Cross Lines

Chapter 5: Exploration

Maggie's work started to get busy as autumn approached. With the new product designs due by the end of the year and Zachary tied up with other matters, many tasks fell on her shoulders.

Fortunately, she didn't have much personal burden. Her father had remarried, and she had lived alone since graduating from university. Even if she didn't go home for days, no one would notice, which gave her a lot of freedom—though this freedom did sound a bit lonely.

Working late into the night, she finished her dinner in the cafeteria and continued working until after eight. Only when everyone had left did she finish tidying up and leave the office. The underground parking lot was sparsely populated, giving it a desolate feel, but the motion-sensor lights were bright, and the two security guards on duty added a sense of security. Yafu Group paid attention to these details, making things quite humanized.

As Maggie backed out her car and drove slowly towards the exit, she saw a woman standing by a pillar near the gate. At first, she didn't pay much attention, but as she got closer, she recognized it was Emily Luo, dressed in a white chiffon blouse with wide lace trim, and simple gray trousers—her work attire. Leaning against a white Audi with a phone to her ear, she wasn't speaking.

As Maggie’s car approached, Emily Luo looked up, and they made eye contact through the windshield. Before Maggie could decide whether to smile and greet her, Emily Luo quickly averted her gaze, either not recognizing her or not wanting to engage. Maggie, initially excited, felt a pang of disappointment.

As she drove past, Maggie glanced in the rearview mirror. Emily Luo looked thin, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, hiding most of her face. Despite not seeing her expression, Maggie sensed an aura of unhappiness about her. She shrugged; this doctor always seemed preoccupied. Why was she in the underground parking lot at this late hour?

However, she figured it was not her place to pry into others' affairs and decided to head home. At the garage entrance, the security guard cheerfully opened the gate and greeted her,

"Maggie, working late again?"

Maggie returned the smile generously,

"Yes, today’s your shift? Thanks for your hard work~~"

"Hehe, it's okay, Maggie, you’ve worked hard too. Take care on your way home."

"Yes, bye~~"

"Bye, bye~"

The guard, bowing and stretching his neck, waved goodbye as Maggie’s car slowly turned out of the garage. He turned to his colleague, still excited,

"Maggie is really nice, good-looking, and down-to-earth…"

Maggie’s home was in a district called Orange Castle in the east of the city. The residential area mainly consists of single apartments with a modern design and a strong contemporary vibe. It's less than ten kilometers from Yafu, so she usually drives unless there's a special reason.

Turning into the neighborhood, she noticed a black vehicle parked in her designated spot. As she got closer, she saw it was a brand-new SUV, still without a license plate. Who could be so inconsiderate? Frowning, Maggie parked her car a bit far away. As she got out of her car, a head poked out from a seventh-floor window,

"Hi~~ Maggie, look at my new car!"

Maggie rolled her eyes, knowing only Ryan Ding could be so annoying. She kicked the tire, put the key away, and went inside the building. As she exited the elevator, she saw Ryan Ding in the hallway, wearing an apron and sporting a head of yellow hair. His door was open, and the smell of something cooking wafted out.

“What time is it, and you’re still eating?”

Maggie sniffed, "Stir-fried green peppers and pork?"

“Damn, Maggie, are you a dog or what?” Ryan Ding waved his spatula, “How’s my new car? Just got it this afternoon and drove it all over Binjiang Avenue. It was amazing!”

Standing at her door, Maggie smirked,

“You’ve just paid off the loan for the old car and already got a new one?”

“Just switch to another loan! Business has been good lately. Life is all about enjoyment!”

Ryan Ding, full of enthusiasm, shared his philosophy, which was quite different from Maggie's. She had spent years squeezing into public transport until she saved enough to buy her own small apartment. Ryan Ding’s spendthrift ways were something she despised. So, she opened her door and left him with a parting remark,

“The saddest thing in life is burnt food.”

As expected, Ryan Ding let out a yell and dashed back inside. Maggie raised an eyebrow and cheerfully closed her door with her heel. The most undesirable thing in life is to be complacent.

