Chapter 71: The Game 3—An Egg Broken from the Outside…

It happened so suddenly.

Bai Yuanzhi, Zhou Sier, and Luo Jiaojiao were trembling with fear.

But Bai Yuanzhi was the first to react.

Dragging the baseball bat, she walked to the door.

She shouted sternly, “Who’s out there smashing my door? I’ve already called the police!”

While speaking, she looked through the peephole again.

She thought to herself: The person outside couldn’t possibly be covering the peephole with one hand while kicking the door with the other, could they?

However—

As soon as Bai Yuanzhi shouted, the noise outside fell silent.

Then, she heard a familiar male voice from outside.

The man asked in a panic, “Who are you…”

Bai Yuanzhi froze for a moment, thinking the man’s voice sounded very much like Song Junshu!

So, was it really Song Junshu who had just kicked her door?

“Don’t hit me! Please don’t hit me… Help! Help!!!”

The man’s desperate voice rang out again.

Now, Bai Yuanzhi could finally be sure—the man outside was Song Junshu!

Come to think of it, it made sense.

Song Junshu was now counting on sacrificing Luo Jiaojiao to win the favor of a wealthy man,

But Luo Jiaojiao had run away…

Since even Luo Jiaojiao knew to flee to Zhou Sier’s place,

And Song Junshu knew Luo Jiaojiao so well,

It was reasonable for him to track Luo Jiaojiao to Bai Yuanzhi’s home.

But…

Wait!

Wasn’t Song Junshu here to cause trouble?

He had even kicked Bai Yuanzhi’s door!!!

Then why was he begging others not to hit him and shouting for help?

Bai Yuanzhi continued to stare through the peephole.

At first, she could only hear sounds but couldn’t see what was happening outside—probably because Song Junshu had covered the peephole with his hand.

But then came the sounds of punches and kicks.

Soon, whatever was blocking the peephole from the outside was moved aside.

Bai Yuanzhi saw:

A young man in a black hoodie was beating Song Junshu, who was wearing a white shirt and suit pants!

Song Junshu seemed utterly defenseless,

Rolling on the ground, letting the young man punch and kick him!

The young man who was beating him had his head covered by the hoodie’s hood and wore a mask over his face, making it impossible to see his appearance…

Song Junshu was being beaten badly.

Bai Yuanzhi also heard someone outside whispering softly:

“You blocked the peephole on the door! Don’t let Miss Ah Zhi see… What if Miss Ah Zhi gets scared?”

Bai Yuanzhi: ???

Soon, the peephole was covered by a hand again.

Bai Yuanzhi could no longer see.

Another person whispered softly, “Then hurry up and dislocate this idiot’s jaw… Damn it, he’s screaming so horribly, I don’t know if this fool is trying to get himself killed!”

Bai Yuanzhi: ???

Soon, Song Junshu’s wails disappeared without a trace…

Next, Bai Yuanzhi heard the two men outside whispering again:

“I’ll drag this idiot to the stairwell first. You keep the peephole covered tightly.”

“Got it, you go first. I’ll follow.”

After another series of muffled thuds and clatters,

Probably because the person covering the peephole let go,

Bai Yuanzhi saw this scene:

—The young man in the black hoodie was dragging Song Junshu by one leg toward the stairwell;

Song Junshu seemed to have lost the strength to resist, only waving his arms in vain.

A young man in a yellow tracksuit had followed, but he was facing away from Bai Yuanzhi’s door, so she couldn’t see his face clearly.

However—

Miss Ah Zhi???

Bai Yuanzhi frowned.

That form of address was quite odd.

People who weren’t very familiar with her usually called her Miss Bai,

Those from Chen Shuojie’s side, Sister Cai and Ah Bin, would affectionately call her “young miss,”

It seemed that the newly arrived personnel department’s Miss Sui from Bilanting would call Bai Yuanzhi “Miss Ah Zhi”…

And now, Sister Cai and Ah Bin also called her Miss Ah Zhi.

It was really strange.

She also didn’t know if the two young men who had just beaten Song Junshu were Chen Shuojie’s people.

Wait,

Sister Cai and Ah Bin weren’t around just now!

So, it couldn’t have been Chen Shuojie’s people who helped drive Song Junshu away.

Bai Yuanzhi was filled with suspicion.

But regardless, after Song Junshu left, Bai Yuanzhi let out a long sigh of relief.

Zhou Sier and Luo Jiaojiao whispered softly:

“Ah Zhi, what happened?”

“Who was it… was it Song Junshu?”

