?”… Or does he see you as his… personal property?”

“!”

Cai Wenxi flinched momentarily, just as the first raindrops began to tap against the car windows.

Tip… Tip…

She turned her gaze outside and whispered, her voice tinged with realization that he was purposefully provoking her, “Coming from you, isn’t that hypocritical?”

“Though… I didn’t expect you to be acquainted with the Vice-chairman of the Martial Arts Association as well. She’s a big deal, you know?” Cai Wenxi scrutinized Zhang Wei, her eyes traveling from his head to his toes, assessing him critically.

‘What did she see in him?’ she pondered silently. What unique trait could have possibly made Du Yun’er keep such close company with him?

“She—and—me, we have nothing between us and are completely innocent. Don’t slander me,” Zhang Wei stated calmly, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of defensiveness that only heightened Cai Wenxi’s suspicions.

“Lie to a ghost,” she murmured under her breath before reaching for the whiskey bottle again.

This gesture, a subtle relinquishment of her earlier tension, signaled a return to comfort as she took another swig, the liquid courage helping to avoid any awkwardness.

Zhang Wei closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat, surrendering to the rhythmic patter of rain on the car roof.

As she continued to drink, the only sounds filling his ears were the gentle drumming of raindrops and her quiet sips.

Noticing his serene demeanor, Cai Wenxi’s eyebrow arched in intrigue. “You know, I’ve always been curious about your true identity, and now, I’m even more perplexed… The Chief issues a special identity for you, and you also seem quite close to the Vice-chairman?” she voiced her suspicions, her tone sharpening with curiosity.

Something about his identity didn’t quite add up.

Zhang Wei’s eyes fluttered open, and he turned to meet her gaze with a playful smile. “Every woman says that before falling for me.”

“…” freewbn𝐨𝘃𝐞𝗹.𝗰𝚘𝗺

Cai Wenxi’s face fell, a mix of annoyance and disappointment flickering across her features. “Keep those lines for someone else… What I really want to know is, what’s your connection with Zhang Ming?” Her eyes narrowed once more, her interest clearly piqued as she probed deeper into his connections.

“…”

This time, it was Zhang Wei who displayed a flicker of disappointment, his voice tinged with annoyance. “Why does everyone insist on linking me with that dumb family sitting in the capital? I am Zhang Wei, unique in every respect; one of it’s kind! Don’t lump me together with them!”

Seeing him flustered, Cai Wenxi couldn’t suppress a smirk. “How can you be so certain? After all, you both share the same surname. There must be room for some coincidences.”

Zhang Wei rolled his eyes, his patience wearing thin. “Enough of that. This identity card was a gift from my woman, not from your chief.”

“A gift from a woman?” Cai Wenxi’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

Zhang Wei nodded, his smile widening with a touch of pride. “Yes, a woman. Is there a problem with me being well-known?”

“…”

Cai Wenxi shook her head, her expression morphing into one of betrayal and shock.

The information was too much, prompting her to ask hesitantly, “Which woman has the power to distribute NSA IDs as if they were mere pamplets?” Internally, she buzzed with excitement at the potential scandal.

She pondered the chief’s personal life—known to be perennially single, was it possible he was hiding a daughter all this while?

He did have an adopted daughter, but Cai Wenxi found it hard to believe that this woman, of all people, could be swayed by Zhang Wei.

She imagined that, if coerced, she might prefer to leap into lava rather than succumb to such a fate.

Thus, her curiosity for fresh gossip ignited fiercely, yet Zhang Wei’s nonchalant confirmation quenched it slightly.

“My woman,” he declared, clearly proud of the connection.

“…”

Speechless, Cai Wenxi finally managed to articulate, “I meant the name.”

“Oh, that?” Zhang Wei feigned a thoughtful pause, causing Cai Wenxi to momentarily lose her words again. ‘How big is his list?’ she wondered, her patience beginning to thin.

“It’s Mei, Leng Mei!” he finally disclosed.

“Leng Mei?” Cai Wenxi repeated, her tone laced with surprise as the name didn’t ring any bells.

She shrugged, her disappointment thinly veiled. “Whatever works for you. At least someone’s looking out for you. With your reckless ways, you’d likely meet an early end otherwise.” She then pulled out a piece of paper and hastily jotted down her number.

“Take this,” she said, handing him the slip. “Although you have your ID, don’t flaunt it without thought. If you ever find yourself in trouble in the capital, call me,” she advised earnestly.

Zhang Wei took the paper smoothly, tucking it into his pocket with a practiced nonchalance.

The motion was a simple pretext for securing it in his inventory.

Then, seizing a lighter moment, he shifted the conversation.

“How about going for a ride? The weather looks perfect,” he suggested, his voice tinged with a hopeful note.

Cai Wenxi gave a small, amused smile as she glanced at the stormy scene outside the car. “Isn’t it my call to decide?” she countered playfully, her eyes twinkling with a challenge.

Why did he assume she would so readily entertain his suggestion?

She owns the car, so it should be her call to decide!

Zhang Wei, undeterred by her challenge, swung open the car door with a confident grin.

“Nonsense! Because I’m driving,” he declared, stepping out and moving around to the other side of the car, signaling for Cai Wenxi to switch seats with him.

“…”

Cai Wenxi stared at him blankly for a moment, her expression a mix of amusement and resignation.

With a soft sigh, she complied, sliding out of the driver’s seat to allow him to take the wheel.

As she buckled herself into the co-pilot seat, she couldn’t help but issue a caution, “Don’t drive too fast, it’s raining.” Her tone was firm, laced with genuine concern as the rain continued to patter softly against the windshield.

____

Fifteen minutes later!

“Wooohohoho….”