Water and Fire~Chapter 33.1: You Are Not Allowed to Touch Her

 

Chapter 33.1: You Are Not Allowed to Touch Her

The day Chu Qianmiao spotted the handsome, European-American man with deep, defined features from Ren Yan's office, she shared a table with him for lunch.

Ren Yan didn't let Qin Qianyu order lunch that day. He said they were all going out for lunch, "That little restaurant upstairs from Parkson. Mr. Lei's treat."

As they packed up to leave, Chu Qianmiao asked Qin Qianyu, "Who is this Mr. Lei?"

Qin Qianyu replied, "You're right. He truly has a truly remarkable name! He's the boss of an investment firm. His name is Lei Zhenzi!"

"…………!!!"

Chu Qianmiao tried hard to keep her composure and not laugh. She knew it was rude to laugh at someone's name.

But this name was truly... hilarious.

"Why did he choose such a... remarkable name?" Chu Qianmiao asked, unable to suppress her curiosity.

"We asked, and Mr. Lei said his mother was watching Investiture of the Gods when she was pregnant with him. She thought the name Lei Zhenzi, with its homophonic meaning of "immortal," would be catchy," Qin Qianyu said.

"…………"

Chu Qianmiao wondered if the mother had been a bit hasty in choosing her child's name... Giving her such a remarkable name simply because it sounded catchy was truly brave.

"My parents wouldn't dare name me something like Chu Renwu just for the sake of a catchy homophonic sound." Chu Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu expressed their thoughts as they walked downstairs to the small restaurant.

Qin Qianyu was so amused by her that he couldn't help but compliment her: "My mom wouldn't dare name me Qin Shi Huang either!"

Now it was Chu Qianmiao's turn to laugh.

Chu Qianmiao paused, then asked, "But why is Mr. Lei treating us to dinner?"

Qin Qianyu: "Mr. Lei is so rich, does he need a reason to treat us to dinner?"

Chu Qianmiao: "......"

That's awesome... My apologies.

"I guess Mr. Lei made a fortune on a foreign project some time ago, and now that he's back in China, he needs to share the joy of this wealth."

Chu Qianmiao smacked her lips. The way rich people share their joy is truly capricious and crude.

After going upstairs and into the restaurant, before entering the private room, Qin Qianyu told Chu Qianmiao, "Qianmiao, let me warn you in advance. Mr. Lei is toxic. You must be vigilant. If he smiles at you, chats with you, or compliments you on how cute, pretty, and charming you are, you must remain alert. Other men are attracted to romantic interests, but Mr. Lei is a peach tree himself."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned. Qin Qianyu patted her shoulder and said, "Brother Qin grants you fortitude. Keep being yourself!"

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She felt that Qin Qianyu, more than anyone else, was a cult figure.

Qin Qianyu entered the private room first. Sun Yi followed him. Before entering, he told Chu Qianmiao, "Old Qin is quite intimidated by Mr. Lei. Why is that? It's because one time, our sister-in-law came to the company to deliver something to him. She saw Mr. Lei, and he smiled at her. It wasn't intentional, really, but that smile made Old Qin's wife blush. That very day, Old Qin became a vinegar magnate."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned. It sounded like this man with a divine name was truly venomous.

Meanwhile, Sun Yi and the others had also entered the house. Just as Chu Qianmiao was about to enter, a figure emerged from inside and blocked her back outside. It seemed as if it was headed straight for her, pressing warmly against her, carrying a pleasant, clean, and refreshing scent. It forced her to retreat, preventing her from entering the house.

Chu Qianmiao took a step back and looked up, realizing that the person who had pushed her out was Ren Yan.

The two were so close that at 165cm tall, she had to look up to see him. Judging by this glance, Chu Qianmiao thought Ren Yan might have grown even taller than he did in college. He used to be 1.834 meters tall, but now he must be 1.856 meters tall.

She looked up, and Ren Yan looked down, their gazes meeting.

She called out, "Mr. Ren."

Ren Yan ignored the greeting and went straight to something else: "When Mr. Lei asks you something or compliments you later, just... calm down."

He then walked past her and went to the bathroom. It seemed like he'd come out just to go, and stopping her was purely coincidental and unexpected.

