Chapter 133: Arrogant and Presumptuous!

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My Beautiful Affair

The farce of a father wanting the same woman as his mistress while his son wanted her as his girlfriend sounded utterly absurd and hilarious. It was far more entertaining than the ridiculous plots of television dramas, and its authenticity and spectacle were beyond anything television could offer.

What was especially amusing was seeing the son still confessing his feelings to the woman with such solemnity and sincerity. What had once seemed serious and earnest now appeared nothing short of comical and laughable.

He really wondered what expression Zhang Xu would wear if he found out about this.

“You’re sure?” Wang Zheng whispered as he looked at Bai Bing. “That kid said he’s Zhang Fan, the general manager of Blue Ocean Chemical. Isn’t Zhang Xu the owner of Prosperity International?”

“You really are hopelessly stupid! Prosperity International is a diversified conglomerate, while Blue Ocean Chemical is merely one of its subsidiaries. Just listen to the names of that father and son: Zhang Xu and Zhang Fan—rising sun and setting sail! It would be hard to convince anyone they aren’t father and son. And do you really not trust my information?”

With that, Bai Bing straightened her back and leaned slightly away, appearing to leisurely enjoy her tea and the afternoon sunshine during her lunch break. In truth, she was only trying to hear Zhang Fan and Lin Xiaolei’s conversation more clearly.

Wang Zheng smiled and began listening quietly as well, eager to see whether there would be any more entertainment.

Seeing Wang Zheng and Bai Bing sitting nearby and whispering about something, Lin Xiaolei, who had finally begun to relax a little, grew nervous again. The only thing on her mind now was leaving as quickly as possible and avoiding any misunderstanding.

“Miss Lin, may I ask who the man is whom you have already given your heart to?” Zhang Fan asked. Outwardly, he remained as refined and composed as ever, but his words revealed that he had no intention of giving up.

“This... I can’t tell you!”

“Then may I take what you just said as nothing more than an excuse to dismiss me? My feelings for you are sincere, and I hope you can sense that instead of rejecting me completely after meeting me only once. If we spend more time together, you will come to see my virtues. Even if your heart already belongs to someone else, you will certainly come to like me...”

Wang Zheng gave a cold laugh when he heard this wealthy young man speak. Along with the gentlemanly manners expected of someone from an aristocratic family, he seemed to have inherited their arrogance as well. Those words made Wang Zheng feel sick.

Love that could be stolen was not true love, and a lover who could be taken away was no true lover. Zhang Fan’s words were themselves a desecration of Lin Xiaolei’s faith in love.

Perhaps Zhang Fan’s arrogance came from his family, from being protected and indulged all his life, and from his own confidence and beliefs. But in Wang Zheng’s eyes, that confidence and those convictions were so fragile that a single outstretched finger could pierce them like paper over a window.

Zhang Fan’s arrogance was restrained arrogance. It did not reveal itself through his gestures, nor did it burst out in blunt exclamations. His arrogance was hidden within his words. Sometimes confidence and arrogance were truly difficult to distinguish, and even harder to refute.

“I’m sorry, but I think what you’re saying has already gone beyond the scope of our conversation. I’m leaving now. I hope you find the woman who belongs to you, Mr. Zhang!” Lin Xiaolei suddenly rose and said this before turning to leave.

Just as she had said, this man she had met for the first time had already taken the conversation far beyond its proper bounds. They did not even know each other, so how could he speak of liking or loving her? Moreover, his conceited manner irritated her. With Wang Zheng present, she truly did not want to be harassed any longer.

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Why should I spend time with you? You say I’ll come to like you, and I’m supposed to like you? Hmph!

Although Zhang Fan behaved like a perfect gentleman, his manner of speaking was entirely unsuitable for Lin Xiaolei. Neither a thousand roses nor his refined, gentle bearing had been enough to win her over. After what had happened before, Lin Xiaolei remained wary and kept her distance from any man who approached her, determined to prevent another absurd and despicable incident like the one involving Liu Jin.

Of course, Wang Zheng was not included among those men.

“Miss Lin, I...!” Seeing Lin Xiaolei leave, Zhang Fan hurriedly stood up to pursue her.

At that very moment, Bai Bing, who had been sitting behind him, rose as well. She shoved her chair sharply backward, and it happened to strike the chair Zhang Fan had been sitting on. The chair in turn knocked into his knees, causing both his legs to buckle involuntarily and forcing him back into his seat.

