Junming sucked in a shaky breath. He clutched his chest, feeling the staccato beat of his racing heart. He had to calm down. Remember what Mum used to say. Everything can be solved with the right attitude and effort. It will all be okay.

“Everything will be fine,” he mumbled to himself over and over again until he felt his heartbeat slow down to a normal pace.

Slowly, he got to his feet. He surveyed the mess of petals, a slight stain seeping into the floor. It was time to get to work. He could still save this situation. Rolling up his sleeves, he got down and dirty. 

It took him about thirty minutes to clean the whole apartment, leaving it in a more pristine state than it was before he entered. He allowed himself a little satisfied smile before the sound of a key turning in a lock made him spin around. His smile dropped. Anxiety and concern flooded his veins.

“H-How did it go?” he said as Andy entered the apartment.

Andy ran a hand through his blonde hair. Weariness blanketed his face. “She’s fine. But she’s going to be missing her flight now.”

Junming let out a short sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear she’s alright.”

“Yeah. On the bright side, she did forgive me despite, well, everything.”

“That’s great news!” Junming exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with glee.

“But umm, the hospital bill came up to be quite a bit,” Andy said a little sheepishly as he shifted on his feet. “So, about the final payment… can it be waived?”

“Oh.” Disappointment seeped into Junming’s voice before he could stop it. Trying to cover up for his unprofessional conduct, he put on an understanding smile. “Yes, of course, I understand. Let me check the contract and get back to you tomorrow. Is that okay?”

Andy brightened up a little. “Yes, sure. And thanks for all this by the way.”

“No, no, no.” A bright pink hue dusted Junming’s cheeks. He waved his hands to dispel the thanks that he didn’t deserve, embarrassed of having caused this unfortunate incident. “It’s my fault your girlfriend had to even go to the hospital.”

“Nah, that’s on me.” Andy looked at the dining table. “By the way, you didn’t throw the steak away, did you? I figured I could eat that.”

“Oh right, that’s in the fridge.”

“Cool, thanks.”

An awkward silence passed between the two. 

“Well, I’ll get going,” Junming piped up. 

Andy smiled. “Okay. Thanks for all the help again.”

“It’s my pleasure.” 

Junming grabbed his jacket off the back of the sofa and headed for the door. He waved goodbye before trudging down the corridor. As he took the stairs to the ground floor, his cheery expression melted into one of exhaustion.

Today had been a trying day. Certainly not what he expected of his first assignment but at least, it had ended well for Andy. He puffed out his chest and put on a smile. Think on the bright side. He got Andy’s girlfriend to forgive him. Andy was happy with his performance. So what if he lost the company a little money. First assignments are hardly ever done perfectly!

His spirit brightened. Grinning, he increased his walking pace but quickly found the day had taken a toll on his muscles and energy. Sighing, he slowed to a trot. He needed rest. But first, he had to do one last important task for the day.

He needed blueberry ice cream.