Peach Passion Chapter 4

“Sorry, here’s your food.”

Two dishes were placed on the table at the same time, because she was nervous, she had no appet.i.te but went through the motions of picking up the knife and fork and cutting into the tender salmon, afraid to look at him.

Zheng Leng also laid out the napkin and began to eat, trying to make conversation with her.

That is to say, Zheng Leng more or less led the conversation while Xiang Ti only gave simple answers.

“Tell me about your work, I’m interested in what you do.”  Zheng Leng took a bite, looking at ease.

Xiang Ti continues to cut savagely into the salmon, not looking up, “My job is very simple, it’s no different than yours.  We also work very hard.  Don’t think just because we’re beautiful, we don’t know anything about business.”

Many men think this, it’s really frustrating.

“Beautiful?  Why would I think that?”  Zheng Leng says without thinking.

“What do you mean?”  Did he mean, she was too ugly to seduce men?

“No, don’t get me wrong.”  Zheng Leng says with a dumbfounded expression.

“You look nice, this is without a doubt.  What I mean is, you don’t rely on your looks to draw in business.  People who would say that is certainly not speaking about you.”

“And you know me so well?”  Xiang Ti’s voice trembles as she looks at the plate of half eaten salmon.

Did he think she was some kind of “great sage?  Don’t!  When necessary, she too will compromise, isn’t she sitting here at the moment hoping he will give her the opportunity to meet Lin Sheng Nan?

She wanted to use him!  Xiang Ti was disgusted with herself, but in order to help her friend, she still proceeded without hesitation.

“I don’t know you well enough, but I can understand your personality.  Your character is too straight forward, strong, and hates to compromise.  Knowing that if one bows and says a few good words can resolve matters easily, but you still prefer the hard way.”

Listening to him basically calling her stubborn is really annoying to the extreme.

“Is my personality so hard?  I’m sorry it’s not cute!”  She sarcastically replies.

“But, I appreciate your personality.”  Zheng Leng smiles at her.

“Huh?”  Looking at his gentle smiling face, Xiang Ti’s heart suddenly reacts violently.

“I love your straightforward character, you’re not hypocritical, and there’s no pretentiousness, in your eyes I can see the ‘truth’.  Don’t you think it’s what the market is lacking?  I want to do business with you, but I also appreciate you.”

“Maybe!”  Why is she blus.h.i.+ng?  How can she feel so smug from a few honeyed words?

“In fact, your personality is very similar to one of our Chairman of the company.”  Zheng Leng suddenly says.

“Uh?  Is it?”

“Well, you have a strong character, but also a soft heart.  You wouldn’t sacrifice so much for strangers, but for the people you love, you will do anything for them, even at your own expense.  What do you say?”

“Nonsense!  I won’t sacrifice for a man!”  Xiang Ti blushes, denying is words.  “Men are cold-blooded animals and as cruel as a wolf.  Why should I sacrifice for them?”  She sharply counters.

“That’s right.  There are many men who don’t deserve to be called human, but you can’t deny, there are also dedicated good men just waiting for a woman to fall in love with.”

“Don’t tell me, you are one of the latter?”  She looks unconvincingly at him.

He looks handsome, definitely questionable!

“I wouldn’t say I’m not.”  Zheng Leng replies with a smile.

“Just strange.”  Xiang Ti mutters.

This man is really cheeky, doesn’t miss an opportunity to brag!

It was her first encounter with a wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing.

How was she going to ‘use’ him, ah?

Or – will she be used by him?

 

The meal was winding down, looking at the time, they have spent nearly two hours at the restaurant, so Xiang Ti finally proposes to leave.

After taking care of the check, they stood on the sidewalk, awkwardly staring at each other.

The two people seem to have something to say, but each refusing to speak first.

“Do you have to go back?  I’ll send you!”  At last, Zheng Leng spoke first, breaking the weird atmosphere.

“No!”  Xiang Ti unconsciously raises her voice.

“The…I……”

Usually decisive and sharp, she again appears helpless, wavers for a long time, and finally spits out the words. “I want to take a walk.  Would you walk with me?”

Zheng Leng shrugs, “Alright.”

