Chapter 42

“Where’s Zhou Zhaoer?” Bai Yuanzhi asked.

Chen Shuojie replied, “I had someone take her to a guest room to rest.”

He harbored an ulterior secret.

In his eyes, in his heart, Bai Yuanzhi was exceptionally special.

Other people’s emotions were like garbage to him—utterly disgusting things;

But Bai Yuanzhi’s every smile and frown, to him, was like a deadly poison—extremely vivid in color, intensely fragrant, and overwhelmingly sweet!

He didn’t want to get close to her,

Yet all his senses were completely captivated by her.

The most dangerous part was,

The stronger her emotions, the more intensely he was drawn in by them.

For example, the first time he saw her, her lively and curious expression practically had “ambition” written all over her face;

For example, when she beat him up in the hospital room, the triumph and exhilaration after exacting revenge;

For example, when he saw her tear-streaked face at the nightclub, the full force of her anger and resentment;

And also, just now, when the old Chinese medicine practitioner was kneading her bones, her restrained yet lingering, fragmented moans…

All of it was like sweet rain after a long drought,

Bringing him pleasure, fascination, and immense enjoyment.

But,

Bai Yuanzhi’s cousin had been staring at him.

Chen Shuojie was very displeased.

That woman, she seemed to be called Zhou Zhaoer!

The way Zhou Zhaoer looked at Chen Shuojie was what he despised the most.

—Despite being quite young, when she secretly glanced at him, she revealed a woman’s sexual appreciation for a man; when she surveyed the apartment’s decor and furniture, her eyes showed clear greed and desire; and finally, from time to time, she would stare at him, her eyes filled with assessment and calculation.

Chen Shuojie didn’t want to see Zhou Zhaoer, so he had a servant take her away.

It was just that Bai Yuanzhi was being tormented by the old Chinese medicine practitioner at the time, so she didn’t notice.

Hearing Chen Shuojie say this,

Bai Yuanzhi felt relieved. “It’s already quite late, you should go rest early. I want to rest too. I still have to work tomorrow!”

Chen Shuojie frowned. “You’re injured like this, and you still want to work?”

Bai Yuanzhi also frowned. “Didn’t the old gentleman just treat me? Besides, do you think I’m like you? Lying flat all day doing nothing and still having food to eat.”

Chen Shuojie stared at her quietly.

He wanted to say, if you want, you can too.

But he instinctively felt she wouldn’t like hearing such words, so he remained silent.

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t like being alone with Chen Shuojie.

So, even though this wasn’t her territory, she had to shamelessly shoo him away. “Chen Shuojie, hurry up and leave. I want to rest too.”

Chen Shuojie nodded.

But he didn’t leave immediately.

He handed her a small box that had been resting on his lap.

“What’s this?” Bai Yuanzhi asked in surprise.

Chen Shuojie replied, “Bowl pudding.”

Bai Yuanzhi was taken aback.

Chen Shuojie added, “I didn’t know if you’d be hungry… I had someone go out to buy it, but it was already too late, and it was hard to find this.”

Bai Yuanzhi took the box and said thank you.

Chen Shuojie stayed for a moment longer before maneuvering his wheelchair and slowly leaving.

Bai Yuanzhi held the box and looked around the apartment for a while.

It was a two-bedroom apartment of about seventy square meters.

Zhou Zhaoer was already fast asleep on the bed in the secondary bedroom.

The master bedroom, however, was empty.

Bai Yuanzhi entered the master bedroom.

The master bedroom was a suite.

Upon entering, there was a small foyer with a small round table and a single sofa;

After passing a frosted glass wall, the bedroom area began.

The bed was large with a soft mattress, the bedding was clean, emitting the fresh scent of laundry detergent, and it was neatly folded—clearly just changed.

However, she could still notice some details in the room.

For instance, there were several thick, all-English books on the desk, all related to business studies;

For instance, neon-colored anime figurines were scattered everywhere;

And there were baseball caps, men’s trench coats, and the like hanging on the coat rack.

This was Chen Shuojie’s bedroom.

Bai Yuanzhi closed her eyes for a moment.

She sighed and sat down at the desk, opening the box in her hand.

