Zhou Zhuofei tossed her phone back into her bag after replying to the message and strolled leisurely along the tree-shaded path toward the exit.
She had made a mental note of the route when she arrived—following this path would lead her straight to the main road, where she could hail a cab home.
The moment she heard Zhan Zilang’s friends joke about pursuing her, Zhou Zhuofei had decisively turned and walked away.
Why stay and endure discomfort when more offensive remarks were bound to follow?
It truly took only a second for someone to reveal their true colors. Zhan Zilang’s friends might have looked polished, but their words were shockingly vulgar and shallow.
Or was this the essence of all men—reducing women to the butt of tasteless jokes, with no concept of respect?
But then it occurred to her: if this world was fundamentally a novel, then surely the author would have crafted some truly exceptional male characters. So perhaps the real issue was her status as a mere side character, destined to cross paths only with such people.
This must be the inescapable hand of fate.
Like how she was fated to work at Huanyu, or how, despite her careful selection of a residence, Cen Huan had still ended up as her neighbor.
Her current situation felt ripped from the pages of a clichéd romance—an ordinary girl from humble beginnings encounters a charming, wealthy young man, their lives intertwining by chance, leading to an invitation to his lavish home for a glimpse into a world of luxury.
If this were the heroine’s story, a whirlwind romance would undoubtedly follow.
But all Zhou Zhuofei saw was a mess—first a red-haired brat trying to buy her off with money, then those insufferable comments.
Honestly, she might as well have taken Xie Ya’s 100,000 yuan!
Fuming, Zhou Zhuofei marched down the road, ignoring the vibrations of her phone in her bag.
After a while, she gradually cooled down.
Deep down, she knew she’d never actually take that money. Accepting it would mean never being able to hold her head high in front of Xie Ya again—hardly worth it.
Just then, a black sedan pulled up beside her, slowing to match her pace as if deliberately keeping in step.
Suspicious, Zhou Zhuofei glanced over as the rear window rolled down, revealing Xie Huai’s face.
His expression was as unreadable as ever, his posture relaxed in the plush seat. "Miss Zhou, need a ride?"
She didn’t hesitate. "No, thank you."
Having already turned down 100,000 yuan, refusing a ride in a luxury car came easily.
More importantly, Zhou Zhuofei was in no mood to deal with wealthy men right now.
For all she knew, Xie Huai was just another one of those who pretended to be proper but secretly treated women as punchlines.
He spoke again. "Miss Zhou, I’d like to ask you something. Do you know my younger brother?"
Overthinking would only make her seem guilty, so she responded with feigned innocence. "You have a brother? From what I’ve seen in your profile, you’re an only child, aren’t you?"
Xie Huai hadn’t expected that.
Technically, Xie Ya wasn’t his brother by blood, but anyone with even a passing connection to the Xie family knew of his existence.
Xie Ya was his father’s illegitimate child. To avoid complications, his father had Xie Ya raised by a distant relative. It wasn’t until two years ago, when his father grew older and longed to see a harmonious bond between his sons—and perhaps feared Xie Ya would never be acknowledged—that he brought Xie Ya back, hoping to foster brotherly affection between them.
But Xie Huai and Xie Ya had never lived together. How could there be any genuine affection? The only reason Xie Huai accepted this younger brother was to avoid a public scandal that would make the Xie family a laughingstock in City K.
So, in a way, Zhou Zhuofei’s response was exactly what Xie Huai wanted to hear.
Xie Huai couldn’t help but study her more carefully.
Earlier, at the Zhan residence, he had felt an inexplicable familiarity about Zhou Zhuofei, but his focus had been on finding Xie Ya, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
It wasn’t until he saw her silhouette in the car that Xie Huai realized where that sense of familiarity came from.
Her figure bore a striking resemblance to someone from his past.
Collecting himself, he said, “My apologies for not being clear earlier. Do you happen to know a young man named Xie Ya? If you need a photo, I can show you.”
This time, Zhou Zhuofei deliberately paused before answering sincerely, “I’m sorry, Mr. Xie, but I really can’t help. However, I do know an excellent private investigator named Jiang Shen. If you need assistance, you could reach out to him.”
She hesitated between helping Xie Ya or Xie Huai but ultimately chose neither.
She didn’t particularly like either of them, and more importantly, she couldn’t afford to offend either. No matter how intense their feud seemed now, they were both Xies. Once they resolved their differences, their anger could easily turn outward—and she’d be the one in trouble.
So she opted to play dumb without burning bridges.
Her earlier decision to help Xie Ya had been calculated too, and it worked perfectly. Xie Ya had glared at her afterward, unable to say a word—because deep down, he knew he’d be the ungrateful one if he lashed out.
“No problem. If you hear anything, please let me know. Here’s my card.”
He pulled a business card from his holder. Zhou Zhuofei stepped forward to take it, then made a show of rummaging through her bag before saying, “Sorry, Mr. Xie, I didn’t bring my card today.”
