Chapter 25: Peng Jiaxin, High Offense and Low Defense

Chen Fan’s appearance and height made him a perfect match for Peng Jiaxin; there was no sense of discord when they stood together.

"So soon?"

"I was already in the neighborhood when I messaged you."

Chen Fan smiled as he approached Peng Jiaxin and naturally took her hand. "What do you want to eat?"

Peng Jiaxin didn't pull away, looking back at him with a smile. *What is this? Asserting your dominance in front of my people? Then stop blushing, you fool.*

"Western food, I suppose. I know a pretty decent place."

"Alright."

"But come to think of it, why did you take this car?"

"Hm? Is there a problem?" This was the car Chen Fan had meticulously selected—the only one he felt comfortable enough to drive.

"It's not a huge problem, but with you driving it away, Auntie Xu has no way to go grocery shopping."

"..."

Chen Fan’s smile remained unchanged as he walked to the passenger side to open the door for her. "Please get in, my lady."

Peng Jiaxin gave him a playful roll of her eyes. "You’re something else."

The BMW sped off.

It was the first time the assistant had ever seen President Peng smile. She was momentarily stunned.

"Ahem!" The driver coughed quickly to remind the assistant. "They’re long gone, stop staring."

"Ah... oh, sorry. But I didn't know President Peng could smile. She looks so beautiful when she does," the assistant giggled. Having worked for Peng Jiaxin for so long, this was the first time she felt a touch of human warmth from her.

The driver nodded in complete agreement.

"Do you want me to drive you home?"

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony~"

...

Although Xinghai Company was relatively small as an entertainment firm, it was located in the most prosperous part of Suzhou City. It was lunch hour, and exhausted office workers were emerging from the skyscrapers that pierced the clouds.

"It’s this jammed on a weekend; I can't imagine what the traffic is like during the work week."

Peng Jiaxin was already accustomed to it. "It’ll get much better once we pass the intersection ahead."

While waiting for the traffic light, Peng Jiaxin noticed that the man beside her—who had the desire but lacked the nerve—kept sneaking glances at her. Or, to be more precise, at her hand.

"Do you like it?"

"I do."

Chen Fan nodded without hesitation. Peng Jiaxin’s hand was slender and fair, like a delicate sculpture of jade, emitting a faint glow. *If this hand wore the ring I bought, it would look even better!* Chen Fan thought to himself.

Peng Jiaxin extended her left hand toward Chen Fan, palm upward. Chen Fan froze, then heard her voice, tinged with shyness: "If you don't want to hold it, then never mind."

Chen Fan immediately grasped the hand that was about to pull back. Her palm was slightly damp, but not sticky. Her delicate hand felt like a soft willow branch, and Chen Fan couldn't help but gently caress it. Peng Jiaxin’s face turned slightly pink, but she didn't pull away.

At that moment, Chen Fan felt truly grateful for the traffic; he even hoped it would last a little longer. The car moved in fits and starts, and it took over half an hour just to get through one traffic light. Yet, he didn't have a single complaint. Once they cleared the intersection, the road opened up just as Peng Jiaxin had said. Chen Fan used to look down on people who drove automatics—a man should be shifting gears! But now, he suddenly understood the greatness of an automatic transmission. *Ah, this is the life.*

He kept a smile on his face all the way to the Western restaurant.

"You’re something else," Peng Jiaxin whispered. She didn't dare say more, as she wasn't much better herself.

After parking the car, Chen Fan touched the ring box in his inner pocket. "Peng Jiaxin, I went to my parents' place before I came to pick you up."

"Hm? Did my father give you a hard time?" Peng Jiaxin immediately stopped trying to open the door.

"No, no, Dad was very good to me." Chen Fan couldn't help but laugh. "I just realized we were missing something. Peng Jiaxin, do you like gold?"

"Of course." Who in China wouldn't like gold?

"Then, can you accept this?" Chen Fan took out the ring box and opened it. A pair of exquisite gold rings appeared before her eyes.

She covered her mouth in surprise, her large, dark eyes darting between the rings and Chen Fan’s face. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

While she was distracted, Chen Fan took her hand and slipped the ring on. "It fits quite well."

Peng Jiaxin looked at him with feigned dissatisfaction, making him feel a bit guilty. "You don't like it? Sorry, I'll take it off right now."

"Who said that?" Peng Jiaxin hid her hand behind her back, while her other hand pulled a diamond ring catalog—which her assistant had collected for her—out of her bag.

"I was planning to give you a surprise, but now it's ruined."

Chen Fan instinctively took it and flipped through it. "So, that's what you were actually doing today?"

"Yeah, just coming to pick out a diamond ring. What about it?" Peng Jiaxin said nonchalantly. *To think that someone like Chen Fan beat me to it! Dammit! I can't be this sluggish next time. The diamond ring for our wedding must be chosen by me! I'll let him off the hook today.*

She looked at the ring on her hand, her lips curling upward uncontrollably. His taste was actually quite good—much better than the one her father gave her mother. After Peng Guojun became wealthy, he gave Bai Meilan countless pieces of gold and jewelry, but the one Bai Meilan always wore was the pure gold ring he bought her with his first paycheck. It wasn't expensive, but it was sincere.

In the driver's seat, Chen Fan was struggling to calm his racing heart, but no matter how deeply he breathed, his pulse wouldn't slow down. The car fell into silence.

"Do you want to take a picture?" Peng Jiaxin asked suddenly. She wasn't usually the type to take photos, but at this moment, she desperately wanted to record this instant.

"Sure."

Chen Fan offered his hand, which was wearing the ring. Peng Jiaxin couldn't help but roll her eyes. Too lazy to argue, she pulled him over so they were leaning against each other.

"Raise your hand."

"Okay."

*Click!*

"Who told you to raise both hands!"

The faint, romantic atmosphere in the car was completely shattered by Chen Fan’s clumsy actions. Peng Jiaxin was almost too angry to keep from laughing.

"Sorry..."

"Shut up, hold my hand."

This time, Chen Fan learned his lesson and interlaced his left hand with her right. Peng Jiaxin’s body stiffened for a moment, her breathing quickening.

"What's wrong?"

She coughed twice to hide her agitation. "Nothing. I'm taking it now."

"Okay."

Peng Jiaxin pressed the shutter, then let go and got out of the car, standing with her back to it and fanning her face with her hands. *Peng Jiaxin, oh Peng Jiaxin, it's not like you've never held hands before—why are you so shy?*

If she had only looked at her phone, she might have seen the photo of Chen Fan gazing at her with deep affection, watching her flushed face as she tried to pretend she didn't care, a faint smile on his lips.

Chen Fan stayed slumped over the steering wheel, unable to lift his head for a long time. The smile on his face was too obvious; he couldn't let her see it until he calmed down, or he feared she might get embarrassed and stop talking to him.

But... it was so hard to suppress!