Turtles Have Tempers Too, Provoke Them and They Might Bite

He Jing remained perfectly composed as she casually ended the call.

It was as effortless as hanging up on a telemarketer or spam caller.

Of course she couldn’t answer now!

Before leaving Chen Qimeng’s shop, Lin Yu had made his intentions painfully obvious.

Right now, he was probably still riding the high of their flirtation.

There was no telling how fiercely a guy who’d been pent up for over twenty years might act when provoked.

In the past, Yi Haizhou wouldn’t have thought much of He Jing hanging up a call like this.

Though he couldn’t see the caller ID,

the seed of suspicion had already begun to sprout...

"Jingjing, why didn’t you pick up?" Yi Haizhou probed.

"Tch." He Jing flashed an irritated expression. "It’s just a sales call. Why would I bother?"

"Shouldn’t we be focusing on more important matters right now?"

As she spoke,

she subtly slid her phone to her side,

preparing to mute it discreetly.

But then—

"Ding-ding-dong-dong! Ding-ding-dong-dong!"

Before she could act, the ringtone blared again.

Just as she moved to decline it once more,

a large hand shot out, snatching the phone from her grip.

"Ah—!" He Jing gasped, her composure shattering.

Yi Haizhou shook the phone, his face turning several shades greener.

"L-Little pretty boy Lin Yu?"

"What’s he selling you? Flowers?"

Rubbing her wrist, He Jing stammered,

"I—I just didn’t want you overthinking things!"

Clenching his jaw, Yi Haizhou nodded.

"Right. ‘Overthinking.’"

"Fine. Let’s both listen and see if I’m ‘overthinking’!"

Without giving her a chance to retaliate or manipulate him,

he answered the call and put it on speaker between them.

He Jing wanted to scream.

To curse this rude bastard who’d snatched her phone.

But for now,

she had to swallow her fury.

The call was live.

She couldn’t let her new target—her little cash cow—catch wind of the tension.

"Hey, little handsome, what’s up? Did I leave something at the shop?"

He Jing steadied her voice, leading with a plausible question.

She couldn’t risk letting Lin Yu speak first and drop some bizarre opener.

Controlling the narrative kept the power in her hands.

But Lin Yu’s response bypassed all "leading" entirely.

"Jiejie, if I said you left me behind, would that make me sound childish?"

He Jing: "!!!"

Yi Haizhou: "???"

Back at the shop, Yi Haizhou had harbored doubts.

But he never imagined they’d already reached this level of shameless banter.

Lin Yu’s words were a razor-sharp blade, plunging straight into his heart.

He Jing’s shock mirrored Yi Haizhou’s.

The implication was unmistakable.

If only she hadn’t come to Yi Haizhou today!

Maybe by tonight—no, by this afternoon—

their relationship could’ve deepened a step further.

A perfect opportunity to reel in fresh prey, wasted.

Now, for the sake of her current sugar daddy’s fragile ego,

she couldn’t openly reciprocate Lin Yu’s advances.

At least, not too obviously.

Even a turtle, when cornered, can outrun a damn rabbit.

"Heh, you’re such a charmer, little handsome."

"If I really took you with me, your Auntie Qimeng would skin me alive. We’re close friends."

"Jiejie’s driving right now—traffic’s pretty heavy."

She willed Lin Yu to take the hint.

Hearing about the traffic, he should’ve ended the call.

Once she was free, she could reconnect later.

Instead, Lin Yu doubled down with self-indulgent earnestness.

"Jiejie, it’s my first time… today was my first time..."

He Jing: "???"

Yi Haizhou: "!!!"

That damn pause was driving He Jing insane.

First time what?

They’d barely spent two hours together.

Nothing had happened!

Watching Yi Haizhou’s veins bulge and his eyes redden,

He Jing abandoned strategy and cut in:

"Little handsome, don’t leave sentences half-finished. People might misunderstand."

"Hahaha, don’t joke around, Jing-jie… I didn’t do anything today!"

"Are you talking about spending so much money for the first time?"

By her judgment, Lin Yu shouldn’t have been this skilled at suggestive wordplay.

This "lingering mystery" tactic was her specialty for manipulating men.

Yet here she was, getting outplayed by a college kid—

in front of her current sponsor!

Lin Yu’s voice turned urgent over the line.

"Jiejie, I’m not joking."

"In my whole life, you’re the first person who’d ever eat… eat a meatball I’d already bitten."

He Jing: "!!!"

Yi Haizhou: "..."

Holding back his rage was the last shred of Yi Haizhou’s sanity.

Goddammit—

You two shared a meatball?

You two shared a goddamn meatball?!

After all the money he’d sunk into this woman,

she’s out there cozying up to some stray puppy?!

No amount of sweet-talking would make him believe her now.

He knew exactly how he and He Jing had met—her motives were crystal clear.

Even a doormat has his limits.

No way out?

Then nobody gets out!

Yi Haizhou flung the car door open and stormed to the trunk.

The metallic clanging from inside froze He Jing in terror.

"Heh, it’s—it’s really nothing."

"Jiejie’s got another call coming in. Let’s talk later, little handsome!"

She barely managed the words before hastily hanging up.

Lin Yu’s feelings were the least of her concerns now—

another minute of this, and she might not make it out alive.

As she cracked the passenger door open an inch,

BANG!

Yi Haizhou kicked it shut from outside.

"Ah—!"

The force flung her back against the console.

Gritting her teeth, she prepared to unleash a verbal lashing—

only to look up and see Yi Haizhou wielding a massive wrench,

jabbing it toward the car like a weapon.

"Try stepping out and I’ll end you!"

His roar sent He Jing’s heart hammering.

She repeated inwardly:

Stay calm, He Jing. You can handle this.

He’s just a spineless coward. He won’t actually do anything.

Keep him under control.