After an all-night battle, Zhou Zhuofei finally defeated the final boss and successfully completed the game.
Though drowsiness was already setting in, she mustered the energy to turn on her computer, log into the gaming forum, and update her progress on her gameplay experience post, adding some final thoughts.
[Flower-Selling Girl]: Game cleared... It was tough, but I made it through. Hope I can crush all the scumbags around me just like I did with the boss!
The next day was a Thursday, but Zhou Zhuofei broke her own rule of not going out on weeknights (Monday to Thursday) and met up with Du Yu.
After a day and night to cool off, Du Yu seemed emotionally stable, though she greeted Zhou Zhuofei with a stern face and a curt wave.
"You're here."
Zhou Zhuofei immediately handed over a bag containing a handbag. "Here, take this first!"
Du Yu took it with visible disdain and tossed it onto the seat beside her, the paper bag landing with a dull thud on the cushion.
"Hey, be careful with that!" Zhou Zhuofei winced at the sound. "If it gets damaged, I’ll have to pay for it."
It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it—she just didn’t want to compensate Han Chubin. How humiliating would that be?
Du Yu let out a cold snort, ignoring the remark entirely, and cut straight to the point. "Do you know what happened yesterday?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing. What did he mean by that message?"
Du Yu took a deep breath before recounting the events of the previous day.
After finishing hot pot, she had deliberately parted ways with her colleague before sending Han Chubin the address.
He arrived quickly, carrying two cups of lemon tea. When he saw only Du Yu, he froze for a moment before pretending nothing was wrong, handing her a drink and asking where Zhou Zhuofei had gone.
When Du Yu told him Zhou Zhuofei had already left, Han Chubin feigned composure, saying he’d brought two drinks assuming both of them would be there.
"Then he tried fishing for information, asking what we’d talked about."
"Probably trying to gauge whether I’d tipped you off," Zhou Zhuofei analyzed matter-of-factly, fully in gossip mode. "If I hadn’t said anything, he could’ve planned his next move."
"Like it wasn’t obvious? The second we split up, he messaged you." Du Yu’s anger flared again, her tone sharp. "Does he think I’m some kind of idiot?"
Zhou Zhuofei quickly soothed her. "Keep your expression in check! Don’t let a scumbag give you wrinkles. Let’s eat first, then talk."
She grabbed the menu, steering the conversation away with their order.
But the moment they finished ordering, Du Yu circled back. "Has he contacted you today?"
"No, nothing since that message yesterday. But I’m not planning to reply to him anymore."
Du Yu’s eyes turned icy. "No, reply like normal. I want to see what other nonsense he’ll spew."
"Babe, if I were still in school, I’d not only reply—I’d help you catfish him. But I have a job now." Zhou Zhuofei sighed. "Work’s annoying enough as it is. Dealing with him on top of that? Absolute torture. If I had that kind of time and patience, I’d be buttering up my boss for a promotion."
Du Yu couldn’t help but laugh. She’d only been venting in anger anyway.
Now that she was certain Han Chubin was dishonest, evidence hardly mattered—she’d already sentenced him in her heart.
She backtracked. "Then ignore him. Don’t let someone like that interfere with your money-making."
"I wasn’t planning to engage. But what about you? I’m waiting for your call. If you say break up, I’ll delete him right now."
"Oh, we’re definitely breaking up." Emotionally, the two of them were alike—neither could tolerate even a speck of betrayal. But the problem was...
She wasn’t willing to let it go.
"Ending it like this is way too easy on him."
The thought of that jerk being with her while eyeing Zhou Zhuofei made her sick.
And it burned her up—why do men get to be so shamelessly unfaithful without a shred of guilt?
Why should he walk away unscathed?
Zhou Zhuofei had expected this.
Compared to her student days, Du Yu had mellowed somewhat, but at her core, she hadn’t changed a bit.
Probably due to her work environment. Thank goodness she hadn’t joined the corporate world—either she or her boss would’ve lost their minds.
But a Du Yu who could swallow her anger wouldn’t be the bold, passionate, take-no-prisoners Du Yu she knew.
"I knew you’d say that."
"You get me." Du Yu exhaled sharply. "If someone makes me miserable, I won’t let them off easy either."
"Speaking of which, I talked about this with my colleague yesterday. Do you think he might be a repeat offender?"
Zhou Zhuofei’s words struck a chord. "You’re right. This definitely isn’t his first time."
"People with shady morals don’t just wake up at twenty-something and decide to be awful for the first time. You’re in the same circle—could you dig up any rumors?"
"Hard to say. Remember those photos I sent you? He never shows his face online. Offline, changing his alias is as easy as breathing. Gathering intel would be tough."
"True. It’s not like an office where everything’s documented." Zhou Zhuofei sighed. Should she really reach out to Jiang Shen?
