Chapter 136: A Woman Caught in a Tug-of-War Between Two Men

Wen Zhixia opened her eyes when she felt a suffocating sensation in her sleep, realizing someone was pressing down on her and desperately trying to draw in her breath.

Recognizing Xu Qichen pressing down on her, she widened her eyes, pushed him away with all her might, and fled in panic.

Xu Qichen gave chase and found Wen Zhixia curled up on the sofa in the living room downstairs, wrapped in a blanket. He rubbed his temples heavily.

As footsteps drew near, he could clearly sense Wen Zhixia’s tension.

Yet she was trying her utmost to restrain the feeling: "Have you sobered up?"

Xu Qichen slowly sat down on the sofa beside her, wanting to raise his hand, but ultimately letting it drop back down...

"I'm sorry, I was just..."

Just what?

Unable to restrain his emotions?

Or perhaps... she had been lying so quietly, submissively, and beautifully in bed, and he, fueled by three parts of alcohol-induced boldness, simply wanted to do the things he had always tried so hard to suppress.

Everyone said Xu Qichen was ascetic, unmoved no matter how glamorous and enchanting a woman appeared. In the end, it was simply because the person lying in bed wasn't the one he truly desired.

The atmosphere between them grew somewhat frozen. This must have been the first time Wen Zhixia felt a sense of fear in her dealings with him.

"Slap."

Hearing the sound, Wen Zhixia turned her head sharply in astonishment, only to see his hand falling away from his face.

He was Xu Qichen, the head of the Xu family who would never lose face even if he bled, yet right before her eyes, he had slapped himself.

"I'm sorry, it... won't happen again," he said. "Don't be afraid of me."

Meeting his remorseful gaze, Wen Zhixia felt a stinging sensation in her nose. Strictly speaking, she had been making a fuss over nothing; they were already married, and even if something were to happen, it was the most normal thing in the world.

Because she had run away, he was blaming everything on himself.

"Don't be like this." She leaned over and hugged him. "It's my fault, I just wasn't ready yet."

Xu Qichen gently stroked her hair, letting out a soft sigh as he murmured, "Take your time. We have a long future ahead of us."

Turning off the shower, the memories seemed to dissipate along with the gradually fading steam.

Wrapped in a bath towel, Wen Zhixia walked out while drying her hair, pausing when she saw a figure sitting on the sofa nearby.

Xu Qichen put down his tablet, walked over to her, naturally took the towel from her hands, and led her to a chair, standing behind her to dry her hair.

"Did what I said today scare you?"

Wen Zhixia’s long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lowered gaze cast a dark shadow across her eyes. "No."

Looking at her profile, Xu Qichen chuckled softly. "You're not very good at lying to me."

Wen Zhixia paused. "Did you wait up for me just to say this?"

"You know something of the situation within the family. With me at this age and no children to my name, it's inevitable that people beneath us will start plotting." In a few months, he would be thirty-three, an age when he should have had children long ago.

Wealthy families possessed more than just money and glory; the scheming and maneuvering of hidden daggers were simply the norm.

Wen Zhixia remained silent. Xu Qichen put the towel aside, embraced her from behind, and pressed his lips against the nape of her neck.

Wen Zhixia slowly closed her eyes.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

The phone on Wen Zhixia’s bedside table vibrated frantically, interrupting the intense atmosphere between them like a thunderclap exploding amidst a tender romance.

The call was from Gu Pingsheng.

Wen Zhixia glanced at it, chose not to answer, and hung up directly.

Gu Pingsheng called again, persistently dialing. Xu Qichen's eyes darkened; he took Wen Zhixia’s hand and directly turned off her phone.

Seeing this, Wen Zhixia’s gaze flickered, but she said nothing.

Hospital.

Gu Pingsheng propped one leg up in mid-air. When he dialed again, the cold female voice replied that the number was "currently unreachable."

Not answering her phone late at night and turning it off—what was she doing?

Gu Pingsheng’s eyelid twitched violently. "Trace Xu Qichen’s phone number for me right now!"

Zhou Anbei didn't ask questions, but ultimately only managed to find Xu Qichen’s public work number, failing to uncover his private one.

