Chapter 72

As Lin Zixian's nimble hands caressed her wrist, Ning Lan felt as if her burning wrist had been immersed in a hot spring, making her comfortable enough to want to moan. When the burning sensation gradually subsided, the swelling on her wrist had already disappeared, leaving only a faint red mark on the skin, and a slight pricking sensation, but it no longer hurt.

Ning Lan was silently watching him grab her wrist and touch it wildly, while Lin Zixian exhaled and smiled, "It's all good now, nothing to worry about. However, the red and swollen area might peel over the next few days, but there shouldn't be any other issues."

Ning Lan came to her senses and noticed that the swelling on her wrist had indeed disappeared. She was immediately surprised and said, "How did you do that? It's amazing!"

"Hehe! It's just a minor trick," Lin Zixian waved his hand indifferently.

"Since it's just a minor trick, why don't you teach me?" Ning Lan said with a look of anticipation. "If I encounter a hooligan in the future, I can use this to deal with them."

"Encounter a hooligan..." Lin Zixian was speechless. He had just said it offhandedly, but she took it seriously. He cleared his throat and said, "This technique is passed down to men, not women. Although women can learn it, after learning, they... they... won't be able to have children. They will likely miscarry during pregnancy. I heard that in the past, only nuns in nunneries learned it."

His words were true. "Chao Tian Yi Zhu Xiang" was indeed unsuitable for women to practice. Women who practiced it could not bear children and often miscarried before the third month of pregnancy. It was too cruel for women, so it was no longer passed down to them.

However, Ning Lan didn't believe him, thinking he was just unwilling to teach her. She just mentioned it casually and had no interest in learning such a technique. She said, "Feudal," and didn't insist.

"Do you have something to talk to me about now?"

"I just happened to pass by and thought I'd check if Deputy Minister Lin was on duty," Ning Lan said with a sly smile. "I didn't expect to catch Deputy Minister Lin sleeping on the job. I plan to report this to the company leadership and deduct your bonus for this month."

Lin Zixian was just bored and decided to take a nap. Hearing someone joking with him, he immediately perked up, crossed his legs on the sofa, and said cheerfully, "Fine! If you deduct my salary, I'll come to your place and freeload."

Ning Lan smiled and spread her hands, "No problem, come if you want! Since I'm already supporting you, I can't let you starve!" She leaned in close to Lin Zixian and teased, "Do you want me to give you a key to my house?"

"Supporting me? Do I look like someone who freeloads?" Lin Zixian rolled his eyes and coldly said, "Don't try to provoke me. If I ever use your key to sneak into your bed, you'll be the one crying."

"Hey! You're not afraid, why should I be? As long as you're not afraid of Liu Yanzhi being jealous, come on, I'll be waiting at home." Ning Lan looked at him with a challenge.

"Liu Yanzhi?" Lin Zixian was taken aback. "Why would she be jealous of me?"

"Stop pretending," Ning Lan said disdainfully. "I heard about what happened at the restaurant today. It's said that Deputy Minister Lin publicly declared his love to Liu Yanzhi." This was the real reason she came, to confirm if it was true, otherwise she couldn't focus on her work.

Lin Zixian was puzzled for a moment, trying to recall when he had declared his love to Liu Yanzhi. Ning Lan immediately reminded him of "You're so beautiful," and Lin Zixian suddenly remembered, laughing heartily. He didn't hide it from her and explained that he was just acting with Liu Yanzhi. He concluded, "She may seem powerful, but she's actually like a hedgehog, using her spines to protect herself. You saw it last time; she would do anything for her friends. She's a good person. If there's a chance, you could help her out for my sake. I heard she's quite capable at work."

"Is that so?" Ning Lan sighed in relief and then blinked, "Aren't you afraid she might take it seriously?"

"Even if she takes it seriously, so what?" Lin Zixian said indifferently. "Liu Yanzhi isn't bad-looking. If a beautiful woman is willing to take it seriously for me, I should be happy. It's an honor, not a problem."

He suddenly looked like a lecher and said with a grin, "Ning, the beauty, you don't want to take it seriously with me, do you? I'd be more than happy!"

"Fine! Since you're so eager, I'll oblige you." Ning Lan said calmly.

She got up, walked to his desk, and quickly wrote something on a piece of paper. She handed it to him, "This is my address. Come find me after you drop off the general manager. I'll buy the ingredients and cook a hearty dinner for you. I can't let it be said that I've been supporting you for so long without treating you to a meal."

