Chapter 12: A Gigolo?

Yang Ning grew more excited as he spoke, completely oblivious to the fact that Lin Manxuan beside him was already on the verge of exploding.

“Yang Ning!”

A piercing scream nearly shook the entire villa. Lin Manxuan was fuming, her face red with anger as she pointed at Yang Ning, her delicate figure trembling uncontrollably.

Yang Ning snapped back to reality, inwardly cursing himself for running his mouth. How had he carelessly spilled his true thoughts?

Without needing any prompting, Yang Ning bolted, running for his life in one swift motion.

“Don’t run, you bastard!”

Lin Manxuan, consumed by rage, chased after him without a care for her image.

It seemed Yang Ning had truly hit a nerve this time. Whether it was because he had badmouthed her younger sister or mocked her for being old and losing value with age, no one could tell.

Soon, two heads—one big, one small—peeked out from the kitchen.

“A lioness’s roar from the east! Tongtong, looks like we missed an entertaining episode of a soap opera,” Dongfang Fei'er said with keen interest. She was already scheming how to cozy up to Yang Ning later and pry out the full story.

Little Loli nodded her small head seriously, speaking with an air of maturity beyond her years. “That big pervert must have done something utterly shameless, despicable, and low!”

Using three ‘utterly’s in a row, it was clear that Yang Ning’s image in Little Loli’s mind wasn’t just bad—it was the textbook definition of a villain.

Suddenly, Little Loli’s imagination ran wild. “Could it be that my sister was forcibly kissed by that big pervert?” Her eyes lit up with excitement as she continued, “Then, is the baby in sister’s belly a boy or a girl? Am I going to be an auntie?”

Dongfang Fei'er stared at Little Loli, speechless. Clearly, this girl had a very shallow understanding of her own sister. If Lin Manxuan had truly been forcibly kissed, she’d probably be chasing the culprit across the world with a cleaver by now.

And who on earth told her that a kiss could result in a baby?

The next day, Yang Ning sat in the back seat of the car, yawning with bleary eyes, looking like he hadn’t slept a wink.

Lin Manxuan, who was driving, still had a cold expression on her face, her anger evidently not yet subsided.

After entering the downtown area of Huahai City, the car moved through traffic, stopping and starting until it passed a checkpoint and pulled into the underground parking lot of an office building.

After parking, Lin Manxuan opened the door and said coldly, “Get out.” She pressed the car key to lock it, then walked toward the elevator without another word.

Yang Ning obediently followed behind, watching Lin Manxuan’s every step and the subtle sway of her body. Sneaking a peek so openly… no, gazing at her like this, was just too satisfying!

“You, walk in front!” Lin Manxuan suddenly turned around, her icy face slightly flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

Damn, do you have eyes on the back of your head?

Yang Ning grumbled inwardly but forced a dry laugh. “I don’t know the way. You lead.”

“I said walk in front, less nonsense!” Lin Manxuan’s brows furrowed, looking like she was about to erupt again.

“Fine, fine, don’t get worked up. I’ll go, alright?”

Fearing he’d trigger this woman’s sensitive nerves again—last night’s misery was still fresh in his mind—Yang Ning didn’t dare test her limits.

Lin Manxuan shot him an annoyed glare before slowly following behind. If Dongfang Fei'er were here, she’d be shocked beyond belief. She’d never imagine that Lin Manxuan, always so cold and aloof, could show such a petulant, almost coquettish side!

This was simply unthinkable!

“Good morning, President Lin.”

The Lin Family’s business was on the sixth floor. As soon as they entered, the receptionist greeted Lin Manxuan respectfully.

Not bad, Yang Ning thought. This receptionist was quite pretty, with fair skin and a decent figure. She could barely pass as a beauty.

“Yo, Manxuan, back already? Did everything go well?” An old man with a graying beard sat on a chair, wearing a pair of reading glasses and holding an antique snuff bottle of unknown origin.

Lin Manxuan walked over to the old man, about to speak, when she was interrupted.

A man nearby hurried over, taking three steps in one stride. “Miss Lin, good morning! I’m Zhou Xuebin. We’ve met before, remember? Last time I returned to the country, my dad invited the whole company to dinner at Tianya Seafood Restaurant. You were there, and we even clinked glasses.”

“Don’t remember,” Lin Manxuan replied coldly, her brows slightly furrowed.

Honestly, Zhou Xuebin’s attempt at striking up a conversation was pretty lame. Several nearby female staff members covered their mouths, stifling giggles.

Zhou Xuebin looked to be around twenty-six, with fair skin that suggested a pampered upbringing. He likely lived a life of luxury, never lifting a finger. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he appeared refined and decent-looking. Dressed in a well-fitted casual suit, he could pass as a ‘prince charming’ in the eyes of naive young girls.

But Lin Manxuan didn’t give him any face. Zhou Xuebin’s smile faltered slightly. To ease the awkwardness, he glanced at Yang Ning with a forced grin. “Miss Lin, is this little brother a friend of yours? He looks unfamiliar.”

Little brother?

Yang Ning rubbed his nose. Little? If there’s a chance, we’ll have to compare at the urinal. Don’t feel inferior, buddy.

Seeing Lin Manxuan remain silent, Zhou Xuebin raised an eyebrow, his smile toward Yang Ning now tinged with disdain. “He’s not a bodyguard, is he? He looks pretty young. Can his body handle it?”

Yang Ning stroked his chin, giving a half-smile. “Being young is good. Full of energy, strong stamina, plenty of drive, lasting power, and a body that doesn’t lose shape easily. Nowadays, customers’ demands are getting higher. Eating this bowl of youthful rice is getting tougher.”

His words sounded odd. Lin Manxuan’s face flushed slightly, while Zhou Xuebin’s imagination went wild. He looked at Lin Manxuan in disbelief, then at Yang Ning with wide-eyed shock. “A gigolo?”

Cough… cough…

The gray-bearded old man, who was sipping tea, choked and spat it out. Many in the company overheard, casting strange looks between Yang Ning and Lin Manxuan.

Of course, there were hostile glares too!

The young, unmarried male employees wanted to tear Yang Ning apart. Could this guy really have a relationship with their goddess, Lin Manxuan, that went beyond friendship?

Yang Ning’s face darkened. Holy shit, does this guy even know how to speak properly? He looks decent enough, but how is his mind so filthy?

“Ahem, Mr. Zhou, you can eat nonsense, but you can’t speak it. I don’t care as a grown man, but…”

Yang Ning dragged out his words, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone as he pointed at Lin Manxuan. “Whether President Lin can brush it off like I can, that’s hard to say.”

Meeting Lin Manxuan’s furious gaze, Zhou Xuebin’s face turned green. Before, he might have just been rude to a lady, but now, he’d outright offended her.

Blushing and lowering his head, Zhou Xuebin bit his lip hard, wishing he could slap himself twice. Why did he have to be so cheap?

Even if Lin Manxuan was really involved in something, even with ironclad proof, you don’t say it—no, shout it—in public!