Chapter 71 Baby, Respond to Me
The night was still.
Aside from the embarrassing heavy breathing, all that could be heard was mournful lamentation.
In the bedroom, the girl whimpered, "How much longer..."
His gaze remained intense and unsettling. "It'll be soon."
Lin Zaoyi complained, "You're not fast at all!"
A soft chuckle reached her ears, and the man kissed her forehead. "You've worked hard, baby."
She wouldn't listen to sweet talk and was now regretting it. Why couldn't she just sleep peacefully in her own place? Why did she have to come here to suffer? She left him to his own devices.
But... I'm still tired.
I've really seen something new today; I never knew something like this could take so long...
******
The next day, when Lin Zaoyi woke up, someone was already up. He was standing in front of the dresser, slowly putting on his watch.
She stayed in his arms all night, and although she tried to turn her back several times, she couldn't resist his force.
What's worse, that bastard tried to take advantage of her hand again early in the morning.
Tonight, we absolutely cannot let him stay.
Tan Zhaojing moved to the window and said, "Get up when you're awake, the porridge is getting cold."
As she spoke, she drew back the curtains, and sunlight rushed into her eyes. Lin Zaoyi adjusted for a couple of seconds and then rolled over on the bed. "Right away."
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Zaoyi appeared at the restaurant, dressed neatly, and Tan Zhaojing's gaze, which was focused on the news, shifted to her.
The girl was dressed casually, wearing a dark blue shirt with a knitted vest over it, and gray wide-leg pants. Her hair was even simpler, just tied in a low ponytail.
Even so, she remains radiant and charming even without makeup.
Lin Zaoyi was thirsty, so she drank half a cup of water before picking up her spoon. After tasting it, she commented, "It's not as good as vegetable porridge."
Tan Zhaojing took her bowl away, saying, "I'll have someone line up earlier tomorrow."
I switched to a different cup of soy milk.
Lin Zaoyi sensed something else in his voice, "Be more self-aware and go back to your own place."
He replied, "I have a social engagement tonight, it's too late for me to come over."
"Not even if it's early."
Tan Zhaojing did not respond.
After that, the only sound in the restaurant was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
During the meal, Lin Zaoyi would occasionally glance at him. He was still wearing a dark shirt, but this one had some fine embroidery, which reminded her of the two shirts Yuan Lai had bought for him.
Driven by possessiveness, she tugged at his sleeve, and the man's attention, which had been focused on his emails, shifted to her. "Hmm?"
"Are you wearing the shirt Yuan Lai bought you?"
Instead of answering, Tan Zhaojing asked, "What if there is?"
He can be moody.
She didn't show it on her face, saying, "If it's there, it's there."
He put down his chopsticks and said, "Eat slowly."
"return."
What a load of crap.
They packed their bags and left.
The man was tall and had long legs; he easily pulled her back to the restaurant in just a few steps. She smiled and asked, "Mr. Tan, is there anything else?"
They start talking about generals at the drop of a hat.
Tan Zhaojing grabbed her hand and poked her fake smiling face with her index finger. "Jealous?"
Lin Zaoyi wanted to slap him, but seeing it was her own hand, she held back and smiled, "Yeah, isn't it normal to have fried dumplings with vinegar?"
"alright."
Tan Zhaojing held the small hand in his hand and kissed it. "The shirt was confiscated, but returned that very night."
Sizzle—
What was that sound?
The sound of a small flame being extinguished.
Lin Zaoyi suppressed the upward curve of her lips and said, "Oh."
"Is that all the reaction you're going to give me?" The man pinched the soft flesh on her face. "Aren't you going to say anything to praise me?"
She mimicked his flat tone, "Isn't this what you're supposed to do?"
Tan Zhaojing: "..."
This mouth is specifically designed to deal with him.
Lin Zaoyi chuckled smugly, then, thinking back to how he had protected the old house last time, said, "Hey, let me ask you something."
He glanced at me with a sullen look. "Is it really that hard to eat a proper meal?"
"..."
She pouted and muttered, "Why are you being so fierce?"
