Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 46: The Last Line of Defense

Just as Feng Lingzheng was about to breach Li Xiaowan’s final line of defense, he suddenly stopped. Looking at the terrified Li Xiaowan, he slowly stood up, put on his robe, and took out his cell phone from inside it. “Xun’er, meet me at the usual spot,” Feng Lingzheng said, breathing heavily, then hung up the phone and left the room without looking back. Li Xiaowan listened anxiously until she was certain there were no more footsteps outside the door. Only then did she slowly sit up. Why were there no tears left? Where had they gone? Li Xiaowan stared blankly ahead. Even though Feng Lingzheng had long since left, the scent he’d left behind lingered on her for a long time. Had she once again narrowly escaped disaster? Xun’er—she must be a girl, right? Haha! Li Xiaowan slowly got out of bed; her whole body was still trembling uncontrollably, but she couldn’t afford to worry about that. she quickly stripped off all her clothes and staggered toward the shower at the far end of the bathroom. There was a bathtub nearby, but she didn’t want to use it; she just mechanically turned on the showerhead and let the bone-chilling water pour mercilessly down over her head. Logically speaking, taking a cold shower in winter—aside from being deeply uncomfortable—could easily lead to catching a chill if one didn’t have a strong constitution. But Li Xiaowan couldn’t care less; she just wanted to wash away every trace of Feng Lingzheng’s scent from her body. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but when Li Xiaowan felt her hands and feet beginning to go numb, she slowly turned off the faucet. After quickly drying off with a towel, she stepped out of the bathroom. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, she slowly lay down in the space that was temporarily hers. The quilt felt warm to the touch, but when she pulled it over herself, she couldn’t feel even the slightest hint of warmth—only endless chill. Tonight was destined to be an extraordinary night. Li Xiaowan stayed awake all night, and Feng Lingzheng did not return home until the next morning, when Li Xiaowan finally drifted off into a drowsy sleep. “Young Master Lingzheng, you’re finally back! Miss Xiaowan must have a fever—her forehead is burning hot. I was just about to ask Xiao Yi to take us to the hospital,” said Housekeeper Mo, rushing out to greet Feng Lingzheng the moment he heard his footsteps, his voice filled with anxiety. “No need to call Xiao Yi—I’ll take her myself.” ” Without a moment’s hesitation, Feng Lingzheng rushed into the room, pulled back the blanket covering Li Xiaowan, picked her up, and hurried downstairs—without even having time to change his clothes. Feng Lingzheng had one very particular habit: he had to wear a different outfit every single day. It was a habit he’d developed from childhood, and for over twenty years, he’d hardly ever broken it. The fact that she’d broken this rule now showed just how anxious she was. “Young Master Lingzheng, would you like me to pack the clothes you planned to wear today and send them to the hospital?” Housekeeper Mo was well aware of Feng Lingzheng’s habits; if he hadn’t known even his young master’s most distinctive traits, he would likely have been fired long ago. “No need. I’m not going anywhere today.” Feng Lingzheng simply tossed out that one sentence before hurriedly starting the car and speeding toward Ningye Hospital, the most renowned hospital in City A. Watching the car speed off into the distance, Housekeeper Mo’s face broke into a rare smile—after all, his young master wasn’t a heartless person. “Li, please take a look at her—does she have a high fever?” Feng Lingzheng hurried after a beautiful female doctor in a white lab coat who exuded an air of grace. “Zheng, it’s been ages since I’ve seen such a look of anxiety on your face. Could it be that a miracle is about to happen—or perhaps a withered tree is about to bloom again?” The beautiful woman named Li remained remarkably calm. “Li, I’m asking you a serious question.” Feng Lingzheng had no time to pay attention to Li’s sarcasm. “All right, I’ll stop teasing you. She just has a simple fever. I just gave her an injection to bring it down. Don’t worry—it’ll go away soon.” Li couldn’t bear to see Feng Lingzheng worry any longer. Hearing Li’s reply, Feng Lingzheng finally let out a sigh of relief. “Li, thank you.” She never thought she’d actually be thanking her best friend for a woman she despised. “Zheng, we don’t need to say much between us. Honestly, are you starting to have feelings for her?” All of Feng Lingzheng’s friends knew everything about her—though, of course, only those she trusted. “Li, don’t you know me by now? Ever since ‘she’ left, I’ve had no desire for romance. The only thing left in my heart now is hatred. But lately, I’ve been feeling a bit dazed, as if ‘she’ has returned to my side. I’m torn between love and hate, and even I’m starting to lose my rationality.” Only when facing her best friend would Feng Lingzheng open her heart so freely. “Zheng, I understand you—just like I did back then. But since it’s all in the past, you shouldn’t dwell on it. If she’s worth loving, why not let go of the past and embrace the future?” Li said earnestly. “Li, it was all because of my carelessness back then that you ended up being emotionally