Cohabitation With The Maniacally Gorgeous CEO - Chapter 18
Chapter 18
An Yiqing didn’t know how to explain to her friend, so she stopped trying.
She gathered her belongings, walked to the door, and told Ye Qiange: “I’ll treat you to lunch tomorrow. I’ll contact you then.”
Ye Qiange leaned against the door and laughed: “Our A-Qing is really playing both fields, huh? It sounds like the person on the other end is a strong-willed older sister.”
An Yiqing wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words. She waved goodbye and left.
An Yiqing got into her car and drove back to Zizai Garden.
If Xu Lingyin really came to pick her up and Ye Qiange saw it, she would gossip endlessly.
Her life would probably be anything but peaceful for the next few days.
Looking at the deepening night, An Yiqing sped up.
At ten o’clock, there weren’t many cars on the road, and she quickly turned onto Zizai Road, which led to the community.
This road led only to Qichuan Middle School halfway down and Zizai Garden at the very end.
At this hour, few people were coming or going.
An Yiqing was about to accelerate when her phone rang.
She released the steering wheel and reached for her phone.
A blinding light hit her, enough to temporarily blind her.
An Yiqing instinctively closed her eyes. There was no time to turn the wheel, so she urgently slammed on the brakes.
A huge, piercing noise filled her ears.
An Yiqing leaned against the seat, motionless for a long time.
One hand gripped the steering wheel, the other hung by her side. Her phone had slipped from her palm.
It lay by her feet.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Loud knocking on the car door jolted her back to her senses.
Her eyelids trembled, and she looked out the window.
It was a man in black, with an unfamiliar face.
An Yiqing reached for the door handle, but her hand felt sticky, as if it were glued to the steering wheel.
She had gripped it too hard, and her muscles weren’t responding.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.
Her body relaxed. She withdrew her hands, rubbed them together, and opened the car door.
The man stood three feet away, his face cold: “An Yiqing, my young mistress wants to see you.”
“Who is your young mistress?” An Yiqing stood still.
The man let out a heavy scoff: “You don’t have the right to ask.”
“Oh,” An Yiqing replied flatly.
The man turned to leave.
An Yiqing watched his back but did not follow.
Using the streetlights, she checked the car’s position.
To the right was the streetlight, and to the left were the man’s car and the guardrail.
Any turn just now would have resulted in damage.
Fortunately, that phone call came in.
Thinking of the call, An Yiqing opened the car door and picked up her phone.
The screen showed several missed calls, all from Xu Lingyin.
An Yiqing returned the call, and the other side quickly answered.
“Where are you?” Xu Lingyin’s voice was urgent.
An Yiqing calmly said, “Almost home.”
An Yiqing didn’t hear the rest of what Xu Lingyin said.
The man in black ran back, trying to snatch her phone.
An Yiqing hid it behind her back, leaning away to dodge his attack.
“I’ll be back soon; I’m hanging up now,” An Yiqing casually tucked the phone into her pocket.
“An Yiqing, I advise you not to struggle pointlessly. Come with us quickly.” As soon as the man finished speaking, three more men in black arrived from a distance.
An Yiqing lifted her eyelids, gazing at the car in the distance, which was conveniently parked at the entrance of Qichuan Middle School.
The location was very subtle.
An Yiqing withdrew her gaze and looked at the person in front of her: “Ask your young mistress to come here.”
The man sneered, glancing back at his three companions.
The three men exchanged glances, and eight hands simultaneously reached for An Yiqing.
*
Xu Lingyin sprinted through the night.
Her long, curly hair flew in the wind, mirroring her rushed breathing.
Dammit, when she needed the car, the tire blew out.
She had no choice but to run.
Passing Qichuan Middle School, she heard a woman’s scream in the distance.
The wind swallowed the sound, making it indistinct.
Xu Lingyin gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and ran forward desperately.
She was wearing her work clothes and running in thin high heels, moving incredibly fast.
