It was another Saturday, and Qiao Yin didn't have to go to the law firm. She stayed at home to accompany Chen Yuehong and have a chat, giving Shen Yanfang a chance to rest.
Chen Yuehong had not been feeling well these past two days. When she arrived at the police station on Thursday, she was still in good spirits. However, as Friday came and went without any news from Zhou Chengze, her spirits slowly dwindled. Qiao Yin couldn't reach Xiao Yang either, so she had to pay a visit to the police station on Friday afternoon. There, she found a familiar police officer who provided her with a general understanding of the situation. It turned out that Zhou Kaiming was currently the prime suspect, and he was likely involved in a multi-level marketing organization. Xiao Yang was tracking this lead and had infiltrated the organization.
After Qiao Yin shared the important parts of this information with Chen Yuehong, her mood didn't seem to improve. On Saturday morning, Chen Yuehong woke up early and sat on the balcony, her head hanging down, lost in thought. When Qiao Yin got out of bed and saw that she was awake, she walked over and sat beside her. As she lowered her head to take a look, she noticed that Chen Yuehong was fixated on a family photo in her lap.
It was a picture of Zhou Chengze when he was six or seven years old. He was small and thin, with a clean and innocent face, smiling shyly at the camera. He stood in the front, with his older brother Zhou Kaiming, who was around sixteen or seventeen at the time, and a much younger Chen Yuehong beside him. The mother and son embraced the youngest child, Zhou Chengze, carefully supporting his shoulders with great affection. And at the end stood the head of the family, Zhou Rui, with his hands resting on his wife and eldest son's shoulders.
They appeared to be a harmonious and ordinary family, but Qiao Yin noticed something slightly off: not in relation to the Zhou family itself, but rather their attire. They were all farmers from northeastern China, and judging by the age of Zhou Chengze in the photo, it was taken over twenty years ago. Yet their clothing, compared to the typical attire of northeastern farmers at that time, seemed rather extravagant.
"No, that's not right." Qiao Yin frowned slightly. She remembered when she and Zhou Chengze were in college, he was still receiving subsidies. His living expenses were mostly earned by Zhou Kaiming, who worked tirelessly, and they lived a frugal life. Their family was a typical impoverished one.
Qiao Yin wanted to ask Chen Yuehong about it, but when she looked up, she saw her filled with sorrow. So she pursed her lips and swallowed her words, reaching out to gently hold Chen Yuehong's hand to offer comfort.
It was originally a harmonious family, and if it were to come down to only Chen Yuehong in the future, it was truly hard to imagine how she would get by. Qiao Yin only hoped that Zhou Chengze could hold on until Xiao Yang and the others found him. After all, he was an exceptionally filial son and should not leave his mother alone.
Chen Yuehong's fingers, covered in calluses, caressed the photo, and she let out a deep sigh. "It's all because the ancestral grave is suppressing the dragon's veins."
The remark came suddenly, and Qiao Yin thought she had misheard. "What?"
"The ancestral grave of the Zhou family is suppressing the dragon's veins. That's why we've been cursed like this," Chen Yuehong murmured, pursing her lips and shaking her head with a face full of desolation. "The male descendants in our family always leave early... Zhou Rui was also swindled of his fortune by the multi-level marketing scheme, and he died of illness overnight." She paused, took a long sigh, and tears began to stream down her face. "Can you imagine how the child feels, knowing that his father died like that? That's why he got involved in another nest of MLM schemes."
As she spoke, Chen Yuehong raised her arm to wipe her eyes. Tears kept falling, and her face was filled with the expression of pain. "And to think that they dragged Chengze into it too... It's a curse, all a curse..."
Qiao Yin remained silent for a moment, then got up and fetched a pack of tissues to wipe away her tears.
Actually, Qiao Yin didn't believe in curses. She believed that even if this was said to Zhou Chengze, he wouldn't believe it either. But she couldn't find words like "that's impossible" to refute Chen Yuehong. Because it was only at times like this that Qiao Yin realized that sometimes people should hold onto some faith. After all, human endurance has its limits, and in the face of suffering, the more one delves into it, the easier it is to blame oneself. And the pain brought by this self-blame is not something everyone can bear every time. If one couldn't allocate some responsibility to fate, then life would be too painful.
Outside, it gradually started to rain. The dark gray clouds were heavy, covering the sky without a gap, making it hard to breathe.
