Peng Xiu kept staring at Han Xin, her eyes filled with admiration and longing. While Han Xin was talking to Han Zhan earlier, she had been in the other room, listening to their conversation through the multiple devices she had discreetly placed in his office. So far, there hadn’t been anything incriminating.
When she heard Han Zhan call her Han Xin’s girlfriend, her heart had sped up, and she felt a rush of nervous excitement. She had hoped he would agree with Han Zhan, but that didn’t happen. Han Xin had adamantly refused to accept her as his girlfriend.
She felt a pang of disappointment but also relief. The good news was that he wasn’t involved with the Die clan. She knew it. The man she had fallen in love with had a pure heart. He wasn’t messy and didn’t involve himself with messy people.
She found him incredibly attractive in his grey suit, and all she could ever think about was being his woman. But Han Xin kept her at arm’s length, maintaining a strictly professional relationship.
"There is nothing you can do now. You should—" Han Xin began, but he was cut off by his phone ringing. He glanced at the screen and saw it was his father calling. He picked up, and the raspy voice of his father came through the phone. "Come home."
"Yes, father," Han Xin replied, and the call ended abruptly. He stood up, and Peng Xiu seized the moment. She had thought that today they could possibly pierce the paper window and take their relationship to a whole new level but things had gone in an unexpected direction but she was still unwilling.
"Can I come with you?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope.
Han Xin shook his head. "No need. You should head home. I need you supervising tomorrow’s delivery and making sure no one from the Die clan starts trouble."
Peng Xiu followed him, trying to hide her disappointment. They entered the elevator together, and she asked, "Can you drop me off? It’s along the way."
Han Xin’s response was curt as he pulled up his tie fixing it. "No, it’s out of my way. I am not going to his office," he said and an awkward silence ensued. As the elevator doors opened, he stepped out, his aura cold and imposing. The driver opened the door to the Maybach parked in the underground parking lot. Peng Xiu watched him leave, her bashful look transforming into a cold expression.
As the car drove away, she clenched her fists, her mind racing with thoughts of how to win this man’s heart. She knew she had to be patient, but the longing in her heart was growing stronger with each passing day. It was driving her to insanity. She decided to go home and cuddle the body pillow of him in her room and relieve the pressure in her heart.
The echo of her stilettos reverberated through the well-lit underground parking garage, each step a sharp reminder of her mounting frustration. She reached her sleek, black sports car, the polished surface reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights above. With a swift motion, she opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
As she started the engine, the low growl of the car filled the silence, a stark contrast to the chaotic thoughts racing through her mind. She drove through the winding ramps of the parking structure with practiced ease, her eyes narrowing lost in thought. Once on the open road, she reached for the touch screen. Her fingers deftly tapped the screen before dialling an unsaved number.
When the call was answered she commanded, "Find that vigilante fast," her voice icy and devoid of emotion. "Don’t let the triads get to him before me."
On the other end of the line, a man adjusted his glasses, the glow from multiple monitors casting eerie reflections on the lenses. "Yes, sister Xiu, I am on it," he replied, his tone professional and unwavering. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he continued sifting through surveillance footage, the AI system scanning every camera feed around the port. He took a sip from his energy drink, the can cold against his lips, his eyes never leaving the screens.
Peng Xiu ended the call, but the tension in her chest remained. She needed an outlet, a way to release the pent-up frustration gnawing at her insides. Her self-esteem had taken hit after hit each time Han Xin rejected her. Instead of heading home, she made a sudden decision and took a left turn, her destination clear in her mind.
The exclusive nightclub loomed ahead, its neon lights casting a seductive glow in the night. She pulled up to the entrance, where a valet quickly opened her door. Stepping out, she adjusted her red dress, the fabric clinging to her curves, and strode inside, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
The club was alive with activity, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the sound of laughter and music. She ascended the stairs to a private room, where a group of young men and women, heirs to the Triad legacy, lounged in opulent decadence. They were the types that lived for partying and spending their elders’ money with no restraint. They looked up as she entered, their eyes lighting up at the sight of her.
Wen Lu, a handsome young man with a cigarette dangling from his lips, immediately pushed away the woman beside him and stood up. "Sister Xiu, I thought you wouldn’t come. Please, sit here," he said, gesturing to the seat next to him.
Peng Xiu’s demeanour had long shifted from that of cold indifference. She appeared timid with an almost vulnerable expression. She allowed Wen Lu to drape his arm around her shoulders, the group eagerly urging her to join in their revelry.
If anyone were to walk in and see this scene they would think she had been forced to be here and she had no choice. It was only when she hung out with the spoilt rich kids that Han Xin showed some semblance of care. She knew by tomorrow morning the fact that she was forced to come and drink with the rich young masters would reach Han Xin’s ears.