Chapter 50 Bitten by a Dog (Please Add to Favorites)

Thud. Fang Tianqi's heart clenched with a fierce pain. He turned his gaze to Guo Xiaoxiao. Having only recently arrived in Jinhai, he hadn't yet met this arrogant and unruly girl. Yet at first glance, he was drawn in by her untainted grace, as if she had emerged pure from the mud, and for a moment, he stared, bewildered.

“Xiaoxiao, you beauty, I…” Director Pan Hong was utterly speechless under her questioning, his face stiff and unsure what to say.

With a sullen snort, Xiaoxiao ignored him and strode directly to Fang Tianqi, whose eyes were still locked on her. She waved her delicate right hand in front of his dazed eyes, playfully asking, “Do you know what this is?”

Five slender, elegant fingers, white as ivory and long and willowy. Fang Tianqi, who was already distracted, became completely absorbed, a foolish smile curving his lips as he replied cheerfully, “A little hand.”

Xiaoxiao pouted, her cherry lips protruding, and with a flick of her tongue, her expression instantly shifted from cute to cold, as if flipping a page in a book. “Wrong answer—here’s your reward.”

Smack! Before Fang Tianqi or anyone else could react, she slapped him hard across his right cheek.

What no one expected was that Fang Tianqi didn’t utter a sound. He seemed, bizarrely, to relish the blow from such a beauty.

Before the others could recover, as if orchestrated in advance, Tang Yixue followed suit, delivering a stinging slap to Fang Tianqi’s left cheek. Everyone was utterly dumbfounded—what kind of people were these, all taking turns to slap his face?

Bai Jing and Zhu Yun also exchanged a knowing glance and each gave him a slap. Among the men, it turned into a round of kicks—Su Xiaodong went first, then Tiger, and all those close to Lin Yang each took their turn. Only then did it end.

As everyone sank into numb silence, Lin Yang, exuding the air of a true leader, gave the order: “Let’s go.”

Under the helpless gaze of Director Pan Hong, Lin Yang and his group swaggered out, leaving behind only the stunned beauties and the thoroughly shell-shocked Fang Tianqi.

“Hahaha! That was satisfying! Who knew slapping someone could feel so good! Next time I’m upset, I’ll just find someone to let off steam,” Guo Xiaoxiao exclaimed as she stepped out of the pavilion, shaking her slender hand with a mischievous grin.

Su Xiaodong, who was closest to her, couldn’t help but slow his steps. He genuinely feared Xiaoxiao—one careless moment, and she might just use him as her next test subject.

“If you’re still not satisfied, we can always go back,” Lin Yang teased with a wicked grin. After venting his frustrations on Fang Tianqi, his good humor was restored and his playful nature returned.

“Hmph, that guy was no fun at all. Didn’t even cry out, didn’t resist, just stood there like a block of wood,” Xiaoxiao pouted, hands on her hips, glancing up at the second-floor hall where, just regaining his senses, Fang Tianqi’s eyes met hers.

She shot him a venomous glare and turned away, following Lin Yang and the others as they left.

At the window on the second-floor hall, Fang Tianqi watched the group swagger away, fists clenched and teeth grinding. Today he had lost all dignity—he’d failed to teach anyone a lesson, and instead had been humiliated in front of so many beauties. This grudge, he would not forget.

“Uncle Hong, who are they? Why were you afraid of them?” Fang Tianqi asked, still perplexed as he watched the group disappear.

“Tianqi, how did you manage to provoke that crowd?” Pan Hong answered with a question of his own, a clever evasion. Truth be told, he had no idea what had just happened. He’d been berated for no reason, and now he’d drawn the ire of the daughters of several prominent figures in Jinhai, as well as the Tiger, who had a foot in both the underworld and the legitimate. His future prospects now looked grim.

Realizing this was no simple matter, Fang Tianqi recounted the events as they happened, though he glossed over the part about arranging for someone to teach Lin Yang a lesson.

After hearing his explanation, Pan Hong pondered in silence. The name Lin Yang, the much-discussed plastic surgeon, was familiar to all—yet in the moment, he hadn’t recognized him. The other notable figures accompanying Lin Yang, however, he had recognized immediately.

“Tianqi, you’d best endure for now. The people around that young man are powerful—almost untouchable in Jinhai. Unless…” Pan Hong hesitated.

“Uncle Hong, unless what?” Fang Tianqi pressed anxiously. If he didn’t avenge this public humiliation, how could he hold his head up again?

