The villainous female supporting character beckons, and the aloof male lead kneels down to pamper he

Chapter 87 Out of Control

He stood beside her desk, lightly tapped the surface with his finger, and said in a deep, magnetic voice, "Let me see the translated transmission data."

Lin Shuyao said "oh," opened the drawer, and prepared to find the translated materials. But she paused halfway through, suddenly remembering that she hadn't finished translating the materials he needed.

She was sick for a few days, which delayed her progress. There were also a few things she wasn't sure about and needed to look up information, but the information had been borrowed by another colleague and hadn't been returned yet. This meant that her work wasn't finished and was still a little short.

Who would have thought that Cheng Zheng would suddenly need a check-up today?

While searching, Lin Shuyao glanced at Cheng Zheng out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was still there, clearly waiting for her to find the information.

She had previously assured him that her illness wouldn't affect her work, but now she's proven wrong.

She guiltily looked away, her small, pale hands rummaging through the drawer, seemingly very busy, but she didn't take out the document for a long time.

"Did you find it?" Cheng Zheng asked suddenly after standing there for a while.

"N-no." Lin Shuyao felt guilty, and her confidence naturally waned, completely lacking the self-assuredness she had shown when speaking to him in the corridor.

"Then keep looking, I'll wait for you." Cheng Zheng seemed to have figured something out, but he wasn't in a hurry. He just stood aside with his hands at his sides, waiting patiently.

Lin Shuyao's small hands rummaged through the drawer again, touching each document several times. Unable to continue the act any longer, she reluctantly pulled out the document he wanted, bit her lip, and looked up, saying, "I...I suddenly remembered that there are a few problems with this document. Can I check it first before giving it to you?"

Cheng Zheng raised an eyebrow: "What's the problem?"

"There are a few technical terms that I don't know how to translate accurately."

"Bring the documents with you and come to my office."

After saying that, Cheng Zheng turned and walked out.

Lin Shuyao could only pack up the documents, hold them in her arms, and get up to leave. Before leaving, she suddenly remembered something and also put the watch box and jewelry box in her pocket.

Factory representative's office.

"Sit," Cheng Zheng said, slightly raising his chin to signal Lin Shuyao.

Lin Shuyao sat down with the documents in her arms, her bottom barely touching the edge of the chair. She straightened her back, put her legs together, and gracefully tilted them slightly to the right before looking up at Cheng Zheng.

Cheng Zheng stood there, unbuttoning his military jacket with one hand and draping it over the back of the chair, revealing a crisp military green shirt underneath. The shirt accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, showcasing his exceptional physique. He slightly raised his arm and slowly rolled up the cuffs of his shirt, asking as he did so, "What would you like to drink?"

"Whatever." This was the first time Lin Shuyao had seen him so casual in his office. In the past, when she came to his office, he was always impeccably dressed, either looking at documents or approving papers, with a perpetually cold and stern expression, like a cold, high-speed machine. Today, he suddenly seemed very different.

She's quite charming.

As she thought about it, the guilt she felt for not finishing her work lessened a bit.

Cheng Zheng rolled up his sleeves and walked to the table by the window where tea was placed. He had his back to Lin Shuyao, so Lin Shuyao could only hear the splashing sound of water being poured and the clinking sound of a stirring stick hitting an enamel cup. Then a pink cup appeared on the coffee table in front of her, filled with orange-yellow water, and the steam rising from it carried a sweet and sour smell.

"What is this?"

"Fruit juice powder. A gift from a Soviet comrade."

Lin Shuyao recalled that she seemed to have drunk this kind of instant fruit juice powder when she was very young. She didn't expect that it existed in the 1950s and must have been very precious. She didn't see any cooperative selling it when she went shopping.

She picked up the enamel mug, and habitually blew on the rim with her cherry-red lips, afraid the juice was too hot.

"It's okay to drink, I tested the water temperature," Cheng Zheng reminded her when he saw her actions.

Lin Shuyao was surprised that he was quite thoughtful, knowing to use the appropriate water temperature for brewing.

