Chapter 130: Also an Onlooker

After leaving home, Wang Zheng immediately headed to the television station. Upon learning that Liao Tong had already departed several minutes prior, a faint sense of foreboding stirred in his heart.

Su Xue had once remarked that Liao Tong was, to an extent, a workaholic. As the news team leader, she would always work at the station until nine, and overtime was a frequent occurrence. Moreover, Wang Zheng had been picking her up every day for the past few days, always after nine. Yet today, it was only seven-thirty, and the fact that she had already left made Wang Zheng worry about her all the more.

Ignoring the red lights, Wang Zheng drove frantically to Liao Tong’s home, but a careful search revealed nothing—she wasn't there. At this point, Wang Zheng could not help but associate Liao Tong’s disappearance with that of Bai Bing. He clearly remembered the icy expression on Bai Bing’s face when she left the company this morning. Could this be her revenge?

"Damn it, Bai Bing, where on earth have you taken her?"

Wang Zheng drove around the city, checking every place Bai Bing might frequent, but still found no trace of her. Jinghua City was so vast that finding one or two people was like searching for a needle in a haystack. As the night deepened and the sky turned pitch black, Wang Zheng grew increasingly anxious.

Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he was surprised to see it was Bai Bing. Taking a deep breath and suppressing the urge to lash out, he answered.

"What is it?"

The person on the other end did not reply immediately, as if she knew how anxious he was and wanted to torture him with the silence. After a brief pause, Bai Bing’s voice finally sounded: "I am at the observation restaurant in the Financial Center. Miss Liao is with me. I know you must have been searching for us like a madman, so..."

"Click." Before she could finish, Wang Zheng hung up. The observation restaurant in the Financial Center? Wasn't that the place he had gone with Liao Tong last night? Did Bai Bing know about that, too? Was she really that omnipotent in this city?

Wang Zheng rushed to the Financial Center. He took the elevator to the top floor and walked with familiarity toward the restaurant. As soon as the door opened, he saw Bai Bing and Liao Tong sitting in a corner. However, looking at the lavish dinner on their table and the bottle of red wine at the center, the atmosphere did not seem as tense as he had imagined. Steadying his emotions at the entrance, Wang Zheng walked over as if nothing were wrong and sat down beside Liao Tong without a word.

"Italian Barolo paired with delicious filet mignon—you two certainly know how to enjoy yourselves!" Wang Zheng sat down. Although he suppressed his inner fury, his words were still sharp with hostility and dissatisfaction toward Bai Bing.

Barolo is one of Italy’s most prestigious and renowned red wines; it has a long history, a full body, and a pure profile. After aging in a cellar, its youthful pomegranate hue shifts to a rich, brilliant ruby, earning it the title "King of Italian Wines." The filet, taken from the tenderloin, is the most succulent cut of beef. It is almost fat-free, and when served medium-rare, the meat is incredibly tender and sweet, allowing one to fully appreciate the original flavor of the food.

Both were pricey, and the table was also filled with other exquisite snacks, salads, and more. What kind of game was Bai Bing playing? A trap?

"I ordered a portion specifically for you, so stop complaining and eat," Bai Bing said, looking at Wang Zheng and gesturing to the steak beside him.

Her expression was natural; it lacked the iciness she had shown when she left him that morning, and she didn't seem angry at all. If one had to describe it, she was no different from the usual Bai Bing. Wang Zheng couldn't help but glance at the untouched steak. Was she really that kind? Was she trying to poison him?

"You two seem to be getting along quite well. What have you been talking about?" Wang Zheng asked casually, then picked up his knife and fork, ignoring the tedious etiquette of Western dining and eating in large mouthfuls.

If there was poison, then let the effects take hold all the more fiercely!

"I was curious about your relationship with Miss Liao, so I invited her out for a chat. I suddenly realized that Miss Liao and I are quite compatible. Don't you think so, Miss Liao?"

Liao Tong nodded in response to Bai Bing’s words, her relaxed demeanor suggesting she had not been subjected to any "interrogation." A trap? Not likely.

As for being compatible... frankly, two female secret agents were certainly compatible in their own way!

Suddenly remembering something, Wang Zheng turned to Liao Tong beside him and asked, "By the way, why was your phone turned off?"

