Chapter Forty-Eight: The Bite

After a brief argument with Hua Jingjing, we fell into silence again. Hua Jingjing was ignoring me out of spite, while I, my mind a tangled mess, desperately needed some quiet to sort things out. Suddenly, I craved a cigarette. I reached into my pocket, only to remember that I’d already finished off that pack of foreign smokes. My own cigarettes, along with the clothes I’d worn earlier, were all stashed in the car’s trunk.

It struck me then that it was time to return these clothes—worth over two hundred thousand—to Hua Jingjing. Wearing something so expensive meant constantly worrying about every snag or tear, none of which I could ever afford to pay for.

I turned to the driver. “Ah Xi, could you please get out and open the trunk? I need to grab something.” He was about to nod when Hua Jingjing, realizing what I intended, immediately interjected, “Ah Xi, don’t you dare. Stay right where you are and don’t move.”

I had no choice but to be frank. “President Hua, I want to change back into my own clothes. These luxury outfits you bought might be expensive, but they’re nowhere near as comfortable as what I’m used to. Besides, the party’s over, and I don’t need to keep up appearances anymore. I’d better return them all to you before I accidentally damage something—I could never afford the cost.”

She snorted. “You really think I expect you to return them? Did it not occur to you that all these clothes were tailored specifically for you? Who else could possibly wear them? If you give them back, they’ll be useless to me. I don’t want them. Just keep them.”

Her words annoyed me. “Wasn’t it agreed? These clothes weren't bought for me—they were just props for you to flaunt in front of your classmates. You said, yourself, you’d take them all back after. That’s the only reason I agreed to wear them. Now you’re changing your mind?”

She had no retort—she’d indeed said those things, and couldn’t deny it. In a huff, she declared, “Fine, have it your way. If you want to return them, go ahead. Whatever I can’t use is just garbage. Ah Xi, when Mr. Tang changes out of those clothes, throw every piece into the trash. Not a single item is to be kept.”

Ah Xi, clearly a clever man, had already figured out that his young mistress was quarreling with her lover and that her words were nothing but bluster. He kept silent, pretending not to hear, and never intended to follow through.

But I didn’t realize this, and was both shocked and incredulous. “Throw them away? Clothes worth over two hundred thousand, worn once, and you’ll toss them? It’s… it’s outrageous! If you keep going like this, even if you become chairwoman, you’ll squander your family’s fortune in no time.”

She was indignant. “Wasteful? I can’t wear those clothes. What’s the difference if they gather dust at home or end up in the trash? How dare you call me reckless? I hate being called that the most. Take it back! If you don’t, I won’t return your clothes, and you’ll have to go home still wearing what I bought you.”

Women! Their logic is beyond comprehension. I chuckled. “Aren’t you wasteful? You bought so many things in the hospital, but only used a few. Most got thrown away, didn’t they? For some senseless competition, you spent a fortune on name brands—I told you beforehand I didn’t want them, that I’d return everything. Yet you bought them anyway. Isn’t that wasteful?”

Her face flushed with embarrassment and anger, unable to save face. She gritted her teeth. “Still going on? You’re unbearable! If you push me any further, I’ll… I’ll bite you!”

I was dumbfounded. Though verbal sparring was our norm, and she’d said all sorts of harsh things in anger, she’d never threatened to bite before. In my mind, only couples or lovers in a quarrel would say something like that.

I asked reflexively, “Bite me? Would you really?”

In a burst of impulse, Hua Jingjing grabbed my hand and sank her teeth into it. Sharp pain shot through the back of my hand—I’d been caught off guard. By the time I reacted, it was too late. I wrenched my hand free, only to see bright blood welling up from several teeth marks. Furious and astonished, I couldn’t believe this pampered heiress would actually bite—and so hard that she drew blood. I shouted, “What is wrong with you? You actually bit me? I’ve never seen a woman like you!”

Hua Jingjing, having acted in the heat of the moment, was just as shocked when she saw the blood. Her face went pale, words failing her. Blood was already dripping from my wound onto the car’s interior, and the cut looked deep enough that I needed treatment. As if fate had a hand in it, we were parked right outside the People’s Hospital, almost as if anticipating this would happen.

I cursed, “It’s my rotten luck to run into someone as vicious as you! As of tomorrow, find yourself another secretary. Don’t expect me to stick around.” With that, I opened the door and strode toward the emergency room.

