Chapter 62: Punishing Herself by Standing in the Corner

Ling Ziheng expertly took out the makeup remover and the special disguise-removing gel from the Nameless Domain, his hands gently caressing Lin Zhiwei’s face. His technique, his proficiency—it was practically on par with a spa-level beauty massage...

Lin Zhiwei kept her eyes closed, but inside, she dared not relax for a moment. The boss was attending to her personally, and at such close range—his warm breath occasionally brushing against her cheek, tangling her thoughts into a mess.

Ling Ziheng, on the other hand, was thoroughly pleased with this rare chance to be so near. He watched the nervous girl before him intently, fully aware that she was plotting something in her mind. Fearing she might feel awkward, he kept his hands busy and broke the silence, “Have you handled everything that might reveal your identity at your place?”

“Yes,” Lin Zhiwei nodded obediently.

“And your WeChat name?”

“I’ve changed it.”

Their conversation drifted in fits and starts. Half an hour later, Ling Ziheng used a damp, soft cotton wipe to clean her face meticulously, his touch so gentle it seemed he feared even the slightest force might hurt her skin.

Now, Lin Zhiwei’s fair and delicate face had returned to its original beauty. Disguising oneself was easy—removing the makeup, now that was the hard part...

Well, this was the path she’d chosen—even if she had to crawl, she’d see it through…

Lin Zhiwei pulled off her wig, letting her sleek black hair fall freely. By the time Ling Ziheng returned from washing his hands, she was already dozing soundly, propped against the headboard.

Her porcelain-bright face was radiant and flawless, tinged with a healthy pink. Perhaps she hadn’t seen her real appearance in quite some time. Ling Ziheng stood by her bedside for several minutes, quietly tucking her in, smoothing the stray hairs from her forehead, and gently closing the door behind him.

When Lin Zhiwei woke in a daze, night had already fallen. One glance at the clock: eight o’clock. She jolted upright in alarm.

Damn it, she’d told her friend she was just stepping out to buy something—and here she’d slept straight through to evening...

Unreliable, truly. She steadied herself; it seemed she really hadn’t rested well these past few days. This sleep had been far too restful, far too reassuring.

After a quick wash, she opened her door—only to be stunned senseless by the scene before her.

Ling Ziheng had just finished showering and was shirtless, rummaging through the fridge for chilled water. His damp hair still dripped with beads of water, his lively face glistening with droplets that made him look like a wild rose—tempting and untamed. He glanced at her with casual indifference and resumed his search.

Lin Zhiwei, flustered, shifted her gaze elsewhere...

But from the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help but glimpse those perfect abs and the elegant lines of his waist...

Ahem, Lin Zhiwei, stop it—enough!

“Could you put on a shirt, boss?” she pleaded hastily. The sight was just too much—any more and her heart would burst. It was dangerous to be exposed to such temptation.

Ling Ziheng drank his water, his Adam’s apple bobbing, a sly glint flickering in his pitch-black eyes. He paused and replied coolly, “This is my house.”

In other words: my house, my rules—if I don’t want to wear a shirt, I won’t. Who are you to tell me otherwise...

Lin Zhiwei felt her face flush instantly. In all her years, she’d never been so close to such a tantalizing scene. Damn Ling Ziheng—he was doing this on purpose...

What was this cunning devil plotting? Lately, he’d been acting so strangely, his gestures practically inviting her to commit a crime...

Wear it or don’t—she muttered inwardly, then sat down on the sofa, opened her laptop, and began browsing messages from Zhao Lei and Xiaoyu.

A timely voice call from Nanyu came through. Lin Zhiwei frowned and answered immediately, a sense of foreboding prickling at her. For convenience, she put it on speaker while glancing over her files.

“Xiao Linzi, I messed up. I’ve been found out...” Nanyu confessed in a small, remorseful voice, clearly terrified Lin Zhiwei would erupt in anger.

She knew it—Nanyu had a hundred percent talent for causing trouble. Lin Zhiwei replied crossly, “Let’s hear it.”

On the other end, Nanyu squeezed her eyes shut, holding her breath, bracing for a tirade—but was surprised by Lin Zhiwei’s calmness, and let out a sigh of relief. “Phew. Xiao Linzi, are you busy with something? Is that why you’re not scolding me?”

Lin Zhiwei, her hand on the mouse, clicked a few extra times out of frustration, nearly deleting her freshly edited draft. Her temples throbbed in exasperation—damn Nanyu, couldn’t she see the call was on speaker?

She glanced at Ling Ziheng, who had now put on a short-sleeved T-shirt, a slight smile playing on his lips as if he were enjoying the spectacle. Her annoyance only grew.

“Xiao Linzi, are you there? Are you really...busy with something... Ah, I’m sorry!” After a few seconds of silence, Nanyu howled in distress, then suddenly realized something and hurriedly added, “Wait—was it King Ling or King Chu?”

Lin Zhiwei was about to lose her temper when she heard a soft chuckle behind her, followed by a voice growing closer, “Ling Ziheng.”

Ling Ziheng plopped down beside her, his gaze deep and meaningful as he looked at her.

“L-Ling...” Nanyu stammered nervously on the other end. So there really was someone there—he’d only been guessing.

The conversation grew more chaotic, and just as things threatened to spiral out of control, Lin Zhiwei steadied herself, not in the mood to banter with these two childish idiots. “Enough nonsense. Did you blow your cover or not?”

Nanyu immediately sobered, resigned to her fate. “Yeah, last night—I wanted to see which hotel Chu Chuo and his crew went to...” Her voice grew smaller and smaller, guilt seeping in.

“That’s what happened. I didn’t realize he had a top hacker with him... I’m sorry, but I wiped all traces right away—no location or identity leaked,” Nanyu explained quickly.

Lin Zhiwei pressed her lips together, her expression unusually calm as she pondered. Perhaps exposing a little wasn’t entirely a bad thing. She spoke after a moment, “Create a fake domain and location—send them on a wild goose chase.”

“Damn, that’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that, Xiao Linzi...” Nanyu whined, angling for leniency, knowing Lin Zhiwei had some truly embarrassing photos of her—one leak and she’d be ruined. “I’m already punishing myself in the corner. Xiao Linzi’s fiancé, save me!”

Lin Zhiwei’s eyes widened in shock. “You have the nerve to call for backup...”

Ling Ziheng smiled faintly, unbothered. He took her phone, sent a string of numbers to Nanyu, and said calmly, “Find Pei Xi—he’ll help you.”

“Brother-in-law Ling, I’m your fan for life now—thank you!” Nanyu gushed, unable to contain her excitement.

Brother-in-law Ling—Ling Ziheng found the title quite to his liking.

“You—” Lin Zhiwei started, but Nanyu had already ended the call.

Lin Zhiwei, fuming, glared at Ling Ziheng. “Damn it, you’re actually helping him?”

Ling Ziheng remained unruffled, his captivating smile still on display, leaving no room for reproach.

“Forget it,” Lin Zhiwei waved her hand in defeat. Beauty triumphs—she couldn’t even have a proper conversation anymore, and now even her own allies were being stolen away.

“Chu Chuo’s got plenty of talent around him. Nanyu alone isn’t enough,” Ling Ziheng said, deftly taking her hand from the mouse, removing the bandage, and opening the medicine kit by his side.

At that moment, Lin Zhiwei felt like a chick awaiting her fate, entirely at his mercy.