Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 1: Encountering a Pervert on the Bus

City Z is a bustling metropolis situated on the coast, known as the “City of Romance.” Not only does it boast a history spanning over a thousand years, but it is also highly renowned both domestically and internationally. Of course, in a city as renowned as City Z, it’s inevitable that hidden dangers lurk in the shadows. Among them, The Feng Family is the most feared—the saying “people turn pale at the mere mention of the Fengs” is by no means unfounded. However, in this beautiful and enchanting city, aside from the dazzling neon lights and The Feng Family, there are also dim streetlamps and countless ordinary people living at the bottom of society. Every day, they toil and scramble just to put three meals on the table. From start to finish, they firmly believe that the idea of “fortune falling from the sky” is nothing more than self-delusion. Yet everything has two sides, and people are no exception—some remain single-minded, while others are deeply entangled. At an old Bus 525 stop on the outskirts of City Z, there were about a dozen people waiting. Although some of them kept glancing left and right,some were looking down at their phones, and still others were whispering to one another, their eyes were, without exception, occasionally stealing glances at the two beautiful women standing at the edge of the bus stop. The two women appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, but both their attire and their conversation made them seem completely out of place among the others. “Xiaowan, do you think that from now on, we’ll finally be able to shake off the bad luck that’s been following us for years?” Qi Xin'er’s voice trembled as she spoke. “Xin'er, let me feel your forehead first to see if you have a fever,” Li Xiaowan said, and she actually reached out a hand as if to touch Qi Xin'er’s forehead. “Xiaowan, I’m being serious here. Please don’t brush this off, okay?” Qi Xin'er deliberately dragged out the final syllable of “okay.” Her spirits, which had been soaring just moments ago, were suddenly dampened by the cold shower Li Xiaowan had unexpectedly poured over her, leaving her speechless. “My lovely Qi, I’m being serious too. If you don’t have a fever, then you’re just daydreaming.” Although Li Xiaowan’s words were like adding insult to injury for Qi Xin'er, she had always been a rational person, so she had no intention of giving Qi Xin'er any further opportunity to indulge in her fantasies. “Xiaowan, I think you’re overlooking some important details. Do you even know that the Bolerro Winery not only holds a wine tasting event just once every two years, but also has limited spots—invitations are extremely hard to come by? Even if you had ten hundred million, you still wouldn’t be able to get in if your name wasn’t on the guest list.” ” Qi Xin'er said excitedly. What’s more, after speaking, she even began to hum to herself, completely disregarding what Li Xiaowan had said earlier. Judging by her demeanor, it seemed likely she might start dancing right there in front of everyone the very next second. Dancing itself wouldn’t be a problem,but the real concern was that others might see them dressed like that and mistake them for streetwalkers—and in fact, they’d already been misunderstood, though they themselves were slow to realize it. “So what does that prove?” Li Xiaowan said nonchalantly. “Xiaowan, your attitude really makes me question life. But it could also be that you don’t know much about Bolerro Winery, which is why you’re so unconcerned about being invited to a wine tasting hosted by them. I think it’s absolutely necessary for me to give you a lesson on the ‘Bolerro Winery.’ ”” Qi Xin'er grew increasingly certain of her own thoughts—it must be because Xiaowan usually devotes all her energy to work, which is why she pays no attention to this windfall that’s practically falling from the sky. “Hey, Ms. Qi, please spare me the lecture. By the time I left work, I was already suffocating under a mountain of paperwork on my desk. I didn’t even want to come in the first place. If it weren’t for that psycho director’s relentless pressure, plus you—the ‘big love-struck fool’—nagging me nonstop,I’d never in a million years have agreed to spend half my savings on this backless, plunging-neckline evening gown just to attend some cocktail party. I originally suggested renting one, but you absolutely refused, insisting that this might be the only chance in my life and that I had to attend the party looking elegant and presentable.” As Li Xiaowan said this, she felt as if her heart were bleeding—half her savings, just like that, gone. This was the first time in her life she’d ever splurged like this. But thankfully, even though Qi Xin'er insisted she cut off the dress’s tag, she ultimately didn’t follow Qi Xin'er’s advice. Instead, she secretly hid the tag inside the dress, naively thinking she could still return it. “Xiaowan, just be grateful. If it weren’t for that perverted director’s foreign wife having a major family emergency—forcing him to rush back to the United States with her right away—how could such a golden opportunity ever fall into the laps of two little assistants like us? Besides, haven’t