The night wind was bitterly cold, like tiny needles pricking Xie Bingxia's face. She shrank her neck and melted into the darkness along the street.
It was nearly midnight, yet she didn't want to go anywhere. All she desired was some quiet time alone. Even at this late hour, the business district remained ablaze with lights. The shops along the street showed no sign of closing, as if their nightlife had just begun.
Xie Bingxia found the crowd out for the evening too noisy. After walking along a few main roads, she quietly turned into a nearby alley. The lights in the alley flickered on and off. Every now and then, one could see discarded trash and rats scurrying out for food. She quickened her pace, darting through the maze - like alleys, thinking that after a few more turns, she could surely shake off that tail.
The faulty street - lamp flickered a few times. Xie Bingxia looked ahead and cursed silently. How could she have walked into a dead - end? Coincidentally, four figures emerged at the end of the alley, three men and one woman.
"Big brother, I sold you the alcohol, but I never said I'd sell myself!" the woman pleaded with a sob. "I'm still a college student. Can you guys let me go?"
"College students are great. They're so fresh!"
"Anyway, it's all about making money. How we make it doesn't matter, right?"
"That's right. Big brother has money. See what this is? It's cash! Make big brother happy, and I'll give you a few bills."
The utterly lewd remarks reached Xie Bingxia's ears. She initially planned to slip away quickly before the men noticed her. But when she heard the woman's next words, her blood boiled.
"Brother, don't you have a girlfriend? The girl sitting at your table just now was really pretty! You don't have to do this to me... right..."
"Who says I can't play with other women just because I have a girlfriend? Hahaha."
What a scumbag!
Xie Bingxia shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. She bent her knee and delivered a powerful side - kick, knocking the nose of the shortest man closest to her askew. After landing, she swept her right leg across, hitting another man in the abdomen. The man staggered backward. Still not satisfied, Xie Bingxia followed up with a roundhouse kick, nearly knocking out the man's front teeth.
The last man wasn't going to stand there and take it. He threw a vicious punch. Xie Bingxia dodged, crouched down, grabbed the man's arm, and executed a perfect shoulder - throw. A beautiful arc formed under the dim street - lamp, leaving the young waitress who sold alcohol completely stunned.
The three men lay on the ground, moaning in pain and cursing. Xie Bingxia stood still, exhaling heavily. All she could say was one word: "Awesome!"
"Miss! Miss!" Secretary Zhang ran out from a corner alley. He had almost lost track of Xie Bingxia. Finally finding her, he witnessed a thrilling show of her beating up the scoundrels. The show was short but intense. But when he came to his senses, he realized something was wrong. They might end up in the police station again! So he quickly grabbed Xie Bingxia and fled the scene.
The two ran for eight hundred meters in one breath. Only after they got out of the alley and blended into the crowd at the late - night food stalls did they catch their breath. Xie Bingxia walked up to a street - side store, pried open two bottles of ice - cold Coke, and handed one to Secretary Zhang.
Secretary Zhang was no spring chicken and didn't exercise much. Running eight hundred meters was almost killing him. He grabbed the Coke and gulped down half of it. Seeing a plastic stool, he plopped down on it without a second thought. He still managed to advise, "Miss, you can't just pick fights in the future. Pay attention to your image as a refined young lady."
Xie Bingxia sat down beside him, waved to the stall owner, and said to Secretary Zhang, "I'm hungry. Buy me some late - night snacks."
"Go back and ask Xiaomei to cook for you. It's so unhygienic here."
The stall owner, who had come over waiting for Xie Bingxia to order, gave Secretary Zhang a sideways look. He quickly shut up. Xie Bingxia boldly ordered skewers and fruit - flavored shaved ice. Secretary Zhang ordered another bottle of Coke but didn't plan to eat anything else.
Watching Xie Bingxia munch on shaved ice and skewers, she seemed so free - spirited and cute, like a wild child. Secretary Zhang suddenly understood why Boss Gu always smiled so happily when watching Xie Bingxia eat.
