Chapter 25: Props for Appearances

"Ling, go, go!" Xiao Mei, very perceptive of the situation, gave her a nudge and winked. "We can reschedule the Thai dinner! Don't let Mr. Zhao's kind gesture go to waste! And this car is so cool! Remember to take lots of photos for us to satisfy our curiosity!" Other colleagues chimed in, their eyes filled with the unspoken plea: "Go already, don't keep us from ogling this luxury car."

Yu Ling stumbled slightly from Xiao Mei's push, and Zhao Chen reached out at the perfect moment to steady her arm. His palm was warm and firm, holding her with an irresistible strength.

"Let's go." Zhao Chen's voice carried a hint of a smile. His hand tightened slightly on her shoulder, half-embracing and half-guiding her toward the Lamborghini that looked like a burning flame.

The scissor doors were still flared upward, like the open arms of a giant beast. With a gentlemanly gesture, Zhao Chen shielded Yu Ling’s head, signaling for her to get into the passenger seat.

Zhao Chen walked around to the driver's side, took a long stride, and sat in. The scissor doors slowly descended with a low, powerful thud, instantly cutting off the noise and gazes of the outside world, as well as Yu Ling’s chaotic thoughts. Inside the cabin, the low, idling hum of the engine flowed like the heartbeat of a dormant predator.

Zhao Chen fastened his seatbelt, turned his head, and gave Yu Ling a clean, refreshing smile. "All buckled up?"

Yu Ling nodded stiffly, her fingers gripping the seatbelt tightly, her heart racing uncontrollably. It wasn't because of this top-tier supercar, but because of the man beside her—a man with a gentle smile who drove a multi-million dollar luxury vehicle, and the deepening, unfathomable mystery that surrounded him.

The engine let out a low, powerful roar, like a beast awakening! Zhao Chen tapped the accelerator, and the orange Lamborghini shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, sliding smoothly and swiftly into the evening traffic. A strong surge of G-force pressed her into the seat, and the scenery outside the window blurred as it flew backward.

Yu Ling leaned against the seat, watching the brilliant, flowing city nightscape outside, listening to the low, melodic rumble of the engine, and feeling the surging power transmitted through the car body... It all felt unrealistically luxurious.

She secretly turned her head to look at Zhao Chen, who was focused on driving. The dim streetlights cast alternating light and shadow across his well-defined profile, outlining deep, sharp lines. His fingers, long and strong, held the steering wheel; his expression was focused yet relaxed, as if he were controlling this performance beast like a familiar toy.

"That... A-Zhe..." Yu Ling finally couldn't help but ask, her voice a little dry. "Did he catch her? That flight attendant?"

Zhao Chen seemed to freeze for a moment, then a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He turned his head to glance at her, his amber eyes sparkling with playful amusement. "What? Are you jealous, Lingling?"

"Who's jealous!" Yu Ling denied it immediately, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, though her cheeks flushed uncontrollably. "I'm just curious! Who uses a Lamborghini SVJ to 'make an impression' when chasing a girl? When this car pulls up, are they falling for the car or the person?"

Zhao Chen was amused by her indignant look, and his low laughter echoed in the cabin, carrying a pleasant magnetism. "Hmm... Lingling has a point. It seems I’ll have to remind A-Zhe that when chasing a girl, one must be sincere, not just rely on these flashy things."

He paused, his tone taking on a meaningful depth. "However, I think Lingling is great; you aren't easily swayed by these superficial things, right?"

He lifted the pitch of his voice slightly on the last sentence, looking at Yu Ling with burning intensity, carrying undisguised admiration and a hint of an undetectable probe.

Yu Ling’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly averted her gaze to the neon lights flashing past outside. "I... I'm not a flight attendant..." her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum.

The cabin fell into a brief silence, with only the low rumble of the engine echoing. An ambiguous atmosphere grew quietly.

The car turned into a quiet, elegant path lined with plane trees, eventually stopping in front of a courtyard hidden among the greenery, its exterior low-key yet possessing an extraordinary texture. There were no signs at the entrance, only two old-fashioned stone lanterns emitting a soft, warm glow.

"We're here." Zhao Chen parked the car and unbuckled Yu Ling’s seatbelt with a natural, fluid motion. He got out first, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the scissor door for her.

Yu Ling stepped out, her feet touching the soft lawn. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and the tempting aroma of food. Zhao Chen naturally took her hand, his palm warm and dry.

"Nice environment, isn't it?" He turned his head and smiled at her, his eyes gentle. "It's a place a friend just opened; the chef is highly skilled. I specifically asked him to reserve the quietest private room." As he spoke, he led her toward the heavy, slightly ajar natural wood door.

Inside, warm yellow light poured out. A waiter dressed in an exquisite cheongsam bowed respectfully: "Good evening, Mr. Zhao, Ms. Yu. Your private room is ready; please follow me."

A quiet corridor, a private room. Exquisite dishes were served one by one like works of art. Zhao Chen thoughtfully served her food, explaining the characteristics and ingredients of each dish in a relaxed and humorous tone. He even carefully asked them to exchange a cold sashimi dish for a warm stew.

