Chapter Three: Let's Make a Deal

Zhou Chenyan hung up the phone.

I assumed that either he was furious and no longer wanted to listen to me, or—perhaps my threat had actually worked?

Just as this thought crossed my mind and I let out a sigh of relief, two text messages popped up on my phone.

"Sister Yanyan, it’s all my fault. I’m coming over to see you right now."

"Whether you want me to kneel and apologize or anything else, I’m willing to do it."

I didn't reply. I deleted the messages and added her phone number to my blacklist. Zhou Zhizi would never come to find me alone; every scene she acted in required Zhou Chenyan as an audience member.

I went straight to the village head’s house and asked him to introduce me to a technician in town who specialized in installing security fencing.

"I want it installed around the perimeter of my courtyard. It would be best if it could be electrified—to keep thieves out."

The technician arrived quickly. Seeing that I was just a young woman, he went the extra mile to reinforce the fence for me. By the time he finished, it was already dark.

After seeing the technician off, I lay on my bed and casually opened WeChat, where I happened to see a new post on Zhou Zhizi’s feed:

[A-Yan is always so thoughtful; he remembers things even better than I do.]

The attached photo showed two boxes of medication for menstrual cramps and a full bag of sanitary pads. There were day-use and night-use, various brands—more complete than the display shelves in a supermarket.

Was Zhou Zhizi desperate for the whole world to know that today was the first day of her period?

I felt a wave of speechlessness and simply sent her WeChat to the blacklist as well.

Much quieter now.

...

When Zhou Chenyan drove six or seven hours to reach the village where I was staying, it was already the middle of the night.

I heard the roar of a car engine outside the courtyard while I was in a daze. Immediately after, the piercing siren of the electric fence alarm went off.

"A-Yan, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

I stepped out of the house and saw the scene.

Zhou Chenyan was staring at the faint, shimmering wire mesh, his eyes flickering with an inscrutable light.

Zhou Zhizi, meanwhile, was anxiously holding his large, thick hand, her eyes filled with tears of concern—truly a pitiable sight.

Walking to the gate, I looked at the two of them coldly. "Since you two are so deeply bonded as siblings, why go through the trouble of driving all this way just to put on a show for me?"

"Sister Yanyan, you’ve misunderstood."

Zhou Zhizi went back to the car and took out a bouquet of flowers.

"I prepared this especially for you. Please don’t be angry anymore. Won't you come back with us?"

She held the massive bouquet of gardenias as if they were precious treasure. Under the moonlight, the flower buds looked like gleaming pearls, accentuating the happy, sweet curve of her lips.

"Sister Yanyan, A-Yan definitely won't make you angry again. I promise you on his behalf! Won't you give him one more chance? If he ever does it again..."

Zhou Zhizi looked at Zhou Chenyan behind her, pouting.

"If you ever bully Sister Yanyan again, I won't take my medicine next time my period comes, even if I’m in agony!"

I felt a sudden wave of nausea.

Zhou Zhizi was exactly as she had always been. The same old tricks, yet she never grew tired of playing them.

I ignored her and swept my gaze toward Zhou Chenyan. "You brought her here—does that mean you’ve agreed to my terms? Then let her begin."

"A-Yan, it’s alright. It’s just kneeling and apologizing! You’ve done so much for me; let me do something for you in return."

Zhou Zhizi had always known how to ignite the deep protective instinct in Zhou Chenyan’s heart. That was by making him feel heartache and guilt.

As she spoke, she moved to kneel, but Zhou Chenyan caught her.

He shielded Zhou Zhizi in his arms, his gaze directed at me as sharp as a blade wrapped in frost.

"Don't go too far! Zhizi has never wronged you, and I haven't treated you poorly in these past three years!"

Hearing Zhou Chenyan’s thunderous voice, Zhou Zhizi bit her lip. Cuddled tightly in the man’s embrace, her tears fell like broken beads.

"A-Yan, please don’t fight with Sister Yanyan anymore. It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault..."

With just a few words and a few tears, she could make Zhou Chenyan ache with sympathy.

Wiping the tears from Zhou Zhizi’s eyes, he coaxed her gently, "This has nothing to do with you. Stop crying, be a good girl."

