Chapter 15: "Protecting Shortcomings"

The entire private room fell silent. Everyone was watching. Zhao Chen's appearance was too sudden, his aura too calm and composed. His action of blocking Yu Ling's drink was so natural, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. The strength and protectiveness that inadvertently emanated from his gentle exterior made everyone feel an invisible pressure.

Wang Tao was left speechless by Zhao Chen's smooth movements and flawless rhetoric. With his mouth open, he stared at Zhao Chen's handsome, gentle face, which inexplicably gave him a chill. Then, he glanced at the subtle, scrutinizing glances from his colleagues. A surge of anger welled up in his chest, but he couldn't vent it.

It's only natural for a husband to block the drinking for his wife! He's so humble and speaks so nicely! If he continues to pester her, he'll seem so ignorant and uncultured!

"Hmph!" Wang Tao could only snort in frustration in the end. He sat back in his seat with a grim expression, picked up the wine glass and took a big gulp, no longer looking over here.

A storm was resolved without a trace by Zhao Chen.

Lin Wei sat in the main seat, holding a wine glass. She looked at Zhao Chen and Yu Ling with interest, a meaningful smile on her lips, but she said nothing.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone's fun." Zhao Chen put down his empty glass and gave everyone an apologetic smile with a humble attitude. "I think Lingling is a little uncomfortable, so I'll take her back first. Everyone continue and have fun."

He naturally put his arm around Yu Ling's slightly stiff shoulders, and with gentle movements but an irresistible force, he led her away from her seat.

Yu Ling, still a little dazed, let Zhao Chen half-hold her as they left the private room amidst the mixed gazes of the crowd. It wasn't until she stepped out of the restaurant and the cool night air hit her face that she snapped back to her senses.

"You... why are you here?" She turned her head to look at Zhao Chen beside her. The light from the street lamp outlined his perfect profile, and his eyes were still gentle, as if the man with cold eyes and overwhelming aura just now was just her illusion.

"Didn't I tell you? Give me your location when you're done and I'll come pick you up." Zhao Chen looked down at her with gentle eyes and a helpless smile. "You didn't reply to my messages or answer my calls. I was afraid you might get drunk and something might happen, so I came up to check on you." He took out his cell phone and shook it, and sure enough, there were several missed calls and unread messages on it.

Yu Ling then remembered that when Wang Tao was harassing her, she had her cell phone in her bag and hadn't had time to look at it.

"I... I'm fine." Yu Ling felt a warm current in her heart, mixed with fear and grievance. "It's that Wang Tao..."

"Yeah, I saw it." Zhao Chen's voice was calm, and no emotion could be heard. The hand around her shoulder tightened slightly, conveying silent comfort. "Next time you meet someone like this, just turn your face and walk away. No need to give him face. You can find another job if you lose it. I will feel bad when people are wronged." His tone was very flat, but with a reassuring confidence.

Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat. The words "I'll be heartbroken" brushed across her heart like a feather, bringing a strange tingling sensation. She lowered her head, watching the two of them lean together, their shadows elongated by the streetlight. The frustration and anger she'd felt in the private room earlier were strangely soothed.

The two walked to the Bentley parked on the side of the road. Zhao Chen opened the passenger door for her. Yu Ling got in and fastened her seatbelt. The car smoothly merged into the traffic.

Soothing music played in the car. Yu Ling leaned back in her chair. The alcohol and the tension she'd just experienced had left her feeling a little tired, her eyelids heavy. She tilted her head to look at Zhao Chen's profile as he focused on driving. The light played a crisscrossing effect on his face, outlining his deep features. His fingers gripping the steering wheel were long, strong, and bony.

"That..." Yu Ling hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help asking, "Just now... the look in Wang Tao's eyes... was so scary." She was still frightened when she thought of the fleeting cold light.

Hearing this, Zhao Chen turned his head slightly and gave her a warm and harmless smile, his eyes as clear as a newborn deer: "Really? Maybe it's the glare of the light? I usually have a very gentle look in my eyes." His tone was relaxed, with a little pride, as if to say "Look how approachable I am."