“That’s fine. Just give me your number directly.” Xie Huai already had his phone out, his gaze fixed on her expectantly.
Zhou Zhuofei slowly realized something was off. A high-ranking company president like him, personally handing out business cards on the street to track down his brother? Shouldn’t this be Secretary Xiao’s job?
She couldn’t even imagine Ling Yu standing on the roadside, handing out cards and asking for phone numbers.
Was this whole thing just a ruse to get her number?
The thought startled her, and her eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
That… couldn’t be it, right?
After a brief hesitation, she recited her number. If he really wanted it, he could find it anyway, so resisting was pointless.
Once he saved it, he immediately dialed, letting it ring twice before hanging up.
“Thank you for your help.”
Xie Huai’s demeanor now seemed friendlier than it had been earlier at the Zhan residence, but Zhou Zhuofei still remembered the way his gaze had made her spine tingle. She wasn’t about to be fooled by this facade.
A genuinely warm and kind person wouldn’t carry such an air—someone like Secretary Xiao, for instance, who never made others feel uneasy. With him, she could interact freely, equally, and comfortably, without overthinking every word or gesture.
"Are you sure you don’t need me to give you a ride? It’s quite a long walk to the main road."
"Really, it’s fine. I’d prefer to walk."
Seeing Zhou Zhuofei’s firm refusal, Xie Huai didn’t press further. After bidding her goodbye, he instructed the driver to move on.
The car gradually picked up speed, soon leaving Zhou Zhuofei behind. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that a pair of eyes from that vehicle were still fixed on her.
She couldn’t tell whether it was her intuition being overly sharp or just her mind playing tricks on her.
Either way, staying away from Xie Huai was definitely the right call.
So her first step was to make things clear with Xie Ya and have him resolve this nuisance for her.
Zhou Zhuofei walked for what felt like ages before finally reaching the main road. Only after getting into a cab did she pull out her phone to check. There was one missed call and several messages from Zhan Zilang.
Judging by her earlier reply, he seemed to have guessed something was wrong, hence the barrage of texts—apologies mixed with explanations.
Truthfully, she wasn’t all that upset with Zhan Zilang. He had always treated her well, and given their longer history, she could overlook his occasional impulsiveness. At heart, he was a decent guy, just young and a bit rough around the edges.
Plus, they often chatted, and their values aligned well enough that she knew he’d never say such things himself. His friends’ behavior shouldn’t be held against him.
It was also true that people tended to be more forgiving toward friends than strangers. For instance, she couldn’t tolerate Xie Ya in the slightest, but with Zhan Zilang, she could selectively ignore certain flaws.
So she replied, assuring him she was fine, while also admitting she’d overheard their conversation.
[I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just coming to find you and happened to walk into it.]
[They went too far. I already called them out. Seriously, Zhou-jie, I’m so sorry. I had no idea they’d show up—today was supposed to be just us gaming. I’ll make it up to you on Monday!]
[It’s fine. I don’t care about their attitude. I only know you, and as long as I don’t run into them again, it’s all good.]
Zhan Zilang responded with a flood of tearful emojis, coaxing a laugh out of Zhou Zhuofei despite her lingering irritation.
Maybe she’d been too quick to generalize. The world did have its share of decent, even exceptional men—like Zhan Zilang and Secretary Xiao.
After returning home, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t even step into her own apartment first. Instead, she knocked on Cen Huan’s door.
Cen Huan answered quickly. "Zhuofei? What’s up?"
"Is Xie Ya here?"
"He’s working a side job today. He’s got another gig."
Zhou Zhuofei thought, Does scaling mansion windows count as a gig now?
Noticing her expression, Cen Huan asked with concern, "Is it urgent? Should I give you his number?"
"No need. It’s not that pressing. Just have him come see me when he gets back."
"Alright." Cen Huan replied with a hint of concern in her expression. Zhou Zhuofei chatted with her for a few casual moments before heading home.
As she organized the items in her bag, she once again noticed the business card Xie Huai had given her earlier. It followed a standard corporate format, but upon closer inspection, the phone number seemed different.
Zhou Zhuofei pulled out her phone to compare and confirmed that the number Xie Huai had called from didn’t match the one printed on the card.
Based on her understanding of Ling Yu, who owned multiple phones, Xie Huai’s situation was likely similar. The number he’d used must have been his personal line.
Why would the billionaire CEO of a publicly listed company deliberately leave her his private number?
Recalling his earlier demeanor, an uneasy feeling crept over her again—this time distinct from the situation with Han Chubin.
Han Chubin had raised her suspicions due to the inconsistency between his identity and actions, but Xie Huai hadn’t done anything. A single glance from him had been enough to unsettle her.
Instinctively, she wanted to talk to someone, and Xiao Wang’s name immediately came to mind. But she quickly dismissed the idea.
She couldn’t burden Secretary Xiao with more trouble. Besides, this wasn’t even a real issue—nothing had actually happened. It was just her anxiety and unease playing tricks on her.