Having pacified Zhou Zhizi, Zhou Chenyan looked at me coldly.

"You swiped 3.7 million from me and now you want to just wipe your hands and leave? Mu Yan, do you really think I don't have a temper?"

Zhou Chenyan kept bringing up that 3.7 million over and over again, as if I had stolen it from him!

Since we couldn't part on good terms, I decided to settle everything once and for all.

I went back into the house, grabbed my diary, tore off the last page, and passed it to Zhou Chenyan through the gaps in the wire mesh.

"Take a good look for yourself."

Zhou Chenyan took it and looked.

It clearly recorded every expense I had incurred over the past year. The date, the time, the location, what it was spent on—it was precise down to the last cent.

"As the dignified CEO’s wife, I had to report to your secretary—your 'dear sister'—just to get money for groceries! Is this what you call 'not treating me poorly'?"

The grievances that had been suppressed in my heart for so long, once released, were hard to contain.

I continued, "Look at the back."

Zhou Chenyan did so in silence.

—200,000 (Compensation for when Zhou Chenyan took a stray dog to the vet with Zhou Zhizi on my birthday.)

—300,000 (Compensation for when Zhou Chenyan gave the amulet I had prayed for to Zhou Zhizi’s pet dog.)

—200,000 (Compensation for when I was trapped deep in the mountains while Zhou Chenyan was watching fireworks with Zhou Zhizi.)

This money was what I had traded three years of self-respect and dignity for! I had taken it rightfully!

The ridiculous part was Zhou Chenyan’s warped way of thinking.

He first crumpled the paper into a ball, tossed it aside, and then stared deep into my eyes.

"Based on previous standards, what will it take to let this matter pass? Name your price."

In Zhou Chenyan’s eyes, everything could be assigned a value.

I laughed.

"I only want Zhou Zhizi to kneel and apologize to me. Why don't you name your price for that?"

When dealing with someone like him, one must use his own methods against him.

Zhou Chenyan remained silent.

I locked eyes with him, cold and unyielding; neither of us was willing to take even half a step back.

In the end, it was Zhou Zhizi who broke the standoff with her sobbing.

"It’s my fault! Sister Yanyan, A-Yan, my existence is affecting your relationship! I’ll leave right now, I’ll never appear in your lives again..."

Watching Zhou Zhizi run off in tears, Zhou Chenyan’s expression turned incomparably gloomy.

"You’d best know when to stop!"

"I..."

I was just about to speak when I suddenly remembered: Zhou Zhizi’s graduation ceremony should be in just a few days!

At the celebration banquet that night, she got drunk and was helped by Zhou Chenyan to a sofa in a corner to rest.

The banquet hall was dimly lit, and no one was paying attention.

Zhou Zhizi, emboldened by the alcohol, had raised her head and leaned in to kiss Zhou Chenyan’s thin lips.

The desires Zhou Chenyan had suppressed for years were easily ignited by her, and it spiraled out of control as he passionately tried to respond.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, I had rushed over in a panic.

"Zhou Chenyan! You..."

My voice was loud, and everyone—teachers, students, and parents—heard me.

Everyone turned to stare, and that was how their forbidden love was exposed.

Zhou’s parents were humiliated and slapped Zhou Zhizi right then and there.

Later, she was kicked out of the Zhou family and nearly lost her innocence after being harassed by hoodlums...

Zhou Chenyan blamed all his hatred on me, but—

"I heard A-Yan was hurt and headed that way; you should hurry over and check on him."

If it weren't for Zhou’s mother, I never would have rushed over blindly.

Living a second life, I finally realized that Zhou’s mother’s kindness toward me wasn't just a mother-in-law’s affection for her daughter-in-law.

Perhaps she had sensed something long ago. She was kind to me and stood up for me only because she wanted to suppress the feelings between Zhou Chenyan and Zhou Zhizi.

When she saw that the situation was no longer under her control, she decided to use me to expose the scandal.

That way, she could drive Zhou Zhizi out of the house with full justification!

Calming down, I decided to take a step back and said to Zhou Chenyan in a level tone, "Or, perhaps we can make a deal?"