Bai Yuanzhi replied, “It was Song Junshu… but he’s already been beaten and chased away.”

Zhou Sier exclaimed, “Huh? It really was Song Junshu?”

Luo Jiaojiao also asked in surprise, “What? He was beaten and chased away… who did it?”

Before Bai Yuanzhi could explain,

Suddenly, the doorbell rang again with a “ding-dong, ding-dong.”

The girls all held their breath once more,

But this time, a familiar voice called out, “Miss Ah Zhi! Miss Ah Zhi, are you okay… it’s Sister Cai!”

Bai Yuanzhi and Zhou Sier both sighed in relief.

Luo Jiaojiao was confused.

Bai Yuanzhi went over and opened the door,

Sister Cai stood at the doorway with a panicked expression. At her feet was an overturned basket, with fruits and vegetables scattered all over the floor.

“Miss Ah Zhi, are you okay?” Sister Cai anxiously examined Bai Yuanzhi and explained, “I just… just went downstairs to buy a few things… and someone happened to deliver some goods, so Ah Bin went to the basement to move them…”

As she spoke, Ah Bin also hurriedly ran over from the stairwell, “Miss Ah Zhi, are you okay? Sorry, sorry, I just stepped away for a moment…”

Bai Yuanzhi glanced at Ah Bin, who was wearing a floral shirt.

After a moment’s thought, Bai Yuanzhi shook her head, “I’m fine…”

But she still recounted what had just happened.

Sister Cai was so anxious her eyes turned red, “I’m so sorry, Miss Ah Zhi, I had no idea this would happen…”

Ah Bin grew even more frantic, “If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have gone to the basement to move the seafood. I should have waited until Sister Cai returned before going down…”

“Alright, anyway, we’re fine,” Bai Yuanzhi said. “Ah Bin, could you please go check the stairwell? If that person is still there… help me call the police.”

In truth, Bai Yuanzhi didn’t hold out much hope.

—Because Ah Bin had just come from the direction of the stairwell!

Ah Bin nodded and immediately rushed toward the stairwell.

Bai Yuanzhi comforted Sister Cai for a few moments before closing the door.

Soon, the phone in her home rang again.

Bai Yuanzhi ran over and answered the call, “Hello?”

A Yao’s urgent voice came from the other end, “Sister? I received your page… is there something urgent?”

Bai Yuanzhi reassured him, “It’s fine, everything’s fine now.”

“What exactly happened?” A Yao was so anxious he was pacing in circles. “I’ll head over right now… I should be there in about half an hour. Sister, wait for me!”

Bai Yuanzhi quickly replied, “It’s fine now, really, it’s all settled…”

To keep A Yao from worrying,

Bai Yuanzhi explained everything in the simplest terms.

On the other end of the line, A Yao was stunned and murmured,

“You’re saying—”

“Song Junshu came for Luo Jiaojiao?”

“Because Luo Jiaojiao wanted to report to the police that she spent seven whole days on a yacht in international waters with the ghost of Ming Zhixuan, the son of the richest man?”

“So Song Junshu wanted to stop Luo Jiaojiao…”

Bai Yuanzhi corrected him,

“No, Luo Jiaojiao already reported it. She even went to the police station in person… but the police didn’t take the case. Instead, they called Song Junshu over. Luo Jiaojiao had no choice but to leave with him.”

A Yao on the other end was silent for a long moment before asking, “Which police station was it? How dare they act so arrogantly?”

Bai Yuanzhi held the receiver and turned to ask Luo Jiaojiao, “Which police station did you go to?”

Luo Jiaojiao answered blankly, “Mianjiang Police Station.”

Bai Yuanzhi relayed the information truthfully.

On the other end, A Yao let out a faint “Wow” and seemed to lose interest in pursuing the matter further.

However,

he repeatedly confirmed that Bai Yuanzhi was safe over the phone before saying, “…It’s good that you’re okay. If such a tense situation happens again, sister, you must notify me immediately.”

Then he added, “Since you have guests at home, I won’t keep you. I’ll pick you up after class tonight, and we can talk in detail then.”

Bai Yuanzhi agreed and hung up.

Then,

she noticed Zhou Sier and Luo Jiaojiao staring at her.

“What?” Bai Yuanzhi asked in return.

Zhou Sier inquired, “Was that A Yao?”

Bai Yuanzhi nodded.

Zhou Sier asked again, “You even told him… all of this?”

Bai Yuanzhi replied with righteous confidence, “Yes! I often chat with him about these kinds of gossip.”

Zhou Sier: …

Luo Jiaojiao asked in confusion, “Who is A Yao?”