With fine food before her, an elegant environment, and her handsome, attentive husband sitting across from her, everything should have been romantic and wonderful.

Yet, Yu Ling found the food tasteless. She looked at Zhao Chen’s handsome face, warm and smiling under the yellow light, watched his elegant way of eating, and observed his meticulous actions... but her mind was uncontrollably flashing between two images:

One was a homebody in a little whale apron, frying eggs in the kitchen with a gentle, harmless smile.

The other was a cold, stern figure stepping out of a burning orange Lamborghini, walking through the crowd like a king in control of everything.

One was the cold adjudicator on the phone, sentencing the fate of the "Gu Corporation" with an icy tone.

The other was the superhero who used miraculous skills to save her data in a moment of crisis.

These vastly different images tore and collided in her mind!

Who on earth is he?! Which one is the real him?!

"What's wrong? Not to your taste?" Zhao Chen noticed her distraction and put down his chopsticks, asking with concern. His amber eyes clearly reflected her dazed expression.

Yu Ling snapped back to reality, looking at the face full of sincere concern, then thinking of that multi-million dollar sports car and his friend A-Zhe, who supposedly had "too much money to burn"... A huge sense of dissociation and a deep feeling of helplessness gripped her again.

She shook her head and managed a forced smile: "No, it's delicious. Just... a little tired."

Zhao Chen looked at her deeply; something seemed to flash across his eyes, too quickly for Yu Ling to catch. He didn't press further, but thoughtfully ladled a bowl of warm soup for her: "Then drink some soup to warm your stomach. We'll go home and rest early after this."

After the meal, Zhao Chen drove the still-conspicuous orange Lamborghini back to the apartment building. As the scissor door rose, Yu Ling practically fled the car.

"You go up first, I'll park." Zhao Chen lowered the window and said to her, his voice gentle.

Yu Ling paused for a moment and replied softly: "Okay." Then she walked quickly into the unit entrance.

It wasn't until she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 16th floor, with the cold metal walls reflecting her pale and confused face, that Yu Ling felt she could finally catch her breath.

The elevator ascended. The numbers ticked upward.

16th floor. The doors slid open.

Yu Ling stepped out and was just about to take out her keys to open the door when the door to 1602 next door opened as well. Su Wan, wearing a silk robe, walked out carrying an exquisite bone china cup, seemingly heading to the communal pantry to get water. Seeing Yu Ling, a gentle smile appeared on her face: "Ling, you're back?"

"Yes, good evening, Ms. Su." Yu Ling managed a weak smile.

Su Wan's gaze inadvertently swept toward the elevator behind Yu Ling, then fell back onto her pale face, a trace of undetectable concern and understanding in her eyes. She didn't leave immediately, but chatted as if casually: "I was watering my flowers on the balcony earlier and saw such a beautiful orange sports car parked downstairs. The color is truly unique. Is it a friend of yours, Ling?"

Yu Ling’s heart skipped a beat! Su Wan had seen it!

"Oh, that's my husband's... er... a friend lent him the car." Yu Ling explained dryly, feeling her cheeks burning again.

"A friend, huh..." Su Wan drew out the ending, took a sip of the water in her cup, her eyes carrying a gentle smile. "That friend is certainly generous. An Aventador SVJ limited edition 'Volcanic Orange'—there aren't many in the whole world, and he just lent it out like that." She paused, looking at Yu Ling’s embarrassed expression, her tone becoming even softer. "But Ling, your husband is really good to you, picking you up from work so late." She finished, smiled at Yu Ling, and without another word, turned and walked toward the pantry.

Su Wan’s words were like a thin needle, gently piercing the facade of calm Yu Ling was trying to maintain. Limited edition... Volcanic Orange... lent out just like that...

She took out her keys, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened the door to 1601. The room was pitch black.

Yu Ling didn't turn on the lights; she groped her way to the large floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. Outside, the city night was as brilliant as a galaxy. She looked down and saw that conspicuous spot downstairs at a glance—the bright orange Lamborghini, looking like a burning flame, was parked there quietly, like a huge, unignorable exclamation point! It also felt like a silent mockery, ridiculing the clumsy excuses she had tried to believe about "a friend lending the car," "making an impression," and "chasing a flight attendant"!

She looked at the sports car, which still exuded a scorching glow in the night, and then thought of Su Wan’s meaningful eyes and gentle words... The doubts that had just been soothed by the fine meal and tenderness now reignited like a wildfire fueled by gasoline, spreading with overwhelming intensity!

This was no "prop" for "making an impression"! This was clearly just the tip of the iceberg of that man’s unfathomable nature! It was a massive, glaring crack in the "ordinary" fortress he had carefully constructed—a crack that could no longer be ignored!

She leaned against the cold glass, feeling a chill run through her entire body. The husband who wore a little whale apron and the mysterious man who drove a multi-million dollar supercar—the two images overlapped and tore at each other in her mind.

A massive sense of fear and the anger of being completely fooled washed over her again like a cold tide. This time, it was more turbulent and colder than ever before.