Chapter 55: Boss? Husband?

“If what you provide isn’t useful, you won’t be able to keep your third leg either,” Lin Zhiwei blurted out, nearly biting her tongue off when she caught a glimpse of Ling Ziheng beside her. She was so used to bickering with Nan Yu that it slipped out automatically.

Ling Ziheng’s hand tightened slightly around the book he was holding, but his expression remained unchanged. He had never doubted this girl’s fighting spirit…

“Alright, alright, just check the information I’m sending you soon and you’ll know whether it’s useful or not,” Nan Yu replied with confident ease from the other end.

Lin Zhiwei hung up and rubbed her forehead. Damn that Nan Yu, making her lose her composure again—she’d completely forgotten Ling Ziheng was there…

A few minutes later, several photos arrived. Lin Zhiwei zoomed in, studying them with growing interest. Not bad at all; though Nan Yu often seemed unreliable, when she got down to business, she was thorough.

She sprang to her feet. “Boss, I’ll need the evening off. I have some things to take care of.”

Ling Ziheng looked up, eyes narrowed, already guessing most of it. The little fox was always up to something. His voice was gentle: “Go ahead, be safe. Do you want me to—”

“No, no, no! Even in disguise, you wouldn’t be able to get into a place like that,” Lin Zhiwei interrupted, waving her hands anxiously.

“A place like that?” Ling Ziheng echoed.

She coughed. “Boss, it’s not what you think.”

Why did her explanations always make things sound worse?

“Stay safe. I’ll have Pei Xi follow you,” Ling Ziheng said, stepping closer.

Lin Zhiwei felt his strikingly handsome face draw nearer and involuntarily swallowed hard.

“No… that’s not necessary. I can handle it myself.” She avoided those deep, electric eyes, inching backward. “You’ve been working hard lately. If there’s anything about the performance you can’t accept, just let me know.”

She changed the subject in a heartbeat.

Ling Ziheng arched a brow, pausing in place as he replied smoothly, “No problem. If you’re not back by midnight, I’ll come find you myself.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Lin Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief. Why was she so nervous? It’s not like he’d do anything to her.

Wait—midnight? Since when was there a curfew?

She couldn’t help but feel Ling Ziheng was acting less like a boss and more like a husband…

Just her imagination. Ling Ziheng was definitely the type of scheming, black-bellied big shot who never revealed his intentions easily. Don’t be fooled by his seemingly gentle demeanor—his flirtations were always so hard to parry.

Pei Xi entered the meeting room and, seeing Lin Zhiwei’s startled face, tried not to laugh as he handed her a card. “Young Master asked me to give you this. Your salary will be deposited here. There’s no limit—you can buy whatever you wish.”

Buy whatever I wish…

Bang—Lin Zhiwei’s mind was blown.

“Are you sure? I can really just use this card as I please?” she asked, taking it with a skeptical look.

“Of course. Director Lin’s capabilities are plain for all to see,” Pei Xi replied with a polite smile.

“But this is obviously his own card… That time at the Anonymous Bar, he showed me the balance on this very card,” Lin Zhiwei said, narrowing her eyes, her voice tinged with anger.

He gave her his own card and told her to spend freely…

Wasn’t this exactly how a husband would treat his wife?

Swipe my card, spend as you wish…

Pei Xi kept smiling, saying nothing. He figured Miss Lin must have caught on to some of Young Master’s intentions by now.

Young Master always put on a strong front, but he hoped at least Miss Lin would be a little moved.

He remembered last night vividly.

Ling Ziheng had said, “Pei Xi, give this card to Weiwei.”

Pei Xi took the card, glanced at it, and asked, “Young Master, as far as I know, Miss Lin already has her own bank card. I could have accounting transfer her salary directly.”

Ling Ziheng shot him a sidelong glance, impatience flickering in his dark eyes.

Pei Xi immediately straightened. “Understood.”

But then, uneasy, he asked, “What if Miss Lin asks about it…”

Without looking up, Ling Ziheng replied quietly, “Just tell her it’s from her fiancé.”

When it came to scheming, Pei Xi had to admit, no one topped Young Master…

But really, couldn’t he just give it to her himself? Why did he always make Pei Xi do these thankless tasks? Miss Lin was clearly as dense as steel—such subtle hints would hardly have any effect in the short term.

Pei Xi inwardly despaired. At this rate, when would they ever make progress?

Looking at Lin Zhiwei’s slightly angry face, Pei Xi braced himself, took a deep breath, and repeated Young Master’s words from last night: “Young Master said, it’s from your fiancé.”

When Lin Zhiwei heard the word “fiancé,” she felt shackled, yet couldn’t refute it. She’d been the one to beg for his support in the first place, and now…

Ling Ziheng wielded those three words like a trump card, binding even her bank account to him.

A perfectly good job now felt like selling herself. If she ever wanted to go out drinking, swipe her card, or spend a romantic evening with a handsome male model, Ling Ziheng would know everything…

Seeing Pei Xi’s kind smile, Lin Zhiwei sighed. Forget it, work comes first; as for the handsome models, that could wait—she didn’t even have the money yet. She’d better focus on making a living.

With a heavy heart, she muttered, “Thank your Young Master for me,” all the while glaring at the black card, as if sparks might fly from her eyes.

A binding deal! Ling Ziheng truly played hardball.

Pei Xi nodded and left the meeting room, surprised that Lin Zhiwei had accepted so easily. Young Master’s underhanded tactics were truly masterful—subtle, effective, and impossible to refuse.

Miss Weiwei, it seems your life is about to be completely overtaken…