Zhou Sier, “You don’t know him.”

Bai Yuanzhi, “You don’t know him.”

Luo Jiaojiao lowered her head dejectedly.

She had once been Zhou Sier’s closest friend and confidante, sharing everything.

But after the incident with Song Junshu, she nearly caused Zhou Sier’s death…

Now, she could no longer squeeze her way back into Zhou Sier’s life or fit into her circle. It was what she deserved.

At that moment, Bai Yuanzhi returned to sit on the sofa.

Crossing her arms, she asked Luo Jiaojiao, “Now, you can tell us—why did my sister rush to Bilanting Hotel back then?”

“Luo Jiaojiao, my sister got into trouble because of you… she almost died!”

“Luo Jiaojiao, dare you swear on your conscience that you knew nothing about what happened to my sister?” Bai Yuanzhi demanded.

Luo Jiaojiao bit her lower lip and remained silent.

Bai Yuanzhi exchanged a glance with Zhou Sier.

“Who would have thought,” Bai Yuanzhi sneered, “that you care so deeply for that scumbag? If I had known, I shouldn’t have stopped him when he came barging in earlier to take you back!”

“But—”

Bai Yuanzhi added with a cold laugh, “It’s not too late to hand you over now! Guess what—if he can’t catch you, do you think he’ll keep waiting outside?”

Luo Jiaojiao shook her head desperately.

“That’s not it!” Luo Jiaojiao said tearfully, “I was just… just thinking about how to say it, where to start…”

Bai Yuanzhi exchanged another glance with Zhou Sier.

She got up to make tea, leaving the space to Zhou Sier and Luo Jiaojiao.

Indeed,

for Luo Jiaojiao, Bai Yuanzhi carried an intimidating sense of pressure.

Once Bai Yuanzhi left, leaving only the gentle and kind Zhou Sier,

Luo Jiaojiao no longer needed to suppress the pitch of her sobs and burst into loud, unrestrained crying.

Only after Luo Jiaojiao had cried herself to exhaustion

did she recount everything that had happened at the time, explaining it clearly from start to finish.

It turned out—

On the very evening Song Junshu confessed to Zhou Sier,

Song Junshu told Luo Jiaojiao: Don’t go back to the girls’ dorm tonight, to avoid awkwardness when you’re around Zhou Sier.

That night, Luo Jiaojiao was plied with alcohol by Song Junshu until she was drunk, so much so that she couldn’t get up the next day and didn’t go to school.

So the next day, Zhou Sier couldn’t find Luo Jiaojiao at all.

In the afternoon of the second day, Song Junshu took Luo Jiaojiao to the Bilanting Hotel. He said he didn’t know why Zhou Sier had accepted his confession and that there must be some misunderstanding.

So, he first took Luo Jiaojiao to the hotel room, and after giving her a glass of water, Luo Jiaojiao began to feel her mind growing fuzzy. During their intimate moments, Luo Jiaojiao was coaxed into a state of confusion by him and changed into a very seductive outfit.

The two battled it out until late at night,

when Song Junshu finally told Luo Jiaojiao that Zhou Sier would soon be leaving the lab, and he was going to pick her up so the three of them could talk face-to-face.

To be honest,

Luo Jiaojiao felt something wasn’t quite right at the time.

For example, if it was about the three of them talking face-to-face, why not choose a place like a casual eatery or a tea restaurant?

And another thing, if they were going to confront Zhou Sier in the hotel room, why did Song Junshu have to have sex with her there? She and Song Junshu had been intimate in that room, and then he was going to bring Zhou Sier there… to talk things out? Could that really lead to a clear resolution?

But Song Junshu left as soon as he finished speaking,

and Luo Jiaojiao, with her splitting headache, didn’t have time to stop him…

Moreover, after Song Junshu left,

Luo Jiaojiao realized her clothes were missing!

She couldn’t possibly go out wearing that seductive outfit that was practically like wearing nothing, could she?

So, Luo Jiaojiao had no choice but to stay in the room, fuming with anger.

It wasn’t until Luo Jiaojiao heard Song Junshu and Zhou Sier talking downstairs

that she walked to the window and saw, sure enough, the handsome man and beautiful woman standing together, looking like a perfect match.

At that moment, Luo Jiaojiao felt both jealous and furious, her expression turning unpleasant.

Soon, Song Junshu brought Zhou Sier into the room.

But what Luo Jiaojiao never expected was,

as soon as Zhou Sier entered the room, before she even had a chance to speak,

Song Junshu struck her on the back of the head with a single blow,

and Zhou Sier collapsed.

