Chapter 95

Xie Wendong said affectionately, “Brother Qu, I wonder where you are working now?”
“What working?” Qu Fei replied listlessly. “I used to be in a martial arts team, but recently I realized there’s no room for growth there, so I tried to find a job. But once I started looking, I found it hard to get one. I only have a junior high school education—who would hire me? Now I’ve found a job as a security guard. The salary isn’t high, but it helps support my grandmother and me!”
“Oh, I see!” Xie Wendong’s eyes shifted as he asked, “How much do they pay you per month?”
Qu Fei hesitated before saying shyly, “It’s not much—around four hundred a month! I heard some better jobs pay over five hundred!”
Xie Wendong pretended to be concerned, “How can you make ends meet with such a small salary? Your grandmother must be quite old. Are you the only ones in your family?”
“Yes! My parents have passed away,” Qu Fei said sadly.
Xie Wendong didn’t press further. He pulled Qu Fei to sit down and said with a smile, “How about this? If you’re willing, you can work at my company. I know you hate the mafia, but I’m now a legitimate businessman. You won’t be forced to do anything illegal—just work as a security guard. And I can pay you twice as much as others. What do you think?”
“Well…” Qu Fei really hated thugs and considered the mafia the root of the country’s evils—a bunch of bloodsucking parasites. But he was in desperate need of money, and his grandmother needed it for various expenses as she aged. He was hesitant.
Xie Wendong admired Qu Fei. If he could recruit him, he’d be a great asset. Not wanting to push him too hard, he smiled and said, “You can go back and think about it first! And there are good and bad mafiosi. I may not be a good person, but I’m not a villain either. I’m offering you this job out of friendship. If you consider me a friend?”
Qu Fei nodded, thinking that although this man came from a thug background, he still had integrity, as shown by his actions. After thinking it over, he stood up and said, “Thank you for your kindness, but I need to go back and consider it. How about I give you an answer in a day or two?”
Xie Wendong smiled. “Okay! That’s settled!”
After Qu Fei left, Xie Wendong stood by the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling streets below. He thought to himself that maybe he really was a born villain! With that thought, a smile appeared on his lips. So what if he was a villain? If he weren’t, he would have been eliminated long ago. The world wasn’t ruled by villains yet, but one day, it would be this villain who changed it!

Late at night, Peng Ling was busy until late before leaving the city police station. She politely declined Yan Ke’s invitation and took a taxi home. Yan Ke was the police officer who often appeared around Peng Ling. Her father held a position of moderate importance in the city government but wielded considerable power. Yan Ke himself was extremely ambitious; he had noticed Peng Ling as soon as she joined the police station, and after learning she was Peng Shulin’s daughter, he pursued her relentlessly, believing that forming a relationship with her would pave the way for a bright future. Of course, Peng Ling’s beauty was also one of the reasons he couldn’t give up on her. Yet Peng Ling remained indifferent to him, with a sense of distance between them.

Since Peng Shulin had many clients and Peng Ling preferred quiet, feeling uncomfortable at home, she rented an apartment in a complex not far from the police station to live alone.

It was nearly 10 p.m., and it was winter—the complex was eerily quiet, with hardly anyone in sight. Peng Ling walked with her head down, lost in thought. The recent issues with Xie Wendong were giving her a headache. Like Xie Wendong, she tried to distract herself with work, but neither of them succeeded!

Peng Ling entered the stairwell, which was pitch black—she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. “Damn it, why is the hallway light broken again?” she cursed inwardly, using the faint light from outside to navigate up the stairs. But after just a few steps, a cold voice came from a dark corner nearby: “I wonder if Miss Peng is having a good time, coming back so late!”

The sudden voice startled Peng Ling, making her shudder and almost scream. Regardless of whether he was a police officer or not, she was still a woman, and she feared the darkness. Nervous, her head buzzed, and she couldn’t hear clearly what the person in the darkness said. She quickly reached for the pistol at her waist, deliberately raising her voice to boost her courage and asked, “Who are you?”