deceived by John.” Whenever the events of that time were brought up, Feng Lingzheng almost always felt deeply guilty. “Zheng, how could I blame you? I was the one who misjudged him. Besides, didn’t you avenge me later on? It’s all good—I’ve long since forgotten that painful experience.” Li had truly let it go. Rather than living in the shadow of the past, she’d convinced herself to move on and fully enjoy the wonderful life before her. “Li, you live so carefree—unlike me. When it comes to matters of the heart, I’m always so indecisive.” Feng Lingzheng was well aware of her own shortcomings, but despite knowing them, she was powerless to change them; she simply couldn’t stop herself from reminiscing about the past. Perhaps it was because those years had been so wonderful that she couldn’t bring herself to forget them. “Zheng, apart from that, you’re perfect in every way. You’ve led all of us through one thicket of thorns after another, and at every life-or-death moment, you’ve always stepped forward. Do you know that? Every time we see your upright figure and agile form charging to the front, it breaks our hearts. The truth is, we’ve long been capable of protecting ourselves, and there’s almost nothing we can’t handle easily without you having to step in personally.” In their team, whether they were older or younger than Feng Lingzheng, in her eyes, she treated them all like younger brothers and sisters and protected them accordingly. “Li, please don’t compliment me—it makes me feel embarrassed. Since you don’t want me to protect you anymore, let’s switch roles: you protect me instead!” When Feng Lingzheng smiled from the bottom of her heart, very few members of the opposite sex could remain unfazed; it even caused many of the same sex to misinterpret her intentions. “Zheng, your smile is still the most charming.” Li watched Feng Lingzheng smile and found herself smiling unconsciously as well. This scene happened to be witnessed by Li Xiaowan. Since she was quite a distance away, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but seeing the genuine emotion on their faces, she knew their relationship was definitely more than just ordinary. Li Xiaowan said nothing. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Li caught her eye with a casual glance. “Zheng, go check on her! The person you care about has woken up.” Li nudged Feng Lingzheng. Feng Lingzheng understood, but instead of immediately heading toward Li Xiaowan, she continued speaking to Li: “Li, this is a daunting mission—be careful in everything you do!” “Don’t you trust me yet? I’m an iron lady, you know. They say women are made of water, but I’m made of iron. Do you think anyone could take me down easily?” Li cast a grateful glance at Feng Lingzheng while subconsciously trying to reassure him. For everyone in their team, every meeting could be their last—though, since the team’s inception, no one had ever been lost. But better safe than sorry—after all, they were responsible for their own lives and those of their comrades. “All right, I wish you success. When the time comes, let’s all get together for a proper reunion—I can’t even remember the last time we were all together as a full team,” Feng Lingzheng said regretfully. “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Our teammates are scattered all over the world. If we want to get everyone together, we’d probably have to wrap up our current missions early and then pick a specific time,” Li agreed wholeheartedly. “It’s okay. I’m sure the day when we’re all together again isn’t too far off,” Feng Lingzheng said, offering comfort both to Li and to herself. “With you around, we all believe that. All right, go spend some time with her. Privately, we all think you two are actually quite meant for each other—it just depends on whether you’re willing to seize the opportunity,” Li urged Feng Lingzheng. “Watch out—I’ll tattle on you to Xi.” After saying that, Feng Lingzheng walked away without looking back. He didn’t need to look to know the expression on Li’s face; whenever Xi was mentioned, tenderness always shone through. In the VIP suite, Li Xiaowan idly watched the TV. The scene she’d just witnessed kept playing over and over in her mind. What was wrong with her? Hadn’t he just bullied her last night? Why was she letting him control her emotions again today? “Are you still feeling unwell anywhere?” Feng Lingzheng asked, looking at Li Xiaowan, who was staring blankly ahead. “Go away. It’s none of your business whether I live or die.” Upon actually seeing Feng Lingzheng, Li Xiaowan felt nothing but a deep sense of grievance. “You’re my wife. If I don’t look after you, who will?” Feng Lingzheng pulled the blanket covering Li Xiaowan’s chest up a little higher. “All you ever do is pick on me.” Li Xiaowan could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face. Feng Lingzheng knew exactly what Li Xiaowan meant. Last night, he had indeed been too impulsive. If he hadn’t reined in his impulses in time, she might have transformed from an innocent, naive girl into a full-fledged woman last night—though that was only a matter of time anyway. “Cry if you want to. You’re sick, and taking you to the hospital is my duty—but that doesn’t mean I’ll start treating you any differently from now on. A contract is a contract; all you have to do is obey it.” Feng Lingzheng resumed her usual haughty demeanor.