Chapter Thirteen: A Slap

My Beautiful Love Tribulations

Wang Zheng had been back in the country for two days now, and to say he spent his days idly would be no exaggeration. Last night, he went to a bar, where the noisy atmosphere nearly drove Bai Bing mad. Most importantly, she hadn't seen anyone interact closely with Wang Zheng, which left her regretting not lingering longer in the men's restroom. She also deeply regretted the diamond. Watching Wang Zheng hand over a ten-carat diamond to a complete stranger, a woman entirely unrelated to him, left her utterly baffled.

After tidying up the kitchen, Bai Bing emerged to find Wang Zheng sprawled on the sofa, watching television, and she felt her anger rise.

"If you're so bored, why not return to the Organization? Wouldn't that be more fulfilling?"

She recalled the first time she'd seen Wang Zheng—standing unflinchingly before dozens of special forces soldiers wielding assault rifles. The memory was intoxicating. Yet now... he was no different from a loafer with nothing to do.

"Bored? You're the one who follows me around all day with nothing to do. I think you're even more bored than I am!" Wang Zheng replied, his gaze fixed on the television. "For someone who’s trained since childhood, who’s never even watched TV before, these programs—whether dramas or commercials—are fascinating! If you're bored, go do your own thing. You don't have to mind me."

Bai Bing listened, glanced at Wang Zheng lying on the sofa, then at the advertisement playing on the screen, a sense of helplessness washing over her. Yet upon reflection, his words held some truth. The training Wang Zheng had endured to reach his current stature was unimaginable. Thrown into Africa as a teenager, living alone, facing harsh climates, fierce beasts, brutal rebels, and primitive tribes—these were trials no ordinary person could withstand.

Before his return, Bai Bing had thoroughly studied his file. He was a man who had walked through hell. After so many trials of life and death, so much cruel baptism, to remain optimistic about life as he did was in itself a miracle.

He was a unique existence within the Organization.

For people like Bai Bing, who spent most of her time in the office, tasks required thorough investigation and then assistance from other agencies via the 'little green notebook' to be completed. In other words, the work was a collective effort, but the credit went to one. Yet all of Wang Zheng’s missions were accomplished alone. No matter how dangerous or difficult the task, as long as the Organization assigned it, he handled it solo in Africa—never failing, never asking for backup.

He was undoubtedly the most outstanding, but that was also what made him so formidable.

Bai Bing walked over and nudged Wang Zheng on the sofa.

"Move over and give me some space!"

"Isn't there plenty of room on either side?" Wang Zheng replied irritably. There was a sofa on either side, but Bai Bing insisted on sitting right where he was lying—was she just looking for trouble?

"This is my house, so I make the rules! Hurry up, sitting sideways to watch TV strains my neck!" Bai Bing said impatiently, kicking Wang Zheng twice.

"You’re not falling for me, are you? Why do you keep inching closer, always craving some 'skin contact'? If you have something to say, just say it—don’t hold it in and give yourself constipation!" Wang Zheng looked at her and sat up from the sofa. The morning wasn't even over, and she'd already kicked him several times—damn, it was awkward!

---

Bai Bing listened, her face full of disgust, then feigned retching and snorted, "Falling for you? Yes, I, Bai Bing, am madly in love with you, I could die for you!"

"I've told you before—my charm is irresistible. Sooner or later, you'll surrender at my feet. See? It's happened. Go find a quiet place to cry—I’ll never like you!"

"You... don't forget what you owe me. When you had nothing, who took you in? Aren't you a bit ungrateful?"

"Ungrateful? That ten-carat diamond—you refused it yourself!"

"The care and concern I've shown you can't be replaced by a single diamond! You're unbearably vulgar!"

"I'm vulgar, you're noble! So tell me, how should I repay your 'kindness'?"

"Come back to the Organization and be my partner!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng turned to see Bai Bing’s serious expression, then scoffed dismissively. The fox had finally shown its tail, and not even skillfully—everything was so obvious that Wang Zheng had guessed her last line from her first.

"I really wonder how someone like you got into the Organization. Have the entrance exams turned into grade school arithmetic? If you can answer when one plus one equals three, you're in? Or maybe you got in thanks to your family background, or... perhaps your pretty face and those assets..."

"Smack!"

"You bastard!"

Enraged, Bai Bing slapped Wang Zheng hard across the face. He didn't dodge, so the slap landed squarely. After cursing him, Bai Bing sprang up from the sofa and stormed out.

"Bang!" The door slammed so hard the entire house trembled.

Wang Zheng reached up and touched his burning cheek. The sensation... wasn't bad.

"I never claimed I wasn't a bastard."

---

Back in her room, Bai Bing was fuming. Her pretty face was flushed with anger. She lay on her bed, pounding her pillow to vent her fury.

She hated being called a vase, hated being accused of joining the Security Bureau thanks to family connections, and hated being accused of using her body for deals. That detestable man had said all three—how could she not be furious?

At this moment, the pillow was that hateful man's head—left hook, right hook, uppercut, down punch, then a flurry of combination blows!

"Rip!"

She tore the pillow apart, white feathers drifting all over the room.

Even skinning him alive, eating his flesh, drinking his blood, and tearing his sinews wouldn’t rid Bai Bing of her rage.

"How dare you lecture me like that—who do you think you are?"

Clenching her fists, Bai Bing lay on the bed after her pillow's honorable sacrifice. Though she lay still, her trembling body betrayed her fury.

This Bai Bing was completely different from the one Wang Zheng first met at Organization headquarters—the one with the cold face, icy words, calm heart, and golden speech. Those must have been her disguise, her mask. At least, that’s what Wang Zheng believed. These days had given him some insight into her. She wasn’t as cold as she appeared; she was just raised too high by others, cultivating an arrogant temperament. In truth, Bai Bing’s spirit was lively.

She glanced at her reddened right hand—the one she’d used to slap him. It was loud and forceful. But why hadn’t he dodged? With his skills, he could have easily avoided it. Did he regret what he said afterward?

No, that couldn’t be.

Suddenly, Bai Bing jumped up from the bed and dashed out of the room. Living room, guest room, bathroom, shower, kitchen—she searched everywhere in the house, but the man was nowhere to be found.

Damn, he’d escaped!