Chapter 248

After returning for so many days, Xie Wendong still hadn’t met the person he most wanted to see, and his longing for Peng Ling grew uncontrollable. The car sped through the bustling city. As they approached Peng Ling’s house, he asked Jiang Sen to stop, who turned to look at him in confusion. Xie Wendong smiled sheepishly and said, “I haven’t been back in so long; it wouldn’t be good to show up empty-handed.”

Jiang Sen was smart enough to understand what he meant. He glanced around and pointed ahead, saying with a smile, “Brother Dong, there’s a flower shop ahead. Sending flowers would be nice.”

Xie Wendong looked in that direction and indeed saw a sizable flower shop not far ahead, with two rows of large flower baskets by the entrance. Sending flowers? Xie Wendong smiled—this was indeed a good idea. He got out of the car and carefully selected some bright red roses from the shop before returning to the car, satisfied. When they arrived at the residential complex where Peng Ling lived, Xie Wendong asked Jiang Sen to stay in the car and wait outside. Jiang Sen had no objections—he certainly didn’t want to be an unwanted third party.

Holding the roses, Xie Wendong stood downstairs for a while, looking up at the dark windows. Peng Ling must already be asleep. He yawned; the mention of sleep made him feel tired too. He slowly went upstairs and gently knocked on Peng Ling’s door. After waiting a long time, there was no sound inside. He tried knocking harder, but still got no response. Was no one at home? He checked his watch—it was already past 10 p.m. Peng Ling should have finished work by now. He tried even harder, but instead of waking Peng Ling, he disturbed the neighbors. “You don’t sleep, and you don’t let others sleep either?” came an annoyed voice from the next door.

Xie Wendong clenched his fists, almost losing his temper. His good mood had vanished, and he left the building in frustration. Back in the car, Jiang Sen asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Brother Dong? Why did you come back so soon?” Xie Wendong replied in a gruff voice, “No one’s at home.” “How that?” Jiang Sen glanced at his watch. “It’s already past 10. If she’s not coming home, what’s she waiting for…” His voice grew quieter as he saw Xie Wendong’s increasingly cold expression. He forced a smile, chuckled, and said, “Maybe Peng Ling is working overtime.”

As they were talking, a car horn sounded, and a luxurious Mercedes arrived, stopping not far away. The door opened, and out stepped a woman in a police uniform, tall and strikingly beautiful—none other than Peng Ling. Soon after, another young man in his early thirties got out of the car. He was tall, with sharp features as if carved by a knife, exuding masculinity, though his thin lips gave the impression that he was talkative. Xie Wendong had met this man before; he had happened to return just as the man was pursuing Peng Ling, and Xie had driven him away with mocking remarks. He hadn’t expected that after his absence, the two of them would become so close. “Who’s that guy?” Jiang Sen couldn’t help asking from inside the car.

Xie Wendong shook his head. “I’ve only met him once. I don’t even know his name.”

After Peng Ling got out of the car, the man followed her, smiling broadly. “Let me take you home.” Peng Ling shook her head politely. “No need. Thank you for the wonderful dinner today.”

The young man clearly didn’t want to leave right away. Half-jokingly, he said, “Security seems to be poor these days. I’m not comfortable letting you go upstairs alone.”

Peng Ling chuckled, her already rosy face from alcohol becoming even more radiant, like a beautiful rose. She said gently, “I’m a police officer. Even if there are bad guys, they’d have to run away from me!” “Oh?” The young man stared at her face without blinking, unable to resist the urge to step forward and kiss her fiercely, but he knew it wasn’t the right time. He deliberately froze his smile and asked, “What about Xie Wendong?” Seeing Peng Ling’s expression change, he pretended to realize something and quickly changed his tone. “Look at me. I really bring up this person again.” Peng Ling sighed softly. Whenever Xie Wendong was mentioned, his bright smile and moon-like eyes would reappear before her eyes. In a voice only she could hear, she said, “Anyway, in my eyes, he’s never been a bad person.”