Inside were four bowl cakes.

Bowl cakes are a traditional Cantonese dessert, served in pretty little ceramic bowls. Made from tapioca starch, the cakes are crystal clear and have a chewy, bouncy texture, making them very popular among girls.

Bai Yuanzhi also liked them.

The four bowl cakes in the box were of different flavors:

One was topped with snow-white water chestnut pieces,

One was red bean,

One was a light purple taro flavor,

And one was yellow, looking as if it had a layer of pudding on top.

Bai Yuanzhi ate a taro one—it was quite tasty.

She then ate a red bean one.

Once her hunger was satisfied, she stopped.

Drowsiness washed over her, and she yawned, heading toward the large bed.

On the chair beside the bed lay a neatly folded set of pajamas.

Bai Yuanzhi looked at them—they were men’s.

Torn between “taking off her outerwear and putting on the men’s pajamas” and “sleeping directly on the chair,” she ultimately chose not to undress but to slip the pajamas over her clothes before getting into bed.

Perhaps she was too exhausted.

Bai Yuanzhi fell into a deep, heavy sleep not long after lying down.

After all, Chen Shuojie’s soft, large bed was far more comfortable than the iron bunk bed in the on-duty room she had slept in for over a month.

She didn’t know how long she had slept,

Until she was awakened by a commotion.

Having slept so soundly,

It took her a while, lying drowsily on the soft bed, to realize—

Oh my, she was at Chen Shuojie’s place, wasn’t she? What time was it? She must be terribly late!

Bai Yuanzhi scrambled out of bed,

Quickly removed the men’s pajamas she had worn over her clothes, hastily smoothed her hair, rushed into the bathroom to freshen up, and then emerged.

By then, the noise outside was growing louder,

It seemed like a woman was shouting angrily and insulting someone, while another woman was sobbing softly…

Bai Yuanzhi frowned.

Because she thought she recognized it—was that Zhou Zhaoer crying?!

Bai Yuanzhi’s heart tightened instantly.

She hurried toward the living room.

Unexpectedly,

Just as she stepped out of the bedroom and before she could reach the living room, she spotted Chen Shuojie on the sofa in the foyer!

Chen Shuojie’s wheelchair was casually placed to the side,

He himself was curled up on the sofa, asleep.

Bai Yuanzhi’s movements slowly made him open his eyes.

“Chen Shuojie, what are you doing here?” Bai Yuanzhi asked in surprise.

Chen Shuojie looked at Bai Yuanzhi with a dazed, bleary-eyed expression, completely disoriented and unable to fully wake up.

Outside, a woman was loudly and angrily shouting insults like “bitch,” “deadbeat,” and “family wrecker,”

Zhou Zhaoer’s crying grew louder too, as if she was pleading, “I don’t know,” “It’s not my fault,” and the like.

Bai Yuanzhi grew even more anxious and stopped paying attention to Chen Shuojie, rushing out in a hurry.

At this point, Chen Shuojie was completely awake.

He too had heard the angry shouts and crying of the woman outside, his expression darkening as he struggled to sit up in his wheelchair and followed Bai Yuanzhi out.

Chen Shuojie owned two properties on the same floor, separated by a corridor.

The commotion was coming from Chen Shuojie’s other property.

When Bai Yuanzhi arrived, the scene before her left her utterly stunned!

—Zhou Zhaoer lay nearly naked on the floor, curled tightly into a ball, her hands covering her private areas, crying her heart out.

“I don’t know! I don’t understand what you’re saying! I came with my sister, I don’t know anything…”

A well-dressed, plump middle-aged woman was beside herself with rage, clutching what appeared to be torn clothing fabric in her hand as she pointed at Zhou Zhaoer and shouted:

“You don’t know? Then how did you end up here? Clearly, you were trying to seduce a man! You shameless, cheap whore! How dare you try to seduce someone from my family…”

Just by looking at the middle-aged woman’s figure and hearing her voice, Bai Yuanzhi knew—this woman was Xu Wenrui.

Seeing her face up close, Bai Yuanzhi realized Xu Wenrui was the type of woman who had aged gracefully but was past her prime.

