Chapter 495: Hot Gossip

Wen Qinxi wasn't the kind to follow strangers and he wouldn't go with just anyone. While in a daze watching the news he was approached by Qie Ranzhe's driver. Someone had taken it upon themselves to leak Flagship to the media not forgetting to mention that the technology had problems which is why the CEO of GameX was M.I.A for five months. That wasn't all but that's all Wen Qinxi heard before he was approached by the driver.

Qie Ranzhe had been waiting for his lead programmer to come back from vacation and hold a press conference which is why he had his driver whisk him away as soon as he arrived.

As soon as Wen Qinxi got to the office they had to use the back door because the reception was prepped for the conference buzzing with journalists. He wasn't dressed for a press conference but there wasn't much time left because his flight had been delayed by half an hour.

He was dressed in green cargo pants and a white statement T-shirt written 'Single AF'. There is no need to ask where he got it from. He was ushered to the ground floor conference room where Qie Ranzhe was waiting for him. The moment Wen Qinxi saw him he froze in place with a slight tremble in his fingers.

Qie Ranzhe had his back to him talking to the head of public relations. He was dressed in a well-fitted suit with a new sexy low fade hair cut enhancing his freakishly handsome face. Wen Qinxi had seriously thought through how he would react when he met with Qie Ranzhe outside the game.

It was a well thought out plan but things never go as intended. His brain had decided to abandon him and take a second vacation at this moment. All he could hear was the rapid beating of his heart as he rubbed his clammy palms. He was seriously weighing the pros and cons of just taking off right now before Qie Ranzhe noticed him.

Too bad his decision-making process was a little slower because Qie Ranzhe suddenly turned his head to face him. When their eyes met it was like an explosion was set off with only the two of them left standing. Everyone else in the room faded into the background as electric sparks ignited between them.

Qie Ranzhe felt a warm feeling spread throughout his chest as he unconsciously walked over to him. It seemed he had lost control of his body as he drew closer, his intentions unknown. It took Li Menxie calling out to Qie Ranzhe three times to bring him back to earth.

"Sir, we have to go. We are running late," she said after walking in to find the two men eyeing each other ambiguously. She too was concerned about the relationship between these two. There was nothing before but now there was definitely something going on between them.

"Mn," replied Qie Ranzhe stopping a few feet from Wen Qinxi. "Did you rest well?" he asked subtly biting his lower lip.

Wen Qinxi seemed calm on the outside but on the inside, he was all kinds of messed up screaming, 'What the fuck' like a broken record. He didn't have enough time to digest this unexpected situation because he was being rushed.

"Fi-fine, fine," answered Wen Qinxi with his IQ taking a nose dive.

The PR director handed him a leather folder with the GameX logo on it and said, "Just stick to the script and everything will be fine."

Wen Qinxi's gaze finally left Qie Ranzhe consulting the PR director while pointing at his T-shirt. "I am not dressed for it," said Wen Qinxi deliberately averting Qie Ranzhe's gaze. If he so much as looked at him one more time, he might or might not have jumped him.

Qie Ranzhe looked at Wen Qinxi's T-shirt and felt so sour that he couldn't take a second look. 'Single AF. Huh, not for long,' he thought while the PR director appeased Wen Qinxi.

"You're like the director in a movie. No one cares how you are dressed as long as you don't look too shabby. Just focus on the script and don't be nervous," explained the director before leading him out of the conference room.

As soon as the three gentlemen stepped on the makeshift platform in GameX's reception there was a burst in the clicking and flashing of cameras almost blinding this nerd. He kept his head lowered that he didn't even notice Qie Ranzhe pull a chair for him.

The CEO stretched his hand almost touching his back guiding him to sit down before taking a seat himself. The atmosphere between them was a little off to others but to them, it appeared natural. "Thanks," murmured Wen Qinxi as he placed the folder on the table. Qie Ranzhe smiled at him with a lingering gaze that Wen Qinxi didn't notice. Qie Ranzhe only managed to extricate himself from that enchantment when the PR director began the press conference.

The press conference went well with the nerd struggling to use layman's terms to explain Flagship. This technology was very exciting piquing the public's interest but fifty per cent of the rest of the netizens were more interested in the second rumour.

Knowing how to capitalize on hot gossip, a journalist finally asked the million-dollar question. "So Mr Qie, when will be the big day? I am certain you are thrilled to finally desert the single dog's club," said the journalist sitting right at the back.

Qie Ranzhe placed the bottle of mineral water he had just taken a sip from on the table. His expression didn't look like he was a happily engaged man.

But that wasn't the scary part. The scary part was the fleeting glare that was sent his way from a certain someone. It might not have lingered but it was very effective.

"No, that rumour is absolutely false and I would kindly appreciate it if you correct your records," he said with an authoritative tone that he didn't even use when he was clarifying rumours about Flagship. His attitude seemed to say, 'you can fuck with Flagship all you want but you can't pin a fiancee on me'.

He could sense the man sitting beside him was incredibly pissed and would blow up at a moment's notice so he placed his hand on Wen Qinxi's knee under the table trying to appease him.

His gaze remained fixed on the journalist asking a question with his hand on his chin but his other hand was gently squeezing the man's thigh in comfort.

Wen Qinxi was like a pressure cooker on the verge of exploding but that hand on his thigh did more arousing than soothing. His heartbeat skyrocketed with an inexplicable heat rising from the point of contact. He had to quench his thirst otherwise he couldn't be held responsible for what happens next.

Without giving it much thought, he took the exact bottle Qie Ranzhe drank from, unscrewed the cap and downed half of it in one go. Qie Ranzhe wanted to say something lifting his hand from Wen Qinxi's thigh but it was already too late. Talk about sharing an indirect kiss during a press conference.