Chapter Forty: I Do As I Please (Please Bookmark)

“Keep my mouth in check for me?” Fang Tianqi’s hoarse voice was laced with venom, his face twisted with malice, his whole body trembling with rage—he could not possibly hate the lawless bastard before him more. Resort to violence? He prided himself on being a gentleman who preferred words over fists—such crude behavior would only tarnish his image. For this hypocrite, it was unthinkable to stoop so low himself; obviously, hiring someone to teach this little wretch a lesson was the best choice.

Knowing that staying would only bring more humiliation, and being no fool, he glared fiercely at the shameless pair before him, spat a vicious threat, pressed his still-bleeding mouth, and strode toward the imposing, costly Land Rover parked by the roadside.

When he was far enough that the two could no longer threaten him, he shouted again, full of bravado, “Kid, do you dare tell me your name?”

A blatant provocation—a clear threat of future revenge. But Lin Yang wasn’t the least bit intimidated. He straightened his back, raised his voice to make sure he was heard, and declared, “Lin Yang—‘Lin’ as in Lincoln, ‘Yang’ as in the vast ocean. Remember it well. If you ever want your lower front teeth pulled out, come find me—I’ll do it for free.”

Lin Yang’s words were enough to make anyone’s blood boil, and true to form, Fang Tianqi nearly stumbled headlong into the roadside turf. Muttering curses, he hurriedly climbed into his car, genuinely terrified that another minute in Lin Yang’s presence would kill him from rage.

With a roar of the engine and a final hateful glare, the Land Rover shot down the street, no doubt as its owner plotted to take revenge on Lin Yang for this brazen interference.

Lin Yang burst into unrestrained laughter at the sight of Fang Tianqi’s ignominious retreat. Turning to Tang Yixue, he asked with the utmost concern, “Yixue, are you alright?” He even pretended to scrutinize her, worried she might have been taken advantage of in some way. If she really had suffered, he thought maybe his punch earlier hadn’t been hard enough.

“Hmph! That bastard actually found me here. Looks like I can’t stay any longer,” Tang Yixue muttered, still simmering with anger, not even seeming to hear Lin Yang’s question.

Amused, Lin Yang waved his hand in front of her face.

“What are you doing?” Tang Yixue finally snapped out of it, brushing away his hand with irritation. But when her gaze met his, her anger faded, her expression softened, and the corners of her lips curled into a devastating smile. Without a hint of self-consciousness, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

“Yixue, men and women shouldn’t be so intimate,” Lin Yang teased shamelessly, though his hands were hardly idle. While joking, he let his right hand rove, even more outrageously letting his left, in a most unprincipled manner, slide onto her firm, rounded backside and squeeze. Tang Yixue shuddered involuntarily at the touch.

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Lin Yang slipped free, caught her as she leaned forward, and in a flash, pressed his lips to her enticing, rosy mouth, shamelessly claiming a kiss.

Tang Yixue whimpered softly, and as Lin Yang’s eager hand slipped under her clothes, she pressed his wrist, whispering shyly, “Not here, we’re still outside.”

Her words were like fuel to a fire, igniting Lin Yang’s passion. If not here, then perhaps once inside… Eager to find out, he boldly swept his right hand up her back and, with a fluid motion, lifted her by her long legs and carried her toward the bedroom, heedless of her startled cries.

“Xiao Yang, Xiao Yang, put me down! You’re going to be the death of me!” Tang Yixue struggled desperately as he crossed the living room with her in his arms, legs thrashing in protest.

Even through the thin fabric of her leggings, Lin Yang could feel the silky, springy smoothness of her skin. But as she squirmed in his arms, he relented, gently setting her down on the sofa.

Tang Yixue quickly straightened her rumpled clothes, shot Lin Yang a resentful glare, then, her tone changing, asked with a hint of a smile, “Why are you in such a good mood that you have time to visit me? It’s rare.”

Lin Yang felt a pang of disappointment—what, did he need to be in a good mood to visit her?

“I missed you, so I came,” he replied, unwilling to dwell on the subject. Plopping onto the sofa a short distance from her, he changed the topic. “Who was that just now?”

