Zombie Bodyguard

Chapter 1741 - 1738: A Gray World (Part 1)

Inside the "Dragon Palace" private room, the conversation was lively and full of laughter. At moments of self-satisfaction, Li Wenrong even improvised a couple of lines of poetry. The atmosphere couldn’t have been more heated, yet Tian Xiaotian felt a chill spreading all over her body as she listened.

This wasn’t about admiring the night view, nor was it about delivering a late-night snack. It was obvious that Bitong had sold her out, handing her over to Li Wenrong for his amusement. Li Wenfeng had played around with more than just one or two actresses in the entertainment industry.

What’s more, Tian Xiaotian had been Bitong’s assistant for some time. She hadn’t picked up those lofty "tastes," but she did understand those high-sounding phrases. They sounded serious and proper, but in reality they were all coded language, all filthy trades.

What should she do? Tian Xiaotian hadn’t expected Bitong would actually offer her up to the playboy Li Wenrong. Everyone in the circle knew Li Wenrong was notorious for being lecherous and debauched.

Relying on his status as a producer and investor, Li Wenrong had no idea how many actresses he’d played with. Now this kind of thing had suddenly fallen onto her head, and panic gripped Tian Xiaotian’s heart.

Just as Tian Xiaotian was trembling with fear, Bitong’s shout suddenly came from inside the private room: "Tian Xiaotian, are you out there? Get in here, quick."

The words made the little girl flinch. Thinking of the conversation she’d just overheard inside, she grew even more flustered. But years of obedience had worn down her resistance; she couldn’t muster the courage to run. Besides, in a place like this, where could she even run to?

She could only walk into the private room with a pounding heart. In the large room there were only three people. Li Wenfeng was eating by himself, not reacting at all to her entrance, not even looking at her. His younger brother Li Wenrong, however, was smiling at her with narrowed eyes.

"Miss Bitong, what can I do for you?" Tian Xiaotian asked anxiously, her head slightly lowered.

Her obedient demeanor made Li Wenrong’s eyes light up. Bitong shot him a sidelong glare, then said to Tian Xiaotian, "What do you think of Young Master Li Wenrong?"

The question was clearly rhetorical. With Li Wenrong right there, how could the little girl dare say anything bad? Bitong was asking on purpose, to flatter Li Wenrong.

Sure enough, Tian Xiaotian whispered, "Mr. Li is very nice."

"So you also think Third Young Master is good, right? Third Young Master Li may hold a high position, but he’s kind and easygoing, especially good to girls. Here’s the deal: at eight tonight you’ll take a late-night snack to Third Young Master’s room. It’s a small task, but you must do it well. Don’t let Third Young Master think I haven’t taught you properly, understand?" Bitong instructed her very solemnly, taking the chance to flatter Li Wenrong.

Tian Xiaotian’s heart jolted. If she hadn’t heard their conversation just now, she might not have thought much of it. But she had heard it—she knew this wasn’t just delivering a snack, it was going there to...

She didn’t dare think any further. Terror instantly seized her heart, leaving her mind blank.

Seeing that Tian Xiaotian actually didn’t respond, Li Wenrong frowned, looking very displeased. Bitong felt she was losing face and immediately raised her voice to scold her: "Tian Xiaotian, what are you daydreaming about? Didn’t you hear what I said? Tonight you send the late-night snack to Third Young Master. If you dare delay, I’ll make you suffer for it!"

"O-okay..." Terrified, Tian Xiaotian shuddered and agreed on reflex. Every time she failed at something, Bitong would beat and scold her, so obedience had almost become an automatic reaction.

Hearing her agree, Li Wenrong finally smiled, then pretended to be considerate: "Miss Bitong, speak nicely, don’t scare the little girl. She’s still young. By the way, Xiao Tian, how old are you?"

"I...I’ll be nineteen in two months." Tian Xiaotian answered with her head lowered, not daring to meet the eyes of either Li Wenrong or Bitong—one had sold her out, the other wanted to devour her. Li Wenfeng, however, remained aloof, indifferent and uninvolved. The little girl only felt utterly isolated and helpless.

Li Wenrong’s eyes lit up and he laughed. "Not even nineteen yet—so you’re eighteen. Good, good, youth unbeatable, like the sun at eight in the morning."

These compliments did nothing to make Tian Xiaotian happy; they only deepened her fear. The more Li Wenrong praised, the more it meant she wouldn’t be able to escape.

"Alright, you can go out now. Wait by the door." Bitong waved her hand, dismissing Tian Xiaotian coldly.

To Tian Xiaotian it felt like a royal pardon; she turned and left at once. She had only taken a few steps when Li Wenrong suddenly said, "Xiao Tian, don’t wander off. If Miss Bitong can’t find you, she’ll get angry. Besides, everyone here is my people. They can easily find you."

His words made Tian Xiaotian feel as if she’d fallen into an ice cave. Despair and fear flooded her whole being. She didn’t even know how she managed to walk out of the private room.

At this point, Tian Xiaotian had already abandoned the idea of asking Lin Tian for help. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; it was that the kind-hearted girl was afraid of dragging Lin Tian down with her.

If it were only about resigning from Bitong’s service, she could agree. But now that Li Wenrong had set his sights on her, she was afraid Lin Tian would offend Li Wenrong by helping her. He was the scion of a powerful clan; crossing him would not end well.

Sunlight shone through the glass curtain wall. It should have been a bright, colorful world, yet in this moment she felt the whole world was gray and pale, just like her heart, into which no light could penetrate.

The afternoon passed quickly. The sun sank from straight overhead down toward the sea’s surface. Ten thousand golden rays shot out over the water, dyeing the sea an endless shade of gold.

The entire resort was bathed in gold as well. After dinner, Lin Tian, Xiao Manxuan, Yun Xiaotian, Zhou Botong, and Ou Mengmeng stood on the villa’s viewing deck, taking in the magnificent scenery.

"It’s really spectacular. Compared to nature, we’re still so insignificant," Xiao Manxuan sighed.

"Insignificant, yes. This world is beyond our imagination," Lin Tian said calmly. After speaking, he glanced at the time. It was already six-thirty, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing his low spirits, Xiao Manxuan gently asked, "Lin Tian, what’s wrong?"

"I’m just wondering why Tian Xiaotian still hasn’t come to see us." Lin Tian frowned again, puzzled.

"Yeah, Brother Lin Tian, when you came back today you promised there’d be no problem," Zhou Botong said, equally puzzled.

"Could it be that Bitong gave her some task that held her up?" Xiao Manxuan guessed.

"That’s possible. With Bitong’s personality, she’d definitely have Tian Xiaotian running around for her all day," Yun Xiaotian added.

"So what do we do? Are we supposed to go and persuade her again?" Ou Mengmeng was getting impatient and could hardly sit still.

Lin Tian had just opened his mouth to say something when his phone suddenly rang. He took it out for a look—it was a landline number. He said to the others, "It might be Tian Xiaotian..."

With that, Lin Tian answered the call. A woman’s voice came through the line: "Mr. Lin, hello, this is the front desk. Someone is here to see you. Would you like to meet them?"

"Alright, send her over right away." Lin Tian agreed at once. Hearing this, the others all laughed, thinking the little girl had finally come.

They continued to wait on the viewing deck. A few minutes later, several figures appeared outside the villa. Seeing who it was, Lin Tian and the others were all stunned—there was no sign of Tian Xiaotian.

"So it’s not Tian Xiaotian? Then who are they?" Ou Mengmeng frowned.