She must have been a beauty in her youth.

Only her tattooed eyebrows were a bit too thick and bold, giving her a fierce appearance.

As soon as Bai Yuanzhi appeared,

Zhou Zhaoer immediately found her savior. She quickly crawled over and clung to Bai Yuanzhi’s leg, crying, “Third Sister! Third Sister, save me!”

Xu Wenrui, meanwhile, looked Bai Yuanzhi up and down, her eyes filled with confusion, scrutiny, disdain, and contempt. “What the hell are you?”

Bai Yuanzhi glared back at Xu Wenrui.

After a moment’s thought, Bai Yuanzhi took half a step back, leaving a space for Chen Shuojie.

—Regarding Xu Wenrui, Bai Yuanzhi had previously overheard a conversation between Mrs. Xu and Xu Wenrui, and not long ago, she had also heard Xu Wenrui speaking with Chen Shen. So, she already had a basic understanding of Xu Wenrui.

She was a domineering, spoiled noblewoman, indulged by both her in-laws and her husband.

Moreover, Bai Yuanzhi believed that when Chen Shuojie had lost control earlier and cursed “that bitch,” he must have been referring to Xu Wenrui.

In that case, why should she confront Xu Wenrui head-on?

Better to leave the battlefield to Chen Shuojie.

Soon, Chen Shuojie arrived, maneuvering his wheelchair.

Once Chen Shuojie was there,

it was no longer Bai Yuanzhi and her sister’s problem.

Xu Wenrui was already shouting excitedly: “Shuojie, what on earth are you doing? I’ve been telling you all along, don’t mix with those filthy gold diggers and northern girls!”

“Look, just look at this!” As she spoke, Xu Wenrui pointed at Zhou Zhaoer, her face full of disgust. “Such a shameless, disgusting whore…”

Following Xu Wenrui’s pointing finger, Chen Shuojie saw Zhou Zhaoer kneeling on the floor in a pitiful state.

He froze for a moment, his face instantly turning deathly pale!

He hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand, an uncontrollable retching sound escaping his throat.

Zhou Zhaoer, while desperately trying to hide behind Bai Yuanzhi’s legs, fearfully watched Chen Shuojie…

Seeing that Chen Shuojie had looked at her and immediately showed a disgusted expression, even seeming to want to vomit?

Zhou Zhaoer’s face instantly paled, and she stammered, “Third Sister! Third Sister… I beg you, quickly take off your clothes and give them to me to wear!”

Bai Yuanzhi: ???

“What are you thinking?” Bai Yuanzhi said word by word, “I also only have one set of clothes… You want me to take them off and give them to you? Then what should I do?”

Zhou Zhaoer cried, “Sister! Third Sister, I am your sister! You were the one who brought me here, how can you not care about me?”

Bai Yuanzhi sneered, “Was it me who stripped you of your clothes?”

Even so, Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t bear to see Zhou Zhaoer in such a wretched state. Looking around, she walked to the sofa, pointed at the lace cover, and signaled Chen Shuojie with her eyes.

Chen Shuojie covered his mouth and nodded repeatedly; he didn’t want to see such a disgusting body either.

Only then did Bai Yuanzhi take off the sofa lace cover and throw it to Zhou Zhaoer.

Zhou Zhaoer hurriedly wrapped herself in the lace cloth, but her eyes darted around restlessly.

Before, she had envied those wealthy people who frequented nightclubs like Xiao Ge.

But after witnessing Chen Shuojie’s presence and the way he stood up for Bai Yuanzhi,

Zhou Zhaoer understood two things:

First, Chen Shuojie was the truly wealthy one.

Second, she would never in her life encounter a man like Chen Shuojie—both rich and handsome.

Last night, Zhou Sier tossed and turned, thinking a great deal.

She wondered why she didn’t have her eldest sister’s beauty,

why she wasn’t as skilled at winning people over as her second sister,

why she wasn’t as clever as her third sister…

They were all born from the same mother!

Among her three sisters, Zhou Sier hated her third sister, Bai Yuanzhi, the most!

Back in their hometown, after their mother and eldest sister left, it was Third Sister who single-handedly supported the entire family.

