Chapter Fifteen: Fools and Silly Eggs

No matter what had happened, in the end, Wang Zheng managed to enter the towering building of Jinghua Television Center without any hindrance. Bai Bing, on the other hand, followed close behind him like a wronged wife, her eyes fixed mostly on his heels, only occasionally looking up at him with a hesitant, unspoken expression.

Wang Zheng glanced at the digital clock above the lobby—there was still some time before the lunch break. He had no choice but to sit quietly in the lobby and wait.

“Do you know you’re really an eyesore?” Wang Zheng said, looking at Bai Bing standing before him. His face was set in a grim, forbidding expression that all but screamed, “I’m angry. Stay away!” The menace radiating from him was almost tangible; bystanders instinctively kept their distance.

“I… you know I mean no harm, it’s just… just—”

“You just wanted to teach me a lesson, right?” Wang Zheng interrupted impatiently, cutting off Bai Bing’s stammering. “You’ve already slapped me, and just now outside you made a scene—what more do you want? Let me tell you, even if you dropped dead right in front of me, I wouldn’t go back to the organization. Besides, you and I have nothing to do with each other. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me. So please, stop interfering in my life. Otherwise, I honestly don’t know what I might do—and when that happens, I doubt anyone will be able to save you!”

His words dripped with threat, a chill emanating from him, his gaze sharp and frightening, like a wild beast about to pounce. Just meeting his eyes was enough to make one sense the scent of blood and shiver in fear.

Make a scene? Bai Bing felt deeply aggrieved. Who had really caused a scene just now? Who had kicked the security guard so hard he coughed up blood and threatened to kill someone? But now, no matter how dissatisfied she felt, she kept it to herself. She knew their relationship was delicate. Even though she didn’t think much of Wang Zheng, she couldn’t afford to anger him or fall out with him. If she did, her mission would fail and all her efforts from the past few days would be wasted.

“If you want, you can slap me. I don’t mind.” Bai Bing leaned in closer to Wang Zheng as she spoke. She felt a bit humiliated, actually offering herself to be slapped, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t just go back to headquarters empty-handed. How would she explain herself? What would others think? Besides, she was sure he wouldn’t dare hit a woman in public.

Wang Zheng just sneered coldly, paying her no heed.

“If you’re not saying anything, that means you’re not angry about what happened earlier anymore!” Bai Bing thickened her skin, sat down beside Wang Zheng, and nudged his shoulder with her elbow, grinning. “How about I buy you a drink tonight?”

“We’re not relatives or anything. I can afford my own drinks.” Wang Zheng replied, scooting away to maintain some distance between them.

Seeing his cold attitude, Bai Bing bit her lip hard, then inched closer again, still smiling as she said, “Think of it as me throwing you a welcome party for returning home.”

“We’re not that close,” Wang Zheng said, glancing at her before shifting even further away, until he was practically sitting on the edge of the seat. When Bai Bing tried to move closer again, he threw up a hand to stop her, his patience wearing thin. “Stay away from me. Stupidity is contagious.”

“I’m not worried about catching it from you!” Bai Bing replied with a laugh.

“But I’m worried I’ll catch it from you!” Wang Zheng was completely exasperated. How could this woman be so different from his first impression of her? Now she was acting like a shameless scoundrel. Just what kind of people had the organization been recruiting these past few years?

Thugs, ruffians, troublemakers?

“Hehehe!” Bai Bing beamed at Wang Zheng. Stone-faced, she was icy cold, but when she smiled, she became lively and charming. How could someone’s looks and personality be so mismatched? And she was a beauty, too—he had to admit defeat.

“After you meet Su Xue, why don’t you come home with me?” she asked.

Wang Zheng frowned. From the way Bai Bing said it, it sounded as if he was some lost child who couldn’t find his way home. He turned to her, suddenly serious. “As a single man, I can totally understand the struggles of a single woman like you. For work, you have to take an annoying stranger back to your place, and the psychological stress must be enormous. So, to spare you any further trouble, and to help you get rid of your single life, I’ve decided to leave your home. You can resume your old life, free from this burden. I wish you find your other half soon, get married, have children, happiness as boundless as the sea, and a life as long as the southern mountains…”

Bai Bing’s pretty brows creased ever so slightly. Staring at Wang Zheng as he “blessed” her, she suddenly asked, “Are you saying you’re moving out?”

“Yep. For your sake, I’m willing to go all out!” Wang Zheng replied with exaggerated sincerity. “No need to be moved or thank me. I’m just doing this so you can find happiness sooner. I’ll leave quietly, just as I came quietly.”

God, Wang Zheng prayed inwardly, please send Bai Bing a man—let this noble soul bear her torment, or else every man in the world will suffer!

Bai Bing blinked her large eyes, her long lashes fluttering like twin fans. She took a deep breath, suppressing the anger within, then forced a smile and, through gritted teeth, said, “Thank you for your ‘kindness,’ but if you think you can shake me off, you’re dreaming. I’m sticking with you until you come back to the organization as my partner.”

“If you cling to me, I’ll throw you out the window!” Wang Zheng retorted, dropping his “sincere” look and glaring at Bai Bing.

They faced each other, eye to eye, both gritting their teeth, both wearing the same stubborn expression. Two people unwilling to back down, locked in a staring contest, the atmosphere tense—a spark away from igniting.

“Hmph!” Wang Zheng suddenly snorted and looked away. “I’d better not look at you—I’m afraid you’ll fall in love with me, and then I’ll really be in trouble!”

“I win!” Bai Bing declared triumphantly, announcing her victory in the staring contest.

Were these really supposed to be elite agents? They were acting like two squabbling schoolchildren, not adults at all! If Wang Zheng had never been to school, it would be understandable, but Bai Bing had a higher education—there was no excuse for her!

Just then, Wang Zheng, wearing an expression that said “real men don’t fight with unreasonable women,” suddenly brightened. From the elevator stepped two elegantly dressed, graceful, and exquisite women, chatting and giggling as they walked. Occasionally, they burst into laughter, covering their mouths with their hands when they noticed people watching, making them all the more endearing.

“Su Xue is here. The other one is her co-anchor, Chu Jun!” Bai Bing’s voice came from behind.

“Crown Prince? What an interesting name!” Wang Zheng chuckled, apparently forgetting the spat with Bai Bing.

“Idiot! It’s ‘Chu’ as in ‘pitiful,’ not ‘crown prince!’”

“You’re the idiot—you’re an idiot egg!”

“You—!” Before Bai Bing could finish, Wang Zheng was already on his feet, putting on his sunglasses and striding over. Bai Bing, pouting, stuck out her tongue at his back, then got up and followed.

With a mischievous grin, Wang Zheng approached Su Xue and stopped before her, his large sunglasses doing a good job of concealing his expression.

The two women tried dodging left—Wang Zheng moved left. They tried stepping right—he blocked their way again, leaving no gap for escape.

“Is he looking for you?” Su Xue asked Chu Jun.

Chu Jun, the pretty woman beside her, shook her head and turned to Su Xue, “Is he looking for you?”

Since access to the TV station required proper credentials, neither woman was worried that this man would try anything outrageous.

“Who are you? What do you want with us?” Su Xue asked, clearly taking him for a staff member.

“I’ve long heard of Su Xue, the number one anchor of Jinghua TV. I waited here especially today, hoping Miss Su would do me the honor of joining me for lunch!” Wang Zheng said with gentlemanly flair.

“Sorry, I already have plans for lunch with a friend. Thank you for your kind invitation.”

“Not even for a full Imperial Banquet?”

“No.”

“How about… a lollipop, then?”

…