198: Chapter 198 I'll Buy You a Bag Tomorrow

Chen Fan pushed open the car door and got out. The night wind poured in from the garage entrance. Although Chen Fan didn't feel cold, the draft made him feel instantly more awake.

Qiao Linlin also got out from the other side. With a "click," she locked the car door and took two steps on the concrete floor in her high heels, her footsteps echoing crisply in the empty garage.

Chen Fan looked at her and saw that her hands were empty.

As if remembering something, he couldn't help but speak up: "You didn't win anything in today's lucky draw?"

"Nope." Qiao Linlin pouted, "My luck was terrible today. I didn't win a single prize from start to finish."

"Then I'll give you a day off tomorrow to comfort your wounded little heart."

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Qiao Linlin said somewhat nonchalantly, "A day off can't compare to winning a prize. I was thinking that even if I didn't win the first prize, I might get a second prize, but in the end, there wasn't even a shadow of a third prize."

Chen Fan didn't win because he had Qiao Linlin remove his name from the draw.

But Qiao Linlin not winning was indeed a stroke of bad luck. With dozens of prizes and about a 50% chance of winning, she hadn't won a single one.

He looked at the somewhat aggrieved Qiao Linlin and said:

"Tomorrow we'll go to the mall, and I'll buy you a bag."

Qiao Linlin snapped her head up, her eyes sparkling, her voice filled with excitement: "Really?"

Chen Fan looked at her instantly brightened face and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, reaching out to gently flick the tip of her nose: "When have I ever lied to you?"

"That's not for sure." Qiao Linlin giggled, returning to her usual playful self, "What if you drink too much and forget?"

"Qiao Linlin, I've noticed you're getting more and more presumptuous lately."

"Then, Boss, are you going to punish me?" Qiao Linlin tilted her head and blinked, putting on a pitiful act, though her eyes were full of mischief.

"I'm planning to sell you."

"An assistant as well-behaved, cute, and capable of warming the bed as me—would you really have the heart to sell me?"

He gave her head a light flick. "Alright, stop being cheeky. Hurry up and press the elevator button."

"As you command, Boss." Qiao Linlin smiled and pressed the up button, her finger tapping it lightly.

The elevator arrived, the doors opened, and the two walked in.

Qiao Linlin pressed the floor button, and the elevator doors slowly closed.

Back home, Chen Fan changed his shoes and slumped into the sofa, letting out a long sigh as he sank into it.

Tossing and turning through the annual meeting all night, while his body wasn't tired, his mind was indeed a bit exhausted.

"I'm going to take a shower." Qiao Linlin stood at the bedroom door, holding a change of clothes.

Chen Fan looked up at her. Under the lights, that white hosting gown with its waist-cinching design and ankle-length skirt looked stunning. Her hair was still pinned up, and although her earrings were off, she still looked so exquisite that she didn't seem like someone who had just finished an annual meeting, but rather someone who had just stepped off a grand gala stage.

"Don't change out of those clothes yet," Chen Fan said.

Qiao Linlin naturally understood his meaning. She looked down at the gown she was wearing and said with some hesitation, "This dress is rented."

"Buy it then. We'll just put it on the company's expenses."

A hint of a smile flashed in Qiao Linlin's eyes, and she couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth. Her voice was as light as if she were humming: "Okay then."

She turned and walked into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Chen Fan looked away, leaned back on the sofa, and picked up his phone to scroll through it casually.

Photos from the annual meeting were already spreading in the company group. There were pictures of smiling faces going up to receive prizes, people holding phones and laptops, and others posing with gold bars. It was very lively.

He looked at a few photos and the corners of his mouth curled up.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of shoes clicking on the floor came from the direction of the bedroom.

He looked up.

Sure enough, Qiao Linlin walked out wearing today's hosting gown. The white skirt swayed gently with her steps, and the waist-cinching design perfectly outlined her figure.

Her hair had been let down at some point, cascading over her shoulders in slight waves.

On her feet were a pair of silver high heels at least twelve centimeters high. The surface of the shoes shimmered under the light, making her legs look straight and long.

She walked to the center of the living room, did a pirouette, her skirt flaring slightly, then stood still, tilting her head to look at him.

"Boss, how is it? Do I look good?"

Chen Fan scanned her for a few moments, his gaze sliding from the smile on her face to the lines of her neck and shoulders, down the waistline of the gown, and finally landing on those high heels.

Under the lights, she seemed to be coated in a thin layer of radiance. Even though it was the same person and the same dress, with the change of setting and lighting, the feeling was completely different.

A flash of heat appeared in his eyes.

"Let's go, come inside with me." Chen Fan stood up from the sofa and reached out his hand to her. "I need to inspect your hosting skills."

Qiao Linlin glanced at him, her eyes filled with a touch of charm, the corners of her mouth curling slightly as she gently placed her hand in his palm.

"Then Boss must inspect me slowly." Her voice was soft, like a cat's paw scratching at one's palm.

Chen Fan gripped her hand and turned to walk toward the bedroom.

The sound of high heels clicking on the floor echoed behind him, steady and rhythmic, like a certain beat.

The bedroom door closed behind them.

Soon, a beautiful melody of singing echoed within the bedroom.

...

Early the next morning, Chen Fan woke up from his sleep.

Feeling a sense of weight on him, he looked down to see Qiao Linlin nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly with steady breathing.

Chen Fan gently pulled his arm out from under Qiao Linlin.

The moment his arm came out, a wave of numbness washed over him. He shook his hand, propped himself up, and sat up.

Clothes were scattered everywhere in the room.

The white hosting gown from last night was now tossed by the bedside, the skirt crumpled into a ball, and the stitching on the shoulder strap had been torn open.

This gown was worth over five thousand yuan. It was originally rented, but now it would have to be bought.

He looked away, got dressed, and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

While brushing his teeth in front of the mirror, he noticed faint red marks on his neck. He tilted his head to look, tried to cover them with his collar, found he couldn't, and simply gave up.

After finishing his washing, he came out to find Qiao Linlin still asleep. She had wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, leaving only her head exposed, curled up like a shrimp.

Chen Fan stood by the bed and glanced at her. He didn't wake her and pushed the door open to walk out.

Twenty minutes later, the door was pushed open again, and Chen Fan walked in, carrying the breakfast he had just bought.

Actually, in this day and age without food delivery, Chen Fan was still a bit unaccustomed to it.

If he wanted something hot to eat in the morning, he had to go downstairs and buy it himself.

As Chen Fan carried the breakfast toward the dining area, a thought crossed his mind—should he start a food delivery business?

This industry was still a vast blue ocean, and the truly big players hadn't entered the field yet.

Ele.me had only just started in 2009 and had been developing for only a year or so at this point.

Meituan's food delivery service wouldn't go online until 2013; right now, there wasn't even a shadow of it.

He thought about it for a moment but decided to give up on the idea.