18 The Phonecall (1/2)
Xu Jing was fussing over the documents related to Lin Corp's increasing brash attempts at a hostile take-over when he received an alert that signified he just got a mail.
Frustrated at the lack of a visible break in the other company's predatory business move, he clicked on the mail with the hopes that the email might bring him a much needed distraction. However, the frown between his eyes only deepened when he saw the address of the sender.
The message of the email was short and it came attached with a video file. Before he could stop himself, Xu Jing had already started reading the message, such was the habit of a businessman, they were fast readers.
”Brother Xu Jing, good morning [smiley face].
”Have Brother Xu Jing seen the latest trailer for the upcoming movie 'Bringing the Nation's Husband Home'? This is going to be my first silver screen project and I could not have been more excited and proud!
”What am I saying? Of course Brother Xu Jing must have seen the trailer already, Sister Joann would have showed it to you already.
”But on the off chance that she did not, here is this! Sister Joann is wonderful in it! Brother Xu Jing, you must be so proud!
”Oh, how I wish one day I will have a man exactly like Brother Xu Jing in my life who is as supportive of me as Brother Xu Jing is of Sister Joann [twinkly eyes].
”Of course, it would not hurt if he is half as handsome as Brother Xu Jing too [shy face].”
Xu Jing had half a mind to close the email when he was half way through the message but he stopped himself when he saw the mention of his wife's name.
His lips curved involuntarily into a smile.
In Chinese popular culture, Xu Jing would be classified as a wife slave, a man who was so devoted to their better halves that they willingly enslaved themselves to them.
Xu Jing was so smitten with his wife that just a mere mention of her name could make him smile.
However, an emotion so intense could be easily manipulated, after all, love and hate is often just a thought away.
Human beings practice not agapic love but possessive love. When humans love something or someone, they wish to possess it and when said subject of devotion commits to betrayal or action of similar nature, it is not uncommon for envy to poison said love.
In any case, Xu Jing would not give up the opportunity to see his beautiful wife on screen.
The video started normally with a trailer until it soon cut to an intimate scene with his wife and the male actor.
When the question, ”You've been rushing around for so long, aren't you tired?” fell out of his wife's lips which the man had been kissing, the pen that Xu Jing was holding snapped in his palm.
Xu Jing knew he should have looked away but humans have the curious tendency of delivering hurt upon themselves as if to prove that they are indeed hurting.