Chapter 88: Zhao Chen's Fury (Part 3)
The huge shock made Zhao Chen speechless for a moment. He just stared at her blankly, like a child stunned by a huge surprise.
Yu Ling was amused by his reaction and moved closer, her nose almost touching his cheek. Her warm breath brushed against his ear. With a smile that looked like she had succeeded in playing a prank, she added clearly, word by word:
"Also, next time you want to play the pig and eat the tiger... remember to hide that box of premium truffles with the 'World Limited Edition' logo printed on them. I thought they were shiitake mushrooms yesterday."
Zhao Chen was completely petrified. Truffles... mushrooms... his carefully maintained "ordinary employee" facade had been completely ripped apart? And she had been watching him act so calmly the entire time?!
The light turned green. The car behind honked its horn impatiently.
Zhao Chen snapped back to his senses and frantically released the brakes, sending the car lurching forward. His mask of aloofness and elite completely shattered, leaving only a rare look of embarrassment and helplessness. His ears were red, bloodshot, spreading all the way down to his neck.
"Lingling, I..." He tried to explain, his voice a little dry.
"Hahahahaha..." Looking at his rarely seen panic in a century, Yu Ling couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that she fell back and forth, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Zhao Chen watched her laugh heartily, the sunlight streaming through the car window onto her face, dazzlingly bright. All his embarrassment and panic seemed insignificant before her brilliant smile. As long as she smiled, as long as she was still by his side, he could play dumb, even if it meant revealing himself.
The corners of his tightly clenched mouth finally softened, rising into an arc of incomparable doting and indulgence. He reached out and rubbed the top of her head again, this time, his movements were so gentle, as if he was touching a fragile dream.
"Okay," he whispered, his voice filled with an indelible sweetness. "Next time, hide it a little deeper." He paused, looking at her with burning eyes, and added, "I'll only show it to you."
The car was filled with Yu Ling's crisp laughter and Zhao Chen's low, joyful hums. The black Bentley Mulsanne merged into the traffic, heading towards their real home, which no longer needed to be disguised as "rented."
The wind outside the window is still cold, but the car is warm and sweet.
Yu Ling laughed for a long time before slowly stopping, wiping the tears from her eyes and turning to look at the driver's seat. Zhao Chen's profile had regained its usual composure, but the smile on his lips was hard to suppress. Even his fingers gripping the steering wheel moved with a brisk rhythm, tapping lightly on the leather upholstery.
"Hey," Yu Ling poked his arm with her finger and deliberately drew out her tone, "So, the 'Star' is real?"
Zhao Chen tilted his head, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses so gentle they seemed to be dripping with tears. "The manual is in your hands. The specifications, design drawings, and interior design plans are all written in black and white. No one should be deceived."
He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of pride, as if seeking credit. "The silent propulsion system is our core technology. We've just received the patent, and it's the only one of its kind in the world. From now on, when you watch the sunset, there will only be the sound of the waves, and..." He paused deliberately, his eyes fixed on her, "the sound of my heartbeat."
Yu Ling's face flushed at the unexpected sweet talk, and she glared at him angrily, "Slippery tongue! You used to be so good at pretending to be an honest man, President Zhao?"
"It's unfair," Zhao Chen immediately cried out with an extremely sincere expression, "In front of you, I always act like myself.
Cooking, cleaning, picking up and dropping off… which one is adulterated?"
As he spoke, he took advantage of the time while waiting for the red light to reach out his hand very naturally and rub Yu Ling's slightly hot cheek with his fingertips. His action was intimate and a little soothing.
"As for the CEO... that's an external label. To you, I'm Zhao Chen, your..." He deliberately lowered his voice, and with a magnetic whisper, he drilled into Yu Ling's ears, "Clingy husband."
Those last three words successfully caused Yu Ling's cheeks, which had just cooled down, to burst into flames again, even turning her ears red. She slapped his hand away, turned her head to look out the window at the rapidly receding street scene, and muttered softly, "Who, who admitted it..."
Zhao Chen laughed softly, a deep, melodious laugh, like the twang of a cello, sending shivers down Yu Ling's spine. He restarted the car, his mood clearly rosy. He even hummed a tuneless melody along with the light music streaming from the car stereo.
Yu Ling stole a glance at him. His smooth profile looked exceptionally handsome in the light, and his focused driving expression exuded a calm charm. Who could have imagined that this powerful, wealthy man, who could turn the Gu family upside down with a single glance, would now be like a boy who had been given candy, humming contentedly at her smile?
The bitterness and uncertainty about his past, evoked by Gu Qianqian, completely vanished in the face of this genuine and warm daily life. Who cared about his past? Who cared if he was wealthy? This man, who was jealous of her, nervous for her, who customized a silent yacht for her at her behest, and who worked hard to discredit his own dark past, was her Zhao Chen.
