Chapter 18: I'll Drive You Crazy

“Hmph, since you’re asking for trouble, I’ll oblige,” Lin Fan sneered inwardly, a faint wicked smile curling his lips. He sat down beside Zhao Ying, his hand placed brazenly on her shoulder, and, right in front of Yan Dong, began to gently caress her.

Zhao Ying shuddered at his touch. She’d dated before, but never had anyone dared to touch her so casually. She was notorious for her fiery temper, yet this rogue before her had not only shared a bed with her, but now ran his hand over her without restraint. To her surprise, her usual fierceness failed her completely in Lin Fan’s presence.

“Come, Ying’er, eat some vegetables, replenish your vitamins. Just look at how thin you’ve become,” Lin Fan said, placing a generous helping onto her plate. He never once looked at Yan Dong. In Lin Fan’s eyes, since the man had chosen to stay, he’d make sure to thoroughly irritate him.

Ah, ah... Lin Fan opened his mouth, the mischievous smile deepening, clearly expecting Zhao Ying to feed him. Yet Zhao Ying couldn’t lose her temper, lest all her earlier efforts go to waste. So, she went along, slowly bringing the food to Lin Fan’s lips with her chopsticks, rolling her eyes at him and shooting him an occasional glare.

Lin Fan understood her eye rolls perfectly—a warning not to go too far—yet he ignored them completely. To an outsider, especially Yan Dong, it looked like playful banter between a couple, a display of affection. Yan Dong gritted his teeth, unable to bear watching any longer, and buried himself in his meal. He was starting to regret staying—wasn’t this just asking for humiliation?

There was another observer: Fei Fei, Lin Fan’s sister. Watching her brother and Zhao Ying feed each other, Fei Fei felt a pang of envy. Lin Fan, oblivious to her feelings, continued to shamelessly “retaliate” against Zhao Ying. Each time he did, he felt a surge of satisfaction—serves her right for pointing a gun at him, for trying to catch him. This, he thought smugly, was karma.

Zhao Ying found herself wishing Yan Dong would leave. If not for his stubborn presence, she’d have been freed from this charade long ago. Yet, she also felt a curious fondness for Lin Fan’s hands on her, not nearly as repulsed as she would be with other men. The rogue before her spoke with a roguish charm, tinged with a subtle wickedness, making her unwittingly play along. In fact, she hoped Yan Dong would stay a while longer, so she could continue acting as Lin Fan’s “girlfriend.”

For Lin Fan, the meal passed quickly. For Yan Dong, watching the pair flaunt their affection was sheer torment. He was certain Lin Fan knew he liked Zhao Ying, yet still flaunted it before him—an outright slap in the face. Swallowing his anger, Yan Dong thought grimly, “Don’t get cocky, kid. When you fall into my hands, you’ll beg for life, beg for death, and get neither.”

People say you should never cross a policeman, or you’ll never know how you died. But Lin Fan wasn’t afraid—not of the police, not even if the king of heaven himself came down; Lin Fan would still do as he pleased.

…

“Zhao Ying, I’ll head out first. See you at the precinct tomorrow,” Yan Dong said as he left the restaurant, breathing a sigh of relief. He hurried away, fearing that if he stayed any longer, he’d end up in the hospital with a heart attack—and then chasing Zhao Ying would be the least of his worries; he’d be mortified.

“Get your filthy paw off me,” Zhao Ying snapped, glaring fiercely at Lin Fan as soon as Yan Dong was out of sight.

Lin Fan chuckled, loosening his arm from her shoulder, and sighed dramatically, feigning sadness. “Officer Zhao, such a temper! When you needed my help, you weren’t like this. Now you’re burning bridges. You’ve wounded my heart.”

“You scoundrel! How much did you take advantage of me just now? Calling me Ying’er, calling me your wife—who’s your Ying’er, who’s your wife?” As she spoke, Zhao Ying twisted Lin Fan’s waist with her small hand.

“Come on, it was all for the act, so he’d stop pestering you. Isn’t that right?” Lin Fan sucked in a breath, putting on an innocent face.

“You, you... Tell me, did you kill Hong Tianxiong?” Zhao Ying realized she could never win against this rogue, so she shifted the topic to last night’s events.

Seeing the conversation turn that way, Lin Fan couldn’t be bothered. He rolled his eyes and said, “Where’s your evidence? You need proof for everything.” With that, he got into the car with Fei Fei, ready to leave.

Watching Lin Fan’s retreating figure, Zhao Ying realized she’d used him this time. The rogue had taken advantage, but at least he’d helped get rid of Yan Dong, that annoying pest. She ought to treat him to a meal in return. Thinking this, she called out, “Next time, dinner’s on me.”

“You’ve said that twice already. I’m still waiting. If you can’t afford it, offering yourself would work—I wouldn’t mind,” Lin Fan lowered the window and grinned at Zhao Ying.

Though Lin Fan always acted the rogue, Zhao Ying was certain it was only a facade. As a police officer, she’d apprehended countless scoundrels. With her parents’ status, she’d met plenty of rich heirs, but none had the same “aura” as Lin Fan.

During the meal, Fei Fei kept glancing at her brother. From the moment Zhao Ying appeared, he hadn’t spoken a word to her. She remembered Lin Fan admitting he was Zhao Ying’s boyfriend, and their intimate gestures. It stung. Even though she later learned he was only playing a part for Zhao Ying, Fei Fei still felt a sense of loss. Meanwhile, Lin Fan drove on, clueless about his sister’s feelings.

“Brother, you don’t really like Zhao Ying, do you?” Fei Fei asked hesitantly, forcing a smile.

Lin Fan was taken aback, then laughed. “Silly girl, what are you saying? How could I like her? Look at her—if I married her, I wouldn’t survive!” But inwardly, he thought, “She’s fierce, sure, but that figure is something else—her skin’s got amazing elasticity. Teasing her now and then isn’t bad.”

Fei Fei pouted. “Don’t say you don’t like her. Anyone could see from your actions and glances during dinner that there’s something special between you two.”