Chapter 23 - 1#
Newly married, honeymooning in France, then returning to the U.S. to visit Shu Yuan’s parents—what with one thing and another, it was already a month later by the time I got back to the office.
From taking over the company to leaving single life behind, my mind hadn’t even had time to process it all before the secretary knocked on the door.
I looked up from that small pile of documents, and as I saw the figure standing behind the secretary, a thin layer of sweat began to seep into my palms.
My gaze instinctively dodged away. When he walked in, I forced myself to pull the corner of my mouth into what I hoped was a natural expression, gesturing for him to sit.
The secretary carefully closed the door. After the sound of it shutting, a long silence descended.
I cleared my throat, trying to appear natural, but he beat me to it—placing a folder on the desk. “These documents require the CEO’s review.”
His voice was hoarse and grating. I couldn’t help but look up, but he turned away at the same moment.
—Wang Zheng.
I called out to him. He paused mid-step and turned his head sideways to look back.
That look in his eyes made me swallow the words I’d been about to blurt out. After a long moment, I finally managed to squeeze out: “Make sure you get some rest. You’ve worked hard… Take some time off, go—”
“Are you capable?”
I was stunned.
He let out a low laugh, his face tinged with mockery. “CEO, are you capable with women?”
Those eyes seemed steeped in venom, sharp and vicious as they stabbed into me. That once handsome, delicate face now exuded a cold, biting chill. Every word seemed carefully weighed and measured.
“Your wife is truly beautiful, isn’t she?” He tilted his head back. “Well-read and talented, wealthy, young, generous…”
As he spoke, he slowly drew closer.
His hands rested on the desk, and he leaned in gradually, his words dripping with poison.
“CEO, if she were to find out that her husband once shamelessly spread his legs willingly beneath another man…”
All the blood in my body seemed to reverse its flow. Even as I clenched my fists, I couldn’t feel a trace of warmth.
“No… it’s not like that…”
He gave a soft laugh, his tone icy yet laced with malice: “It is like that. It’s exactly like that.”
I hung my head, nearly trembling with weakness. “You—at that time—you were drugged… That was an accident… Listen to me, I really didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?”
He gripped my chin. I winced in pain, forced to look up and meet his gaze.
“Didn’t have homosexual tendencies? Didn’t have filthy designs on your ‘childhood friend’ of a cousin? Aren’t you the kind of fag who can’t cum unless a man’s inside you?”
“You really didn’t have to force yourself to marry some woman… Isn’t she enough for you? Hah, don’t worry—if that’s really the case, you can come to me. I’ll treat it as charity—”
He reached out to undo the front of my collar.
I suddenly raised my hand—but stopped it at the last moment.
I…
“What?” He let out a scornful laugh. “Why don’t you hit me?”
“Ren Qiri—” His eyes turned harsh as he grabbed my elbow. “Go on! Hit me! Hit me hard! Besides slapping me around like a woman, what else can you do?”
“Hmph—Just thinking that I once touched you makes me sick! The way you looked with nothing on—it’s enough to make me retch!”
He roared.
A gentle knock came from outside the door again.
I stared blankly at him. He abruptly released my hand, stepped back, and leisurely straightened his suit. His voice leveled out as he said, “CEO, I’ll take my leave now. If there are any issues with the documents, please instruct Secretary Li, and I’ll handle them properly.”
I watched him walk out without looking back.
When the secretary saw him suddenly open the door, she quickly moved aside.
I let out a sigh and slumped back into my chair.
“CEO… I’ll brew you a cup of coffee.”
I looked up, forced a smile, and waved for her to leave.
The door closed.
Slowly, I raised my slightly swollen elbow. It trembled uncontrollably as my eyelids drooped.
Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng…
—Didn’t you say you loved me!
—Why did you marry that woman!
No, it’s not…
Wang Zheng…
Wang Zheng…
I felt a slight rocking motion and tiny, scattered sounds.
Blinking hard and fast, I finally managed to make out some shapes. My head was dizzy and aching all over, especially my neck… I instinctively moved my hands and suddenly heard the crisp clink of metal.
I paused, then turned my head with difficulty.
My elbow felt the cold touch of metal.
Sigh…
The result of a failed escape attempt—I exerted some strength to sit up a little and slowly looked around.
This time, I was in a different place.
It took me a while to adjust. Once my mind was a bit clearer, aside from the sound of water, I could detect a gentle rocking. I was staring blankly when I suddenly heard a roar from outside—
The voice came and went, then seemed to stop not far from the door. From the sound of it, there was an argument going on.
“Set sail now! Damn it, what are you afraid of? Do you think I’d just let myself be caught without even trying? No way!”
“Hey—What did you say! Why didn’t you hold him back! Damn it!”
“Wen Jing, don’t forget! You’re in on this too! What—you! Hey! Hey! Motherf*cker!”
I felt a sudden jolt, and my heart sank. Was I on a boat now?
Panicked, I thrashed wildly, the chains clattering. My commotion must have made a sound, because the door in front of me was pushed open, and Wang Zheng walked in.
“You’re awake?”
Wang Zheng didn’t look too good either—his voice was a little hoarse. He walked to the other side of the cabin, poured a glass of water, and came over. He bent down, bringing the cup close to me, and said softly, “Qiri, have some water. You’ll feel better.”
