Chapter 43: A Good Deed Ruined

On the computer screen, there was a woman, her face alight with excitement and screams—of course, Tang Rui couldn’t hear the sound, but she watched the scene intently, as if she were engrossed in a Korean drama. In her heart, she couldn’t help but wonder: “Why does that woman look so... blissful and satisfied, as if she’s truly enjoying herself? Is it really that... pleasurable?”

After a long stretch of silence in the room, Lin Fan secretly cracked open one eye, only to see Tang Rui staring intently at the computer screen. Tang Rui didn’t notice Lin Fan watching her; her eyes remained fixed, unblinking, on the couple onscreen.

Lin Fan glanced at the screen, a sly grin curling at his lips. That wild final moment left Tang Rui’s cheeks even more flushed, but in her heart she thought, Will I have to serve a man like that in the future?

Satisfied that he’d achieved his goal, Lin Fan stretched lazily and stood up, feigning surprise as he asked, “When did you get here? Why didn’t you call me?” As he spoke, he pretended to glance at the computer screen as if nothing were amiss, then muttered, “Why did it stop? I remember the computer was still running when I fell asleep.”

At his question, Tang Rui was clearly flustered, her heart thudding wildly. If Lin Fan discovered what she’d just done, who knew what he might say? Forcing herself to calm down, she avoided his gaze and replied, “It was already like this when I came in. What’s wrong?” But her mind was still filled with the blazing scene from the video.

“You go ahead, I’ve got things to do, so I’ll be off,” Tang Rui blurted, unable to bear staying any longer. She hurriedly made for the door, all but forgetting the reason she’d come in the first place.

Watching Tang Rui’s retreating figure, Lin Fan’s lips curled into a conspiratorial smile. “Maybe I should let Zhao Ying see a movie like that too. Then I’ll have something to look forward to!”

He checked his watch—exactly two hours had passed. As expected, Tan Zhiyong had sent over all the designs. Lin Fan didn’t really understand them, nor could he tell if they were right or wrong, but since they came from Tan Zhiyong, he trusted there’d be no mistakes. He copied the files onto a portable hard drive, then walked into Tang Rui’s office.

Tang Rui was hunched over her computer, working intently—or so it seemed. On closer inspection, she was a bit distracted. After all, how could a woman like Tang Rui forget the scene she’d just witnessed so quickly? It lingered in her mind, vivid and unshakable, and thinking of it now, she felt a faint sense of anticipation.

“Are you alright?” Lin Fan asked, deliberately moving closer.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Tang Rui replied, trying to sound unruffled.

“Did you finish?” she asked, eyeing the hard drive in Lin Fan’s hand with suspicion. She knew he’d either been napping or watching something indecent earlier, and it was hard to believe he’d completed the task so quickly.

“Why don’t you open it and see for yourself?” Lin Fan said, handing her the drive with a slight smirk.

Tang Rui took it, still skeptical, and plugged it into her computer. As she opened the folder, she was startled by what she saw, letting out a sudden shriek. Brow furrowed, she snapped, “Lin Fan, are you that bored? What are you up to?” If it weren’t for Lin Yan’s sake, she’d have thrown Lin Fan out right then and there. Even the most even-tempered woman has a limit; how could she tolerate being teased like this?

Lin Fan hadn’t expected her reaction and cursed Tan Zhiyong under his breath. He’d been startled by the same prank himself—apparently, Tan Zhiyong had felt insulted by Lin Fan’s questions and set a jump-scare pop-up in the folder. That explained Tang Rui’s scream.

“Relax, take it easy. Look again, more closely,” Lin Fan said with a gentle smile. After all, nothing is more disarming than a confident smile. Seeing it, Tang Rui’s suspicion melted into curiosity, and she looked again.

The more she looked, the more excited she became. Her furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and soon a bright, joyful smile appeared on her lips. If this software was finished, the company would secure the IBM contract, and her position would be much more secure—at least she wouldn’t disappoint her grandfather’s expectations.

In truth, for the company’s sake, Tang Rui wanted Lin Fan to succeed with the software. But on a personal level, she’d hoped he’d fail—not for the compensation, but because she wanted to win the bet and finally see Lin Fan lose to her. Ever since meeting Lin Fan, she’d always ended up on the losing end—whether in words or, even more embarrassingly, having her body thoroughly seen by him. As a woman, how could she accept this without a fight? That was why she’d proposed the bet. Now that Lin Fan had succeeded, she didn’t know whether to feel happy or not. Soon, she would have to kiss this rascal right in front of her—her first kiss, no less. Could she really give it away just like that?

“Well? I did what I said I would. Shouldn’t you show me a little appreciation?” Lin Fan pointed to his lips, clearly reminding her of their wager.

Tang Rui paused, but then thought: Of course this scoundrel wouldn’t forget! As Lin Fan leaned in, her heart pounded wildly—she was nervous, but also a little expectant. Just at that crucial moment, Lin Fan’s phone rang.

“Damn it, who the hell is ruining my moment? When I’m done, I’ll kill him,” Lin Fan cursed inwardly.

“Your phone’s ringing,” Tang Rui pointed out.

Lin Fan wanted to ignore it until he’d finished, but since Tang Rui had noticed, he couldn’t keep going. He answered, saying, “Spit it out, make it quick, or I’ll kill you.”

“Boss, did I interrupt something?” Mo Fei asked, taken aback by Lin Fan’s abruptness. It didn’t take much to guess that his boss was up to no good.

“Cut the crap and get to the point,” Lin Fan snapped impatiently. After all, Mo Fei had just ruined his chance.

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