Flirtatiousness

"Because I care about you!"

"Just... forget I said anything."

Lian Qiang shook her head.

The words Zhang Jin had spoken earlier replayed in her mind, haunting her. Rest had eluded her early morning, evident in the dark circles around her eyes.

"Arghh!" She groaned as the morning sun pierced through her window, nudging her awake. Swiftly rising from the bed, she stretched, feeling the tightness in her muscles.

With a deep breath, she began her morning routine, reaching for the essentials in her bag. Ever since she'd moved into the mansion, personal time had become a rarity. Almost every moment was spent safeguarding Zhang Jin. Yet, that was her duty, her responsibility, and she accepted it.

Retrieving a mat from under her bed, she changed into her gym attire: snug leggings and a supportive sports bra. Energized, she headed to the mansion's gym. The array of equipment gleamed under the overhead lights, making her eyes light up in anticipation of her workout.

Elsewhere in the mansion, Zhang Jin was in his room, preparing for his date with Huan Zhao. Their relationship was complicated, especially after the unfortunate misunderstanding where Huan Zhao thought she'd been cheated. He couldn't help but blame Lian Qiang for exacerbating the situation with her words in front of Huan Zhao.

Determined to set things right, he hoped to ask Huan Zhao for another chance. After getting dressed, he realized he'd need Lian Qiang, both as his driver and his protector for the day.

"Lian Qiang!" He called out as he stepped into the corridor.

But there was only silence in return. Trying her room, he found it empty. A sense of unease crept over him.

He sighed deeply, his mind racing. 'Where could she be?'

He found it hard to believe she'd leave the mansion without informing him. After all, she always asked his permission before heading out.

He walked through the mansion, moving from one guest room to the next. He could pick up faint scents from previous visitors. Sunlight peeked through the curtains, creating patterns on the wooden floors. Except for the quiet hum of the air conditioning and the occasional bird chirping outside, it was pretty quiet.

But as he neared the gym room, the muted quiet was broken by a rhythmic count.

"Three hundred Ninety-eight,"

"Three hundred Ninety-nine,"

"Four hundred."

Zhang Jin walked over to the slightly open door, curious about what was inside. When he looked in, he saw Lian Qiang on a soft mat, doing curl-ups with a focused expression and a light sweat on her brow. She moved with practiced precision, showing that this was a regular routine for her. But for Zhang Jin, it was the first time seeing her train so intensely.

"Zhang Jin!" His thoughts were interrupted when Lian Qiang clapped her hands loudly. The sound snapped him back to the present.

Lian Qiang took the face towel from the table and wiped her glistening forehead and shoulders.

His eyes widened in surprise when Lian Qiang calling for his name. He couldn't believe that a woman has a good body.

Seeing his shocked expression, she shook her head with a slight smirk.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned, her eyebrow arching. In her confusion, she placed both hands on her hips.

Avoiding her direct gaze, Zhang Jin rubbed his chin thoughtfully and shook his head. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke.

"Uh, we're headed to a restaurant."

She looked puzzled. "What?"

"You'll be driving me today. We have a meal with Huan Zhao," he stated clearly.

She raised an eyebrow, "I didn't realize you two had made amends." she continue wiping her face.

"No we're not." His eyes was in fury staring at her. "Because this is all your fault why we both had a misunderstanding." he said pointing at her.

She laughed sarcastically, " I don't think so. Stop blaming your flirtatiousness on me."

Zhang Jin couldn't believe what she said, "What did you say?"

She met his gaze unflinchingly, "I called you a flirt. Understand now?"

Zhang Jin was in fury gazing at her. He felt like he wants to hurt the woman but he couldn't.

"See? Stop being so defensive. I could clearly see it through your reaction." Lian Qiang teased her that made his blood boil.

"I bet who among us were flirt, huh?" Zhang Jin bravely said. "Yesterday you went to club right? I asked Ling Xue about it and she told me, you went there." He continued.

"What?" Lian Qiang surprised about what he said. "Why did she said that to you?"

"She.told.me. Of course." He said with emphasis.

"Don't tell me you scared her off?" she asked, a hint of doubt in her voice. Her eyes now blazed with anger.

"Why would I scared her?"

"It's simple, I knew she likes you!"

"I don't care if she likes me or not. Still, she told me about it."

Lian Qiang couldn't say anymore words. She shouldn't let him know about it because that mission was confidential. She knows deep inside that this guy really did something to made Ling Xue told him about it.

"Nevermind." She just ignore it making her way to her room to prepare.

"So, who flirts more, you or me?"

She was about to take a few more steps when his voice rang out behind her.

"Perhaps you slept with someone last night. I noticed there was a bloodstain on your dress," he remarked with a tone of assurance, causing Lian Qiang to freeze in place.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, struggling to process the audacity of his statement.

"What did you just say?" she demanded, shifted her gaze at him, her voice edged with anger and shock.

"I just wanted to tell you that you're more of a whore than me, right?" He asked, a hint of smugness in his tone.

Lian Qiang couldn't handle her anger bubbling inside her. Her hand felt like it has its own brain. Her hands flew through his face. A huge sound of a slapped inside the room resonated.

"How dare you telling me that!" She yelled, her eyes flashing with fury.

He staggered back a step, one hand rising to touch the reddening mark on his face. For a moment, shock was evident in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by anger.