“Unless you leave Jinhai. Even if you mobilize the Fang family’s power, it won’t make a difference here,” Pan Hong said gravely. The Tang family from Yinchuan, the Bai family from Jinhai, and the Tiger who ruled both sides of the law—none were simple characters. To confront them head-on with the Fang family’s current influence in Jinhai would be asking for trouble.

Fang Tianqi’s fists crackled as he clenched them. He understood all too well. After a long silence, he replied in a low voice, “I understand, Uncle Hong.”

But inwardly, he resolved to accelerate his plan to swallow Jinhai Pharmaceuticals. Only then could the Fang family’s status in Jinhai reach its zenith. For now, he’d have to swallow this bitter loss.

…

Once Lin Yang and his group left Baifu Villa, they parted ways. The matter had been settled, grievances vented, and it was already late—any more commotion and they’d be sleeping till noon.

Driving the borrowed police car in style, Lin Yang returned to his apartment in the Tiancheng District. It was already past one in the morning, and the night was as dark as ink.

Because Lin Yang had not returned, Leng Nini had long since fallen into a deep sleep, though she’d left the bedroom light on.

When he pulled up at the villa gate, a loyal underling opened the door for him. After entering his room, Lin Yang felt refreshed—beating someone up truly was the best way to vent one’s frustrations. No wonder some people with twisted minds found endless amusement in tormenting others.

Upon entering, he found Leng Nini standing at the doorway, clad in a spaghetti-strap nightdress and cartoon slippers, staring icily at him as he came upstairs. Her eyes were bleary with sleep, her face still carrying traces of dreams—clearly, he’d woken her.

“Nini, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Lin Yang asked with a cheeky grin, as if oblivious to her displeasure.

“Hmph! Where have you been so late? I waited for you until eleven and you still weren’t back, so I had to sneak off to bed,” she pouted, hands on hips, a look of grievance slowly blooming on her face.

Her expression plainly accused him: how could you let a delicate girl wait alone in an empty house? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?

Lin Yang was at a loss—did she really expect him to report his whereabouts and return time to her every night? He only grumbled inwardly, never daring to say it aloud.

“If you’re tired, just sleep. Don’t wait up for me. You’re a big girl now, you should learn to take care of yourself, okay?” He lectured her in the tone of a schoolteacher, though his eyes kept straying to her nightdress. He couldn’t help it—she was too damn tempting. This girl always slept with little on, and when in a rush, would throw on the barest thing and dash out. When she heard the front door, realizing it was Lin Yang, she’d hurriedly slipped on the nightdress and run out—luckily, no other brothers were around, or there might’ve been trouble.

With such a lovely girl dressed so boldly, what man wouldn’t have improper thoughts?

Lin Yang had seen it plenty of times before and had warned her, but she always treated his words as wind in her ears.

His bold gaze didn’t go unnoticed by Leng Nini. Rather than get angry, she was secretly delighted, striking a few provocative poses—bending at the waist to give him a glimpse under her dress, sidling closer, tugging at him affectionately. All her moves were designed to provoke him into crossing the line.

Flustered by the rising heat in his chest, Lin Yang hurriedly put some distance between them, taking a deep breath to suppress his urges. He quickly sought an excuse to escape this mischievous minx and turned to head for his own room.

“Brother Yang, do you think it looks good?” Just as he was about to escape, Leng Nini bit her lip, as if gathering her courage, and blurted out something suggestive.

Bang—Lin Yang nearly tripped down the stairs. He cursed inwardly—this girl had no filter at all! Wasn’t this an open invitation to commit a crime?

Forcing himself to play dumb, he turned back with a silly grin. “Nini, what looks good?”

He added, “The nightdress is nice.” He wanted to say it would look even better if she wore less, but dared not voice it. Who knew if she’d take it as a challenge and strip off the last thing she had on? Then he wouldn't know whether to give in or run for his life.

Hearing him compliment the dress, Leng Nini rolled her eyes in exasperation. She’d never had the habit of sleeping naked before; it was only after coming here, and with a purpose—to lure this man, no, this boy who always played dumb, into her bed and leave her mark on him.

But as she looked him over, she noticed a trace of blood on his forehead. Her concern was instant. “Brother Yang, what happened to your forehead? Why is there blood?”

“Oh, I was bitten by a dog,” Lin Yang lied with a wave of his hand. He couldn’t exactly say he’d been in a fight for his life, crashed a car, and got injured—it would sound too dramatic.

“Bitten by a dog?” Leng Nini’s delicate brows knit together, clearly unconvinced, and she pressed him for an answer.