Chapter 7: Su Qing Is Hooked

Su Qing came up to the car with a bag of steaming meat buns. Her eyes were brighter than the morning sun. “Here. I brought you breakfast.”

Zhang Cheng hurriedly opened the door and took the bag. The heat made him draw back his fingertips, but he didn’t let go. It reminded him of her warm breath against his chest the night before, leaving him flustered and reluctant to part with the sensation.

Their fingers touched, and both paused. His hand was rough and lightly callused; hers was soft and smooth. The contact sent a faint current up his arm and straight to his heart.

“Th-thank you, Secretary Su.”

His face reddened. He glanced instinctively toward the building entrance, afraid Zhou Mingyuan might appear again.

“We’re pretending to be a couple. It’s perfectly normal for me to bring you breakfast. Don’t read too much into it.”

Sunlight fell on her pale face. She smiled faintly, looking less seductive than she had the night before and more like an efficient professional.

“Your meat buns are delicious,” Zhang said, lowering his head to eat. They were fragrant and soft, far better than the ones he bought for himself.

Su Qing went scarlet. Memories of the previous night came rushing back.

She composed herself. “The boss didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?”

“No… he just asked a few questions.” Zhang avoided her eyes.

“Good.” She smiled and was about to say something else when she suddenly headed toward the office entrance.

Zhang turned sharply. Zhou Mingyuan stood beside the revolving door, his face dark. He was gripping his briefcase so hard that it had lost its shape and his knuckles had turned white. He had seen them from upstairs and come down to investigate.

Su Qing ran over as if she hadn’t noticed his anger. She took his arm and asked in a syrupy voice, “Boss, were you looking for me?”

Zhou stared at her face for a full three seconds. The little curve at the corner of her eyes when she smiled had always captivated him. But his fascination soon gave way to suspicion. He glanced at Zhang, still eating in the car.

“You bought him breakfast?”

“Aren’t we pretending to be a couple? We have to make it look convincing.” She rose on tiptoe and whispered something in Zhou’s ear.

Zhang was too far away to hear, but he saw the corners of Zhou’s mouth lift and much of the darkness leave his eyes.

“All right. Go upstairs.” Zhou waved a hand.

Su Qing winked at Zhang before following him into the building. Watching them disappear, Zhang felt a heavy ache in his chest. He was only a useful prop, to be discarded once they had no further need of him.

In his office, Zhou slapped a folder onto the rosewood desk, making the pothos plant tremble.

“Zhang Cheng said he slept on the sofa after I left. Is that true?” he demanded.

Su Qing blinked, took his arm and gave it a gentle shake. “Of course it is! You know what I’m like. How could I share a bed with a little driver? I offered him the bed, but he didn’t dare take it. He insisted on the sofa, and I even got up in the middle of the night to put a blanket over him.”

She watched Zhou out of the corner of her eye. When his frown eased, she quickly added, “Besides, you’re the only one in my heart. Why would I look twice at a poor driver?”

The words smoothed away his doubts. He pinched her cheek. “You’re really not lying to me?”

“Why would I?” She rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “If you’re still worried, I’ll go to a hotel with you tonight and make it up to you properly.”

Zhou broke into a smile. His suspicion vanished, and he put an arm around her waist. “That’s more like it.”

The mood had only just begun to ease when the door opened.

Lin Wanshu entered in a pale velvet dress, its neckline revealing a platinum necklace and her collarbones. Black heels seven centimeters high clicked beneath her. Where Su Qing was alluring, Lin had the composure and elegance of a seasoned businesswoman. She was like a white rose in the cold, striking enough to make it difficult to look away.

Zhou and Su both froze. Lin never dressed so provocatively at the office, and Zhou sensed trouble.

“Darling, what brings you here?” he asked, forcing a relaxed tone.

Lin glanced first at Su, who had retreated to one side. A faint smile touched her lips without reaching her eyes. Then she turned to Zhou.

“I came to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“I was wrong about last night.” Lin picked up a document from the desk and leafed through it. “I shouldn’t have been suspicious and rushed to the hotel to catch you. I made a complete fool of myself.”

She looked up at Su Qing. “It turned out Secretary Su and Driver Zhang were on a date. I interrupted them.”

Su flushed and gripped her skirt, but before she could answer, Lin continued, “Mingyuan, I was too embarrassed to tell you when you came home. I was afraid you’d laugh at me.”

Zhou’s expression changed. She wasn’t here to apologize. She was asserting her place and warning Su Qing.

He was about to smooth things over when Lin turned to Su again, sounding almost envious. “I couldn’t understand why you’d pursued Driver Zhang. After last night, I do. A man with gifts like his deserves to be loved and cherished. You’d better hold on to him. If another woman takes him, you may regret it for the rest of your life.”

The memory flooded back to Su Qing. Her face burned and her heart raced; she desperately wanted to experience it again. “I… I will cherish him,” she stammered.

Zhou, meanwhile, was furious enough to take a knife to Zhang. The bastard was like a donkey! What if Su Qing had become obsessed with him? What if Lin Wanshu was tempted too?