When he called, it was predictably answered by Jin Mao.

Gu Pingsheng clenched his fist and hurled the phone away, the device crashing violently in the stillness of the deep night.

Zhou Anbei’s gaze trembled. "President Gu, what is wrong?"

Naturally, Gu Pingsheng couldn't voice what he was fearing at this moment, but as the saying goes, whatever you fear most comes to pass. Unexplainable as it was, that premonition was exceptionally strong tonight.

"Anbei, if she really doesn't want me anymore... what should I do?"

He lowered his head, collapsing weakly against the hospital bed as if crushed by a heavy blow, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

Zhou Anbei did not need to guess who the "she" in his mouth referred to.

Yet as an outsider, how could Zhou Anbei possibly provide an answer, when even Gu Pingsheng himself had no clue?

Gu Pingsheng’s fingers at his side gripped tightly, rubbing and twisting the ring on his ring finger.

"Investigate! Keep investigating. If you can't find his private number, look up the people around him." He squeezed the words out from the depths of his throat, and with that, he propped his body up and got out of the hospital bed.

Zhou Anbei hurried to block his movement. "President Gu, what are you doing? You aren't discharged yet, and it's already pitch dark outside. Whatever the matter is, it can wait until tomorrow."

Gu Pingsheng pushed his hand away, his brows dense with boundless chill, the emotions hidden within his profound eyes resembling a compressed volcano—needing only a tiny spark for the magma to splatter instantly and incinerate all things.

"By tomorrow, I'll be wearing a cuckold's cap, and you're still talking nonsense?! Get out of the way!"

Zhou Anbei froze, for no one had spoken with Gu Pingsheng or transmitted any information to him.

Just a few minutes ago, he had been dealing with documents; how on earth had things suddenly...

Xu Qichen owned quite a few properties, but having arrived in Sifang City only recently, his whereabouts still left a trail.

Soon, Gu Pingsheng locked onto the most habitable residential area, one of the top three villa districts outside of Lanhu County where he himself resided—Jingyuan.

He limped forward leaning on a crutch, stumbling and nearly falling several times due to moving too hastily.

Zhou Anbei couldn't afford to think further; he grabbed his coat and hurriedly followed.

Meanwhile, at Jingyuan.

Sometimes, silence and a lack of resistance amounted to tacit consent.

A man as intelligent as Xu Qichen could hardly fail to understand. He bent down, picked her up, laid her on the bed, and pressed a light kiss to her brow before his fingers moved toward the edge of her bath towel.

Silence enveloped the surroundings. The temperature in the bedroom was constant, yet she could still feel a shudder running through her body.

"I'll be careful," he said.

Wen Zhixia closed her eyes and gave a low, hesitant, "Mmm."

Xu Qichen was exceedingly gentle, his movements very slow out of consideration for her feelings.

She lay there exquisitely, her skin as white as lard, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, yet she remained utterly unresponsive throughout, as if simply completing a task.

Xu Qichen was already aroused. He stared fixedly at Wen Zhixia, who kept her face turned toward the window, and after a few seconds, he got up from her body.

He raised his hand and rewrapped the bath towel around her.

Wen Zhixia was momentarily stunned. She looked at him with confusion and incomprehension in her eyes.

"You... aren't ready yet. It was I who grew impatient." Xu Qichen stroked her cheek, just as he had countless times in the past.

Wen Zhixia bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze. "I am ready."

Xu Qichen looked at her and chuckled softly. "Silly girl, I didn't marry you just for this. Not ready means not ready—could I possibly force you?"

Wen Zhixia raised her eyes and leaned into his embrace, close and intimate with no trace of detachment. "You shouldn't always be this good."

Was he good?

Xu Qichen gently stroked her hair, a somewhat ethereal look in his eyes. She was simply thinking too well of him.

Xu Qichen went to the bathroom to shower, while Wen Zhixia, having no sleepiness, leaned back in bed to read a book.

Suddenly, deafening car horns and screeching brakes echoed from outside, followed by the warning shouts of security personnel.

The commotion was immense, and within the villa district, many of the lights that had already gone dark were turned back on.