Peng Ling stood there in a daze. The young man subtly took her arm and said with a smile, “Stop thinking about it. Let’s go. I’ll take you home so I can feel more at ease.”

Peng Ling was a bit upset. She nodded and walked beside him. As they walked further away from Xie Wendong, arm in arm, his fists tightened. Jiang Sen swallowed hard, feeling he should say something, opened his mouth, but swallowed back all his words. “Drive!” Xie Wendong ordered, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh…” Jiang Sen was embarrassed. “Brother Dong, maybe things aren’t as you think…” Before he could finish, Xie Wendong punched the car window, causing the whole vehicle to shake slightly. The loud noise cut off Jiang Sen’s words. Xie Wendong said coldly, “Didn’t I tell you to drive?”
Jiang Sen shook his head secretly. Looking at Xie Wendong’s expression in the rearview mirror, he realized that if he didn’t drive now, the next punch might be aimed at his head. Frightened, he tucked in his neck and, without saying another word, started the car, shifted gears, and drove away quickly.
It wasn’t until Peng Ling reached her doorstep that she realized the young man had been by her side the whole time, still there. She took out her keys from her bag, opened the door, and said, “It’s late. You should go back now.” The young man replied with a sad expression, “Can’t I at least come in and sit for a while? After all, we’re friends now.” It had taken a great deal of effort for him and Peng Ling to become friends. Her personality was reserved, and she wasn’t easy to open up to strangers. Through various methods, it took him half a year to gradually ease Peng Ling’s resistance. But going beyond being ordinary friends was incredibly difficult. He believed there was always someone else in her heart, like an insurmountable wall. He couldn’t wait for that wall to slowly disappear, so he wanted to win her heart through the “most direct” means. Today was her birthday, and for him, it was also an opportunity. The dinner that night was indeed lavish—he rented an entire restaurant and even hired a band and singer to create a festive atmosphere. For Peng Ling, who had been lonely for so long, his efforts touched her heart, and she drank quite a bit. Loneliness is like a wild beast that can tear apart a person’s heart; when someone wants to get drunk, they usually do so quickly.
Peng Ling was already a bit drunk. Red wine had a strong aftereffect. She invited the young man to sit down. As the heat in the room enveloped her, she felt dizzy, and her stomach churned violently. Unable to hold back any longer, she rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently. The young man had somehow appeared behind her, gently rubbing her back with concern. “Are you okay?” Peng Ling shook her head and forced a smile. “I just drank too much. I’ll be fine after vomiting for a while.”

The young man reproached himself, “It’s all my fault for making you drink so much. Go inside and rest for a while; I’ll make you some tea.” Saying this, he helped Peng Ling toward the bedroom. Unaccustomed to such close contact, Peng Ling tried with all her strength to push him away, but her weak arms pressed against his chest as if massaging it. It was their first time being this close, and his nose was filled with Peng Ling’scaptivating scent. His arms around her waist instinctively tightened. Once in the bedroom, he laid her down on the bed and slowly removed her shoes and socks, revealing a pair of delicate, fair feet. Gently stroking them, he slipped one hand into the hem of her pants and moved it slowly upward.

Peng Ling jolted suddenly, her brows furrowed in shock. “What are you doing?” The young man stopped hiding his intentions, pouncing on her as he tore at her clothes, gasping, “Xiaoling, I love you. Today, you belong to me!” Peng Ling struggled violently, but her body, numbed by alcohol, wouldn’t obey her. She had no strength left, and her resistance meant nothing to him, only increasing his desire and brutality. In no time, Peng Ling’s police uniform was torn to shreds and thrown aside. He yanked up her sweater, his eyes red, and said, “Today, you belong to me.” At that moment, Peng Ling regretted everything. When she felt a hot hand unfastening her belt, she cried out, “Wen Dong, come save me…”

“Xie Wen Dong? You still haven’t forgotten that brat!” the young man snapped as he removed Peng Ling’s outer pants. Perhaps he was too focused to notice someone enter. The person leaned against the door, his eyes narrowed into thin lines. Sighing, he said helplessly, “I’m sorry, but she belongs to me no matter when.”

