235: Chapter 235 The Unpredictable Wang Peng

His voice carried a cruel smile as his fingers wandered over her body, his movements as rough as if he were handling an object.

Xia Linzi's body trembled violently. She grabbed Wang Peng's hand, her voice choked with sobs and pleading, "Brother Wang, I'm really sick. Please let me go, I feel terrible."

"Sick?" Wang Peng sneered, flinging her hand away with a sinister look in his eyes.

"In my place, there's no such thing as 'uncomfortable.' Don't forget, your Zhou Chong is still relying on my investment to survive. If you dare to be disobedient, I'll withdraw the capital right now and let his company go bankrupt immediately!"

These words were like a sharp knife, stabbing ruthlessly into Xia Linzi's heart.

She knew that Wang Peng had grasped her weakness.

She gritted her teeth and endured it with all her might. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, soaking the cold bedsheets.

Seeing her submit, Wang Peng became even more unscrupulous.

He delivered a slap straight to Xia Linzi's face.

Slap!

The crisp sound echoed through the bedroom.

Xia Linzi screamed in pain, her body curling into a ball.

"Scream! Louder!" Wang Peng's gaze grew increasingly frenzied.

"Didn't you want to stay faithful to your Zhou Chong? Didn't you want to be a chaste woman? Why aren't you pretending anymore? In front of me, you're just a plaything. You have no right to resist!"

She wanted to shout, she wanted to escape, but her hands and feet were pinned down by Wang Peng, leaving her unable to move. She could only let him hit and scold her as he pleased, her dignity completely crushed and trampled underfoot.

Only after hitting her a dozen times did Wang Peng stop.

He took a bottle of cheap iodophor from the medical kit and threw it in front of her. "Apply it yourself. Don't die here; it's bad luck."

Xia Linzi lay on the cold bed, her whole body aching as if it were falling apart. The wounds on her back burned like fire; every movement tugged at her nerves, making her break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

She slowly picked up the iodophor and tremblingly applied it to her wounds. As the liquid seeped into the broken skin, the pain was piercing, but she didn't even have the strength left to cry.

She looked up at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, tears falling silently, her heart filled with despair.

She thought of Zhou Chong's promises, of her eight years of devotion, and of everything she had given up. It all felt incredibly ironic.

For this man, she had abandoned her studies, sacrificed her youth, and endured inhuman abuse.

She didn't know if her sacrifice was worth it.

That night, Xia Linzi didn't sleep a wink.

...

The next day.

Xia Linzi went to work at the Supermarket, her body covered in bruises.

The wounds on her back rubbed against her uniform, causing cold sweat to bead on her forehead from the pain. Her hands shook as she scanned items at the register.

When her colleagues saw her deathly pale face and asked if she was unwell, she only shook her head with a smile, saying she hadn't slept well last night.

When she finished work, Wang Peng's car was still parked at the Supermarket entrance.

He got out of the car, naturally took her canvas bag, and spoke with an order that brooked no refusal: "Come back to the villa with me."

Xia Linzi followed him into the car, her fingertips tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her body unable to stop trembling.

She didn't dare to resist, nor could she.

Zhou Chong's company still relied on Wang Peng. If she dared to run, everything Zhou Chong had would be over.

Her sacrifice and her pain could not be in vain.

But Xia Linzi's forbearance only brought about more unscrupulous torture from Wang Peng.

He didn't just hit and scold her in the villa; he also frequently took her to various business dinners, treating her as a plaything to show off. He let those greasy businessmen ogle her, tease her, and even get handsy with her as they pleased.

Half a month later, Wang Peng was attending a high-end dinner for the building materials industry. He specifically sent a driver to pick up Xia Linzi, demanding she wear a white lace dress he had bought and apply heavy makeup.

"You're coming with me to meet people today. Don't embarrass me," Wang Peng said from the passenger seat without looking back.

"Remember, talk less and toast more. No matter what others say or do, you are not to resist. Otherwise, neither you nor Zhou Chong will have a good time."

Xia Linzi looked at the dress in the back seat. It was so thin it was translucent, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her curves, making her feel incredibly ashamed.

But she had no choice. She could only put on the dress and sit before the mirror, clumsily applying heavy makeup in an attempt to hide the haggardness of her face and the despair in her eyes.

The dinner was held in a luxurious private room of a Five-star Hotel.

The moment the door opened, an air of extravagance rushed toward her. The crystal chandelier reflected dazzling light, and the mahogany dining table was covered with delicacies from land and sea.

Around the table sat a group of men in suits and women dressed flamboyantly. The air was thick with the nauseating mix of tobacco, alcohol, and perfume.

Wang Peng took Xia Linzi's hand and walked into the room, smiling as he introduced her to everyone: "Everyone, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Xia Linzi."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a few seconds, followed by a wave of jeering and mockery.

"Boss Wang is quite lucky to have such a young and beautiful girlfriend!"

"She looks like she's from the countryside. Being noticed by Boss Wang is truly a stroke of luck for her."

"I heard she's just a working girl. Boss Wang is keeping her, isn't he?"

These words were like needles stabbing into Xia Linzi's ears and into her heart.

Her face instantly flushed bright red. She lowered her head even further, her fingers tightly clutching Wang Peng's sleeve. Her body was pulled taut, stiff all over.

Wang Peng seemed to enjoy this attention. He reached out to wrap his arm around Xia Linzi's waist, pulling her closer to him with enough force to cause her pain. He spoke with a boastful tone: "Linzi, give a toast to Manager Zhang and Manager Li. Put on a good performance."

Xia Linzi looked up at the baijiu glass on the table and picked it up with trembling fingers.

She knew she had to give the toast and do exactly as Wang Peng demanded; otherwise, what awaited her would be the belt and more beatings.

Holding the glass, she walked up to a Manager Zhang, whose face was covered in rolls of fat. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "Manager Zhang, I toast you."

Manager Zhang looked her up and down, his gaze wandering over her body with blatant greed and lewdness.

He picked up his glass but didn't drink. Instead, he reached out and pinched Xia Linzi's chin, forcing her to look up at him. His tone was suggestive and frivolous.

"Boss Wang's girlfriend is indeed beautiful. You're just too thin; you need to nourish yourself more. Don't let yourself be mistreated while following Boss Wang."

After speaking, he downed the baijiu in his glass and then intentionally slammed the glass back onto the table, making a harsh sound.

Xia Linzi's body froze. She wanted to pull away, but Wang Peng's hand was wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her from moving.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced herself to hold them back, not letting them fall.

Seeing this, Wang Peng wasn't angry; instead, he laughed and said, "If Manager Zhang likes her, then get a little closer. Linzi, pour another glass for Manager Zhang and have a few drinks with him."

Xia Linzi bit her lip and didn't move.

She felt her dignity was being completely trampled underfoot, being toyed with and stepped on by these greasy men at will.

She was Zhou Chong's girlfriend, his lover, not a plaything for these people!

"I told you to pour the wine, didn't you hear me?" Wang Peng's tone suddenly turned cold. He squeezed her waist with enough force to nearly crush her bones.

Xia Linzi had no choice but to pick up the bottle and tremblingly pour a glass for Manager Zhang.

Manager Zhang picked up the glass but still didn't drink. Instead, he reached out and stroked the back of Xia Linzi's hand. His rough palm rubbing against her skin gave her goosebumps all over.

"Little girl, it must be hard for you to be with Boss Wang."

"Why don't you come with me? I'll buy you designer bags and a big house. It'll be ten times better than following Boss Wang."

...