Maggie’s apartment was bought for her by her mother when she was still in college. Her mother, knowing she wouldn’t live long, wanted to ensure her daughter’s future security. With the housing market still stable at the time, she used her savings to buy this apartment in the newly built neighborhood.

At that time, Maggie was still a naive child, immersed in the grief of losing her mother, and didn’t think much of it. Later, with her father’s remarriage, she redesigned and decorated the apartment to her liking. The so-called LOFT design was still rare back then; it was just a name and not truly a LOFT. As someone involved in the arts, Maggie enjoyed the creative freedom the space offered. Although only fifty square meters, the high ceiling provided a sense of openness. Living alone, she found it quite comfortable. Once she moved in, she felt deeply reassured by having a space entirely her own. Returning home each day, she felt her mother’s love warm every corner.

So, there was no reason not to live well.

Even though it was nearly nine o'clock, Maggie still ran for an hour on the treadmill in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, her workout shirt soaked with sweat. As she picked up a towel and walked towards the bathroom, her phone rang. She picked it up from the coffee table, still slightly out of breath, and answered,

“Hello~~”

There was silence on the other end. A spam call? Maggie frowned,

“Hello?”

“Oh… I’m sorry… Am I interrupting?”

A hesitant female voice. Maggie paused for a moment, then recognized,

“Oh, President. Gao? No, I just finished exercising.”

“Ah—” The caller seemed to relax significantly,

“That’s good.”

“President. Gao, what’s up?”

Maggie sat down on the coffee table, stretching her legs on the sofa blanket.

“I wanted to ask if you’re free this weekend.”

“This weekend? Yes.”

Maggie thought that Jasmine might need her to work on something, so she answered casually.

“It’s Qiqi’s birthday. There’s a party. Would you like to come?”

“Oh—”

Maggie hesitated. Jasmine’s younger sister, Qiqi, didn’t know her, so why should she attend?

“It’s just a small gathering with a few familiar faces. Qiqi doesn’t have many friends here, so I’m inviting a few more people. It’s a women-only party, no men.”

Jasmine explained slowly.

“Hmm, sure, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Maggie lowered her head, considering. Jasmine would likely be there, and Emily Luo too. Going out might be enjoyable… especially since there would be no men...

“Great,” Jasmine sounded pleased, “I’ll give you the details of the time and place later.”

“Okay, by the way—what does President. Gao like? Is there any gift I should bring?”

“No need, gifts for her will be given in advance. There’s no need to bring anything to the party.”

“Hmm… alright.”

Maggie wasn’t picky. Since Jasmine said no gift was needed and considering her relationship with Qiqi, it was indeed unnecessary. Just as she was about to hang up, a small, timid voice came through,

“Mommy, I’m done with my bath. Storytime.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Mommy will be right there after the call. Go lie down in bed first.”

Jasmine clearly covered the phone to talk, and Maggie smiled, thinking the little girl’s voice sounded so sweet and cute.

“President. Gao, your daughter is very well-behaved.”

Jasmine laughed silently, sounding in good spirits,

“Maggie, when we’re not at work, you don’t have to call me President. Gao.”

Maggie was momentarily taken aback, unsure how to respond.

“I’m a few years older than you, so just call me sister, like Qiqi does.”

Jasmine was clearly joking, speaking in a light, teasing tone. Maggie, who had always been respectful towards this high-ranking official, was momentarily stunned,

“President... President. Gao...”

“You see, I told you not to call me President. Gao.”

“Um—”

“Hehehe…”

Jasmine laughed heartily, leaving Maggie’s face twitching: What’s going on...

“Alright, enough teasing. Get some rest. See you tomorrow.” Jasmine’s laughter faded, and she ended the call lightly, “See you tomorrow.”

“Okay, see you… tomorrow…”

Maggie hung up the phone and sat there in a daze for a while. There was something odd about the call from Jasmine, something she couldn’t quite pinpoint, but it felt different from usual. Maggie mulled it over but couldn’t make sense of it, so she shrugged off her thoughts, tossed her phone aside, and headed for the shower.