Love in the Fast Lane - Chapter 68 - We Are Serious

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Mo Zihan saying she disagrees was not unexpected for Li Ke. On the contrary, voicing his intentions relieved him considerably, and at this moment, he appeared very confident, as if he had everything under control.

“If it were truly just an act, I would consider your proposal,” Mo Zihan said, shaking her head. “But now, Tang Ning and I are genuinely in love, and we are getting married soon.”

Li Ke shook his head with a smile: “You can deceive anyone, but you can’t fool me, truly.”

Mo Zihan smiled and said, “I haven’t deceived anyone, including you, and that’s the truth.”

Li Ke became serious, staring into Mo Zihan’s eyes for a while, and declared as if certain: “I don’t believe it.”

Mo Zihan chuckled: “I don’t force anyone to believe, but that’s the fact.”

Li Ke sighed softly, expressing regret: “I think your decision is too absurd, and it’s irresponsible of you. If your family found out that you rashly decided your future based on such an absurd visit to meet the parents, I think they would be very saddened.”

Mo Zihan was no fool; on the contrary, she was very smart, and she understood the implied meaning in Li Ke’s words.

“Today you and your collaborator will probably receive a call from your parents. Trust me, they won’t think you being together is happiness because it’s driven by impulsiveness and whim,” Li Ke raised his glass, looking calm and assured, knowing that this was his trump card, and Mo Zihan would yield.

Despite anticipating her mother calling Tang Ning to investigate after Li Ke somehow revealed the situation, which mainly served to confirm whether what Li Ke said was true, hearing it from Li Ke’s mouth angered Mo Zihan.

No matter how Li Ke justified it, his petty nature was evident.

And as Mo Zihan got angry, Li Ke’s smile became more meaningful because, in his view, Mo Zihan’s anger was necessary. Only when she was angry could he regain the upper hand.

“What is your goal?” Mo Zihan asked coldly.

Li Ke waved his hand and said: “No, I have no goal, and if I must say there is one, it’s for your own good. Your collaborator, someone I’ve never heard of, an unknown person-do you think it’s worth sacrificing your career to indulge in madness with him? We are no longer young; how many years do we have to waste on someone who can’t ensure our future? It’s understandable if you can’t comprehend this.”

Mo Zihan snorted: “Really, you are so presumptuous. You always regard your opinion as the truth. I don’t know where you got your information, nor do I think it matters. But I can tell you, your information is really outdated. First, we were already in love before last year’s New Year’s. If we were still pretending when we first met his parents, then after living under the same roof for a few months, we truly fell in love. As for the visit to my hometown, everything felt real; from then on, we were no longer acting.”

Li Ke smiled and shook his head: “That doesn’t matter, and convincing me doesn’t matter either. The most important thing is whether your family believes it. Do you think they’ll believe such an explanation?”

Mo Zihan stood up, smiling sweetly: “You are still so presumptuous. My parents really like Tang Ning. Do you think they’ll believe their daughter and future son-in-law’s explanation, or your outdated rhetoric? You said that in this era, anything can happen, and everything is possible. Isn’t a year enough for us to truly fall in love?”

Seeing Mo Zihan stand up to leave, Li Ke was also taken aback. Mo Zihan’s composure and calmness were genuine and not feigned, which could only indicate that everything she had been saying was true. Their relationship could withstand any test without fear of his threats.

So, Li Ke hurriedly blocked Mo Zihan’s path, smiling as he said, “I was just genuinely concerned, there’s no need for such an overreaction, right? Of course, I truly hope you both find happiness. As a friend, I sincerely wish you well. It’s just that, in today’s society, people can be unpredictable and restless. If my actions seem unacceptable to you, then I apologize.”

Mo Zihan replied, “There’s no need to apologize. Since we’re done with the meal, I don’t think there’s any need to consider your proposal. Let’s just call it a day.”

Li Ke said, “No rush, no rush, it’s still early. If possible, why not let me, a friend who’s out of the loop, hear about your love story, how about that?”

Mo Zihan chuckled, “What’s there to hear? What, you still don’t believe it?”

Li Ke rubbed his hands, shaking his head, as if on the verge of tears, saying, “It’s not that I don’t believe it, but it’s hard to accept.”

Mo Zihan smiled slightly, “There’s nothing hard to accept. Aren’t I doing well now? Besides, I’m very happy, a solid happiness. I cherish this relationship very much. Both of us, and even our two families, are now blessing our relationship and working hard for it. We are not content with the present state.”

Li Ke nodded, “I understand now. I went to your company this morning, and the receptionist said you left your job and started your own studio. It’s a company, right?”

He was saving face for himself and also finding a way out, and Mo Zihan was well aware of that.

She resigned, and perhaps the receptionist at the company knew about it, but the fact that she and Tang Ning were working hard for their own small business was something not even Jin Chan knew much about. How could the receptionist know? If Li Ke claimed that Murong Feng told him, Mo Zihan might have believed it since she wouldn’t verify with Murong Feng whether it was true or not.

“It’s a small studio, one we started together.” Mentioning her little company made Mo Zihan feel tender, as if it were her child, born in her and Tang Ning’s hands, destined to grow and gradually thrive.

This was a feeling that couldn’t be experienced even in the highest managerial positions in any large company.

No matter how hard one works, it’s still for someone else. Doing well earns you generous compensation and praise from the asset’s owner, and the success achieved is merely a societal value. On the other hand, when it’s one’s own, succeeding is personal, bringing not just societal value but also a deep emotional fulfillment.

Li Ke hurried to block Mo Zihan’s way, smiling as he said, “I was simply concerned, no need for such an overreaction, don’t you think? Of course, I genuinely wish you both happiness. As a friend, I sincerely bless you. However, in today’s society, people can be quite unpredictable and restless. If my actions make you uncomfortable, then I apologize.”

