Chapter 10 He Likes You (700 new words added) Destined to be entangled...
"As Mrs. Cheng, I must shoulder my responsibilities and protect my husband's innocence..."
Cheng Wang's ambiguous whispers in Song Qingran's ear last night once again entered her mind. She pursed her lips, reluctantly walked up to Aunt Zhang, and offered a slightly apologetic explanation.
"Aunt Zhang, I'm so sorry, you've misunderstood. That woman is my assistant, Cheng..." She almost misspoke, but the man lifted his eyelids and glanced at her sideways. She quickly corrected herself, "My husband hasn't cheated on me. Our relationship is very stable..."
Having received a satisfactory explanation, Cheng Wang's eyebrows unconsciously lifted, and he pulled Song Qingran away, his large, hot hand domineeringly enveloping her perpetually cold small hand.
She tried to break free, but to no avail, so she simply stared straight ahead, pretending she knew nothing.
When they reached the car door, she handed him his phone. Cheng Wang let go of her, thanked her, took the phone, and turned to leave without looking back, but her fingertips were hooked again.
She heard his weak voice: "Give me a hand."
Remembering that Secretary Zhou had said his leg injury had flared up again, Song Qingran ultimately did not refuse. With a cold face, she bent down and helped him into the car.
Once he was settled, she gently stepped back, but her slender waist was encircled by the man's hand, which tightened around her. She gasped softly and unexpectedly crashed into his chest, her body having no point of contact with him.
"Cheng Wang!"
Even a clay figure has a temper. Song Qingran gritted her teeth in anger, like a rabbit whose fur had been provoked, her eyes turning red with rage.
The driver had just gotten into the car when he was so startled by the woman's rather coquettish roar that he immediately pulled his foot back, got out of the car as if he had been chased by a ghost, and kept a safe distance.
Cheng Wang wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he teased her by bending his index finger and gently scraping the tip of her delicate nose.
"Mrs. Cheng, during these few days of my recuperation, perhaps you should think carefully about our relationship."
He patted her head and said meaningfully.
Long after the car had driven away, Song Qingran still couldn't escape the weight of those words; her emotions were tangled into an unbreakable ball of yarn.
He saw through her.
Yes, it's forcing her to make a choice.
The phone screen vibrated, interrupting Song Qingran's long reverie.
She glanced at the phone out of the corner of her eye and saw it was an unknown number, so she habitually pressed the reject button.
Not long after, another voice call came in, displaying the name 'Zhu Ling'.
"Waaah, Sister Song, I've been beaten up. Can I see you?"
*
Half an hour later.
Song Qingran arrived at the coffee shop that Zhu Ling had booked, gave the room number, and was led into the room by a waiter, where she met Zhu Ling in person.
Zhu Ling was wearing a sexy off-shoulder, fitted black dress with exquisite makeup. Song Qingran was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected that Zhu Ling, who looked so innocent in the photos, would be so glamorous in a different outfit.
The moment she saw her, Zhu Ling blinked her large, watery eyes and warmly circled around to greet her, her eyes revealing undisguised admiration and an expression of no wonder.
"You know me?" Song Qingran asked in surprise, as she had never met her before.
The girl nodded, then shook her head repeatedly.
"I've never seen you before, but when I'm not wearing makeup, my eyebrows and eyes look somewhat similar to yours, Miss Song, especially when we're dressed the same. No wonder he had that expression when he saw me."
Something flashed through her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it. Song Qingran sat down, put her bag down, and called the waiter to take her order.
She ordered a hot Americano, looked up and asked Zhu Ling, "What would you like to drink?"
Song Qingran looks gentle, but her demeanor is unusually aloof and imposing, though not very obvious. Zhu Ling took a deep breath and smiled shyly, "Thank you, sister. Latte with milk and sugar, I can't stand any bitterness."
Song Qingran subtly observed the girl in front of her. She was twenty years old, but had a strong sense of everyday life. She was very patient and waited for the coffee to arrive. She took a few sips but didn't ask any questions. On the contrary, the other girl couldn't wait any longer.
Zhu Ling stirred the spoon quickly, her eyelids drooping, not daring to meet Song Qingran's gaze.
"Sister, although I didn't get things done, I still put in a lot of effort and almost got beaten up. Could you... could you give me some compensation for my hard work?"
She also felt a little ashamed and frustrated, and her voice grew softer and softer.
So that's what it was for. Song Qingran smiled faintly and immediately transferred 500,000 yuan to Zhu Ling.
"The deposit doesn't need to be refunded."
Zhu Ling's eyes widened in surprise, her feigned relaxation vanished, and she became even more flustered.
"This, this is too much."
"I think you must be having some difficulties, so take this."
Song Qingran scrutinized her closely. How could such a beautiful and playful girl take that kind of job? She suddenly wanted to help her.
She took a business card out of her bag and pushed it in front of Zhu Ling: "I see you have a great appearance, a good figure, and your acting skills... are not bad either. If you are interested in becoming an actress or an idol, you can contact this person."
"I, I..."
A huge surprise hit Zhu Ling, who was at a loss as she had never entered society before.
"I'm leaving now."
Song Qingran has done everything she was supposed to do, and she's not in the mood to chat with anyone right now.
After walking a few steps, the girl, panting, caught up with him. "Sister, do you want to know what happened yesterday?"
