Chapter 25: Is It an Accident...?

"Ming Ge, you were so awesome just now! I'm completely smitten with you!"

Tang Ran bounced out of the restaurant and suddenly turned around to shout at Zhou Ming. Clearly, after witnessing Zhou Ming's absolute control over the situation in front of Director Yang, she thought Zhou Ming was the most impressive man in the world!

Zhou Ming awkwardly touched his nose. Although he had the psychological age of someone in their forties, he still felt embarrassed by such a forward confession from a young beauty, especially with Lin Muqing standing beside him. As for Director Yang and Zheng Jie, they had left earlier, and Zhou Ming stayed a bit longer in the restaurant with Lin Muqing and Tang Ran.

"Alright, you've had a bit too much to drink. You should head home quickly, or your parents will start worrying," Zhou Ming said to Tang Ran.

Tang Ran pouted, "I don't want to! If they knew I was with such an amazing person like you, they wouldn't be worried at all."

"Ran Ran, be good. Don't be stubborn. I still have some things to do with Muqing Jie. Can you take a cab back by yourself, or do you need us to give you a ride?" Zhou Ming asked.

Tang Ran shook her head, "No need. I'll take a cab myself. You should stay with Muqing Jie."

Zhou Ming saw Tang Ran into a taxi and then took another taxi with Lin Muqing back to their hotel.

On the way, Zhou Ming noticed Lin Muqing seemed to be in a bad mood and felt a bit of a headache. He said to Lin Muqing, "Muqing Jie, Ran Ran still has a bit of a childish nature. Please don't hold it against her."

Lin Muqing turned to Zhou Ming and gave a slight smile but didn't say anything. When they reached the Tianyun Hotel, where their rooms were across from each other, Lin Muqing suddenly turned to Zhou Ming and said, "Will you stay and talk with me for a while?"

Zhou Ming nodded and followed Lin Muqing into her room. Lin Muqing mentioned she was a bit thirsty, so Zhou Ming poured her a glass of water.

After Lin Muqing took a sip, Zhou Ming asked, "Muqing Jie, are you still thinking about what happened earlier?"

"Sort of," Lin Muqing's answer was vague. "I wouldn't be jealous of Ran Ran. On the contrary, I envy her innocence and purity, and how she can say whatever she wants."

Zhou Ming was about to say something but held back, understanding that some people become emotional after drinking. Now that Lin Muqing seemed to want to talk, it might be an opportunity to get to know her better.

Lin Muqing didn't know Zhou Ming's thoughts. She tilted her head and said, "You know, I'm an unlucky woman. Any man related to me meets a bad end. That's why they say I'm like a fox spirit who drains men's essence. Aren't you afraid?"

Zhou Ming shook his head, "If you were really a fox spirit, I would be afraid. But I know you're just a misunderstood, pitiful person."

As soon as Zhou Ming finished speaking, tears began to flow down Lin Muqing's cheeks. She said softly, "Why do you believe in me? You're a fool. Don't you know that I came to Nanjing to make you work hard to earn money, so I could then kill you and take all your money?"

"No matter if you believe it or not, I've already died once. So my life is quite tough. You won't be able to kill me, and your plan will never come to fruition," Zhou Ming said, changing the subject. "But that's not the point. The most important thing is that I believe you are a good woman, and everything about you is just jealousy and slander from others."

"Slander and defamation?" Lin Muqing murmured, then suddenly burst into laughter. "No, you're really an idiot. I am a fox spirit, the woman with the worst heart and the most vicious nature in the world. Otherwise, how would he have died in a car accident? How would he have drowned in the river? How would he have been electrocuted to death… It's all my fault. Women like me shouldn't be born into this world. I'm an unlucky person!"

Seeing Lin Muqing getting more agitated, Zhou Ming hurriedly went up to hug her and said, "Muqing Jie, don't be like this. It's not your fault."

But Lin Muqing couldn't hear Zhou Ming's words. Seeing her getting more intense, Zhou Ming thought of a rather unreliable method that appeared in some stories. He gently cupped her face and kissed her red lips.

Lin Muqing's voice was silenced, and she could only make muffled sounds. Slowly, she calmed down, and her hands, which had been flailing and pushing Zhou Ming, now wrapped around his neck.

When she had completely calmed down, Zhou Ming finally pulled away from her lips.

