Chapter 386: Abnormal

Chen Erbao rolled down his car window and glanced around. Noticing the security guards were all unfamiliar faces, he dialed Lin Zhiqing's number.

"Zhiqing, I'm at the factory."

"Really?!"

Lin Zhiqing's delighted voice came through, followed by the CLICK-CLACK-CLICK of high heels, suggesting she was walking.

"Where are you? I'll come find you!"

"I'm at the gate. Are the security guards new?"

"Yeah, the previous group was more experienced and skilled. You mentioned things in Sanjiang City were a bit chaotic, so I had them transferred over there."

"Oh, I see. Could you tell the guards to let me in? I'll drive inside. Just wait for me in your office!"

"Oh, right, the new guards don't know you... Hehe, I can't believe the big boss himself is stuck outside the gate!"

On the other end of the line, Lin Zhiqing muffled a giggle.

Chen Erbao handed the phone to the guard. After the man listened for a few moments, the look in his eyes changed completely. He handed the phone back, bowed respectfully, and said with a grin:

"President Chen, please proceed!"

Chen Erbao nodded, took out a few packs of cigarettes from his car, and tossed them to the guard.

"Here, have a smoke!"

The guard accepted the cigarettes with surprise and delight. Nodding with a smile, he quickly raised the barrier gate.

After Chen Erbao's Land Rover drove inside, the other security guards on duty saw the cigarettes in their colleague's hand and asked in astonishment:

"Captain Liu, who was that? He's so generous!"

"All of you, get a good look and remember his face. That was our big boss, President Chen! He owns this factory and our security company. From now on, that car passes through without question!"

"Yes, sir!"

...

Chen Erbao brought Bai Xiaoqing back to the office. He had just sat down to have a sip of tea when Lin Zhiqing burst in like a whirlwind and threw herself into his arms.

"Er Bao, I missed you so much!"

The girl buried her face in Chen Erbao's chest, squirming and nuzzling against him incessantly.

Holding Lin Zhiqing's soft, youthful body, Chen Erbao felt a stir of desire himself.

"This trip was absolutely exhausting. I'm all yours today!"

"Okay!"

Lin Zhiqing clung to Chen Erbao, nuzzling him intimately as if they were the only two people in the world, completely forgetting about Bai Xiaoqing standing nearby.

Of course, Bai Xiaoqing wasn't going to remind them. She even felt a pang of regret. 'I should have made myself scarce sooner...'

'If before she could face Lin Zhiqing with a clear conscience, things were different now.'

'On a single trip, she'd gone and stolen her best friend's boyfriend!'

The mere thought of the day Lin Zhiqing discovered the truth made Bai Xiaoqing squirm with discomfort.

Watching the two of them embrace so tightly, a flicker of panic appeared in her eyes.

'It was the shame of betrayal...'

After clinging to Chen Erbao for a while, Lin Zhiqing finally remembered Bai Xiaoqing was still there and reluctantly pulled away from his embrace.

Fortunately, they were best friends, so while she was a little bashful, her expression looked normal enough.

"Sister Xiaoqing, you..."

She looked toward Bai Xiaoqing, about to offer a greeting, but her expression suddenly shifted. Her face stiffened, and the words died on her lips.

Bai Xiaoqing's heart was pounding, so she didn't notice the change in Lin Zhiqing's expression. Forcing herself to appear calm, she smiled and said:

"Zhiqing, how have you been holding up, managing the factory all by yourself?"

Lin Zhiqing was silent for a moment before her expression returned to normal. She nodded and said:

"It's fine. Other than having to sign papers every day, nothing's really changed."

"That's good."

The conversation between the two women lapsed into silence.

The two best friends, who could once talk about anything and everything, were now acting strangely.

Chen Erbao's heart sank, and his palms began to sweat.

Bai Xiaoqing hadn't noticed the change in Lin Zhiqing's expression, but he had seen it clearly...

