"Anyway, I thought about it as I was lying in bed last night, and I felt that it really isn't all your fault. If we have to blame someone, we could also blame me for having been so charming that you'd rather risk taking a huge loss in the stock market by deceiving me. This whole time you've been afraid to confess because you feared that I would reject you."

"If hypothetically you had lied to me and were actually poorer than you seemed, with many debts and loans, then I would certainly have left you. But not only are you not poor, but actually quite wealthy, so shouldn’t I just… chill out?”

"Anyway, wouldn't I be going too easy on you if we broke up?"

Fu Zheng apparently hadn't expected this turn of events at all, because he looked like he was choking. That eloquent, analytical senior partner for the first time looked speechless. "..." Then he paused for a moment, got his thoughts back in order and finally asked seriously, "Why would breaking up be going too easy on me?"

"You lied to me, yet you still want to walk away without paying the price? Nice try! I'll never break up with you! And not only that, but I'll eat your food, use you, mooch off your cases, and make you my slave. I'll set KPIs for your love letters. I'll make you run errands for me. Everyday - morning, noon and night - I'll be squeezing out all your personal time until you're so madly in love you would run into a wall for me!"

At first Fu Zheng seemed a little dazed, but gradually, he seemed to relax. Looking at Ning Wan, he said helplessly and gently, "It's true, I did lie to you. It's an unforgivable crime that can never be washed away. I suggest you torture and enslave me for a long time. You really mustn't go easy on me."

"I'll share my cases with you, be your slave, run your errands and write you love letters. Morning, noon and night, I'll give you all my private time. All my money, time and energy will belong to you and only you." He looked at her seriously, "You can go ahead and give full play to your imagination. I'm willing to work off my sentence in any way you choose."

Fu Zheng's eyes were so gentle, and his voice unconsciously doting. Ning Wan felt a little embarrassed to have him watch her so intently. It felt as though his gaze might solidify any moment into something substantial, like warm wind, like warm light, untouchable yet ambiguous, as if it were sweet ice cream that melted in the mouth. They were clearly standing a good distance apart and not doing anything, but she still felt a little flustered, both sour and sweet at the same time.

Truly, Fu Zheng was a man with amazing green tea skills. Who knows where he had learned his green tea routines? Just an affectionate look without a single word was enough to be seductive.

A high-ranker was a high-ranker after all. Ning Wan had to admit that Fu Zheng had not lived his thirty years in vain.

But she couldn't surrender so easily. She warned herself to resist!

So she cleared her throat, broke off his gaze, and pretended to change the subject naturally. "Really, Fu Zheng, even though you're only a few years older than me, you should keep up with the current trends. Nowadays, that 'rich, handsome man conceals his identity and pursues a woman, woman discovers his true identity and breaks up because he deceived her' trope is considered outdated! Who knows how many years ago that was popular? Everyone's very pragmatic in modern society now. Who would break up with you just because you're tall, rich and handsome? Instead they would cry out 'babe, there isn't enough time in the world to love you'!”

"..." When Fu Zheng heard this, he seemed to remember how much he had panicked, believing that Ning Wan would surely leave him. As she had expected, he seemed a little embarrassed and asked in a dry, awkward manner, "So when did you decide not to break up with me?"

"Ages ago! Look how calm I was this whole time! This is what they call the demeanor of a general!"

When Fu Zheng heard this, a tone of suppressed grievance crept into his voice. "Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier when I confessed to you while I was drunk? You yourself are such a green tea,  am I not allowed to 'control the foreigners by learning their skills'¹A quote from Wei Yuan, a famous Chinese strategist from the 1800s. He very practically proposed the learning of Western technology (at the time the British empire and the other European powers) in service to China.? Didn't you teach me to pick up your skills and apply them? But what I wonder, Fu Zheng, is why you, a senior partner, have so little confidence in yourself?"

Fu Zheng pursed his lips. "People can be brave in love, but they can also be cowardly. You're so good that I feel like I'm not good enough for you."

Now that he had received her answer, he finally relaxed. He couldn't help but lean over and give her a kiss. "Now you're really my girlfriend. All the truths have been told, so I can kiss you."

He leaned over and kissed her several times. For some unknown reason, even though Fu Zheng was older than Chen Shuo, the man who was holding her close seemed to have a sweetness that belonged to a younger man, a sort of cute coquettishness. Ning Wan was well aware that Fu Zheng was not nearly as well-behaved as he seemed. Nor was he an obedient little intern. Instead he was a deep-minded, scheming man who was not to be trifled with, but it just so happened that she liked him exactly this way. Dizzy from his kisses, Ning Wan thought dimly that maybe cutesy men were the best after all...

A person like Fu Zheng would show weakness when necessary and mercilessly pretend to be pitiful, but at heart, he was not at all weak. Instead, he was sinister, insidious and very capable indeed.

Fu Zheng kissed Ning Wan for a while before eventually letting go. Then he glanced at her and asked quietly, "Is what you just said true? Is everyone so pragmatic nowadays...?"

Ning Wan calmed down her blushing face and pounding heart. dazed for a moment before realizing what he was asking her.

"Yes!" Having reoccupied the main battlefield, she suddenly felt more comfortable. In a deliberate attempt to dismiss the rather ambiguous and intimate atmosphere, she looked away and pretended to act natural. "Isn't this like casually buying a lottery ticket and winning the grand prize? Who would be unhappy because of this?"

"Tell me the truth, Fu Zheng, were you already in love with me when you began coaching me via email?"

As she had expected, it was Fu Zheng's turn to be evasive. He looked away and said unnaturally, "There's no need to scrutinize past matters. Can't I show some care for my subordinates? Bosses love talent, and you're very talented. It was a pity that you had never received any guidance. I saw that you were having trouble self-studying business law, so I just gave you a few friendly tips. There's no need to over-analyze.”

Ning Wan fluttered her lashes. "But you were in love with me when I was admitted to your team, right?"

Fu Zheng pressed his lips together and said nothing, acquiescing.

"Did you go easy on me during the admission process?"

"No, that was all a reflection of your own ability." When talking about this, Fu Zheng turned serious, "So as to avoid suspicion, I didn't write the questions for the written examination. Every senior partner participated. Therefore, whether in reality or in others' eyes, I didn't give you any special treatment. Gao Yuan will explain this to everyone when the final admission list is announced."

"The same goes for the interview. Although I'll be there at the interview to observe, the other senior staff will the ones giving the score. For the sake of fairness, the final interview score will have the highest and lowest scores removed, and then be taken as an average. In this way, one avoids overly favoring anyone by giving a high score and sabotaging by deliberately scoring low. This scoring standard will be announced together with the final results."

He was looking at her as he said this. "No matter how much I like you, I won't deviate from my own principles. And I believe this is the version of me that you like best."