Bai Bing had applied her strength with remarkable precision. It caused no pain, yet it was enough to make his knees bend and stop him from chasing after Lin Xiaolei. Clearly, she had no favorable impression of this man called Zhang Fan either.

Bai Bing winked at Wang Zheng and then sauntered away with a catlike stride, leaving Zhang Fan sitting there in bewilderment, still unaware of what had happened.

Wang Zheng did not leave. Instead, he continued to observe Zhang Fan. Although Zhang Fan’s back was turned toward him, that did not matter.

After a brief moment of confusion, Zhang Fan once again resumed his gentlemanly composure. He did not hurry away. Instead, he elegantly ate the lunch that had already been served. When he finished, he poured himself a glass of red wine and drained it in one carefree gulp.

Zhang Fan was calmer than Wang Zheng had expected. He made no attempt to chase after Lin Xiaolei. Wang Zheng leaned slightly to the side and looked over. Though he could see only Zhang Fan’s profile, the smile on his face was unmistakable.

A confident smile—no, an arrogant one—as though everything lay within his control, as though Lin Xiaolei could never escape his grasp.

That sort of smile had always been Wang Zheng’s trademark. Seeing someone imitate him so shamelessly naturally irritated him.

How dare he steal my expression? What the hell!

Not long after Zhang Fan left, Wang Zheng also departed from the restaurant on the top floor. By coincidence, just as he entered the company, he ran into Lin Xiaolei and Lin Xuan preparing to leave.

Lin Xiaolei saw him too, but because of what had happened earlier, she looked awkward and did not know what to do. Blushing, she lowered her head and avoided his eyes like a little girl who had done something wrong.

“You’re heading out?” Wang Zheng asked. Naturally, he was speaking to Lin Xuan. He had no idea when Lin Xiaolei would stop looking so frightened whenever she was in front of him.

Did I really look so gentle and terrifying?

“President Lin and I are about to go to the tea plantation,” Lin Xuan replied.

“Oh.”

The tea plantation was at least a two-hour drive from the city. A round trip would consume nearly the entire day, and the travel expenses would be considerable as well.

Wang Zheng glanced at Lin Xiaolei. As the company’s owner, she did not even have a car. Her circumstances were truly miserable.

He reached into his pocket, took out his car keys, and tossed them to Lin Xuan.

“Take it. Get back early.”

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Hearing Wang Zheng’s words, Lin Xiaolei finally lifted her head. When she saw the keys in Lin Xuan’s hand, she was touched. At last, her eyes met Wang Zheng’s, and she said sincerely, “Thank you.”

Wang Zheng did not reply. He merely smiled faintly and walked toward his office.

His seemingly casual gesture revealed his concern for Lin Xiaolei, and she could naturally sense it. His eyes were gentle, like the afternoon sunlight.

When he returned to the office, Bai Bing was sitting in the chair that normally belonged to Wang Zheng, her hands rapidly striking the keyboard. He had no idea what she was doing.

The instant she saw him enter, she clicked the mouse, then stood up as though nothing had happened and returned to her own chair.

“What are you doing? Watching porn?” Wang Zheng asked Bai Bing as he sat down and looked at the computer screen.

Bai Bing had erased every trace of her activities, so despite several careful searches, Wang Zheng found nothing. After all, this was not his area of expertise.

“Do you think I’m you?” Bai Bing replied sourly.

“Whatever you do, don’t become me!”

Wang Zheng had never lost a war of words to Bai Bing. She had clearly chosen a path to self-destruction.

She seemed to realize this as well, so she did not continue arguing. Instead, she brought up another matter with Wang Zheng.

“I want to ask you something. You’ve seduced so many women—how do you plan to handle the relationships between them? I’m trying to imagine the expression Lin Xiaolei will have when she finds out about your relationship with Liao Tong. Will she be devastated? Leave in agony? Shut herself away from the world and become a nun?”

Bai Bing’s question was both sharp and sensitive.

Women were selfish by nature. Who would willingly share the man she loved with other women?

Liao Tong, Lin Xuan, and Lin Xiaolei—not to mention whoever else Wang Zheng might seduce or attract in the future. Bai Bing’s concern was not without reason. It was rare to see her show such kindness.

“Tribal chiefs in Africa usually have a dozen or even twenty wives. Do I really not look like a tribal chief?”

“You look like a complete bastard!”

What Bai Bing hated most were men who treated women as playthings, especially men who acted so careless and indifferent about it. Clearly, Wang Zheng had already been placed on Bai Bing’s blacklist.

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