Song Qingran stopped in her tracks and sat back down.
Zhu Ling finally found a chance to repay the favor, so she recounted the details of what happened after she went there yesterday afternoon.
“That day, following Mr. Xu’s instructions, I dressed up carefully and went to your house…”
That day was the first time Zhu Ling wore a cheongsam. It covered her from neck to ankle, and her hair was neatly styled. She didn't dare to take a step and felt suffocated. It wasn't until she met Song Qingran today that she realized that she was actually playing a role.
Unfortunately, the man didn't give her a chance to show her charm. He frowned at her with just one glance, as if he were looking at a fake.
She originally wanted to listen to Song Qingran, cook him a meal, and take him out for a walk to slowly win his heart, but he saw through her at a glance, asked who sent her, and almost broke her hand.
"Yes, your wife sent me..."
Her life was at stake, and she felt ashamed, but faced with the man's cold and heartless eyes, she couldn't muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
The moment she heard the truth, she had the illusion that he was going to kill her.
Fortunately, we live in a society governed by the rule of law. He simply ordered his men to throw her out, and he had to return home barefoot and in a sorry state. He was also warned not to tell Song Qingran.
"Actually, I can tell he likes you a lot, and you're the one he wants. No substitute will do; it has to be you. I don't understand why you would reject such a handsome, rich, and devoted man. Do you have someone else in your heart?"
Song Qingran took a sip of coffee and didn't respond immediately. After finishing her coffee, she said, "You misunderstood. He doesn't like me. We have no feelings for each other."
"But he asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that Mrs. Cheng will only be you, and that you shouldn't waste your time. He said that he will never get a divorce. He also said that the moment your names were written together, you were destined to be entangled for life."
Song Qingran's usually calm eyes showed obvious fluctuations as she gripped the handle of her coffee cup tightly and took a sip of air.
Did he really say that?
But Zhu Ling had no reason to lie to him, so why did he say such ambiguous things?
She stood up, unable to stay any longer: "Thank you for telling me, but I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."
*
That night's kiss and the conversation at the coffee shop were a huge emotional burden for Song Qingran. She wanted to escape, but reason restrained her and kept her in place.
She deliberately avoided exploring Cheng Wang's deeper meaning and didn't think about whether his motives stemmed from love or lust.
All I want to do is work hard to make money.
Fortunately, she had a full month to catch her breath. During that month, she didn't see him and didn't know much about him.
He would occasionally send a message saying what he was busy with, and she would give him a perfunctory reply, which he never took seriously.
I wonder if his leg is any better.
"Sister Ran, hurry up! Don't just stand there, we're going to be late. The students are all waiting for their auditions."
The assistant tugged at Song Qingran's sleeve, pulling her out of her reverie. She pressed her brow, and her pupils refocused.
"Okay, let's hurry up."
Recently, Song Qingran has finished revising her script and is currently in the casting stage. As the author, she has been busy trying to find suitable candidates for her roles.
But after searching around, they couldn't find a suitable candidate. There were actors who could be close to the actress, but their prices were too high. So they decided to select newcomers from the film academy.
The school was always filled with a youthful atmosphere that was unique to the school. As Song Qingran and her assistant walked along, they encountered only handsome men and beautiful women. They were so captivated by this vibrant energy that they slowed down their pace.
After a brief pause, they were swept up by the crowd and had no choice but to move forward with it.
"What happened? Where are they going?" The assistant almost fell, quickly regaining her balance and exclaiming in surprise.
"I don't know, just follow along and don't get trampled." Song Qingran pulled her arm, keeping pace with the students and trying her best not to be squeezed or trampled.
They passed a playground, were swept into it by the flood, and ended up in the middle of the grass.
Someone shouted through a megaphone, and the buzzing in the crowd immediately stopped. The students, like well-trained bees, returned to their positions at the queen's command.
Song Qingran and her assistant were left standing awkwardly in the neat and orderly line, looking like two oddities. Moreover, they weren't wearing school uniforms, making them quite conspicuous, and almost everyone was looking at them.
Many people noticed them on the road, but everyone was in a hurry and no one spoke to them.
Despite the intense stares, Song Qingran pulled her assistant toward the track; they were truly late now.
As soon as he reached the door, he was met by a group of middle-aged men in black jackets. They were all smiles and followed behind a young man, like stars surrounding the moon.
Song Qingran froze, her eyes widening slightly. She hadn't expected to see Cheng Wang again in this way. He was being treated with the utmost respect, like an emperor, and his appearance immediately drew all eyes to him.
He, however, remained calm and relaxed, as if he were at home, accustomed to being the center of attention.
Song Qingran's gaze unconsciously fell on his left leg. His steps were steady, and he paused half a step as his long leg passed by her side.
Everyone followed his gaze and glanced at Song Qingran. After hesitating for a few seconds, they realized that the man had already walked away, so they hurriedly followed him.
Her assistant reminded her, "Sister Ran, are we still going to the venue?"
Song Qingran turned her head to look, but the group of people had already gone far away. She turned back, and the confusion from before dissipated, and she regained her clarity.
She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly heard someone calling her name from above. Or rather, no, they weren't calling her name, but just mentioning her name calmly.
"Yes, that's my wife. She's kind-hearted and donated two buildings to you."
Author's Note:
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This chapter has been updated with 700 words, please remember to read it again! [Sprinkling flowers]
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