Chu Qianmiao: "???"

Why did everyone seem to think she was about to lose control? Was she the kind of woman who only cared about looks?

After just one meal, Chu Qianmiao admitted that she was indeed superficial and that she really cared about looks.

Lei Zhenzi, down to his stubble, exuded a charming and sexy demeanor. He wore a business casual jacket, which must have given him a nice figure, with broad shoulders and a broad chest. His hair was slicked back, revealing his full forehead. This hairstyle would look greasy on others, but with him, it felt natural. His jacket and hairstyle complemented each other, each enhancing its own uniqueness. His features, taken apart, weren't particularly delicate; his eyes weren't particularly large, but his deep, European-style eye sockets made them a powerhouse.

When he grinned, Chu Qianmiao felt as if someone was standing over him, showering the sky with peach blossom petals.

Chu Qianmiao immediately came to a conclusion: Any woman who dared to be this man's girlfriend would be desperate. How many romantic affairs would he have been involved in in his lifetime?

Thinking of this, she became immune to him.

Throughout the meal, Lei Zhenzi chatted with her frequently, and as expected, he showered her with compliments.

"Lawyer Chu... Hey, that's too formal. I'll call you Qian Miao, okay? Qian Miao, let me put it this way: this is the first time I've met a lawyer as young, beautiful, and energetic as you in this industry. Most importantly, you're so bright and funny!" He praised her with a smile that filled the room with blossoming peach blossoms.

Ren Yan watched him flirtatiously from the sidelines. He wanted to see how coquettish he could get, and whether Chu Qian Miao could resist.

A normal girl with less self-control would have blushed at Lei Zhenzi's flirtatious smile.

But Chu Qian Miao was no ordinary girl. Her fair face didn't blush at all. She smiled gracefully and complimented him, "Mr. Lei, you're so polite! On the way here, Brother Qin and the others were saying how amazing you are, that you're a big-time businessman. I thought 'big-time businessman' was your best and brightest attribute. But now that I've seen you, I realize I was biased. Besides being a big-time businessman, you're also handsome, funny, easygoing, and witty. You also have an eye for seeing the best in others. You've flattered us all so much! So, your best and brightest attribute should actually be 'charming personality'!"

Her words immediately put Lei Zhenzi at ease, like a tickle that had been scratched in the right place.

His smile widened, his expression even more cheerful, as he said to Chu Qianmiao, "Qianmiao, I'll just pretend to be your Brother Lei, okay? Qianmiao, Brother Lei feels like we're so compatible. Why did I only just meet you? If I had met you five, seven, or eight years earlier, wouldn't I have had five, seven, or eight more years of happiness and joy in my life?"

Ren Yan glanced at him from the side, tolerating his escalating flirtations. He tolerated them because he noticed Chu Qianmiao remained unfazed.

Chu Qianmiao unleashed another wave of flattery: "Mr. Lei, I really don't deserve your words. Mr. Ren has been leading me on a project and a half, and I still feel ashamed when I see you. If I had met you five, seven, or eight years earlier, you would have made me look like a fool!"

Ren Yan, the one being nominated, glanced at Chu Qianmiao. Every time she flattered him, he thought he'd reached the limit, but the next time, he'd discover she could go even further.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. He didn't know how to properly drink the water, and it choked a bit. He coughed lightly twice.

Lei Zhenzi continued to boast about Chu Qianmiao in a playful manner, but he couldn't make her blush. Instead, Chu Qianmiao's flattery in return nearly made him drift off.

Qin Qianyu was beside Ren Yan, poking him. When Ren Yan gave him a moment of his attention, he said to him with admiration, "So, Mr. Lei is such a good charmer, he needs a girl like Qianmiao, whose lips have been touched by God, to defeat him! With Qianmiao, Mr. Lei's romantic tricks don't work anymore. Not only do they not work, but Qianmiao's flattery is actually backfiring on him. Hahahaha, boss, why do I feel like I've gotten my revenge?"

Ren Yan pondered Qin Qianyu's words for a moment, then looked at Lei Zhenzi, who was completely bewildered by Chu Qianmiao's flattery. The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

The pre-meeting instructions he'd given her just as she entered the restaurant seemed unnecessary.