Chapter 5: When You Can't Win, Run

Although the two words were spoken softly, they were loud enough to reach Meng Zexiao’s ears. His footsteps grew closer, and Kong Lingxin dared not breathe. Although she had mentally prepared herself last night, she never expected this awkward moment to arrive so soon—

Meng Zexiao approached Kong Lingxin and lifted her chin with his moist hand.

Her eyes were forced to meet that handsome yet sinister face. He raised an eyebrow and gave the charming girl before him a wicked smile, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth like those in a toothpaste commercial, which made Kong Lingxin dizzy and overwhelmed.

Meng Zexiao said, “You disappeared from my side for a whole month, and you've changed in an interesting way. Have you been going out pretending to be an unmarried girl, seducing men? Now that you’re back, you act like you’ve never seen me before. Want me to take a good look, get reacquainted?”

His voice was filled with irresistible temptation.

Kong Lingxin struggled to shake off his hand from her chin and retorted boldly, “Meng the Second has so many young companions, even an iron ruler would have worn down to a needle by now. If you’re going to look, look at someone who actually matters!”

“You!!” Meng Zexiao’s eyes flashed with violent anger. This woman must be crazy, daring to openly defy him!

Kong Lingxin expected a retort and clenched her fists, ready to fight. Yet Meng Zexiao turned and walked to the wardrobe to get dressed.

It seemed that in this man’s mind, his sister held no significance at all; even though his little brother was humiliated and small in stature, he wouldn’t waste another word on her—

While he dressed, she went out to the balcony, where a fine tea table and comfortable rattan chairs were arranged. From the balcony, one could see the entire garden of the villa: beautiful greenery, a clear swimming pool, a swing hanging beneath a large tree. Not far away, the sea sparkled blue under the sunlight, and the faint sound of waves could ease many worries.

After putting on his clothes, Meng Zexiao couldn’t help but glance at Kong Lingxin, who was lying on the semicircular terrace. Her tight jeans accentuated her shapely hips and long legs.

Suddenly, Kong Lingxin remembered that she had been at the Meng residence for almost an hour and hadn’t informed the Kong family of her safety yet. Turning back to the bedroom to fetch her phone, she happened to catch the sight of Meng Zexiao’s half-closed, mischievous eyes.

She gave him a fierce glare without a word and went to the coat rack where her bag was hanging to retrieve her phone.

Meng Zexiao checked the time; it was nearly time to meet his friends for drinks. He was too lazy to argue with this suddenly slightly unhinged woman.

A heavy slam of the door summed up his attitude perfectly.

As the door closed, Kong Lingxin snorted, “Childish!”

Holding a phone originally belonging to her sister, Kong Lingxin scrolled through her contacts until she found the Kong family’s number. After connecting, Aunt Gui called Lu Fang to take the call. Lu Fang asked with concern, “How are you, Xin’er? Has Zexiao been giving you a hard time?”

Kong Lingxin reclined comfortably in the rattan chair on the balcony and said, “Auntie, don’t worry. He can’t bully me. Besides, I’ve trained in martial arts. If it ever comes to a fight, Meng Zexiao might not be my match.”

Lu Fang was stunned. “Oh, you’ve practiced martial arts? But he’s the favored second son of the Meng family. You shouldn’t provoke him recklessly. Remember what your mother said before: try to avoid direct conflict with him. Let him ignore you like he used to ignore your sister. Once Changyue Real Estate improves, you can file for divorce anytime.”

Kong Lingxin had mentioned martial arts only to ease Lu Fang’s worries, not as a genuine threat. Though she was trained, Meng Zexiao’s six-pack muscles were no coincidence; he must be very disciplined. Fighting a muscular man nearly a head taller posed real risks. Her principle was simple: fight if she could win, run if she couldn’t. But since the villa belonged to the Meng family, where could she possibly run?

“I was just joking. Mom, you took it seriously. By the way, how is my mother doing?”

To avoid arousing suspicion or having her phone records checked by the Meng family, Lu Fang advised Kong Lingxin to avoid contacting her biological mother for now.

Lu Fang said, “Don’t worry. We bought her a fully furnished three-bedroom apartment in the best part of the county. She moved in today. To keep her occupied, we arranged a light job for her at a factory through Changyue Real Estate’s partner. Your mother works in logistics, distributing materials to designated departments. She’ll start next Monday. After you left, we spoke by phone, and she asked me to tell you she’s doing well.”

Kong Lingxin felt much relieved. “Thank you and Dad for taking such good care of my mother.”

Lu Fang smiled, “Child, don’t always say thanks. Remember one thing—we are family.”

Kong Lingxin nodded. “Okay, I understand. By the way, Mom, what did my sister usually do at the Kong house? I’ve only been here a short while, but it already feels so stifling. If I don’t find something to do, I feel like I’ll go crazy.”

Lu Fang thought for a moment. “Your sister’s only hobbies are reading and calligraphy. She has her own study at the Meng residence. If you’re bored, you can go there to read. But I think right now, your priority should be learning about fashion magazines—how to match clothes and understand current trends. As a daughter-in-law of the Meng family, you’ll often attend banquets. You’re not just Kong Lingxin; you’re also the wife of the heir to the Ding Sheng Group president’s position. Many socialites and heiresses are just waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. So your first step in the Meng family is to learn to protect yourself while also preserving Meng Zexiao’s dignity.”

Hearing Lu Fang’s words, Kong Lingxin realized how well she understood the hardships her sister had endured. But facing a billionaire family like the Mengs, the Kongs could only swallow their pride. From her brief encounter, Kong Lingxin found Meng Zexiao to be quite twisted; at the slightest displeasure, he might do something extreme. So, she had no right to blame her foster parents for their selfishness.

“I understand. I’ll try my best to learn.”

At that moment, Kong Tianling pushed open the door and asked Lu Fang, “Mom, whose sister are you talking about?”

Lu Fang was taken aback. “I was on the phone with a friend. Weren’t you going swimming? Why are you back so soon?”

Kong Tianling thought for a moment and said, “I just wanted to say, ever since my sister ran away and came back, she seems different, like a different person. I like the current sister better—she smiles more.”

Lu Fang paused again and said into the phone, “Xiao Wang, let’s talk next time.”

Kong Tianling’s voice came clearly through the phone to Kong Lingxin’s ears—the sister’s fragile nature was indeed worrying, but that was because Meng Zexiao’s verbal abuse had pushed her to that point!