Chapter 43: Bus Number 404 (12)

The man's words grew increasingly filthy and vile, filling Jiang Shensheng with a surge of adrenaline as she actually managed to push the heavy sofa forward by a few steps.

The chain-secured door lock pulled taut and then slackened, dropping loosely.

Amidst Jiang Shensheng's terrified and panicked expression, the precarious iron door was violently kicked open, and a rough, dark-skinned hand groped blindly through the gap.

"Where is she?!"

The man frantically grabbed and shook the iron chain of the door lock, seemingly on the verge of snapping it. Driven by desperation, Jiang Shensheng gritted her teeth, grabbed the phone from the table, and hurled it at him.

A sharp, brief shriek rang out: "Ah!"

Struck with pain, the man abruptly pulled his hand back, and silence fell outside the door for a moment.

Jiang Shensheng stood frozen in place, her wide eyes staring fixedly into the dim crack of the door.

A bloodshot, turbid eyeball stared straight back at her. Noticing her gaze, a foul, stinking mouth curled into a grin: "Open the door! Don't think I can't get in just because you're hiding inside! I saw you, I saw your eyes!"

The door lock had been shattered, leaving only the rusted iron chain to put up a desperate resistance.

Soon enough, she would be caught by him. At this thought, the man's breathing grew heavier, his tongue tracing his teeth.

Seeing that the iron door was about to be kicked open, Jiang Shensheng frantically searched around for a weapon to defend herself.

A layer of grime coated the surface of the old electrical appliance, and the power strip's cord had been used for too long without replacement, its outer casing split open to reveal the intertwined red and blue wires inside.

"Stop struggling. No one can save you. You should have known this when you chose to live in this gutter."

The man emitted a sinister, grating chuckle.

"Damn it! Who's there!"

Just at that moment, a heavy wooden club struck the man squarely on the head. He let out a muffled grunt of pain, saw stars, and collapsed unconscious to the floor.

Jiang Shensheng clamped a hand tightly over her mouth, not daring to draw a single loud breath.

Was she saved?

Jiang Shensheng did not dare to walk over.

Stories of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, were everywhere. Who knew if this was just his accomplices teaming up to trick her?

"My sweet treasure, are you okay?"

The man asked her with deep concern.

Jiang Shensheng was utterly bewildered.

She was even in a relationship? Why had she no recollection of it?

"My sweet treasure?" Hearing no response from Jiang Shensheng, the tall man standing outside the door viciously kicked the pervert who had been pounding on the door, his expression distorting for a fraction of a second.

It was his fault for arriving late; otherwise, his sweet treasure wouldn't ignore him. How should he coax his sweet treasure now?

If he hacked the pervert who had frightened her into five pieces, would his sweet treasure be happier?

Hang Qimo stood in the dim hallway. He parted his lips, when suddenly, the sound of heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed from the narrow staircase behind him.

Turning his head sideways to follow the sound, Hang Qimo's face darkened.

His sweet treasure was so endearing that far too many people harbored covetous desires for her. What method could he use to keep her by his side forever without letting her leave?

The cold-faced yet warm-hearted man slowly curved his lips.

He rarely smiled, usually wearing a cold, icy, and aloof expression.

When he smiled abruptly, the frost between his brows melted like spring snow meeting the sun, and his sharp eyes locked intently on the approaching man: "Song Wu?"

Song Wu had never expected that he merely took a detour to buy a bouquet of vibrant roses, only to find a wild dog sniffing its way to his baby's doorstep.

Truly disgusting.

Song Wu swept a glance up and down Hang Qimo, a faint, mocking smirk curling his lips: "Where did this rutting wild dog crawl from?"

Mocked as he was, Hang Qimo reined in his smile, his voice dropping low and raspy: "And what about you? What is an ex-boyfriend of two months doing showing up here? The precious treasure is my girlfriend now."

"Oh my, oh my, children playing around outside out of ignorance, but I'm the one who publicly got engaged to my wife, you know."