"Off? No, it isn't!" Liao Tong looked startled, then pulled her phone from her bag. After checking it, she realized it was indeed off. As if something had just occurred to her, she said apologetically, "It ran out of power. It must have shut down automatically!"

Ran out of power? Automatically shut down? Liao Tong certainly didn't know that Wang Zheng had been sweating with cold anxiety over this.

Wang Zheng exhaled a long, weary breath. He had only just conquered Liao Tong yesterday; if she had been "taken care of" by Bai Bing today, he wasn't sure what he might have done. Since he had promised to protect her, he could not allow any harm to come to her; otherwise, the weight of his own self-reproach would be enough to drive him to jump from this very building.

He never lied to women.

Wang Zheng didn't know what the atmosphere had been like before he arrived. Regardless, since he had joined them, the two women had only been discussing trivial matters—talking about work, discussing ideals...!

"Are you finished?" After a while, Bai Bing asked, watching Wang Zheng wipe his mouth.

"Yes," Wang Zheng nodded. The taste was decent. He should make Bai Bing learn how to cook it so she could make it for him every day!

"Then... please settle the bill."

What? Wang Zheng stopped wiping his mouth and frowned at Bai Bing across the table. Seeing her eyes fixed on him, it was clear that the remark was directed at him.

Settle the bill? The faint, lingering unease that had been in the back of his mind finally manifested. No wonder Bai Bing had ordered such expensive wine and steak, and even kindly ordered one for him—it turned out she was the host, but he was the one paying!

How ruthless!

Wang Zheng glared at Bai Bing, whose expression remained so natural, as if it were only right and proper for him to pay. There wasn't a hint of apology or gratitude on her face—infuriating!

Was this her revenge?

Inviting Liao Tong out to make him nervous, then summoning him to the restaurant to make him pay the bill... If it weren't for Liao Tong’s presence, Wang Zheng really would have wanted to punch Bai Bing and throw her off this three-hundred-meter-high observation deck.

In the end, Wang Zheng paid the bill. He was too lazy to argue with Bai Bing over such trifles in public, even though he was deeply dissatisfied with her actions and knew full well this was her way of getting even. But then again, a predecessor had once told him: "A real man doesn't bicker with a woman."

***

The car pulled up to the residential complex where Liao Tong lived. After a passionate goodbye kiss with Liao Tong in the passenger seat, Wang Zheng waited until her figure disappeared from sight before starting the car.

"If I were a man, I would fall in love with her, too," Bai Bing said quietly. Her expression no longer held the arrogance she had displayed in the restaurant; it seemed complex. Wang Zheng watched her through the rearview mirror, feeling an indescribable sensation.

"What are you trying to say?" Wang Zheng asked.

The eyes are the windows to the soul. Although Wang Zheng couldn't fully read Bai Bing’s complex look, he knew it contained a great deal that she wanted to say.

"The spy you mentioned... it’s her, isn't it?"

"!?!" Although Wang Zheng was surprised that Bai Bing had said this, it seemed within the realm of reason and did not exceed his expectations. Bai Bing was undeniably brilliant. This was her turf; uncovering the truth shouldn't be difficult. Wang Zheng didn't know what the two women had discussed before he arrived, but seeing Liao Tong’s natural demeanor and hearing Bai Bing’s words, it seemed likely that during their casual chat, Liao Tong had fallen into Bai Bing’s trap and revealed a flaw without even realizing it.

Even if Liao Tong was a spy, she was, after all, no match for the professionally trained Bai Bing.

"How did you know?" Wang Zheng asked.

"There is a ring-shaped patch of skin on her right middle finger that differs slightly in color from the surrounding area, and its size is very close to the width of that platinum ring. Am I wrong?"

"What do you intend to do with her? Report her?"

"I originally thought so, but I have changed my mind," Bai Bing said, climbing from the back seat to the front passenger seat and looking at Wang Zheng. "Having spent so much time with you, I’ve accidentally caught your bad habits, so I’ve decided to follow your lead!"

"Follow my lead? In what way?"

"I’ve decided to be a bystander in this affair. If you truly manage to conquer Liao Tong, then all will be well. But if this conquest is merely a facade, I will stand on the sidelines and laugh at you, watching your inevitable downfall."

Waiting to see my performance, huh?

"Rest assured, I won't give you that chance."