Now that they were in Hong Kong City, Third Sister only needed to support two people,

so why had she changed so much, turning her back on them and stubbornly refusing to care for her younger sister?

Hah, Third Sister could even get to know a wealthy man like Chen Shuojie—who knows how much money he had given her!

Yet she wouldn’t even support her underage sister!

The more Zhou Zhaoer thought about it, the angrier and more jealous she became.

She thought to herself, Bai Yuanzhi was capable, quietly getting to know such a wealthy man,

but she, Zhou Zhaoer, had no such connections.

If she missed this chance to climb the social ladder…

where would she ever find a man as wealthy and handsome as Chen Shuojie in the future!

And so—

Zhou Zhaoer steeled her heart and, under the cover of darkness, went to the room across the hall.

But to her surprise,

Chen Shuojie wasn’t there!

Zhou Zhaoer waited for a very long time, but Chen Shuojie never returned.

She was nervous, scared, and unbearably tired.

In the end, when she could hardly stay awake any longer, she thought: Never mind all that, as long as she could solidify the relationship. Even if Chen Shuojie didn’t return, what did it matter? As long as she stripped naked and lay in his bed, he wouldn’t be able to explain his way out of it…

That’s exactly what Zhou Zhaoer did.

But she never expected,

that the one who woke her up early in the morning wasn’t Chen Shuojie, but… a plump middle-aged woman.

Zhou Zhaoer didn’t know who this woman was.

She guessed it might be Chen Shuojie’s mother,

so she tried to explain,

but instead, she was dragged out of bed by “Chen Shuojie’s mother,” followed by a beating and a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse.

Thinking of this,

Zhou Zhaoer knew she had no way out.

So she pointed at Chen Shuojie and shouted loudly, “…It was him! He was the one who took off my clothes! Third Sister, I… I’ve already slept with him!”

Before Bai Yuanzhi could even react,

Xu Wenrui flew into a rage!

She stormed over, lifted her leg, and viciously kicked Zhou Zhaoer with her high heel.

Zhou Zhaoer let out a sharp cry, clutching her leg where a bloody hole had been kicked open.

Bai Yuanzhi winced just looking at it.

“You still dare to spout nonsense?” Xu Wenrui glared furiously at Zhou Zhaoer. “You really are shameless beyond belief!”

“I came looking for Shuojie early this morning and saw you alone, sleeping and snoring on Shuojie’s bed, stark naked!”

“It was clearly just you by yourself, and you still dare to frame our Shuojie?”

“Hmph, our Shuojie would absolutely never…”

Zhou Zhaoer shrieked, “I don’t care! He raped me! He has to marry me, or I’ll report him! I’ll ruin all of you!”

Bai Yuanzhi looked at Zhou Zhaoer with deep disappointment.

Actually, Bai Yuanzhi already knew what kind of person Zhou Zhaoer was from her past life.

But because in her previous life, just before Bai Yuanzhi died, Zhou Zhaoer had exhausted every effort to save her…

In this life, Bai Yuanzhi had been extremely patient with Zhou Zhaoer.

She had even tried countless times to guide Zhou Zhaoer onto the right path.

And—

All the things that happened yesterday and today,

if not for the fact that she considered their sisterhood,

if not for wanting to repay that bit of life-saving grace from her past life,

yesterday she wouldn’t have confronted Song Junshu head-on,

and today she wouldn’t be facing this mess again.

Bai Yuanzhi took a deep breath and was just about to speak when—

Chen Shuojie cut in first, “That’s impossible.”

Xu Wenrui, “Right! That’s absolutely impossible!”

Chen Shuojie gave Xu Wenrui a faint glance before turning to Zhou Zhaoer and saying, “…Because I was with your sister all last night. Of course, we didn’t do anything.”

As soon as these words were spoken—

Zhou Zhaoer was stunned for a long moment, her face turning extremely ugly.

After all,

Chen Shuojie had been so disgusted by the sight of her body that he nearly vomited, yet he had spent the night with Bai Yuanzhi!

This proved that Bai Yuanzhi had already won against her.

And she, Zhou Zhaoer, had lost completely!