Wen Zhixia frowned. Even Xu Qichen inside the bathroom could faintly hear the noise, indicating just how loud the disturbance was.

The domestic helper downstairs had heard the situation from the security team and hurried up to knock on the door.

"Sir, Madam, are you asleep?"

Wen Zhixia lifted the covers, got out of bed, and opened the door. "What happened?"

"A gentleman surnamed Gu specifically demanded to see you, Madam. When security asked a few extra questions, the man directly had his driver ram the barrier and charged right in..."

Wen Zhixia didn't need to guess to know who had come, but she couldn't understand why Gu Pingsheng was acting like a madman out of nowhere?!

Had he lost his mind?!

"...Because the commotion is too big and has disturbed others, security is asking if you... would be willing to see him? They've already called the police," the helper said.

Wen Zhixia thought that having him locked up by the police for a few days might actually be a good thing, teaching him to show some discretion in the future. Yet given his reckless and lawless temperament, he likely wouldn't submit so easily, and there was no telling what kind of trouble he would stir up then.

He was a public figure, after all; usually capable of putting on a serious, respectable front to bluff people, so why...

Wen Zhixia took a deep breath. "Let me change my clothes and have a word with security. I'll be right over."

Ten minutes later, Wen Zhixia arrived at the security office.

Outside the security office were patrol vehicles, security patrol carts, and a Maybach with its front end smashed in.

Inside the security room, Gu Pingsheng sat on a chair, still wearing his hospital gown with a down jacket draped over his shoulders, the bandages on his leg unremoved.

Surrounding him were a circle of police officers and security staff. At a glance, he didn't look like a troublemaker, but rather someone who had been respectfully invited in.

Seeing her walk in, his sharp gaze swept her up and down, a ferocity, a fury, and a coldness flashing through his eyes before he slowly stood up. "Come back with me."

Wen Zhixia glanced at the helper who had followed behind. The helper understood and asked if they could have a separate room to talk.

The expensive, wrecked vehicle outside alone spoke of extraordinary origins, combined with that crushing, overwhelming dominance. Upholding the principle that less trouble was better than more, the security staff led the two of them into an inner room.

The moment the door closed, Gu Pingsheng’s long-repressed emotions erupted instantly. He pinned her against the wall, lowering his gaze to conceal the ferocious look in his eyes, and reached his hand toward her slender waist.

A flash of humiliation crossed Wen Zhixia’s eyes when she realized what he was about to do.

She raised her hand, flushed with anger, intending to slap him—he was actually checking up on her...

Gu Pingsheng pinned her hands against the wall, leaving her no room to resist.

"Gu Pingsheng, you can't treat me like this!"

The moment he raised his gaze, Wen Zhixia caught sight of the ferocious bloodshot red within his eyes. He roared with a heavy, suppressed rage in his voice, "How am I supposed to treat you?! Do you have any idea how I got through this past hour?!"

His hand caressed her brow and eyes, then suddenly cupped her face and kissed her heavily.

Or rather, it was more like a savage bite, as if primitive animalistic instincts were driving him to leave his own mark upon his mate.

A sharp pain shot through Wen Zhixia, causing her to gasp and push against his chest with her arms.

After a long while, when she had given up any last resort of resistance and stopped making futile struggles, Gu Pingsheng rested his head and neck against her shoulder, his voice hoarse and muffled: "Xiaxia, let's make up, okay? I really can't take it anymore."

How could she torture him like this?

If he had actually checked and found anything tonight, Gu Pingsheng didn't know what he would have done.

Wen Zhixia pushed him away forcefully, rearranged her clothes with a mix of shame and anger, and turned to leave.

She must have lost her mind to have come over here; she should have just let him be hauled away directly.

"Don't go." Gu Pingsheng hugged her from behind. "I'll let you check me too, alright?"

He knew her skin was thin and that what he had just done touched upon her bottom line, but this was the only way he could find peace of mind.

He said, "Don't be with him anymore. I really am going to go crazy."

He was never a generous sort of person; how could he endure her living day and night with another man? Even if nothing happened today, what about tomorrow? The day after?

