Challenge Accepted
The room was filled with the sound of silverware clinking against fine china as Orm and Lingling ate their breakfast. The warm scent of coffee mixed with the rich aroma of freshly made food, but the air between them was thick with unspoken words.
Lingling let out a deep sigh as she picked at her toast. “I thought I was going to have a decent day off.”
Orm scoffed, leaning back in her chair. “You could’ve left me. I was drunk. Why stay?”
Lingling immediately shot her a glare. “You asked me to stay. Twice now.”
Orm smirked, tilting her head slightly. “Well, I guess you find me irresistible then.” She took a sip of her coffee, then added teasingly, “You can always say no.”
Lingling rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “Trust me, if it weren’t for your drunk ass barely able to stand, I would’ve left you there.”
Orm chuckled, amused by her attitude. Then, as if a switch flipped, she suddenly fell quiet. She placed her fork down and stared at Lingling, watching her as she absentmindedly munched on her food.
Without thinking, Orm asked, “Why do you hate me?”
Lingling paused mid-bite, looking up at her with a confused expression. She tilted her head, still chewing, then finally swallowed before answering.
“I don’t hate you. Hate is a strong word.”
Orm arched a brow. “But you don’t like me?”
Lingling raised a brow back. “As a person or romantically?”
Orm didn’t hesitate. “How about both?”
Lingling snorted, shaking her head. “Are we in a talk show or something?” She sighed dramatically before continuing. “First of all, you’re not my type, Orm.”
Orm’s fork froze mid-air.
“Not her type?”
Lingling went on, unaware of the way Orm’s mind had stopped functioning. “And second, I don’t dislike you entirely. It’s just that if you were in my position, you wouldn’t like you either.” She glanced at Orm and waved her fork in her direction. “Look at you. So persistent. Trying to get everything you want. Doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Orm was still stuck on the first thing she said.
“I am not her type??”
“I am everyone’s type.”
She blinked, her pride slightly bruised. No one had ever said that to her before.
Ever.
Orm, who was used to people throwing themselves at her feet, was at a loss.
Lingling, noticing her silence, smirked. “What? Cat got your tongue?”
Orm quickly recovered, putting on her usual smug expression. “I just find it hard to believe that someone—anyone—wouldn’t find me attractive.”
Lingling scoffed. “See? That’s exactly what I mean. You’re too arrogant.”
Orm leaned in slightly, resting her chin on her palm. “And what exactly is your type then?”
Lingling shrugged. “Someone kind. Understanding. Hardworking. Someone who actually listens instead of assuming they already know everything.”
Orm hummed, processing her words.
For the first time in a long time, she found herself wanting to prove someone wrong.
Orm frowned, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed. “Hey, I am kind and understanding. And hardworking. And I listen.”
Lingling almost choked on her coffee. She wiped her mouth, then looked at Orm with disbelief. “You? Kind and understanding?” She scoffed. “In what universe?”
Orm gasped dramatically. “Excuse me? I am very kind. I even let you eat breakfast with me, didn’t I?”
Lingling rolled her eyes. “That’s just basic decency.”
Orm pointed at her. “See? You don’t listen. I told you to stay, and you did. So that means you wanted to stay.”
Lingling raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so now you’re twisting the situation to make it look like I chose to be here?”
Orm shrugged. “Well, you didn’t run away.”
Lingling sighed and leaned forward. “Okay, fine. Since you claim you’re kind and understanding, let’s test it.”
Orm smirked. “Go ahead. I’m an excellent listener.”
Lingling thought for a moment before speaking. “Alright. Let’s say someone working for you has financial problems. They need money for something important. Would you give them a raise?”
Orm tilted her head. “Depends. Do they deserve it?”
Lingling scoffed. “See? That’s exactly what I mean! A truly kind and understanding person wouldn’t hesitate to help.”
Orm shrugged. “I’m running a business, not a charity.”
Lingling gave her a pointed look. “So you admit it. You’re not as kind as you claim to be.”
Orm pouted. “That’s not fair. I do plenty of kind things.”
Lingling smirked. “Like what?”
Orm hesitated for a second before quickly responding. “I don’t fire people just because they annoy me.”
Lingling burst out laughing. “That’s your definition of kindness? Not firing people?”
Orm pursed her lips. “Okay, fine. I also donate to charities.”
Lingling raised an eyebrow. “Because you want to, or because it looks good for your company?”
Orm narrowed her eyes. “Why do I feel like I’m being interrogated?”
Lingling grinned. “Because I’m proving my point.”
Orm groaned and ran a hand through her hair. “Okay, fine. Maybe I’m not the kindest person in the world, but I am hardworking.”
Lingling shrugged. “I won’t argue with that. You do work a lot.”
Orm sat up straighter, feeling victorious. “See? And I do listen. I listen to everything you say.”
Lingling smirked. “Really? What’s my favorite food?”
Orm opened her mouth, then paused.
Crap.
Lingling grinned. “Exactly.”
Orm huffed. “Okay, maybe I don’t know everything about you, but that’s because you don’t talk about yourself!”
Lingling crossed her arms. “Because you rarely ask.”
Orm blinked.
That… was true.
Lingling smirked again, seeing the realization hit Orm. “So, Boss, if you really want to prove you’re kind, understanding, hardworking, and a good listener, then show me. Not with words, but with actions.”
Orm leaned forward, smirking. “Challenge accepted.”
_________________
Lingling’s POV
As she walked out of the hotel, Lingling let out a small laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. She had just pulled one over Orm. Be kind, understanding, and listen. She had thrown Orm’s own words back at her, and it had worked.
She couldn’t help but smirk to herself. “Did I just manipulate a billionaire?”
The thought amused her. She wasn’t trying to take advantage of Orm, but the way the woman had been so adamant about getting her way—only to back down when Lingling played along—was oddly satisfying.
As she climbed into a cab, she leaned back against the seat, sighing. Orm has that side too, huh? The woman was used to being in control, always demanding things and expecting people to comply without question. But at the same time, she wasn’t cruel. She listened when it mattered. Even if she was a little full of herself.
Lingling chuckled. “I guess she is kind and understanding… in her own weird, spoiled way.”
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting a message from Becky, but instead, it was from Orm.
Orm: Did you seriously just trick me into letting you leave?
Lingling smirked, typing a quick response.
Lingling: You said it yourself, I should take the day off.
Not even a second later, another message popped up.
Orm: You’re impossible.
Lingling: I learned from the best.
—
Orm’s POV
Orm stared at the phone screen, reading Lingling’s text over and over. I learned from the best.
She scoffed, tossing her phone onto the bed. “Unbelievable.”
She stretched her arms and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel room, looking out at the city. Lingling wasn’t like anyone she had ever met. She didn’t suck up to her, didn’t try to impress her, and—most annoyingly—she didn’t hesitate to challenge her.
Orm had been surrounded by people her whole life who either wanted something from her or treated her like royalty. It was rare to find someone who wasn’t afraid to talk back, someone who looked at her like she was just another person.
She smirked. Maybe that’s why she’s so interesting.
Still, she wasn’t going to let Lingling win that easily.
Orm grabbed her phone again and typed:
Orm: Enjoy your day off while you can. You owe me for leaving me alone.
Lingling’s response came almost immediately.
Lingling: Oh? Should I have stayed and tucked you in?
Orm stared at the message, eyebrows raising.
“She really has guts,” she muttered, shaking her head. But instead of being annoyed, she found herself smiling.
She sent one last message before tossing her phone aside again.
Orm: Don’t test me, Lingling.
Then, for the first time in a while, Orm laughed to herself. Maybe having Lingling around wasn’t such a bad thing after all.