Bai Yuanzhi, on the other hand, flushed bright red with anger.

Because what Chen Shuojie said was true—

That guy had slept on the sofa in the entryway all last night, while she had slept on the big bed in the room.

They were indeed in the same space,

and indeed did nothing.

But!

The way he said it was really easy to cause misunderstandings, okay?

Xu Wenrui, meanwhile, stared in shock, her mouth agape.

She looked at Chen Shuojie…

and finally managed to blurt out two words, “Really?”

Bai Yuanzhi angrily retorted, “No!”

Chen Shuojie gazed intently at Bai Yuanzhi, his pale complexion slowly beginning to flush.

Look, she was angry.

The way she looked when angry… was really adorable.

—Her brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes seemed about to spit fire, her lips were pressed together, yet she was panting heavily, her chest heaving violently with each deep breath, and she had angrily clenched her fists.

Chen Shuojie felt his mouth go dry.

He unconsciously licked his lips, his breathing unsteady, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

An inexplicable sense of pleasure spread from the depths of his heart, uncontrollably overwhelming his entire being,

forcing him to desperately restrain himself so as not to reveal his true emotions.

Xu Wenrui stared intently at Bai Yuanzhi again and blurted out two more words, “It’s fake?”

Bai Yuanzhi: …

Yes, Bai Yuanzhi wanted to clarify.

But how should she put it?

Should she honestly say that she and Chen Shuojie were indeed in the same room, but one slept on the sofa and the other on the bed, and nothing happened all night?

Wouldn’t that just make things worse?

Furious, Bai Yuanzhi turned and walked away.

Chen Shuojie laughed.

Even with her back to him, Bai Yuanzhi could hear his cheerful laughter.

Infuriated, she quickened her pace as she walked out.

Chen Shuojie called out loudly, “Auntie Qiu!”

A servant hurried over in a panic, “Young Master!”

Chen Shuojie instructed, “First, have the gatekeeper open the door for the young lady, then have security record her fingerprints. Tell Ah Bin to drive the car to the entrance of the garage and take the young lady to a Michelin-starred restaurant for breakfast. After that, follow her instructions—wherever she wants to go, take her there…”

The servant acknowledged the order and quickly ran off.

Bai Yuanzhi heard every word Chen Shuojie said clearly.

Because—

Bai Yuanzhi was lost.

She couldn’t find her way out for a long time.

It wasn’t until the servant came to guide her that she touched her face, flushed with anger and embarrassment, and couldn’t help but glance back at Chen Shuojie.

Chen Shuojie laughed again.

Furious, Bai Yuanzhi turned around and, led by the servant, left the place.

Zhou Zhaoer anxiously called out, “Third Sister! Third Sister, wait for me… Aren’t you going to take care of me?”

Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t be bothered with Zhou Zhaoer.

—Didn’t you want to climb into his bed?

Go ahead!

This is the path you chose for yourself.

Bai Yuanzhi left without looking back.

Xu Wenrui had a bellyful of questions for Chen Shuojie,

but with Zhou Zhaoer standing there,

some things were better left unsaid.

So Xu Wenrui pointed at Zhou Zhaoer and asked Chen Shuojie, “What about this bitch?”

Chen Shuojie’s smile faded. “I’ll deal with her.”

Zhou Zhaoer immediately changed her tune, “Brother-in-law! Please forgive me, I, I… actually, I have sleepwalking disorder! I was clearly sleeping in my own room, I don’t know why I ended up here… Brother-in-law, please, for my sister’s sake, spare me. I won’t dare do it again! Never again!”

Xu Wenrui gave Zhou Zhaoer a contemptuous look and said to Chen Shuojie, “Shuojie, don’t believe that bitch. There’s not a single truthful word in her mouth!”

Chen Shuojie said coldly, “This is my matter. I’ll handle it myself.”

Xu Wenrui was stunned.

Chen Shuojie continued, “In the future, please show me more respect. Don’t come uninvited. And even if you do come, don’t barge in without permission.”

With that, he instructed the servant, “Delete Mrs. Ming’s fingerprints. From now on, if Mrs. Ming wants to visit, she must obtain my permission in advance.”