Yu Ling: “…”

I'd never trust you! She rolled her eyes silently and decided not to ask any more questions. This man, if he didn't want to talk about something, you couldn't get him to tell you even if you pried him open.

The car pulled into the residential complex's underground garage. Yu Ling unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed the door open to get out. As her feet touched the ground, she felt a wave of dizziness, and she instinctively held onto the door.

"Be careful." Zhao Chen had already circled around her and firmly grasped her arm again. This time, his strength was even stronger than last time, with a sense of not allowing her to break free.

"I'm really fine, I just feel a little dizzy..." Yu Ling wanted to pull her hand back.

"You must be even more careful if you're dizzy." Zhao Chen's voice was undeniable. He exerted a little force with his arms, almost half-circling Yu Ling in his arms, and led her to the elevator, "I'll help you up."

Yu Ling was half-hugged by him, her body pressed against his warm chest. Through the thin clothes, she could feel the outline of his firm muscles and his steady and strong heartbeat.

The pleasant aroma of cedar, mixed with the hint of alcohol (the red wine he had drunk for her), lingered on her nose. Her face began to heat up again, and her heartbeat became irregular. She tried to break free, but the protective grip of his arm held her still, preventing her from moving.

The elevator ascended. In the small space, the two people's breathing was clearly audible. Yu Ling could feel Zhao Chen's warm breath brushing against her hair. The atmosphere became somewhat ambiguous.

"Ding." The elevator arrived at the 16th floor.

Zhao Chen helped Yu Ling out of the elevator and into the house. Warm light poured down. He helped her sit on the shoe-changing bench in the entrance, then squatted down and, with perfect ease, removed her high heels. His warm fingers touched her slightly cool ankle, sending a subtle electric sensation.

"Tired? Go take a hot bath first to relieve your fatigue." Zhao Chen stood up and said in a gentle tone with concern that could not be refused, "I'll make you some hangover soup."

Yu Ling looked at his drooping, thick eyelashes as he squatted before her, and his gentle, considerate gestures. The agitation fueled by the alcohol and the ambiguity mixed with the sense of security of being protected, weaving together into a complex, indescribable emotion. She nodded and murmured, "Hmm."

After a hot shower, Yu Ling felt much more comfortable in her soft cotton pajamas. The faint aroma of ginger candy wafted through the living room. Zhao Chen, wearing her dark blue whale-shaped apron, was bringing a bowl of steaming soup from the kitchen.

"Come, drink it while it's hot." He placed the bowl on the coffee table in front of Yu Ling, and sat down cross-legged on the carpet next to him, his posture relaxed and natural.

Yu Ling picked up the bowl and sipped the warm ginger sugar water. The spiciness was tinged with sweetness, and the warmth spread from her throat to her limbs, dispelling the lingering hangover and fatigue.

She looked at Zhao Chen sitting quietly beside her, the light falling on his gentle profile. The scenes of him blocking the wine for her, helping her leave, and even taking off her shoes in the private room flashed through her mind... A warm current mixed with some indescribable emotions quietly filled her heart.

"Thank you." She said softly, with a barely perceptible softness in her voice.

Zhao Chen turned his head, his amber eyes filled with a warm smile under the light: "Why are you being so polite to me?" He paused, as if remembering something, and leaned forward slightly, a little closer, his eyes filled with a hint of sly expectation, "But, if Lingling really wants to thank me..."

His eyes swept meaningfully over Yu Ling's legs, which were curled up on the carpet in her pajamas.

Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat! Her hands, holding the bowl, trembled! Again?!

"That... hangover soup is delicious! I'm going to bed! Good night!" Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she quickly put down the bowl, practically jumped up, and rushed into her bedroom without looking back, slamming the door shut! Her movements were so fast that they brought up a gust of wind!

