Chapter 232

Zhong Ning: …

She raised her hand to signal the waiter, asked for more wine to be poured, and downed it in one gulp. She truly wished she could just drink herself into oblivion right now.

She still had to go to work the next day. The officers had eaten to their fill, their bellies round and satisfied, and were about to head home.

Xie Shiqing called someone over again, and a small trolley was pushed over. She handed each person a small box.

When opened, each box contained a gold bracelet — the kind made in traditional style with a plain loop, the most basic and minimalist design, suitable for everyone. A quick check on the official website showed the price: 39,999.

Thinking about the cost of this meal, and the number of people who came to the gathering — even those on duty received a gift box, and their names were recorded so they could come eat here once, with Xie Shiqing saying she would cover the bill.

How much had she spent on this gathering…

As they left, they caught snippets of gratitude being expressed, saying it was just a small gift, that they worked hard and served the people.

No wonder she made money — people couldn’t speak ill of someone who fed and gifted them. After this one gathering, whenever Xie Shiqing was mentioned, it was all praise.

But Xie Shiqing was thinking about Haiyue Restaurant.

Buying the place would be a bit tricky. It wasn’t about the price, but about those intangible sentiments — nostalgia, family legacy, and so on. It was an old family-run establishment, passed down through generations, so acquiring it would be troublesome.

But investing was simple.

Zhong Ning really liked the food here, so becoming a minor shareholder was worth considering. If thought about this way, other restaurants could also be approached in the same manner.

On the way back, Xie Shiqing assigned another task to the ever-capable Assistant Fang.

Naturally, a transfer of funds was also indispensable.

When they returned home, Zhong Ning immediately spotted a delivery box placed in a corner of the living room.

Xie Shiqing saw it too. “Didn’t expect the package to actually arrive.”

Zhong Ning took the initiative to carry a few boxes upstairs. They were home now, and there weren’t many people around, so Xie Shiqing’s teasing would quickly lose its effect. If she said anything now, it would only act as a catalyst.

She was well aware of that herself, and wisely kept her mouth shut.

But as she watched Zhong Ning’s back, an inexplicable sense of foreboding crept up inside her.

Zhong Ning was opening the packages. Her face was still a little flushed, but it was clearly not from shyness anymore — it was the wine taking effect. She was red from intoxication.

The two of them had really bought quite a lot.

They hadn’t bought any clothing — the prices were too low, and the fabric looked cheap at a glance, not something Xie Shiqing could wear.

But there were plenty of items for use. Just the tails alone — there were five. Round, rabbit tails, long fox tails, all soft and fluffy to the touch, adorned with butterfly bows, each as wide as a palm, with a very soft feel when held.

Ears were a must, too — hung with tiny bells that jingled crisply.

There were also some eye I I masks, collar I I s, mouth I I balls and the like… Zhong Ning took each item out to examine, wiped them with alcohol pads, and laid them out on the coffee table one by one.

She hadn’t thought much when buying them, but now seeing all of it laid out in a big pile, Xie Shiqing suddenly felt a bit dizzy.

As Zhong Ning arranged them, she suddenly turned her head. “Wanna watch a movie?”

Being stared at so directly by those eyes, Xie Shiqing felt a bit of regret — regret that she had teased her too hard back at Haiyue Restaurant, to the point that this person had actually gotten drunk.

“I had the kitchen make some sobering soup. Ning Ning, do you want to drink a little?”

Zhong Ning said in confusion, “I’m not drunk. Why would I need sobering soup? Shiqing, do you want to watch a movie?”

“You said we were going to watch one. Shiqing, do you want to watch a movie?”

Xie Shiqing: …

Xie Shiqing: “It’s too late today. We should sleep. How about watching it tomorrow?”

Zhong Ning shook her head. “We agreed to do it today, so it has to be done today. Shiqing, do you want to watch a movie?”

Xie Shiqing bit her lip. Countless emotions condensed into a single, resolute sentence, like marching to one’s doom. “Let’s go.”

Zhong Ning casually gathered a pile of things from the table into her arms and openly walked toward the private screening room.

Xie Shiqing took a deep breath and followed behind.

What could possibly happen? Even if something did happen, what could really be done? Maybe Zhong Ning would just pass out drunk in a little while.

A few hours later.

She lay on the sofa in the screening room, listening to the surging background music of the protagonist’s high-speed chase. Tears soaked through the eye I I mask as she was forced to tilt her head back by the pull of the chain, kissing Zhong Ning through the damp white round beads, feeling the rolling beads grind over her tongue, bringing a tingling numbness.

At that very moment, she made a firm decision — she would never talk nonsense again.

When Zhong Ning opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was a piercing brightness. She thought she had forgotten to draw the curtains. She raised the back of her hand to block it, squinting as she looked, only to realize the white light was not daylight, but the huge projection screen still turned on.

Huh?

Why am I here?

Isn’t this the place for watching movies?

She sat up. Her head didn’t hurt at all. She even felt relaxed all over, as if she had just had a massage.

When her gaze shifted to the side, the scene that entered her vision shocked her so badly that she rolled straight off the sofa.

Xie Shiqing lay askew, bonelessly weak, her hands and feet bound. Scattered on the floor were clips and tails. A thin silver chain hung down from the sofa, the other end fixed to the collar I I around her neck. The black leather straps made Xie Shiqing’s skin look white as fresh snow, not to mention the dark red and bluish marks covering her body.

Zhong Ning almost crawled over, hurriedly unfastening the restraints on her wrists and ankles, then quickly removed the still slightly damp eye I I mask, revealing a face where the tear tracks had already dried.

“Shiqing, Shiqing?”

She reached out and gently pushed this person’s shoulder a few times, her fingertips resting on the clasp of the collar I I. As if possessed, she pulled the silver chain over and grasped it in her hand.

The cold chain slid through her fingers, and several images flashed through her mind in an instant.

Kneeling. Being led. Crying and begging. Unable to speak…

Zhong Ning pressed her lips together, removed the collar I I, set it aside, and pulled over a thin blanket to cover her.

Her memory from last night stopped shortly after getting into the car. After that, everything became a bit blurry, as if she had arrived home in the blink of an eye.

And after that…

Looking at the mess all over the floor, it had gone too far. It really had gone a bit too far.

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