duties in the villa.

Softening her voice, she said with pouted lips, "Ms. Chu, please help me cover up. You know that I never slack off with my work."

The housekeeper's brows creased. She didn't understand why she would want to abandon her work and run off to the shopping mall.

Right as she was about to remind her of her duties, Zhang Liling grabbed her arm, acting pitifully, she leaned in to whisper to her,

"Ms. Chu, I just got my period. I searched my closet but found only one piece of pad left, so I have to go out to buy more."

Immediately, the housekeeper's gaze widened.

As a woman who had passed through that stage, she understood.

With her gaze changing to that of worry, she quickly urged her to leave. "Go on, you shouldn't delay this, as it's more important. When you come back, you can continue with your work."

Zhang Liling smiled in triumph and thanked her before scurrying away.

Ms. Chu watched her literally running away and sighed to herself in pity, before turning to go back to the kitchen.

Outside the house, Zhang Liling jumped with her arms raised in the air. "Yeah!" She exclaimed as excitement washed over her.

What period? What pad?

She was not on her period, and she still had 2 extra packs of sanitary pads in her box.

Without wasting time, Zhang Liling left for the shopping mall. When she got there, she went to the female clothing store.

Someone that came to shop for one dress, ended up picking undies.

"Red looks good," She said thoughtfully with her eyes on the red lingerie in front of her.

After checking the size to be sure that it would fit her perfectly, she pointed at it to be wrapped up.

Before leaving the large shopping mall, she went to the supermarket section and picked up some packs of sanitary pads.

In case she meets the housekeeper before she gets to her bedroom, she would have to show her the pads that took her out of the house in the first place.

She was holding two shopping bags that would rattle her out. Obviously, the older woman will be disappointed that she lied on seeing those bags.

Saying that she just shopped a bit on her way to getting the sanitary pads shouldn't be a bad idea.