Zhao Chen watched her fleeing figure, the corners of his mouth unable to help but curl upwards, the smile in his eyes like shattered starlight, bright and joyful. He picked up the half bowl of hangover soup left by Yu Ling and took a slow sip. His eyes fell on the closed door of the second bedroom, and he whispered to himself with a bit of lazy determination:

"You can run away from the monk...but you can't run away from the temple. You'll have to pay for your knee pillow sooner or later."

A week later.

The optimization effects of Project Xinghai continued to show, with data steadily climbing, and the project team atmosphere was very positive. After the morning meeting, Yu Ling was busy sorting out the meeting minutes when Xiaomei, who sat next to her, came over and whispered in a low voice, unable to conceal her excitement and gossip:

"Sister Ling, Sister Ling! Have you heard? Big news!"

"What?" Yu Ling didn't even raise her head.

"Wang Tao! He's the one who got you drunk at the last dinner! He's been transferred!" Xiaomei said excitedly.

"Transferred?" Yu Ling finally looked up, a bit surprised. Although Wang Tao was annoying, he had a lot of experience and was considered a veteran in the department.

"Yes! I've been transferred to the group's newly established 'Downstream Market Development Department', which specializes in connecting with supply and marketing cooperatives in remote townships!"

Xiaomei winked, "A promotion in name only, a demotion in reality! That place is a slump, the business is tough, and going there means you'll basically be sitting on the bench! And I was notified early this morning that I have to report next Monday! It's so urgent! It's said that the transfer was directly issued by HR at the group headquarters, and even President Lin didn't know about it beforehand! Wang Tao's face turned green! He was packing up like someone owed him millions!"

Yu Ling was stunned. Lower-tier market development? That place... was truly a daunting task, like being exiled to the frontier. And the transfer order came so suddenly and urgently, or was it direct intervention from headquarters?

Her mind flashed back to that night when Zhao Chen looked at Wang Tao, his fleeting, icy gaze. And when he took her in his arms and left, his profile, calm yet with a strong sense of oppression.

An extremely absurd yet seemingly logical thought popped up uncontrollably.

Could it be... him?

"Lingling? What are you thinking about?" Lin Wei's voice suddenly came from behind. Before she knew it, Lin Wei had walked over to Yu Ling's workstation, holding a document in her hand, her sharp eyes scanning Yu Ling's dazed face.

"Ah? Mr. Lin!" Yu Ling stood up quickly.

Lin Wei handed her the document and said calmly, "This is the supplementary list for next week's user interviews. Take a look." She paused, her gaze lingering on Yu Ling's face for a moment, and then casually said, "By the way, did you know about Wang Tao's transfer to the sinking market department?"

"Just...just heard it from Xiaomei." Yu Ling nodded.

Lin Wei raised the corners of her lips in a very faint and meaningful arc. Her voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by Yu Ling: "Well. Some people stretch their hands too long and interfere too much. It's time for them to go to the right place and wake up. The decision of the group headquarters is always reasonable." After she finished speaking, she looked at Yu Ling meaningfully, turned around and left without saying anything more.

Yu Ling stood there, holding the document in her hand, but her heart was like a raging storm!

Lin Wei's words... were they a coincidence? Or... a hint?

A decision from the group headquarters? A suitable place to sober up?

She suddenly remembered Zhao Chen's understated words "ordinary employee"... and the mysterious and powerful "Chenxing Capital"...

If…if Zhao Chen’s position in Morning Star Capital was far more than just an “ordinary employee” as he claimed…if he truly possessed some power that could influence the decisions of Venusstar Technology’s parent company (which belonged to a large conglomerate)…

So, was Wang Tao's "exile" a coincidence, or... a precise and cold-blooded counterattack launched by a man who protected his own people without making a sound?

A chill crept up my spine, but was strangely covered by a huge, indescribable sense of security.

Yu Ling looked at her dazed face reflected on the computer screen, and her fingertips curled up unconsciously.

The man who wears a little whale apron, who acts like a spoiled child and asks for a lap pillow, and who can also intimidate villains with his cold eyes... What kind of unpredictable power does he have hidden under his gentle and harmless appearance?