Who could guarantee nothing would happen in the future?

No one knew better than him just how enchanting she was and how strong an attraction she held for men.

Wen Zhixia took a deep breath, parting her lips to utter a cold reply, when a wave of warmth and dampness brushed against the nape of her neck.

Wen Zhixia froze entirely, rooted to the spot. After a long moment, she recovered her voice, sounding somewhat dazed and ethereal: "Gu Pingsheng, what on earth... do you want?"

And what exactly was he trying to achieve?

He could be intimate with other women, yet turn around and pour out deep affection and loyalty to her.

Wen Zhixia was truly bewildered.

She thought she had understood him well in the past, but later realized she didn't. And just when she thought she had come to understand him anew three years ago, now... she was lost in confusion once more.

"I don't want anything else, I just want you," he said. "I just want you."

From beginning to end, the only thing he wanted was her.

He had in the past, he did now, and he would in the future.

Listening to him, Wen Zhixia’s gaze grew somewhat vacant. "But I... am already with Qichen."

Having finished his shower, Xu Qichen emerged, his carnal desires cooled, only to find Wen Zhixia missing from the bedroom.

He searched in his bathrobe, but she was nowhere to be found.

Where could she have gone at this hour of the night?

"Where is Madam?" Xu Qichen asked as he walked downstairs.

The helper replied, "Madam went to the security department."

Xu Qichen paused. "What did she go to the security department for?"

The helper answered, "Twenty minutes ago, someone drove a car and rammed the gate barrier to force their way in. Security stopped them, and the person specifically demanded to see Madam."

Xu Qichen narrowed his eyes. "Do you know who it is?"

"It seemed... to be someone surnamed Gu."

Security Office.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

Zhou Anbei had summoned a lawyer. Gu Pingsheng’s identity had already come to light—the president of the dignified Gu-Xia Group had publicly smashed a gate barrier with his car and then swaggered aggressively into Jingyuan to find another man's wife.

And now... the principal party had arrived as well.

The moment Xu Qichen stepped inside, the expressions of everyone present shifted slightly. Tonight... well, both men possessed extraordinary status; surely they wouldn't start a fight, would they?

If they really did, should they try to stop them or not?

And who should they try to stop?

After all, neither of them was someone to be trifled with.

They were merely a security company; they couldn't afford to offend either side.

Yet the actual turn of events proved thoroughly dramatic.

Because after stepping into that small room, Xu Qichen emerged less than ten minutes later, leaving with Wen Zhixia.

Meanwhile, Gu Pingsheng stood by the doorway, watching their retreating figures.

The others exchanged glances because... they hadn't heard any shouting or sounds of a physical altercation from inside. The matter had been resolved as lightly as a flick of the wrist.

Gu Pingsheng soon got into his car and left.

Faced with this chain of events that could unequivocally be called abnormal, everyone was left scratching their heads. Since it was a problem that could be solved in a matter of minutes, why create such a massive uproar late at night—ramming gates, tearing wildly through the villa district, and turning everything upside down?

"Are rich people nowadays this broad-minded? A third party comes knocking at the door, and the husband can just accept the cuckolding with an expressionless face?"

"Shh, mind your own business. Even if he's a third party, the prerequisite is that he's still the president of the Gu-Xia Group. No one is allowed to breathe a word about tonight's events to avoid bringing trouble upon yourselves."

"I understand that much, but... what kind of background does this woman have to make two such men fight tooth and nail over her?"

"What background she has isn't clear, but she's certainly gorgeous, and that poise is peerless..."

"..."

In the car.

Gu Pingsheng leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed. Zhou Anbei glanced at him through the rearview mirror, swallowing back the words he had initially opened his mouth to ask.

Zhou Anbei hadn't expected Gu Pingsheng to return like this; given how frantically Gu Pingsheng had been searching for her, he had anticipated an earth-shattering scene tonight.

At that moment, what replayed endlessly in Gu Pingsheng’s mind was his final conversation with Wen Zhixia.

"...Until our affairs are completely resolved, don't let him touch you."

"This isn't Berlin. Our legal marriage still stands, and you cannot let him touch you."