Chapter 12: Chapter 12: First Date, Tony’s Help
Ding dong~
The crisp ringtone of a text message echoed through the air. Susan sighed, unlocking her phone to check the screen.
"Still not off work?!"
Sure enough, it was another text from our little Superman, Lin Feng…
Susan had lost count of how many times Lin Feng had messaged her.
But she didn't feel even a hint of impatience. Instead, she found it amusing.
She patiently replied to his message and glanced at the time—it was 4:00 PM, and she still had an hour left of work.
Her tasks were almost wrapped up for the day. With only a few loose ends to tie up, Susan decided to grab a coffee to stay awake.
The work perks at the TV station were great. In the office area, there were two coffee machines and several mini-fridges filled with snacks for everyone to enjoy for free.
Mmm… sitting for too long was starting to take its toll on her back. As she sipped her coffee, Susan stretched and massaged her lower back.
Her job involved either running out to shoot photos or sitting down to write copy. In theory, going out should count as exercise, but she could only blame that damn office chair for making her back hurt!
She'd mentioned it several times, but the stingy boss had never bothered to replace it. Susan muttered to herself in frustration.
"Ding ding ding!" A large waist cushion was suddenly shoved in front of her face.
"Ahh!! John, what are you doing?!" Startled, Susan turned around angrily.
Her voice attracted the attention of her colleagues. Some of them glanced over, but then quickly went back to their work.
Still, everyone seemed to slow down, eyes subtly shifting in Susan's direction. They knew exactly what was happening—gossip time!
John didn't expect to scare Susan. He'd originally intended to surprise her, but now that he saw how shocked she was, his plump face turned red with embarrassment.
"Su-Susan, I just wanted to give you a cushion, something you can put behind your back," John said, lifting the carefully chosen green cushion. "That way, you won't feel as tired."
"No… no thanks!" Susan quickly waved him off. "I appreciate the thought, but don't call me Miss Carter!"
After saying that, Susan didn't want to look at John anymore. She grabbed her coffee and started walking away.
"Wait, Susan!" John's voice rose as he stepped forward to block her path. Susan nearly tripped and collided with him.
"What exactly do you want?!" Susan was starting to get mad now, her delicate face turning cold and stern.
A shadow crossed John's eyes, and his voice lowered. "I wanted to ask if you'd have dinner with me tonight. I know of a new steakhouse nearby…"
"I'm sorry, but I'm already meeting someone tonight!" Susan said flatly, her eyes unable to hide her disgust.
With that, she swiftly walked around John, leaving him with nothing but her back as she made her way out.
John didn't stop her this time, but his eyes darkened with a sinister look as he watched Susan leave.
This was the seventh time he had given Susan a gift—whether it was flowers, expensive or practical items—she had rejected them all without even giving them a second glance.
And once again, the scene didn't escape the notice of Susan's colleagues.
Almost every team had its own gossip group, and now everyone stopped working to chat in their group.
"Ugh, that fatty's at it again! I don't know where he gets the guts!"
"Doesn't he know Susan doesn't like green? Why would he give her a green cushion?"
"Can't he see his own reflection? Does he really think a beauty and the beast romance could happen with him?"
"Just because he's got some money, he thinks every woman should fall for him? If he weren't the boss's nephew, he would've been kicked out of the company already!"
"How many times has he asked Susan out? Is this the 17th time this month?"
The staff happily discussed the latest drama. John, meanwhile, had returned to his office on the top floor, a soundproofed room designed for… well, some personal activities.
Of course, his girlfriend was usually someone new every month.
John stormed into his office, shouting angrily and throwing things around.
"Damn bitch!" He threw a broken piece of something to the ground and slumped into his chair, gasping for breath. His overindulgence had left his face covered in acne, his complexion looking haggard.
"There's no woman I can't get!" His mind seethed with curses. "All she did was snap a few pictures of Superman, so what gives her the right to turn me down?"
But after a moment, John's anger faded, replaced by calm.
That's fine. When a woman is too stubborn, I have other ways to deal with her.
---
Susan stretched and closed her laptop, finally making it to the end of the workday.
Ding! Another text message arrived.
"Susan! I'm downstairs at your building! Come down now!"
Susan couldn't help but smile when she saw the text. It was 5:00 PM, and Lin Feng had sent it right on time.
He was usually so composed, but today he seemed a little more eager.
"Coming, coming!" Susan replied with a smile. She pulled out a small makeup mirror and quickly touched up her face, then headed for the elevator.
The 5 PM rush hour had begun, with countless office workers flooding the streets in search of dinner.
After greeting a colleague she ran into, Susan stepped out of the building, scanning the street for Lin Feng.
"Hey! Susan!" A familiar voice called from behind.
Susan turned around, and Lin Feng's face was so close to hers that she almost bumped into him.
"Whoa! What are you doing?!" Susan instinctively took two steps back, her cheeks turning red as she scolded him.
"Ta-da!" Lin Feng didn't respond, but instead stretched out his hands, drawing a circle in the air.
*Whoosh* In the next second, a huge bouquet of roses appeared in his hands as if by magic.
Like a gentleman, Lin Feng gracefully handed the bouquet to the stunned Susan. "For you, the beautiful Miss Susan."
"Oh my gosh! Is this magic?" Susan gasped, taking the flowers and inhaling their fragrance. The fatigue from the day seemed to melt away. "Lin, how did you know I like roses?"
"That's a secret!" Lin Feng winked at her mysteriously. Then, with a slight bow, he extended his hand and invited, "Beautiful Miss Susan, may I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"
Susan blushed again, trying to keep her composure as she took his hand. "Of course, my big boy."
Her racing heart gave her away. Though it was a clichéd romantic moment, for both of them, it felt fresh and exciting.
Lin Feng smiled gently, taking Susan's soft, fair hand in his as they walked toward the street.
There, a Rolls-Royce was waiting. It was the car that Tony had prepared for them, with Happy as the driver.
Happy had been reluctant at first, but when he heard that he was driving for Superman, his attitude immediately changed.
Lin Feng carefully opened the door for Susan, and they both got in, heading to a seafood restaurant.
"Oh! Did you see that? Susan just got in a luxury car!" Several of Susan's colleagues watched in awe.
"Is that her boyfriend? He's so young! He has such a sunny smile!"
"And most importantly, he's so rich…"
"Did you get a picture? Quick, send it to the group so we can all gossip!"
As soon as the picture hit their group chat, the reactions were explosive.
"Ha! There's no way he can afford a Rolls-Royce, is it rented?" one person skeptically commented.
"Come on, can't he just be a rich second-generation?" someone replied, defending Lin Feng.
"Wait, do you recognize that license plate?"
"I know! It's Stark Industries' plate!"
"OMG, if he's got that kind of treatment, he's probably a shareholder!"
"Or maybe he's Tony Stark's illegitimate son?"
Some people were already imagining John's reaction when he found out.
"I want to see his face when he hears this!"