Peach Passion Chapter 6

Later that night, Xiang Ti paced outside Zheng Leng’s apartment door wanting to ring the doorbell, but always losing her courage.

“No!  I can’t stand here all night, not after what he said.”  So she gathered her courage and rang the doorbell.

She swallowed hard, nervously waiting.

A few moments later, the door opened and a pair of feet appeared in front of her downcast eyes.

“What are you doing here?”  Zheng Leng’s att.i.tude is cold.

Xiang Ti hastily says, “I came to explain.”

“No need to explain!”  Zheng Leng interrupts her.  “It’s clear isn’t it?  In order to get rid of me, you’re willing to do such a thing.  What else is there to say?!”

“No!  It wasn’t me.”

“If not you, then who?  No one knows about my birth and I can tell you, the Chairman wouldn’t go around spreading it either.  The only person I’ve told is you.”

In other words, the guilty one is her!  He had trusted and treated her with sincerity.

“I did not!”  Xiang Ti shouted, “If I did do it, then I will admit it, but since I don’t admit it then I didn’t do it!  That’s not something I would do!”

“In any case, I haven’t told anyone, not even my closest friends.  What happened at the party was not our doing, so believe it or not, I’ve explained everything!”

Finished explaining herself, Xiang Ti turns away.

However, within two steps, her waist was gripped by a pair of large hands.

“Don’t go!”  Zheng Leng’s rough voice rang in her ears.

She was embraced tightly from behind, her feet trapped in place, not allowing her leave.  She could smell a light mix of alcohol mixed in with his unique scent.

According to her personality, if someone misunderstands her so easily, she is not willing to be so forgiving!  But looking into his eyes, she relented, although not without struggle, but still obediently is pulled into the house.

Zheng Leng strokes her cheek, apologetically, “Are you angry?”

“Of course!”

“Sorry, I don’t know what to think, just feel my mind is a mess……”  Zheng Leng rubs is eyebrows, knowing he lost control tonight.

“Do you believe me?”  She watched him.

“In fact, I don’t doubt you.  I understand your personality, I was just too angry, and I took it out on you, I’m really sorry.”

He not only quickly figured it out and immediately apologized, but had the courage to admit he was wrong.

“Forget it!  You’re also not to blame, in this case, everyone will misunderstanding.”  Xiang Ti muttered.

She turns to look at her surroundings, and inadvertently found the dining room table littered with bottles and gla.s.ses of half opened wine.

“You drinking?  Drowning your sorrows in alcohol?”

She was also feeling a little distressed.  He had thought she betrayed him, it must’ve been painful, right?

“No, just drank a little to unwind.”

He went behind her, his hot breath blowing against her hair and down her neck, making her blush.  Thinking of the two alone, Xiang Ti feels very ambiguous about the situation.

“I have to go.”  She hurriedly turns around and walks to the door.

“Don’t go.”  The same hands that prevented her from leaving before is now coaxing her through her clothes, rubbing provocatively back and forth around her slender waist.

“Well…”  A strange feeling suddenly rose, Xiang Ti knows what will happen next, but she is not willing to give in yet.  “No, no.”

“Why?  Stay with me.”  The hands on her waist slightly increases in pressure, preventing her from leaving.

“I, I don’t want to get married, don’t want to fall in love, and I can’t trust a man.”  Her resistance was slowly crumbly, but she had to let him know how emotionally damaged she was.

“That’s good, because I don’t want to get married either.  Before things get to that point, we should get to know each other better.”  His deep voice, accompanied by a more ambiguous look, collapsed her willpower.

“But…”

His lips began to kiss her cheeks, his breathing becoming heavy.

“Didn’t you say, it’s common for mature men and women to communicate this way?  That being the case, what do you fear?”

“Yes…”

“You’ve never had a boyfriend?  Don’t you want to know, what the so-called communication between and man and a woman is all about?”  Zheng Leng switches his strategy.

“…”

So she never had a boyfriend, and he’s seen through that.  What else is there to say?

“Don’t worry, I won’t force you to take responsibility for me.”

“Poof.”  He joked.

Unexpectedly, the usually straitlaced Zheng Leng, after having a few drinks, becomes fun and childish.

His veil lifted, he’s become even s.e.xier!

Xiang Ti’s mind is dizzy, and she can’t resist the temptation.

