Han Xiao opened the door and handed the keys and property deed to Ling Yucheng.
"President, I'll wait for you in the garage."
Ling Yucheng took the items, not even glancing at him, and said to Xia Wantang, "Let's go in."
After the two entered, the door closed with a bang.
Han Xiao touched his nose, not daring to complain, and could only turn to leave.
Upon entering, there was a foyer with a shoe cabinet. Beyond that was the living room. The kitchen and dining room were on the right.
A small corridor ran directly opposite the door. To the left of the corridor were the bathroom and the second bedroom, and to the right was the master bedroom.
The interior was fully furnished, with white furniture and cool-toned decor, devoid of any personal touch.
Fortunately, the house was clean, suggesting someone had recently tidied up.
Xia Wantang wandered around casually.
Ling Yucheng walked to the sofa and sat down, his eyes never leaving her.
Seeing him sit, Xia Wantang had no choice but to walk over and sit on the other side of the sofa.
She shyly expressed her gratitude, "Um, thank you."
If it weren't for Ling Yucheng, she wouldn't even have a place to stay, and she didn't know what she would have done.
"You've already thanked me many times," Ling Yucheng said with a helpless smile, thinking it was really unnecessary.
Xia Wantang's face flushed, and she mumbled, "Ah, have I?"
She lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes, feeling her face burn.
It was one thing to live in someone else's house, especially now that she couldn't even afford rent.
Moreover, she noticed there was no sign of anyone having lived there; it was a new house.
She was not someone who liked to take advantage of others, so she would definitely move out as soon as she had the means.
Ling Yucheng handed her the property deed and keys, saying, "These are for you. The house is in your name."
Although they hadn't known each other for long, Ling Yucheng knew for sure that Xia Wantang would not stay there permanently.
Therefore, he had directly instructed his secretary to put her name on the deed.
Xia Wantang was caught off guard and felt overwhelmed with gratitude, quickly waving her hands.
"Take it. I told you it's compensation."
Ling Yucheng took her hand and, refusing to take no for an answer, placed the items in her palm.
Xia Wantang could only accept. Just as she was about to say thank you, she swallowed the words.
Seeing that she had accepted, Ling Yucheng finally felt relieved and asked, "What I said in the car, have you considered it?"
Xia Wantang placed the items aside and said with embarrassment, "Um, I definitely can't accept the shares, and I can't be Mrs. Ling."
Even though he had anticipated the outcome, Ling Yucheng felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
His previously gentle gaze suddenly turned cold, his thin lips pressed together, and his expression was indifferent.
Xia Wantang lowered her head, unaware of the change in Ling Yucheng's expression.
Her heart was pounding rapidly, and she bit her lower lip, her voice growing softer and softer.
"I think we can try dating first."
As soon as she said this, Ling Yucheng's expression instantly shifted from dark to bright.
His slightly pursed lips curved upwards, his eyes filled with tenderness, and he softly replied, "Okay."
Hearing him agree, Xia Wantang felt a sudden surge of joy, for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint.
At the same time, she became even more shy, not daring to raise her head, her face burning as if it would bleed.
Ling Yucheng looked at her, his gaze suddenly darkening, a strange feeling stirring within him. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Her fair cheeks were flushed with an alluring blush, adding to her charm. Her lightly bitten red lips were incredibly alluring.
This reminded Ling Yucheng of last night...
Those soft red lips, delicate and tempting.
Her fair, slightly flushed cheeks, smooth and tender to the touch, like a peeled egg.
"Ahem..."
Ling Yucheng suddenly cleared his throat and turned his head away.
Xia Wantang looked up at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
The man's profile was still captivating, perfectly showcasing his almost flawless facial structure, high nose, and thin lips.
Looking at him, Xia Wantang felt it was all unreal.
Was this man before her now her boyfriend?
"Nothing."
Ling Yucheng glanced at her and, as if trying to escape, stood up and went directly to the bathroom.
Xia Wantang looked at the closed bathroom door and the sound of running water that followed, her large eyes filled with confusion.
However, she didn't dwell on it and, in a good mood, went to the bedroom.
Both rooms had duvets laid out, but they were all in shades of gray.
It suited Ling Yucheng's temperament, but she didn't like it. She wanted to change it to pink.
But the thought of Ling Yucheng sleeping on a pink bed made her chuckle, and she couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"What are you laughing at?"
Ling Yucheng's voice suddenly came from behind her.
Xia Wantang was startled, patting her chest as she turned around. "Nothing."
Realizing he had startled her, Ling Yucheng frowned slightly.
He thought to himself that he needed to be more careful next time; this girl was too timid.
Ling Yucheng's appearance made Xia Wantang aware of what she had been thinking, and her face immediately flushed again.
She cursed herself for thinking such nonsense. They had just started dating, and what was she thinking about?
Ling Yucheng, unaware of her thoughts, saw that it was past six o'clock and said,
"Are you hungry? Shall we go eat?"
"Mm-hmm, okay."
Xia Wantang nodded and was the first to walk out of the house.
Ling Yucheng followed behind her.
"After eating, we'll go buy some daily necessities."
Xia Wantang naturally had no objections. She had a feeling that she now had someone to rely on.
The two left the house and took the elevator together to the underground garage.
Han Xiao was waiting in the car, idly scrolling through videos.
He didn't even notice when Ling Yucheng and Xia Wantang arrived.
It wasn't until Ling Yucheng walked up and tapped on the driver's side window that he snapped back to reality.
Seeing Ling Yucheng through the window, he quickly got out of the car.
After getting out, he saw Xia Wantang. Surprise and curiosity flickered in his eyes, but he didn't say much, only nodding in greeting.
Xia Wantang gave a slight nod in return.
Ling Yucheng said, "You're off duty now. Take a taxi home yourself. The fare will be charged to the company."
Ling Yucheng got into the passenger seat as if it were his right and then said to Xia Wantang, "Get in."
Xia Wantang quickly walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and sat down.
The car then drove away mercilessly.
Han Xiao scratched his head, feeling abandoned by his boss, but in this situation, even if he were asked to get in, he wouldn't want to.
In the car, Xia Wantang held the seatbelt, watching the scenery flash by outside the window.
Ling Yucheng glanced at her from time to time and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine."
Xia Wantang really wanted to say that she wanted hot pot, spicy and sour noodles, hand-pulled beef noodles, scallion pancakes...
But she didn't say it out loud, because a big CEO like Ling Yucheng would surely not eat such junk food.
Ling Yucheng thought for a moment and asked, "Like lunch, home-style cooking, is that okay?"
He was thinking that Xia Wantang had eaten heartily at noon and might prefer that kind of flavor.
His own taste was also on the lighter side.
Xia Wantang nodded, "Mm-hmm, okay."
After about a twenty-minute drive, the car stopped in front of the restaurant from lunch.
After parking, the two walked into the restaurant together.
—＼(`Δ’)／