Chapter 25

"Brother Ming, you were so cool just now, I like you so much!"

Tang Ran skipped out of the restaurant, suddenly turned around, and loudly said to Zhou Ming. Clearly, after the dinner, seeing Zhou Ming's absolute control of the situation in front of Director Yang, she thought Zhou Ming was the most capable man in the world!

Zhou Ming awkwardly touched his nose. Although he had the mental age of a man in his forties, he still felt embarrassed by such an open declaration of affection from a young beauty, especially with Lin Muqing by his side. As for the director of the Bank of China, Yang, and Sister Zheng, they had left earlier, and Zhou Ming stayed a bit longer with Lin Muqing and Tang Ran in the restaurant.

"Alright, you've had quite a bit to drink. Go home quickly, or your parents will worry," Zhou Ming said to Tang Ran.

Tang Ran pouted her lips, "I don't want to! If they knew I was with such an amazing person like you, Brother Ming, they wouldn't worry at all."

"Ran Ran, be a good girl, don't throw a tantrum. Lin Muqing and I have something to do later. Can you take a taxi home by yourself, or do you want us to take you?" Zhou Ming asked.

Tang Ran shook her head, "No need, I can take a taxi home. You should stay with Sister Muqing."

Zhou Ming saw Tang Ran into a taxi and then got into another taxi with Lin Muqing, heading back to their hotel.

On the way, Zhou Ming noticed that Lin Muqing seemed a bit down, which made him a bit worried. Zhou Ming said to Lin Muqing, "Sister Muqing, Ran Ran is still a bit childish, don't take it to heart."

Lin Muqing turned around and gave Zhou Ming a faint smile but said nothing. When they arrived at the Tianyun Hotel, their rooms were opposite each other. At the door, Lin Muqing suddenly turned to Zhou Ming and said, "Can you stay and talk to me for a while?"

Zhou Ming nodded and followed Lin Muqing into her room. Lin Muqing said she was thirsty, and Zhou Ming proactively poured her a glass of water.

Watching Lin Muqing take a sip, Zhou Ming said, "Sister Muqing, are you still thinking about what happened earlier?"

"Sort of, not really," Lin Muqing's response was confusing. "How could I be jealous of Ran Ran? But on the contrary, I envy her, her innocence and purity, her ability to say what she thinks."

Zhou Ming wanted to say something but held back. He knew that some people cry after drinking, some get rowdy, and some talk a lot. From the look of Lin Muqing, she probably hadn't drunk much before, and now the aftereffects of the red wine were making her want to confide in someone. This might be a chance to get to know her better.

Lin Muqing, unaware of Zhou Ming's thoughts, tilted her head and said, "Do you know? I'm an unlucky woman. Any man who has a relationship with me ends up dead. So they all say I'm a fox spirit, a demon who drains men's energy. Aren't you afraid?"

Zhou Ming shook his head, "If you were really a fox spirit, I would be afraid, but I know you're just a misunderstood and pitiful person."

As soon as Zhou Ming finished speaking, two clear tears rolled down Lin Muqing's cheeks. She said softly, "Why do you believe me? You're a fool. Don't you know that I brought you to Nanjiang to make you work hard and earn money, and then I would find a way to kill you, so I could take all your money!"

"Whether you believe it or not, I've already died once, so my life is very strong. You can't kill me. Your plan is bound to fail," Zhou Ming said, then continued, "But that's not the point. The most important thing is that I believe you are a good woman, and everything about you is just jealousy and slander from others."

"Jealousy and slander?" Lin Muqing murmured, then suddenly laughed, "No, you're a fool. I am a fox spirit, the most evil and venomous woman in the world. Otherwise, why would he die in a car accident? Why would he drown in a river? Why would he be electrocuted to death? It's all my fault. A woman like me shouldn't even exist in this world. I am an unlucky person!"

Seeing Lin Muqing getting more and more agitated, Zhou Ming quickly hugged her and said, "Sister Muqing, don't be like this, it's not your fault."

But Lin Muqing didn't hear Zhou Ming at all. Seeing her getting more and more agitated, Zhou Ming remembered a very unreliable method often seen in novels. He cupped her face and kissed her on the lips.

Lin Muqing's voice was muffled in her throat, and she gradually calmed down. Her hands, which had been flailing and hitting Zhou Ming, now wrapped around his neck.

When she was completely calm, Zhou Ming left her lips.

