Chapter 65: Neighbors’ Gossip (Part 2)
Zhao Chen's smile remained unchanged, as if he hadn't understood Mrs. Wang's hidden meaning. He lowered his head, his gaze settling on the top of Yu Ling's head in his arms. His eyes instantly became incredibly gentle and focused, and with a deep affection that could drown someone, he spoke slowly and deliberately in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone inside and outside the elevator to hear clearly:
"Fresh air system? It's no big deal. Lingling is a little sensitive to pollen and tends to sneeze easily when the seasons change, so I thought of improving the environment."
His tone was as calm as if he was saying that the weather was nice today, but then he changed the subject with a hint of barely perceptible disdain, "As for the necklace from the charity night?"
He chuckled, raised his slender fingers very naturally, and gently pinched Yu Ling's small earlobe in an extremely intimate manner.
"Too tacky." He frowned slightly, his amber eyes revealing undisguised criticism. "Stacked diamonds, cold sapphires, too artificial. That kind of thing..." He lowered his head, his warm lips almost touching Yu Ling's ear. His voice was low and tender, carrying an unquestionable declaration, "How can it be worthy of my Ling Ling?"
His voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry magic. Every word clearly struck Yu Ling's heart, and also hit the hearts of the two ladies in the elevator!
Too tacky? Not good enough?
The smiles on Mrs. Wang and Miss Li's faces froze instantly, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock! That "Heart of the Ocean" that had set an auction record and attracted countless socialites and noblewomen was actually described in his mouth as "tacky" and "unworthy"?! In his eyes, what was worthy?!
Yu Ling leaned in his arms, feeling the steady vibration of his chest, and listening to his "inhumane" declaration, the sense of absurdity in her heart was about to burst through the sky!
But strangely, the grievance and embarrassment caused by "not knowing" were strangely soothed by his domineering yet affectionate "unworthy" theory. Instead, a complex mix of emotions, both amusing and sad, tinged with a hint of hidden sweetness, filled me. This bastard! He's lying again! But why does this nonsense sound so good?!
Just as the atmosphere was delicate and Yu Ling was about to walk out of the elevator with him in her arms——
"Director Zhao! Director Zhao! I finally found you!"
A middle-aged man in a crisp black suit, his hair meticulously combed, and a gold "Property Manager" plaque pinned to his chest, clutching a thick folder, practically tumbled over from the lobby reception desk! He was panting, sweat slicked down his forehead, his face a mixture of utter respect and fear.
He rushed to the elevator entrance, completely ignoring Mrs. Wang and Miss Li beside him, his eyes fixed precisely on Zhao Chen. When he was still three steps away from Zhao Chen, he suddenly stopped!
Then, under the petrified gazes of Yu Ling, Mrs. Wang, Miss Li, and a few other residents in the hall—
The general manager, who usually held a rather dignified demeanor in front of the owners, suddenly bowed deeply, over 90 degrees, to Zhao Chen! His waist was bent so much that it almost collapsed! He raised the thick folder high above his head with both hands, his voice trembling with excitement and awe:
"Director Zhao! We rushed out the rooftop helicopter pad reconstruction plan and the building's structural reinforcement assessment report you requested overnight! Please review them!"
Boom——!!!
It was like a silent thunderclap that exploded in Yu Ling's brain, leaving her burnt on the outside and tender on the inside!
Rooftop? Helipad? Structural reinforcement of the entire building? Mr. Zhao?!
She suddenly raised her head and looked at Zhao Chen in disbelief. The gentle smile on Zhao Chen's face disappeared instantly when the property manager rushed over and called out "Director Zhao".
At this moment, the lines on his handsome face were tense, and a sharp, almost freezing cold light flashed through the depths of his amber eyes! It was a kind of icy pressure that Yu Ling had never seen before, belonging to a superior!
The property manager maintained a 90-degree bow, holding the folder high, sweat dripping down his temples, but he dared not move, as if waiting for the final judgment.
Time seemed to stand still.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall. Mrs. Wang and Miss Li were completely petrified, their mouths wide open enough to fit an egg, their eyes filled with utter shock and terror! What had they just heard?! Mr. Zhao?! The tarmac?!
Zhao Chen's gaze, like an icicle, remained fixed on the property manager's sweat-drenched head, exposed from bowing, for three full seconds. In those three seconds, the air seemed to be sucked dry, the oppression suffocating.
Then, as Yu Ling's heart was about to jump out of her throat, Zhao Chen moved.
He didn't take the folder.
