Chapter 146: A Real Date or Just Pretending?

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My Beautiful Love Predicament — No Ads

Bai Bing had disappeared again without any explanation, and even after work, Wang Zheng still hadn’t seen her. An unusual feeling crept into his heart, growing from a faint unease into something unmistakably clear. Had he gone too far? Impossible. He had only played a simple tactic to lure her away. If Bai Bing was truly angry… well, that would be wonderful. Finally, he wouldn’t have to be under her watchful eye.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Unable to contain his excitement, Wang Zheng laughed loudly. Without Bai Bing, the secret agent, he was free to do many things. He hoped her absence would last longer because lately, his schedule had been overwhelming. During work hours, it was Lin Xiaolei; after work, Liao Tong. Sometimes, Wang Zheng truly felt like he was being pulled in a thousand directions.

A pretend boyfriend is still a boyfriend, so he had to fulfill his duties. That afternoon, in front of Zhang Fan, Wang Zheng had clearly claimed to have a date with Lin Xiaolei—an imaginary one, but now it was time to make it real. After all, no one could guarantee that Zhang Fan wouldn’t, like his father, send someone to spy on them!

Just as Wang Zheng reached the door of Lin Xiaolei’s office and was about to push it open, someone called out behind him.

“Brother Wang,” came a crisp, melodious, and soft voice. Ignoring the office setting for a moment, it was easy to imagine ladies standing at the gate of a springtime courtyard greeting guests in ancient times.

Wang Zheng turned to see who was speaking so flirtatiously. He saw Ye Ruo, who had already tidied up her desk and was preparing to leave, and her colleague Wang Qianqian. The two held hands tightly, exchanged looks, then closed their eyes and pretended to blow a kiss across the room. Seeing this, the other women burst into laughter and cheered loudly. This was their replay and slow-motion reenactment of Wang Zheng’s midday kiss with Lin Xiaolei!

“Brother Wang, keep it up!” Ye Ruo called out before joining the others as they dispersed.

These girls dared to tease their boss? Ever since getting close to Wang Zheng, they had forgotten the boundaries between superior and subordinate. Then again, Wang Zheng as a boss… well, it was hard to tell if he truly counted as one. But one thing was certain: when Wang Zheng spoke, they listened.

That was enough.

Just as Wang Zheng turned his head back, Lin Xuan emerged from her office. Wang Zheng greeted her, telling her to head home alone today, then entered Lin Xiaolei’s office.

Lin Xiaolei was bent over, studying something carefully and didn’t notice Wang Zheng enter. He walked to her desk and still went unnoticed. Wang Zheng didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad. Happy because Lin Xiaolei’s meticulous work ethic revealed her character; sad because he, a grown man, could enter the office and be completely ignored. How could he not feel dejected?

Wang Zheng slowly bent down and, to catch Lin Xiaolei’s attention, used his face to block her view of the documents.

“Ah!” Lin Xiaolei suddenly screamed, startled by the unexpected face. She recoiled sharply, clutching a pencil tightly. The pencil tip gleamed like a dagger. Had Wang Zheng not straightened up in time, he might have been impaled in the eye.

Defending oneself with a pencil in the office showed Lin Xiaolei’s high alertness. It seemed the incident with Liu Jin had taught her how to protect herself.

“You… you scared me to death!” Once she recognized the visitor, Lin Xiaolei let out a heavy sigh of relief and patted her chest repeatedly, as if coming back to life.

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“Scared to death? I don’t look that deadly, do I?” Wang Zheng said with a wry smile.

“Well… well, almost!” Lin Xiaolei replied. “By the way, Lin Xuan already left. Didn’t you see her?”

“I saw her, but I told her to go ahead. Because tonight, I’m going on a date with my girlfriend, Miss Lin Xiaolei!” Wang Zheng said with a bright smile.

Lin Xiaolei was startled. If it hadn’t been for the mention of a date, she would have been fine. But hearing the word brought back the memory of that midday moment, especially the kiss. Though brief, Lin Xiaolei knew she would never forget it. Looking at Wang Zheng before her, her cheeks flushed once more.

“Zhang… Zhang Fan isn’t here, so stop pretending!” Lin Xiaolei stammered, avoiding Wang Zheng’s gaze.