The servant softly acknowledged the order.

Xu Wenrui widened her eyes in shock, “Shuojie, are you crazy? I’m your… aunt!”

Zhou Zhaoer whispered from the side, “Tsk, so you’re just Brother Chen’s aunt! Putting on such airs, I thought you were his biological mother…”

Xu Wenrui had only ever been humiliated by her son, Ming Jiayao.

But that had only started happening in the past six months or so…

However, she couldn’t tolerate a gold digger like Zhou Zhaoer stepping on her head.

So, Xu Wenrui strode arrogantly toward Zhou Zhaoer, raising her hand high to slap her.

Chen Shuojie said, “I advise you not to touch her.”

Xu Wenrui halted in her tracks, looking at Chen Shuojie in disbelief.

Chen Shuojie said, “No matter what, she is Ah Zhi’s younger sister. Ah Zhi is angry and doesn’t want to deal with her. I will still handle this on Ah Zhi’s behalf.”

Zhou Zhaoer let out a long sigh of relief. “Brother-in-law, you’re so kind!”

Chen Shuojie ignored her and instructed the servant, “Give this girl a set of clothes. When Ah Bin returns, have him take her to Kwai Tsing Island. Find a fully enclosed girls’ high school and have her board there.”

—Kwai Tsing Island was an undeveloped area of Hong Kong City, a remote island surrounded by water with poor conditions. Attending high school there meant that unless a relative requested a visit, one could not leave for twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Only after obtaining the girls’ high school graduation certificate and receiving permission from a relative could one be allowed to leave.

And so, Zhou Zhaoer was led away by the maid.

Seeing that no one else was around, Xu Wenrui finally asked the most pressing question. “Shuojie, did you really… do that with that girl last night?”

Chen Shuojie looked at her coldly.

He was born with a physical disability and particularly hated this matter.

But it seemed this woman was especially concerned about it.

Chen Shuojie said calmly, “Mrs. Ming, you are the elder and I am the younger. Logically, many things shouldn’t require me to teach you how to behave.”

“But there are some things I must say.”

“Even among relatives, there should be some sense of propriety and distance.”

“Mrs. Ming, your husband is Ming Zhixuan, your son is Ming Jiayao! And you are just my aunt, just my father’s sister-in-law… Please understand the boundaries of our relationship, okay?” Chen Shuojie spoke word by word.

Xu Wenrui’s face instantly turned pale.

“Shuojie, who taught you to speak like this? Was it that Ah Zhi just now?” she asked, her lips trembling.

Chen Shuojie couldn’t take it anymore. “Do you think I’m like you?”

He took a deep breath, not wanting Xu Wenrui to take her anger out on Bai Yuanzhi, so he patiently explained, “I never liked your behavior from the start. If you are Ming Jiayao’s mother, then go care about Ming Jiayao… If you are Ming Zhixuan’s wife, then go care about Ming Zhixuan. Stop hovering around me and my father!”

“Although I am young, I am not so far gone as to need a girl I’ve only known for three months to teach me how to behave.”

As he spoke, Chen Shuojie’s handsome face flushed slightly. “Although I do like her very much.”

Xu Wenrui was stunned.

She was furious,

but—

just as Chen Shuojie had said,

she was only Chen Shen’s sister-in-law, only Chen Shuojie’s aunt.

She had no right to interfere so much.

Fuming with anger, Xu Wenrui stomped away in her seven-inch high heels.

The clacking sound of the metal heels striking the marble floor was enough to give anyone a headache.

But thank goodness,

that woman was gone.

The world became quiet again.

Chen Shuojie breathed a sigh of relief.

He curled his fingers into a fist, rested his chin on it, tilted his head, and began to reminisce about Bai Yuanzhi’s actions earlier.

She was like a lively little tiger, tripping over a dry branch while hunting, falling flat on her back, and thinking no one had noticed. Just as she was about to pretend nothing had happened and get up, she discovered—he had seen every moment of her fall clearly.

Ah, she was really angry and very embarrassed.

So she ran off in a huff…

Chen Shuojie chuckled softly.

He wondered, what was she doing now?