Previously, when she went to the factory office or other offices, people would make her tea or pour her plain water, which was always over 90 degrees Celsius and had to be left to cool for half a day before she could drink it.

He did consider this point very well.

Lin Shuyao lifted her eyelids and glanced at him with her watery almond-shaped eyes, seemingly unintentionally.

She had no idea how alluring her captivating gaze was. Cheng Zheng felt his scalp tingle and his blood rush to his head as he looked at her. His gaze immediately became deep and intense, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"What's wrong?" His voice was somewhat hoarse.

Lin Shuyao seemed to sense danger like a little white rabbit, and immediately scurried back into her burrow to hide, refusing to look at him, and lowered her eyes to sip her drink from the cup.

The water temperature at the sip was just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

And this juice tastes really good, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and a touch of retro charm, giving you a feeling of being transported back to your childhood in an instant. She couldn't help but drink a few more sips, her little face relaxed, her bright eyes curved, and the corners of her lips turned up. After finishing, she stuck out her pink tongue a little bit and lightly licked the juice off her lips.

Seeing her actions, Cheng Zheng's gaze deepened, and he unconsciously asked, "Is it good?"

"Mm." Lin Shuyao nodded.

Cheng Zheng: "Take the rest back to your dorm later. They were just opened today; no one has drunk them before."

Lin Shuyao glanced at the windowsill and saw a large, bulging bag. The scissors that had just been cut open were still lying next to it, making it look like it had just been opened.

She looked at him, her face full of confusion: "Aren't you going to drink?"

Cheng Zheng: "I don't like sweet drinks."

"Okay, thank you then." It turned out that she didn't like drinking it, so they gave it to her. But she did like sweet and sour drinks, so Lin Shuyao accepted it without any hesitation.

Several seconds passed before she realized that she had accepted his things again.

He hasn't returned the watch and jewelry yet!

"Oh, right, these are from you, right?" Lin Shuyao casually took out the watch and jewelry box. Cheng Zheng's eyes darkened immediately when he saw the box. "What's wrong? Don't you like them?"

Judging from his tone, it really was him who gave it to me.

Lin Shuyao didn't want to explain her little unease. He didn't like her, so why was he sending her gifts? Was it out of concern for his sister? Or had Su Wan received similar gifts before?

Oh well, she'd already given up on trying to win him over anyway.

Moreover, Aunt Gao's words of admonition were still ringing in her ears.

"No... I can't accept it anyway, you can take it back." Lin Shuyao put the things on the coffee table and pushed them toward him.

Cheng Zheng didn't even glance at the other items; his eyes were fixed on her: "If you don't want them, just throw them away."

"Okay." Lin Shuyao readily agreed, glanced around, and saw the trash can next to the wooden chair. Without hesitation, she grabbed the box and was about to throw it in. When Cheng Zheng saw her action, his face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. His dark eyes stared straight at her, and the veins on his forehead became prominent.

Lin Shuyao clearly saw the veins on his forehead twitch twice, as if he was trying his best to hold back.

Afraid of going too far, she withdrew her hand, put the item down, and gave a dry laugh: "Hehe, it's such a waste to throw it away. Even if you're rich, you can't be so wasteful. How about giving it to Comrade Su or that Teacher Zhou?"

Hearing her say that, Cheng Zheng's face darkened even more. He glanced at her, tightened his jaw, and said coldly, "Where's the transmission data you translated?"

The moment work was mentioned, Lin Shuyao's arrogant demeanor vanished as if doused with cold water.

She reluctantly handed him the documents, which Cheng Zheng took, flipped through a few pages, and asked, "What parts don't you understand?"

"Oh, here, and here..." Lin Shuyao pointed to the marked places.

Cheng Zheng looked at each one in turn, his thin lips moving as he uttered a few technical terms, followed by explanations, before asking, "Do you understand?"

"Mm." Lin Shuyao nodded.

Cheng Zheng raised his hand and glanced at his watch: "Five minutes. Complete the parts I just pointed out. If you're late, your salary will be deducted."

What the hell?