“Hehe!” A figure stepped out of the darkness. The faint light from outside reflected off his eyes, making his long pupils seem to glow. “Miss Peng, you haven’t forgotten me so quickly, have you?”

This time, Peng Ling recognized his voice and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Annoyed, she said, “Xie Wendong, what are you doing here? You scared me!”

Xie Wendong stepped closer to Peng Ling and whispered, “Just call me Wendong. I like the way you call me!”

Peng Ling was unaccustomed to Xie Wendong’s sudden closeness. She stepped back and said, “You… how do you know I live here? Do you need something from me?!”

“Nothing!” Xie Wendong took another step forward, gripping Peng Ling’s shoulders to prevent her from escaping. “I’d like to invite you out for dinner. It seems like it’s been a long time since we last ate together!”

Peng Ling also wanted to find an opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with Xie Wendong to resolve the misunderstandings between them. She nodded and agreed, “Okay, I’ll go home first to change my clothes. Come up and sit with me!”
“Sure!” Xie Wendong followed Peng Ling up the stairs, a barely noticeable sneer on his lips.
Once inside Peng Ling’s house, Xie Wendong looked around. The place wasn’t big, about forty square meters at most—there was a small bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Though small, it was neatly tidy, with an elegant arrangement of furniture, along with Peng Ling’s unique fragrance.
Peng Ling went into the bedroom to change out of her uniform, while Xie Wendong wandered around the living room, occasionally picking up the small decorations to take a look, saying loudly, “I still think you look better in a police uniform!”
From the bedroom, Peng Ling laughed as she changed, “Aren’t you scared when I’m in uniform?”
“Hehe!” Xie Wendong’s eyes turned cold. Was Peng Ling mocking him for having a criminal background? Hmph! He laughed loudly, “I might be scared, but admiration is still admiration—those are two different things!” Though he said this, he was secretly annoyed, thinking about his plans for later.
Five minutes later, Peng Ling came out of the room and apologized to Xie Wendong, “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Do you want something to drink?”
Xie Wendong had originally wanted to suggest eating right away, but Peng Ling in casual clothes caught his eye, filling him with admiration—how beautiful!
Peng Ling wore casual clothes—a pair of white leather boots, slightly baggy pants, and a white long-sleeved sweater. Everything was quite ordinary, but on her, it exuded a fresh charm. Xie Wendong was stunned and said with a smile, “You look even more beautiful in this!”
Peng Ling felt pleased, and her mood improved. She joked, “Little brother, when did you learn to give compliments?”
Xie Wendong stood up and walked over to Peng Ling, gently patting the top of her head and smiling, “Look, I’m so much taller than you. How can I be a little brother?”
Peng Ling pulled her hand away, her face turning slightly red in displeasure, “I’m actually older than you! Hehe, you’re just a freshman, aren’t you? Giggling!” With that, Peng Ling couldn’t help but laugh.
This charming Peng Ling was something Xie Wendong had never seen before. He naturally took her hand, their eyes locking together. The two stood there quietly, their silhouettes overlapping under the light. At this moment, Xie Wendong was willing to cherish it for a lifetime, but a voice in his heart asked: Can you really do that?

After a while, Peng Ling finally realized what was happening. Her face turned red as she pulled her hand back and said, “I’m going to make coffee!” Then she hurried off to the kitchen. Xie Wendong watched Peng Ling’s retreating figure, a hint of confusion and pity in his eyes.

Xie Wendong sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Somehow, he thought of his friends from college, and a smile appeared on his lips. He couldn’t help but ask loudly, “Xiaoling, may I ask you a question?”

Peng Ling, who was busy in the kitchen, smiled and said, “What is it? Go ahead!”

“You said that men have it but women don’t, and little boys only have a little bit. Women are scared at first but end up liking it more and more?”

Peng Ling came out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee, looking at Xie Wendong puzzledly. “Who taught you that?”

Xie Wendong took a sip of the coffee and said, “Not bad!” Then he looked up and added, “It was a classmate from college who asked me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t answer!”

Peng Ling smiled and said, “I know! But I won’t tell you!”

“Do I have it?” “Yes!” “Then what exactly is it?” “Giggle, I won’t say…”