Chapter 249

Peng Ling wrapped her arms around Xie Wendong’s neck, hanging onto him as she whispered sweetly in his ear, “I thought you wouldn’t come back.” Xie Wendong chuckled; the fragrant breath against his ear made his blood boil. He wrapped his arms around Peng Ling’s slender waist and said softly, “How could I not? This is my home. No matter how long a wanderer drifts outside, they eventually return home.” Peng Ling held on even tighter, as if afraid he might fly away if she let go. Her delicate brows furrowed, and her star-like eyes misted over as she said tenderly, “Please don’t leave again, okay?” Peng Ling was very independent; even when with Xie Wendong, she rarely asked for anything from him. Today, drunk, she spoke from the heart, but it was still something Xie Wendong couldn’t fulfill. He scratched his head, sighed inwardly, then lifted Peng Ling with ease, whispering in her ear, “You’re drunk. Go to bed and rest!” As he spoke, he placed her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

Just as Xie Wendong was about to turn away, he noticed Peng Ling gripping his sleeve tightly, staring at him with that haunting gaze that could drive a man mad, whispering, “Don’t go…” Xie Wendong patted her small, delicate hand on his sleeve and smiled, “I’m going to get something to eat. I haven’t eaten all day.” Peng Ling showed no sign of releasing her grip, either acting coquettishly or pleadingly, as she said sweetly, “Eat later!” “Sigh!” Xie Wendong nodded and sighed deeply. Now he understood how easy it was for women to torment men—just a word or a glance could arouse endless desire. At least Peng Ling had succeeded with him. “If that’s the case, then I won’t be polite.” With that, he threw off his coat, like a hungry wolf pouncing on a helpless lamb at the bedside. “Wah!” Peng Ling screamed, not expecting him to be so forceful. She dodged left and right, trying to ward off Xie Wendong’s fierce “blade.”

Women’s hearts! It took Xie Wendong great effort to hold down the rabbit-like Peng Ling. He joked, “I was invited by you!” Peng Ling’s face turned red as she tapped his cheek with her finger, scolding, “You’re so shameless!” Xie Wendong laughed heartily, “People with thick skin can always have their fill!” He took a lighter from his coat on the floor, flicked it lightly, drawing a perfect arc that landed precisely on the bedroom light switch. The gold knife given to him by Jin Peng had been incredibly useful. With a crisp “click,” the room plunged into darkness, followed by murmurs and delicate giggles.

After a long while, Peng Ling lay in Xie Wendong’s arms, tracing circles on his bare chest with her fingers, and asked softly, “Wendong, how many days have you been back?”
Xie Wendong counted on his fingers and said, “Four or five days, I think.” Peng Ling pouted and reproached, “Then why did you come to see me only now?” Xie Wendong traced her raised red lips, half-jokingly and half helplessly saying, “There was nothing I could do. As soon as I got back, hundreds of people welcomed me. They first treated me to a sumptuous meal, then invited me to take a winter bath. Their enthusiasm was so excessive that their expressions of affection became overly intense!” Peng Ling giggled nonstop, skeptical, “Who would take a winter bath at a time like this?” Xie Wendong pointed at his nose and said helplessly, “I’m afraid it’s only me.” Then he grew serious and said, “Actually, I came here early today and have been waiting for you downstairs.”
“Really?” Peng Ling was delighted. Xie Wendong added, “But I got very angry when I saw you go upstairs hand in hand with that guy named Du Tingwei. I told Lao Sen to drive away.”
Peng Ling asked, “Then why did you come back?” Xie Wendong picked up a strand of her embroidered hair and said tenderly, “I believe in you! I know the little Ling I know isn’t like that, so I came back halfway.” His words moved Peng Ling; her voice trembled slightly as she murmured, “Today is my birthday.”
Xie Wendong’s heart trembled—he had completely forgotten. He quickly got out of bed and rushed into the living room. Peng Ling shouted, “Where are you going?”
By the time Xie Wendong returned to the bedroom, he was holding a large bunch of red roses. With a smile, he handed them to Peng Ling and said, “Happy birthday.”
“You remembered?” Peng Ling was surprised. “Of course!” Xie Wendong replied calmly, “How could I forget your birthday?”
Sometimes men also need to tell lies to women, and it often yields good results. At least this time, Xie Wendong earned a big hug from Peng Ling.
That night, the two stayed up late before going to bed. The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains into the room, illuminating Xie Wendong’s face. He yawned and reluctantly got out of bed. Turning around, he saw that Peng Ling was still sleeping soundly—her long black hair, flawless fair skin, the subtle curves beneath the sheets, and her slightly parted red lips—all made Xie Wendong’s body heat up. He glanced at his watch and whispered in Peng Ling’s ear, “Don’t we have to go to work today?”

