Wooing my Bodyguard Wife

"Listen, you are not the first woman that tried to blackmail me and you'll not be the last," Jingwei states in a manner so matter-of-fact that it makes Xue Ning angry for him - how does one live a life like his, just expecting to be blackmailed? The news is so depressing that she wants to punch someone, preferably Xiumin.

Xiumin, as though sensing her violent thoughts, makes outraged noises in protest. Xue Ning shushes her harshly.

"I thought it was your fault all these years, and then it turns out you're a victim too," Jingwei continues, now that Xiumin is actually listening to them.

"The original video was already taken off the hot search by my company's team, so things should have died down. But then, the video resurfaced in better detail, with you inside it, so I thought you were doing it to trap me."

Xiumin responds with a bitter scoff, her body trembling under Xue Ning's hands.

Jingwei frowns to himself as he recalls that painful time. Just as he thought the dust was finally settling, that video had reappeared on all social media sites, sharpened to the point where one could use it as a sex scene in a movie!

One could even see the birthmark on his inner thigh, if they zoomed in hard enough! He's probably sure some perverts out there already did, and repressed a shudder.

Back then, everyone thought then he was perfectly fine with the video leaking, and he made it seem that way, laughing off all the crude jokes and the knowing smirks that his 'friends' gave him.

They made a whole bunch of unwanted comments about his body, his bedroom kinks, even the way he moaned. It was enough to give anyone insecurities!

And that wasn't even accounting for the shit random strangers said online about it. Their legal department had such a busy month suing malicious commenters, they all went on a two-week long vacation after the whole debacle was over. Shengli had packed off to the Bahamas for a month!

No one had cared - no one had realised that he couldn't get a proper night's rest in the months after, too afraid that someone was spying on him.

They didn't know that he had to wear sunglasses whenever he had to leave the house, which wasn't often, because he couldn't shake off the lingering paranoia of someone watching him.

It took at least half a year before he could finally sleep in relative peace, and even then, he still woke up sometimes, bedsheets drenched in sweat.

No one bothered to ask him how he felt about the issue. Not his brother, not his father, not his staff and certainly not his 'friends'. Everyone treated it like it was his fault!

Everyone other than Xue Ning. It would have been so easy to side with Xiumin too - but instead, Xue Ning had acknowledged the fact that he was a victim too. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He gives Xue Ning a grateful look, but she just stares at him, confused, before scowling at Xiumin.

"Anyway, your Boss is a complete coward sending you to do his dirty work," Xue Ning says. "Who knows? He might have leaked the video to get you on his side!"

"It's - I - I'm not - Boss" Xiumin splutters, her thoughts in a mess. Sun Jingwei, damn the man, is actually bringing up valid points.

How had her Boss known what she had to endure after the video, when he came to look for her to help her? Had he kept tabs on her - if so, why didn't he offer help sooner?

She feels her heart waver for a brief moment, then she shakes her head.

Boss already said Sun Jingwei was a master at manipulation, so of course he tried to get her to change her mind!

"It's your fault!" Xiumin protests, angry enough to spit. This time, her anger is also directed at herself, for daring to doubt her Boss, the one man that saved her from despair.

"Don't try to pin the blame on my boss, you bloody ungrateful hypocrite!"

Xue Ning shoves her head down, but this time, Xiumin refuses to stay silent. Xue Ning idly wonders if they really should stuff toilet paper in her mouth, maybe they could use the clothes their server bought for her to change into as a makeshift gag.

"You ungrateful man! You'll get your retribution! You and your entire family better watch out! Boss will come for me - he won't let you off like this!" Xiumin continues to scream, eyes bulging in anger.

"He?" Both Jingwei and Xue Ning ask, latching onto the same word, at the same time. "Your Boss?"

Xiumin only turns her head to give Xue Ning a smug, victorious look, despite her woeful circumstances.

"You'll know later, when he comes for you! For both of you!"

"Right," Xue Ning says disbelievingly and presses harder on Xiumin's back, turning her face back to the floor. "Stop acting like a Disney villain henchman. It's pathetic."

"She's right, everyone knows the ending of a Disney villain. They end up dead. And because you were clearly not listening to us: I DID NOT LEAK THE VIDEO." Jingwei takes a deep breath and continues.

"More importantly, what did you do to our server? Do we need to add another assault charge to your list of crimes? Possible drugging and kidnapping? Don't tell me… you killed her?!"

Xue Ning gives him a horrified look, but it's hard to tell whether it's because of Xiumin's possible criminal actions or his incredible dramatics.

Xiumin lets out a scoff and grumbles to the floor.

"What did you say? I didn't quite catch that? Did you, Xue Ning?" Jingwei asks, making a show out of digging his ear.

"Not a word," Xue Ning replies, deliberately ignoring Xiumin in her efforts to continue pissing her off. God this woman just refuses to even believe in the chance that she could have been set-up. Is she brainwashed or just in denial?

"So I guess she's fine with going to prison for a longer time?"

"Yeah, sounds like it. They'll wrangle a confession out of her soon enough. Oh look," Jingwei smiles with boyish delight, as policemen pound on the restroom door, before swarming into the room to handcuff Xiumin.

"Her ride has arrived."