Chapter 43: I Beg You
Arriving near the company, Lian Cheng opened the car door, preparing to get out.
Liang Chaosu turned sideways and passed her, closing the car door again.
His body enveloped her without warning, his chest pressing against her cheek, and Lian Cheng felt herself being pulled behind his arms.
People constantly rushed by outside the car on their way to work, carrying coffee, holding breakfast, with bags slung over their shoulders. They would cast curious glances at this luxury car with its unusual license plate.
Lian Cheng even recognized people from her company’s team among the unfamiliar faces.
She couldn’t help but shrink back, raising her hand to push him away.
Her shoulder suddenly sank, enveloped by soft clothing. His scent, fresh, cold, and sharp, filled the fabric.
Lian Cheng looked down; it was still a black cashmere overcoat, but it wasn’t hers.
She couldn’t help but look up at him, startled, and nervously reminded him, “I have to go to work.”
“Mm,” he buttoned his coat and unlocked the door, “Go on, I’ll pick you up tonight.”
His attitude and actions made Lian Cheng feel as if they were a couple in love, sharing tender moments.
But she knew very well that this was just the wolf in grandmother’s clothing guiding Little Red Riding Hood, intending to devour her later.
She didn’t even refuse the clothing, and fled the car as if escaping, running far away.
Zhang An lowered the partition, and the rich corn fragrance from the back seat instantly hit his nose.
He observed Liang Chaosu’s relaxed expression and decided to chime in, “Miss Lian Cheng still likes corn so much, she likes it even more when you make it herself.”
Liang Chaosu’s complexion was pale; he leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes.
Zhang An wasn’t embarrassed; he shouldn’t have overstepped and spoken about the man’s private matters.
Liang Chaosu was indifferent and aloof, exuding a sense of distance.
The trusted drivers of noble families could generally speak intimately. Most outsiders saw him that way too, but Zhang An knew he wasn’t.
Not only was he not, but none of Liang Chaosu’s close subordinates were either. Whether it was a secretary, personal assistant, or consultant, he truly used them only as tools.
Aside from the Liang family members, Zhang An had never seen him close to anyone. But even with the Liang family, Zhang An felt he was subtly indifferent, not intimate enough. That indescribable yet very real feeling was too strange.
This made Zhang An deeply fearful. A person who was indifferent to everyone, yet possessed unusually overbearing methods, continuously expanding his territory, wouldn’t he get tired under immense pressure? When he was tired, where did he find emotional solace?
If he had none, was he still human? Had he become a demon.
………………
Once Lian Cheng was out of the car’s range, she took off the overcoat.
Passing a trash can, she desperately wanted to throw it in, but reason stopped her in time.
Upon arriving at the company, as soon as Lian Cheng reached her workstation, she rushed to stuff the overcoat into her Platinum Bag and threw it under the desk, accidentally stepping on it twice.
Although it was accidental, she had to admit it felt good.
She looked up. Maitreya Buddha was somehow perched on her cubicle partition, catching the joy on her face. He raised a delicate finger at her, “Such a look, you’re full of energy. Give your all to the project wrap-up for the leader.”
A relaxed smile emerged in Lian Cheng’s eyes, “Yes, I’ve returned to my workstation and am ready to embrace great fortune.”
“Go on,” Maitreya Buddha poked her in the eye, “Stop giving the leader excuses. Don’t think about how much the bonus is, think more about what you’ve done for the company.”
“No way, my Buddha,” a male colleague wailed from nearby, “We’re all this age, there’s no need to pour out our hearts and souls, just give us money directly, that’s better.”
Tai Duoduo peeked out from next door, “My Buddha, I’ve always felt you were different from other leaders. They say one thing to your face and another behind your back, but only you want to give everyone a place in Jingdu and a place in Shanghai.”
Lian Cheng giggled. Maitreya Buddha glared at her, the culprit, “Are you trying to force my hand? Everyone, turn and look out the window, what do you see?”