"Promise me you'll go home after eating. Otherwise, the boss will worry."
"Okay, okay." Xie Bingxia's cheeks were puffed out. As a well - bred young lady in the past, she rarely ate street food. But after befriending Qin Feng, she discovered the charm of street - side snacks. It was quite a pleasure.
"Miss, if I may give you some advice, the boss is doing all this for your own good. You two... don't always quarrel..." Secretary Zhang said earnestly. This young lady would cause trouble every few days, and in the end, he had to help the boss clean up the mess. It was really tough on him!
"The boss actually likes you a lot... Mmm!"
Xie Bingxia picked up a piece of dried bean curd with her chopsticks and stuffed it into Secretary Zhang's mouth to stop his endless chatter. She cursed in her heart, Likes me my foot! He's probably in his lover's arms enjoying a wonderful night right now!
The anger that had just subsided flared up again. Xie Bingxia slapped the table and shouted, "Boss, bring me some ice - cold beer! And add twenty more skewers of grilled meat!"
Secretary Zhang chewed on the well - seasoned dried bean curd, silently swallowing his bitter tears.
*
Gu Bei stepped into his house and glanced at his watch: it was 2:30 a.m. He had originally planned to get some information from Yuan Yiyun about her and Yan Xiaoyi. But this woman was so clingy. If he hadn't made several excuses, she might have stayed at the company for the night.
Tiptoeing up to the second floor, Gu Bei came to Xie Bingxia's room. He pushed the door open a crack. Xie Bingxia was lying on her side, her back to him. Her thin back rose and fell slightly as she slept soundly.
Gu Bei was about to go in when he suddenly lifted the collar of his suit jacket to his nose. He smelled a strong perfume that made him nauseous. Instead, he went back to his own room to take a shower and change clothes. After taking a thorough shower and smelling only of mint body wash, he tiptoed back to find his little bunny.
To avoid waking her up, Gu Bei slowed down all his movements. He gently sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out and stroked the bangs on Xie Bingxia's forehead. Her hair had grown longer, and the wispy bangs covered half of her eyes, making her eye sockets look even deeper.
Gu Bei pushed aside the bangs and noticed that Xie Bingxia didn't seem to be sleeping very peacefully. Her delicate eyebrows were knitted together, and her thick eyelashes fluttered occasionally.
Was she feasting in her dream or scolding him? Gu Bei suddenly felt wronged. He whispered softly, "Silly girl, I'm doing all this for your own good..."
Xie Bingxia's breathing was even, and there was no reaction. Gu Bei grew bolder and moved closer to admire the sleeping face of his little bunny up close. The more he looked, the more he liked her. A familiar warmth enveloped his heart, and all the day's fatigue melted away.
"I told you to stay away from Yuan Yiyun, but you just won't listen. What on earth are you up to?" Gu Bei's boldness escalated. He tapped the tip of Xie Bingxia's nose with his index finger.
"How much do you really hate Yuan Yiyun, huh?" He tapped again. The little bunny still slept like a log.
"You care more about her than you do about me. I'm not happy about that." His finger slid down and gently touched her perfectly curved chin. He was afraid of waking her up, so he just hovered his finger around.
Gu Bei enjoyed this nighttime moment very much. The little bunny wasn't arguing with him anymore. She was quiet and docile. "If only you could be obedient."
"What should I do with you..." After saying this, Gu Bei leaned down and planted a kiss as light as a feather on Xie Bingxia's forehead.
He lifted his head and saw that Xie Bingxia's expression had softened. There was no longer the tension from before. He couldn't help but smile. After staring at her for a while, he suddenly felt regretful.
Gu Bei covered his mouth. Why couldn't he resist making a move on Xie Bingxia again? He had been so self - controlled, but in the end, all his efforts were in vain.
"Jingwei, I'm so sorry. I just..." The rest of the words got stuck in his throat. Gu Bei stood up and quietly left the room.
The moment Gu Bei closed the door, Xie Bingxia opened her eyes. The last words she heard hit her heart like a drumbeat, and it took a long time for her to calm down.