Twenty-Nine. Melting the Iceberg

"Yang!" A sharp shout rang out from the doorway.

Tong Zhenzhen turned her head and saw Jun Lengche. Because he was standing against the light, she couldn't see his expression clearly, but she vaguely sensed it must be grim; otherwise, he wouldn't be radiating such waves of chill.

"Oh!" For no reason, Tong Zhenzhen felt as if she had been caught doing something wrong. She hurriedly gave Qin Xiangyang a push.

Qin Xiangyang also turned to look. When he saw it was Jun Lengche, a flicker of panic and guilt flashed rapidly across his eyes. He stood up in a rush.

Jun Lengche strode over.

Now, Tong Zhenzhen could see clearly. Jun Lengche’s face was indeed dark, his facial features taut, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Jun Lengche, Xiao Yang... he... he came to congratulate me!" Seeing Jun Lengche’s aggressive posture, Tong Zhenzhen was terrified he might lash out at Qin Xiangyang, so she spoke up in a hurry to defend him. She had previously witnessed Jun Lengche’s fighting skills; they were brutal.

Jun Lengche stared down at Tong Zhenzhen coldly, saying nothing for a long while.

*Is this guy angry?* Tong Zhenzhen saw the storm clouds gathering in Jun Lengche’s eyes. She thought to herself, then glanced at Qin Xiangyang with concern.

This look of hers fell into Jun Lengche’s eyes, inexplicably igniting a raging fire.

Jun Lengche had only left earlier to take care of some business so she could have some time alone. As soon as he finished work, he had left the office on time for the first time in his life, rushing to her hospital room. He had already consulted Director Wu of the obstetrics and gynecology department and confirmed that Tong Zhenzhen was fine and could be discharged.

He hadn't expected that upon pushing the door open, he would see Qin Xiangyang embracing Tong Zhenzhen. A surge of wicked fire erupted from his chest. For a moment, Jun Lengche wanted to destroy Qin Xiangyang. Fortunately, he possessed great self-restraint and managed to suppress his rage.

Now, Tong Zhenzhen’s defense of Qin Xiangyang made his suppressed anger flare up again.

*This foolish woman!* Jun Lengche grabbed Tong Zhenzhen’s wrist.

*What is this guy doing?* Her wrist stung from his grip, and she pulled back, trying to break free from his iron grasp.

"Big brother, what are you doing?!" Qin Xiangyang, standing to the side, couldn't watch any longer. He reached out to pry Jun Lengche’s hand off. "Let her go!"

When Tong Zhenzhen saw the two brothers clashing because of her, a wicked little thought popped into her mind: *Add fuel to the fire and make them turn on each other.*

However, her boring sense of kindness soon surfaced: *Xiao Yang is one of the few friends you have; you can't do this.* Thinking of how Qin Xiangyang had looked after her recently, she decided that while revenge was one thing, she wouldn't drag him into it.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you two brothers arguing? Let go of each other!" Tong Zhenzhen centered her breath and shouted, deliberately emphasizing the word "brothers."

The shout actually worked. Both Qin Xiangyang and Jun Lengche let go, though they looked at each other with heavy, guarded expressions, like two male beasts wary of one another.

"Jun Lengche, did you come to see me for something?" Tong Zhenzhen tried to steer the conversation away.

Jun Lengche ignored her question and said to Qin Xiangyang, "I am here to take your sister-in-law home from the hospital."

The title "sister-in-law" made Qin Xiangyang’s expression dim.

*Hmph, what’s that supposed to mean? Is he declaring to Xiao Yang that I belong to him?* Tong Zhenzhen wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction, but she didn't say anything more.

"Fine. I'll get ready." Tong Zhenzhen feigned a casual tone and began to pack up.

"Stay still, I'll do it." Unexpectedly, Jun Lengche pressed down on her shoulder, not letting her move.

*Ugh, this bossy guy.* Tong Zhenzhen had no choice but to listen to him to avoid reigniting the conflict between him and Qin Xiangyang.

"Zhenzhen..." Qin Xiangyang started to speak, then hesitated.

"Xiao Yang, once I'm settled, I'll invite you to the house for a meal," Tong Zhenzhen said with a bright, friendly smile. Although she categorized Qin Xiangyang’s show of intimacy as mere friendship, she felt a faint sense of unease in her heart. That hug from earlier had made her feel very awkward.

Qin Xiangyang lowered his head, mumbled a soft response, and then said, "Then... I'll go now. I'll come to see you next time."

With that, Qin Xiangyang turned and left quickly, not bothering to bid farewell to Jun Lengche. Watching his retreating figure, Tong Zhenzhen let out a secret sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, Jun Lengche suddenly stood in front of her, blocking her line of sight.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Jun Lengche’s words sounded strange to Tong Zhenzhen. *Is this guy jealous?*

"Are you jealous?" Tong Zhenzhen looked up and couldn't help but say exactly what she was thinking.

*This girl!* Having his thoughts seen through, Jun Lengche was stunned for a moment, then felt a bit embarrassed. He leaned down, hooked his arm around her neck, and pressed his lips onto her rosy ones.

Taken by surprise, Tong Zhenzhen gasped and reached up to push him away. He caught both of her hands with one of his and pulled them behind her waist.

The kiss carried a hint of punishment; it was passionate and domineering. His lips moved over hers, as if he wanted to swallow and merge with her.

Whether it was from lack of oxygen or something else, Tong Zhenzhen felt a surreal illusion, as if she were soaring through the air. She slowly relaxed her body and involuntarily parted her lips, letting his long tongue capture hers.

"Ah..."

When the kiss ended, Tong Zhenzhen let out a soft, melodic moan.

*Oh no, my brain is broken. How could I make that sound? It’s as if I really enjoyed it.* Her face flushed bright red.