It was 9 o’clock at night, pedestrians and vehicles are scarce at this time, and they are silently walking along the sidewalk.

Several times, Xiang Ti wants to put out her request, but the words get stuck on her tongue, and she hesitates.

To bow is too difficult for her!

“That…”  Xiang Ti turns to look at him with courage again, but again the words are stuck.

“Just say what you want to say!”  Zheng Leng sighs, giving her an opening.

He felt they had avoided the subject long enough, so he wants to cut to the chase.

“What did you say?”  Being confronted, Xiang Ti was dumbstruck and stops to look at him.

“You asked me out today, not simply in order to thank me.  So there must be a contact in Stars Technology that you need my help with?”  Zheng Leng directly gets to the point.

“How could you, you…”

Xiang Ti is shocked, from beginning to end, she hasn’t said a word.  How did he know?

Zheng Leng smiles and confesses, “I had just arrived at the restaurant and saw you with some files that had the words Stars Technology on it.  I guessed when you took the initiative to call, it was for business related reasons.”

Yes, quite rightly, he guessed right.

“Sorry.”  Xiang Ti is speechless, wanting to apologies.

“You don’t have to apologize, I don’t blame you.”

“You’re not angry?”

Xiang Ti thought if he knew she approached him ulterior motives he would be angry, but did not think he is still smiling and didn’t mind.

“This is nothing to get angry over.  Establis.h.i.+ng contacts with each other is not a bad thing, and besides, with you I know it’s for business and not personal, so I’m not surprised.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”  Xiang Ti breathes a sigh of relief.

“But don’t get too excited, I haven’t made any promises.”

She just knew it!  Asking for his help was simply impossible.

Seeing her disappointment, Zheng Leng deliberately acts nonchalant.

“But I never said I wouldn’t agree.”

“What?!”  Is he playing with her right now?  Is he or is he not going to help?

“Why don’t you tell me about the company first?”

“Ding s.h.i.+ Construction, responsible person is Jin Dafu.”  Xiang Ti says.

“Jin Dafu?”  Zheng Leng remembers an upright determined face.  “What is your opinion about him?  Is he a trustworthy person?”

“Yes, I believe he is a trustworthy person.”

She is unfamiliar with Jin Dafu, but if Zheng Leng believe in him, then so can she.

“I can make an introduction.”  Zheng Leng readily answers.

“Really?”  Xiangti is overjoyed.

“But I have a condition.”

“What?”  She felt sure it was not going to be an easy condition.

“You have to date me.”

“Ah?!”  Even if struck by lightning, Xiang Ti will not be more surprised than now.

“I…date you?”  Having the gift of the gab, it’s rare that she is stammering. “……Why?”

“Because you want something from me, I also want something from you.”  He says clearly.

In exchange for making an introduction, he wants her to date him?  She is getting angrier and wants to curse.

“Are you innocent enough to believe men and women have to be in love to date?”  Zheng Leng leans in close to her.

“Who…Who is innocent?  I just don’t want to fall in love.”

“I don’t want you to fall in love with me.”  Zheng Leng confidently smiles and gestures, “I just want to communicate with you as an adult man and woman, have a meal together in our spare time, occasionally go see a movie, go to bars to have a drink, or on weekends go to each other’s homes……”

He did not finish, but the meaning of the ambiguous words are self-evident.

Xiang Ti couldn’t refrain from turning beet red, but she still tries to put on a sophisticated front.

“This kind of communication in today’s society is quite common.”

“So do you agree?”  Zheng Leng moves closer to her and she can smell his unique cologne.

“I… I have to think about it.”

What “communication”?  Also, going out with him to eat, drink, sometimes watch a movie, they might even end up in bed together!

Jesus!  She loves her work, but not enough to sacrifice to this extent.

“Oh, I see.”  Zheng Leng draws back with a look of disappointment.  “So you are afraid, I thought you’d be more daring!”

“Who said I was afraid?  Don’t look down on people!”  She hated being dared.

“So, do you dare to accept the challenge?”

“Of course!”  Xiang Ti blurts out impulsively.