Is it really necessary to be paid to translate documents?

Lin Shuyao looked at him in confusion: "Representative, the request you made is truly...unheard of."

Cheng Zheng's lips curled slightly, his expression matter-of-fact: "Time is as precious as gold, haven't you heard that?"

"No. I've only ever heard of time flying by, not time being like gold. You must have made that up yourself." Lin Shuyao gave him a stiff, fake smile and muttered under her breath.

"You have four minutes and forty-five seconds left." Cheng Zheng ignored her words, glanced at his watch, and read out the message expressionlessly.

"What the hell!" Lin Shuyao glared at him angrily.

"Four minutes and forty seconds."

"!!!"

"Four minutes and thirty-nine seconds."

Lin Shuyao angrily uncapped her pen, preparing to write in the blank space of the document, when suddenly she thought of something, glanced at the surrounding walls, and did not find any clocks. How was she supposed to keep track of time?

She didn't believe Cheng Zheng would be so kind as to tell her the time every minute.

"Wait! Hold on!"

"I... I don't have any tools for keeping track of time, so I can't control it."

"That's your problem," Cheng Zheng said, looking at her calmly.

Lin Shuyao glared at him angrily: "You did this on purpose! You deliberately messed with me!"

Cheng Zheng remained calm, glancing at the watch box on the table. Lin Shuyao instantly understood; she had refused the watch he offered earlier, and now he was deliberately tormenting her, forcing her to accept it.

Once she understood, Lin Shuyao was no longer angry.

Anyway, she was in need of a watch, so since he insisted on giving it to her, she might as well take it.

Cheng Zheng thought she would refuse again, but to his surprise, she decisively took out her watch and put it on her wrist the next second.

The corners of his lips curled up almost imperceptibly, his tone unchanged: "Come here, I'll help you adjust the time."

Lin Shuyao sat down and extended her wrist to him. Cheng Zheng also raised his hand, placing it very close to her wrist. The two watch faces were side by side, and Lin Shuyao then realized that the two watches were from the same brand and had the same color scheme. The only difference was that the width of her watch strap and the size of her watch face were much more delicate.

Just like matching couple items.

Upon noticing this, Lin Shuyao's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at him discreetly. He was intently comparing the times on the two watches, his slender fingers gently turning the knob on her watch face. The knob was so small that his fingertips inevitably touched the back of her hand as he turned it, bringing a warm and rough touch. Lin Shuyao couldn't help but pull her hand back.

"Don't move." He raised his hand to hold her wrist still. Lin Shuyao tried to pull away, but he immediately tightened his grip, his fingertips rubbing against the skin around her veins, making her feel a tingling sensation.

"Let go of me!"

Her voice softened unconsciously, carrying a hint of coquetry.

Cheng Zheng relaxed, then subconsciously pressed the back of his hand against the back of hers, feeling its cool touch. He asked in confusion, "Are you cold?"

Lin Shuyao gave him a coquettish glare: "Women's body temperature is all like this."

Is this how it is?

Cheng Zheng didn't quite understand. He adjusted the time and handed her his teacup filled with hot tea: "Warm your hands up before you work."

The hot tea is no longer scalding hot; it's just lukewarm.

It's just right to hold and warm your hands.

Lin Shuyao warmed the teacup for a while, then put it down, unscrewed the pen cap, leaned forward slightly, and half-lay on the coffee table to start filling in the blank spaces she had left.

After a while, she looked up and handed him the documents: "Okay, take a look."

Cheng Zheng was reviewing the inspection report when Lin Shuyao took the opportunity to glance at the time. It was already more than five minutes past the deadline, and he didn't seem to have mentioned deducting her salary.

Lin Shuyao certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to bring it up herself.

She curled her lips into a smug smile, and after he finished his inspection, she stood up and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to work."

"Wait a minute," Cheng Zheng walked to the windowsill, found a brown paper bag, put the packet of juice powder in it, picked up the bag and walked back, handing it to her: "Take this back and drink it."

"And this too," Cheng Zheng said, picking up the jewelry box from the coffee table.