Luo Jiaojiao screamed in terror and began arguing with Song Junshu.

At this point, Luo Jiaojiao told Zhou Sier fearfully, “You have no idea what Song Junshu has become! He, he…” She repeated the word “he” several times, seemingly unable to muster the courage to continue.

Zhou Sier widened her eyes, unsure what Luo Jiaojiao was trying to say.

Bai Yuanzhi had a sudden flash of insight. “He forced himself on you right in front of my sister? Even though she was unconscious at the time?”

Luo Jiaojiao nodded tearfully.

Bai Yuanzhi continued, “Not only did he force himself on you, but he also… he also… hit you? Abused you? Did he… while doing that to you, look at my sister and… call out her name?”

Luo Jiaojiao burst into tears again, nodding repeatedly with lingering fear.

Zhou Sier wore an expression as if she were constipated.

—That was just too disgusting!

But soon, Zhou Sier looked at Bai Yuanzhi in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief as if asking, “How did you know?”

Bai Yuanzhi waved her hand, signaling her sister to focus on Luo Jiaojiao.

As for how Bai Yuanzhi guessed it,

Was there even a need to ask?

It was all thanks to the countless entertainment gossip she had read in her past life!

After crying for a while, Luo Jiaojiao continued her story:

That was the first time she saw Song Junshu’s true colors, and she was terrified at the time.

Then,

she was beaten into submission by Song Junshu.

Song Junshu ordered her to change Zhou Sier’s clothes, and she complied;

Song Junshu told her to move Zhou Sier to the bed and then made her feed Zhou Sier a glass of water…

Looking at that glass of water, Luo Jiaojiao vaguely remembered that she had also drunk a glass of water when she first entered the room.

So???

But Luo Jiaojiao was too afraid of being beaten, so she had no choice but to obey.

Once everything was ready,

Song Junshu used the phone in the guest room.

Luo Jiaojiao didn’t know who Song Junshu was calling, but she heard him say:

“Don’t worry! She’s very beautiful, a famous campus belle at Hong Kong University, and she’s also very smart…

She’s very innocent, has never dated, and is still a virgin…

It’s fine, she has a good personality. She might have a bit of a temper, but she’s a talented beauty, so it’s natural for her to be a little proud.

But it doesn’t matter. Once she knows that her first man is the future successor of Hong Kong City’s richest man, she’ll definitely agree.

Talented beauties always need a man to pamper them.

Just coax her with jewelry and handbags later…”

After finishing the call, Song Junshu left with Luo Jiaojiao.

At the time, Luo Jiaojiao mustered the courage to ask him, “Isn’t this wrong? What will happen when Sier wakes up…”

Then she received another sharp slap.

“Worry about yourself, you bitch,” Song Junshu said through gritted teeth. “If you weren’t so undesirable, you wouldn’t have been used for free…”

At this point, Luo Jiaojiao broke down in tears.

Zhou Sier widened her eyes. “You mean—”

—So, after Luo Jiaojiao entered the room and drank that glass of water, she… was sold by Song Junshu?

The man who was intimate with Luo Jiaojiao at the time wasn’t Song Junshu at all?

Luo Jiaojiao nodded tearfully.

Bai Yuanzhi had no patience for Luo Jiaojiao’s emotional journey.

She only cared about her sister.

So Bai Yuanzhi asked, “What happened next? Who exactly was the man who wanted to harm my sister?”

Hearing this, Zhou Sier also looked at Luo Jiaojiao nervously.

Luo Jiaojiao shook her head repeatedly. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Bai Yuanzhi didn’t believe her. “You were in cahoots with Song Junshu, and you’re telling me you don’t know?”

Luo Jiaojiao sobbed, “I wasn’t in cahoots with him! I… I was also a victim! And at the time… I really didn’t know!”

At the time, Luo Jiaojiao was sent back to the Hong Kong University women’s dormitory by Song Junshu.

The purpose was to clear the suspicion that “Luo Jiaojiao was not present when Zhou Sier had the accident.”

But early the next morning, Luo Jiaojiao was picked up by Song Junshu and then locked away.

It wasn’t until two days later, when Zhou Sier fell from the building, that Song Junshu was terrified and repeatedly rehearsed their statements with Luo Jiaojiao.

Luo Jiaojiao was also afraid this incident would prevent her from graduating, so she could only follow Song Junshu’s instructions and, when questioned by the police, repeatedly shook her head, claiming she knew nothing…

As for what happened later,

such as how exactly Song Junshu explained things to the police or how he negotiated Zhou Sier’s medical expenses with Bilanting, Luo Jiaojiao knew nothing about it.