“Very well then, from now on you’re not allowed to use any excuses to avoid me, okay?”  Zheng Leng is trying hard to contain the smile on his face.

In fact, getting her to agree was far easier than he thought.

“I’ll go get the car, wait here for me.”

He blithely turns, giving reign to the smile he tried hard to hide.

Silly girl!  You flew right into my arms, don’t blame me for eating you.

Xiang Ti is still standing in the wind, her brain a complete blank.

She, what had she agreed to?

 

How did this happen?

Xiang Ti sat at her desk in a daze.

How could she be so stupid, promising such a thing?

She doesn’t want any involvements with men!

She was regretting it already, scolding herself repeatedly: I am an idiot, an idiot, an idiot……

Zheng Leng that hateful fox, cunning and evil, he tricked her into running in circles, is really evil!

“Xiang Ti how are you?  Not feeling well?”  Cheng Long brought her back, seeing her face bleached white and sitting in a trance, could not help but worry.

“Nothing…”  Xiang Ti shutters a little and shakes her head.

“Why don’t you eat some lunch?  I bought you some fish for lunch.”

“Sorry, I have no appet.i.te.”  Soon she’ll be eaten, which is also thought to be eating?

When tackling work, she is always full of energy, but she’s become distracted and can’t process anything, even the carefree Yi Xuan has noticed.

“Xiang Ti, what’s wrong?”  Yi Xuan got up and walked to her.  Looking at Yi Xuan with her beautiful face and killer body, she’s the desire of every man and the envy of every woman.

If Zheng Leng saw Yi Xuan, there would be no need to look at her anymore, right?

A sense of jealousy suddenly sprang from the heart, Xiang Ti shocks herself.

Oh my G.o.d!  What is she thinking?  She’s even jealous of Yi Xuan?  But she’s my best friend! Moreover, if Zheng Leng fell in love with Yi Xuan, wouldn’t that be better?

Yes!  Zheng Leng is exactly the elite type that Yi Xuan likes, and if they become a pair, then Zheng Leng will naturally help is girlfriend.  She wouldn’t have to ‘sacrifice’ herself.

But is it really a sacrifice?  Or her heart’s desire?

No, she refuses to listen to her inner voice, and begins seriously thinking about the feasibility of Yi Xuan and Zheng Leng’s match.

Good, let’s do it!

She quickly picks up her mobile phone heading out of the office, her suspicious behavior making her two friends even more curious.

“Xiang Ti is really strange lately, keen to dress up all of a sudden, then spirit is depressed, and now simply hides outside to talk on the phone.  Is she hiding a boyfriend?”  Cheng Long asks.

“It’s possible!  She has all the symptoms of love, she’s caring about her appearance more and hides to take phone calls.  Of course, is in love.”  Relations.h.i.+p expert Yi Xuan says for sure.

“Is she?  Xiang Ti usually tells us if she has something on her mind, but now she’s fallen in love, she doesn’t want to tell us.  In the end, she has no regards for us as her friends!”  Cheng Long couldn’t help complaining.

“You can’t blame her, you know her perceptions of men.  She despises love and doesn’t trust men.  How is she supposed to stay calm when love is calling?  I think she’s still struggling, and doesn’t know whether to accept the feelings or not.”  Yi Xuan a.n.a.lyzes her friend’s mixed feelings.

“It’s not easy to have love knock at the door.  Why hesitate?  Embrace it!”

“She hated men for so many years, all of a sudden to teach her to accept a man’s feelings, it’s not so easy.  Just give her a little time, perhaps she’ll have it figured out.”

“However, men don’t usually catch Xiang Ti’s eyes or much less make heart move.  He must certainly not be average, right?”  Cheng Long speculates with a smile.

“Well, I guess so.  Ah, Xiang Ti’s back.”

Their chat comes to a stop as soon as Xiang Ti rushes back in.

“Yi Xuan!”  Xiang Ti goes straight to Yi Xuan out of breath. “I must ask you something…”

 

While the Chairman is reviewing the doc.u.ments, Zheng Leng respectfully stands aside and waits to recover the files.

“How’s work lately?”

Lin Sheng Nan asks softly while signing in the lower right corner of the doc.u.ment with her name.