you heard the saying? You have to give to receive. Rest assured, this trip definitely won’t be a waste,” Qi Xin'er said, pounding her chest solemnly. “It’s just a cocktail party. If it’s really as amazing as you say, maybe I’ll even get the chance to hook up with a rich second-generation heir or meet some big shot, and then instantly rise from rags to riches, living a life of luxury where everything is done for me. But look at us… Sigh! Never mind, I won’t say another word.” ” Li Xiaowan was growing increasingly exasperated with Qi Xin'er. Even daydreaming had its limits, didn’t it? Ever since they’d left the office building, Qi Xin'er’s daydreaming hadn’t stopped for a single moment. “Xiaowan, you finally got one thing right. But what I’m about to tell you is that there are plenty of people who think just like you—Not to mention us ordinary girls like us—but the most unbelievable part is that even the daughters of officials, the heiresses of tycoons, and even international socialites are all acting like they’ve gone crazy. They’d rather crush each other’s heads just to get into that cocktail party. If not this year, then the year after; if not the year after, then the year after that. Anyway, they’ve never stopped fighting for it.” Qi Xin'er grew more and more excited as she spoke. “Xin'er, aren’t you one of them too? I just want to know what’s so special about tonight’s cocktail party that you’re willing to make me—your best friend who’s grown up with you since childhood—eat instant noodles with you every day for the next few months, just so we can dress up like peacocks and go to some cocktail party.” Li Xiaowan didn’t plan to keep Qi Xin'er in suspense any longer. Since she just wanted to know the importance of tonight’s cocktail party, she decided to get straight to the point. “I was just waiting for you to ask that. I thought you’d keep it bottled up forever!” Qi Xin'er was quite pleased with Li Xiaowan’s question. “It doesn’t really matter if I hold it in—I was just worried you’d make yourself sick from it,” Li Xiaowan said with a bit of a snide tone. She wasn’t worried that Qi Xin'er would get upset; she knew her friend’s personality inside and out. “Haha… Xiaowan, you’re getting better and better at being sarcastic. Anyway, since we’re waiting for the bus, let me give you a detailed account of the inside scoop on the Bolerro Winery…” Just as Qi Xin'er was getting carried away and about to continue, the bus arrived at the stop at the most inopportune moment. “Miss Qi, you’re such a beauty—hurry up and get on the bus! Save what you want to say for another time!” Li Xiaowan said as she pulled Qi Xin'er toward the front door of the bus. Logically, on a day like today, they should have hailed a taxi or something, but just before leaving, the two had looked it up online: a taxi ride from their workplace to the winery would cost over 200 yuan in fare alone,—and that’s enough to buy so many bags of instant noodles! So they agreed to take the bus to the stop closest to the winery first, then switch to a taxi to get there. That way, aside from the bus fare, they’d only need to spend about ten or so yuan to reach the winery—a significant savings. To outsiders, though, they’d probably look like they’d lost their minds: willing to splurge on such expensive dresses,yet they were too stingy to spend 200 yuan on a taxi fare. Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er finally managed to squeeze onto the bus—forget about finding a seat; just having a spot to stand was good enough. “Hey, ladies, come sit here with me,” said a man in his thirties, dressed in a flashy, flashy style, with blue-and-yellow dyed hair and arms covered in tattoos, as he looked at Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er. Sitting next to him was a man with golden-blond hair who looked slightly younger, but was dressed just as outlandishly. Li Xiaowan looked in the direction of the voice. She could tell at a glance that these two weren’t up to any good, so it was best to stay out of their way. She replied politely, “Thank you, but no thanks.” “Come on, don’t be like that. My buddy and I are getting off at the next stop anyway. If you don’t take the seats, someone else will—might as well let these two beauties have them!” The man speaking paid no heed to the strange glances coming from those around them. However, those strange glances didn’t contain any sympathy. Ever since Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er had boarded the bus, they’d sensed it—several people nearby were pointing and whispering in languages they couldn’t understand. They appeared to be locals, whereas the two women had been here for less than half a year and spent almost every day doing nothing but working. “No, thank you, sir. We appreciate your kindness,” Li Xiaowan politely declined once again, hoping he would take the hint and stop pestering them. “Bro, what do you think we should do? These two beauties don’t seem to appreciate our kindness,” the tattooed man said, though he was speaking to the man sitting next to him, his eyes were fixed intently on Li Xiaowan, as if he were about to devour her the very next second. “Bro, looks like these two beauties aren’t having any of this. How about…” the man with