If Ye Ziqiu wanted to buy a mattress, she really didn’t have to do it herself.
A single phone call to the company’s logistics department would have them buy the best mattress available, deliver it to her home, and install it.
However, she didn’t want anyone other than Lin Jian to know about her replacing and buying a new mattress.
Therefore, she had to buy it herself.
The reason she brought Lin Jian along was that she needed him to handle the handover with the furniture company later on.
For example, when the workers delivered the mattress to her house, she needed Lin Jian to be there and have the workers take the old mattress away.
In truth, this was just her own paranoia acting up; she always felt that if people found out, they might think or do something untoward.
This stemmed from a kind of short-term psychological trauma.
On the way to the furniture mall, Lin Jian stopped by his home and changed into a casual T-shirt, loose shorts, and sneakers.
Although his clothes were ordinary, cheap items, they were perfectly clean and neat.
Lin Jing was a very cleanly person herself, so even though Lin Jian didn’t wear nice clothes growing up, his old outfits had to be spotless.
His sneakers had been washed over and over again, clearly showing they were several years old!
When Ye Ziqiu saw Lin Jian return looking so refreshing, her eyes couldn’t help but light up.
To be honest, Lin Jian was tall and well-built.
Though his skin wasn’t fair, it had a healthy glow.
Coupled with his physique, maintained by years of martial arts practice, he exuded a refreshing and energetic aura.
Ye Ziqiu had to admit that this guy was quite handsome.
There were probably quite a few girls chasing after him.
After getting in the car, Lin Jian continued to drive while Ye Ziqiu asked curiously, “You’re so handsome.
There must be a lot of girls pursuing you, right?”
Lin Jian rolled his eyes at the gorgeous woman.
“Is it any of your business?
Why should I tell you?”
Ye Ziqiu almost choked in anger.
She was just trying to have a nice chat with him, and he had the nerve to bite her head off?
Gritting her teeth furiously, she swore she wouldn’t say another word of nonsense to him from now on.
She turned her head away to look out the window.
“Hey, are you mad?” Lin Jian chuckled and added, “I was just joking with you.
Don’t actually get mad.”
“Do we have the kind of relationship to joke around?” Ye Ziqiu retorted.
Thick-skinned as ever, Lin Jian smiled cheekily.
“Sure we do.
Aren’t we friends?”
“Who’s your friend,” Ye Ziqiu muttered softly.
SCREECH!
Hearing her words, Lin Jian suddenly pulled over and stopped the car.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Ziqiu hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from him, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.
Lin Jian looked at her, and her gaze flickered evasively.
“Nothing.”
Lin Jian sighed inwardly.
He had overthought things, assuming they were friends just because they had gotten a bit familiar.
But in reality, he and Ye Ziqiu were from two completely different worlds.
How could they possibly be friends?
He had been overly presumptuous, so he couldn’t refute her words.
What she said was her true feeling, spoken subconsciously.
Right now, he was probably just a useful tool for her for the day.
Friends?
Did he think that just because she smiled at him and spoke a few extra sentences, they were friends?
What was he thinking?
Once he figured this out in a split second, Lin Jian didn’t say a single word.
There was nothing to say; speaking would only lower his own dignity.
He restarted the car and drove on.
Meanwhile, Ye Ziqiu was blaming herself for speaking without thinking.
Aside from Jiang Xue, she didn’t have a single friend in Jiang City, but that didn’t mean Lin Jian couldn’t be her friend.
When making friends, she didn’t care about status; she valued character.
And what about this little security guard?
First, he helped her catch a thief.
Then, he resolved the kidnapping incident at the mall, shielded her from Su Zhida’s evil clutches, personally escorted her home, took care of her all night, and now, with just one phone call, he was accompanying her to buy furniture…
Yet she had said he wasn’t her friend.
Anyone would feel uncomfortable hearing that.
She realized she had misspoken.
“Um, Lin Jian, I didn’t mean anything by it.
Please don’t mind it, I…” Ye Ziqiu took a deep breath, then looked sincerely at Lin Jian as he drove and said, “Aside from Jiang Xue, I don’t have any other friends in Jiang City.
But I don’t mind being friends with you.
Even though you’re quite a pervert, you’re a pretty good person overall.
“From now on, we’re superiors and subordinates at the company, but in private, how about we be friends?”
“Stop, stop right there.
Miss Ye, since when am I a pervert?” Lin Jian glared at her.
“You aren’t?” Ye Ziqiu said angrily.
“That night when I went to your bookstand to read, you got a nosebleed just from looking at me.
And you’re saying you’re not a pervert?
“Oh, right, I just saw bloodstains on the front of your security uniform.
Did you get another nosebleed?
From last night?”
“COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!
What nonsense is that?
The weather in Jiangnan has been hot lately, and I’ve just been suffering from a bit of internal heat, okay?” Lin Jian said awkwardly.
“Hmph.
Tell me, did you go into my bedroom last night?
Who took off my clothes…”
Gritting her teeth, Ye Ziqiu suddenly choked on her words right there!
It was better to leave them unspoken and mutually understood.
Saying them out loud would only make it awkward for both of them!
Sure enough, the atmosphere in the car instantly shifted.
“What are you talking about?
Am I that kind of person?
Besides, you’re so ugly and fat, you think I’d be interested in you?
Dream on!” Lin Jian’s skill at bantering and defusing tension was top-notch.
As expected, hearing his words completely dissolved the awkward atmosphere.
Instead, Ye Ziqiu got so mad that she reached out to pinch him.
“Who are you calling ugly?
Who are you calling fat?
You aren’t interested in me?
I’m dreaming?
You’re infuriating!
I’m so mad at you…”
She pinched Lin Jian’s waist as she spoke!
But mid-pinch, Ye Ziqiu suddenly froze.
Her face instantly turned redder than a ripe apple!
She wondered what was wrong with her.
God, why was this happening?
She, the dignified Ye Ziqiu, was actually pinching a man’s waist and playfully bantering with him.
God, was she still Ye Ziqiu?
How had she become like this?
She found it unbelievable.
She wasn’t like this at all.
She had aristocratic traditions, the reserve of a noble lady, an excellent upbringing, and a high-level education.
She had never been like this before, nor had she ever thought she would be—actually…
flirting…
with a man?
Yes, flirting.
For a moment, Ye Ziqiu was stunned by her own realization.
“Hey beauty, your grip is way too weak, isn’t it?
Is that all you’ve got?
It’s basically a tickle.” Lin Jian still gave her an out to save her from embarrassment.
“You’re like a block of wood.
I won’t pinch you anymore, it hurts my hand,” Ye Ziqiu played along, withdrawing her hand and evasively looking away.
Naturally, at this moment, her mood became uncharacteristically pleasant for no apparent reason.
It seemed that messing around and bickering with him had actually made her feel much more relaxed.