NOVPUB
Chapter 89: Chapter 89: The Awakening of the Long-legged Eggplant
"Acting? I really didn’t see that."
Chen Cheng responded with steadiness, "I can only say, if that just now was indeed a performance, then Miss Wen’s acting skills are truly sublime."
Ding!
The elevator doors opened.
Wen Shulin led Chen Cheng out.
But as soon as Chen Cheng looked at the floor indicator, he knew that the place she intended to take him wasn’t the so-called guest room.
Passing through the lounge, at the end, there was a tightly closed room door.
Wen Shulin pushed the door open, and what came into Chen Cheng’s view was a whole wall of red wine and whiskey.
And in a corner of the wall stood a floor-to-ceiling cigar cabinet.
Wen Shulin let go of Chen Cheng’s hand she had been holding, walked over to the cabinet, and without turning her head, asked: "Cohiba, quite suitable for the current atmosphere."
After she spoke, she took out a box as smoothly finished as a piano lacquer from inside and came over to Chen Cheng’s side.
"Please take a seat, Mr. Chen."
Chen Cheng leaned back in the cigar chair, while Wen Shulin unzipped the side of her tube skirt, revealing a glimpse of purple allure.
After sitting down, she crossed her legs and skillfully took one of Chen Cheng’s cigars from the box, rolling and caressing it back and forth on her thigh.
The earthy yellow of the cigar, the fair creaminess of the leg, the contrasting tension of colors, now fully displayed.
The rich aroma of the cigar diffused into the air.
A strand of scent, indistinguishable whether it was the aroma of the cigar or the fragrance of the body, intertwined together, creating an enchanting and ambiguous atmosphere that lingered in this dim, private space.
The movements of Wen Shulin, for any ordinary man, would be a great insinuation.
Chen Cheng lowered his eyelids, concealing the flicker of flame in his eyes.
This elegant and mature woman exuded a unique charm that tantalized his most primal desires deep within.
However, Chen Cheng, after all, had been through crash training.
He seemed to understand Jin Baogen’s precautionary measures at this moment; if he hadn’t been through even more exciting stimulations, he would have probably fallen into Wen Shulin’s trap by now.
Chen Cheng didn’t rush her but waited quietly on the side, wanting to see what Wen Shulin still had to perform.
After three to five minutes, Wen Shulin felt the temperature and looseness were about right, and then she held the cigar in her hands.
She clipped the end of the cigar with a pair of scissors, then delicately brushed the surface of the cigar with her tender fingertips to double-check the looseness.
Once everything was perfect, the conflict of colors at this moment underwent another change.
Her bright red lips parted slightly, gently clamping the earthy yellow cigar, using the moisture of her lips and tongue to test the draw.
Chen Cheng watched this scene, which was alluring to the extreme, yet contained a different kind of ascetic flavor, making one’s heart itch unbearably.
Wen Shulin lifted her eyes to meet Chen Cheng’s intense gaze, with a playful smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Click.
A flame burst forth.
The faint smoke of the cigar spiraled and dispersed in the air, ambiguously blending with a whiff of unfamiliar yet heart-stirring scent.
Wen Shulin’s seductive eyes half-closed, offering the specially-prepared cigar to Chen Cheng.
"Mr. Chen, please, enjoy."
Chen Cheng had smoked cigars before, but only those cheap ones costing around a hundred in cigar bars.
Now, this pricy cigar, bearing the imprint of Wen Shulin’s lipstick at the draw, was probably one-of-a-kind in the world.
Chen Cheng didn’t decline, he took the cigar and took a puff.
The nutmeg flavor was very refreshing, somewhat like eating a chestnut, and the tip of the tongue carried a bit of the bitterness of coffee, very intriguing.
He examined the cigar band and then looked at her, laughing: "Miss Wen, your performance is indeed splendid."
Wen Shulin did not seem to mind Chen Cheng’s detachment and guard, as she smiled faintly, her smile brimming with confidence.
"I intentionally brought this up in front of them just now, all to fight for the best interest for you."
As she spoke, she stood up, bent down, and zipped up her dress.
"So, what is your purpose?" Chen Cheng also threw a straight ball.
Wen Shulin said with a smile, "I will offer a price they simply cannot give."
Chen Cheng pondered for a moment and then as if recalling something, "Again to promote your star fund manager?"
Wen Shulin didn’t deny it; she simply nodded in confirmation.
"Miss Wen, you’re really willing to invest," said Chen Cheng, also very curious about what sort of woman would make Wen Shulin go to such lengths.
He set the cigar down in the ashtray, stood up, and walked around the room.
His gaze swept over the array of fine wines, finally picking up a bottle at random, pretending to check the vintage.
"Mr. Chen, this deal, for you, has no downside," Wen Shulin walked up behind him, saying, "On the contrary, you could make a lot of money."
Chen Cheng turned around, smiling.
"Just now in the car, I already said, how much money is enough to earn?" he continued, "Moreover, isn’t making money as simple as printing paper?"
Chen Cheng’s nonchalance towards money puzzled Wen Shulin a bit.
"Money, indeed, isn’t very interesting," Wen Shulin leaned next to the cigar chair, while saying, "However, the sense of satisfaction money brings, that’s undeniable."
Chen Cheng smiled faintly and walked towards her, locking eyes with her peach blossom-like gaze, "Actually, I’m a person who’s quite easily content and satisfied."