golden-blond hair said, a chilling smile on his face. “I agree. You keep an eye on our seats; I’ll go over there for a moment,” the tattooed man said to the man with golden hair, then stood up and walked toward where Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er were sitting. “Come on, you two beauties are such troublemakers—you had to make me come over personally to invite you.” After saying this, he placed a hand directly on Li Xiaowan’s shoulder. “What are you doing? Show some self-restraint,” Li Xiaowan said, feigning composure despite being terrified inside. Qi Xin'er, however, wasn’t nearly as composed as Li Xiaowan. “You filthy pervert! Get your filthy hands off my friend, or else I’ll… I’ll call the police!” Qi Xin'er’s tongue was tied as she spoke. “Hey, beautiful, why can’t you even speak clearly? Let me tell you, go ahead and call the police if you want—but before you do, let us two guys have a good time with you first. I have to say, you girls are dressed so sexy right now. If you weren’t ‘prostitutes,’ I doubt anyone in this train car would believe it. Hahahaha…” The tattooed man laughed brazenly, but before he could finish his sentence… “Smack!” She was suddenly slapped across the face—it stung like fire. Li Xiaowan rubbed the hand she’d just used to strike him. This guy really had some thick skin—several seconds had passed, and her palm still felt numb. “You filthy bitch, are you tired of living? If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never know how tough I am. Brothers, come here—one of you grab each of them. We’re almost at the next stop; let’s get them off the train first.” ” After the tattooed man finished speaking, he reached out, grabbed Li Xiaowan by the hair, and tossed her to the man with golden hair. Then he grabbed Qi Xin'er by the arm, and the two men—one in front, one behind—furiously pushed their way toward the rear door. The worst part was that even though the bus was packed, not a single person stepped forward to speak up for Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er. Perhaps everyone assumed the two women were involved in illicit activities, or maybe they were simply too afraid to confront the two men who looked like demons! It made sense—better safe than sorry. Who would want to get themselves into trouble for no reason? “Let go of me… It hurts… Ouch… Xiaowan!” Qi Xin'er’s arm was being yanked so hard it stung. With the next stop just around the corner, what could she do? She was completely helpless and could only pin all her hopes on Li Xiaowan. “Let her go right now! If you’ve got a problem, take it out on me—it’s got nothing to do with my friend,” Li Xiaowan shouted. “I never thought a stinking bitch like you would be so loyal, but it’s too late. You’re the one who pissed me off. We’re at the stop—just get off the train with me,” the tattooed man roared menacingly. Just as Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er were on the verge of despair, a deep, magnetic male voice suddenly rang out: “I advise you to let them go right now. Otherwise, once the police arrive, I’m afraid you won’t be able to get away. If I’m not mistaken, you two just have criminal records.” “Who are you? How do you know?” The blond-haired man let go of Li Xiaowan immediately upon hearing this, but the train car was so crowded that he couldn’t see the speaker at all. “Don’t ask me how I know. All I can tell you for certain is that just as you were getting handsy with them, I took photos and sent them to my friends at the police headquarters—and they’ve already arranged for plainclothes officers to be waiting on the platform.” The voice was calm and measured, betraying not a hint of emotion. “Bro, what should we do? I really don’t want to go back to jail again,” the man with golden hair said to the tattooed man in a panic. “Look at you—such a wimp. Fine, forget it. I’ve got to rush off to pay my respects to your grandmother later, so let’s just call it a day for now!” ” After saying this to the man with the golden hair, the tattooed man turned back and glared menacingly at Li Xiaowan. “But mark my words: I haven’t forgotten that slap you gave me. You’d better pray you never run into me again—otherwise, every time I see you, I’ll take you down.” Then, he and the man with golden hair got off the bus, cursing all the way. Once the bus pulled away from the stop and continued on its way, Li Xiaowan finally let out a long sigh of relief. That had been a really close call. “Xiaowan, that really scared the life out of me just now. You have no idea how terrified I was.” Qi Xin'er felt as if she’d been through a century. “It’s okay… it’s okay…” Li Xiaowan squeezed Qi Xin'er’s hand tightly to comfort her. But it really was a close call just now. If someone hadn’t stepped in to stop it in time, the consequences could have been unimaginable. But because she’d been so flustered just now, and the train car was indeed so crowded, Li Xiaowan hadn’t gotten a clear look at who had helped them. In any case, she had to thank that person in person, so she raised her voice and asked, “Excuse me, which kind soul just spoke up to help me and my friend?” After waiting a moment with no response, she quickly added, “I mean no offense; I just want to sincerely thank you.”