Chapter 53: This Man’s Pride

As long as the boss was present, Miss Lin wouldn’t run away.

Although Zhou Bei said this, Ron was clearly not completely reassured. He turned to glance at Shen Hanzhi.

Shen Hanzhi raised his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping indifferently over Ron.

Ron immediately understood and offered a smile.

“All right, I’ll wait for you tomorrow.”

With those words, Ron left the office.

No sooner had Ron gone than Zhou Bei couldn’t help but ask Lin Nanxun, “Miss Lin, aren’t you afraid of Ron?”

Zhou Bei’s question made Lin Nanxun pause and think seriously before answering honestly, “A little bit.”

When she first saw the bearded man, she’d felt nervous and uneasy. But after seeing his design drafts, and watching his endless fussing, she felt he wasn’t so frightening after all.

Her anxiety had faded.

Lin Nanxun’s reply surprised Zhou Bei—a little bit afraid?

He remembered when Miss Lin first arrived, her anxiety around strangers had been far more severe; it was unthinkable for her to be alone with someone she didn’t know.

Yet just now she’d been alone in the office with Ron and hadn’t fallen apart.

Zhou Bei’s words caught Shen Hanzhi’s attention. He frowned, studying Lin Nanxun with a complex expression, deep in thought.

At that moment, the noise from outside the door interrupted his train of thought.

“Miss Qiao, you can’t go in—”

The commotion made Shen Hanzhi’s frown deepen.

At that instant, the office door was abruptly pushed open.

A woman in a fitted black coat and high heels strode in from outside.

The moment she entered, Shen Hanzhi’s gaze turned icy. Zhou Bei was startled and instinctively took a few long strides, positioning himself in front of Lin Nanxun.

Lin Nanxun’s petite figure was completely shielded. If the newcomer didn’t look carefully at Zhou Bei’s feet, she would barely notice someone behind him.

Completely bewildered by being blocked, Lin Nanxun had no idea what was happening when a woman’s delighted voice suddenly rang out in the office.

“Hanzhi, you really are here.”

Hearing the woman’s voice, Lin Nanxun froze.

“President Shen, I’m sorry, Miss Qiao insisted on coming in—I couldn’t stop her…” The assistant who followed in wore an apologetic expression, then quickly retreated.

Shen Hanzhi’s expression grew colder as he stared at the intruding woman.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice full of chill.

Such an icy tone made Qiao Yumeng pause. But soon, her beautifully made-up face softened into what appeared to be a gentle smile.

“You refuse to see me, so I had no choice but to come find you.” She spoke with a wounded expression, hoping to touch some softness in the man’s heart.

Unfortunately, her words were met with no change in his expression.

“I have no time to see unimportant people.” Shen Hanzhi’s voice was cold, his dark eyes filled only with indifference and annoyance.

Seeing this, Qiao Yumeng’s expression faltered, then she quickly put on another smile.

It was precisely this man’s pride that captivated her, intensifying her desire to conquer him.

Only a man as outstanding and proud as Shen Hanzhi was worthy of her.

“Your birthday is coming up in a few days. I want to spend it with you. I’ve been diligently practicing my cooking lately—I thought I’d come to your place and prepare dinner for you myself. How does that sound?” Qiao Yumeng’s voice was full of tenderness, her gaze carrying a hint of shy affection.