Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 35: Sharing a Room

“Is that so? I don’t recall—what contract?” Feng Lingzheng feigned forgetfulness, her expression perfectly in character. “What? For someone like you—the chairman of the prestigious Fengyi Group—how can you go back on your word? Do you want me to pull out the contract we signed earlier? It’s all there in black and white, so you can see it clearly and understand it perfectly.” Li Xiaowan’s heart sank instantly. He had agreed so readily back then—why was he changing his mind now? “No need to look at it. When it comes to you, I’m the one who calls the shots.” After saying this, Feng Lingzheng grabbed Li Xiaowan’s arm and forcefully flung her onto the bed. “Bastard, trying that old trick again,” Li Xiaowan thought angrily to herself. The impact of the fall felt like every bone in her body was about to shatter. “What do you think you’re doing? Let me tell you—the contract has your own personal seal on it. If you do anything that violates the terms of that agreement, I’ll take it to court and sue you,” Li Xiaowan cried out in terror as Feng Lingzheng closed in on her. “Go ahead. The court’s doors are always open to you,” Feng Lingzheng said with a look of utter indifference. Li Xiaowan, already pale with fear, kept backing away until she accidentally fell off the bed. “As expected, your lack of intelligence is a real problem. From now on, you’ll sleep in my room—but not on the bed, on the floor,” Feng Lingzheng said ruthlessly. “That’s just ridiculous. You made me move out of the rental just to give me a different place to sleep? Thanks for the offer, but I’m not up for it.” Thankfully, the floor was covered with a mat; otherwise, that fall would have shattered her into a million pieces. Li Xiaowan quickly got to her feet and ran toward the door as fast as she could. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you again. You know what I mean,” Feng Lingzheng said without even glancing at Li Xiaowan. “You jerk, can’t you come up with a different way to threaten me?” Li Xiaowan forcefully pulled her right foot back just as it had stepped out of the room, muttering bitterly to herself: Why am I such a loser? “What did you call me?” Feng Lingzheng sat up abruptly from the bed, his gaze now intensely menacing. Seeing this, Li Xiaowan thought to herself: Now is not the time to go head-to-head with him. A wise man knows when to back down—when it’s time to give in, you have to give in. “I wasn’t calling you—I just wanted to tell you that I agree with the suggestion you just made. After all, even sleeping on the floor is much better than sleeping in a rented room.” For the first time, Li Xiaowan looked at Feng Lingzheng and flashed a big smile, though her smile looked worse than a cry. “I’ll give you credit for knowing when to back down.” Feng Lingzheng paid no heed to Li Xiaowan’s deliberate evasion; without even thinking about it, he knew she was probably cursing his ancestors eighteen generations back in her heart. We’ll see how this plays out! “But even if you make me sleep on the floor, you’ve got to give me a blanket, right? It’s the dead of winter now—do you want me to freeze to death?” Li Xiaowan said, mustering her courage. “Don’t you have hands or eyes? Can’t you go find one yourself?” Feng Lingzheng said irritably. “Never mind what I said,” Li Xiaowan muttered under her breath. “Good to know. You’re really quite stupid.” Feng Lingzheng rolled off the bed and walked out of the room. Thank goodness, that guy’s finally gone. Whenever he appeared in front of her, the atmosphere would inevitably become incredibly tense, as if even the air had frozen solid. Only when he wasn’t around did Li Xiaowan dare to look around. Now, at last, she had a chance to take a good look at the room. Who would have thought that the room of a distinguished corporate chairman would be so spartan? Aside from a two-meter-long carved rosewood bed flanked by nightstands, a large carved wardrobe, a leather sofa set, and a dressing table, the space felt like a waste of such a spacious room. Moreover, his taste seemed rather poor—despite his youth, he favored colors that looked old-fashioned and stuffy, just like the man himself: cold and unfeeling. Oh well, none of this had anything to do with her. She’d better find a bed and some blankets first. Li Xiaowan opened the wardrobe and took out a cotton quilt, a wool blanket, and a pillow. Even if she had to sleep on the floor, she wasn’t going to make herself too uncomfortable. Once everything was settled, Li Xiaowan happily crawled into bed. That Feng Lingzheng guy probably wouldn’t do anything inappropriate, but then again, who knows? Just the other day, he’d forcibly stolen her first kiss. The very thought of it filled Li Xiaowan with indignation, so she wrapped herself tightly in the quilt. Perhaps because she’d been on the go all day, she soon fell into a deep sleep. When Feng Lingzheng finished handling his business and returned to the room, the first thing he saw was Li Xiaowan, wrapped up like a ball of cotton, staring at him with two wide eyes—though they were lifeless. This was the first time he’d ever seen someone sleeping with their eyes open—quite a sight. If he hadn’t been so bold, he probably would’ve been scared out of his wits. Feng Lingzheng shook his head in silence. The two spent a peaceful night together. At six o’clock the next morning, Li Xiaowan woke up right on time. Without even realizing it, her morning run had become a habit. Wondering if that guy was still asleep, she rolled over and sat up to look at the bed—only to find that Feng Lingzheng was actually staring