But hiring another private investigator? Finding one was one thing; trusting them was another. Xiao Wang had warned her to keep her distance from Jiang Shen, though he hadn’t denied the man’s competence.
Hesitant, she ventured, "I have an idea, but I’m not sure if I should suggest it."
"Just say it. Whether it’s doable is another matter."
Seeing her resolve, Zhou Zhuofei laid out Jiang Shen’s details, emphasizing Xiao Wang’s caution afterward.
"Anyway, Xiao Wang specifically told me to limit contact with him, so we should be careful. You know Xiao Wang, right? I’ve mentioned him before."
"Yeah, your CEO’s secretary. Your workplace idol."
"Not an idol—a highly respected mentor." After three years in the workforce, she didn’t need idols for motivation anymore.
"Whatever. So the situation is: your mentor warned you against him, but your colleague’s friend vouches for his reliability?"
"Exactly. Plus, I’m sure his fees aren’t cheap. Maybe think it over—is it worth spending that much?"
The younger Zhou Zhuofei would’ve believed emotional wounds were the worst thing in the world. Now? Hurt her feelings, fine. Hurt her wallet? Unforgivable.
"Enough talk." Du Yu held out her hand. "Give me his contact."
"Alright then." Zhou Zhuofei didn’t waste words, sending Jiang Shen’s phone number to the other person. After sending it, she added, "If you’re short on money, just say so. Don’t tough it out alone."
Then she remembered Jiang Shen had once mentioned giving her a discount, so she tacked on another message: "Let me know the price he quotes you first. I’ll see if I can help you get a discount."
"Wow, you’re really getting more and more capable."
"Hardly. It’s just that the company’s big—if you ask around enough, you’ll always find someone who can help."
Zhou Zhuofei’s idea instantly cooled Du Yu’s anger, even sparking some excitement for what was to come.
After dinner, Du Yu was eager to rush home and call Jiang Shen, so the two parted ways. On her way back, Zhou Zhuofei received a message from Han Chubin, asking if she was off work and mentioning he wanted to discuss Du Yu’s birthday party with her.
Given Du Yu’s stance, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t afford to burn bridges just yet. Suppressing the urge to curse him out, she simply replied that she was still working overtime, then silenced her phone and tossed it into her handbag.
But after a few steps, she still felt unsatisfied and muttered under her breath:
"Idio—"
Just then, a car honked loudly as it passed by, drowning out the rest of her words with a sharp "BEEP—"
Back home, she played with her cat, Director, for a while before realizing she hadn’t run into Cen Huan all week.
Seems like Cen Huan must have landed the job at New World, so their work schedules were now completely opposite.
"Why are people so different?" Zhou Zhuofei mused aloud as she brushed Director’s fur.
"Some lives are already set in stone, predictable from start to finish, while others are just beginning. Some get to meet their dream romantic lead, while others end up with trash men. If this were a novel, why couldn’t the author just make everyone happy?"
Her only response was Director’s soft meow.
"You think so too, huh?"
And so, the two carried on their one-sided conversation—her with words, Director with meows.
Truthfully, Zhou Zhuofei had long accepted her fate. This was just a momentary outburst.
The next morning, Zhan Zilang slipped over to her desk as soon as he arrived at the office.
"Zhou-jie, got any updates to share?"
Zhou Zhuofei was still chewing on half a steamed bun. She swallowed before answering, "You’re really eager, aren’t you?"
"Just trying to do my part," Zhan Zilang said, still at that fiercely righteous age. "I asked around more last night, but none of my friends know this guy. Otherwise, someone would’ve introduced him to me already."
Not one to beat around the bush, Zhou Zhuofei cut straight to the point. "I gave her Jiang Shen’s contact info."
Zhan Zilang wasn’t surprised—or maybe he’d seen it coming. "So she’s going through with it."
"Yeah. If my friend doesn’t get this off her chest, she won’t let it go." Recalling the chaos Du Yu had stirred up back in their school days, Zhou Zhuofei almost felt nostalgic. They’d certainly caused their fair share of trouble back then.
Which just went to show—they weren’t afraid of drama now, just too lazy for it.
"I think your friend’s in the right. If someone messes up, they should own it. If they can’t take responsibility, they shouldn’t call themselves men."
"Xiao Zhan, you’re really passionate about this. Suddenly, I think you made the right choice joining the admin department."
"Damn right—" Zhan Zilang started to preen, then paused. "Wait, was that a compliment?"
"Of course it was." Zhou Zhuofei kept a straight face, leaving no room for doubt. "You should have more confidence in yourself."
After a moment’s thought, Zhan Zilang decided she had a point and sauntered off, pleased.
Heh, another day getting praised by Zhou-jie!
That morning, Zhou Zhuofei multitasked between work and texting Du Yu.
