“Do you think this will stop me?” Liqiang sneered, his grip tightening. “Waking them would be even better. I’ll examine you right in front of everyone, utterly humiliating Wei Shoutai.”
Liqiang held his breath, listening intently. No sound came from outside.
A maniacal laugh erupted from him as he seized Chen Xuanqiu’s wrist.
“I used to be a man, you know that! Are you insane?” Chen Xuanqiu shrieked.
She struggled desperately, pulling backward, desperate to escape the beast before her.
“Who the hell cares what you used to be?”
Liqiang remained unperturbed. He forcefully yanked Chen Xuanqiu into his embrace, then leaned in, intent on kissing her.
Liqiang’s ‘pursuit despite knowing her past gender’ wasn’t a sign of desperation.
Rather, Chen Xuanqiu’s current appearance was simply too alluring. He wouldn’t have cared even if she had been a dog before her transformation, let alone a man.
Chen Xuanqiu bent her elbows, pushing with all her might against the man’s chest.
She twisted her face away, trying with every fiber of her being to evade his large mouth, reeking of stale smoke.
Suddenly, a loud knocking echoed.
At that very moment, the knocking intensified, accompanied by Wei Shoutai’s concerned voice.
“Xiao Rong, are you alright? I thought I heard a thud just now.”
“Help! Help! Liqiang is assaulting me!” Chen Xuanqiu screamed.
She had seized upon this chance like a drowning person grasping a lifeline.
Liqiang swiftly reached out, intending to cover Chen Xuanqiu’s mouth. However, it was clearly too late.
“Bang! Liqiang, open this door! What are you doing in there?” Wei Shoutai roared.
He slammed his foot violently against the door, making the entire room tremble.
“CEO Hai ordered me to examine her,” Liqiang replied, pausing for a moment. “You’d best stay out of it.”
“Bullshit! Does a physical examination have to happen in the dead of night? Bang!”
Wei Shoutai kicked the door again. The room, designed like a warehouse, had a flimsy latch.
After enduring two heavy blows, the doorframe visibly warped.
Ignoring him, Liqiang realized he couldn’t kiss her. He seized the opportunity, his hands greedily exploring Chen Xuanqiu’s body.
Chen Xuanqiu felt a surge of shame, rage, and disgust, tears welling up in her eyes.
Bang!
With another deafening crash, the metal door finally burst open. Wei Shoutai stormed in, his eyes widening at the scene.
He gasped for breath, then lunged forward like a madman.
Liqiang no longer cared about taking advantage. He quickly turned to confront Wei Shoutai.
The two men immediately began to wrestle.
Chen Xuanqiu wanted to help, but her limbs were now slender and weak, even less effective than before her transformation.
A casual push from Liqiang sent her stumbling several steps. At this moment, she truly grasped the immense difference between men and women.
Liqiang, a mere lackey, was also a tall and burly man. In just a few moves, he overpowered Wei Shoutai, knocking him to the ground.
He then straddled him, raising his fists to deliver a barrage of blows.
Though Wei Shoutai lacked physical strength, he possessed a ruthless resolve. Seeing that a direct confrontation was futile, he threw a punch straight at Liqiang’s groin, utterly disregarding any code of conduct.
Liqiang let out a pained howl, springing up from the ground like a coiled spring.
By then, several guards from outside had rushed in, quickly restraining both men.
“How was that? Not a pleasant punch, was it?” Wei Shoutai taunted, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, looking disheveled.
“You bastard, you’re ruthless,” Liqiang gritted out.
He clutched his lower body, his face contorted in agony.
“But what good will it do?” Liqiang sneered again. “Tomorrow, I’ll call CEO Hai and tell him this girl has fully transformed into a woman. I’m sure he’ll come to ‘collect his goods’ soon enough. I doubt you’d dare treat him the way you treated me.”
“You should worry about yourself first,” Wei Shoutai retorted. “Sneaking into Qirong’s room in the middle of the night with ill intentions, instead of sleeping? If CEO Hai finds out, he’ll flay you alive.”
“I told you I was checking the goods for CEO Hai. Did you think I was lying?”
Liqiang, remarkably calm, pulled out his phone and played a recording.
–Liqiang, how is our experimental subject doing? Has she completely transformed into a woman?–
–Outwardly, she looks very feminine, but who knows what she’s like beneath her clothes? I’ve asked Dr. Wei and his grandson a few times, but they always brush me off.–
–Useless. Find a way to verify it for me as soon as possible. I’ve been waiting long enough.–
–Why don’t you come and verify it yourself?–
–Do you think I have nothing better to do all day like you?–
–But she’s your woman, after all. How can I verify her?–
–My woman? Do you think I’d marry her? I spent a hundred million to buy her. Once I’m done playing, I’ll sell her to recoup my losses.–
–I understand.–
****
After the recording finished, Liqiang smirked slightly. “Did you hear that? What more is there to say now?”
