Seduced Me into a Deep Fall - Chapter 16

“What… what girlfriend?” Ling Xi knew Yun Fengzhi was probably referring to Song Yi. This misunderstanding was truly something she couldn’t wash away even by jumping into the Yellow River.

“The one you were desperately protecting the night before last. One against five lucky you were quick-witted, or you’d have lost a chunk of flesh.”

Yun Fengzhi raised an eyebrow, teasing with the acting skills she’d learned from Song Yi. “Isn’t she your girlfriend? You two were so close. She kept clinging to you, my colleague and I both saw it.”

Ling Xi had no way to explain.

Just recalling Song Yi’s behavior that night made her ears burn.

Besides, outsiders didn’t know Song Yi or that she acted out when drunk.

How was she supposed to talk her way out of this?

“Or did you break up? That can’t be you two looked perfect together.”

This girl hesitated even when lying. Weren’t they just a perfect match?

Between the two of them, there were a hundred schemes ninety-nine of them belonged to Song Yi.

For those born into wealthy families, if they had a choice in marriage, it was better to pick someone simpler.

She wasn’t expecting any major benefits for her family just living a peaceful, happy life together was what mattered most.

Otherwise, with a scheming partner eyeing the family fortune, life would be uncomfortable, let alone fulfilling any emotional needs.

“No…” Ling Xi lowered her head, giving up on explaining.

After all, Song Yi wasn’t around.

If any more misunderstandings cropped up later, she could explain then, right?

“She’s busy with work,” Ling Xi exhaled.

“I see. Your number’s up, go ahead. Wishing you both happiness.” Yun Fengzhi stopped teasing Ling Xi.

After all, Ling Xiwas already blushing like a boiled crab.

If she kept it up and Ling Xi complained to Song Yi later, she’d be the one in trouble.

With the way Song Yi was completely smitten with Ling Xi, tsk.

Yun Fengzhi didn’t even want to comment.

She discreetly took out her phone, snapped a photo of Ling Xi at the counter handling her business, and sent it to Song Yi.

Two minutes later, Song Yi replied with a question mark.

[Hehe, I’m on duty today and just happened to run into her.]

Such a provoking tone.

In her office, Song Yi was immensely grateful she’d checked her phone.

Otherwise, if it had just been a message from Yun Fengzhi, she probably wouldn’t have dealt with it until she was in bed at night.

[Address.] Song Yi couldn’t sit still.

[What? Coming to pick up your wife? Your wife didn’t even admit you’re her partner just now. Are you slacking? It’s been days since you took her home, and you still haven’t sealed the deal?]

Yun Fengzhi was just on duty, not yet busy with actual work, so she had time to kill. She flung out a barrage of taunts and successfully earned a single period from Song Yi in response.

…This friend of hers was truly icy to outsiders.

Who would’ve thought that seeing Song Yi clinging to an alpha at the police station that night would shock Yun Fengzhi so much she thought Song Yi had been body-snatched?

[I’m not slacking. She’s just gentle and restrained.] Song Yi even went out of her way to explain.

[So, are you official?]

[That fast?]

Emotionally, Song Yi was impatient but only because she’d been wound up for too long, suffocating from the tension.

Rationally, she was still very composed.

What she wanted was a slow-burning romance, a stable relationship, and ultimately, a marriage that would last.

Unlike Yun Fengzhi, who indulged in casual flings jumping into bed with people he barely knew, then dumping them after a few days when he found their skills lacking.

[You’re already using your looks as a weapon, how much longer can you stall?] Yun Fengzhi was furiously typing away, oblivious to the shadow now looming over him.

“Officer Yun.” A stack of documents rapped against his head.

Yun Fengzhi reacted as if he’d heard a ghost, immediately shoving his phone into his pocket and snapping to attention.

“Playing with your phone during work hours, your attitude is unacceptable,” Tan Nijing reprimanded coldly.

“Miss Tan, we’re not on active duty right now, and nothing urgent has come up during office hours,” Yun Fengzhi countered, flashing her a playful wink.

“That’s no excuse.”

Before Yun Fengzhi could even utter a plea for leniency, Tan Nijing cut him off.

“The latest investigative report from headquarters has been issued. You’re required to dismantle this operation as quickly as possible. Can you do it in three days?”

She lowered her voice.

“Officer Yun, you were demoted here due to negligence. If I catch you slacking off again during work hours…”

Yun Fengzhi’s face darkened. “Yes, yes, ma’am. Please go easy on me today.”

As if she didn’t already know she was still under probation.

If she hadn’t assumed Tan Nijing was still out on duty, she wouldn’t have been so bold.

Who knew this woman could appear out of nowhere like a ghost?

“Tan-jie?” On the other side, Ling Xi had just finished reapplying for her documents and was now waiting for them to be mailed to her address in two weeks.

Spotting a familiar figure, she approached.

Tan Nijing turned around, her eyes widening in surprise. “Xiao Xi? You’re really alright?”

“Yeah, Tan-jie. I met up with Yu Yu and Qing Mo yesterday,” Ling Xi replied, glancing between her friend and Yun Fengzhi.

“So you work here.” Ling Xi decided to ignore Yun Fengzhi entirely.

“Little sister, you know her?” Yun Fengzhi, ever the instigator, couldn’t resist stirring the pot, regardless of whether she was being ignored.

“College friends.” This time, it wasn’t Ling Xi who answered Tan Nijing spoke up instead.

“Tan-jie, do you have time for dinner tonight?” Ling Xi merely nodded, continuing to disregard Yun Fengzhi.

“Today… Let me see if I can spare an hour. If I can, I’ll message you on WeChat. If you don’t hear from me by six, then I really won’t have time, make sure you eat well on your own.”

Tan Nijing mentally reviewed her schedule, her brow furrowing slightly.