At this moment, Zhou Chengze also woke up slowly. After paying the 3,000 yuan partnership fee, he had spent two nights in the new house. Xu Dafan had disappeared without a trace since yesterday morning when Zhou Chengze woke up. There was no fulfillment of the promise to introduce him to Zhou Kaiming. Zhou Chengze no longer held any hope of seeing Zhou Kaiming, but after resting for two nights, his mind had cleared up considerably, and he had other plans in mind.
He got up, tidied up the mat he had used as a bed, and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. A young girl was also getting ready in the bathroom, and when she saw him approaching, she enthusiastically squeezed toothpaste for him. The people here always maintained a spirit of "mutual help," and after staying here for a few days, Zhou Chengze had gotten used to it. After finishing his hygiene routine, he returned to the living room, glancing around the entire room before his gaze stopped at the door of the bedroom where the dorm leader lived, pausing for a few seconds.
The newcomers transferred here would have to undergo a few more days of "instructor" training, and it had been announced yesterday that a senior "instructor" would come this morning. The dorm leader, who hadn't appeared for so long, was estimated to show up as well.
With that in mind, Zhou Chengze turned and headed to the kitchen.
Only a few women were preparing breakfast for a house full of people. One of them noticed him and thought he was hungry, so she smiled and reassured him, "Are you hungry? Breakfast will be ready soon, don't worry."
Zhou Chengze nodded silently without saying a word. Taking advantage of their distraction, he discreetly slipped a folding fruit knife from the kitchen into his jeans pocket. After standing there for a moment, he quietly walked out of the kitchen.
The people here spent their days idle, often gathering to play cards or chat, leading monotonous lives. Zhou Chengze didn't interact with the others, instead sitting in a corner, observing a group of people playing cards. As it approached ten o'clock in the morning, someone came in to inform everyone that they were preparing for a lecture and then led them one by one to a large room at the end of the corridor.
This room seemed to be specifically allocated for "training." There was a podium against the wall, and beneath it were more than thirty chairs. Zhou Chengze sat down with the others and soon caught sight of the "senior lecturer" — a tall figure in a tailored suit, with wheat-colored skin and a typical Chinese face.
In that instant of recognizing the "senior lecturer," Zhou Chengze was shaken to his core.
It was none other than his older brother, Zhou Kaiming.
There he stood, dressed immaculately, on the stage, completely different from his previous stuttering and clumsy appearance. He held his head high, his speech flowing effortlessly. Zhou Chengze's gaze pierced through the crowd, fixated on his brother, overwhelmed with shock and disbelief.
Over the past few days, Zhou Chengze had considered various possibilities. He suspected that Zhou Kaiming was being coerced or used, finding all sorts of reasons and excuses for his brother's actions, but he had never imagined that Zhou Kaiming would be the mastermind behind it all.
"How can it be possible? Zhou Kaiming as a senior lecturer in a multi-level marketing organization? Would he forget that it was because of MLM that our father died? Has he been so deceived by MLM that he is willing to deceive his own brother?"
Zhou Chengze stared at Zhou Kaiming, feeling a chill run down his spine in the August heat.
Zhou Chengze didn't absorb a single word of Zhou Kaiming's lecture. When the training session ended and everyone else was being instructed to leave, leaving only Zhou Kaiming and him in the room, he realized that the lecture was already over. Zhou Kaiming stood on the podium, smiling as he gazed at Zhou Chengze for a while before walking towards him.
Coming to a stop in front of Zhou Chengze, Zhou Kaiming sighed with emotion and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I finally got you involved as well."
"Finally?" However, Zhou Chengze's reaction wasn't as pleasantly surprised as Zhou Kaiming had imagined. He furrowed his brow tightly, his face pale as he locked eyes with him. "Brother, do you know what you're doing?"
"Xiaoze, this is a path to making big money, far better than your current job could ever be," Zhou Kaiming tried to persuade him, feeling a bit conflicted as an older brother. He opened his arms, allowing Zhou Chengze to take a closer look at himself. "Look, not only have I overcome my stutter, but I also have money. Just listen to me, work with me, and you'll have a better life like mine in the future." As he said this, he remembered something and continued, "Don't you want to win back Qiaoyin? Once you make a lot of money, you'll definitely win her over. Nowadays, there's no woman that can't be won over with money."
Shaking his head and furrowing his brow tightly, Zhou Chengze responded as if he no longer recognized the person before him. "There are so many ways to make money. Why would you choose this?" He thought of their father, Zhou Rui, and became even more puzzled. "Have you forgotten that it was MLM that killed Dad?"