Bail!  She tells herself: Anyway, in this life I don’t intend to get married.  Don’t intend to have children.  So, why not enjoy myself with Zheng Leng?

Thinking this may be the only chance in life, she suddenly decided to give in to temptation.

Lips raised into a smile, she suddenly whirls on tiptoes, put her arms around his neck, and kisses him.

Zheng Leng became stiff, but then pa.s.sion erupted into hot demanding kisses, teasing her senses.

She actively and eagerly responds, the pa.s.sion completely out of control, the realizations of the night……

Early in the morning, the sky began to rain.

Xiang Ti lays in bed, listening to the rain outside.

Oh!  How did it become like this?  She quietly sighs in her heart.

At this time, she’s feeling regret the morning after.

How could she let him “sweet talk” her so easily?  Now that they’ve eaten– no, he’s eaten, how will that fox let go?

Oh, really regret having done ah!

While reflecting, a large hand reaches from behind and naturally rests on her shoulder.  Then, a slender hairy leg crosses her lap.  Next, another arms comes around to…but —

He reaches for a big pillow.

Already on high alert, Xiang Ti turns around in reflex to avoid him, making a grab for the pillow.

Zheng Leng throws away the pillow revealing a gorgeous smile.  “Come, we still have a little time.”

He wants to do it again?!

“Don’t!”  Xiang Ti gasped, seeing his bare chest, she rolls out of bed red faced, quickly grabbing the clothes on the floor and escaping into the bathroom.

After a while, she is dressed and walks out of the bathroom.

“Oh!  The…”  She flushes with shame, feigning indifference.  “Last night, you don’t have to take it to heart, it was just a one-time thing!”

“Is it?  I understand.”

Zheng Leng laughs very “innocently”, but Xiang Ti doesn’t have time to read into his smile and quickly runs from his bedroom.

 

All day long Xiang Ti is muddled.  When answering customer calls, she will address them with the wrong names.  She’s not even aware how she got through the day.

“Xiang Ti, about last night, someone must have played a trick, but we can’t find the perpetrator.”

Yi Xuan blows into her office like the wind, her usual leisurely manner replaced with indignation.

“Well, of course it is.”  Xiang Ti weakly responds, eyes on the table reports.

“Huh?”  It’s not the first time Yi Xuan has seen her friend turn from capable to muddled, so she leans in to get a better look at her and accidentally discovers a big secret.

“Ah!”  She points a finger at Xiang Ti.

“What?!”  Xiang Ti looks at her languidly.

“You…you have a strawberry!”

“Strawberry?”  Xiang Ti and Cheng Long are surprised.

“That’s right!  Hey, tell the truth, where did it come from?”  According to the shape and color of the strawberry, it must have been pa.s.sionate.

Xiang Ti very seriously looks at her desk and a.s.sures her.  “There’s no strawberry, I didn’t buy any strawberry!”

“Pfft, don’t lie!  This is not the kind of strawberry you eat!”

Yi Xuan steps forward to pull her striped s.h.i.+rt collar, pointing to a vague red mark, “Who did this?”

“Xiang Ti, you…”  Cheng Long’s delicate face is masked in red, blinking away watery eyes, looking at Xiang Ti in disbelief.

Who leaves hickeys?  Really – they are really courageous!  And Xiang Ti didn’t kill him?

“This, this is not what you think!”  Xiang Ti hurries to explain, “Yesterday, I mean last night, I got bitten by a mosquito and my body swelled……”

It’s clear she was trying to hide something, but unfortunately she’s not a good liar.

“Really?  A mosquito bite can be this big?”  Yi Xuan smirks.

“Yes, really big.”

“How big?  This big?” Cheng Long laughs and opens her hands wide.

“Don’t be silly!  It’s too short, also not small.  Like this, right?”  Yi Xuan chimes in.

“Wow, so big?  What a giant mosquito!”

“Who told you it was a mosquito?  It’s obviously from a man.”  Yi Xuan had guessed the ident.i.ty of the culprit.  “I got it, it’s Han Zheng Leng, isn’t it?”

Xiang Ti gasped.  How did she know?

“Han Zheng Leng?  Chairman of Stars Technology’s a.s.sistant?”  Cheng Long exclaims loudly. “Oh, are you two dating?”

