"This bastard...has no idea how to cherish a lady."
Seeing the ever-changing expressions on Xia Mutong’s face, Ling Chen felt sowhat uneasy. After all, as a man, he should take more responsibility for this kind of situation—it was not sothing that could justly be blad on a woman.
He gave a helpless smile and said, "Officer Xia, I..."
"Shut up!" Xia Mutong’s pretty face turned beet red, and her eyes blazed with fury, "Ling Chen, you have so nerve to dare... to do that to ..." She gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
"Officer Xia, you can’t wrong soone without proof. I admit I bear a lot of the responsibility, but this isn’t all my fault either..."
"Shut up," Xia Mutong bit her lip, feeling furious and indignant, but at the sa ti, she was disturbed by so strange thoughts that she couldn’t quite articulate.
Knock knock knock!
"Open up! Open up! Police room check!"
Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks ca from outside the door.
"Police?" Ling Chen was startled and turned to Xia Mutong beside him, "Officer Xia, I..."
"What about , hurry up and get dressed."
Xia Mutong said urgently. She pulled out her phone and saw more than a dozen missed calls, cursing inwardly for the oversight. Ignoring her body’s discomfort, she snatched a nightgown from the wall and threw it on.
"Hurry up and open the door!"
Hearing the police’s urging, Xia Mutong pointed to the bathroom, "Go in there and don’t co out."
Without a word, Ling Chen dashed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Being caught by the police would be an embarrassingly big deal.
Stepping out of bed, Xia Mutong took two steps towards the door but couldn’t help letting out a pained whimper.
Damn it! She cursed angrily in her mind.
When she opened the door, several plainclothes officers stood outside, their faces taut with tension as if ready to break down the door. Seeing her face, the officers were taken aback and then breathed a sigh of relief.
"Captain Xia, why didn’t you answer your phone? We’ve been outside all night, worried that sothing happened to you."
Embarrassed, Xia Mutong replied, "I had a few drinks last night and slept like the dead, didn’t hear my phone ringing. Sorry for making you worry."
"As long as you’re alright."
"Go check the other rooms now, don’t miss a single one, especially that Tao. She’s the manager here, and we need to bring her in."
"Yes, Captain Xia."
After everyone left, Xia Mutong closed the door, walked to the bathroom, and knocked, "Co out."
Ling Chen ca out of the bathroom, fully dressed but still wearing an awkward expression, uncertain of how to face Xia Mutong.
"Stay in the room, don’t even think about leaving." After saying that, Xia Mutong slamd the bathroom door shut and walked under the shower.
The warm water sluiced over her shoulders, and amidst the steaming mist, Xia Mutong furiously scrubbed her skin with body wash, over and over. Tears mingled with the hot water, quietly streaming down her cheeks.
To be honest, she despised n, loathed them, resisted any contact with them. She had even sworn that she would rather remain unmarried for life than let a man touch her body. Yet, her resolve had crumbled in one night.
Inside the room, Ling Chen sat unnaturally on the bed, silently waiting for Xia Mutong to co out.
Since it had already happened, regret was pointless, and he needed to find a way to resolve it. As he pondered, his eyes inadvertently caught sight of patches of red flowers peeping out from under the bedsheet.
Is this...
His throat tightened, and he lifted the bedsheet, revealing a conspicuous red patch to his eyes.
"It’s all over... it’s all over..." He muttered to himself, his face full of bitterness. The responsibility was even greater now that he realized she was still...
Creak!
At that mont, the bathroom door opened, and Xia Mutong stepped out, drying her damp hair, with a white towel wrapped around her, revealing her fair skin, as pale as jade or snow.
Ling Chen cleared his throat softly and quickly averted his gaze.
Xia Mutong glanced at him expressionlessly and then walked over to the bedside to pick up her phone and dial a number.
"Alright, you guys head back first, leave a car for , I will join you at the station later."
After hanging up, Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen and said indifferently, "You can go now."
"Ah?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, almost doubting his ears, and said with disbelief, "You’re letting go?"
Seeing his puzzled expression, Xia Mutong felt increasingly irritated. She had struggled for a long ti in the bathroom, uncertain about how to handle the situation. It was neither feasible to arrest him nor let him go; after all, both parties were at fault. If she arrested him and he revealed the truth, she wouldn’t be able to show her face ever again, and staying in the police force would be out of the question.
After much deliberation, the only option was to let Ling Chen go as if nothing had happened.
"If I say leave, then leave. Why all the pointless talk?" She said coldly, "Rember, nothing happened last night. If you dare to spread a word, don’t bla for being unfriendly."
Hearing this, Ling Chen silently breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was not one to shirk responsibility, Xia Mutong’s decision not to pursue the matter was a welco one. But deep down, he felt an indescribable emotion.
"You still not leaving?" Seeing him sitting dazed, Xia Mutong could not help but urge him again.
Ling Chen stood up and walked straight to the door. Hesitating for a mont, he turned back to Xia Mutong at the bedside, "I’m sorry, if there’s anything you need in the future, just tell . I won’t refuse."
At this point, that was the only promise he could make to try and make up for his wrongdoing.
The sound of the door closing echoed. Xia Mutong sat blankly on the bed, her gaze fixed on the sheets, her expression complex, her mind full of tumultuous thoughts.
After leaving the Emperor, Ling Chen suddenly thought of the calls from Nanrong Hao and his heart sank. He had been so consud by thoughts of Xia Mutong that he had almost forgotten the matter.
Looking at the congested traffic, he frowned, quickly took out his phone, and dialed Nanrong Hao’s number, then turned to walk back.
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