Lian Cheng stood up. People streamed below like a river, “Others are embracing outside, while I’m here in the company getting good deals.”
Maitreya Buddha was exasperated, “Is that what I told you to look at? That’s the country. If you want to divide the world, take the country first.”
He flicked his hand and left.
Tai Duoduo made a gesture like Er Kang, “My house—”
The male colleague shouted, “My mother—”
“My wife still needs to be found—”
Maitreya Buddha stumbled, barely regaining his balance.
Lian Cheng let out choked sounds, unable to stop laughing.
Tai Duoduo didn’t sit down and handed her water, “Stop it, you’re laughing like a goose. I haven’t asked how your blind date was yesterday afternoon.”
Lian Cheng’s laughter stopped abruptly.
Tai Duoduo, “What? Did you meet your ideal type?”
I haven’t met my ideal type, but I have met someone I want to assassinate.
Lian Cheng chuckled, “The other party demanded I marry him, do the laundry, cook, serve his parents, have two children in three years, one boy and one girl. I ran off before I even finished the meal.”
The male colleague was shocked, “What era is this? How can someone have so many demands on a beautiful and cute girl? Lian Cheng, you should look at me instead. My standard for choosing a partner is just three words, please.”
Lian Cheng politely refused, “A good woman’s ambition lies in all directions; the grass by my own side won’t grow in my heart.”
The male colleague looked at Tai Duoduo, who coldly replied, “If we don’t consider species, I’d want to marry my house.”
After a morning of laughter, Lian Cheng slipped out during lunch to meet Bai Ying.
Bai Ying produced a card, “After much thought, opening a new card would be too obvious. This is an account I had abroad. Even if Liang Chaosu suspects me, he won’t find anything quickly.”
Lian Cheng accepted it. After a two-second pause, they both opened their arms and hugged each other.
“Take care.”
“Are you leaving today?”
Lian Cheng didn’t let go of her, “It’s not that fast. I still have a loose end to tie up at my company.”
Bai Ying frowned, “You’re already planning to leave, won’t you still care about your project?”
Lian Cheng smiled, “Not really.”
She recounted the incident of her prenatal check-up at the black clinic, which was accidentally exposed.
“After I ran, if this rumor reaches Liang Chaosu’s ears, what will he think?”
Bai Ying exclaimed, “You ran because you were guilty about being pregnant.”
Lian Cheng sighed, “It turned out to be a lucky coincidence. If he confirmed it at the black clinic, he would have given up after I ran for years and he couldn’t find me. Now that there’s a bloodline out there, with his emphasis on family, he won’t rest until he finds it.”
“Then how do you plan to clean up the mess?”
Lian Cheng rubbed her forehead, a headache forming, “Either make him completely believe I’m not pregnant, or mislead the company rumor, cover it up, so that when they mention me, they no longer mention my pregnancy.”
Bai Ying anxiously said, “The former involves you playing with fire right in front of Liang Chaosu. The latter is a viable method, but how will you implement it?”
Lian Cheng opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her phone rang.
The caller ID showed Tai Duoduo.
The moment Lian Cheng answered, Tai Duoduo’s anxious voice blared like a loudspeaker, “Where are you? Hurry back, your sister is here causing trouble at the company.”
Lian Cheng was startled and exchanged a look with Bai Ying, “My sister?”
“Yes, your sister, with a red-haired pretty boy. She insists on seeing you. Maitreya Buddha said you weren’t here, but she didn’t believe him. She’s sitting at your workstation right now.”
Lian Cheng’s heart suddenly clenched. If it really was Liang Wenfei, as long as Liang Chaosu wasn’t present, she wouldn’t have been afraid.
But at this moment, her workstation, her Platinum Bag worth hundreds of thousands, and Liang Chaosu’s overcoat were right under the desk.
What if they were found—
Lian Cheng’s vision darkened. Without time to say goodbye to Bai Ying, she sprinted back to the company.
