novelraw Chapter 22: The law doesn't stipulate that an ex-boyfriend must remain a widow for three years
Chapter 22: The law doesn't stipulate that an ex-boyfriend must remain a widow for three years
Chen Bo stretched out his arm, took the phone, swiped to answer, pressed speakerphone, and then put the phone back on the table.
"Chen Bo! Come back here right now!" Xu Yueqing's voice immediately burst out, filled with obvious anxiety and anger.
Chen Bo glanced at Zhou Lingyan, whose body was tense in his arms, and said in a calm, even somewhat lazy tone: "Go back where? I'm all alone in Haicheng, with no home and no house of my own."
"What are you doing on the terrace?" Xu Yueqing's voice trembled slightly, she was quite angry.
Upon hearing this voice, Zhou Lingyan strangely relaxed a little, even experiencing a sense of provocative pleasure.
She deliberately shifted in Chen Bo's arms, finding a more comfortable and seemingly more intimate position, and even glanced up at Chen Bo, her eyes signaling him to answer properly.
Chen Bo secretly groaned, "I don't have much authority, and I can't control my underlings."
But his tone remained calm: "Just having a meal and a chat with Lingyan. Does Teacher Xu have something to say?"
"What's wrong? I..." Xu Yueqing was speechless again, choked by the distant "Teacher Xu" and Chen Bo's calm tone. Her panting came clearly through the receiver. After several seconds, she gritted her teeth, her voice trembling, "Chen Bo, let Zhou Lingyan answer the phone. I need to talk to her!"
Zhou Lingyan was now in a difficult position, seemingly stumbled upon, and immediately shook her head, mouthing to Chen Bo, "Don't take it!"
Chen Bo then said, "She's had a bit too much to drink and isn't feeling well. If there's nothing else, let's..."
"Chen Bo!" Xu Yueqing interrupted him, her voice softening, "Don't be like this... Can't we talk this out? Last night... We were fine last night, weren't we? How could you... How could you turn around and be with Zhou Lingyan..."
On the terrace, when Zhou Lingyan heard the words "last night," her ears immediately perked up, and her body involuntarily tensed up. She subconsciously turned her head to see Chen Bo's expression.
Chen Bo remained expressionless, only tightening his grip on her arm slightly.
Stop moving, my men are about to rebel.
I'm afraid of my own men rebelling, let alone you girls.
Xu Yueqing understands this best.
"Xu Yueqing," Chen Bomu said coldly, his voice betraying his lack of emotion before his subordinates rebelled, "last night was last night, and now is now. Between us, it was over when you broke up with me. Where I live and who I eat with is my own business."
A clear sobbing sound came from the other end of the phone.
Zhou Lingyan felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, she felt relieved, but on the other hand, looking at Xu Yueqing who might be crying in the darkness opposite her, she felt a pang of sympathy that she herself was unwilling to admit.
But this sympathy was quickly dispelled by Chen Bo's next actions.
Perhaps feeling distracted by the tools in his arms, or perhaps wanting to make the performance more convincing, Chen Bo's hand, which had been properly placed on Zhou Lingyan's waist, suddenly slid down and gently covered her pert buttocks, even giving them a light pinch.
"Hmm..." Zhou Lingyan was caught off guard and let out a short gasp. Although she immediately bit her lip, it was still caught in the quiet of the terrace and by the phone.
The sobbing on the other end of the phone stopped abruptly.
A deathly silence.
A few seconds later, Xu Yueqing's voice rang out again, icy cold and hollow with the emptiness of utter despair: "Fine, fine... Chen Bo, Zhou Lingyan, you're very good."
The phone was abruptly hung up.
The busy signal came through, and only soft background music and the faint sound of the evening breeze blowing through the string lights remained on the terrace.
Zhou Lingyan was still frozen in Chen Bo's arms, the lingering sensation on her buttocks making her feel like she was on fire.
She didn't immediately jump up and slap him; in fact, because of Xu Yueqing's phone call, she felt like she hadn't lost out.
