Chapter Twenty-Six: Apologize to Me!

When Wang Zheng and his companions left the restaurant, the police still hadn’t shown up. Yet the incident ended simply enough—Wang Zheng shouldered all the compensation. When he produced his Jinghua Bank Diamond Credit Card, the restaurant manager’s demeanor changed entirely, becoming unfailingly respectful, as if nothing had happened at all, and he seemed only a line away from saying: “We look forward to your next visit—feel free to break something!”

The Jinghua Bank Diamond Credit Card was more than just a piece of plastic; it was a symbol of status. Without assets in the hundreds of millions and impeccable credit and reputation, who would ever be granted such a thing?

After dinner, with Su Xue and Chu Jun as guides, Wang Zheng wandered through the main districts of Jinghua City—a city he hadn’t set foot in for eight years. If it hadn’t been so late, and if staying up all night weren’t the bane of a woman’s complexion, Wang Zheng would have liked nothing more than to spend the entire night exploring with these two women.

Halfway through their stroll, Wang Zheng bid farewell to Su Xue and Chu Jun and took a taxi back to the Huamei Residential Complex. By then, it was already midnight. The full moon hung high, stars scattered across the sky, and the streetlights cast a gentle silver glow over the paths. Tiny insects flitted about, and the birds that chirped noisily all day were now silent, resting. Only the crickets kept up their tireless chorus.

Standing before his door, Wang Zheng paused, his key in hand. In his excitement, he had forgotten about Bai Bing, whom he’d knocked unconscious earlier—had she woken up yet? And if she had, what would she do?

He inserted the key into the lock, making sure to turn it loudly. He didn’t rush to open the door, instead waiting quietly. When the door wasn’t flung open from the inside, he relaxed and let himself in.

“It seems Bai Bing hasn’t woken up yet. Otherwise, she’d have stormed out at the sound of the door,” Wang Zheng thought. After all, knowing Bai Bing’s temperament, if she were awake, she would never let things go so easily.

Who was Bai Bing? She’d thrown tantrums, played tricks, feigned superstition, and pulled all kinds of stunts—she was a legendary figure among the city’s scoundrels, the matron of all ruffians. Even the street punks would shout “Amitabha!” when they saw her. Even someone as self-assured as Wang Zheng was rendered helpless when faced with Bai Bing’s shamelessness.

Relieved, Wang Zheng stepped inside and closed the door.

But just then, a sudden gust of force slashed toward him, so sharp he could feel it sting his cheek. Years spent in danger had honed his instincts; every inch of his skin sensed threats and responded in kind. So, almost without thinking, Wang Zheng shifted aside, dodging the blow. But the attack didn’t end there. When the first strike missed, another quickly followed, aimed at his face.

With a snap, Wang Zheng, relying on his sensitivity to the movement of air, reached out and caught the object flying at his face.

“Ah...ah! Pfft—!”

What was this? Pepper powder?

“Pfft—!”

As Wang Zheng turned his head, a sudden beam of intense light hit his face, catching him off guard and making him jump. The abrupt glare in the darkness stung his eyes so badly he had to shut them tight against the pain.

The blinding light made it impossible for Wang Zheng to see who he was facing. Sensing something, he turned his head to avoid the glare and reached out with his other hand to find the light switch.

“Agh—hiss—!”

A tingling shock jolted through his body, making him shudder involuntarily.

Electricity?

“Apologize!”

A cold, cutting voice rang out. Shielding his eyes, Wang Zheng squinted toward the source of the glare, making out a vague silhouette. Though he couldn’t see clearly, the voice was unmistakable—it was Bai Bing.

“How old are you, still throwing pepper powder at me? Ugh!” Wang Zheng snapped, annoyed. The stuff was choking.

“At least it works,” Bai Bing replied icily. She knew she couldn’t get close to Wang Zheng, so she had to resort to this. But she was clearly furious now; the flashlight in her hand pinned Wang Zheng like an interrogation lamp. “You scumbag! You knocked me out! Attacking an unprepared woman from behind—are you even a man?”