Wei Shoutai offered a noncommittal smile, his gaze growing even sharper.
‘Once he’s done playing, he’ll sell me off again?’ Chen Xuanqiu shivered, hearing those words.
“Pitiful, truly pitiful!” Liqiang said, casting a sympathetic glance at Wei Shoutai. “All your efforts, jumping around like this, ultimately just pave the way for someone else. She’ll soon become CEO Hai’s plaything. What can you do but swallow your anger?”
He then limped out, clutching his groin.
“Let go of me!”
Wei Shoutai impatiently shook off the guards’ hands. He then turned, his expression full of concern, and asked Chen Xuanqiu, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, really! Thank you so much for tonight.”
Chen Xuanqiu quickly wiped the tears from her face. She had been truly terrified.
For someone who had undergone a gender transformation, nothing was more frightening than being sexually assaulted by a man.
“What exactly happened here?”
Dr. Wei walked in from outside. Being elderly, his hearing wasn’t what it used to be, so arriving a little late was understandable.
Chen Xuanqiu recounted everything that had just occurred. After finishing, she still felt a lingering fear, wiping away fresh tears.
Perhaps it was because she had become a girl, but her tear ducts seemed far more sensitive than before.
“Don’t cry,” Wei Shoutai said tenderly. “It’s all over now.”
“I wasn’t trying to cry, it just happened,” Chen Xuanqiu said, trying to sniffle. “It’s strange.”
Wei Shoutai gazed at Chen Xuanqiu’s feigned bravery, a helpless smile gracing his lips.
“Why are you so foolish?” Dr. Wei chided, his brow furrowed. “As a girl, you have no sense of self-preservation. Remember this: never open the door easily in the middle of the night.”
“I understand,” Chen Xuanqiu nodded obediently.
She couldn’t truly be blamed, she reasoned. Having only recently become a girl and being half-asleep, it was understandable she’d make such a basic mistake.
“Grandpa, you should go to sleep,” Wei Shoutai told Dr. Wei. “It’s still early.”
“What about you?” Dr. Wei asked, still uneasy.
“Her door lock is broken,” Wei Shoutai explained. “I’m worried, so I want to stay here and guard her.”
Dr. Wei seemed about to say more, but ultimately sighed and walked out.
‘Why is he sighing for no reason?’ Chen Xuanqiu wondered.
“It’s still two or three hours until dawn. Try to get some more sleep,” Wei Shoutai gently persuaded her. “I’ll be right here guarding you. Don’t be afraid!”
“There’s no need! You should go back and rest.”
Chen Xuanqiu politely declined. Deep down, she was still a man, and she found such meticulous care difficult to accept.
“Be a good girl and listen, or I’ll get angry,” Wei Shoutai said, purposefully putting on a stern face.
Having no other choice, Chen Xuanqiu lay back down on the bed.
Only then did Wei Shoutai sit down contentedly by the bed. From time to time, he reached up to touch the bruise at the corner of his mouth, wincing in pain.
“Brother Wei,” Chen Xuanqiu said sincerely, “I’ll always remember the kindness you and your grandfather have shown me. If I ever get out of here, I’ll surely repay you both.”
She spoke with genuine earnestness, for she was someone who knew how to repay kindness.
“There’s no need,” Wei Shoutai said, laughing self-deprecatingly. “Someone like me, burdened with a murder case, is destined to have no future.”
‘If he doesn’t expect repayment, then why is he so good to me?’ Chen Xuanqiu wondered, bewildered. ‘It can’t just be because I’m his “patient,” can it?’
She felt a wave of confusion.
‘Wait, Liqiang said this guy likes me. It can’t be true, can it?’
Chen Xuanqiu suddenly recalled the earlier incident, a sense of guilt stirring within her. She hadn’t yet overcome the hurdle of her sexual orientation, meaning she was destined to give no response to such feelings.
“Brother Wei,” Chen Xuanqiu began hesitantly, speaking with a slight stammer. “You should know I used to be a boy.”
She felt it was necessary to clarify this, lest she accumulate too many emotional debts she couldn’t repay in the future.
“I know,” Wei Shoutai blurted out. “But I’ve never thought of you as a boy. Perhaps it’s because you’re just too adorable.”
Chen Xuanqiu froze for a moment, an uneasy premonition suddenly rising within her.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was finding reasons to justify an intimate relationship with her, despite her past.