Chapter 37: I Am Her Boyfriend

"It's alright, it's alright," the young man showed no displeasure at Tang Rui's refusal. Instead, he asked politely, "And this gentleman is...?" A shadow flickered in his gaze as he looked at Lin Fan, but it quickly vanished. He had overheard Lin Fan's words to Tang Rui as he entered: 'You’ve already looked, a kiss is nothing.' The remark stirred a suspicion—could Tang Rui and this man already be involved? The thought nearly drove him to burst in and give Lin Fan a beating.

For years now, he had been pursuing Tang Rui. Insiders knew that whoever married her would become the future owner of Dongxing Group and the rightful heir of the Tang family. If someone else snatched her away now, he'd lose everything. But as Tang Rui was still inside, the young man could only swallow his anger for the moment.

"Lin Fan. Just an ordinary man," Lin Fan replied from his seat, making no move to stand.

"He's Lin Yan's younger brother," Tang Rui explained, seizing the opportunity as Xiang Wei finally stopped pestering her about dinner. "And this is my childhood friend, Xiang Wei."

Of course, Xiang Wei knew who Lin Yan was. After all his years in the business world, he was well aware of the president of Zhentian Group.

"So, you’re the president of Zhentian Group’s brother. My apologies. Rui and I grew up together, childhood sweethearts, you might say. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ll have to invite your sister to dinner sometime—President Lin is a legend in our industry. I admire her greatly," Xiang Wei said, his eyes full of disdain and contempt, though he smiled and extended his hand to Lin Fan.

The meaning behind Xiang Wei’s words was clear: a warning to Lin Fan that Tang Rui belonged to him, and he didn’t care who Lin Fan was. In Xiang Wei’s mind, anyone who could say what Lin Fan had just said was a little scoundrel, relying on a good sister, living off her, a useless playboy.

Lin Fan had met all kinds of people over the years. Though Xiang Wei masked his feelings well, Lin Fan had noticed his expression. Still, with Xiang Wei offering his hand in front of Tang Rui, Lin Fan had to respond, however minimally.

"May I ask where Mr. Lin is working these days?" Xiang Wei asked deliberately, intending to measure himself against Lin Fan. In his eyes, Lin Fan dressed too plainly, spoke without the manners of the upper class, and lacked any real talent. Even if Lin Fan entered Zhentian Group through his sister's connections, he’d never hold a key position. Big corporations didn’t tolerate nepotism, especially world-famous ones like Zhentian Group.

"‘Working’ is too much to say. I’m just Rui’s personal bodyguard," Lin Fan replied, giving Tang Rui a mischievous smile.

"Bodyguard?" Suddenly, a sense of crisis filled Xiang Wei. He doubted Lin Fan had any real skills; surely, Lin Yan had sent him under the guise of a bodyguard to get close to Tang Rui for some ulterior motive.

Indeed, Lin Yan wanted Lin Fan to take this opportunity to spend time with Tang Rui and deepen their relationship, but there was nothing sinister about it. Xiang Wei guessed half correctly, which showed he was clever. Unfortunately, he was up against Lin Fan, whom he thought was harmless, but in reality possessed extraordinary abilities.

Seeing Xiang Wei silent, Lin Fan grinned wickedly and added, "Of course, besides that, I’m also Rui’s boyfriend." He emphasized the word 'boyfriend,' making it clear to Xiang Wei that his relationship with Tang Rui was already established, and Xiang Wei should keep his distance.

"Bodyguard? When did he become my personal bodyguard? And when did he become my boyfriend?" Tang Rui was at a loss for how to respond. After a moment’s hesitation, she chose silence.

Tang Rui could have denied Lin Fan’s claims, but that would be tantamount to admitting to Xiang Wei that she didn’t have a boyfriend, leaving herself open to his relentless pursuit. Yet Tang Rui didn’t like Xiang Wei. With this in mind, she decided to use the opportunity to reject him, expressing her attitude through silence. Lin Fan, seeing this, boldly declared himself her boyfriend.

But Lin Fan’s familiar use of "Rui" startled Tang Rui. It was the first time he had called her that, and it sounded intimate, different from how Xiang Wei addressed her, as if she really were his girlfriend.

When Lin Fan uttered the word "boyfriend," Xiang Wei felt himself plummet from heaven to hell. He had assumed Lin Fan was just another suitor, but now, hearing Lin Fan’s declaration and seeing Tang Rui’s silence, Xiang Wei took it as tacit approval.

"Rui, when did this happen?" Xiang Wei pressed, determined to hear it from Tang Rui herself.

"Well, um..." Tang Rui could not bring herself to reject Xiang Wei outright. His father had treated her kindly, and she had always regarded Xiang Wei as an older brother. Now, when pressed, she could only stammer.

Seeing her hesitation, Lin Fan thought to himself, "She must see Xiang Wei as a childhood friend and can't bear to reject him. This girl is too kind, too innocent." Lin Fan knew Xiang Wei wasn’t genuinely in love with Tang Rui—his gaze was full of greed and desire. If his guess was right, Xiang Wei had hidden motives.

As Tang Rui continued to hesitate, Lin Fan shook his head, smiled faintly, walked over to her, and naturally placed his hand on her shoulder, saying, "We've been together for a while. What’s wrong, Mr. Xiang—do you have an objection?"

Tang Rui’s body stiffened at his touch; she felt a jolt, completely unprepared for Lin Fan to take advantage of the moment. But after considering, she decided to play along, glaring at Lin Fan to warn him not to go too far. She was good-tempered, but she was still a woman and wouldn’t let a man touch her without restraint.