"I can't accept this." Watches are a necessity, but jewelry is a bit of a different story.

"Why?" Cheng Zheng pressed.

I clearly liked it a lot when I saw her trying it on at the counter; her eyes were glued to it.

Lin Shuyao wasn't the type to refuse gifts from men, but after a moment's thought, she decided to be blunt: "Jewelry is only given between couples. We're not in that kind of relationship, so you should give it to your boyfriend, either Comrade Su or that Comrade Zhou."

"Comrade Zhou?"

"Yeah, your mom said so. You've already eaten out and gone shopping with them..."

What are you pretending for?

Of course, she didn't dare to say the last few words.

"I don't have a boyfriend. I've only had dinner with Zhou Liya twice, and both times my mother and my aunt were present, and Gao Tingting was there once too."

"Is twice a lot? We've only eaten there twice... Never mind, you don't need to explain so much. I've already said it has nothing to do with me."

"It's okay, I'm here..." Cheng Zheng opened his lips, wanting to say, "I'm pursuing you, can't you tell?" It was the first time he had said such a thing, and even he himself was unfamiliar with it, so he paused for two seconds before speaking. But those two seconds were interrupted by a knock on the door.

He had no choice but to swallow his words and said to the door, "Come in."

The door opened, and Su Wan stood in the doorway, her gaze sweeping over the two people in the office. She smiled and said, "Comrade Shen is here too. I need to speak with the representative about something... I hope I didn't disturb you?"

"No." Lin Shuyao nodded to Su Wan, picked up her things, and walked out.

Su Wan watched her leave, then turned back to Cheng Zheng, closed the door, and looked at him: "Representative, I've come to confirm how many copies of the materials provided by the Soviet experts need to be printed?"

"Two sets." Cheng Zheng put away the jewelry box on the coffee table, walked behind his desk, opened a drawer, and put the jewelry inside.

Su Wan glanced at the box, then smiled and stepped forward, placing the documents she was holding on the table. "Also, while organizing the files, I found these few documents are a bit damaged. What do you think we should do with them?"

Cheng Zheng glanced at the file cover and said indifferently, "Just put it there. I'll have Assistant Zheng follow up on it."

"Okay." Su Wan smiled and turned around, noticing the water glass on the coffee table. "Then I'll tidy up this place."

"No need, you can go back to work." Cheng Zheng casually picked up a document and opened it, pinching his brow as he felt a surge of irritation.

Seeing the orange-yellow liquid remaining in the glass, Su Wan asked curiously, "Sir, what's in this? I've never seen water this color before."

"juice."

"Juice? Is it the kind made with juice powder? I saw my Soviet comrades make it." Su Wan looked at the cup in surprise. A sweet aroma wafted into the air. "It smells like oranges. Can I have this cup? I'll take it back to Hu Zi."

Cheng Zheng paused while looking at the documents, then looked up: "I've already drunk that."

Su Wan didn't mind, looking at him expectantly: "It's okay, it's such good stuff, it would be a waste to throw it away. It looks clean, and my Tiger has never drunk this kind of water before."

Cheng Zheng's gaze lingered on her face for a second before he got up, walked over, picked up the remaining glass of juice, finished it in a few gulps, put down the glass, and said calmly, "It's healthier for children to drink plain water."

Su Wan didn't expect him to say that. In the past, whenever she expressed such a sentiment, he would usually give the things to the child generously.

She was a little disappointed, glancing around the room out of the corner of her eye, but couldn't find the juice powder.

But this cup is so special, it's pink, not one of those white enamel cups, it's so pretty.

She reached out to pick it up and look at it, then casually said, "Sir, let me wash the cup for you."

"Don't touch it." Before her hand even touched the cup, Cheng Zheng stopped her, and then took the cup away before she could. "No need, I'll wash it myself."

Su Wan was stunned. She knew he was a germaphobe and wouldn't let anyone touch his things, but this pink cup clearly wasn't his.

Why won't you let her touch it?

A sense of unease lingered in Su Wan's heart.

Something seems to be spiraling out of control.