“No!”  Xiang Ti immediately denies.  “We just had a one night stand, it was purely physical.  I don’t want to a.s.sociate with him, nor do I want to have any feelings for any man.”

“One night stand?!”  Her two friends choked on their saliva.

They looked at their friend in a new light.  To think that their conservative and insulated friend could engage in a one night stand…is really amazing.

“Wow, Xiang Ti, so fierce ah!”  Cheng Long couldn’t help screaming.

“It’s over!  I won’t have any more to do with him.”  Xiang Ti replies stiffly.

Thinking of them no longer having any involvements, her heart relaxes a little, but also a deeper sadness wells up.

As for where the sorrow came from, she doesn’t have the courage to find out.

She just knew, she was safe, and she won’t hurt……

Originally, she thought after last night, she wasn’t going to have anything to do with him anymore.  But —

If things turned out as we wish, the world would be perfect!

“Why are you calling me?”

Why is it that each time he calls her, she feels like she’s under a spell?  Even if he were to say not to come, she will come to him.

The final result of course would be — he would coax her to bed, to be eaten completely.

She had thought that he had agreed to a “one night stand”, who knew that one night would turn into “a thousand and one nights”, endlessly continuing.

Who would have thought he would refuse to give up, and persistently pursue her?

But she finds herself unable to resist, every time as long as she’s in his arms, she would lose reason, time and time again, falling under the spell of pa.s.sion.

To resist Zheng Leng, of course, is not so easy.

He is not a simple character, he has a strong will and a clever mind.  Against Xiang Ti’s resistance, he would always gently soften her resolve, but she can’t really hate him.

With his strong pursuit, her heart is slowly falling, but she still cannot trust him.  So she is unable to accept his love and open up.

She herself is weak but can’t deny that their time together is really very happy.

He always has a way of creating a relaxing atmosphere, and telling jokes to amuse her, letting her forget all the troubles.

Well, not only in “that” way.  She blushed at the thought.

“You’ve been getting headaches a lot lately.  What’s the matter?”  He stuck to her like a leech from behind.

He showed a lot of concern for her.  Each time they met, he would ask her about her troubles, and then would secretly solve them for her.

At first, she didn’t know he secretly intervened, to be honest.  But later, knowing he will help, she still didn’t want to rely on his strength.

“No, it’s nothing!”  Xiang Ti pushed him away, “I have already said, I can handle it.  You may not think I’m a capable woman, but I’m not a fool.”

“I do have faith in your ability.  But there’s always something bothering you, right?  So, are you planning to work yourself to death?  It’s okay to rest once in a while…”

To put it bluntly, he’s afraid she’s too wrapped up in work.

“But…”  Xiang Ti’s eyes turn mischievous.  “Now that you mention it, there is a guy who’s very annoying, and is always around me.  But he’s my neighbor, can help me to get rid of him?”

Zheng Leng is a smart man, he knew she was talking about him.

“Why not catch him?  Someone who loves you, spoils you, doesn’t criticize you, and doesn’t mind your work.  This type of man is hard to find, and they’re becoming extinct.  If he gets away, are you going to regret?”

Looking at his poker-face, Xiang Ti almost choked on her own saliva.

Really, really hard to find!

To say he was blowing his own horn, is really “hard to find” is not wrong.

 

“Chairman, this is the corporate contract, please have a look.”

Zheng Leng laid the contract on the table, and then turned to leave, but Lin Sheng Nan immediately stopped him.

“Wait a minute.”  Lin Sheng Nan got up and walked to stand in front of Zheng Leng, looking at him nervously.

Since the party, she has been aware of his cold att.i.tude towards her.  Of course, on the surface the respect hasn’t changed, but the att.i.tude has.

He was angry with her, but did not show it.  She just knew he was angry — angry with her.

They’ve worked together for several years, and every small subtle look of his, she knows.

Lin Sheng Nan panicked and she hurried to resolve his discontent.

“Are you still worried about the party?  It has been proven to be Jin Dafu’s rival company that used such despicable means!  I have issued a statement strongly explaining the situation and no one dares to mention it.”

“Have you?”  Zheng Leng’s lips slightly lifted, but the coldness has not subsided.  “Thank you, Chairman for clarifying matters.  An orphan like me doesn’t dare hope a person like Chairman to go to such lengths.”