Those words instantly froze the young man’s frenzied actions. His hand pulling at her sweater slowly withdrew, and his neck turned slowly like wood. When his eyes met the newcomer’s, he screamed in horror, “Xie Wen Dong!”

Indeed, it was Xie Wen Dong, who had returned. He smiled happily, not even knowing why—he might have been pleased by Peng Ling’s weak resistance. Smiling, he said, “I know showing up now isn’t something that will make you happy, but if you touch my woman, I’ll be just as unhappy.”

Slightly messy black hair, eyes as dark as mysterious black holes, and a firm, strong nose—under these circumstances, Peng Ling saw the person she had longed for, doubting whether she was dreaming. She murmured, “Wendong, you really came to save me.” Xie Wendong felt immense compassion, nodded, and said, “Xiaoling, it’s me! I’m here!” “Wendong!” Peng Ling cried out, getting up from the bed and throwing herself into Xie Wendong’s arms. He patted her shoulder and comforted her, “It’s okay now…”

At that moment, the young man had recovered from his shock, his mind, once overwhelmed by beauty, gradually calming down. He gasped for breath and shouted at Peng Ling, “I don’t know what’s better about him than me. Why are you so devoted to him? What do I lack compared to him?” Xie Wendong sighed and said, “Perhaps you’re better than me in every way, but one thing—I would never force a woman to do such things.” The young man’s face turned red as he spat at his feet and shouted at Xie Wendong, “Who do you think you are? You’re just a scoundrel! Don’t get too proud. One day, I’ll show you what I’m capable of!”

Xie Wendong laughed and said loudly, “It seems like you said that when I first met you. But I still don’t know what makes you so great.” Seeing that the young man wanted to keep shouting, he felt a headache. If not for being in Peng Ling’s house and with her around, he could have kicked the young man’s teeth out long ago. His gaze grew dark, and his voice turned cold as he said softly, “I won’t hurt you today. If you’re sensible, leave now. Otherwise, my methods are beyond your tolerance.” The young man opened his mouth to say something else, but Xie Wendong’s two icy gazes sliced across his face like ice blades. He said gently, “Don’t take my words as a joke. I only joke with friends.” Xie Wendong’s beast-like aura disheartened the young man, who glared at him fiercely before picking up his coat and walking away.

As he passed by Xie Wendong, the latter reached out and blocked his path. The young man raised an eyebrow in doubt, “What are you doing?”

Xie Wendong smiled slightly and said, “I just want to know your name.” The young man took two deep breaths. A person’s name is like their shadow—no matter how unwilling he was, he didn’t dare to fight Xie Wendong lightly. He knew that even if five of them teamed up, they might not be able to defeat Xie Wendong. In fact, he had overestimated his own strength. Suppressing his anger, the young man gritted his teeth and said, “Du Tingwei!” Xie Wendong repeated the name silently, memorizing those three characters. Then he withdrew his hand and said with a smile, “Now, you can go.”

Xie Wendong let him go, but there was another person outside who didn’t want him to leave so easily. That person was Jiang Sen. When the young man approached, Jiang Sen suddenly rushed out from the darkness of the stairwell, startling him. Before the young man could speak, Jiang Sen spoke first, patting his back and saying with a smile, “Let me give you a ride!” Before the young man could react, Jiang Sen kicked him hard in the buttocks.

“Ah…” The young man screamed as he rolled down the stairs. Although there were only ten steps, it was enough to hurt him badly. He lay on the ground groaning, unable to get up for a long time. Seeing this, Jiang Sen laughed and walked down the stairs, showing his white teeth and saying, “It seems you still don’t want to go!”

“Damn you…” Before the young man could finish cursing, Jiang Sen grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, saying with a laugh, “You can still curse—seems you still have some strength. Let me give you another ride!” With a push, there was another series of thuds. This time, the young man couldn’t speak anymore. His face was covered in bruises, and his forehead was bleeding profusely. Coming from a wealthy family and having lived like a young master his whole life, he had never endured such suffering. Lying on the ground, he weakly said, “Call an ambulance… I’m dying…”