“Sier, you have to believe me,” Luo Jiaojiao cried, “Everything I said is true!”

Just as Zhou Sier was about to say, “Forget it, you’re a victim too”—

Bai Yuanzhi stepped in first and sneered at Luo Jiaojiao, “How ridiculous! After all this, you’re still the innocent victim? You haven’t done anything wrong at all, right?”

Luo Jiaojiao sobbed, “You have to believe me, I really… know nothing!”

Bai Yuanzhi sneered, “You know nothing? Then do you believe me when I say that if I repeat what you’ve said to anyone, no one would think you’re telling the truth…”

“Luo Jiaojiao, do you think everyone is a fool?”

Luo Jiaojiao bit her lower lip.

After a long silence, she lowered her voice and said, “I really don’t know…”

“Or rather, I have no evidence!”

“Without evidence, even if I accuse someone… those wealthy people won’t admit it, and the police, lawyers, and judges won’t believe me either!”

“I’m not lying to you, really, I’m not!” Luo Jiaojiao said tearfully.

Bai Yuanzhi said, “Then tell us everything you know and everything you suspect!”

Luo Jiaojiao sniffled,

then closed her eyes.

She took a deep breath—

and said with a sense of resignation, “I suspect Song Junshu is actually an accomplice!”

“He’s working for that… shipping magnate’s only son, Ming Zhixuan!”

“But I really have no evidence!”

“I… the reason I suspect this is because Ming Zhixuan, he… he…”

Luo Jiaojiao flushed red and quietly began to explain her suspicions.

It turned out,

what happened to her seven days ago when Song Junshu took her onto that yacht… she had already told the Bai and Zhou sisters earlier.

But what she couldn’t bring herself to say was,

Ming Zhixuan had unusual preferences—he seemed to have a particular fondness for highly educated women, so Luo Jiaojiao and the other young girls present had to wear academic gowns and doctoral caps to play the role of female intellectuals.

Luo Jiaojiao said, “When Sier had the accident, I wasn’t there, so how could I know who harmed her? Besides, Song Junshu is very tight-lipped; he wouldn’t tell me these things. It was only… after I got on the yacht that I started to suspect this might be the case.”

“Song Junshu knows Ming Zhixuan’s preferences for women, so he’s been helping Ming Zhixuan find women.”

“He probably wanted to get close to Sier through me, but after realizing Sier wouldn’t pay him any attention and that she wasn’t the type to be swayed by vanity, he decided to take matters into his own hands.”

“But before he tricked Sier, he first offered me as a sacrifice to Ming Zhixuan… probably saying something like ‘Jiaojiao is also a Hong Kong University student,’ but Ming Zhixuan thought I wasn’t pretty enough, so Song Junshu tricked Sier into going to the hotel…”

“These are all things I only realized later, but I truly have no evidence,” Luo Jiaojiao said softly.

After hearing Luo Jiaojiao’s words,

Bai Yuanzhi and Zhou Sier remained silent for a long time.

 

Zhou Sier was not unfamiliar with the darker aspects of society and human nature, but in recent years, she had thrown herself entirely into her studies and scientific research. It had been a very long time since she had faced such direct malice, and for a moment, her face turned deathly pale, her heart filled with fear.

Bai Yuanzhi also felt a lingering sense of dread.

Because—

In her previous life, she had never witnessed such a terrifying side of Song Junshu.

But upon second thought, Luo Jiaojiao had been in a relationship with Song Junshu for three years before she saw the true face of this scumbag,

proving that this despicable man had hidden himself far too well!

And in her previous life, Zhou Pan’er had been with Song Junshu for nearly four years…

Perhaps his true nature would soon be exposed.

Thinking this, Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t help but feel a chill run through her body.

She thought, when she saw A Yao tonight, she must have a serious talk with him about this venomous snake, Song Junshu.

Otherwise,

it would truly be too terrifying!

= =

Meanwhile, at the Ming Family’s countryside villa in Qingtang Bay,

Ming Jiayao sat upright beside his grandfather, Ming Jingxing,

watching the fake Ming Zhixuan throw a fit.

Ah, right,

the fake Ming Zhixuan’s real name was Liu Rong.

At this moment, Liu Rong was flushed with anger, glaring fiercely at Ming Jingxing as he roared, “The old saying goes, ‘Even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cubs’! Ming Jingxing, you old bastard! Your son isn’t even dead yet, and you dare to publish my obituary in the papers? If you dare mess with me, I’ll make sure you pay for it!”