Unable to fully hear his younger brother's question, Zhou Kaiming shook his head and downplayed the issue. "This isn't MLM; it's multi-level direct sales."
"If this isn't really MLM, why did you not contact us for eight years?" Despite his poor verbal skills, Zhou Chengze showed an unusually quick reaction. He squinted his eyes in disbelief as he looked into Zhou Kaiming's eyes, filled with shock and pain. "You know... why would you still do this?"
Perhaps stung by his younger brother's gaze, Zhou Kaiming suddenly flushed red and his tone became unexpectedly firm. "Stop guessing blindly!" He widened his eyes, clearly no longer willing to negotiate with Zhou Chengze. "Just follow me and work hard. I guarantee that in a few years, you'll be living in a villa, driving luxury cars!"
Zhou Chengze stared at him, unwavering, and then stood up. Although he was not as tall as Zhou Kaiming, his height of 1.8 meters no longer made him physically inferior as in their childhood. He met Zhou Kaiming's gaze, shaking his head decisively. "You've gone mad." Then, he furrowed his brow, a rare display of seriousness and refusal to back down. "I won't join this line of work. Mom is still at home, come back with me."
However, Zhou Kaiming remained stubborn and continued to lock eyes with him, refusing to back down.
The two brothers confronted each other for a long time, and Zhou Chengze finally realized that Zhou Kaiming would not turn back. He clenched his fist, reluctantly giving up on Zhou Kaiming, and turned to run towards the door of the room!
Little did he know that there were four men guarding outside the door. As soon as Zhou Chengze pushed the door open, they immediately surrounded him, blocking his way back into the room and shutting the door!
Zhou Kaiming had not caught up yet, but the order had already been given. "Knock him out!"
The four men closed in on Zhou Chengze, intending to knock him out. He had no choice but to pull out the folding fruit knife from his pocket and point it at them to keep them at bay. Two of the men, upon seeing his knife, also drew out their own daggers and charged at him, attempting to stab him!
"Don't use the knife!" Zhou Kaiming exclaimed. In a swift move, he lunged forward and pulled Zhou Chengze to safety, avoiding the blade aimed at him. However, the men who were already agitated, having long been oppressed by Zhou Kaiming's upper-hand, no longer followed his commands. Shouting, "This kid wants to play rough with us," they charged forward again, intent on stabbing Zhou Chengze!
Realizing the danger, Zhou Kaiming quickly shielded Zhou Chengze behind him. The blade had no regard for its target and thrust directly at Zhou Kaiming! In that instant, Zhou Chengze, almost reflexively, pushed Zhou Kaiming away. But as he reached out to block the attack, the knife mercilessly pierced his abdomen!
"Xiaoze!" Zhou Kaiming exclaimed. Before they could react, the door was forcefully pushed open, and a group of armed police officers rushed into the room. "Police! Don't move! Drop your weapons!"
Weakened by the stab, Zhou Chengze's grip on the fruit knife loosened, and it slipped from his hand. His face turned pale with pain as he staggered, but Zhou Kaiming caught him, calling out, "Xiaoze, Xiaoze..."
Struggling, Zhou Chengze pushed away Zhou Kaiming's hand, refusing to even look at him. His forehead was covered in cold sweat as he endured the pain and forced out the words, "You need to answer to Mom..."
Just as the criminal investigators restrained the four men in the room, Yan Cong, seeing the scene, hurriedly approached with medical personnel. However, he didn't assist Zhou Chengze; instead, he handcuffed Zhou Kaiming's hands behind his back and spoke in a calm voice, "Wake up! You almost killed your own brother."
Two hours later, Xiao Yang returned to the city's public security bureau. He had already received a call from Yan Cong, informing him that Zhou Chengze had been stabbed and taken to the hospital. Fortunately, the injuries were not life-threatening, and after surgery and a period of recovery in the hospital, he would be fine. The family members of Zhou Chengze had also been notified by the bureau. Xiao Yang changed his clothes and went to report the situation to his superiors.
After handling everything, as Xiao Yang prepared to leave the police station and go home, he remembered to check his phone. In doing so, he noticed a text message from Qiao Yin that was sent two days ago. As he finished reading the message, which elevated him to the heavens and rendered him speechless with anger, Xiao Yang couldn't help but furrow his brow.