Lin Zixian took it and laughed, "Assistant Ning cooking for me, that's quite an honor. I'll definitely come and see how good your cooking is." He put the paper with the address in his pocket, thinking Ning Lan was just inviting him as a friend. He also planned to treat her to a meal soon, as it wouldn't be right to not do so after knowing each other for so long.

Ning Lan's face showed no other meaning. She didn't stay long, as her job required her to be at her post during working hours.

After work, Lin Zixian sat in his car waiting for Qiao Yun to finish. He subconsciously took out a cigarette and started smoking, as he often sat in the car smoking and listening to music.

By routine, Qiao Yun, the strong woman, always finished work half an hour later than others, giving him enough time to smoke two cigarettes and drive around to clear the smell.

However, after smoking half a cigarette, the walkie-talkie suddenly crackled, "General Manager Qiao is leaving, be prepared."

"Damn!" Lin Zixian exclaimed, quickly flicking the cigarette butt away and waving his hand to disperse the smoke.

Qiao Yun, surrounded by bodyguards, walked out of the elevator. Another bodyguard opened the car door. As Qiao Yun bent to sit in the car, her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, already detecting the smell of smoke. Non-smokers are always more sensitive to the smell of smoke.

The convoy left the Minghua Building, and Lin Zixian occasionally checked her reaction in the rearview mirror. However, Qiao Yun rested her arm on the leather armrest, leaned slightly, and supported her smooth, round chin with her fingers, looking out the window without saying a word. Her beauty was captivating.

Lin Zixian found it strange. He didn't believe Qiao Yun hadn't smelled the smoke, but she didn't make it difficult for him this time.

Halfway through the drive, Qiao Yun suddenly spoke, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Uh..." Lin Zixian looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Qiao Yun was still in the same position. If he hadn't heard her clearly, he wouldn't have known she was speaking. He asked suspiciously, "General Manager Qiao, are you asking me?"

Qiao Yun didn't respond. Not getting an answer, she didn't ask again, and her expression didn't change, as if she hadn't spoken.

"Strange..." Lin Zixian muttered, unable to resist digging his ear with his pinky, thinking he might have hallucinated.

Back at the Qiao residence, Xiao Hua was walking the dog. Seeing Lin Zixian, she immediately smiled and called out, "Xiao Lin, stay for dinner tonight!"

"Thank you, Auntie! No need, Ning Lan said she would cook a big meal for me, so I'm going to her place to freeload," Lin Zixian said with a smile.

"When did Lan Lan learn to cook?" Xiao Hua handed the leash to Qiao Yun and said curiously, "As far as I know, Lan Lan can't cook!"

"Really?" Lin Zixian was taken aback, quickly pulling out the paper from his pocket and examining it. "This is the address she gave me this afternoon. Is she playing a trick on me?"

Xiao Hua took the paper from him, looked at it, and nodded, "Yes, this is indeed Lan Lan's address. I've been to her place." As she handed the paper back, she asked with a strange expression, "Xiao Lin, are you dating Lan Lan?"

Lin Zixian was puzzled by her question. Before he could answer, Qiao Yun, who was walking away with the dog, suddenly said, "Two-timing," with a tone of disdain.

The two remaining people looked at each other, unsure who she was talking about.

After a brief chat with Xiao Hua, Lin Zixian left in his car.

Ning Lan's address was easy to find, in the Jiangdao high-end residential area, a small island in the river connected to both banks by two bridges. To enter, one had to pass through these two bridges, where security was very strict, and ordinary people were not allowed in.

Lin Zixian was stopped at the bridgehead. After stating who he was looking for, the security guard called Ning Lan to confirm before letting him through.

The island had only a lighthouse and no high-rise buildings, all of which were villas. Ning Lan's house was on the ring road. When Lin Zixian arrived, Ning Lan was standing at the door, wearing a simple, elegant dark green knee-length dress, her hair neatly tied back, looking like a homely and attractive woman, waiting for him with a smile.

Lin Zixian parked his BMW next to Ning Lan's Mercedes SUV, looked around, and saw someone fishing by the island's edge. He said, "What a great place! Buying a villa here must be quite expensive, right?"

Ning Lan shook her head and smiled, "My salary can't afford it. It was a gift from Aunt Xiao when I officially joined the Minghua Group as the chairman's assistant after graduation."

"Hehe! I guess it was probably Qiao An Tian's idea. He wouldn't neglect his close confidants," Lin Zixian said casually, thinking to himself that having Xiao Hua buy it also had the purpose of avoiding suspicion, as it would be easy for people to gossip if the boss gave a house to a female assistant or secretary.