Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 40: The Warmth of Being Treated Like a Shadow

But in Li Xiaowan’s eyes, he was physically assaulting her. “If you touch me one more time, I’m calling the police.” Li Xiaowan wasn’t joking; everyone’s patience has its limits, and once that limit is crossed, anything could happen. “Go ahead and call. Do you want me to dial the number for you first?” Feng Lingzheng paid no heed to Li Xiaowan’s words; on the contrary, a satisfied smile played on his face, though it wasn’t very noticeable in the dim light. “Let me tell you, trying to goad me won’t work. I’m not going to give you the satisfaction.” Since a way out presented itself, why not take it? I’m not stupid enough to fall into his trap so easily. Haha! This woman sure knows how to save face. “Suit yourself!” Feng Lingzheng paid no further attention to Li Xiaowan, who was glaring at her with wide, furious eyes. If she really wanted to harm her, it would be as easy as crushing an ant—but now wasn’t the time to get too caught up in her. Given Li Xiaowan’s current situation, she wasn’t even worth an appetizer to Feng Lingzheng. “Can’t you see I’m right here? Don’t you understand when I tell you to move over?” Feng Lingzheng felt a surge of irritation when she saw Li Xiaowan fall asleep on her own. I’m not even asleep yet, and you dare to sleep. “What do you mean? Are you just looking for trouble?” Li Xiaowan couldn’t help but feel that Feng Lingzheng had it out for her tonight. “Don’t you get what I mean yet?” Feng Lingzheng didn’t give Li Xiaowan a moment to think; she slipped off her outer garment and lay down right next to Li Xiaowan, so close that they could clearly hear each other’s breathing. Startled, Li Xiaowan jumped up from the mat like a frightened fawn and shouted, “Don’t push your luck!” “Do I really have to count to three?” Feng Lingzheng was certain Li Xiaowan understood the implication behind his words. And the truth was, Li Xiaowan did indeed understand the implication behind Feng Lingzheng’s words. Faced with a beast on the verge of rampaging, what could she possibly do? She had no choice but to obediently comply. Li Xiaowan reluctantly lay back down on the mat, but she deliberately kept her distance from him. The end result was that Feng Lingzheng took up the entire mat, while Li Xiaowan could only curl up, shivering, on the thin mat—without even a quilt to cover her. It would have been fine if the air conditioner had been on, but for some reason—and who knows what Feng Lingzheng was thinking—even though winter was setting in, he was too stingy to turn it on. “Are you planning to spend the night like this? Why don’t you beg me? Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll take pity on you and let you sleep in the bed.” Feng Lingzheng propped his head up with one hand, leaning back against the pillow, and stared straight at Li Xiaowan’s back. This woman didn’t seem quite as annoying as he’d imagined; if anyone was to blame, it was her parents for giving her a face that, in his eyes, was so strikingly different from everyone else’s. Li Xiaowan turned a deaf ear to her. She’d rather spend the night lying on the cold floor mat than open her mouth to beg Feng Lingzheng. Sometimes, when a girl gets stubborn, not even nine oxen could drag her back. “Fine, since you’re so principled, just stay lying there. But don’t let me catch you cheating—or I’ll stop playing along.” Feng Lingzheng lay back down on her soft, comfortable bed with a satisfied smile and, before long, drifted off to sleep. Li Xiaowan turned her head to glance at Feng Lingzheng, who was already fast asleep, and thought to herself: He didn’t say I couldn’t use other things to keep warm. Besides, he’s sleeping like a log right now—even if I did something sneaky, he wouldn’t notice. Better to act than to just think about it. Li Xiaowan tiptoed over and opened the bag she’d brought with her, pulling out two or three thick cotton jackets. Just as she was gleefully preparing to head back, a voice snapped, “Put those down. Don’t try to be clever.” What the heck? Didn’t he look like he was already asleep? Is this guy a dog or something? He’s way too alert. As Li Xiaowan walked past Feng Lingzheng, she clenched her other, uninjured hand into a fist. A desperate voice inside her kept urging her on: Do it now! Go ahead and beat him to a pulp! But her raised fist seemed frozen in place, unable to come down. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to—it was that she didn’t dare. She was far too insignificant right now; she needed to build up more courage and confidence before she could dare to challenge a powerhouse like him. Little did he know that in the darkness, every move Li Xiaowan made—including her innermost thoughts—had not escaped Feng Lingzheng’s notice. Pretending not to know anything, he rolled over and drifted back into a deep sleep, though an involuntary smile crept across his face. “How can I possibly sleep like this!” Li Xiaowan tossed and turned, unsure how much time had passed. