Chapter 24: Go Ahead and Call the Police, Tough Guy

Qiao Xu tried to carry her laptop to the door, but she was yanked back. The laptop fell onto the carpet as the overhead lights were flicked off.

Xu Si'an pinned her against the conference table, his thumb and forefinger gripping her chin. "Explain yourself. When did I ever accompany another woman to try on wedding dresses?"

In the darkness, Qiao Xu couldn't see his expression, but she could hear the panic and unease in his voice. Seeing her remain silent, he grew agitated and leaned down to kiss her lips.

Qiao Xu’s struggles were futile against him. Xu Si'an could precisely anticipate her every instinctive movement. As the buttons of her shirt were undone one by one, it was the ache in her chest that brought Qiao Xu back to her senses.

"Wuwu... Xu... you bastard, ah—"

"Does it hurt, Qiaoqiao? It hurts me, too."

Qiao Xu dared not move. This lunatic was unbuttoning her clothes in a conference room. Although this was Xu Si'an’s private room and had no surveillance, the walls were made of glass.

"Ah—Xu Si'an, let go! You’re hurting me."

His voice dropped to a husky rasp. "Qiaoqiao, my heart hurts a hundred times more than that."

Qiao Xu’s cheeks began to flush, and her breathing, which fanned across his face, grew ragged. *This jerk—*

"Qiaoqiao, is it really only pain you’re feeling?" Xu Si'an chuckled, his low, gravelly voice dripping with seduction.

Qiao Xu bit her lip hard, refusing to let out a sound. Yet, a soft whimper from her nose only fueled Xu Si'an’s desire.

"I heard you whimper."

Qiao Xu denied it. "That was from the pain. Let go."

"I won't. It’s been so long since you’ve been 'taken care of,' Qiaoqiao. You haven't been looking after yourself well, so I have to do it for you."

Qiao Xu seized an opportunity and lifted her leg—

Xu Si'an was forced to let go and dodge. He knew that if that knee landed, he would be absolutely finished. Qiao Xu quickly buttoned her shirt, and as she passed him, she stomped her high heel onto his leather shoe. "Pervert! I’m reporting you for sexual harassment."

The conference room echoed with Xu Si'an’s laughter, which grated on Qiao Xu’s ears.

"Laugh your head off."

"You touched me... I can have you thrown in jail!"

Xu Si'an picked up the laptop from the floor and leaned in close to her. "Last night, when you were pressed against me, you harassed me, too."

"I... I did not!"

He pulled the door open and left the conference room, leaving Qiao Xu standing there as if struck by lightning. Even from the elevator, Xu Si'an could hear her furious shouting. He wore a roguish smirk, looking down at his palm. "Took so much effort to raise you up, and now you’ve shrunk back again."

As Qiao Xu waited for a ride, she ran into her ex-boyfriend—the one who should have stayed dead and buried.

"Get in the car. The 'pervert' who harassed you will take you home."

"That is entirely unnecessary. I value my life."

Her ride arrived. She walked around the front of his car, not forgetting to kick his door before getting into hers.

Xu Si'an rolled down the window. "Kicking my car? Qiao Xu, you’re in for it."

"Call the police then, tough guy."

The man was amused to the point of laughter, following the ride-share car. She was becoming more and more adorable.

The driver glanced at the luxury car behind them. "Miss, that car isn't going to try to make you pay for damages, is he? He's been following us the whole time."

"Just ignore him. He wouldn't dare."

She didn't have the money to pay for damages, and she was afraid he’d demand her life, so she hadn't kicked it very hard. Fortunately, when the car reached her destination, the luxury vehicle showed no signs of intending to ram them.

As Qiao Xu stepped out, the person from the car behind also got out. Xu Si'an caught up to her.

She stopped and turned around, dialing 110 right in front of him. Xu Si'an took her phone, hung up, and tucked it into his pocket.

"You—"

*To hell with it, keep it.*

She turned to walk away, but her waist was caught in his embrace. "I’m just going to your place to grab something. I’ll leave right after."

"You don't have anything at my place."

Xu Si'an held her close as they walked toward the residential complex. "Yes, I do. The underwear I changed into last night is still on your balcony."

Qiao Xu kicked him as they walked, so Xu Si'an simply hoisted her up into his arms.

"I’ll leave as soon as I get it."

Qiao Xu was now a head taller than him. He used to hold her like this often, saying that "kisses, hugs, and lifts" were meant to be done this way. When Qiao Xu looked down, he deliberately tilted his head up and kissed her lips.

"Put me down."

"No. We’ll leave after I get it."

Qiao Xu resisted. "Don't even think about entering my home. Wait downstairs; I’ll throw it down to you."

When she woke up at noon, she had noticed the laundry she’d hung up the night before was dry. She hadn't noticed that there was an item hanging there that wasn't hers.

Xu Si'an laughed in frustration. "If you throw it down, I’ll just have to wash it all over again."

"Then I’ll throw it in the trash."

"Don't be difficult, Qiaoqiao. You bought that for me."

Qiao Xu was truly defeated by him. "I bought that four years ago. Has it not worn a hole through yet?"

Xu Si'an didn't plan on putting her down even after they entered the elevator. Qiao Xu felt her head was about to hit the ceiling. The man noticed, lowered her slightly, and let her sit on his arm.

"I only wear the underwear my wife buys me. If it tears, I patch it myself."

Qiao Xu: "..."

"Xu Si'an, does your fiancée know you're such a closet pervert?"

He didn't need her to open the door anymore; he punched in the passcode himself. He perched Qiao Xu on the shoe cabinet. "Qiao Xu, I must get this cleared up tonight."

"If you can't explain it, I’ll keep going until you do."

"Take your things and get out."

Was he insane? He’d "keep going"? Did he think he could just do whatever he wanted?

Xu Si'an gripped her chin. "When did I accompany someone to try on wedding dresses, and who exactly is my 'fiancée'?"

His other hand rested on her waist, and he gently tugged at the zipper of her A-line skirt. "If you answer wrong or try to play me, I’m taking off one piece of your clothing."

"And once I'm done with that, we'll get to business."

Qiao Xu bit his cheek. "You filthy pervert."

"Use a different word. That one's getting stale."

The zipper continued to slide down, and Qiao Xu felt her waistline loosening.

"You sanctimonious hypocrite."

"I never claimed to be a gentleman."

"I'm a beast."

Qiao Xu: "..."

This man—when he got ruthless, he didn't even spare himself. Though, he really was lower than a beast.

The zipper was pulled all the way down. Qiao Xu reached behind her, but he caught her hand.

"Don't try these little tricks. I know you better than you know yourself."

"Qiaoqiao, if you don't talk now, that skirt won't be saved."

Qiao Xu glared at him. "If you can wear it, you can have it."

"Besides, what are you in such a rush for? Planning to jump the wall?"

Xu Si'an wasn't annoyed. He let go of her chin and reached for her skirt. "A dog that recognizes its master like me doesn't jump walls when it gets anxious—it just pounces."

The skirt fell onto his leather shoes, and Qiao Xu’s eyes turned red with fury.

"Xu Si'an, you bastard! We’ve broken up, and you still want to humiliate me."

"When your mother threw money at me, I didn't agree to leave. Then you turn around and go try on wedding dresses with Shen Zhiwei."

"And you still say you didn't cheat? Do I have to see you two rolling around in bed for it to count as cheating?"

Xu Si'an hadn't realized she had seen that day. "You saw it and didn't call me out, hmm?"