“It’s been good, the recent work is going very well, thank you for your concern, Chairman.”  Zheng Leng politely says thank you.

“Is it?  That’s good, if there are any problems, tell me at once.”

“Thank you Chairman, but there’s no need.  If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going.”

“Hmm.”  Lin Sheng Nan stared at his retreating back, eyes full of affection.

She favors Zheng Leng, and the whole company knows it.

Only an a.s.sistant, but he has an exclusive office, as well as company car, stock dividends……Lin Sheng Nan is really generous towards him, even she can’t deny.

But Zheng Leng is not spoiled or arrogant, remains humble, and works hard to repay the Chairman’s kindness.

However, this makes a lot of people in the company jealous and would like to get rid of him, the most typical representative of this is Zhang Jin Tang.

“a.s.sistant Han”

Zheng Leng had just stepped out of the Chairman’s office, and ran into Zhang Jin Tang.

Zhang Jin Tang is Lin Sheng Nan’s cousin’s son.  Her cousin had asked for a helping hand in hiring her son, and feeling obligated, she made an exception and hired him as a company supervisor.

Unfortunately, Jin Tang’s qualifications were only mediocre, resulting in mediocre performances, and has been stuck in the supervisor position for ten years.  He has never been able to obtain a promotion, so when Zheng Teng entered the company and quickly got promoted, Jin Tang was very jealous.

“Supervisor Zhang.”  Zheng Leng nodded a h.e.l.lo.

He is always polite, so even when one wants to cause trouble, one is unable to.

“a.s.sistant Han is riding high these days, I heard the Chairman intends to promote you to manager.  Is that right?”

Zheng Leng slightly frowns, but shows no surprise on his face.

“I don’t know about these matter, the Chairman did not mention anything to me, so I think they are just groundless rumors, not facts.”

“a.s.sistant Han is too polite, as long as you ask, what can’t you get?  Some time ago you mentioned you wanted to go to j.a.pan on vacation, saying, “If you I had the opportunity, I’d like to visit j.a.pan.  My Aunt immediately bought you tickets and even booked your hotels.  It’s really good ah, men who are handsome, to have this kind of advantage.”  Jin Tang bitterly remarks, implying something dirty.

In fact, it was just a j.a.panese business cla.s.s round-trip airfare, worth up to 10,000 TWD (around $320 USD), but Jin Tang is still jealous of him.

Zheng Leng isn’t angry, only lightly explaining, “The tickets were from the German company SEC orders, The Chairman gave it to me as a reward, Supervisor Zhang does not need to read too much into it.”

“She couldn’t give it to me, but you?”  Jin Tang asks bitterly.

“If you have the ability to take one hundred and fifty million orders, then I’ll send you on a trip around the world.”

Suddenly a cold and sarcastic voice interrupted, Lin Sheng Nan had somehow come out.

“Aunt.”  Jin Tang glances back, his arrogant demeanor quickly shrinking instantly becoming respectful and timid like a little sheep.  He is not afraid of anyone, except for his Aunt.

“How many times have I told to call me Chairman at the company?”  Lin Sheng Nan mercilessly goes after him.

“Yes!  Sorry, Chairman.”  Jin Tang bitterly corrects his mistake.

“How does that sound?  If you have the confidence, then the French orders will be handed to you, if you can finish them, however many tickets you want will not be a problem, otherwise — you give me your resignation!”  Lin Sheng Nan snaps.

“Ah? This……”  How does he have the ability?  He’s just jealous, not trying to rob the reward.  If he did not fill the orders, and was forced to resign, wouldn’t he lose too much?  Don’t argue!

“Aunty, no, Chairman, I’m just joking with a.s.sistant Han, don’t get angry.  I still have things to do, will get back to work!”  Jin Tang hastens away, afraid to look back.

Lin Sheng Nan snorts coldly, turns to Zheng Leng, eyes becoming soft.

“Don’t mind his words, these people only know how to use their mouths.”  She softly comforts.

“I know, I will return to the office.”  a.s.sistant Han nods at her then turns to leave.

Lin Sheng Nan eyes follows him affectionately.

This child…