He only had a white bath towel wrapped around his lower body. She had an unobstructed view of his firm muscles. Drops of water slid down the curves of his abdomen and hips.
That look, matched with his cool and handsome-looking face, succeeded in him exuding a strong hormonal scent.
Lin Xinyan swallowed subconsciously and turned her head aside as she asked, “How did he get into the accident?”
She wanted to know if Wen Qing had found anything amiss.
If Bai Yinning orchestrated the accident without leaving behind any trace, then she would hold the truth from him for the time being. If Cheng Yuxiu could persuade Bai Yinning to put aside his grievances and leave B City, then she could treat the matter as if it had never happened.
Zong Jinghao narrowed his eyes. “It was not an accident.”
“It was an intentional act?” Lin Xinyan raised her voice suddenly. She tried to compose herself with a smile and said, “I was just worried.”
Zong Jinghao fell silent and faintly stared at her.
Not daring to look at him, Lin Xinyan lowered her head. “I’m going to take a bath.”
As soon as she made her way to the bathroom, Zong Jinghao grabbed her wrist and commanded, “Look at me.”
Lin Xinyan kept her head lowered as she tried to break free from his hold. “You’re hurting me,” she said.
“Look at me,” he repeated. He didn’t raise his voice, but it was intimidating.
Lin Xinyan panicked for a moment, then slowly raised her head as if it were very heavy. Every second that she met his eyes was pure torture.
His gaze and his voice became deeper. “Why are you so nervous?”
“I’m not.” Lin Xinyan pretended to be calm.
Zong Jinghao pushed on. “You seem to be very concerned about whether the nature of the accident. Perhaps you know it was not an accident?”
“No, I don’t know,” Lin Xinyan answered.
A look of disappointment flashed across his eyes, but Lin Xinyan didn’t catch it.
“I don’t like you hiding things from me. It means you do not trust me.”
He let go of her hand, hoping that she could be honest with him instead of him forcing her to do so.
As soon as Zong Jinghao turned around, she spoke, “I saw Bai Yinning today.”
He turned around with narrowed eyes. Very quickly, he grasped the situation. Bai Yinning had said before that he would find out who imprisoned Bai Hongfei and avenge him.
After he came to B City, Wen Qing had a car accident.
In other words, he found out that it was Wen Qing who imprisoned Bai Hongfei back then, so he came to B City and premeditated the car accident.
Lin Xinyan hugged him and pressed her face against his chest. “Taking into account that Uncle is not in a life-threatening condition this time, let’s not pursue it. Give me some time. I will persuade him to leave.”
Zong Jinghao frowned. He didn’t like Lin Xinyan pleading for that man.
“When did you meet him?” he asked with clenched his teeth.
“When you went to the hospital,” Lin Xinyan told him honestly. Her relationship with Zong Jinghao was not stable now, and she didn’t want to create any distance between them by lying.
Zong Jinghao recalled the situation in the day. She had taken the initiative to leave, not to get him to the hospital as soon as possible, but because she was going to see Bai Yinning.
“Where?” he asked.
“At a hotel.”
“What did he talk about?” he asked again.
Feeling a little hurt by his interrogation, Lin Xinyan lifted her head to look at him. “He just said he found out who caused his adoptive father’s death and that he came to B City for revenge.”
With that, she let go of him. She felt he did not trust her too.
Lowering her gaze, she blinked profusely and asked, “Do you not trust me?”
Zong Jinghao pulled her into his arms again, pinching her chin, saying, “I do. I just don’t like him pestering you, and I don’t like you meeting him.”
He locked his lips with hers. As he bit down on her lips, he said, “From now on, you are not allowed to see him.”
“But…” She had wanted to speak, but he suddenly increased his strength, causing her to frown in pain.
As he pressed her onto the bed, Lin Xinyan struggled. “I haven’t taken a shower yet.”
“I do not disdain you for that.”
When Lin Xinyan woke up, the room was still dark, but there was no one around. She grabbed the phone on the table. It was already 11.25 a.m.. she abruptly sat up. It is almost noon?
Maybe she moved too fast because she felt pain all over her body, especially on her waist and her lady parts.
It was obviously deliberate of him for what happened last night.
Lin Xinyan got out of bed. She put on clothes, pulled opened the heavy blackout curtains, and the sunshine entered the room instantaneously. The weather was perfect.
After washing up, she went downstairs. There was no one at home. The two children went to kindergarten while Zong Qifeng went to see an old friend, and Cheng Yuxiu went to the hotel.
When Bai Yinning saw Cheng Yuxiu at his door, he was surprised. He didn’t expect that she would take the initiative to look for him, but thought it was good timing since he also wanted to speak with her.
“I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty to look for you,” Cheng Yuxiu said.
Bai Yinning smiled. “Don’t worry. You are family to me. Come on in.”
Holding on to her bag across her shoulder, Cheng Yuxiu walked into the room.
Bai Yinning ordered Gao Yuan to stand guard at the door. “No one is allowed to disturb us.”
Gao Yuan bowed in response to his acknowledgement.
Bai Yinning rolled his wheelchair into the room, closed the door, and said, “Please sit down.”
Cheng Yuxiu sat down on the sofa. “I won’t beat around the bush. I don’t want you to seek revenge on Wen Qing for what happened in the past.”
Surprised, he couldn’t understand why she would ask him of this.
“You are very important to my adoptive father. Naturally, I also respect you very much, but I cannot accept what you just said. Back then, he imprisoned you and my adoptive father. Both of you were once in love, and I think you know very well that he had his finger chopped off. I don’t understand why you are trying to stop me now that I want to avenge him.”
Cheng Yuxiu clenched her hands tightly, causing her nails to dig into her palms. However, she did not feel the pain at all.
She will never forget how Wen Qing forced her to call Zong Qifeng. Bai Hongfei was pressed on the table by two strong men. If she didn’t make the call, he threatened to cut off Bai Hongfei’s finger.
Forced into a corner, she had no choice but to do as he said.
“Did you care about my adoptive father?” Bai Yinning asked. He wanted to know if she ever loved Bai Hongfei.
However, Bai Hongfei had been dead for many years, and Cheng Yuxiu was not young anymore, so he refrained from asking her.
“I did care about him. That’s why I came to see you today. If he were still alive, I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger. Let it go.”