His hand, which had been gently wrapped around Yu Ling's waist, rose up incredibly quickly! As fast as lightning!
Before Yu Ling and everyone else could react, that bony, slender, and powerful hand, with irresistible force, precisely covered the property manager's still slightly trembling mouth!
“Ugh——!” The property manager was caught off guard, his eyes widened in horror, and he could only utter vague whimpers.
Zhao Chen covered his mouth, exerted a little force with his arms, and easily pulled the man who was half a head shorter than him to the side. At the same time, he cleverly turned his body and used his back to block the horrified sight of Yu Ling, Wang Tai and others.
He lowered his head and leaned in close to the ear of the terrified property manager, whose mouth was covered. His movements looked like an intimate whisper, but Zhao Chen's voice was extremely low and as cold as a Siberian blast, with every word icy:
"Manager Liu," he called out the other person's name, his voice devoid of warmth. "It seems you want to go to the African branch and experience the new life of mining?"
Property manager Liu Mingde shuddered at his cold breath and the word "mining"! A huge fear instantly gripped him! Only then did he realize the catastrophic disaster he had caused!
What did Mr. Zhao fear most? Exposing his identity and disrupting his "normal" life! And he not only publicly called out "Mr. Zhao," but also revealed the top-secret renovation plan for the rooftop helipad!
It’s over! It’s all over! Mining in Africa is probably the easiest thing to do!
Liu Mingde was so frightened that he let out an even more terrified "mumbling" sound from his covered mouth. He shook his head desperately, his eyes full of pleading, and sweat streamed down his face like a stream.
Zhao Chen looked at him in such a cowardly state, the ice in his eyes not melting at all. He pressed the hand covering his mouth slightly harder, gave it a warning squeeze, and then slowly released it.
Liu Mingde gasped for breath, his legs weakening as he nearly fell to his knees. His face was as pale as paper, and the heavy folder in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, and he didn't even bother to pick it up.
Zhao Chen didn't even glance at the documents on the floor, as if they were just a pile of waste paper. He slowly withdrew his hand and pulled out a dark blue handkerchief from his pocket—the very brand watch cloth that Yu Ling had given as a gift when she gritted her teeth and bought the "Deep Space Gazing" watch—and with great grace and care, he wiped each finger that had just covered Liu Mingde's mouth.
After wiping it clean, he casually stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket. When he turned around, the freezing coldness on his face had disappeared without a trace, and he put on that gentle and harmless smile again, even with a hint of helplessness and apology, as if the evil spirit who had covered people's mouths and hurled harsh words just now was just an illusion.
He walked back to the elevator and very naturally took Yu Ling's body, which was a little stiff due to excessive shock, into his arms again. His movements were gentle but with an unquestionable sense of protection.
Then, he gave Mrs. Wang and Ms. Li, who were still petrified and had dull eyes, an apologetic, sunny, and innocent smile, his tone as relaxed as if he was explaining a harmless misunderstanding:
"I'm sorry to have scared everyone. Manager Liu," he said, pointing to the property manager, who was trembling like a sieve and looking pale, and said with a hint of helpless sarcasm, "he got the wrong person."
He paused, a mischievous smile flickering in his amber eyes. He lowered his head to look at Yu Ling, who was still in a daze in his arms, and said in a gentle voice that could drip honey:
"Lingling, isn't that funny? He insists I'm that elusive chairman of their group? Do I look like that?" He pinched Yu Ling's cheek, his movements intimate and natural. "If I had that talent, wouldn't I be poring over the 'Cooking Room' app every day, trying to figure out how to make braised pork less burnt?"
Yu Ling: “…”
She leaned against his warm embrace, feeling his steady heartbeat, listening to his lies, which he told with such self-assurance and freshness, and then looked at the property manager Liu Mingde next to her, who looked like he had just been pulled out of the water and was shaking like he was about to fall apart after making the mistake of admitting someone wrong.
She felt like her brain's CPU was completely burnt out.
Helipad? Mining? Mistaken identity?
She slowly raised her head and looked at Zhao Chen's handsome face, which was full of sincerity, innocence, and a bit of aggrieved expression of "Look how outrageous this guy is."
The sunlight fell into his deep eyes, like the purest amber.
Yu Ling opened her mouth, but her throat was too dry to make any sound. Finally, she slowly and with great difficulty moved the corners of her mouth, revealing a complex smile that was uglier than crying.
"Heh... heh..." She laughed dryly twice, the sound as elusive as a wisp of green smoke, "Yes... yes... it's really funny..."
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