'Don't tell me she's figured something out?'

Chen Erbao wondered to himself.

'That can't be right. Bai Xiaoqing is a little tense, but she's acting normally enough...'

His mind racing, Chen Erbao stood up with a cheerful laugh to break the tension.

"It's almost noon. Let's all go get some lunch. I'm exhausted from driving for days!"

"Okay! The cafeteria recently hired a great new chef. I'll take you guys to try it out!"

Lin Zhiqing reverted to her usual bubbly self, grabbing Chen Erbao's hand and leading the way to the cafeteria.

Just as they left, Bai Xiaoqing and Chen Erbao's eyes met for a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment.

...

In the cafeteria, Lin Zhiqing sat beside Chen Erbao, pointing out the dazzling array of dishes on the table.

"Er Bao, this is authentic sweet and sour crispy pork. It's super delicious, hurry up and try some!"

"And this one, pork stomach and chicken soup. It's my absolute favorite..."

In moments, Chen Erbao's bowl was piled high with all sorts of food. Luckily, he had a big appetite and polished it all off in a few quick bites.

Lin Zhiqing tilted her head, her eyes curving into happy crescents as she watched Chen Erbao eat, her bright face filled with delight.

Just watching him eat was enough to make her happy.

Chen Erbao would occasionally place some food in her bowl, and Lin Zhiqing would playfully open her mouth, asking him to feed her.

Bai Xiaoqing sat across from them, her head bowed as she ate in silence. She ignored their sweet interactions, focusing single-mindedly on her food.

'Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!'

After lunch, Lin Zhiqing took Chen Erbao's hand and said to Bai Xiaoqing with a smile:

"Sister Xiaoqing, Er Bao and I are going to hang out this afternoon. We'll have to leave the factory in your hands!"

"Okay, you two go have fun. It's fine, I need to catch up on some work from the past few days anyway."

Facing Chen Erbao's official girlfriend, Bai Xiaoqing didn't dare object. She just forced a smile.

Chen Erbao opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, said nothing.

Under Bai Xiaoqing's watchful gaze, Lin Zhiqing pulled Chen Erbao out of the cafeteria.

The moment they got in the car, Lin Zhiqing eagerly threw her arms around Chen Erbao's neck, her clear eyes gazing into his.

"Er Bao, I've missed you so much these past few days!"

"I missed you too."

Chen Erbao wrapped an arm around Lin Zhiqing's soft waist and leaned in to kiss her.

"Mmph..."

Their lips met. Breathing in her familiar, fresh scent, Chen Erbao tightened his arms, pressing Lin Zhiqing's body against his as his tongue slipped into her mouth, sucking forcefully.

Lin Zhiqing readily met his advance, her own tongue tangling with his.

Her body was soft and supple, her ample chest pressing against Chen Erbao's, showcasing their buoyant fullness.

Chen Erbao soon felt his Stabilizing Needle beginning to rise. He broke the kiss, planted another peck on her crimson-flushed cheek, and said softly:

"Where should we go this afternoon?"

"A new mall, May Square, just opened. I want to go for a look!"

"Let's go!"

The Land Rover started up again, and the two of them headed toward the city center.

In the office building, Bai Xiaoqing stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, watching the familiar car drive away from the factory as a wave of bitterness washed over her.

...

The weather in Jiangnan Province had been warming up lately. The sun was bright and a gentle breeze made the air feel pleasantly warm.

Chen Erbao drove leisurely down the smooth road, listening to Lin Zhiqing chatter about recent amusing events.

"I heard one of the women from the workshop is dating a security guard. I don't know if it's true, but I've seen the guard before. He's really handsome..."

"More handsome than me?"

Chen Erbao asked narcissistically.

Lin Zhiqing rolled her eyes at him and said with a giggle:

"You're the most handsome, alright? Happy now?"

"Give me a kiss!"

Chen Erbao leaned his head over.

"No! Keep your eyes on the road!"