Chapter 96

By the time Xie Wendong and Peng Ling came out of the room, it was almost eleven o’clock, and there were hardly any people outside. Peng Ling asked, “Didn’t you drive here?”
Xie Wendong replied, “I can’t drive, but someone will pick us up!” He took out his phone and quickly dialed a few numbers. “Lao Lei, wait for me at the entrance of the community!”
Xie Wendong led Peng Ling out of the community. As soon as they stepped outside, Dong Xinlei arrived in his car. After getting into the car, it headed toward the city center. Peng Ling looked at the night view outside the window and asked, “Where are we going to eat at this late hour?”
Xie Wendong’s lips curled slightly. “Of course, to a nice place!”
The car drove for over half an hour before stopping. A luxurious hotel came into view, with a large sign displaying the words “Hongsheng.” Peng Ling looked at Xie Wendong in confusion and said, “This hotel is quite large. Why have I never heard of it before?”
Xie Wendong explained with a smile, “This hotel just opened, so its reputation isn’t very well-known yet! But the food here is really good!”
The two entered the hotel and sat down by a window. Xie Wendong ordered a few dishes and a bottle of red wine.
Soon, the waiter brought the food and drinks, and the two chatted while eating. Xie Wendong poured wine for Peng Ling and himself and said, “I hope nothing unpleasant will happen to us again soon!”
Peng Ling’s expression darkened slightly. She raised her glass and said, “I don’t want that either, as long as you don’t break the law!”
“Okay, cheers!” Xie Wendong nodded and smiled, though he didn’t really agree. What was the law? It was just a weapon in the hands of a few people. It seemed noble on the surface, but in reality, it was darker than anything else! But Xie Wendong wouldn’t say that; his main goal now was to make Peng Ling happy.
Seeing Xie Wendong agree so quickly, Peng Ling was a bit stunned. She asked, “So what do you plan to do in the future?”
Xie Wendong replied proudly, “I’ve started a real estate company now, and I earn my money honestly!”
Peng Ling looked surprised and said, “Is that true?”
Xie Wendong, “Yes! The company was founded not long ago, but we’ve already secured a few deals, so making a living isn’t a problem!”
“That’s great then!” Peng Ling said happily. “Wish you success in your business and plenty of wealth! Cheers!” With that, she tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass.

That’s natural! There’s no way my business can’t make money! Xie Wendong sneered inwardly and downed his glass in one gulp. The two of them ate and drank while chatting about various topics. It seemed they rarely had such a warm atmosphere together, so they cherished this brief time very much. Peng Ling was in a good mood and drank quite a bit, just like Xie Wendong. Before long, they had finished a whole bottle of red wine. Still eager, Xie Wendong ordered another bottle.

Seeing Xie Wendong in high spirits, Peng Ling couldn’t bring herself to refuse and drank a lot with him as well.

It wasn’t until nearly 2 a.m. that they left the hotel. Peng Ling was completely drunk, leaning on Xie Wendong, her mouth moving as if saying something. Although Xie Wendong had drunk a lot, his tolerance for alcohol was much higher than Peng Ling’s, so he remained fully sober.

He helped the dazed Peng Ling into the car and followed in himself. Dong Xinlei turned around and asked, “Brother Dong, where are we going?”
“Home!” Xie Wendong replied with a cold smile, leaning back in the seat and looking at the confused Peng Ling. Dong Xinlei nodded and quickly drove away from the city. The car continued until it reached the suburbs, to the villa where Old Master Jin lived.

It turned out that when Old Master Jin saw Xie Wendong return unharmed, he felt relieved. Not long after Xie Wendong founded his company, he left City H and returned to City T. Jin Rong was taken home by her parents who had returned from a business trip, leaving the large villa empty. Seeing that Xie Wendong still didn’t have a place to live, Old Master Jin gave him this villa. Now it had become Xie Wendong’s, and even the main residence of the Wendong family!

When the car reached the villa’s gate, someone inside saw it was Xie Wendong’s car and quickly opened the gate. Peng Ling in the car half-opened her eyes, glanced outside, and asked vaguely, “Wendong, where is this? My home isn’t here!”
Xie Wendong gently stroked her pink cheek and said with a smile, “This is my home! You’ll stay here today!”
Peng Ling shook her head, let out a drunk burp, and spoke unclearly, “No, I want to go home! I want to go home, I want to…” Before she could finish, she fell asleep against Xie Wendong’s shoulder.

Soon, the car stopped. Looking at Peng Ling’s sweet sleeping face, Xie Wendong murmured to himself, “What am I supposed to do with you?”
After pondering for a while, he picked her up and carried her into the small building inside the villa. San Yan and Li Shuang were watching TV and chatting in the living room. Seeing Xie Wendong return with a girl, they were puzzled and asked, “Brother Dong, who is this?”
“Peng Ling!” Xie Wendong sighed.

