Chapter 25

Li Linglong was stir-frying vegetables when she felt an intense gaze on her back. It made her feel uneasy. Turning around, she saw Wang Tiezhu’s eyes shamelessly scanning her body.

She had seen such looks from other men before. Her face flushed slightly as she scolded, “Tiezhu, why are you looking at me like that?”

Wang Tiezhu walked up to her with a smile and said, “I was sitting outside feeling bored, so I thought I’d see if I could help with anything.”

Li Linglong rolled her eyes at him and pointed to a dish that was already cooked.

“Take this out to the table; it’s almost ready!”

About ten minutes later, a few home-cooked dishes were set on the table. The two sat across from each other. Li Linglong raised her glass of red wine. “Tiezhu, let’s have a toast. Thank you!”

Wang Tiezhu also lifted his glass, and they clinked them together before taking a sip.

“Try my cooking and see if it suits your taste.”

“Alright!”

Wang Tiezhu picked up a piece of tomato and egg stir-fry and tasted it. “Ling-jie, this is really good! Your cooking skills are on par with professional chefs.”

Li Linglong chuckled.

“Tiezhu, I thought you were an honest man, but it turns out you’re quite the sweet talker. I rarely cook for myself, so my skills aren’t that great.”

Wang Tiezhu asked casually, “Ling-jie, do you live in this big house alone? Where’s your boyfriend?”

Li Linglong replied, “I don’t have a boyfriend!”

“Oh!” Wang Tiezhu dragged out the sound, feeling secretly delighted.

Seeing his odd expression, Li Linglong pouted. “What? Is it so strange that I don’t have a boyfriend?”

“Uh… no, not at all,” Wang Tiezhu said. “I just think it’s surprising. You’re beautiful, have a great personality, and you’re wealthy—how are you still single? Haha!”

Li Linglong asked in return, “What about you? Do you have someone?”

“Me?”

Wang Tiezhu pointed at himself. “I’m the complete opposite of you—short, unattractive, and poor. Which girl would want to be with me, right? Haha!” He laughed self-mockingly.

Li Linglong scoffed, “You’re over 1.8 meters tall—if that’s short, then what about the others? Are they all half-crippled?”

“As for unattractive, you look fine to me. And about being poor, that’s not exactly true. You’re skilled in medicine; if you open a clinic in the future, you’ll be well off.”

Wang Tiezhu grinned. “Ling-jie, since you think I’m so great, why don’t you consider me?”

Li Linglong’s face turned red. Taking advantage of the slight buzz from the wine, she huffed, “Dream on! You think it’s that easy to be my boyfriend? Hmph!”

They continued eating and chatting, laughing along the way. The atmosphere was pleasant, and dinner lasted for more than an hour.

After tidying up, they sat in the living room to rest. Li Linglong stretched and said, “Tiezhu, my lower back is still sore these past two days. Could you give me another massage?”

“Of course!”

Wang Tiezhu said, “Ling Jie, just lie on the couch. I’ll take care of it for you.”

“Mm. Do I need to take off my shirt?”

“It’s best if you do. It’ll be more effective that way.”

Without much hesitation, Li Linglong took off her top. She didn’t feel shy in front of Wang Tiezhu—if anything, there was a faint sense of anticipation.

She lay on the couch, and Wang Tiezhu sat beside her, massaging her back gently. Her skin was smooth like jade, a delight to both sight and touch. Without strong self-control, it would be difficult to stay focused.

“Mm… Tiezhu, be a little gentler—it hurts!”

Wang Tiezhu said, “Ling-jie, if it’s too light, it won’t be effective. You’ve been sitting for too long, which has caused damage to your cervical spine. You need to fix this habit in the future.”

“Mm… got it. Ah… it hurts! Hm… ah…”

Soft sounds filled the living room, making it easy for an outsider to misunderstand the situation.

Knock, knock, knock!

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Wang Tiezhu asked, “Ling-jie, is it your parents?”

“I live alone. It’s probably the property management. Could you open the door for me?”

“Sure!”

Wang Tiezhu got up to open the door. Standing outside was a young man in his twenties, dressed in a suit. He looked decent, but his pale skin gave off a somewhat effeminate vibe, resembling a typical “pretty boy.”

Before he could speak, his brows furrowed as he saw a man inside. His tone turned accusatory. “Who are you? What are you doing in Linglong’s house?”

Wang Tiezhu found his words displeasing and replied calmly, “Who are you? What’s your relationship with Ling-jie?”

“Ling-jie, who is it?”

Li Linglong walked out of the living room and frowned upon seeing the visitor. “Huang Qiang, why are you here again?”

Huang Qiang’s face darkened when he saw Li Linglong in disheveled clothing, her cheeks flushed. Her expression and posture suggested she had just been intimating with someone.

“You slut! You dare cheat on me?! How could you do this to me, you whore?!”

Li Linglong’s voice turned icy. “Huang Qiang, watch your mouth! Who do you think you are? My personal life is none of your business!”

“You—!”

Huang Qiang trembled with rage. He pointed at Wang Tiezhu and said, “Li Linglong, if you wanted a man, you could at least find someone decent! Look at this guy—his outfit screams low-class. What is he, some country bumpkin?”

“Wow! I didn’t expect this! You really have wild tastes, huh? You act all pure and elegant, but in reality, you’re nothing but a promiscuous woman, like a public bus that anyone can ride…”

Slap!

Before he could finish, Wang Tiezhu swung a heavy slap across his face. The loud smack echoed in the room, and Huang Qiang spun around on the spot. He clutched his stinging cheek, utterly stunned.

It took him a while to react.

Eyes burning with fury, he roared, “Bastard! You dare hit me?!”

Wang Tiezhu snorted. “With that foul mouth of yours, if you keep running it, I’ll slap you again!”

“You—”

Huang Qiang wanted to fight back, but seeing Wang Tiezhu’s strong build, he hesitated. He wasn’t stupid—he knew he wasn’t a match for him.

Wang Tiezhu scoffed, then boldly wrapped an arm around Li Linglong’s waist. Despite her slight struggle, he declared dominantly, “Linglong is my woman! If you dare bother her again, I’ll beat you until you can’t recognize yourself! Now scram!”

He roared with authority.

“You… You…”

Huang Qiang was both furious and jealous. This bastard dared to steal his woman! But no matter how angry he was, he didn’t have the guts to fight. He gritted his teeth and snapped, “Just you wait! This isn’t over!” before storming off.

Wang Tiezhu sneered. “Cowardly trash!” Then, he shut the door.

Li Linglong’s face was flushed with embarrassment and anger. She huffed, “Hey! You can let go of me now. Or are you enjoying this too much?”

Only then did Wang Tiezhu release her. He grinned. “Ling-jie, I just wanted to chase that scumbag away. Don’t take it personally!”

Li Linglong pouted and rolled her eyes. “So, I should thank you for taking advantage of me?”