“It’s fine. It’s nothing urgent, I just wanted to catch up.” It had been so long since they’d seen each other.

Thinking back to her past life, the first time she had tried to escape, Tan Nijing had secretly helped her.

She was a public servant, what she did was already risky, and in the end, Mu Xie had breached their defenses. The fallout had been severe, from what she’d heard.

Mu Xie probably had people in the police force too. After piecing together her past life’s events, Ling Xi realized this clearly for the first time.

At this thought, Ling Xi felt the urge to flee.

“I’ll head out first. Remember to message me.” With that, Ling Xi walked out the door.

Even though the timeline had reset and Tan Nijing would no longer remember how much she had helped her, Ling Xi still wanted to repay her.

“Poor girl.” Only after Ling Xi had left did Tan Nijing sigh.

“What? She seemed fine to me.” Unable to use his phone and ignoring the constant vibrations from his pocket, Yun Fengzhi resigned himself to chatting with this devil of a supervisor.

“She was harassed before but was too afraid to speak up, worried about implicating others. She even pushed her friends away.” Tan Nijing finished speaking and turned her gaze to Yun Fengzhi.

“You… should know that person, right?” Her gaze carried a sharp chill.

“Which one?”

“The one who harassed her. Song Jiamuxie.”

Tan Nijun had only heard about this through He Qingmo’s indignant recounting on WeChat last night.

After she finished speaking, Yun Fengzhi froze for several seconds.

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard of him.” Yun Fengzhi clutched the phone in her pocket, as frantic as an ant on a hot pan yet utterly helpless.

She needed to immediately! Share this information with Song Yi!!

The very Song Yi she was thinking of had sent three messages without reply, slightly annoyed as she furrowed her brows and turned off her phone.

Several hours later, she received three consecutive calls from Yun Fengzhi.

Song Yi hung up on her three times before finally answering. “Make it quick.”

“Not to waste your, okay, sis, I know I messed up. I really didn’t mean to ignore you. My supervisor was watching me, couldn’t use my phone.” Yun Fengzhi surrendered figuratively.

“It’s about your wife.” That stopped Song Yi from hanging up immediately.

“Not yet.” Song Yi sighed. “Don’t call her that carelessly. People might misunderstand.”

“Fine, your beloved then. Did you know she’s been harassed by Mu Xie for the past six months?”

“Six months… tell me everything.” Ling Xi had been vague about it. Song Yi never expected Yun Fengzhi to get the intel before her.

Some things were hard to investigate. At most, Song Yi had found out that Mu Xie was pursuing Ling Xi by any means necessary.

Since Ling Xi was unwilling, Mu Xie’s actions could only be harassment.

“I don’t know much either. Turns out my supervisor is actually Ling Xi’s friend. Small world.”

“Get to the point.”

“Ahem. Rumor has it Mu Xie’s harassment has reached a perverse level, bordering on bullying. Including ambushing her at home, leading social ostracization, using public opinion to pressure her… You know how it is repeat a rumor enough, and it becomes truth.”

“Because of this, I suspect Mu Xie threatened her using people close to her. She cut off all contact with her friends. The supervisor told me that about six months ago, Ling Xi suddenly lashed out at her close friends, blocked and deleted them, refusing to meet anymore.”

“After that, they kept an eye out, but given Mu Xie’s influence, they couldn’t find much. They only knew Ling Xi finally reached out to them recently, probably meaning she’s out of danger now.”

As Song Yi listened, the fountain pen in her hand pressed against the desk, leaving a pool of blue-black ink as the nib snapped under the pressure.

“She… has family, right?” Song Yi released her grip, only to feel a stinging pain in her palm. She realized she’d crushed the pen entirely, porcelain shards embedded in her skin, no wonder it hurt.

“Don’t know. No wonder you asked me for intel. That niece of yours is probably no saint.”

No wonder Song Yi had said she didn’t care about Ling Xi’s engagement to Mu Xie.

That engagement was 99% coerced through threats and manipulation.

If someone could resort to such despicable methods just to pursue the person they liked, who knew what other illegal things they might have done.

“Ask around for me has Ling Xi also stopped mentioning her family for a long time?” Song Yi was about to hang up to calm herself.

Yun Fengzhi continued, “Got it. Oh, about that incident the other day the investigation didn’t turn up the person you mentioned. We’ve conducted a thorough search, but no one matching the description has been found within Beijing’s limits yet.”

“I’ll ask my guards.” Without another word, Song Yi hung up and took a deep breath.

If only she’d known sooner…

How could she give up on her plans? How could she think that Ling Xi would be happier following the person she loved?

That Mu Xie was clearly nothing but scum.

Song Yi stroked her prayer beads, meticulously sweeping the crumbs from the table into the trash bin.

She calmed herself, moving with such care as if creating a work of art, only her eyes remained dark and stormy.

[By the way, why don’t you just cut off Mu Xie’s financial resources or lock her up in the Song family’s confinement? She’s treated your beloved like this how can you tolerate it?]

[I can’t. We’ll take it slow.] After replying, Song Yi pressed her temples and fell silent for a moment.

There were unknown forces behind Mu Xie.

Eliminating her too quickly would leave loose ends.

And as long as she couldn’t harm Ling Xi now, that was enough.

If she were to deal with Mu Xie directly, what would Ling Xi think of her?

Or rather, would Ling Xi still rely on her?

Thinking of her own ugly selfish desires, Song Yi suddenly curved her lips into a bitter smile.

Yes. The main reason she wasn’t in a hurry to deal with Mu Xie was because Song Yi was afraid.

Afraid that once the threat of Mu Xie disappeared, Ling Xi would decisively leave her side.

After all,  Ling Xi seemed to have completely forgotten their past together.

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