Two more slender figures emerged at the stairwell. Meng Zimu, dressed in a white suit, offered a infatuated smile, seemingly oblivious to the abruptly shifting expressions of the three men present: "What are you all doing at my fiancée's place?"

"Fiancée?" Song Wu let out a cold snort, unmasked murderous intent flashing in his eyes, "Has she acknowledged it? A deluded fool like you probably hasn't even kissed the baby's lips yet."

Among the four men present, only Song Wu had kissed and intimately embraced Jiang Shensheng.

As his words fell, Meng Zimu's expression turned ugly first, and he gritted his teeth in fury: "What is a dog with no rightful title bragging about here?"

Meng Ze, who had remained completely silent from the beginning to end, walked up with a smiling expression to the flimsy iron door and gave it a tentative knock.

Cupping his ear to listen to the chaotic breathing within the room, Meng Ze narrowed his eyes with pleasure, curving his slender eyes into slits: "Shensheng, with us here, you are safe. Don't be afraid. Open the door for us, won't you? Hmm?"

Hearing Meng Ze's thinly veiled coaxing tone, Meng Zimu glared at him resentfully. Too lazy to bicker further with Hang Qimo and Song Wu, he hurried to stand before the door.

He cleared his throat, intentionally softening his tone: "Wife, open the door and let your husband in, okay?"

Meng Zimu curved his drooping puppy eyes. Unlike Meng Ze's slender black eyes, he possessed far more delicate facial features, making it easier for a frightened little rabbit to let down its guard.

"Little rabbit, be good, open the door... Husband is coming in now."

Suddenly remembering something, Meng Zimu tapped his forehead in vexation, pulled a key with an out-of-place style from the inner pocket of his pure white suit, and smiled as he inserted it into the keyhole.

He had almost forgotten. Taking advantage of the time when his wife was asleep, he had secretly had a duplicate key made. His wife was truly too cold, leaving him no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

With a high-sounding excuse to trespass, Meng Zimu opened the door.

Jiang Shensheng, who had been rummaging through cabinets in search of a hiding spot, turned completely to stone on the spot.

Why on earth did he have the key to her house?!

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the young girl wearing only a sleeveless nightgown, standing frozen like a wooden chicken in place, her face plastered with utter shock.

Meng Zimu's gaze deepened. He fought hard to suppress the impulse to tackle Jiang Shensheng to the ground, disguising himself as an innocent lamb, retracting his sharp teeth, and patiently coaxing his female.

"Wife, aren't you surprised? You haven't come to see me in so long, husband misses you terribly and can only fall asleep by hugging your clothes every night."

Meng Zimu flashed a brilliant smile, bounded playfully to Jiang Shensheng's knees, squatted down, and lifted his fluffy head to look at her with a wronged expression.

She found herself staring blankly straight into the man's watery, innocent puppy eyes.

For a fleeting second, Jiang Shensheng suspected that the creature squatting by her knees wasn't human at all, but a fallen puppy whimpering mournfully and acting coquettishly for affection.

Concealing the triumphant glint deep within his eyes, Meng Zimu extended a tentative hand, his slender fingers gently hooking his wife's slender hand.

Seeing that she did not pull away, Meng Zimu's eyes grew even brighter.

Jiang Shensheng rubbed her eyes. She thought she saw a huge, furiously wagging fluffy tail behind him.

Her exposed ankle was unexpectedly brushed by something, causing her breathing to hitch as she looked down.

The sight of a fluffy, oversized tail entering her field of vision caused her brain to instantly short-circuit and freeze in place.

A tail?

Where on earth did such a huge tail come from?

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist at some unknown moment, her back pressed against the lean, muscular torso of the man, and his warm breath brushed against her earlobe.

Blushing fiercely, Jiang Shensheng panted softly, biting the tip of her tongue to keep a clear head as she voiced the strange question bothering her: "Wait... isn't there only one husband? Who are the others?"