“Hmm…?” Peng Ling, still groggy from sleep, asked, “What time is it?” “Seven fifty,” Xie Wendong replied with a smile. “Oh!” Peng Ling responded absentmindedly, then suddenly sat up in bed two seconds later, eyes wide open, and asked loudly, “What time is it now?”
Xie Wendong’s gaze slowly moved down Peng Ling’s face, and she noticed this. She quickly covered her chest with the blanket and snapped, “Why are you staring?”
Xie Wendong shrugged and smiled gently before suddenly pulling away the blanket and piling onto Peng Ling. Peng Ling said anxiously, “Stop it! I’m going to be late.” Xie Wendong replied confidently, “I guarantee I’ll get you to work within ten minutes, so we still have half an hour left!”
“You… Ugh, so passionate…”
The spring scenery is beautiful, but it’s a shame there’s not enough time. That was Xie Wendong’s thought. After dropping Peng Ling off at work, he asked Jiang Sen, “Yesterday, you didn’t let that kid leave easily, did you?” Jiang Sen scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, “Nothing can be hidden from Brother Dong.” Xie Wendong also smiled and said, “That pig-like screeching must have been heard throughout the building.” Jiang Sen replied helplessly, “Actually, I didn’t do much. I just made him run down two floors of stairs. He’s such a weakling that he couldn’t get up and insisted on calling an ambulance.”
“Hmph!” Xie Wendong snorted, dismissing Du Tingwei as nothing but a spoiled brat backed by his family. With a wave of his hand, he said, “Let’s go back to the villa and see how Brother Zhang is handling things.” When Xie Wendong returned to the villa, San Yan and the others were discussing something in the hall. Seeing him enter, they all stood up to greet him. Xie Wendong waved his hand and asked directly, “Has Guan Pei spoken?” Li Shuang slammed the table and snapped, “That guy is too tight-lipped; we can’t get a word out of him. We’re trying to figure out how to make him talk!”
Xie Wendong pondered for a moment and said, “Take me to see.” Li Shuang led the way. After leaving the villa, they headed back. There was now a small 40-square-meter room in the backyard. In Xie Wendong’s memory, it should have been an open space. He pointed at the room in confusion and asked, “What’s this…?”
“Oh!” Li Shuang explained, “Brother Dong, this house was built not long ago. As the gang grows larger and has more members, some who don’t follow the rules appear. We need a fixed place to enforce our rules. After thinking it over, we decided the villa’s secluded location was perfect, so we built another house here.”

Xie Wendong chuckled, patted Li Shuang on the shoulder, and said, “Xiao Shuang, you’ve thought quite carefully!” Li Shuang’s face turned red as he awkwardly tapped his forehead and said, “How could I have thought of that? It was Sanyan who noticed.” “Hmm!” Xie Wendong nodded and muttered, “That explains it then.” The others burst into laughter, but Li Shuang still didn’t understand. Shouting loudly, he asked, “Brother Dong, what does it explain?” Xie Wendong didn’t answer. Smiling, he walked toward the hut. As Sanyan passed by him, he kicked him in the buttocks and said with a smirk, “You idiot!”

The hut was brightly lit, with two large windows one in front of the other. In the center stood an altar with a clay statue of Guan Yu, and there were many fruits and desserts in front of it. Smoke filled the air, filling the space with a pleasant aroma. Xie Wendong frowned and asked, “Why is this altar here?” Li Shuang answered quickly, “These days, people in the gang like to worship Lord Guan, saying it can bring safety.”