Without a word, Hua Jingjing hurried after me. I clutched my injured hand, spun around, and barked, “Why are you following me? Stay away! I’ve had enough of you!”

Her face was full of remorse, though her eyes betrayed a trace of satisfaction. She silently trailed after me, refusing to leave no matter how loudly I told her off. But the blood kept flowing, and I had no time to argue further.

In the emergency room, a nurse cleaned the wound and bandaged it tightly. Still, waves of pain radiated from the bite, making me all the more irritated with Hua Jingjing, who hovered behind me. When the nurse finished, I noticed Hua Jingjing—like a child who’d done wrong—timidly tugging at my sleeve, her large eyes blinking as if she had something to say.

I snapped, “What is it now? Can you just leave me alone?”

She extended her delicate right hand before me. “What now? What do you want?” I asked, exasperated. At last, she spoke: “You can bite me too. Go ahead, bite as hard as you want. That way we’ll be even.”

I sneered. “I’m not a dog. I don’t bite people.”

She giggled. “You’re calling me a dog again! I’m sorry. I lost control after what you said earlier. I never meant to bite so hard or make you bleed. I really didn’t. But if it’ll make you feel better, do whatever you want—I don’t mind. Just, please, don’t quit.”

I had completely lost patience with her, no longer taking her words seriously. I answered sternly, “Hua Jingjing, even if you hadn’t bitten me tonight, I’d still be resigning. They’re two separate things. Honestly, these past couple of days, I’ve stopped disliking you. Even though you used Cheng Jia to threaten me into doing things I didn’t want to do, I can tell you don’t hate me like you did when we first met. You’ve been much kinder. My resignation has nothing to do with you—I have my reasons, and my mind is made up. Don’t try to persuade me further.”

Seeing how resolute I was, she wrung her hands in anxiety. “Won’t you reconsider? You could shine at the company, really make use of your talents. Out there on your own, what good will all your knowledge be?”

I felt I’d said enough—there was no point in repeating myself. I walked out of the hospital, Hua Jingjing following helplessly behind. When we reached the Bentley, I turned to her. “Have Ah Xi open the trunk. I’ll change back into my clothes and go home on my own. You don’t have to see me off. I’ll come by the office tomorrow to collect my things.”

She was anxious but at a loss. She wanted to threaten me again—if you quit, I’ll fire Cheng Jia too! But she knew that though it might keep me physically, it would make me despise her forever. Not worth the price. She also wanted to say, “Tang Qian! Stay—for me!” But the time, the mood, the place—none of it was right. It would only make me leave faster.

Her heart twisted with worry and regret. Seeing the firm resolve in my eyes, she knew there was no way to keep me.

At last, she reluctantly called Ah Xi to open the trunk. I retrieved my clothes, changed in the car, folded the designer outfits neatly, and after getting out, handed them back one by one. I also returned the almost five-million-yuan watch, handing it to her with care, along with all the little things—like the lighter—making sure everything was accounted for. She accepted them all listlessly, barely glancing at the items. Finally, I lit a cigarette and took a long, deep drag.

Ah! That was satisfying. Those foreign cigarettes, with their strange and acrid taste, were expensive but not at all enjoyable—nothing like my familiar ten-yuan pack of domestic smokes, smooth and comforting.

I took my leave of Hua Jingjing. She mumbled, “Come by the office tomorrow, at least. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

I thanked Ah Xi, the driver, then, cigarette in hand, started walking toward home. Remembering my promise to update Qiu Jieqin, I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

The phone rang, but no one answered. In that moment, I longed to hear her voice. For me, Qiu Jieqin was my safe harbor. Tonight, I’d been wrongly suspected by superstar Xu Shu, who insulted me with money, then was bitten by Hua Jingjing—my hand still throbbed with pain. Both physically and emotionally, I was battered. As a man, these wounds meant little, but I was exhausted—mentally spent, yearning for warmth and solace. Qiu Jieqin was my only refuge, the source of all I needed.

“Hello?” She finally picked up. “I was in the shower and didn’t hear the phone. Is the party over?”

“It’s over.”

“How was it? Who came out on top—you or her boyfriend?”

“It was dreadful. What a miserable evening.”

“You sound like you had a rough time.”

“Jieqin, I really want to see you now. Can I come over?”

“Of course! What’s wrong?”

“Wait for me. I’ll be there soon!”