Chapter 1076 — A Misunderstanding: Although Qiu Lingshan liked dominant men, she had suddenly discovered that she was also a normal woman — and if that dominance were now and then tempered with tenderness, it would be all the more perfect!

Lost in her thoughts, Qiu Lingshan stepped out of the elevator. She had only just reached the lobby when her phone rang again.

Looking at Wei Zhao's number on the screen, she felt a stir of excitement. Wei Zhao was calling again?

So she could play a little hard to get after all! At the thought, Qiu Lingshan could not help feeling pleased. She adjusted her manner, composed herself, and only then answered: "Hello?"

"Little silly girl, what's going on over there? I called and called and couldn't get through, and when I finally did, you took forever to pick up?" Wei Zhao's voice came over the line, edged with impatience.

Qiu Lingshan nearly burst into tears. She felt so wronged she could die. You couldn't treat a person like this, could you?

"I... I was in the elevator just now. I saw from upstairs that your car had arrived, so I came down..." Qiu Lingshan explained cautiously.

"Oh. Then hurry up, I'm waiting at the entrance," Wei Zhao said.

Qiu Lingshan hung up. Forgetting her grievance, she hurried out of the office building at a run, spotted Wei Zhao's car, pulled the door open and got in.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my car?" Wei Zhao stared, baffled, at the pretty girl who had suddenly seated herself beside him. She looked vaguely familiar, but he could not place where he had seen her.

"Huh?" Qiu Lingshan's eyes went wide. She pointed at herself in disbelief. Surely Wei Zhao had not lost his memory in the space of a few minutes? Studying his strange expression, which showed no sign of being feigned, she said hurriedly, "It's me! Your little silly girl? Don't you remember?"

"Qiu Lingshan?" Wei Zhao frowned and asked.

"That's me!" Qiu Lingshan nodded quickly. Thank goodness he had remembered!

Wei Zhao looked the newcomer over carefully. It really was Qiu Lingshan. Only she had changed her hairstyle and put on makeup — eyeliner drawn, lashes darkened — and she was altogether much prettier than before, which was why he had not recognized her at once.

The old Qiu Lingshan had almost always worn her police uniform, her hair briskly tied back any which way, and because of her profession she wore no makeup at all. Dressed up like this, Wei Zhao had nearly failed to recognize that the woman before him was Qiu Lingshan.

"Been to Korea?" Wei Zhao had not expected the little Song girl to be so lovely when dressed up — no whit inferior to a movie star. Though beauties surrounded him like clouds, he could not help being moved, and could not resist a joke.

"Korea?" Qiu Lingshan blinked.

"Plastic surgery!" Wei Zhao said with a laugh.

"Drop dead!" Qiu Lingshan was furious. Plastic surgery, of all things — did she need plastic surgery? This was natural beauty! But the moment the words "drop dead" left her lips, she gave a great start and hastily amended, "Wei Zhao... I didn't mean you, I was only joking..."

"I was joking too." Wei Zhao shrugged and started the car.

Seeing that Wei Zhao was not angry, Qiu Lingshan breathed a sigh of relief, though inwardly she was secretly delighted. Wei Zhao had admitted she was pretty, hadn't he?

Only, once he had said it, Wei Zhao's gaze withdrew and returned to the road ahead. His self-possession was beyond the reach of ordinary men.

"Where's your home? Let's go." Wei Zhao started the car.

"It's near here. Out of the police station, follow this road about a kilometer, and there's a residential compound." Qiu Lingshan spoke with some disappointment. Hours of careful dressing had earned her nothing but a joke that might pass for a compliment; beyond that, it seemed to have produced no other effect.

Wei Zhao nodded, started the car, and drove off in the direction she indicated.

The compound where Qiu Lingshan lived was a modern one for white-collar workers, crowded with high-rises, every corner breathing a brisk, capable air. Wei Zhao parked where she directed, and the two of them got out.

"This is it!" Qiu Lingshan went to a unit door not far from the car, entered the code, and went upstairs with Wei Zhao.

Qiu Lingshan's home was a small flat — the kind of layout much favored by the single and well-off.

Only after entering did Qiu Lingshan remember that she had no spare slippers.

"How about you wear mine and I go barefoot?" She hesitated, then said to Wei Zhao, "No one else ever comes here. It's always just me."

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. So it seemed he was the first person honored with an invitation to Qiu Lingshan's boudoir?

In truth, if Qiu Lingshan did not sometimes act so brainlessly, Wei Zhao would have liked her quite well: ****, and beautiful besides — who wouldn't like that? And before him she was as meek as a kitten, which gave Wei Zhao a pleasant sense of conquest.

It was only that Wei Zhao did not care to invite trouble on himself. Qiu Lingshan already depended on him far too much; if anything more were to happen between them, he would have no time for anything else ever again, and would spend his days solving cases for her.

"I'll go barefoot." Wei Zhao said it as if it hardly mattered, and without further ado took off his shoes and walked into the apartment.

Qiu Lingshan hesitated, said nothing more, but felt a small sweetness in her heart. It seemed that though Wei Zhao was forceful on the surface, in fact he was very considerate.

Qiu Lingshan changed her shoes, went in, and said to Wei Zhao, "What would you like to drink? There's juice and mineral water..."

"Don't trouble yourself." Wei Zhao waved a hand. He did not want to waste time; raising Qiu Lingshan's strength was a troublesome business, and afterward he would have to restore his own. If he got back too late, he feared the young miss and Xiaoshu would be displeased.

"Oh?" Qiu Lingshan was startled.

"Weren't you going to raise your strength? Let's begin now," Wei Zhao said.

"What? Begin now?" Qiu Lingshan was taken aback; she was not quite ready. She had decided to take things further with Wei Zhao, and in her heart she no longer resisted it, but this was her first time, after all. At the very least there should be some courtship, some preparation, some... foreplay?

To that end Qiu Lingshan had specially bought red wine and candles, along with some ready-made Western dishes, planning to do it herself and share a candlelit dinner with Wei Zhao first, to set the mood. But who would have thought that the moment he walked in, he would want to go straight to the point?

"Yes. Isn't that what you asked me here to do?" Wei Zhao frowned and countered.

"Oh... all right..." Qiu Lingshan felt a little aggrieved. Couldn't you be a bit gentler? Straight to that, the moment you arrive? But aggrieved or not, she nodded and said, "Then I'll go take a shower first... Do you... want one?"

For the fastest updates, read with no pop-ups.