Mo Zihan replied, “There’s no need to apologize. Since we’ve finished eating, I don’t think there’s a need to consider your proposal. Let’s just wrap it up.”

Li Ke said, “No rush, no rush, it’s still early. If possible, how about letting me, a friend who’s out of the loop, hear about your love story?”

Mo Zihan chuckled, “What’s there to hear? What, you still don’t believe it?”

Li Ke rubbed his hands, shaking his head with a look of sorrow, “It’s not that I don’t believe it, but I find it hard to accept.”

Mo Zihan smiled slightly, “There’s nothing hard to accept. Aren’t I doing well now? Besides, I’m very happy-it’s a steady happiness. I truly cherish this relationship. Both of us, and even our families, are blessing and working on our relationship. We aren’t content with the current state.”

Li Ke nodded, “I get it now. This morning, when I went to your company, the receptionist mentioned that you quit and started your own studio. Is it a company?”

He was trying to save face and find a graceful way out, and Mo Zihan knew this well.

She had quit her job, which the company receptionist might know about, but the fact that she and Tang Ning were working hard on their own small business was something even Jin Chan wasn’t fully aware of. How could the receptionist know? If Li Ke had said Murong Feng told him, Mo Zihan might have believed it since she wouldn’t verify that with Murong Feng.

“It’s a small studio we started together.” Mentioning her small company made Mo Zihan tender; it was like her child, born in her and Tang Ning’s hands, destined to grow and thrive.

This was a feeling that couldn’t be experienced even in the highest managerial positions in any large company.

No matter how hard one works, it’s for someone else at the end of the day. Doing well earns generous compensation and praise from the asset’s owner, and the success is a social value. But when it’s your own endeavor, succeeding is personal. It brings more than just social value; there’s also a deep emotional fulfillment involved.

Li Ke asked casually, “Oh, you used to be a mid-level manager at the Murong Group, so you must have a lot of resources, right? Now that the studio is up and running, are you the one taking the lead?”

Mo Zihan instinctively didn’t want Li Ke to know everything before the company was fully developed. She had a lingering feeling that ever since Li Ke contacted her parents about her relationship with Tang Ning, then asked for her help with his personal matters, and now with her small studio, there was always an underlying connection.

What exactly this connection was, and what it entailed, Mo Zihan didn’t want to ponder. However, her instincts told her to be wary of Li Ke; his motives couldn’t possibly be as simple as he claimed.

The company was a labor of love for both her and Tang Ning, and even Qi Xiaomeng was involved. Though Qi Xiaomeng seemed indifferent, she actually cared a lot. So far, she had only wandered around the company a few times without delving into specifics, not because she was unwilling, but because she was clear about her role. Qi Xiaomeng knew that when it came to actual operations, she was completely out of her depth. Meddling would only make things worse. In this sense, her complete hands-off approach was, in itself, a form of trust.

This endeavor was something Mo Zihan was determined to protect from any harm, especially at this juncture.

“We haven’t quite figured out what we’re going to focus on yet, so everything is still up in the air. Maybe in a little while, at least after the new year, things will be clearer. Then we’ll invite all our friends to get together for a celebration,” Mo Zihan said, picking up her purse.

Her intention to leave was firm, and Li Ke had no choice. When he tried to settle the bill first, Mo Zihan had already paid, leaving him no option but to follow her out with a sullen expression. As he was about to call a car for her, Mo Zihan waved her hand and said, “It’s getting late. You should hurry with your own matters. I can manage on my own.”

Li Ke forced a smile and said, “I’m still at that same lousy place. Aside from checking in, I almost never have to go to the office. I just need to submit some designs and occasionally check on outcomes each month, so there’s not much to do.”

Why was he bringing up his job at this moment?

Mo Zihan couldn’t help but be cautious, especially with Li Ke, whose true intentions were almost fully revealed today. She had to consider all the implications. Neither her relationship with Tang Ning nor the small company they, along with Qi Xiaomeng, were building, could withstand significant upheaval at this stage.

Moreover, why was Li Ke suddenly so desperate, resorting to leverage old issues against her? He wasn’t just being foolish or naive. He had to have understood the risk that his threats might fail or that she might risk everything being exposed rather than comply.

If that happened, their friendship would be irrevocably broken, and all his plans and intentions would fall apart. Yet, he still went through with it. After she countered his bluff, a proud and deceitful person like Li Ke should have gracefully exited the scene. Why, then, did he persist so shamelessly? Was there something deeper going on?

Mo Zihan realized that overthinking might not lead anywhere, but underestimating could cause significant trouble. For instance, she hadn’t anticipated Li Ke might reveal old issues to her parents, which had now put her in a slightly awkward position.

“I’m really sorry. I thought since we were just putting on an act, it would be best if everyone was satisfied. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. Qi Xiaomeng also didn’t warn me about today’s misunderstanding, so it’s my mistake. To make up for it, how about we find a time to gather with Qi Xiaomeng? You can bring your boyfriend, and we’ll all meet up.”

This was even stranger. Why was Li Ke so insistent on confirming things? What was his goal?

However, if he only wanted confirmation, did it really warrant so much thought? Mo Zihan, firm in her resolve, nodded and said, “That sounds fine. Before heading home, we can find a time to meet, like a heads-up for our friends. But there’s no need for an apology. You acted without knowing the full story, after all.”

Li Ke nodded silently and then suddenly said, “Aren’t you worried at all?”

Worried? Worried about what?

Mo Zihan realized he was reminding her that dealing with her parents might be challenging this time.

Challenging? We are serious about each other, at least for now. With that premise, could there be any real hurdle?