“A man is just a coin—heads on one side, a chrysanthemum on the other. A woman is an ancient coin—there’s a hole on both sides. So what? Don’t bring up men and women in front of me again. Since meeting you, I can no longer tell which is more shameless!” Wang Zheng sneered, brushing past Bai Bing into his own room. She might have tampered with the light switch, but she couldn’t block the moon. Moonlight poured into the room, draping everything in a silvery veil, so Wang Zheng had no trouble seeing his way.

“Apologize to me right now!” Bai Bing demanded, flashlight in hand, trailing after Wang Zheng and repeating herself incessantly.

“And why should I?”

“You know why!”

“I have no idea.”

Returning to his room, Wang Zheng found a pair of shorts in the wardrobe by moonlight and changed right in front of Bai Bing, caring little about modesty—he was more comfortable shirtless.

Seeing his utter lack of remorse, Bai Bing was so angry she could barely contain herself. She’d woken at ten, found herself in bed, and the ache at the nape of her neck had immediately told her what had happened.

“That bastard knocked me out—using such underhanded means... he’s not a man at all!” Furious and embarrassed, Bai Bing had first taken her anger out on Wang Zheng’s bedding, then, calming herself, began plotting revenge. She couldn’t let it go—she had to make that arrogant, shameless man suffer, to show him she was not someone to be trifled with.

Bai Bing knew she stood no chance in a physical fight with him, so she took advantage of his carelessness. She wrapped pepper powder in a piece of gauze, creating a makeshift “sneeze bomb.” Not stopping there, she also tampered with the light switch by the door, removing the cover and exposing the copper contacts.

“Despicable, shameless, lewd, sleazy, lacking in any manners, insufferably self-important, brute, Neanderthal...!” Bai Bing followed Wang Zheng, hurling insults nonstop. When he went to the bathroom, she stood outside the door. When he showered, she waited just outside the curtain. Like a vengeful spirit haunting the living, she clung to him, a dark cloud of bad luck. Yet no matter how much she taunted him, Wang Zheng remained as unmoved as a rock in the sea, as if he didn’t hear her at all.

After his shower, Wang Zheng poured himself a glass of red wine and sat in the living room. Watching Bai Bing beside him, still chattering and cursing, he wiped his face and looked at her seriously.

“If you insist on insulting someone, at least show some skill. Repeating ‘despicable,’ ‘shameless,’ and ‘lewd’ over and over makes you sound like a broken recorder. Don’t you know any better words? If not, I could teach you. Admitting your ignorance is the first step to learning. Honestly, your spittle is more powerful than your curses—my face is drenched.”

“You shameless man, Wang Zheng! I curse you—curse you to be unhappy every day, to have nothing go your way, to be plagued by troubles at every turn! I curse you never to find a job, never to find a girlfriend! I curse you to come back with me to the organization right now!”

Wang Zheng sipped his wine, watching Bai Bing wave her flashlight and perform her bizarre cursing rituals. He suddenly felt utterly powerless.

Had knocking her out somehow scrambled her brains? Impossible—he’d hit her neck, not her head. Or maybe she’d gotten water in her ears during her shower? That seemed more likely.

“Do you want to kiss me?” Wang Zheng suddenly asked, his eyes full of mischief.

Bai Bing froze for a moment, then retreated three meters in a flash, putting as much distance between them as she could.

“Who... who wants to kiss you?” Bai Bing’s face flushed red as she glared at him. His words and the wicked look in his eyes instantly brought back the memory of that day, when this infuriating man had stolen her first kiss right there on the street.

“You keep cursing me nonstop—aren’t you just hoping I’ll use my mouth to silence yours?” Wang Zheng said with a smile.

At once, Bai Bing grabbed a cushion from the sofa and hurled it at him, protesting loudly, “Nonsense! I’d never want that!”

“Heh, your face gives you away—it’s written all over it: ‘I want to kiss.’ If you want something, just say so. Your kissing technique still needs a lot of work, but it’s a skill that improves with practice. Don’t be afraid, Bai Bing—with enough effort, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle. Put in the time, and you’ll get your kissing license!”