"I’m not interested in your affairs or your fund manager," he added, "But Mr. Jin has handed this matter to me, and I intend to handle it well."
"Besides, you yourself said you’d offer a price they can’t match, so what’s there for you to worry about?" Chen Cheng countered.
Wen Shulin felt a strong sense of pressure emanating from the body of the young man before her.
She reassessed Chen Cheng, the man before her. Though young, those deep eyes of his reflected an ineffable coolness and determination.
Wen Shulin realized that she might have truly underestimated Chen Cheng in the past.
She gracefully stood up and circled to Chen Cheng’s back.
Her fair arm brushed past his elbow almost imperceptibly, tracing an ambiguous arc in the air.
"What worries me are not those four people downstairs." She slowly began, "but the ones who have yet to arrive."
Chen Cheng already had a clue in his mind, it seemed that the real big shots had yet to show up.
But he was still puzzled inside.
Given Wen Shulin’s attitude towards women, a mere celebrity fund manager would probably not warrant her concern.
After all, if even Xia Yubing and Tong Jialu, the two pieces of work she personally admitted being most satisfied with, could be sold to him, it indicated that the person she was looking after was definitely not simple.
Chen Cheng sat back down, picked up the lit cigar, and took another puff.
Amidst the swirling smoke, he seemed to have found the solution to the problem.
As soon as the five-billion package of funds was up for sale, Chen Cheng would know who was managing the deal.
"Mr. Chen, I’ve done so much in hope that you will keep your promise."
Wen Shulin walked over, looking at Chen Cheng, her attitude was very sincere, "Under equal conditions, giving priority to CGG."
Chen Cheng turned his head, looking at her under the dim light, a curve formed on the corner of his mouth.
The clever man immediately understood, "Miss Wen, what you are probably trying to say is, if someone offers a lower price than you, I should notify you first, right?"
Wen Shulin played with her hair, "Dealing with someone as clever as Mr. Chen is really reassuring."
"That’s something you don’t have to worry about. We all dine at the same table, if I delayed or lied about the reporting, you and your partner would find out, wouldn’t you?"
Chen Cheng tentatively asked: "So, where is your bottom line this time?"
Bottom line?
These words seemed to touch a nerve deep within Wen Shulin.
Those bright peach blossom eyes faltered for a moment, but quickly, she regained her usual calm and poise.
"Can accept a small loss, but cannot miss out," she said definitively.
Chen Cheng pondered for a moment, growing increasingly curious about this mysterious fund manager.
He stood up, "Alright, I’ll inform you as soon as possible. You can be ready."
Wen Shulin nodded in agreement, she extended her hand, "Pleasure doing business."
Chen Cheng shook it, "Pleasure doing business."
Coming out from the cigar room, it was almost twelve o’clock.
After the morning’s shenanigans, Chen Cheng was genuinely hungry.
Luckily, Wen Shulin had prepared brunch, he went back to the restaurant alone while Wen Shulin went back to change her clothes.
As soon as he entered the restaurant, Chen Cheng saw the girl he had picked, still sitting by the window.
Li Bo and his squad along with their female companions had vanished, and in the spacious restaurant, the food was plentiful but the staff outnumbered the guests.
Chen Cheng took a plate for himself, selecting some corn and beef, then made his way back.
"You haven’t taken a break yet?" Chen Cheng placed the plate on the table, and the girl looked up with a bright smile.
"Mr. Chen, have you finished your work?"
Chen Cheng nodded, picking up the chopsticks, "Did you eat?"
"Not yet."
"Go get some."
The girl shook her head, "That’s prepared for you, we have dedicated boxed meals."
Chen Cheng was quite surprised, with Wen Shulin’s generous nature, she wouldn’t skimp on a meal.
"Then eat with me." Chen Cheng placed the untouched food in front of the girl, "It’s exactly roughage and high protein, you should be able to accept it."
After saying this, he stood up.
"Mr. Chen, is that alright?"
Chen Cheng smiled, "What’s not alright? Eat up."
Three to five minutes later, he brought back some salmon and sea urchin, "Try this."
The girl blinked, "Isn’t this too lavish? My agent will scold me!"
Chen Cheng then understood why she hadn’t eaten, it was to control her figure.
"Where’s your agent?"
"In the car waiting." The girl pointed towards the direction of the parking lot.
Chen Cheng smiled, "Then you can eat without worry, it’s just the two of us here. No worries."
"It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten something this appetizing!" There was a sparkle in the girl’s eyes.
"By the way, what’s your name?" Chen Cheng finally remembered to ask.
"Liu Zhiya."
Chen Cheng followed up, "Is it tiring being a model?"
"It’s quite exhausting now, but I guess it won’t be tiring if I become famous, right?" Liu Zhiya wasn’t sure.
Chen Cheng chuckled, "If you really become famous, wouldn’t you have more ads to endorse, shows to walk, and photos to shoot? Wouldn’t that be more exhausting?"
"At least there would be money!" Liu Zhiya complained, "Not like now, barely earning anything and still so tiring."
"Ha ha ha, you’re quite frank."
Liu Zhiya gingerly picked up a slice of salmon, "My personality has cost me a lot!"
"Like what?" Chen Cheng curiously asked, "It wouldn’t be..."
"Mr. Chen! I’ve been looking for you!"
Li Bo’s voice came from behind Chen Cheng, sounding very enthusiastic, "Turns out you’re here flirting!"