“You…” I turned my head slightly, avoiding the cup as it neared my lips. “Where are you taking me?”
Wang Zheng’s eyes darkened. He pressed the cup to my mouth again. I stubbornly pursed my lips. He was already short on patience, so he pinched my face and forced my mouth open.
I let him pour a few gulps down my throat, but I choked violently, coughing as I bent over.
Wang Zheng was panting slightly too. When I struggled fiercely, he stumbled back and fell to the floor.
“Cough, cough, cough—” The front of my clothes was soaked, and I coughed until tears rolled out.
But Wang Zheng suddenly reached out and pinched my chin, rubbing his thumb hard against my lips. Those eyes I once thought were clear and easy to read were now murky and filthy.
“What exactly are you trying to do?” I gritted my teeth, my tone involuntarily turning harsh. “Wang Zheng, turn around and go back right now… Do you even know what the consequences of this will be… mmph…”
I had always believed a kiss was sacred.
If there’s no genuine feeling between two people, then so-called kissing is just touching membrane to membrane. The pain when teeth clash is unbearable—it’s nothing more than mutual biting.
“Ah—!” Wang Zheng grunted in pain. My foot had hit him squarely in the abdomen. Though not very strong, it was enough to put some distance between us.
I gasped for breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Whatever you want to do… I don’t care. You’re not stupid—where can you take me? Where can you hide me? Or do you think you can keep me chained up like this for a lifetime?”
Wang Zheng, hand on his abdomen, stared at me coldly without a word.
I took a deep breath and said, “Wang Zheng… I don’t know who put you up to this… but…”
“No one put me up to this.” Wang Zheng looked at me, his voice icy. “Qiri, you wouldn’t understand.”
What wouldn’t I understand?
He looked at me and said slowly, “You don’t understand anything… You don’t know anything at all.”
He let out a scornful laugh—a look I knew very well.
He’d looked at me like that before, with that mocking expression.
He leaned in again. I quickly shifted back, watching him warily. Wang Zheng’s gaze darkened, and he reached out to grab my hair. I winced in pain as he forced my head back, my eyes meeting his cold stare.
“You won’t let me touch you? Hah—then who can touch you without making you act like this?”
His fingers wound through my hair. “Is it that thug-like idiot named Cheng Chen? Or that sly fox surnamed Bai… or do you prefer that woman? That slutty little bitch—”
He jerked hard, yanking my head back, and stared straight into my eyes: “Or maybe it’s Ren—”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Someone pounded heavily on the door. Wang Zheng cursed under his breath. From outside, a voice shouted: “Young Master Wang! Young Master Wang! Someone’s following us!”
Wang Zheng’s eyes flew wide open. He abandoned me without a second thought and thundered up the stairs to open the door.
Backlit, I could only dimly make out some silhouettes. It was probably the boatman Wang Zheng had hired, and his voice was anxious: “Young Master Wang! What do we do now? They must have found out! I told you, this kind of dirty business can’t be done! You’re dragging us all down with you—!”
“Shut up! Haven’t I paid you enough? Don’t forget—if we get caught, I’m still the young master of the Wang family. But you—you know what’ll happen to you!”
“You—You—”
“What ‘you’! Stop wasting time and go check it out! Damn it, all of you are useless—!”
Wang Zheng rarely showed such a flustered expression. He punched the cabin table in frustration, then turned to see me watching him. Squinting, he said coldly, “What? Someone’s come to rescue you—makes you happy, doesn’t it?”
He didn’t wait for my answer. He suddenly roared, “I won’t let you have your way! Qiri! I—”
Before he could finish, a violent jolt shook the boat. It seemed to have stopped.
“Damn it!”
Wang Zheng hurried out of the cabin. I could only faintly hear the two of them arguing outside.
“I don’t know how it broke down! Young Master Wang! We should just say—it was all a misunderstanding! Isn’t Young Master Ren your cousin? You’re family—”
“Oh… So now I finally understand…”
“Young Master Wang—!”
“Bang—!!”
That was a gunshot.
“Tell me! How much did you betray me? Fine—fine, you ungrateful snake! How dare you—!”
“Young Master Wang! Please—Don’t—shoot—Let’s—talk—talk this over—”
My heart leaped in terror. I screamed desperately, “Wang Zheng! Wang Zheng!”
Damn it! I kept struggling against the chains. I could feel my palm, already torn, oozing blood again. My elbow ached with a dull pain.
“Wang Zheng—! Wang Zheng! Don’t be impulsive! Wang Zheng!”
If Wang Zheng killed someone, it would all be over!
I kicked my legs, straining my arms, and shouted without stopping, “Wang Zheng!! Ah—!!” Another violent jolt sent my head crashing hard into something. The pain knocked me limp on the floor.
Through a blur, I saw Wang Zheng slowly coming back in from outside.
He descended the steps one by one, then, as if all strength had left him, stumbled and fell to the floor. The gun slid from his hand to my feet. Wang Zheng stared at me blankly. Only then did I notice blood on his cheek and the stains all over his clothes.
“Qiri…”
Wang Zheng wiped his face with the back of his hand and called out softly again, “Qiri…”
He crawled toward me, stumbling.
Then the corners of his mouth lifted, and he buried his head in the hollow of my neck.
“Qiri… Qiri…”
He held me.