"No wonder you're Sister Xia, this villa is really nicely decorated," he said meaningfully, his fingers still caressing Xia Ling's waist. "Just this leather sofa alone is something ordinary people like us can't afford."
I gritted my teeth and placed the water glass on the coffee table. Watching Wang Xiong with Xia Ling, a wave of humiliation almost overwhelmed me. But I was powerless to do anything; I could only watch helplessly as this bastard, my classmate, brazenly took advantage of Xia Ling right in front of me…
I stood there, my hands clenched into fists.
Wang Xiong, however, acted like the master of the house, reaching for the glass of water I had poured.
"Sister Xia, let me help you get some water." His voice was gentle, but his arm remained tightly around Xia Ling's slender waist. "You'll feel uncomfortable like this."
Xia Ling, slightly tipsy, nodded, her rosy face resting on Wang Xiong's shoulder.
She parted her lips slightly, letting Wang Xiong bring the water glass to her lips. I watched as Xia Ling's throat moved gently with each swallow, a drop of water sliding down her lip, which Wang Xiong gently wiped away with his finger.
This scene almost suffocated me.
That was Xia Ling! The usually elegant and sophisticated female CEO was now like a helpless little woman, being held in the arms of a high school student and fed water!
"Oh, Xiao Wei," Wang Xiong suddenly looked up at me, a playful smile on his lips, "Why are you still standing? Sit down, don't be shy, make yourself at home."
These words felt like a slap across my face.
What was he barking about? This is clearly my home!
Now, I stood there awkwardly, like an outsider, while Wang Xiong, arm in arm with Xia Ling, swaggered around in front of me.
I sat stiffly on the sofa to the side, watching Wang Xiong continue to care for Xia Ling.
His fingers occasionally traced Xia Ling's smooth arm, or he would tidy her loose hair. Xia Ling, drunk, seemed oblivious to these intimate gestures.
Finally, as she drank more, Xia Ling's drunkenness gradually subsided.
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze first falling on me, then shifting to Wang Xiong, who was standing close to her.
Instantly, her face turned bright red.
"You…" Xia Ling realized she was being held in Wang Xiong's arms, and frantically tried to break free, "Why are you still here?"
She tried to stand up, but nearly fell due to the dizziness from the alcohol.
Wang Xiong quickly caught her, but this time Xia Ling pushed him away forcefully.
"You should go home first," Mom's voice regained some of its usual authority, but the blush on her face lingered. "It's already this late…"
She lowered her head, seemingly afraid to look at me, her slender fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt.
The elegant champagne-colored dress was already wrinkled, making her look even more disheveled.
Wang Xiong stood up, giving me a meaningful look. "Alright then, Sister Xia, you should rest well. Oh, and," he added, "don't forget about Monday."
Mom's body visibly trembled, but she didn't speak.
I watched Wang Xiong leisurely walk towards the door, his back like that of a victor.
And I, like a loser, fell into an awkward silence…
"Mom," I finally couldn't help but ask, "What is this Monday that Wang Xiong mentioned?"
Mom leaned back on the sofa, her cheeks still flushed from the alcohol.
Her champagne-colored silk dress was slightly disheveled from her earlier movements, the slit revealing her long, beautiful legs. Her flesh-colored stockings shimmered delicately under the light, and the silver high heels Wang Xiong had just put on for her were still there.
"Xiaowei," she gently shook her head, her voice still soft and slightly tipsy, "this isn't your business."
"Why shouldn't I care?" My voice involuntarily rose. "He's my classmate! And…and what you two just did…"
"Enough!" Mom suddenly sat up straight, her gaze sharp.
She instinctively tried to straighten her disheveled dress, but the sudden movement almost caused her to lose her balance. "These things are none of your concern. Your most important task right now is to study hard."
Her tone carried the unique authority of a female CEO; normally, such a tone would have silenced me. But today, seeing her slightly tipsy appearance, her disheveled dress, her flushed cheeks, and the ambiguous marks left by Wang Xiong, I could no longer control myself.
"How could I not care!" I almost shouted. "Mom, look at yourself! Just now at the door, on the sofa, you two were so intimate... Wang Xiong is only my age! He's my classmate! How could you..."
"Shut up!" Mom interrupted me sharply, but I saw her eyes were already red.
She tried to stand up, but stumbled due to her drunkenness, her high heels clicking on the floor. "Do you think I wanted this? All of this... all of this was to protect you! To protect this family!"
Mom's voice suddenly choked, unable to continue.
The living room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall.
She took a deep breath and stood up, gripping the sofa armrest.
Her silk dress rustled with her movements, the slit in the hem revealing glimpses of her long, shapely legs encased in stockings.
"Xiaowei," her voice softened, tinged with weariness, "Mom's going upstairs to take a shower, you should go to sleep too."
I watched Xia Ling walk unsteadily towards the stairs.
She seemed to have forgotten she was still wearing the high heels Wang Xiong had put on her; each step was taken with extra care.
Her champagne-colored silk dress swayed gently with her steps, accentuating her graceful figure.
This back view was both familiar and strange. Familiar because of the eternally elegant and dignified mother, strange because of her vulnerable appearance now. I suddenly realized that the image of the eternally noble and perfect female CEO in my heart seemed to be quietly cracking.
And would this crack grow wider and wider?
Recalling the scene I had secretly witnessed in Xia Ling's office that day, recalling the image of Xia Ling wearing stockings and showering with Wang Xiong on the forum, and then thinking about tonight's events, watching Xia Ling disappear around the corner of the stairs, a wave of sorrow washed over me.
That cold and noble female CEO mother, that mother I was always proud of, seemed to be slowly drifting away from me. And all of this was because of Wang Xiong, that scoundrel who bullied me all the time at school!
I slumped helplessly onto the sofa, my nose stinging, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The sofa still held the faint scent of Xia Ling's perfume, mixed with a hint of alcohol. Before, the smell of Xia Ling's perfume always made me feel incredibly safe, but now it only brought me endless bitterness and heartache…