In fact, he had long noticed Chen Yuehong's excessive dependence on Qiao Yin. After all, her unconscious gestures had already revealed this mindset. So, when Chen Yuehong mentioned that Qiao Yin was Zhou Chengze's girlfriend, Xiao Yang wasn't particularly surprised and had a rough idea of the whole situation.
Initially, Xiao Yang didn't plan to make a big deal out of this, but seeing Qiao Yin's smooth-talking and attempts to please everyone, he suddenly felt the need to teach her a lesson.
With that in mind, he contemplated how to give her a lesson while changing his shirt. He walked out of the police station, only to be surprised to find that trouble-making woman—Qiao Yin—standing in front of his car. She was bowing her head, fingers agilely swiping on her phone screen, as if editing a text message.
Without making much noise, Xiao Yang approached her quietly and tapped her shoulder. "Didn't you go to the hospital?" he asked.
Qiao Yin visibly jumped in fright. Her body trembled, and she raised her head. It seemed she hadn't recognized him from his voice until she saw his face, and only then did she let out a sigh of relief. "You're here..."
However, Xiao Yang's brow slightly furrowed. Though her tiredness was concealed by makeup, he could still see it in her eyes. Her big eyes couldn't fully open, and the fatigue between her eyebrows was evident. Despite this, she continued speaking without realizing, "I was just about to text you to ask if you had returned... Did you see my previous message?" Without waiting for Xiao Yang's response, Qiao Yin gently tugged at his finger and raised it, tilting her head in a perplexed manner as she looked around, as if trying to confirm that he hadn't lost an arm or leg. "Officer Yan said you went undercover. You weren't mistreated, were you?"
It seems like he wanted to confirm whether he had any missing limbs, "I heard from Officer Yan that you went undercover, were you not mistreated?"
"If I had been mistreated, would I be standing here?" He calmly observed her expression and saw her relaxed smile, then casually asked again, "Didn't you go to the hospital?"
Finally, he heard him ask this question. Qiao Yin raised her eyelids and said, "Oh, I just came from the hospital. Zhou Chengze's surgery was successful, and he's out of danger now. I haven't heard any news about you, so I hurried over to see you." As she spoke, she remembered the main purpose and slightly widened her eyes. She carefully held his fingertips, tilted her face slightly, and blinked as she asked, "You're not mad at me, right? I'll cook something delicious for you when we go back."
Did she really think that he could be appeased with good food like her? Xiao Yang wanted to sarcastically comment on her, but seeing her drowsy and barely conscious state, he ended up reaching out to ruffle her hair instead. "No, I'm not mad." Then he took out the car keys from his pocket, looked at her with little expression, and asked, "Are you still going to the hospital? If not, we can go home together."
Qiao Yin grinned, murmured, "I knew you were the most wise and heroic," and shook her head, "I'll go with you." After saying that, she couldn't help but rub her eyes. "I want to go home and get some sleep."
As a result, as soon as she got in the car, she fell into a drowsy sleep. The fatigue accumulated over nearly a week transformed into overwhelming weariness, and she couldn't hold on any longer. Xiao Yang parked the car in the underground parking lot of the community, turned his head and saw her sleeping soundly with her face turned to the side, so he didn't wake her up. He got out of the car and came to the passenger side, opened the door to release her seat belt, then bent down and gently supported her before turning around and carrying her on his back.
Qiao Yin was sleeping so deeply that she didn't wake up even when she was leaning on his back. Xiao Yang locked the car and carried her up to the apartment. It was only at the doorstep that he lightly pinched her leg, "Where did you put the keys?"
Half-asleep, she opened her eyes and answered vaguely, "I don't know..."
Xiao Yang's expression remained unchanged as he pinched her again, "Don't want to go home?"
She still only had sleep on her mind, so she buried her face in the crook of his neck and lazily uttered a half-hearted syllable, "Mm..." Little did she know that this unconscious response plunged Xiaoyang into a brief silence.
That time when Qiao Yin got drunk and stayed overnight at Xiao Yang's place, it was no big deal for him to bring her back to his own home with just a simple turn. But now the situation is different from back then. They were just ordinary neighbors at that time, but now they are in a romantic relationship.
Xiao Yang was not petty enough to deny her the chance to rest at his place.
However, he can't guarantee that two adults who are currently in a relationship, spending the whole night together in one room, won't encounter any "situations".
~Thank You for Reading, Please Comment Below~
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