"Slap both of your girlfriends in front of me," Tie Wan said with a playful tone, "Of course, if they still want to stay with you afterward, I wouldn't mind." Her implication was clear—if they could endure such humiliation, sharing him among three women might just be possible.
"What did you just say?" His jaw tightened in disbelief. This was vicious. If Xiaoqing found out, she'd probably tear him to shreds, and expecting her to stay? That was wishful thinking. Tie Xiao Niu's demand was undoubtedly insidious; whether or not she'd keep her promise was beside the point—he could never bring himself to do something so despicable.
Xiang Ri cast a mocking glance at the scheming woman across from him. "Did you honestly think I'd give up an entire forest for a single blade of grass?"
"What! You're calling me a blade of grass?" Tie Wan glared at him, her eyes blazing with a fury that looked as if she could devour him whole.
"Oh, please, don't flatter yourself. You're not even the grass; you're merely one leaf on it." Xiang Ri's retort was merciless.
"I'm going to strangle you!" She lunged forward, fists clenched.
"Easy there, young lady, everyone's watching," he murmured, leaning back with a smirk.
"Next time you say something like that, I swear I won't let it go," she muttered, her voice edged with frustration as she resumed her seat, noticing a few onlookers nearby. Strangely, around him, she felt her composure slipping, and a strange sense of unease began to stir within her.
"Freedom of speech, isn't it? Or are you trying to strip me of that right as a police officer—"
Just then, Tie Wan's phone rang. She answered hastily, grateful for the interruption, responding only with brief "Mm-hm"s as she listened. From the somber expression that grew on her face, he could tell the news was far from pleasant.
After hanging up, she fixed him with a penetrating stare, as if she was seeing through his very soul. A long silence followed before she finally spoke. "Where were you last night?"
He looked at her, momentarily taken aback. Surely she wasn't just trying to trap him again? No, the anger in her voice was real, yet now her tone held an unexpected calm.
"Answer!" Her cold voice snapped him out of his daze.
"What do you want me to say? And would you even believe me?" he countered, unsure what had been revealed in that call but sensing it must have led to a critical lead. He doubted she would seriously suspect him, yet he couldn't understand why she persisted in fixating on him. If the police had traced anything to his associates, he'd already coordinated their alibis, so there shouldn't be any gaps.
"I'm warning you—don't lie to me," she commanded, though he detected an undercurrent of pleading in her voice.
"Well, let's just say... it's complicated to explain." He decided to spin a bold lie, knowing he'd take the risk even if it meant getting caught.
"What's so difficult? Just spit it out."
"Uh… can you keep a secret? Please, don't tell my girlfriend," he muttered, pretending to be hesitant.
"Why?" Her gaze darkened as a suspicion formed. "You have two beautiful girlfriends at home, yet you're still messing around outside? You despicable man!"
"..." Seeing her fall into his trap, he couldn't help admiring his own ingenuity as he watched her fume with indignation. *Why's she so mad over me seeing other women?*
"What are you staring at?" she demanded, her voice full of righteous fury. "I'm just standing up for those poor girls of yours. Are you even a man? Having two women isn't enough—you have to go after other lowlifes?"
"Stop," he interjected hastily, "For the record, I only have one girlfriend!"
"Ha! Do you think I'm blind? And what about the other one?"
"One's my girlfriend, and the other, while close, isn't. Surely you've seen it—she calls me 'teacher' because she's actually my student."
"Student? Who do you think you are? Aren't you just a student yourself? And you have the nerve to boast. Tell me, what qualifies you to be her teacher?"
"Haven't you heard the saying? 'Learning has no age; the accomplished are the teachers.' Since I excel in a certain field, why is it strange that she should look up to me as her mentor?"
"Fine, let's accept that. But how do you explain this tendency of yours to go out and fool around?"
"Well... it's due to, uh, physiological needs..."
"Physiological needs?" Tie Wan interrupted before he could finish, her tone sharp and mocking. "Don't you already have a girlfriend? Is it that she refuses you, or simply can't satisfy you?" Realizing how provocative her words were, she blushed slightly but held his gaze, unwilling to back down.
"Alas," Xiang Ri sighed deeply, looking crestfallen, "For a man as vigorous as I am…"
"Disgusting!" Tie Wan spat at him.
Xiang Ri shamelessly continued, "It's practically extinct in this world... So it's only natural that one person can't fully satisfy me."
"Enough!" she snapped, cheeks burning as she struggled to maintain her composure. "Even if that's the case, you have no excuse for seeking out questionable women."
"That's why… didn't I just suggest you be my girlfriend? Too bad you declined…"
"Drop dead!" Her heart pounded wildly, fueled by a sudden surge of anger. So, he had only asked her to be his girlfriend as a mere outlet. Without thinking, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the table and hurled them at him.
Xiang Ri hadn't expected her sudden outburst; at such close range, dodging was impossible. Before he could fully register her movement, he felt a sharp sting on his forehead and winced in mock pain, groaning for effect. Though it didn't hurt much, he'd perfected the art of feigned agony after weeks of practice.
Seeing his pained expression, Tie Wan's anger abated slightly. But remembering his "true intentions," she felt he didn't deserve any mercy. She muttered a curt "Serves you right" before turning her attention to the bustling street.
"Hey, young lady, don't you think you need a reason to hit someone? Just because you're a cop doesn't mean you can assault people at will. Careful, or I might report you!"
"Go ahead. I won't stop you. But I suppose you wouldn't want your girlfriend to find out about your little escapades, would you?" Her tone was laced with veiled menace.
"I surrender. Just tell me what you want." Xiang Ri had anticipated she'd use this "leverage" to blackmail him but hadn't expected her to do so this quickly. He now regretted his impulsive fib, cursing himself for handing her ammunition.
"Simple. Three rules: First, you are not to disobey me. Second, you must follow my orders promptly and thoroughly. Third, if we face any conflicts, refer to the first and second rules. Understood?" She concluded with a triumphant laugh.
"That's all? Agreed!" Xiang Ri replied casually, though inwardly he was far from sincere. He'd placate her with words for now, perhaps even manage to gain a few benefits from her. He eyed Tie Wan's tall, voluptuous figure, his mind wandering to what she might look like without her clothes, and swallowed hard.
"What are you staring at? Look again, and I'll gouge out your eyes." Sensing his inappropriate gaze, Tie Wan glared at him fiercely. "Now, to test your loyalty, I order you to hand over your Desert Eagle to me."
"Now? I didn't bring it with me." He thought it wouldn't hurt to hand over one of his spare pistols, to keep her content and lower her guard.
"Fine. For now, your task is to have dinner with me. But make sure that I have it by tonight, or else…"
"Yes, yes, I'll get it to you before the day ends!" Xiang Ri replied, bowing and nodding deferentially.
"Good, at least you know your place," she said with a smug smile.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Xiang! Fancy seeing you here," a rich, magnetic voice interjected just as they were finishing their exchange.