Tan Zhaojing stared at her for a moment, then reached out his palm towards her chin, applying slight pressure with his thumb and forefinger to make her face him.
As their lips intertwined, Lin Zaoyi vaguely heard him say, "Baby, respond to me."
My ears felt hot, and my heart was pounding.
Unconsciously, she hooked her arm around his shoulder and kissed him in the same way he did.
He lost his strength in just a short while; though he was clearly weak, he still managed to crumple his crisp clothes into a ball.
The man chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her earlobe. "How about this?"
Even though her ears felt like they were on fire, she had to maintain a serious demeanor, saying, "That would make me suspect that you just want to sleep with me."
He laughed again, his voice tinged with pleasure, "Are you sure you don't have ulterior motives towards me?"
Lin Zaoyi choked, glaring at him angrily and embarrassed, "If I had known it was you that night, I promised I wouldn't have pounced on you!"
The effect was good; his voice deepened slightly because of those words. "I'm giving you a chance to speak properly."
"No."
After yelling fiercely, he lowered his head timidly and said, "Eat your food, don't bother me."
After a half-second silence, Tan Zhaojing said to her, "The only person you'll encounter that night is me."
Lin Zaoyi understood the implication and couldn't help but gasp, "You...knew me before?"
I'm not so surprised anymore.
When her mother married into the Tan family, Tan Zhaojing would definitely conduct a background check. Besides, she was self-aware enough to know that her face was quite memorable.
Recalling that glance before she regained consciousness, she met his gaze from afar across the crowd.
She vaguely remembered his gaze lingering on her for a moment, but at the time she didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a casual glance.
He nodded. "I understand."
Tan Zhaojing: "What do you know?"
The girl turned her head and stared at him with a serious expression. "You've fallen for me because of my looks."
He didn't deny it, and simply nodded in agreement.
Lin Zaoyi's pupils dilated slightly. "I was just bluffing you."
She poked his hard arm. "You said I was faking it? You're even better at faking it than I am."
He smiled, a smile spreading across the corners of his slender eyes, casting a faint shadow in his eye sockets.
"I'm planning this gradually."
***
The first thing to do after returning to work after the holiday is the morning meeting.
After a brief work report, Yu Longqin said with a smile, "Everyone has worked hard recently. To express my gratitude, let's have a meal together after get off work."
Whether they wanted to go or not, they would all cheer and applaud. Lin Zaoyi was caught in the middle, and even though she felt physically disgusted, she still went with the flow.
There are so many people, it would seem disrespectful to refuse. I'll talk to Sister Qiao about it privately later.
Just as he made up his mind, Yu Long, ever the considerate one, asked, "Is there anyone who can't come?"
Since you've asked, then I won't be polite.
He raised his hand and said, "Sorry, editor-in-chief, I have something to do tonight."
Zhao Qingqing quickly interjected, "Going on a date with your boyfriend? Why don't you invite him over? The editor-in-chief won't mind."
As she spoke, Zhao Qingqing looked at Yu Long, only to be met with a cold glance.
He shut his mouth in a huff.
Lin Zaoyi naturally understood the unspoken meaning and played along, "Yes, my boyfriend is back from his business trip. I haven't seen him for several days. I'm sorry, editor-in-chief."
Yu Long smiled, a coldness hidden behind his glasses. "Just do as Qingqing said, invite your boyfriend over for dinner, let him get to know you, and make some friends."
Lin Zaoyi wanted to say that she was not qualified.
Just as she was about to refuse again, Sister Qiao made the decision for her, "Okay, Zaoyi, then bring your boyfriend over."
Once outside the conference room, Xu Qiao pulled the naive girl to the stairwell. "Do you still want to work here? Yu Long already said that, so refusing him is practically a slap in the face!"
He tapped her forehead and said, "Go back and have your mom teach you how to survive in the workplace. You're so naive."
Lin Zaoyi pouted, "My mom tells me to be carefree. Making money isn't important; being happy is the most important thing."
Xu Qiao blinked. "So, if she's so willful, what does our mom do?"
Lin Zaoyi blinked, "You'll know later."
Xu Qiao: "...You're showing off."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
