Feng Ling turned his head and looked at him while waiting for the red light. âWhat do you want to do to me?â
Qiao Fei smiled. âI attended a dinner party last night and didnât sleep all night. Send me to the hotel first, and I will tell you when I get there.â
Feng Ling was wary. âI will not send you up to the room. I will only send you to the hotel.â
âMy room is on the first floor.â
Would there be a room on the first floor of a hotel? And Feng Ling noticed the name of this hotel, which seemed to be a very famous and luxurious seven-star hotel in Los Angeles. The first, secondm and third floors of this kind of hotel were mostly large banquet halls. Why would there be rooms?
When they were about to arrive at the hotel, Qiao Fei turned to look outside the window, and his voice was tired and husky. âMy parents arranged a blind date for me, but I donât like it. Tonight, there will be a dinner party in the hotel, so I want to borrow you for a night.â
Feng Ling still drove intently. âBorrow me for a night?â
âI know Boss Li likes you, and you obviously also like him.â Qiao Fei paused. âYou can take a horse to the waterm but you cannot make it drink. I wonât force you, but can you pretend to be my girlfriend tonight? Then my family wonât push me so hard.â
Feng Ling braked abruptly and then calmed down before turning to look at him as if he was a lunatic, and then she continued driving. âNo way.â
âIt is a charity dinner party hosted by several important Chinese families in Los Angeles. In fact, it is just a way these big families build relations with each other. Donât worry. You donât have to change clothes specially. You just need to go with me. â
âIâm not going. I will leave after taking you to the hotel.â
âThe guests have almost all arrived. Do me a favor.â
âBrother Qiao, you should know me. No one can force me to do anything I donât want to do.â
âBut you owe me one.â
âHuh?â
âI had been keeping your secret for so long and never made you do anything for me. I like you, but I never forced or disturbed you but just watched you and Boss Li playing lovey-dovey in front of me. Donât you think you owe me? Anyway, youâve gotta do me this favor tonight. Otherwise, Iâll tie you up and take you there.â
Feng Ling pursed her lips. âI donât quite understand why you are trying to muddle through this way. If you donât want a blind date, just tell your family.â
âItâs just their temporary decision. They wanted me to see the girl at this dinner party. I think the best way to refuse a blind date is to show them my girlfriend. You donât need to say or do anything. All you need to do is to stand beside me.â
â...You can just find a random female friend to go with you.â
âNo, I canât.â
âWhy?â
âBecause I donât like them. I wonât look like a man in love having any of them standing beside me. Then my family wonât believe me.â
â...â
Although Feng Ling knew very few about feelings, she could understand what he meant.
So he specifically called her, came to pick her up, gazed at her all the way, and played pitiful in front of her just to try to persuade her to pretend to be his girlfriend tonight?
She hadnât even learned how to be a normal girl. How could she pretend to be his girlfriend?
Feng Ling didnât speak anymore. When they arrived, she unpacked the seat belt and got out of the car.
âFeng Ling.â Seeing that she was about to go without saying a word, Qiao Fei got out of the car, and walked quickly to stand in front of her to block her path. âCanât you do me a favor?â
âI canât.â Feng Ling looked up at the man who was much higher than her. âI donât know how to play this role, and this kind of thing is too embarrassing. I wonât, and I canât do it.â
âYou donât need to say anything. Just stand by my side tonight.â
âNo, I canât.â
Looking at her for a while, Qiao Fei silently stepped aside and gave way to her.
Feng Ling looked at him. âBrother Qiao, Iâm sorry, but I really canât do it...â
âItâs okay. Iâll have a driver to take you back.â Qiao Fei said, picking up the phone.
Feng Ling had been avoiding him just now. Now standing so close to him, she found that he looked gaunt and gloomy, and the alcohol on his body became stronger now.
If he werenât in an extremely bad mood, Qiao Fei who was such a self-disciplined man, wouldnât have stayed up all night drinking.
Was he really distressed?
âIâll take a taxi. I know the address of the apartment.â
She sounded as if she was already familiar with Li Nanhengâs apartment. Qiao Fei paused and said nothing. He dialed a number and seemed about to call the driver over.
Seeing him so silent, Feng Ling pursed her lips and walked to him. âBrother Qiao, I really donât know how to pretend to be your girlfriend. Iâm afraid that I may end up embarrassing you.â
Hearing her words, Qiao Fei turned to look at her. âAre you willing to do me the favor?â
Feng Ling: â...Iâll do you this favor in return.â
Qiao Fei smiled. âItâs still a few hours before the dinner party. If youâd like, you can change into an evening dress, but I know you wonât, so be it. Anyway, even if you wear no make-up, youâre still a pretty girl. My parents can definitely tell that I really like you when they see you and me being together. Then they will not give me another blind date.â
Hearing he said he liked her, Feng Ling remembered Li Nanheng also once said he liked her.
It seemed that the men around her were all so straightforward. Perhaps that was because they all came from XI Base. When they liked someone, they just spoke it out. To them, there was nothing to hide.
But Feng Ling was aware that when Li Nanheng said that to her, she was willing to accept it and her heart was even trembling, while she was only grateful and wanted to escape when Qiao Fei said that to her.
Was this the so-called difference as Li Nanheng said?
Thinking of Li Nanheng, Feng Ling turned to look at the hotel behind her. Boss Li said that he would not come back home today because he had something to tend to. Perhaps he went back to the Li family or the base. She didnât think she would meet him in such a place.
So even if she helped Qiao Fei, it shouldnât matter, as long as it wouldnât be learned by Boss Li.
Otherwise, she would be in serious trouble.