Lin Muqing opened her eyes and looked at Zhou Ming, murmuring, "You're the first man to kiss me..."

This shocked Zhou Ming. From Lin Muqing's current state, it seemed she wasn't fully awake, but her words were true. This was the most troubling part for Zhou Ming, as he never imagined this was Lin Muqing's first kiss.

Zhou Ming was flustered: What should I do? Will she report me for harassment when she wakes up? Or can I negotiate with her and say this was also my first kiss? But a man's first kiss and a woman's first kiss are incomparable. She definitely won't let me off...

Thinking this, Zhou Ming secretly glanced at Lin Muqing and was surprised to see that her eyes were closed and her breathing was steady; she had fallen asleep.

This made Zhou Ming breathe a sigh of relief: Maybe she was already about to sleep, and she won't remember it tomorrow.

With this thought, Zhou Ming calmed down, then carried Lin Muqing to the bed and took off her high heels. When he looked up, his eyes widened because, due to carrying Lin Muqing, her dress had ridden up, and her beautiful legs in stockings were exposed to him.

A woman with beautiful legs isn't necessarily pretty, but a pretty woman always has beautiful legs.

Zhou Ming didn't used to believe this, but now he did. Zhou Ming wasn't a leg fetishist, but Lin Muqing's legs were very attractive. They were very even and straight, and the flesh-colored stockings looked like a second skin. Zhou Ming remembered the smooth feeling when he accidentally touched them while taking off her high heels, which made him want to do something wrong.

No, I can't take advantage of her. If I really did, she might really report me. I have many things to do, and Su Han is still waiting for me in Linyang. I can't make a mistake here!

Zhou Ming swallowed and bit his tongue hard, which made his mind clearer.

Zhou Ming covered Lin Muqing with a blanket, which reduced his temptation.

He then poured a glass of water and placed it on the bedside table so Lin Muqing could drink if she was thirsty at night. After doing all this, when Zhou Ming was about to leave, Lin Muqing suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand, murmuring, "Zhou Ming, don't go!"

Zhou Ming looked at Lin Muqing and saw fear on her face.

Was she having a nightmare? He hadn't realized that although she seemed strong, she was actually very vulnerable and longed for a man to protect her.

Thinking this, Zhou Ming moved a chair to the bedside, held Lin Muqing's hand, and fell asleep there.

The next morning, the feeling in his hand made Zhou Ming open his eyes. He looked up and saw that Lin Muqing was already awake, rubbing her temples and looking at him warily.

"Sister Muqing, you're awake. Last night, you held my hand and didn't let me go," Zhou Ming explained with a sheepish smile.

Lin Muqing nodded, "I remember everything from last night."

Lin Muqing thought for a moment and then said to Zhou Ming, "Zhou Ming, we were both drunk last night, and we crossed some boundaries. You have a bright future ahead of you, and there will be many better things. I hope you don't dwell on the past. Let's treat last night as a dream that shouldn't have happened, okay?"

Lin Muqing's calm tone made Zhou Ming pause. Was this the difference between a mature woman and a young girl? A young girl might be nervous, shy, or even cry and regret, but Lin Muqing was calm, analyzing the situation and persuading him to forget it, treating it as a dream.

But... was Lin Muqing really as strong and proud as she appeared?

Zhou Ming shook his head with a smile.

"Don't worry, Sister Muqing, I know my limits. Otherwise, with you being so beautiful, I wouldn't have been able to control myself last night," Zhou Ming said. "But... I still have to say sorry to you."

Lin Muqing shook her head, "I said it, last night was just a dream. Since it was a dream, let's not mention it again, okay? I'm grateful that you stayed with me all night. Now I need to get up. We need to exchange Hong Kong dollars with Director Yang today, so we should get dressed quickly."

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go back to my room first. I'll come and call you down for breakfast in an hour, okay?"

Lin Muqing nodded, and Zhou Ming left her room, letting out a sigh of relief. He thought it was a good thing that it was Lin Muqing, a mature woman, who wouldn't take last night's events to heart. But the soft and moist feeling of her lips last night was still unforgettable!

At that moment, in Lin Muqing's room, she sat on the bed, touching her lips and murmuring, "Why did this happen between us? He was the first man to kiss me? Could it be that we..."

Lin Muqing then shook her head fiercely, "No, he's younger than me, and I just see him as a younger brother. He always calls me Sister Muqing, right? Last night was just an accident, definitely an accident... right?"