Chapter 52: Smearing the Rival in Love

Chapter 52: Smearing the Rival in Love

Halfway through his meal, Zhang Ke casually glanced out the window and spotted a very familiar car parked outside.

It seemed to be Liang Xigui's car. This was a vehicle Liang Xigui rarely drove, and only his obsessed admirers would specially remember the model and license plate number.

He looked at Tan Xing sitting across from him. Tan Xing had his head down, eating chicken claws with tiger skin from his bowl, showing no signs of anxiety on his face, as if he didn't know Liang Xigui was outside.

Could it be that Tan Xing and Liang Xigui really had no other relationship? Zhang Ke decided to probe further.

"Xiao Xing, look outside, that looks like President Liang," Zhang Ke said, pointing to the car outside.

Upon hearing Liang Xigui's name, Tan Xing pushed the chili dipping sauce in front of him aside somewhat guiltily before looking in the direction Zhang Ke was pointing.

Where was any Liang Xigui? Could Zhang Ke have been seeing things? It was said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but how could one conjure up an image out of thin air?

Tan Xing turned to look at Zhang Ke with a gaze reserved for caring for mentally challenged children, yet he spoke with concern, "Little Ke, you must have been too busy with work lately; your eyesight isn't too good, right? There's no President Liang there."

Zhang Ke remained silent, staring intently at Tan Xing's face, trying to find some unusual clues.

But Tan Xing seemed to genuinely not care whether Liang Xigui was there or not. He continued to happily eat his hot pot, acting as if nothing was related to him.

Zhang Ke wanted to say something but feared that Tan Xing would see through his thoughts, so he kept quiet. This meal was truly enjoyed by Tan Xing alone.

After the meal, Tan Xing took out his phone and sent Zhang Ke the money for their split expenses. The two left the restaurant, and Zhang Ke subconsciously glanced into that car again.

However, due to the car being parked in a shadowy spot, Zhang Ke couldn't clearly see what was happening inside.

The road was wet because of the water sprinkler truck, and when cars sped past, they splashed water, unfortunately affecting innocent pedestrians on the sidewalk.

Zhang Ke quickly pulled Tan Xing back, but his own clothes were splattered with mud.

"Little Ke, are you okay?" Tan Xing asked anxiously, but his eyes clearly showed otherwise, even passing a faint hint of mockery.

Zhang Ke's expression soured upon seeing his dirty suit, but he thought that although he hadn't gotten any information tonight, he firmly believed that Tan Xing must have some kind of power behind him.

Even if not for personal feelings, getting acquainted with Tan Xing for the sake of his career was a profitable opportunity.

"I'm fine. I'm glad Xiao Xing wasn't splashed with dirty water."

Liang Xigui sat in the back seat, silently staring at the two people standing opposite each other on the roadside.

Tan Xing was indeed popular wherever he went. It had only been one day since he arrived at the secretary's office, and already someone was going all out for him.

The secretary, sitting in the front seat, was forced to watch the entire scene unfold. He instantly felt the atmosphere in the car turn somber, which was not a good sign.

"Cough, Mr. Tan has a good personality and is getting along well with his new colleagues."

Liang Xigui didn't speak. Staring at Zhang Ke's face, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Ah, he remembered. This person had accompanied him to a drinking party once before, got drunk, and took the opportunity to confess to him, even making physical advances.

Considering this employee's abilities were quite good, he didn't make much of the drunken confession and simply transferred the person away, avoiding direct professional interaction afterward.

In a way, this employee's affection wasn't very dedicated. He needed to find a way to eliminate this potential rival in front of Tan Xing.

Zhang Ke's taxi arrived first. Tan Xing bid him a simple farewell and continued waiting for the car he had called.

"Call Tan Xing over."

"Yes, President Liang."

The secretary got out of the car and walked over to Tan Xing. "Mr. Tan, President Liang has been waiting for you in the car."

Tan Xing turned to look at the car. Indeed, as Zhang Ke had said, this car belonged to Liang Xigui.

"But I've already called a taxi."

Without a word, the secretary helped cancel Tan Xing's ride order. His boss was about to explode, and he couldn't let this savior slip away.

Tan Xing was naturally pleased not to have to wait for another car. The secretary hurried back to the driver's seat but received a cold glance from Liang Xigui.

"When did you become so talkative?"

The secretary manually zipped his mouth shut. His only wish now was to send these two living ancestors home as soon as possible so he could go off duty early.

Tan Xing sat in the car, and Liang Xigui immediately opened the partition between them and the secretary.

"Mr. Liang?"

"Why didn't you reply to my messages?" Liang Xigui was completely unaware of how much he sounded like a wronged wife.

Tan Xing took out his phone and opened it, revealing several unread messages from Liang Xigui.

"Mr. Liang, I didn't see them."

Liang Xigui was about to be driven mad by Tan Xing's unapologetic and righteous tone. Tan Xing was truly a fool, an invincible big fool.

"Who did you have dinner with tonight?"

Tan Xing mentioned a name, and Liang Xigui nodded. "Ah, it was him."

His words were vague, leaving much room for imagination, and indeed, it caused Tan Xing to tilt his head in confusion.

Liang Xigui slowly recounted his past with Zhang Ke in a storytelling manner. After listening, Tan Xing wore an expression that said 'just as I thought,' yet he said, "Mr. Liang is so excellent; it's natural for people to like you."

"Do you like me?"

Tan Xing was taken aback. Then, he curled his lips, his eyes looking very sincere. "Of course, I naturally admire Mr. Liang."

Liang Xigui didn't analyze the nuances behind Tan Xing's expressions frame by frame. Regardless of Tan Xing's sincerity, the person was by his side, and that was enough.

"Best if you like it, but it doesn't matter if you don't."

Tan Xing silently rolled his eyes; why did this man ask him then, when he had done both what he should and shouldn't have done without holding back.

"Stay away from Zhang Ke, his excessive enthusiasm towards you isn't out of good intentions." It would be best to obediently stay by his side, without harboring any inappropriate thoughts.

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Liang."

Liang Xigui could deduce that Zhang Ke had ulterior motives just from their brief conversation. How could he not know? In the end, it all boiled down to indifference.

"Have you eaten, Mr. Liang?"

"Mm, I had something simple."

Tan Xing nodded, feeling no guilt then. Looking at it this way, Liang Xigui was indeed a considerate sugar daddy, taking care of meals, drinks, transportation, and leaving him with nothing to worry about.

Back at the apartment, Tan Xing scooped up the increasingly plump puppy as soon as he entered the door. The puppy, appropriately named Xingxing, licked his face in response.

Liang Xigui, familiar with the routine, walked into the living room to add some late-night snacks for the puppy. The scene of the two men and one dog seemed quite warm and cozy.

After washing up, they both lay down on the bed. Since they returned home early from work today, Tan Xing wasn't the least bit sleepy.

Liang Xigui could only pick up his laptop, scrolling through to find a movie for them to watch.

Such a beautiful night would naturally be better spent doing other things, but Tan Xing's body was too delicate, unable to withstand anything too intense.

As Liang Xigui browsed through the computer pages, he thought about putting Tan Xing's training plan into action sooner rather than later.