Tang Yixue’s eyes flashed with anger. “Him? He’s a lecher, relying on his family’s influence. His grandfather is close to my grandfather, so he’s always sucking up, hoping to get my grandfather to promise me to him.”

Lin Yang slammed his palm on the coffee table. “Damn it! He’s got the nerve to try to steal my woman? That brat must have a death wish. Next time I see him, I’ll break his bones.”

His threat was not an empty one—he meant to leave his rival crippled. Lin Yang was never merciful to rivals, especially those who shamelessly tried to curry favor with her grandfather.

“So, who exactly is this guy?” Lin Yang asked, his anger subsiding a little as he looked at Tang Yixue’s still fuming face.

“He’s the young master of the Fang family in Jiangning,” she replied with a pout. One of the reasons she had come to Jinhai was to escape that persistent pest; the other, of course, was to find Lin Yang.

“Jiangning, the Fang family?” Lin Yang muttered, the name sounding familiar. He repeated it a few times, trying to recall, then asked, “What do they do?”

“Pharmaceuticals. Fangyu Pharmaceuticals is practically untouchable in Jiangning, and they have influence even in Yinchuan. What’s more, the Jiangning Fang family is just an outpost of the main Fang family in Beijing.” Tang Yixue dropped a bombshell.

Beijing—the capital of China. Anyone with a foothold there must be exceptionally powerful. Even the Lin family, dominant in Yinchuan, had to tread carefully in Beijing.

“Then, Yixue, do you know about the business war between Bai Fu Pharmaceuticals and Fangyu Pharmaceuticals?” Lin Yang probed. Since she knew so much, she must have heard about Fangyu’s recent aggressive moves.

To his surprise, Tang Yixue shook her head slightly—she knew nothing.

“You don’t know?” Lin Yang asked, surprised. This made him view the Fang family and Fangyu Pharmaceuticals with renewed interest.

She nodded firmly. She wasn’t a spy—what did she care about their affairs? If that scoundrel hadn’t pestered her, she wouldn’t have bothered to find out what the Fang family did.

“So, does that mean Fangyu Pharmaceuticals and Bai Fu Pharmaceuticals are at war?” she pressed, now curious. If Lin Yang hadn’t invested in Bai Fu, she wouldn’t have cared even if they tore each other apart. But since he was involved, things were different. She hoped he could make something of himself and break free from family constraints—only those born into great families knew how precious true freedom was.

“Fangyu has already swallowed up several mid-sized pharmaceutical firms in Jinhai,” Lin Yang said gravely, lighting a cigarette as they talked. “Now they’ve got their sights on Bai Fu, using underhanded tactics to try to force a merger.” Tang Yixue fanned the air with her delicate hand, clearly averse to cigarette smoke.

“Oh? So what are you planning to do? Weren’t you supposed to sign a contract with Bai Fu today? How did it go?” she asked with concern. Now that their relationship was out in the open, her concern was only natural.

“It went fine, except as soon as I signed, all this happened. Still, it’s not my problem—let the Bai family handle it. As long as I can help the experts get gold silkworm powder into mass production, I’ll be free to return to my hospital and be the director.” Lin Yang sounded unconcerned, as if nothing in the world could trouble him.

“And of course, I’ll spend more time getting close to you, Yixue,” he added cheekily, pulling her into his arms and letting his hands roam.

“Xiao Yang, stop it… stop… ah!” Tang Yixue protested, wriggling as he held her, but her struggles were half-hearted and only fanned the flames of his desire.

Soon, her cheeks flushed and her breath came in soft moans. If she hadn’t stopped his wandering hands, she might have lost all restraint.

Just as he was about to succeed, she stopped him, and Lin Yang, frustrated, let her go, sat across from her, and lit another cigarette, sulking.

“Don’t be angry, Xiao Yang. If you really can’t hold out, in a few days… you can do whatever you want,” Tang Yixue said, both anxious and embarrassed. She blushed furiously, burying her face in her hands, unable to meet his eyes.

“Really? Anything I want?” Lin Yang was overjoyed, stubbing out his cigarette and asking in disbelief.