Despite her words, deep down she hoped to go on a date with Wang Zheng. Otherwise, coming home alone to an empty, cold house would bring waves of loneliness and sadness. In her heart, even just having dinner together would be enough—enough to fill the night with a fleeting happiness that chased away solitude.

“Zhang Fan is indeed not here, but who can guarantee he hasn’t sent someone to follow us? If they find out we’re not actually on a date tonight as we said at noon, tomorrow, the day after… even if you really found a boyfriend, Zhang Fan wouldn’t believe you!” Wang Zheng said while looking at Lin Xiaolei.

Though it sounded like he was looking out for her, Wang Zheng was really just trying to avoid going home to face Bai Bing, Su Xue, and Chu Jun, who had caused him to lose a car. The fake date? Wrong! This time, Wang Zheng truly wanted to date Lin Xiaolei; he just couldn’t find a better excuse, so he used their lunchtime topic as bait.

With Bai Bing gone for once, how could Wang Zheng miss this golden opportunity? He had already packed his evening schedule tightly. First, a warm and tender date with Lin Xiaolei for dinner, then he would escort her home. Next, the second round: a visit to the TV station to find Liao Tong for a thrilling night.

Life could be so wonderful.

Hearing Wang Zheng’s words, Lin Xiaolei nodded softly, feeling his reasoning was sound—especially recalling how Zhang Fan’s father, Zhang Xu, had once sent someone to tail her. She agreed wholeheartedly with Wang Zheng’s suggestion, feeling a surge of joy because she sensed how thoughtful he was.

After all, the little white rabbit never truly knows what the big bad wolf is thinking.

The two had shared many dinners before, but mostly with a third party, Bai Bing, present—and it was always just a meal together. But tonight was different; it was a date in name, which stirred a peculiar feeling in her heart.

Lin Xiaolei put aside her work and left the company with Wang Zheng.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?” Wang Zheng asked her after they got into the car.

According to Wang Zheng’s calculations, he had nearly three hours to spend with Lin Xiaolei. Just eating dinner would be too long, so they needed other activities beforehand.

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“I… I’d like to take a walk by the river, if that’s okay?” Lin Xiaolei asked.

“Of course!”

Because he was driving, they soon arrived at Chuan Cheng River. In Jinghua City, its status was like that of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, except that the water was clearer and the riverbanks were beautifully landscaped. It was indeed a favored spot for couples.

Wang Zheng had special feelings for this place, mostly stemming from his recent midnight “leak point” battle with Liao Tong in the river. Of course, he couldn’t stage such a scene with Lin Xiaolei—not during the day!

After parking, Wang Zheng and Lin Xiaolei began walking slowly along the riverbank. They walked side by side in sync, looking perfectly harmonious. Yet neither spoke, as if unwilling to break the tender moment. Lin Xiaolei, whether out of shyness or some other reason, kept her gaze fixed on the river rather than on Wang Zheng.

Suddenly, something brushed against her waist. Lin Xiaolei turned to see Wang Zheng’s right hand gently encircling her waist. Then she heard his voice.

“Someone’s following us!”

Ah? Lin Xiaolei was taken aback. Was someone really tailing them? Zhang Fan’s character was as rotten as his father’s. Recalling his feigned gentleness, Lin Xiaolei felt a wave of disgust.

At that moment, Wang Zheng’s voice came again.

“Lean your body toward me, rest your head on my shoulder—closer, so they don’t notice anything suspicious!”

“!?!” Lin Xiaolei’s body stiffened, her cheeks burning crimson. The blush spread from her forehead down to her neck. Her body temperature was rising, her face hot and flushed. After all, this was her first time being so intimate with a man. Yet she followed Wang Zheng’s instructions, slowly leaning into him, nestling close, and resting her head on his shoulder. Now, their closeness was indistinguishable from that of a couple deeply in love.

Wang Zheng glanced sideways at Lin Xiaolei, pleased to see she was following his lead. His heart swelled with a secret delight, especially at her shy expression—it was irresistibly charming.

“Can you believe she bought it? She’s such a woman who makes deceiving her feel truly rewarding. So innocent.”