“Don’t belittle yourself!  In my eyes, you are better than anyone.”  Lin Sheng Nan could not bear that he despised himself.

“Really?  Thank you Chairman.”  He just laughs.

Why should she give false praise?  In her mind, isn’t he just her illegitimate child, her shame?

It doesn’t matter!  Anyway, he didn’t expect she would recognize him.  He grew up without a mother, in the future, he will also continue to live as if he had no mother.

“Right!  Zheng Leng, your recent performance has been really good.  I will be retiring in the near future and I want you as a.s.sistant manager.”

“This matter, please allow me to refuse.”

“Why?”  Lin Sheng Nan didn’t think he will refuse.  “You don’t like the a.s.sistant manager position?  Or is the position too low?  I can give you –”

“No!  I just think I’m not qualified, after all, I entered the company with little experience, and if I get promoted too fast, I’m afraid it’ll provoke criticism.”  He wasn’t interested in being a target.

“Nonsense!  Your qualifications, although not strong as others, but the ability is no problem.  I have confidence in you, so you should have confidence in yourself.”

“I’m not interested in a promotion, I just want to do the work at hand!  I have things to do, so I’ll go out first.”

“Zheng Leng — oh!”  Lin Sheng Nan sags back into the leather chair, depressed.

Zheng Leng stood outside Lin Sheng Nan’s office.  He was leaning against the door, his breathing becoming heavy, and his face showed a rare vulnerability.

When will he and his mother reconcile?

“Mr. Han.”

At the sound of footsteps approaching, he immediately turned back to his indifferent look.

Looking around, it was Zhou Min Jing.  “Secretary Zhou,” he nodded.

“What a coincidence, I ran into you here.”  Min Jing blooms into a smile.

She had inadvertently seen him staring blankly, presumably because of the incident at the party?  Her heart is pained because he was denied his fate.  But she has not given up on her pursuit, she still intends to be his lover.  While he is at his most vulnerable and looking like a lost dog, she should take this opportunity to swoop in and comfort him.

“Mr. Han, you don’t look so good, is anything the matter?  After work, if you want, I could cook you a nutritious meal to help you mend!”  Min Jing eagerly pushed.

“No, thank you.”  Zheng Leng declined.

“Or do you want to go for a walk, or we could have a gla.s.s of wine, I can accompany you –”

“Enough!”  Zheng Leng is agitated now.  “I have to work overtime, I’ll go first.”

“Humph!”  Min Jing scowled, her expression turning into resentment.

“Oh, is that guy not giving you face?”  Zhang Jin Tang came out of nowhere.  Min Jing tried looking through him, pretending not to see him, and turned to go.

“Oh, how come you’re so eager to rush off?”  Jin Tang stops her with a hand on her arm.

“I just happen to have something urgent to do.”  Min Jing wanted to avoid him, but Jin Tang very shamelessly was touching her b.u.t.t.

Min Jing tensed, ignoring his senior position and then forcefully removed his hand.  “Get your dirty hands off, and have a little respect!”

Jin Tang became angry and embarra.s.sed over being denied.

“Why pretend to be aloof?  Don’t think the Chairman doesn’t value me.  Have you forgotten the culprit behind the incident hasn’t been caught yet?”

Jin Tang grinned at her full of l.u.s.t, and arrogantly hooked her waist.

“If I ran to report that it was actually Secretary Zhou, what do you think is going to happen to you?”

Min Jing thought of the consequences and paled.

“If you dare, then I will take you down with me!”  She threatened.

“Oh, yeah?  I’m so scared!”  Jin Tang pretended to shake, but then laughed.

“Ha!  What proof do you have that I was involved?  If I denied, then what will you do?  Besides, even if there is proof, so what?  The Chairman is my mother’s cousin.  If anything were to happen my mother would intercede on my behalf, and I would be forgiven.  But you?  Who will forgive you?  Han Zheng Leng?  Ha ha ha!”

Min Jing didn’t think Jin Tang could be so despicable, her face paled.

“So, if you want me to shut up, you have to listen to me, and I’ll treat you well.  Ha ha ha…”

Jin Tang’s hand shamelessly strokes her cheek, but Min Jing didn’t dare to struggle.

She was going to throw up, she didn’t want this man to touch her.  In that moment, she really regretted cooperating with him!