The sound of the high heels was identical to the beat of her heart.
Four cars were parked ahead. Xu Lingyin gasped, running toward them.
Four bodyguards lay on the ground: two clutching their arms, one covering his backside, and one holding his leg.
The four men were grimacing, their faces contorted.
Wailing echoed all around.
Xu Lingyin scanned the area. She saw neither An Yiqing nor Hu Bingjie.
Breathing rapidly, she walked into the crowd, grabbed the collar of the bodyguard clutching his leg, and asked sharply, “Where are An Yiqing and Hu Bingjie?”
The bodyguard trembled upon seeing Xu Lingyin. He extended a hand, shakily pointing in a direction.
Xu Lingyin pushed him aside, leaving his howls behind, and walked forward.
There was a small path here leading to the west gate of Qichuan Middle School.
Xu Lingyin ran quickly toward it.
The streetlights on the path weren’t as bright, with the school wall blocking most of the light.
Before turning onto the path, Xu Lingyin heard a soft sound like the wind.
“Miss Hu, if I remember correctly, you were the one who first caused trouble for Miss Xu.”
“That’s between me and Xu Lingyin, and it has nothing to do with you. If you choose to interfere, you should be prepared for trouble.”
“In that case, Miss Hu should also be prepared for failure.”
Hu Bingjie scoffed: “An Yiqing, I told you that simple fisticuffs are the lowest form of punishment. Or have you forgotten your family in Yunling Town since coming to Ningcheng for work?”
The evening breeze carried An Yiqing’s silence.
For her, family was probably an extremely important existence.
Xu Lingyin curved her lips, a sarcastic smile playing on them. Crossing her arms, she stepped around the corner and walked into the shadows.
“Hu Bingjie, are you suggesting the Hu family business is doing too well?”
The two pairs of eyes by the wall looked over simultaneously.
Hu Bingjie gritted her teeth: “Xu Lingyin, my business with An Yiqing has nothing to do with you.”
“Whether or not I get involved is my business; does it concern you?”
In recent years, Xu Lingyin’s notorious reputation had spread far and wide.
She did whatever she wanted and never needed a reason.
Hu Bingjie was stifled. Biting her lip, she glared fiercely at Xu Lingyin, pushed An Yiqing aside, let out a cold snort, and started to leave.
As the person walked past, Xu Lingyin reached out and grabbed Hu Bingjie’s clothes: “Did I tell you to leave? Apologize to her.”
“Are you crazy, Xu Lingyin?” Hu Bingjie’s eyes widened. “Make me apologize to her? Never in a million years.”
Hu Bingjie lifted her chin, looked down her nose at An Yiqing, and shook off Xu Lingyin’s hand.
Xu Lingyin pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with malice, and her face was cruel and vicious.
She grabbed Hu Bingjie’s cold, long hair with her right hand and pulled down hard. With her left hand, she gripped Hu Bingjie’s shoulder and pressed her against the wall.
“Xu Lingyin, stop your damn madness!” Hu Bingjie shrieked. “An Yiqing, pull her off me!”
An Yiqing’s fingers twitched, and she shook her head: “I can’t control Miss Xu’s actions.”
In a blink, two streams of tears fell. Hu Bingjie was in so much pain she couldn’t speak, only managing distorted screams.
Xu Lingyin curved her brows and smiled cruelly. Her gaze fell on the pale face, and her red lips slightly parted: “Are you apologizing?”
“S-Sorry…” Hu Bingjie almost bit her own lip. “Xu Lingyin, l-let go!”
Xu Lingyin brought down the corners of her mouth and scoffed: “If you go after her family, I’ll go after the Hu family.”
Releasing the person in her hand, she clapped her hands and turned to walk away.
Walking out of the narrow path, An Yiqing called out, “Xu Lingyin.”
Xu Lingyin stopped and turned her head: “?”
An Yiqing squatted behind her, gently pressing a tissue against her heel: “You’re bleeding.”