I’m A Scumbag Woman—I Flirt, But Never Marry [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16

The corridor at midnight was so quiet that Wang Jianfei’s ears nearly began ringing.

After ending his call with Gu Shuofeng, he didn’t remain outside her apartment. He turned and entered the stairwell instead.

The stairwell was pitch-black, illuminated only by the eerie green glow of an emergency exit sign.

Wang Jianfei leaned against the wall and took out his phone.

Although smartphones had yet to become widespread in the early twenty-first century, that didn’t mean they didn’t exist. They had only recently entered the market, were extremely expensive, and offered limited practical use.

Ordinary people rarely purchased one. Owning a smartphone was practically a status symbol, and news reports about people selling a kidney to buy one were hardly unusual.

Xu Tinglan still used a mainstream phone without a camera, the type that would be called an “elderly person’s phone” several years later.

Wang Jianfei, however, already owned an expensive smartphone.

In the entire company, only he and President Zhang had one.

Xu Tinglan had little concept of money. Moreover, she was only in her early twenties, at an age when her curiosity remained as vibrant as a newly opening flower bud.

When she saw that Wang Jianfei’s phone could take photographs and play music, she wanted one too.

But Wang Jianfei stopped her.

His reasoning was simple.

“It’s too expensive and impractical. I only bought one because I need to appear important in front of clients. You would have no use for it.

“You’d only find it interesting for a couple of days. It merely has a few extra functions, such as playing music and taking photographs. We already own a computer and camera, and their sound quality and resolution are many times better. There’s absolutely no need to waste money.”

When he purchased an expensive smartphone, it was for serious business.

If Xu Tinglan purchased one, it would be a waste of money—even though his phone had actually been bought with Xu Tinglan’s money.

The double standard was glaringly obvious, yet the foolish Xu Tinglan hadn’t noticed it at all. Although disappointed, she ultimately listened to Wang Jianfei.

Wang Jianfei played a game on his phone for a while before squatting against the wall.

After playing a little longer, his outwardly strong but inwardly weak body began struggling. Both legs became sore and numb from crouching, yet he didn’t dare sit directly on the stairs.

He still had to wear these clothes to work tomorrow. It would be troublesome if they became dirty.

Supporting himself against the wall, he stood and shook out his legs twice. Only then did he call Gu Shuofeng.

“What?! Why is it so complicated? Are they going to let anyone sleep? Even the police can’t interfere with someone’s normal life, can they?

“Stop giving the statement and come back to sleep! Deal with it tomorrow! Hurry!”

After ending the call, Wang Jianfei irritably kicked the wall, leaving an ugly gray footprint on its pristine white surface.

He could barely remain standing, so he paced back and forth and played another game.

Chen Xiyao still didn’t return.

If he hadn’t wanted to avoid encountering that muscle-bound man, he would have gone to find her long ago.

Growing increasingly irritated, he made a second call.

“Where are you? Why haven’t you arrived yet?

“What?! You’re still giving your statement?! Didn’t I tell you to stop? Are my words going in one ear and out the other?!

“Enough! Don’t explain. I don’t want to hear it! Come back immediately. I’ll wait another twenty minutes at most!”

Twenty minutes later, Chen Xiyao still hadn’t returned.

Wang Jianfei was no longer interested in playing games. The sleep he had caught up on during the day had nearly run out, and he yawned repeatedly, wanting nothing more than to climb into bed.

He became increasingly irritated.

Fuck! Why was that damned woman taking so long?!

He made his third call.

“What the fuck are you trying to do?! Look at the time! What respectable woman stays away from home until two thirty in the morning?!

“Enough! Stop talking! I’m giving you one final twenty minutes. If you don’t come back, I’m leaving immediately!”

The police station responsible for this district wasn’t far away. A taxi ride would take five minutes at most. Including the walk from the residential complex’s entrance to the apartment, the journey shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes.

Even if she couldn’t find a taxi, she could barely make it back within twenty minutes by running.

Wang Jianfei patiently waited another twenty minutes.

From time to time, he stuck his head out of the stairwell and glanced at the elevator display. The bright red floor number remained fixed at twelve without moving.

It was now 2:50 a.m.

He tightened his grip on his phone.

Exhausted and furious, he rubbed his eyes, which could barely remain open, and forced himself to wait another five minutes.

His ears remained alert to every sound in the corridor. Whenever he heard the slightest movement, his heart leaped with hope that she had returned.

