40. Liking someone is not a privilege to do whatever you want

Before leaving, Ling Ling pleaded with Bai Yihan again to not attend the event, but she still refused. Ling Ling was forced to appear once again at the event she hated, hoping this time she wouldn't even be a tool; being invisible would suit her best. But when Yu Chuanbei was the last to enter, his blazing gaze fixed on her, her transparency was scorched to a palpable degree. Fortunately, Yu Chuanbei had little chance to focus, as he was quickly surrounded by women frantically handing out business cards and scanning WeChat accounts. Ling Ling ate and drank quietly in a corner, hoping to escape when she was full. Zheng Hong appeared again, untimely. His hand rested on Ling Ling's shoulder with familiarity, and he leaned in close, saying, "Even though it's only been two days since we met again, it feels like a long time ago for me." Ling Ling dodged his hot, e-cigarette-flavored breath and said sheepishly, "Not really." Yu Chuanbei noticed Zheng Hong clinging to her. He recalled how Zheng Hong had to leave work early last night, saying he had a new girlfriend. He'd heard Zheng Hong calling someone on the phone, calling them by names like "Yingying," "Ningning," and "Lingling," but he'd heard them all as "Lingling." That was why he'd agreed to attend today. If Zheng Hong had truly hooked up with Lingling, he'd be willing to give up on the idea. "Hey, Mr. Zheng, a new girlfriend!" Park Xiangyang teased Zheng Hong, but he glanced at Lingling repeatedly and said, "Why do you look familiar?" Lingling didn't respond, but apologized and tried to leave. Zheng Hong, however, grabbed her waist and pushed her back to her seat, smirking, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Were you upset that I didn't see you off last time?" Lingling was on the verge of collapse. She wanted to slap the jerk, but with colleagues from both companies present, she couldn't. She sternly pushed his arm away from her waist. But then his hand slithered back to her shoulder. "Zheng Hong, have you run out of places to put your claws?" Yu Chuanbei's scolding brought the boisterous banquet to a halt. Startled, Zheng Hong pulled his hand back, grinning obsequiously at Yu Chuanbei, "Boss, what are you doing?" "You asked for leave last night, saying you had a new girlfriend. Is that her?" Yu Chuanbei questioned him with a cold gaze. "Hey, Boss, everyone's here, why are you being so ruthless!" Zheng Hong suppressed his anger. Ling Ling simply couldn't handle this scene of being the center of attention, yet feeling like a thousand arrows piercing her heart. She grabbed her bag and whispered...

Before leaving, Ling Ling pleaded with Bai Yihan again to not attend the event, but she still refused.

Ling Ling had no choice but to appear again at the event she hated. She only hoped that this time she would not even be qualified to be a tool, and being an invisible person would be the best choice for her.

But when Yu Chuanbei was the last one to enter and quickly cast his burning gaze on her, her transparency was somewhat burnt.

Fortunately, Chuanbei didn't have much chance to concentrate, and he was soon surrounded by a bunch of girls who were frantically handing out business cards and scanning WeChat messages.

Ling Ling just ate and drank silently in the corner, thinking that when she was full, she could escape when no one was paying attention.

Zheng Hong appeared at an inopportune moment again. His hand rested on Ling Ling's shoulder with ease, and he leaned close to her and said, "Although it's only been two days since we met again, it feels like a long time has passed for me."

Ling Ling dodged the hot air from his mouth that smelled of e-cigarette essence and said awkwardly, "Not really."

Yu Chuanbei noticed Zheng Hong sticking close to Ling Ling. He recalled that Zheng Hong had to leave early last night after working overtime and came to ask for leave, saying he had a new girlfriend. Then he heard Zheng Hong calling the other person's name on the phone, which seemed to be "Yingying," "Ningning," and "Lingling." Anyway, he heard it as "Lingling."

That's why he agreed to attend today. If Zheng Hong really caught up with Ling Ling, he would be willing to give up the idea.

"Hey, Mr. Zheng, a new girlfriend!" Park Xiangyang teased Zheng Hong, but he looked at Ling Ling again and again and said, "Why do you look familiar to me?"

Ling Ling didn't comment, said sorry and wanted to leave.

Zheng Hong, however, grabbed her waist and pushed her back to her seat, saying with a lewd look, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Did you complain that I didn't see you off last time?"

Ling Ling was on the verge of collapse. She wanted to slap the bastard, but because her colleagues from both companies were there, she couldn't get angry. She had to put on a stern face and pushed his hand away from her waist. But who would have thought that his hand would climb up her shoulder again.

"Zheng Hong, have you run out of places to put your claws?" The noisy banquet was suddenly stopped by Yu Chuanbei's scolding.

Zheng Hong was genuinely startled, and he pulled his hand back, grinning obsequiously at Yu Chuanbei, "Boss, what are you doing?"

"You asked for leave from me last night and told me that you had a new girlfriend. Is that her?" Yu Chuanbei questioned him with cold eyes.

"Hey, boss, everyone is here, why are you so ruthless to me!" Zheng Hong also suppressed his anger.

Ling Ling couldn't stand this situation where she was being watched by so many people, yet it was like a thousand arrows piercing her heart. She grabbed her bag, muttered an "I'm sorry" so low that she couldn't even hear it, and fled the scene.

Yu Chuanbei glared at Zheng Hong fiercely, then slammed the craft beer bottle on the table and turned around to chase him out.

