Recidivism
1231 Words
Rong Jingning clenched her fists nervously, her heart racing like a torrential downpour that threatened to leap from her throat at any moment.
Just as she thought escape was impossible today, a tall, straight-backed figure emerged from the darkness, positioning himself before the boy.
"Who are you?" Lu Chaotan's deep voice rang out, laced with icy sharpness.
The voice felt vaguely familiar, but Rong Jingning couldn't recall its owner. She exhaled quietly, thinking fate had granted her reprieve, though her growing physical discomfort made it harder to endure.
The boy, caught off guard by this sudden intervention, momentarily froze before baring his teeth ferociously and lunging at the man.
Having already sensed something unnatural about the childlike figure, Lu Chaotan swiftly dodged the attack.
After a brief scuffle, realizing he was outmatched, the boy shot a reluctant glare toward the holly bush where Rong Jingning hid before darting into the distant shadows.
Lu Chaotan didn't pursue him, instead furrowing his brows as he studied the holly bush. Though he couldn't see anyone behind it, the strange child's parting glance confirmed his suspicion about the first shadowy figure he'd spotted earlier.
By now, Rong Jingning had uncontrollably undone all her shirt buttons, revealing the form-fitting white b*a beneath. Fortunately, the night veiled both her presence and the exposed curves of her chest.
She clenched her teeth tightly, fighting to suppress more extreme reactions.
"Who's behind there?" Lu Chaotan's voice came again, utterly devoid of inflection.
Yet this very detachment acted like a cooling balm, sending shivers through Rong Jingning's fevered body that nearly drove her to rush into the man's arms.
Remnant rationality warned this was merely the d**g's influence.
As Lu Chaotan stepped closer to investigate, the bush finally rustled with response:
"Don't come near!" Rong Jingning's voice, warped by the d**g, lost its usual clarity, instead dripping with uncharacteristic softness. "Sir... I've been drugged. Could you... help me?"
Lu Chaotan's lips tightened imperceptibly. A drugged woman asking a man for help? Was she brazenly forward, or had modern women abandoned all propriety?
"I owe you no favors," he retorted, his glacial tone dropping the surrounding temperature by several degrees.
Realizing his misunderstanding, Rong Jingning hastily clarified through labored breaths: "Not what you think! Just... fetch cold water. The dose wasn't heavy... cold water... can sober me."
Lu Chaotan paused mid-turn. Even this request fell beyond his obligations, yet...
"Please..." The d**g-slurred plea wove unexpectedly through the night, its vulnerable tremor stirring a strange ripple in Lu Chaotan's composure.
"Please... only you can help..." Her weakening voice pressed.
"Fine." After prolonged silence, the single syllable dissolved into the darkness.
Behind the bush, Rong Jingning exhaled in relief, mentally noting the man's frosty demeanor despite his eventual compliance.
When footsteps finally returned minutes later, she nearly wept. A water bucket materialized before her through the leaves, its bearer's hand illuminated by moonlight – long fingers, distinct knuckles, arrestingly elegant.
Snatching the bucket, she drenched herself without hesitation. The icy deluge cascaded from hair to shoes, temporarily quelling the fire in her veins.
Hugging her drenched form, she shivered uncontrollably. Early summer nights offered little warmth to soaked clothing, making her gratitude emerge tremulously: "Th-thank you."
A barely audible "Hmm" preceded his uncharacteristic query: "Better now?" The unintended concern in his tone surprised even himself. Normally indifferent to strangers, tonight he'd not only fetched water but lingered with unwarranted attention – a realization that darkened his expression.
To Rong Jingning, however, his voice remained frost-tinged. "Y-yes, thanks," she stammered, arms tightening around herself. Hesitating to emerge disheveled and dripping, she ventured: "Sir... my home's nearby. Could you... turn away? I'm not... presentable..."
Lu Chaotan's brows knitted tighter. Was she dismissing him? Fine. He'd gladly leave, except...
Her mention of returning reminded him why he'd intervened initially. This pair had emerged from his villa's direction. His obsidian eyes sharpened as he redirected his gaze at the bush, lips curling with calculated nonchalance: "Which villa do you inhabit?" The question hung innocuously, yet his smile turned predatory. "If you can't walk, I might... escort you."
Rong Jingning blinked in confusion at this sudden shift from detached savior to interrogator. The narrative's abrupt turn left her reeling.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Rong Jingning declined: "No need, I live in Building 18 nearby. It's just a few steps away. No need to trouble you, sir."
Building 18?
Hearing this, Lu Chaotan narrowed his eyes into dangerous arcs. Indeed, it was his villa—no, more accurately, the villa he'd gifted Rong Jingning.
If that were the case, the person hiding behind the tree was most likely Rong Jingning?
Heh. This woman truly had skills. Every encounter seemed to bring him new "surprises."
And this time...
Lu Chaotan's lips curled into a smile devoid of warmth, his entire body radiating chilling coldness.
She'd actually been drugged. What kind of woman gets drugged?
At this moment, disgust toward Rong Jingning completely overwhelmed Lu Chaotan's rationality. He didn't bother considering why a strange childlike man appeared in her villa, nor did he contemplate the potential relationship between them—directly categorizing her as an "indecent" woman.
Rong Jingning called out tentatively through the darkness: "Sir?"
Only silence answered her, punctuated by summer insects' chirping.
She frowned. Had he left already?
"Sir, are you still there? Sir?"
After several unanswered calls, Rong Jingning became certain the man had silently departed.
Rubbing her temples in exasperation, she wondered: What kind of person had she encountered? A man who offered help one second then coldly disappeared the next?
People always said women's hearts were fathomless, but apparently men’s hearts weren’t exactly easy to understand either.
Shaking her foggy head, the physical discomfort reminded her she couldn't afford further contemplation. The urgent priority was returning home for another cold shower to fully regain composure.
She tightened her soaked clothes, cautiously peeked out from behind the holly bush, and after confirming the surroundings were empty, hurried back to the villa.
Just as Rong Jingning climbed through the window into the villa, Lu Chaotan emerged from the building with retrieved documents.
Driver Lao Zhang followed at a respectful distance. Though separated by several meters, he could distinctly feel the icy aura emanating from the CEO, chilling him to the bone.
What's happening? Could the CEO be planning to fire him for incompetence?
Inside the villa, Rong Jingning removed her drenched clothes and stood under nearly half an hour of cold water before wrapping herself in a bath towel. Only when all physical discomfort had subsided did she drink a glass of warm water and collapse onto the bed.
Meticulously recalling the childlike killer's features, she resolved to visit the police station at dawn to create a composite sketch and bring him to justice.
Meanwhile, in the darkness beyond the villa, a small silhouette resembling an eight-year-old stood transfixed. His murky eyes stared obsessively at Building 18, lips twisting into a grotesque smile.
Exhausted from the day's police work and tonight's ordeal, Rong Jingning soon drifted into troubled sleep—until an urgent phone call jolted her awake.
Bleary-eyed, she glanced outside. The faintest hint of dawn colored the sky—likely not yet 6 AM.
Who would call this early?
Groping for her phone, her pupils contracted upon seeing the police station's number on the glaring screen. With furrowed brows, she answered the call.
- Writer