Every time, he was disappointed.

At 2:55, he finally lost patience and called again.

“Where are you? Why aren’t you back yet?!

“What? I still have to wait?!”

Click!

Wang Jianfei abruptly ended the call and shouted “Fuck!” seven or eight times.

How could such a minor matter remain unresolved after several hours?

Why did they insist on taking one statement after another in the middle of the night?!

Once again, he felt as though Chen Xiyao was making a fool of him.

He looked at his watch. It was already three o’clock.

Was she truly giving a statement at the police station, or had she secretly gone for a late-night meal with that muscle-bound man behind his back?

The more Wang Jianfei thought about it, the more suspicious he became.

No.

He had to visit the police station and see for himself.

If Chen Xiyao truly dared to make a cuckold of him, he would make her regret it!

Having made up his mind, Wang Jianfei stormed toward the elevator.

He had just pressed the down button when his phone suddenly rang.

It was Chen Xiyao.

His gaze turned cold as he accepted the call.

Before he could speak, Gu Shuofeng’s voice came through.

“Jianfei, come to the police station. Didn’t you confront that fat man before when he was harassing me? Officer Wang said it would be best if you came to provide a statement too.

“The robbery case he’s involved in is serious. A considerable amount of money was stolen, and he also intentionally injured someone so severely that they were left disabled.”

Wang Jianfei opened his mouth.

The words I’ll come to the police station and pick you up right now had already reached his lips, but he immediately swallowed them.

He wanted absolutely nothing to do with such a troublesome case. Moreover, giving a statement would create an official record.

His relationship with Chen Xiyao wasn’t something that could be openly acknowledged. If the police questioned him, what was he supposed to say?

Telling the truth was impossible.

But if he lied, the police wouldn’t be so easily deceived.

Maintaining the anger from their previous call, Wang Jianfei replied stiffly, “I already told you that if you didn’t return, I would leave immediately. I don’t have time to concern myself with all this nonsense. I still have work tomorrow!”

Click!

He ended the call.

Frowning fiercely, Wang Jianfei entered the elevator and headed downstairs.

Walking alone through the empty residential complex in the middle of the night, even his footsteps carried a lonely echo.

This was so fucking miserable!

The next time Chen Xiyao asked him to buy her a bag or new clothes, he would make her wait and suffer for a while!

By the time he drove out of the parking garage, it was already 3:30 a.m.

Although it was early summer, it was still nighttime, and the weather wasn’t particularly hot. Nevertheless, the long walk had covered Wang Jianfei in foul-smelling sweat.

He didn’t notice anything when he first reached the road. But after driving for a while with the cool air conditioner blowing, he gradually became drowsy.

His head repeatedly drooped as he barely managed to press the accelerator and hold the steering wheel.

Suddenly, an elderly man pedaling a tricycle appeared in front of the car!

Wang Jianfei’s mind buzzed, and his scalp seemed to explode.

He slammed on the brakes!

Screech—

The ear-piercing sound of tires scraping against concrete tore through the night.

The elderly man safely pedaled across the road. He even looked back at Wang Jianfei before leisurely continuing on his way.

Wang Jianfei, however, had nearly lost his soul from fright.

Every trace of drowsiness disappeared.

Only after the elderly man had traveled far away did Wang Jianfei recover. He lowered the window and began shouting curses at him.

After sleeping all day, his head had finally stopped hurting. But following this sudden shock, his temples began throbbing again, the swelling pain becoming so intense that it made him nauseated.

With a stomach full of anger, Wang Jianfei drove home.

The instant he entered, he began shouting.

“Quick! Get up and find me some medicine! What kind of damned emergency meeting takes place in the middle of the night?! My head is killing me, and my stomach feels terrible!”

He changed into his slippers and entered the bedroom.

Click.

He turned on the warm yellow light.

The bedding had been folded neatly and placed against the headboard.

The bed was empty.

Wang Jianfei’s hand froze halfway through rubbing his temple.

He immediately turned and entered the bathroom.

No one.

The study.

No one.

The guest room.

No one.

He pulled open the balcony’s sliding door with a clatter.

Still no one.

Wang Jianfei’s brows knotted tightly.

Taking out his phone, he found Xu Tinglan’s number and called.

Beep—

Beep—

The other side answered.

With anger smoldering inside him, Wang Jianfei demanded harshly, “Where the hell did you go in the middle of the night?!”