Chapter 53: The Way You Look Right Now Is Truly Appetizing
“Is there anything else?”
“No... no!”
Mo Zhicheng shifted his gaze, letting it fall upon the solid wooden door behind her. “If there’s nothing else, you may leave.” He dismissed her once more.
Ye Linglan clenched her palms, pondering for a moment before finally speaking, “President Mo,” she bit her lip, “that night, I drank too much and said some things I shouldn’t have. If I did anything disrespectful to you, I hope you’ll forgive me.” She skirted around the issue, probing cautiously.
Mo Zhicheng looked at her slowly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at the edge of his lips, but his deep eyes remained cold and indifferent.
He lowered his head, took off his glasses, and gently massaged the bridge of his nose with his slender, clean fingers. “You’re very clever, but stop beating around the bush. Or is it that you really want to know what happened in the hotel that night?”
Linglan’s legs felt weak beneath her. She stared at the man, watching as he set his glasses aside, leaned back slightly, his fingers elegantly interlaced, and instead asked her, “What do you think happened?” The smile at the corner of his mouth gradually faded.
“—”
“From the beginning, you’ve been playing the game of attracting my attention, alternating between approach and retreat.”
“—”
Linglan frowned, looking at his icy expression and listening to his words, as cold as a chill wind, sweeping past her and freezing every drop of blood in her veins.
“I found you different from the others, so I entertained your advances. But don’t forget, everything should be done in moderation, and remember your place. Women who want to get close to me have used every trick in the book; I’ve seen them all. I advise you not to let your cleverness become your downfall. The flip side of seduction is often a loss too great to bear.” Mo Zhicheng spoke each word deliberately.
Ye Linglan’s fingers curled tightly into fists, moisture brimming in her eyes. She endured, his mocking words offering her no dignity. She wanted to retort, but what could she say? Silence seemed almost an admission.
“Using tears to win a man’s sympathy—that’s your specialty, isn’t it? In this company, tears matter less than fulfilling your duties. I have neither time nor interest to keep playing your games. So dry your tears. This look of yours only makes me lose my appetite.”
“—”
“And from now on, these kinds of documents should be delivered to me by your direct supervisor!”
She bit her lip hard, forcing back the heat threatening her eyes, finally speaking in a low, steady voice, “President Mo, what I’m about to say may be impolite, but I must defend myself. I have no need to play with fire, so please, do not look at me through tinted lenses.”
Turning abruptly, she strode out, tears streaming down her face.
He watched her hurriedly fleeing silhouette, the door left slightly ajar, and only silence remained in the room. The air seemed still tinged with the scent of a woman’s tears. He paused, remembering he had once tasted her tears—they were bitter beyond measure.
Linglan’s steps were hurried and restless. She lowered her head, hiding her tear-reddened eyes. She slipped into the tea room, pressing herself tightly against the door. Blankly, she gazed out the immense floor-to-ceiling windows, looking over all of South River.
—The game of seduction and retreat is your usual tactic.
—Using tears to win a man’s sympathy—that’s your specialty!
—I have neither time nor interest to play with you.
His words were harsh, arrows of coldness piercing her in the darkness.
She moved closer, leaning against the glass, quietly gazing out at the endless cityscape, the tightly packed towers, the calm, winding river like a coiling dragon, and the crisscrossing streets below.