Chapter 2: Any Objections?
She was too familiar with this voice. She knew who it was without raising her head. Xia Lin finally reacted, and pushed him a few times in a confused hurry. She also backed up three yards.
Ling Yi Zhou was pushed back half a step. He squinted at her slightly. We haven’t seen each other for over a month. This is how she treats me?
Xia Lin felt a bit awkward under his gaze. She turned to hide the stains on her dress.
“Xia Lin, where are you?” Liang Xiao Yu yelled for her, coming out of the bathroom.
Xia Lin ran over in a hurry, and pulled Xia Yu to run in the opposite direction.
“Hey, aren’t we going the wrong way? The room is that way?” Liang Xiao Yu pulled her to return the original way.
Xia Lin held on. “No, no. We can go this way, too”
“But this is the long way around.”
“The long way around… It’s because I wanted a breath of fresh air.”
Liang Xiao Yu didn’t really put up a fight and followed her. Xia Lin sighed with relief. Just when she relaxed, she heard Xiao Yu say while pointing behind them, “I thought I saw a tall and long-legged hottie just now. It’s all your fault that you were in such a rush. I couldn’t even see him clearly.”
“What hottie? What you saw was a pillar.”
Xia Lin led her the long way around to the room. Today was an unlucky day for going out. As soon as she reached her seat, she grabbed her purse to leave.
But before she could leave the room, she was blocked in by the assistant director entering the room.
“Good news, everyone! Over in the VIP room, Mr. Ling is planning the new commercial for Ling Co. They say they want to hire new talent. I recommended our crew’s girls. He agreed to take a look. You should all hurry over and give him a toast!”
As soon as he stopped talking, the women didn’t even bother cheering. They all rushed out of the room, even the middle-aged ones who played grannies. God, Ling Co’s spokesperson… If you got chosen for that, you would immediately be on even footing with even Fan Shuang Shuang!
In that moment, nobody gave way to anyone else. As they left, they pushed the red wine all over the floor.
“Hey, what are you two still hesitating for? Hurry!” The assistant director saw that Xia Lin and Liang Xiao Yu didn’t make any moves and got a bit annoyed. They were so ungrateful!
Xia Lin curled her lips. She still wanted to make it in the industry. She had just offended Fan Shuang Shuang. She couldn’t offend the assistant director now. So she pulled Liang Xiao Yu. “Xia Yu, weren’t you really interested in the distinguished guest? Let’s go take a look, too.”
But they found out when they arrived at the VIP room that the they didn’t get to see the distinguished guest at all. The people who entered all had their heads lowered and didn’t dare look up. They stood in a line. It was a blind pick.
In the room, the only sound was Fan Shuang Shuang’s. She ate as she introduced, “Yi Zhou, today’s pear syrup is not bad. It’s quite delicate. Try some.” Her voice was soft to the bones.
A moment. Then, a low voice. “My last name is Ling.”
“Hehe… Mr. Ling, try some.” Fan Shuang Shuang rushed to cough twice. So many people were listening. The awkwardness turned her whole face crimson.
Xia Lin almost laughed out loud. At this moment, she couldn’t help looking up to take a peek. Fan Shuang Shuang sat beside Ling Yi Zhou, edging closer to closer. Xia Lin could see Fan Shuang Shuang’s large, pale, supple breasts…
A few seconds later, Xia Lin quickly lowered her head, because she had met Ling Yi Zhou’s eyes.
The assistant director was satisfied that the new talents under him stood in a line. So he asked Ling Yi Zhou, “Mr. Ling. What do you think of these new talents? Any that would fit Ling Co’s image?”
“Yes.” Ling Yi Zhou said almost as if without thinking.
Xia Lin was startled. She felt Liang Xiao Yu nervously clutching her hand, and Xia Lin patted her hand. Their journey here was all for a chance for a stage to display their talents. And here, Ling Co would be a golden stage.
The director was ecstatic. “Mr. Ling, really? Who?” If they chose a new talent from under him, he would also raise in value. The director was beaming.
Who knew Ling Yi Zhou would reply, “All quite good. I’m not a professional at choosing roles. I’ll have someone from the marketing department come talk to you next time.”
So that was what he meant. The assistant director sighed in disappointment, but Xia Lin signed in relief. Thank goodness he didn’t mess around.
After they left, she stuffed Liang Xiao Yu back in the room, and left by herself. Some of the directors were still there, so leaving early would mean maybe losing some opportunities. Liang Xiao Yu nodded, didn’t insist on leaving, and reminded her to be careful on the road. She said to not get angry because of Fan Shuang Shuang. It wouldn’t be worth it.
Xia Lin drove her own Volkswagen straight to her apartment. But because she wasn’t practiced and she was nervous, she went as fast as the non-motorised bicycles on the road.
Behind her, a car kept honking at her. Xia Lin was extremely on edge, and was so angry that she even honked back a few times. She thought the driver was really strange. The road was so wide. He could just pass her. Why was he so into “beep beep”-ing at her?
After several minutes, that car really couldn’t stand Xia Lin’s speed anymore and passed her.
But the guy passed her and then stopped directly in front of her! Xia Lin was frightened into an emergency stop and very heroically knocked on the steering wheel. Wasn’t that car in front the true danger on the road?
Yet, why did the car seem so familiar to her?
When Ling Yi Zhou exited the car, she knew why it looked familiar. But it was too late to hide.
Ling Yi Zhou took a few strides with his long legs to reach her driver’s side. He knocked on her window. “My car or your car?”
Xia Lin curled her lips and looked around her. Few people walked on this road, so she dared to say, “I can drive myself back.”
Ling Yi Zhou breathed in and smelled alcohol. “Driving under the influence costs 12 points.”
“I didn’t drink.” Xia Lin straightened up to show him her dress, to show the source of the alcohol smell. “I accidentally spilled on myself.”
Ling Yi Zhou glanced at her small chest, as she straightened her back. He reached in.
Xia Lin hurriedly got into a defensive position, only to find that Ling Yi Zhou reached in to unlock the door. After a thought, she thought of course: Fan Shuang Shuang’s figure was much more impressive than hers, and yet he didn’t make any moves. So she was reassured.
Ling Yi Zhou opened her car door and pulled her out. “You drive too slowly.” He pulled her towards the car in front.
He threw Xia Lin’s keys directly to his assistant who was awaiting orders. “Assistant Wen, drive the car back there back.” Then, he opened the passenger side door to stick Xia Lin in.
Xia Lin hesitated a moment. “I… I don’t want to go to your home today.”
Seeing Ling Yi Zhou’s expression immediately get cold, Xia Lin hurriedly amended, “I mean I don’t want anyone else to drive the car you gave me.” She pointed to his assistant on the side.
But Ling Yi Zhou was closing in on her, step by step. “Our marriage contract, fifth clause: To guarantee enough time for romance, we will spend at least two days together every week. But I went on a work trip for 50 days. That is about 14 days. Any objections, Mrs. Ling?”
He saw Xia Lin’s face screw up in a frown. Ling Yi Zhou reached out and stroked her long hair. “I know you’re not good at mental math. That’s why I did the math for you. Also, that’s not my home, it’s our home.”