Lin Muqing stared at Zhou Ming with wide eyes, murmuring, "You're the first man to kiss me…"

This startled Zhou Ming. From Lin Muqing's current state, it was clear she wasn't fully sober, and her words were likely true. This made Zhou Ming even more anxious because he hadn't expected that Lin Muqing's first kiss would be with him.

Zhou Ming felt panicked: What should he do? Would she report him for being inappropriate when she sobered up? Or perhaps they could discuss that it was also his first kiss? But a man's first kiss compared to a woman's—there's no comparison. She definitely wouldn't let him off...

As Zhou Ming was pondering this, he sneaked a glance at Lin Muqing, only to find that her eyes were closed, her breathing steady, and she had fallen asleep.

Zhou Ming sighed in relief: Perhaps she was already ready to sleep, and she might not remember it tomorrow?

Thinking this, Zhou Ming calmed himself and gently placed Lin Muqing on the bed, removed her high heels, and when he looked up, he was startled. Because of the way he had been holding her, her skirt had slid up, exposing her beautifully long legs in stockings.

A woman with beautiful legs isn't necessarily pretty, but a pretty woman will have beautiful legs.

Zhou Ming hadn't believed this before, but now he was convinced. Although he wasn't particularly obsessed with legs, Lin Muqing's beautiful legs had a significant attraction for him. They were very well-proportioned and straight, and the flesh-colored stockings clung to her skin like a second layer, which Zhou Ming remembered feeling as he helped her remove her high heels. The silky touch was almost irresistible.

No, I can't take advantage of her. If I really crossed the line, she might report me. I have many things to do, and Su Han is still waiting for me in Lin Yang. I can't make mistakes here!

Zhou Ming swallowed hard and bit his tongue, the pain helping to clear his mind.

He covered Lin Muqing with the blanket, obscuring her exposed parts, reducing temptation.

Then Zhou Ming poured a glass of water and placed it on the bedside table in case Lin Muqing got thirsty during the night. After doing this, as he was about to leave, Lin Muqing suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhou Ming's hand, murmuring, "Zhou Ming, don't go!"

Zhou Ming looked up and saw a fearful expression on her face.

Could she be having a nightmare? He hadn't expected her to be so vulnerable despite her usual strong appearance. Perhaps she was very fragile inside and longed for a man's protection.

Thinking this, Zhou Ming moved a chair to sit beside the bed, holding Lin Muqing's hand and falling asleep there.

The next morning, the sensation in his hand woke Zhou Ming. He opened his eyes to find Lin Muqing awake, rubbing her temples and looking at him warily.

"Muqing Jie, you're awake. Last night, you were the one who didn't want me to leave," Zhou Ming said with an awkward smile.

Lin Muqing nodded, "I remember. I still have a clear impression of what happened last night."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Muqing said, "Zhou Ming, we were both drunk last night, and we crossed some boundaries. You have a bright future ahead of you, with many better things to come. I hope you don't dwell on yesterday. Let's just consider it a dream that shouldn't have happened, okay?"

Lin Muqing's calm tone left Zhou Ming stunned. Was this the difference between a mature woman and a naive girl? Naive girls would be nervous, shy, or even cry and regret. But Lin Muqing calmly analyzed the situation and advised herself to forget, treating yesterday as a dream.

But... is Lin Muqing really as strong and proud as she appears?

Zhou Ming smiled and shook his head inwardly.

"Don't worry, Muqing Jie. I still have a sense of propriety. If you were as beautiful as you are, I might have lost control last night," Zhou Ming said, "But... I still have to apologize to you."

Lin Muqing shook her head, "It's okay. I've already said that last night was just a dream. Since it's a dream, let's not mention it again, okay? I'm grateful that you stayed with me for the night. I need to get up now. Today, I need to meet Director Yang to exchange for Hong Kong dollars. We need to get up and change clothes quickly."

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Okay, Muqing Jie. I'll head back now. I'll come back in an hour to call you downstairs for breakfast."

Lin Muqing nodded, and Zhou Ming left her room, exhaling deeply. He thought it was fortunate that Lin Muqing was a mature woman who wouldn't dwell on what happened last night. But the memory of Lin Muqing's soft and moist lips was unforgettable.

Meanwhile, in Lin Muqing's room, she sat on the bed, absentmindedly touching her lips, murmuring, "Why? Why did that happen between us? He was actually the first man to kiss me? Could it be that we..."

Lin Muqing then shook her head vigorously, "No, he's younger than me. I only see him as a younger brother. Doesn't he always call me Muqing Jie? Last night was just an accident. It must be an accident... right?"

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