Chapter 144: Be My Boyfriend!

For Lin Xiaolei, speaking the words held in her heart was truly difficult. The reason she liked Wang Zheng yet had never spoken of it or taken action was actually because she wanted to prove herself in her future work, to prove her worth to Wang Zheng. Her previous demeanor had been too fragile; she needed to display her strong side and her exceptional side so that she would feel worthy of Wang Zheng.

However, Zhang Fan had now barged into the picture, repeatedly pursuing her despite her continuous rejections, refusing to take no for an answer. To deal with such a person, Lin Xiaolei could only find a man to play the role of her boyfriend, forcing Zhang Fan to retreat in the face of difficulties. Yet, after thinking it over and over, Lin Xiaolei realized that she had no male friends around her besides Wang Zheng, which inevitably placed her in a difficult position. She liked Wang Zheng yet had to trouble him to pretend to be her boyfriend; Lin Xiaolei's heart was truly in a state of fierce conflict.

"Go ahead, what is it?" Wang Zheng said upon hearing Lin Xiaolei's words. This was the first time Lin Xiaolei had ever taken the initiative to ask him for a favor, which inevitably made Wang Zheng wonder what kind of matter could possibly prompt her to seek his help.

Having spent quite a while together with Lin Xiaolei, Wang Zheng already had a very clear understanding of the kind of person she was. If it was something she could handle herself, she would definitely never ask others for help.

Lin Xiaolei hesitated for a moment. The words were right there on the tip of her tongue, yet she simply did not know how to voice them. Hearing Wang Zheng's prompt, Lin Xiaolei put down the chopsticks in her hand, clasped her hands tightly together on her lap, and suddenly lowering her head, she blurted out loudly, "Please be my boyfriend!"

Time seemed to freeze at that exact moment, and Wang Zheng felt as though he had been struck by a paralysis spell. He sat there motionlessly, the piece of food held by his chopsticks having fallen onto the table at some unknown point. What had Lin Xiaolei just said? What did she say? Wang Zheng's brain experienced a temporary short circuit; clearly, he had heard the words Lin Xiaolei had just uttered, yet he found it impossible to believe them.

Were these words really spoken by Lin Xiaolei? Unbelievable!

Lin Xiaolei kept her head deeply bowed, wishing she could bury it completely in her chest. That single sentence had consumed all her courage—no, it had consumed two hundred percent of her courage to say aloud. Yet, as she quietly waited for Wang Zheng's answer, it was not forthcoming.

She couldn't help but raise her head slightly, glancing toward Wang Zheng opposite her, only to see him staring blankly at her. The food in his mouth had not yet been swallowed, his cheeks bulging out, looking utterly foolish.

Meanwhile, perhaps because her voice had been too loud, many people at the neighboring tables were casting astonished glances at her. A woman confessing her feelings to a man was nothing rare. But to state it in a public place with such a loud voice was something that compelled one's admiration. Moreover, since this confession came from the lips of such a stunning woman, its weight was even greater and more shocking, while simultaneously making them deeply envious of the man sitting opposite Lin Xiaolei.

*Damn it, this guy is so lucky! I wish she were confessing to me instead.*

"You... say what you just said again!" Wang Zheng suddenly snapped out of his daze, looking at Lin Xiaolei. His expression was somewhat complicated, making it difficult to guess what his true feelings were at the moment. Was he excited? Solemn? Thrilled? Or just playing around?

For Lin Xiaolei, that single sentence had exhausted two hundred percent of her courage; if she were to say it all over again, she truly had no idea how she could possibly open her mouth.

No! Lin Xiaolei suddenly froze for a moment. What had she just said? Asking him to be her boyfriend... Hadn't she expressed herself clearly?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! What I mean is, I hope you will pretend to be my boyfriend!" Seeing Wang Zheng's serious expression, Lin Xiaolei hurriedly corrected herself. "Actually, I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend so that Zhang Fan will give up in the face of difficulty. That's what I meant!"

Hearing Lin Xiaolei put it this way, Wang Zheng let out a heavy sigh of relief, though there was inevitably a trace of disappointment in his heart. In his view, Lin Xiaolei was a conservative type of woman when it came to matters of the heart. Asking her to take the initiative to confess her love to a man was simply impossible. If the romantic relationship was unconfirmed, Lin Xiaolei was the kind of woman who would rather let the word "love" rot inside her stomach than ever speak it aloud. Therefore, when Lin Xiaolei had uttered those straightforward words just now, Wang Zheng had been so shocked and felt it was almost unbelievable.

Now, although there was a slight sense of loss in his heart, at least the person before him was still the genuine Lin Xiaolei he knew—a woman who loved silently, even if she loved deeply.

"No problem!" For a matter like this, Wang Zheng was naturally duty-bound. Otherwise, if Lin Xiaolei were truly conquered by Zhang Fan in the future, that would truly be like trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used as bait! Wang Zheng suddenly felt as though he had instantly become an extremely sought-after person. On one hand, he had to deal with her superior through Liao Tong; on the other hand, he had to help Lin Xiaolei deal with Zhang Fan. The side effects of having too many beauties around were finally appearing: namely, having way too many opponents to deal with!

"Then... thank you, thank you!" Hearing Wang Zheng agree, Lin Xiaolei's heart finally relaxed. With this, Zhang Fan should be able to leave, right? Lin Xiaolei thought to herself.