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she could no longer fight off sleep. However, in her sleep, she didn’t feel the cold she’d expected; instead, she felt warm from head to toe. At the same time, her hand felt cool to the touch, and the initial pain had vanished. Li Xiaowan couldn’t help but let out a happy laugh—though she wasn’t even aware of it herself. “Silly girl, she must be having a nice dream. I just wonder if I’m in it too, heh! I really do let my imagination run wild. If I were lucky enough to appear in her dream, it would undoubtedly be a nightmare for her,” Feng Lingzheng muttered to himself. At that moment, he had completely come to see Li Xiaowan as “her” from his memories. Having tossed and turned half the night, it wasn’t until eight in the morning that Li Xiaowan slowly awoke from her slumber. When she gently opened her eyes, oh my goodness! She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She was actually sleeping in Feng Lingzheng’s bed, with a warm blanket covering her chest and her hands freshly bandaged. At the same time, she could feel waves of warmth filling the entire room. Li Xiaowan instinctively pulled back the blanket to take a look—her shirt and pants were still intact on her body, and she let out a sigh of relief. Just then, Feng Lingzheng walked in from outside the room. “Did you sleep soundly last night?” “Soundly, very soundly. But may I timidly ask: was it you who—” Li Xiaowan left the rest of the sentence unsaid. “That’s right, I carried you to bed. But don’t get the wrong idea—I just saw you shivering from the cold and was afraid you’d catch a chill and end up costing me medical bills, so I let you sleep in my bed for a little while,” Feng Lingzheng said impatiently. “Anyway, thank you for not letting me keep sleeping on that cold mat, and for re-bandaging my wound,” Li Xiaowan said sincerely. Perhaps Feng Lingzheng wasn’t a bad person after all—he just simply couldn’t stand her. But with her intelligence, how much could Li Xiaowan really understand of Feng Lingzheng’s personal thoughts? “Stop with the act!” When Feng Lingzheng saw the sincerity in Li Xiaowan’s eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to accept her gratitude with a clear conscience, so he could only continue to hide behind his unfriendly demeanor. “Can’t you show me even a fraction—or even a fraction of a fraction—of goodwill?” One moment she’d thought he was a good person, but the next he’d revealed his true colors, leaving Li Xiaowan feeling disheartened. “I’m afraid I can’t do that for you. You have ten minutes to wash up. After that, go downstairs and find Sister Xin—she’ll tell you what to do next.” Feng Lingzheng tossed out that icy remark before turning and leaving the room. “Ten minutes is plenty. You’ve certainly underestimated me in that regard.” Li Xiaowan nimbly got out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. She finished her morning routine in no time at all; glancing at her phone, she saw that only five minutes had passed. Wearing her cotton slippers, she clattered downstairs and happened to run into Housekeeper Mo passing through the living room. “Sister Fen, he sent me to find you.” “Miss Xiaowan, weren’t you supposed to come down in at least ten minutes? It hasn’t even been ten minutes yet,” Housekeeper Mo said, puzzled. “Someone underestimated me, and besides, I didn’t want to give anyone a reason to criticize me.” Li Xiaowan looked down and adjusted the cuffs of her rolled-up jeans; she’d been in such a hurry earlier that she hadn’t had time to check them properly. “Miss Xiaowan, you’re truly punctual. Please follow me!” Housekeeper Mo led Li Xiaowan to a room that looked like a walk-in closet—yes, a walk-in closet, though slightly smaller than the one on the second floor. Still, it was filled with all kinds of dresses, high heels, and various accessories. “Sister Fen, this all looks like women’s clothing. Is this Feng Yan’s?” Li Xiaowan asked curiously. If it belonged to Feng Yan, why hadn’t she seen her for over ten days since their last parting? Could it be Feng Lingzheng’s ex-girlfriend’s? At that thought, Li Xiaowan suddenly felt as if something were blocking her chest. She hurriedly patted her chest hard. She hadn’t even had breakfast yet—how could she feel blocked? Li Xiaowan shook her head, finding it hard to believe. “Miss Xiaowan, you’re mistaken. This isn’t Miss Feng Yan’s—it’s yours. Didn’t Master Lingzheng tell you?” Housekeeper Mo looked just as puzzled. Master Lingzheng had personally gone to buy it yesterday. He’d originally instructed Miss Xiaowan to go with him, but then Master Lingzheng suddenly changed his mind. “What? It’s all mine?” Li Xiaowan couldn’t believe her eyes or ears. “Yes, everything in this room belongs solely to you—and what’s more…” Housekeeper Mo suddenly recalled Young Master Lingzheng’s instructions from last night and immediately stopped himself. “And what else?” Li Xiaowan hadn’t missed the fact that Housekeeper Mo had only said half of what he meant. “Nothing much, Miss Li Xiaowan. Young Master Lingzheng just instructed me to put together a suitable outfit for you and said that after breakfast, I’m to take you to the Feng Family Mansion.” Housekeeper Mo skillfully sidestepped the question Li Xiaowan was about to ask and successfully shifted her attention to the Feng Family Mansion. “Did he say why?” Nothing before her could capture Li Xiaowan’s interest. To say she felt not the slightest bit of joy would be a lie—but since none of it was earned through her own efforts, it held no meaning for her. Besides, these things had never truly belonged to her, and she felt unworthy of enjoying them. “Young Master Lingzheng never specified,” thought Housekeeper Mo to herself. Could it be that the old master and the old lady have returned to the country and want to meet their granddaughter-in-law early? She might have been thinking it, but she ultimately kept it to herself.