Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Tricky Client 07

Zuo Yi only brushed his lips against hers lightly before pulling away quickly. Watching Qiao Shan’s dazed expression, a faint sense of satisfaction bubbled up inside him.

Even though she’d considered the possibility, Qiao Shan still couldn’t shake off the massive shock. This guy had never followed her script from the very beginning!

She forced her breathing to steady, lifted her sleeve, and vigorously wiped her mouth, glaring at him with wide eyes. “I told you to kiss me, and you actually did it!”

Zuo Yi felt inexplicably good, raising an eyebrow. “You told me to kiss you—why wouldn’t I?” If he didn’t, wouldn’t that just confirm he was gay?

“You’re right, I can’t interfere with your freedom of speech, so do whatever.” He paused, his casual tone carrying a hint of challenge. “You slandered my reputation, and I still went along with it, lowering myself to kiss you. Don’t you think that makes me pretty magnanimous?”

“You!” Qiao Shan pointed at him, glaring. “You did that on purpose! You’re just dragging someone down with you even if it kills you, huh? No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend—you’re a thug!”

“Oh, how I’ve wronged you,” Zuo Yi said, patting her shoulder. “To think you’d let a thug like me kiss you.”

Qiao Shan was so furious she jumped up and down on the spot, wishing she could kill him with her glare.

“What? Feeling upset? Not satisfied?” Zuo Yi pressed his advantage, tapping his slender finger against his thin lips with a voice that was almost seductive. “If you’re not satisfied, kiss me back, hm?”

What an enticing tap on the lips, what a captivating face and a voice that could melt ears.

But all she wanted was to punch him—nothing else! This was the first time she’d ever lost an argument, and clutching her mouth, her chest filled with nothing but grievance!

As a 21st-century young woman, Qiao Shan figured a kiss wasn’t a big deal, but facing this guy’s smug face right now, she was shaking with anger.

The elevator repairman hadn’t arrived yet, and the two of them were at each other’s throats, neither backing down.

Zuo Yi leaned casually against the elevator wall, glancing at Qiao Shan with her fists clenched tight. The girl was clearly fuming, her white upper teeth biting down on her lower lip, a sheen of moisture gathering in her eyes.

He looked away, his voice cool and distant. “Don’t assume you can guess what others are thinking based on your own mindset. You must have thought I wouldn’t dare, right?”

Qiao Shan wiped her mouth again, frowning as she glanced at him, silent for a moment before saying, “Talking about you behind your back was wrong of me, and you kissing me was my bad luck, so let’s call it even.”

Zuo Yi replied icily, “I got the short end too.”

Qiao Shan said, “Fine, fine, you got the short end, you got the short end. Let’s just pretend nothing happened, okay?”

*

Back home, Qiao Shan thoroughly rinsed her mouth.

During dinner, her mood was low. Dudu trotted over, nuzzling her leg with his head, then pushed his dog bowl toward her with his snout and barked twice.

Qiao Shan thought Dudu was trying to comfort her by sharing his food, and a wave of emotion hit her, her nose tingling a bit.

…Dudu was still the best, actually knowing how to cheer her up.

She split half the ham from her instant noodle bowl and gave it to him. The dog happily grabbed his bowl and headed to the balcony.

Qiao Shan: “…”

She hadn’t even finished her noodles when the doorbell rang.

Who could it be?

No one she knew was aware of this place—could it be Zuo Yi coming to apologize?

Okay, that was obviously unrealistic.

Qiao Shan set her noodle bowl on the cardboard coffee table and shuffled to the door in her slippers. Peeking through the peephole, she saw no one. When she opened the door, Ying Shengnan, dressed in jeans, suddenly appeared in her view with a flower clamped in his mouth.

Leaning against the doorframe, Ying Shengnan removed the red rose from his lips and handed it to her. “Good evening, Miss Qiao.”

Qiao Shan froze for a second, glanced at the opposite door, took the rose from him, and quickly yanked him inside. She looked up at Ying Shengnan, puzzled. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you afraid Zuo Yi will see you?”

“I’m betting he’s buried in work right now.” Ying Shengnan was nonchalant, striding further in.

He scanned the empty living room. No furniture at all—not even a simple stool. In the center were a few cardboard boxes, topped with a steaming bowl of instant noodles.

Ying Shengnan walked over, picked up the bowl, and sniffed it near his nose. “This is what you’re having for dinner?” He turned to look at her, flashing a warm smile with zero boss vibes.

“Yeah.” As she spoke, Qiao Shan dragged out another large cardboard box from somewhere and pushed it toward Ying Shengnan. “Here, sit.”

Ying Shengnan sat down and asked, “Got any more noodles? Hook me up with a bowl.”

Qiao Shan blinked, surprised. “You eat this stuff, big boss?”

“Why? Can’t I?” Ying Shengnan shot back.

Two minutes later.

Qiao Shan and Ying Shengnan each had a bowl of instant noodles, squatting in a row in the empty living room, chatting as they ate.

“How’s the progress?”

“Your little brother doesn’t have a girlfriend for a reason.”

“How so?”

Qiao Shan recounted everything from the past few days without holding back, including how Zuo Yi had grabbed her when she fell but then let go. Ying Shengnan hadn’t expected her to spill all that to him. He asked, “I think Zuo Yi might like you a bit.”

“Pfft—” Qiao Shan sprayed out a mouthful of noodles. “Bro, are you joking?”

Ying Shengnan raised an eyebrow. “Hey, good sister-in-law, switching to that title already?”

… Qiao Shan choked on the spicy broth, coughing hard, her heart aching. She set down her bowl, shifted her numb squatting legs, and said deliberately, “Mr. Ying, please don’t joke about me and your brother. You know, I was his elementary school classmate—I bullied him back then. If he finds out I’m that girl who picked on him, with his temper, you know what he’d do, right?”

Ying Shengnan blinked. “Oh, probably marry you.”

“Mr.—Ying!” Qiao Shan was getting annoyed. “If you keep making jokes like that, I’m dropping this gig.”

“No can do—the contract says if you bail midway, the penalty’s double the total amount.” Ying Shengnan’s tone was light, but it pinned her down firmly.

Qiao Shan waved it off. “Fine, fine, whatever. Since he kissed me, that proves he’s not gay. I can start trying to secretly set him up with other girls.”

Ying Shengnan said, “Little Qiao, him kissing you just means he was pissed off, right? How does that prove his orientation? A straight guy mistaken for gay might kiss you in anger. But a gay guy could do it as a prank too—for them, women are basically the same s3x, aren’t they?”

Qiao Shan pinched her chin, thinking he had a point.

Ying Shengnan paused and added, “Zuo Yi can’t hold his liquor and usually skips social drinks. I know next Tuesday night, he’s got an important event at Tiannan Song City. You could test him again then—do I need to tell you how?”

Qiao Shan narrowed her eyes at him. “You mean get him drunk? Seduce him? Test if his body reacts to men or women?”

“Mm-hmm.” Ying Shengnan snapped his fingers. “A man’s instincts when drunk don’t lie—gays really repel women’s bodies.”