Wang Zheng had agreed to Lin Xiaolei's request, but he felt that this method of hers was not a foolproof plan. He could tell that the man named Zhang Fan was very persistent and thick-skinned; it was obviously impossible for him to give up simply because Lin Xiaolei claimed to have a boyfriend. He remembered last time at the restaurant when Lin Xiaolei had already stated that she had a boyfriend, yet hadn't Zhang Fan still shown up? And hadn't the roses still been delivered just the same? Just talking without taking further action was not a good solution, so... Wang Zheng was already mentally prepared to back up his words with actions.

Zhang Fan truly had not given up on Lin Xiaolei. Although Lin Xiaolei was not in the office, Zhang Fan was still waiting at the company, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had passed while that Cadillac remained parked right in the exact same spot. This made both Wang Zheng and Lin Xiaolei, who had originally planned to wait until Zhang Fan left before returning to the company, feel rather anxious.

Perhaps because Wang Zheng had agreed to her request, Lin Xiaolei's mood was still quite good at the moment. A smile remained constantly on her face, and since the lunch was treated as her treat, Lin Xiaolei was no longer that penniless woman on the verge of financial ruin.

Zhang Fan's persistence exceeded Wang Zheng's imagination, forcing him to call Lin Xuan to check on the situation inside the company. The answer he received was definitive: Zhang Fan was sitting in the reception room reading a magazine and showed no intention of leaving.

Any sensible person encountering such a situation would surely realize that the woman was deliberately avoiding him. Yet this Zhang Fan feigned ignorance, not only refusing to leave but actually lingering persistently at the company. If this went on indefinitely, Lin Xiaolei wouldn't even be able to do her work!

"You can hide from the first day of the new year, but you can't hide from the fifteenth. Waiting here forever is no long-term solution. Let's head back anyway," Lin Xiaolei said, looking at Wang Zheng. The two of them had already been sitting in the restaurant for two hours, and with the time fast approaching two o'clock, she still had a mountain of work waiting for her to handle.

Lin Xiaolei's words somewhat wounded Wang Zheng's pride. Who had he been sitting here for all this time? And now it made it sound as though he, Wang Zheng, was terrified of Zhang Fan.

Who was he afraid of? He was afraid of no one!

"Let's go. I actually want to meet him face to face!" Wang Zheng stood up and walked outside.

Stepping out of the restaurant, crossing the street, and entering the Yong'an Building, Wang Zheng wore a very solemn expression. His imposing aura was aggressive and formidable, as if he were on his way to commit murder, causing passersby to hastily step aside and clear a path. Wang Zheng practically had four invisible characters inscribed upon him: *Strangers Keep Away!*

However, when Wang Zheng stepped out of the elevator, his pace slowed by half a beat. The current him was not truly himself, and he seemed to realize this fact. Losing his composure before they had even met was not a good thing! Wang Zheng closed his eyes, and the stern expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a leisurely and unbothered demeanor—this was the real him.

Entering the company, Zhang Fan was already visible through the glass partition of the reception room. Upon noticing Lin Xiaolei, Zhang Fan immediately stood up and walked out of the reception room.

"Miss Lin, would you care to honor me with your presence for afternoon tea?"

"Apologies, I just finished lunch with my boyfriend, and I don't have the habit of drinking afternoon tea," Lin Xiaolei said indifferently, gently tugging at the sleeve of Wang Zheng's jacket with her hand.

Oh? Wang Zheng looked at Lin Xiaolei beside him; her performance was vastly better than he could have ever imagined. Wang Zheng had originally intended to step forward and shield Lin Xiaolei, but looking at how calm she was right now, it seemed she could handle things entirely on her own!

Who was Lin Xiaolei? Call her someone who had experienced great ups and downs. Her vulnerable side was truly only ever displayed in front of Wang Zheng. In front of outsiders, she had always been a strong woman.

Upon hearing Lin Xiaolei's words, Zhang Fan shifted his gaze to the man standing beside her. In truth, Zhang Fan had already noticed the other man earlier, but he hadn't expected this person to be the boyfriend Lin Xiaolei had mentioned. Zhang Fan swept a lightning-fast yet thorough glance over the other man, instantly forming a profound impression of Wang Zheng: wheat-colored, healthy skin, a robust physique, and beneath the rolled-up sleeves, arms and broad shoulders that exuded a resolute, masculine toughness—a man's man. Yet, if anyone claimed this man was merely brawny with a simple mind, Zhang Fan certainly wouldn't believe it, because from the other person's bearing, he detected a carefree self-assurance combined with a seasoned, penetrating worldly wisdom!

"Hello, my name is Zhang Fan, and I'm—"

"The general manager of Hailan Chemical, right?" Wang Zheng interrupted him with a smile. "I hear Mr. Zhang sends a thousand red roses to my girlfriend every single day; you've really gone to a great deal of expense. Actually, Xiaolei is allergic to rose pollen, and her favorite flowers are lilies!"

It was hard to imagine that a man facing another man who was pursuing his girlfriend could maintain such calmness and magnanimity. You want to be a gentleman? Then I will be even more gentlemanly than you!

Wang Zheng's performance was not yet over. He turned to look at Lin Xiaolei beside him and said, "Mr. Zhang probably has some important matters to discuss with you, so I'll head back to work first. If you go out, make sure to come back early, and remember our date tonight." With that, Wang Zheng gently pulled Lin Xiaolei into his arms and, under the gaze of dozens of people in the open-plan office, lightly kissed her lips. Afterward, he offered a faint smile to Zhang Fan as a gesture of farewell and walked toward his office with supreme nonchalance.