Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 209: Please Respect Yourself

Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Please Respect Yourself

On the way back, Lin Hanrui chatted about Liang Lei, "I heard from Leizi that your talk with the TV station went quite smoothly."

"Yeah, I have to thank her for that," Cheng Qiaobei acknowledged. "From the moment I decided to approach the TV station to the contract negotiation at Yu Hang, she put in a lot of effort. We’ll find some time these days; Ning Xi and I should take you two out for a meal."

"Oh, it’s nothing really, not necessary," Lin Hanrui said. "Don’t you see what the relationship is?"

"No matter the relationship, gratitude is a must. There’s not so much ’necessary.’ Helping is a kindness; not helping is a duty. Just ask her when she’s available, let her pick the place."

"Alright, I’ll ask when I get back."

The car drove off the overpass, and after a few more streets, they passed by Lin Hanrui’s company.

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "How’s the company doing lately?"

Lin Hanrui replied, "Stable, more work than before too. You were right, since I’m on my own, I shouldn’t be picky. Who turns down money? Take whatever work comes, even fly legs are meat." He sighed, "Oh... no longer in the system, so no need to put on airs and wait for others to come to you."

Those within the system somewhat understood the concept of ’people depart, tea cools.’

Cheng Qiaobei said, "It’s just the first year. If you can get a foothold, you’re successful."

Lin Hanrui self-deprecatingly said, "Back in my design institute days, not to brag, but my phone never stopped ringing. People queued up to schedule meals with me until next week; those were truly the glory days. Now it’s all gone; forget a meal, I can’t even get a cigarette from someone. Isn’t that pathetic?"

Cheng Qiaobei understood his feelings of disparity. With Lin Hanrui’s design level and ability, he could definitely climb to the director level with time, but his freedom-loving character wouldn’t allow it. A young man who loved extreme sports couldn’t bear a mundane nine-to-five life.

Cheng Qiaobei said, "If you really cared about those empty things, you wouldn’t have resigned."

Lin Hanrui smirked and proudly said, "Exactly. My world isn’t just about settling; I want to build the great mountains and rivers of our motherland, thousands of miles of territory."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "If you call yourself fat, you’ll still catch your breath. If funding is short, I have some."

Lin Hanrui said, "It’s enough. Now I earn enough for the company’s cash flow each month. That money you gave last time, I haven’t paid you back. I’ll pay when I’m more financially comfortable."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "I’m asking because I’m worried you’ll be short, not to ask for money. I can always transfer it to you if you need."

Lin Hanrui said, "I know."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Forget about me, just manage your company well, increase the revenue; that’s what’s important."

Lin Hanrui said, "Got it."

The car stopped in front of the complex, and Cheng Qiaobei invited him up for tea, but Lin Hanrui said he had to pick up Liang Lei and left straight away.

Cheng Qiaobei returned home and immediately sensed a strange smell as he entered.

It was almost seven o’clock; Chen Ningxi wasn’t home yet. Cheng Qiaobei dragged his suitcase to the walk-in closet, sorted his things, and took his pajamas to the bathroom.

Just as he closed the door, he smelled a faint odor of disinfectant but found nothing related to it after looking around.

After showering, Cheng Qiaobei discovered his electric toothbrush was dead. He opened the drawer under the bathroom cabinet to get the charger and saw a bottle of disinfectant and some gauze tape inside.

He pulled it out and saw it had been used.

Worried, he rushed out of the bathroom, picked up his phone from the sofa, and called Chen Ningxi’s number.

The phone rang for a while before she picked up; Cheng Qiaobei heard car horns through the earpiece and deduced she was in the car.

He asked, "Are you off work?"

Chen Ningxi answered with a question, "Are you home?"

"Yeah," Cheng Qiaobei was anxious, "Aren’t you done yet?"

"Finished, the car is about to enter the city," Chen Ningxi said, "What do you want for dinner? I’ll buy groceries on the way."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "No need, I checked the fridge; there’s enough food."

"Wait for me then," Chen Ningxi was about to hang up, but Cheng Qiaobei said, "I’ll come to pick you up."

Chen Ningxi laughed, "I drove myself, and you’re still coming to the office to pick me up? Stay home and wait for me."

Hearing that, it seemed nothing serious, perhaps he was making a fuss over nothing.

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Alright, hanging up."

After hanging up, Cheng Qiaobei held onto the bottle of disinfectant, comforting himself that it might just be a minor injury on the finger, probably not a big deal.

Cheng Qiaobei went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. His principle regarding household chores had long been clear; when he’s home, he doesn’t let Chen Ningxi interfere. Whoever’s available does the chores, and there was no division of housework as being exclusively women’s work.

When Chen Ningxi entered, the aroma of food was in the air; she changed into slippers and headed straight for the kitchen.

At that moment, Cheng Qiaobei was cooking. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned off the stove, plated the dish, and said, "Back, Manager Chen?"

"Yes, Manager Cheng, let me hug you," Chen Ningxi hugged him from behind, placing her hand over the injured wrist, cleverly covering the gauze.

He picked up the dish, looked back at her, "Good girl, go wash your hands; let’s eat."

Chen Ningxi snuggled against his back, "Okay... Don’t move, let me hug a bit more."

Cheng Qiaobei, feeling helpless, just waited until she was satisfied.

"Right, I saw gauze and disinfectant in the bathroom; where are you hurt?"

Chen Ningxi said, "..."

She was silent for two seconds, "Wrist, nothing major."

Her hands around his waist suddenly loosened, and Chen Ningxi walked away, "I’ll go change clothes, wash hands, and eat."

Cheng Qiaobei noticed she was wearing long sleeves, "It’s this warm today, and you’re still wearing long sleeves, not hot?"

Chen Ningxi said, "You don’t get it; it’s called sun-protective clothing. On a trip to the countryside in this big sun, if I wore short sleeves, wouldn’t I get tanned like a baked sweet potato?"

Cheng Qiaobei saw her take out sunglasses and a sun protection mask from her bag and wear them; at a glance, she looked like a bandit.

He joked, "If you cover so tightly on the street, I wouldn’t recognize you from across the road."

Chen Ningxi said, "The best sun protection is physical; if you don’t get sun exposure, you won’t tan."

She went into the bedroom, and Cheng Qiaobei went back to the kitchen to grab utensils.

When Chen Ningxi came out again, wearing a set of pure cotton long-sleeved pajamas, Cheng Qiaobei blinked, took off his apron, hung it, and looked her over from top to bottom, "You wear this for me as soon as I get back?"

The granny pajamas, with their gray bottom and pink flowers, were a combination of stodgy, old-fashioned, and conservative.

Cheng Qiaobei wrinkled his nose in disdain, "...My grandma is almost eighty, and she wouldn’t wear pajamas like yours."

Chen Ningxi smiled, "You don’t understand; pure cotton pajamas nurture the skin, and in the summer, with the air conditioning on, it’s not easy to catch a cold."

Cheng Qiaobei, at a loss for words, circled around her, "These oversized, outdated, and dull pajamas, could you tell me where you bought them?"

Chen Ningxi burst out laughing.

"Come on, tell me where, so I can avoid the area next time," Cheng Qiaobei said.

Chen Ningxi grabbed his hand, shook it, and coaxed, "Let’s eat."

Cheng Qiaobei shook off her hand, "Madam, please behave."

Pausing for a moment, he wrapped an arm around her waist, looked down, and good gracious, she buttoned up to the neck, hidden from any view.

Cheng Qiaobei said, "The moment you wear these pajamas, a sense of seniority comes, filling me with a sense of respect for you."