“Huh?” Sanyan and Lishuang exchanged a glance, looking at Xie Wendong in surprise as they asked in unison, “Brother Dong, why did you bring her back? Didn’t you mean to…” Seeing Xie Wendong’s icy gaze, they swallowed their words back down.

Xie Wendong ignored them and carried Peng Ling upstairs to the room where Jin Rong used to live. In the living room, Lishuang watched Xie Wendong go upstairs before asking after a long while, “Sanyan, Brother Dong didn’t bring this lady back for that purpose, did he?!”

Sanyan glared at him and pretended not to know, “Which part of her?”

“Just… you know! Come on, don’t act like you don’t understand!”

“Hehe, I mean that. Peng Ling almost killed Brother Dong—doing anything to her is justified! If it were up to me, I’d have blown her head off already!”

Lishuang pursed his lips and said, “She’s Peng Shulin’s daughter. What if he finds out something happened to her here?”

Sanyan sneered, “Peng Shulin is nothing! Brother Dong now belongs to half of the Political Department. Even the military has to give way to him—why should we fear him? Even if the provincial party secretary came, we wouldn’t care!” Lishuang thought it made sense and nodded, agreeing, “Exactly! There’s no need to fear him!”

Xie Wendong laid Peng Ling on the bed. Seeing her unconscious, he felt truly conflicted. He had planned this for tonight, intending to get Peng Ling drunk before taking her, but now he hesitated. In truth, Xie Wendong still liked Peng Ling. It was the gunshot at the Fire Red Nightclub that he couldn’t forget, coupled with constant jealousy, that led him to choose this extreme measure. But now, when it came time to act on his feelings for the girl he loved, he wavered.

Xie Wendong took out a cigarette, sat by the bed, and smoked slowly, gently stroking Peng Ling’s black, embroidered hair. He murmured to himself, “It would be great if you could stay as quiet as now forever. Why are you so stubborn? Why do you insist on your principles so much? Maybe we’re the same kind of people. That’s why you attract me so much. But if that’s the case, being together can only bring pain!” Unconsciously, Xie Wendong became lost in thought until the cigarette tip burned his finger. With a sigh, he left the room.

After a while, Xie Wendong returned, locked the door, and gently untied Peng Ling’s coat, then her sweater. The more he removed her clothes, the more his hands trembled. He didn’t know if what he was doing was right, but he didn’t care. A voice in his heart told him: Peng Ling is your woman—she shouldn’t be taken away by anyone!

Xie Wendong is also human, and human desires far exceed reason when they erupt. That’s exactly what’s happening to him now! His brain, usually dominated by reason, has been overcome by desire under the influence of alcohol.
In no time, Peng Ling’s clothes were scattered across the floor, leaving her on the bed as a true “naked lamb.” It was the first time Xie Wendong had seen a naked woman (except, of course, in porn movies), and it was the woman he desired—his penis swelled instantly.
“Huh!” Xie Wendong let out a sigh, trying to suppress the surge of excitement inside him. He stripped off his clothes and lay down next to Peng Ling.
Perhaps due to the cold weather, Peng Ling felt a bit chilly and, finding warmth beside her, naturally leaned over, pressing her entire body against him.
Xie Wendong, lying next to her, felt Peng Ling clinging to him like a fish trying to escape, her warm breath hitting his face. He could also feel the softness of her chest against his arm, pushing his desires to their peak.
“You’re such a little demon!” Xie Wendong thought to himself. He leaned over her and kissed her charming, rosy lips…
The air in the suburbs was exceptionally fresh in the early morning, with a light snowfall and greenish-yellow pine trees adding to the charm.
The bright sunlight streamed into the bedroom, and the chirping of sparrows outside woke Peng Ling. She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see a pink ceiling—it wasn’t her home! Peng Ling sat up abruptly, the blanket slipping off her. She felt cold on her upper body and realized she was completely naked when she looked down.
“What… what’s going on?” Peng Ling was utterly shocked. A sound of breathing beside her startled her. She turned her head and saw Xie Wendong sleeping next to her, one arm even on her waist. Her face turned red instantly—she felt angry, ashamed, and furious, unable to describe her emotions. Instinctively, she lifted the blanket and saw patches of bloodstains on it. Her head spun, and she was speechless for a long time.
Xie Wendong had already woken up but didn’t know how to face Peng Ling, so he hid under the blanket like an ostrich. He cracked one eye open to spy on her reaction, thinking about how to deal with the situation.
After a long while, the volcano finally erupted. Peng Ling wrapped herself in the blanket and stood up, intending to kick Xie Wendong, who was still deep in sleep. But as she rolled up the blanket, his naked body appeared before her eyes, making her neck turn red. She hesitated, unsure whether to kick him awake.
“Mmm…” Xie Wendong deliberately turned over, making smacking noises with his mouth. “Why is it so cold…”

Seeing him unharmed, Peng Ling was so angry her nose almost twisted. Not caring about anything else, she kicked Xie Wendong hard in the knee. “Xie Wendong, get up and explain clearly what’s going on here!”