right back at her. “Ah! You’re going to give me a heart attack!” Li Xiaowan was thoroughly startled by Feng Lingzheng; she’d been a bit groggy before, but now she was wide awake. “You must have done something you’re guilty of—otherwise, how could I keep scaring you like this time and time again?” Feng Lingzheng said lazily. Life is just too unfair—a heartless guy like him was actually blessed with looks that could charm countless young women. “What could I possibly have done that’s so shameful? If we’re talking about shameful deeds, you’re the one who’s probably done plenty of them. Watch out—one of these days, the Grim Reapers might come for you and send you back into the cycle of reincarnation,” Li Xiaowan said without holding back. Since Feng Lingzheng wasn’t letting her off easy, she wasn’t about to let him off easy either. To her surprise, Feng Lingzheng looked completely unconcerned. “Is that so? I’d actually like to see if they’re really like the legends describe.” His reply left Li Xiaowan feeling slightly awkward. She ignored Feng Lingzheng, got up, and headed for the door. Just as she was about to leave, after a moment’s internal struggle, she turned back to look at Feng Lingzheng and said, “I’m going for a run.” “Stop right there. Forget about running—you’re staying right here in the room. Also, I need to change clothes. Go to the walk-in closet across the hall and get me the suit hanging on the far left. You figure out the tie and shoes yourself.” Feng Lingzheng didn’t give Li Xiaowan any chance to refuse. “I’m not your maid,” Li Xiaowan said, her cheeks puffed out in indignation. “In my eyes, you’re not even worth a servant.” Feng Lingzheng didn’t even bother to lift an eyelid, unaware that his words pierced Li Xiaowan’s heart like a sharp sword. Li Xiaowan silently walked out of the room and headed to the walk-in closet across the hall. She was doing her best to control her emotions, repeatedly telling herself: It’s not worth getting worked up over a jerk like this—he’s probably even happier the more upset I am. Though called a walk-in closet, it was actually almost as large as his own bedroom. It seemed she’d been mistaken last night—he wasn’t a man without taste, but rather, his taste had long since surpassed that of ordinary people. At a glance, the room was filled with the trendiest shirts, pants, and shoes—pieces that kept up with the latest trends without looking too flashy. From dapper to casual, it had everything. And just by the feel of them, she knew without a doubt that they were all from major international brands. It was simply too extravagant. “Have you had your fill yet? If so, hurry up and bring it over.” Feng Lingzheng’s ghostly voice suddenly rang in Li Xiaowan’s ear. Li Xiaowan carefully scanned her surroundings—there was no one there! Could it be that she’d been under so much stress lately that she was prone to hearing things or seeing things? Little did she know that Feng Lingzheng had installed a listening device in the walk-in closet. After waiting for ages without seeing Li Xiaowan return, he’d guessed she must be as wide-eyed as Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden—a woman who’d never seen the world before. “Right, that must be it.” Li Xiaowan quickly took down the suit on the far left as Feng Lingzheng had instructed, but he’d left the tie and shoes up to her. How was she supposed to decide? Fashion wasn’t exactly her strong suit. If only Xin'er were here. Right—she’d almost forgotten. She’d have to ask him later exactly what he planned to do with her and Xin'er. But never mind that for now. She grabbed a tie and a pair of shoes at random from the rack and headed toward her room. “What kind of outfit is this? No wonder your fashion sense is so terrible. Put something else on.” Feng Lingzheng slammed the tie and shoes down onto Li Xiaowan, but luckily, Li Xiaowan was quick on her feet and caught them in one go. “I never said I knew how to put outfits together. If you know how, just do it yourself—why bother me?” Li Xiaowan was just as furious. “Do you think I want to? If you don’t know how, you’ll just have to learn. Starting today, you’re not going running anymore. I’ll send a professional to teach you how to put outfits together and how to present yourself like a decent human being.” Feng Lingzheng stormed out of the room in a huff, leaving Li Xiaowan standing there, stunned and bewildered. “What kind of attitude is that!” It took Li Xiaowan a while to come to her senses. “Miss Xiaowan, I’m Mo Yufen, the butler of the Feng Family Estate. You can just call me Yufen. From now on, I’ll be responsible for everything related to you—including your meals, daily routine, attire, etiquette, and accompanying you on outings. If I’m ever unable to be here myself, I’ll send someone else to assist you.” A middle-aged woman who looked to be under forty and was dressed very appropriately knocked on Li Xiaowan’s door and introduced herself. “Hello. I’ll just call you Sister Fen. Don’t trouble yourself—I can handle all this on my own.” Li Xiaowan couldn’t help but feel as if she’d gone from a “sparrow perched on a branch to a phoenix”—not that she was belittling herself. After all, her former self had never even dreamed that one day she’d have the privilege of stepping into high society and enjoying such aristocratic treatment. “Miss Xiaowan, please don’t put me in this difficult position. These are all instructions from Young Master Lingzheng, and I hope you’ll cooperate,” said Housekeeper Mo, looking troubled. He’s right, actually. If I stubbornly refuse, Feng Lingzheng might fire me in a fit of anger—and then wouldn’t I be the one to blame?