Chen Bo naturally let go of her hand, helped her to her feet, and stood up himself. He then picked up the red wine on the table and poured some for both of them.
"The show's over, are you satisfied, Boss Zhou?" He smiled and handed her his wine glass, as if he wasn't the one who had taken advantage of her earlier.
Zhou Lingyan took the wine glass and drank half of it in one gulp; the cool liquid calmed her slightly feverish body.
She glared at Chen Bo, her face still red: "Chen Bo, you're such a jerk, taking advantage of me!"
Chen Bo shrugged, looking innocent. "Didn't you ask me to add some scenes? I'm just exceeding expectations. Besides..."
He smiled mischievously: "When someone was sitting on my lap just now, they didn't seem to object very strongly, they were quite soft."
"You!" Zhou Lingyan was furious and raised her hand to hit him, but Chen Bo gently grabbed her wrist.
"Just kidding, just kidding." Chen Bo released his grip and said seriously, "But seriously, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?" Zhou Lingyan said irritably.
"Thank you for giving me a place to stay, equipment to use, and even..." Chen Bo's smile was a little mischievous, "and for providing such good benefits. I'm doing a pretty good job as your tool."
Looking into his bright eyes and his smug, self-satisfied expression, Zhou Lingyan's anger subsided considerably, and she even felt a little amused.
This Chen Bo is shameless and ruthless, but strangely, he doesn't come across as annoying.
Perhaps it's because he's open-minded enough to admit that he was a tool and that he benefited from it.
"Good to know." Zhou Lingyan snorted, turned and walked to the edge of the terrace, her back to him, looking at the pitch-black villa across the way. The evening breeze blew her long hair and skirt. "So, what are you planning to do next? Xu Yueqing seems to have really been driven crazy by us."
Chen Bo walked to her side, looked across at her, and said calmly, "There's not much to do. Prepare for the competition, then make money, buy your own house, and stop living under someone else's roof."
Zhou Lingyan turned her head to look at him. In the candlelight, the man's profile was clearly visible, his eyes gazing into the distance, calm and resolute.
A thought suddenly struck her: perhaps bringing him back wasn't just to spite Xu Yueqing.
This man seems to be quite interesting.
As night deepened, the lights in Yunding Villa went out one by one, except for the bedroom on the second floor of Xu Yueqing's villa, which still had a faint light on, like a lonely lighthouse at sea.
Another location in Haicheng.
Bei Weiwei lay on the large bed in her downtown penthouse, a bed big enough for three people, staring at the starry sky projected onto the ceiling. Her mind was filled with Chen Bo's profile as he played the guitar during the day, the slight upturn of his lips when he spoke, and the kiss she had impulsively left him...
"Ah—" She buried her face in the pillow and kicked her legs wildly, like a fish that had been thrown ashore.
Impulsiveness is the devil!
Why did she kiss him?
Although it was just a cheek, and it was as quick as a dragonfly skimming the water, it was still Xu Yueqing's ex-boyfriend whom she had broken up with less than forty-eight hours ago.
"Bei Weiwei, you're something else," she muttered to her pillow, "Your best friend's body is barely cold—oops, I mean, we just broke up, and you couldn't wait to collect her corpse."
Despite saying that, she quickly came to terms with it.
What's wrong with collecting corpses? The law doesn't stipulate that an ex-boyfriend must remain a widow for three years before he can find a job again.
Besides, she's liked Chen Bo for three years; she's kept it to herself long enough!
But... what exactly is Xu Yueqing thinking?
Bei Weiwei sat up, grabbed her phone from the bedside table, and the light from the screen illuminated her conflicted face.
Should we ask Xu Yueqing directly?
That's tantamount to self-destruction, courting death.
Ask Zhou Lingyan?
That girl is happily using Chen Bo as a weapon right now; you won't get the truth out of her, and you might even get laughed at.
Ask Zhao Lulu?
Although Lulu is on her side, she may not be entirely accurate in understanding Xu Yueqing's feelings...
"Oh, right, Li Man!"
Bei Weiwei's eyes lit up.