Xie Wendong chuckled, walked over to the table, picked up the clay statue, and examined it without expression. “Can just this one clay statue protect you?” After saying that, he narrowed his eyes and threw the statue away. With a ‘thud,’ the statue shattered against the wall. He said coldly, “It seems you’ve lived too peacefully and become timid!” “No…” Li Shuang, sweating profusely, hurriedly tried to explain. Xie Wendong waved his hand to cut him off and said to everyone, “You all lack something to inspire you. You didn’t know what to do in the future. But now, with Brother Dong back, we can start our business together again.”

“Tch!” A mocking voice came from the side, weakly saying, “Do you… think Xie Wendong is a god?”

Xie Wendong froze and turned around. In the corner, there was someone tied up, covered in blood, with one eye swollen as big as a quail egg and his face bruised black and blue. After looking for a while, he recognized that person as Guan Pei. Before he could say anything, Li Shuang let out a cry and kicked him in the chest. With no outlet for his anger, he vented it all on Guan Pei. Guan Pei paid no attention to his punches and kicks, only laughing mockingly and saying, “If you’ve got the guts, kill me!”

“Damn it!” Li Shuang’s eyes widened as he pulled out a dagger from his bosom and shouted, “Do you really think I wouldn’t dare?”

Xie Wendong rolled his eyes, stepped forward, snatched the dagger from Li Shuang’s hand, and snapped, “Xiao Shuang, you’re still so impulsive.” He then turned to Guan Pei and said, “I’m not a god, but there are things even a god might not be able to do.” Using the dagger in his hand, he gently trimmed his nails and said in a softer tone, “For example, I can kill your father, and I can also kill you—of course, if I want to.” At that moment, Guan Pei’s face lost its smile. He let out a beast-like roar, struggling violently. If not tied down, he might have rushed at Xie Wendong to fight to the death. “Xie Wendong, are you even human? What grudge does our Guan family have against you?!”
Xie Wendong replied helplessly, “No grudge! But whoever gets in my way becomes my nightmare. Tell me who’s behind this, and I might consider ending it quickly for you.” Guan Pei grinned, his teeth already turned red. He let out a pained laugh, “I’ve said it—you’ll never get anything out of me.” Xie Wendong’s gaze turned cold. Just as he was about to speak, the phone rang. It was Jiang Sen’s call. He answered it, his face lighting up, and whispered a few words in Xie Wendong’s ear. The latter nodded and smiled, then turned to Guan Pei with a bright expression. Not knowing what Xie Wendong was up to, Guan Pei continued to shout, “Come and kill me if you’ve got the guts!”
Xie Wendong shook his head and laughed. “It might not just be your life at stake now. You seem to have a pretty close lover, don’t you?” Guan Pei froze instantly. Xie Wendong added, “She seems to have a child too—maybe yours?” “Xie Wendong!” Guan Pei’s eyes turned red as he gritted his teeth and shouted those three words. With a gurgle, he spat out blood and collapsed to the ground like a deflated ball. In a weak voice, he said, “If you’re really a man, don’t put them in trouble.” “Whether I will or not depends on your behavior!” Xie Wendong replied calmly. “You shouldn’t drag others into our feud.” Guan Pei’s voice was weak.
“That’s the underworld. Since you chose this path, you should be able to bear it.” Xie Wendong knew such threats were despicable, but they were also very effective.
Guan Pei sighed and murmured, “I just hope you’ll spare them…” His voice grew weaker and weaker, until it was barely audible, like that of a mosquito. Xie Wendong was shocked. Realizing something was wrong, he rushed forward, turned Guan Pei over, and saw that his eyes were wide open, breathing heavily but with little air—he was on the verge of dying. He quickly turned around and shouted, “Get a doctor here right away!”

Xie Wendong would have his own doctor. By the time Sanyan dragged the doctor over, Guan Pei had already been dead for some time. Li Shuang was puzzled, not understanding why a healthy person could die just after saying a few words. The doctor stepped forward to examine him and shook his head, saying, “There’s nothing we can do to save him.” Xie Wendong’s expression darkened as he asked sternly, “What happened?” The doctor pointed at Guan Pei’s chest and said, “He has five broken ribs, and one of them seems to have pierced his lung. Even the gods couldn’t save him!”