"Oh—I finally know who she is! No wonder she looks so familiar." Park Xiangyang slapped his forehead in sudden realization. "That time, when the boss scolded us for the inaccuracy of the data, he left the meeting halfway through. Then I asked him to come back for lunch, but he was in the corridor with a girl. Oh, it's her, no wonder!"

"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Zheng Hong grimaced, regretting his decision. "Do I still have to go to work tomorrow?"

"You still have to go to work, but you'd better drink less tonight and review the new case you took over to see if there are any flaws. You will die anyway, but just don't die too ugly." Park Xiangyang clinked his glass with the bottle dangling in Zheng Hong's hand with a gloating look.

Bai Yihan gathered his shattered facial features and put them back together into a friendly and amiable look, easing the atmosphere and inviting everyone to continue the fun.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Lingling! Lingling! - Lingling!" Yu Chuanbei chased her in quick steps, but no matter how he called her name, she showed no intention of stopping.

He quickly stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her in front of him, but before he could say anything, she had already started to curse at him:

"Yu Chuanbei, you're always so self-righteous! You were like this in front of Bai Yuefu before, and you're still like this in front of Zheng Hong today. You're impromptu putting on a show of domineering CEO protecting a beautiful woman, no matter how embarrassed I am, or how I deal with myself in the future, right? Or do you think that I should be grateful to finally have the qualifications to cling to you, Mr. Yu, among all the people? I shouldn't feel embarrassed, but should feel that I've been struck by luck and can finally rise to the top, right? Do you think that as long as you beckon me, all women should bow down to you?"

Ling Ling threw her hand away and cursed him furiously. Her cheeks flushed crimson and her chest heaved violently with rage.

Yu Chuanbei was no better off than her. He no longer held back his edge, "Lingling, we've known each other for almost a year. How much has happened in that time? How many times have I confessed to you? Have you forgotten? You are so heartless! How could you say that to me?! I'm certainly not as noble as you, dragging a woman into my arms!"

"You..." Ling Ling was so angry that she was speechless, but she also felt that she was in the wrong, so she slowed down her tone a little: "She said she likes you, what can I do?"

"Aren't you quite resourceful? Now you don't know what to do? She said she liked me, so you did this; I said I liked you, so why didn't you put me in your arms too? Let me tell you, Lingling, things like earrings falling into my car happen several times a year. The most exaggerated thing is that underwear fell into my car. You don't need to be smart. I know better than you how to deal with it!" Yu Chuanbei was so angry that his face turned pale. He lost his mind and spoke without restraint.

This little girl was really driving him out of control. He felt like the emotions he'd suppressed for a year were about to burst forth.

"I hate your sense of superiority the most! So what if you like me, even if I have feelings for you, even if the whole world puts pressure on me to be with you, I won't! I don't want you to be like this—"

Ling Ling hadn't finished her angry words when she was suddenly kissed. It was overbearing, brutal, the advance of a man hell-bent on conquering her. Yu Chuanbei had suppressed his feelings for Ling Ling for far too long. He'd always told himself to follow her lead, to follow her preferences, but at that moment, control completely slipped. He wanted nothing more than to plunder her emotions, to gnaw at her pride. He held her tightly in his arms, sucking on her lips with abandon.

Ling Ling was momentarily incapable of reacting, her mind swirling in a turbulent blank. It wasn't until Yu Chuanbei's tongue darted between her teeth that she realized exactly what had happened. She instinctively struggled, trying to push him away. But he roughly gripped her wrists and pushed her into the corner. His kisses grew even more reckless, as if she were completely his, completely at his mercy.

The difference in strength between her and him was too great. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not get rid of his shackles. She was so anxious that she bit his reckless tongue hard.

"Ah!" Yu Chuanbei let go of her as if he had been electrocuted, and covered his mouth tightly in pain. The smell of blood instantly spread in his mouth.

"You...you bastard!" Ling Ling cursed him angrily with tears in her eyes.

Yu Chuanbei endured the severe pain and said, "Why can't we? I like you, and you like me too, right?"

"Even if, even if I like you, does that mean you can do whatever you want? Does liking you mean you can infringe on my privileges?! I'm telling you, any fondness I had for you before is gone now. You're such a bastard!"

Ling Ling burst into tears, but she didn't want to show her vulnerability in front of him anymore. She turned her back and frantically looked for a taxi on the road. When she saw one, she grabbed it like a life-saving straw and ran away sobbing.

Yu Chuanbei stood there in confusion, Ling Ling's words flashing through his mind over and over again. He had pursued her for a year, waited for her for a year, and in the end, all he got was a "bastard." Their time zones were never in sync, and his love for her seemed unable to make up for the time difference.

The impulse just now had been completely cooled down, and he only felt a burning pain at the root of his tongue.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ling Ling returned home, threw her bag and shoes on the floor, and fell into the bed, crying bitterly.

She hates northern Sichuan now!

Her first kiss was taken away so rudely. She had always thought that such things should be carefully brewed to create a wonderful memory that she would never forget, but he actually kissed her forcefully without even saying hello.

A few days ago, she actually dreamed of kissing him passionately, but in reality, he treated her so rudely. Thinking of that dream, she felt even more ashamed and angry!

The good impression she had of him that she had accumulated bit by bit over the past year suddenly collapsed. She picked up her phone, deleted his WeChat account, which she had only added three days ago, and then blacklisted his phone number.