Du Yu had already contacted Jiang Shen, who quoted a price—admittedly steep, but considering the nature and difficulty of the job, Zhou Zhuofei figured it was fair compensation.
The key detail, though, was that Du Yu had already paid the deposit yesterday, officially becoming Jiang Shen’s client.
[You move fast. Didn’t I say I could ask about a discount for you?]
[Better to act sooner rather than later. The final payment isn’t due yet, so you can still help me haggle~]
[Fine, I’ll ask.]
That said, Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t sure whether to approach Jiang Shen directly or ask Zhan Zilang to dig around. Both options felt like a hassle.
[Mwah! Also, let’s all three have dinner tonight.]
[? Why all three?]
[Because I don’t want it to be just me and him. Come on, this is your chance to show off your passive-aggressive skills—get some catharsis first.]
Until Jiang Shen’s investigation wrapped up, Du Yu didn’t want to confront Han Chubin or tip him off. But since they’d only been dating for a little over a month, skipping weekends together would raise suspicions.
She just didn’t trust herself alone with him—she might lose control and throw a drink in his face. The best solution? Bring Zhou Zhuofei along.
Besides, Zhou Zhuofei had one skill Du Yu envied: the art of verbal jabs. She could lace insults with humor so smoothly that slower-witted people wouldn’t even realize they’d been roasted.
Back in their club days, members might’ve feared Du Yu’s temper, but plenty had also bowed to Zhou Zhuofei’s razor-sharp wit.
No wonder they got along so well.
True talent never dims another’s light!
The idea did tempt Zhou Zhuofei. Since starting her job, she’d been living a life of forced restraint—speaking her mind wasn’t always an option, and she had to measure her words carefully.
But this? This was a golden opportunity. No need to hold back with Han Chubin, and Du Yu wouldn’t mind. A gift from the heavens!
[I’m in.]
[OK, I’ll text you the details.]
Later, after lunch, Zhou Zhuofei got another message from Du Yu.
[He asked if he should pick you up from work.]
[You want us to start arguing in the car?]
[If we’re going by distance, he’d pick you up first, then me. His family’s company is closer to you—typical trash man tactics.]
Du Yu was surprised by how calm she felt. Now that she knew the truth, watching his little schemes from a god’s-eye view just made them seem pathetic.
What had she ever seen in him?
[No way. I’ll get there myself.]
[Oh, and bring that coworker of yours with the luxury car. He’s always bragging about it—let him see what a real luxury car looks like.]
[Bragging about material things? How childish.]
Still, Zhou Zhuofei relayed Du Yu’s idea to Zhan Zilang, figuring he might actually enjoy the challenge.
"I'm definitely helping with this!" Zhan Zilang was thrilled at the chance to confront the scumbag in person and eagerly agreed, saying, "I’ll arrange round-trip transportation for you—car service there and back."
"That’s way too much!" Zhou Zhuofei quickly interrupted him. "Just getting me there is more than enough."
"Absolutely no problem. We’ll leave right after work." Zhan Zilang couldn’t help but think life was getting more and more interesting.
To ensure Han Chubin would see Zhan Zilang’s car, the two had to stick strictly to the schedule, arriving at the parking lot before he did.
So the moment their shift ended, they rushed to the time clock and then hurried down to the underground garage.
Zhan Zilang was as hyped as an athlete about to compete. "I’m thinking whether I should make an appearance later."
"Go for it. You’re quite the looker, after all."
"Zhou-jie, you’ve been complimenting me way too often lately. I’m not used to it."
As they walked and talked, they soon reached the car. Zhou Zhuofei reached for the door handle.
Suddenly, Zhan Zilang’s phone rang.
He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and answered immediately, signaling to Zhou Zhuofei before stepping aside into a corner.
Though the car was unlocked, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t get in, choosing to wait outside instead.
After about five or six minutes, while chatting with Du Yu, she noticed Zhan Zilang walking back with a grim expression.
One look at his face, and her heart sank with foreboding.
"What’s wrong? Can’t make it?"
Zhan Zilang nodded awkwardly. "My mom’s demanding I go home right away."
"Then you should hurry."
"But what about you, Zhou-jie?"
Zhou Zhuofei shrugged. "What can I do? I’ll just take a cab."
Zhan Zilang frowned—that wouldn’t do. "How about I lend you my car? I remember you can drive, right?"
"Even if you handed me the keys, I wouldn’t dare!" Zhou Zhuofei widened her eyes, waving her hands frantically to dissuade him.
"Don’t worry, it’s insured. Even if you scratch it, you won’t have to pay."
"That makes me even more nervous!"
"Well then..."
As Zhan Zilang hesitated, his gaze caught a familiar figure in the distance, and his face lit up.
"I’ve got it!"