The car drove into the familiar Genting Highlands community, passed through the quiet tree-lined avenue, and stopped in front of Building No. 1, which no longer needed any disguise.
Zhao Chen got out first, walked around to the passenger seat, and opened the door for Yu Ling. As soon as she got out of the car and stood still, he took her hand.
"Leng, come in quickly." He held her hand tightly and pulled her towards the door without saying anything.
As soon as she entered the warm and spring-like lobby of Room 1601, Yu Ling was about to change her shoes when Zhao Chen bent down, put one hand through her knees, and put his other hand around her back.
"Ah!" Yu Ling screamed, and her whole body was steadily picked up sideways!
"Zhao Chen! What are you doing? Put me down!" Yu Ling, embarrassed and anxious, pounded his shoulders. This man! After his pretense of playing dumb was exposed, he let himself go.
"The ground is cold." Zhao Chen's excuse was reasonable. He carried her in his arms and strode through the entrance and living room, heading straight for the spacious and bright open kitchen. "I just got cold outside. Drink something hot."
He carefully placed Yu Ling on a high stool next to the kitchen island, where an exquisite enamel stew pot was steaming, and next to it was a plate of freshly baked almond shortbread, emitting an alluring sweet aroma.
"Sit still." Zhao Chen ordered, turning around to get the bowl and spoon.
Yu Ling watched him busily working in the spacious, bright, state-of-the-art kitchen, expertly serving soup and arranging dishes. Outside the window was a meticulously tended garden, lush and green even in winter. Sunlight streamed in through the huge French windows, casting a warm, golden edge on him.
This scene was so familiar, yet so different. Familiar was the sight of him wearing an apron (though today it was a textured dark gray linen apron, not the one with the bear pattern) cooking for her; different was the overly spacious and luxurious space, and… his every move now, no longer needing to conceal the calm demeanor of a superior.
Zhao Chen approached, carrying a small, delicate bone china bowl filled with a crystal-clear bird's nest soup dotted with bright red goji berries. He placed the bowl in front of Yu Ling and offered her a piece of almond shortbread, his eyes uncharacteristically gentle. "Try it! I've been stewing this whole afternoon, and I baked these cookies too."
Yu Ling took a small bite of the shortbread from his hand. It was crispy, sweet, and melted in her mouth. She looked at his face, which was so close to her, full of expectation, and suddenly she felt like playing a prank.
She slowly swallowed the biscuit, then looked up and asked innocently, "Zhao Chen, this biscuit wasn't also a gift from your friend's bakery during a clearance sale, was it?"
“…”
The gentle smile on Zhao Chen's face froze instantly. His hand holding the bowl froze in mid-air as he looked into Yu Ling's sparkling eyes, filled with mischievous laughter. His ears turned red again at a visible speed.
"Ahem..." He coughed awkwardly, his eyes wandering for a moment, his voice a little weak, "This...this was really baked by me! Flour, butter, almond slices...I bought them all myself at the supermarket downstairs!" He tried hard to emphasize the word "supermarket" in an attempt to restore some dignity as an "ordinary employee."
"Oh——" Yu Ling stretched out the tone and nodded as if she suddenly realized something. She picked up the spoon and scooped a spoonful of crystal bird's nest soup into her mouth. It was sweet and soft, and the warmth went straight to her heart.
"Puff... cough cough cough!" This time Zhao Chen was really choked by his own saliva. He turned his head and started coughing in embarrassment, even his neck turned red.
Seeing his embarrassed look, which was rarely seen in a century, Yu Ling could no longer hold back and leaned over the center island, laughing so hard that her shoulders were shaking.
"Lingling!" Zhao Chen finally stopped coughing and turned around, his face full of shame and helplessness. He reached out to tickle her, "You've learned bad habits! You're here to ruin my plans, aren't you?"
"Ah! Stop it! It's itchy! Hahaha..." Yu Ling screamed and dodged, the two of them quarreling in the spacious and bright kitchen. The crisp laughter and the man's low, joyful sneer mixed together, filling the entire space and dispelling all the gloom, leaving only the pure, sweet, and cloying world of fireworks.
Outside the window, the golden glow of the setting sun cast a warm halo over the luxurious room. In the kitchen, a wealthy man in an apron was chasing his smiling wife in a rage, clumsily trying to cover her mouth for "disrupting" him, his movements revealing an unmistakable tenderness and doting.
As Yu Ling dodged, she smiled and thought: Who cares if he's rich or not, if he's playing dumb, or if he's exposed. As long as this man remains as gentle and clingy as ever, as long as his arms remain open only to her...
These days are sweet.
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