Bringing it up would only waste Xiao Wang’s time.
Discussing it with Du Yu wouldn’t help either. Xie Huai’s affairs clearly fell outside their sphere of influence. In fact, very few people in the entire company could even access the so-called "circle" Zhan Zilang had mentioned.
Zhou Zhuofei rubbed her temples. Gaming had already exhausted her, and now she had to grapple with these thoughts—her brain was practically fried.
She sat on the couch for a while, resting. Director, who had been lounging on the cat scratcher in the corner, seemed to sense her mood and leaped onto the sofa, nuzzling her thigh repeatedly.
Zhou Zhuofei stroked the cat’s furry head, wistfully thinking how much simpler life would be if humans were as uncomplicated as animals. At the same time, she tried to reassure herself: Don’t panic. Focus on identifying the core issue here.
Sister Ye had taught her that problems shouldn’t be judged by their surface appearances—she needed to pinpoint the key factor. For example, when couples argued, was it really just about a single disagreement?
Zhou Zhuofei took a deep breath and concentrated on analyzing the situation.
Before long, Xie Ya knocked on her door.
Noticing Zhou Zhuofei’s unusual demeanor, Cen Huan urged Xie Ya to see her before he even stepped inside.
As soon as Xie Ya entered, Director, startled by the stranger, bolted into the bedroom.
"Sister Huan said you wanted to talk to me." Xie Ya had left the Zhan family earlier to meet friends and only returned around his nominal quitting time. Hearing that Zhou Zhuofei was looking for him, he had a rough idea why.
Once inside, his eyes immediately landed on the business card placed on the living room table. The design was all too familiar. He stepped closer and, sure enough, saw Xie Huai’s name printed on it. Suspicion instantly clouded his mind.
Why does Zhou Zhuofei have my brother’s business card? What exactly happened?
Zhou Zhuofei gestured to the sofa beside him. "Have a seat. There’s something I want to ask you."
Seeing Xie Ya’s guarded expression, she didn’t bother with pleasantries and went straight for his weak spot.
"I don’t know what your intentions are for moving into Cen Huan’s house, but do you really think you can hide forever given your family’s situation? Or do you think you can keep lying to Cen Huan for much longer?"
As expected, the moment Cen Huan was mentioned, Xie Ya immediately deflated like frost-bitten eggplants or wheat fields after a storm, his entire fiery demeanor snuffed out in an instant.
He slumped, his lips trembling as he muttered, "I didn’t mean to deceive her."
"So you’re just playing the victim so Cen Huan would care for you more, is that it?"
Seeing Xie Ya’s intense reaction and his eagerness to explain, Zhou Zhuofei waved a hand dismissively. "Don’t bother justifying yourself to me. The real person you owe an explanation to is next door."
Xie Ya immediately fell silent. Zhou Zhuofei was right—there was no point in explaining now.
"You’re a stranger to me, and I’m sure I’m the same to you. But we both care about Cen Huan, don’t we?"
Zhou Zhuofei first sought to establish common ground with Xie Ya, knowing it would make him more receptive to what she had to say next.
"Your brother has already tracked you down to me." She tapped the coffee table, gesturing toward the business card. "How much longer do you think you can hide?"
Zhou Zhuofei even suspected that Xie Huai hadn’t been seriously looking for Xie Ya before. Otherwise, how could he have missed Xie Ya singing at New World for months?
Surely Xie Huai’s men couldn’t be less competent than Jiang Shen?
Xie Ya understood this logic perfectly. In truth, he had been banking on Xie Huai’s indifference toward him.
He had dropped out of college and run off for months—who would’ve thought Xie Huai would suddenly remember him now?
"I don’t know your brother well, but he sounds like a formidable man. The question is, if you go against him, who will end up paying the price? You? Him? Or perhaps…"
Zhou Zhuofei trailed off meaningfully, simply pointing toward the neighboring room.
Her reasoning was simple: if Xie Huai had come to her for Xie Ya, then handling Xie Ya would resolve her own problem.
And since Xie Ya cared about Cen Huan, dragging her into this mess would naturally force him to act accordingly.
"That’s all I have to say. Now it’s your turn."
Zhou Zhuofei exhaled deeply, slumping back into the sofa as she mentally reviewed her words for any oversights.
Nothing seemed missing—or if there was, it was beyond her control anyway.
"You’re right," Xie Ya admitted, his expression defeated. "I let my guard down."
The past few months had been too comfortable. Knowing Xie Huai never frequented bars or music venues, he had deliberately chosen to sing there. Over time, he grew careless—and now he’d been caught.
In the past, being caught wouldn’t have mattered much. At worst, Xie Huai would’ve berated him, and he wouldn’t have cared.
But now? He couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to leave this place, and he definitely didn’t want to leave Cen Huan.
Yet what choice did he have?
In the end, Xie Ya left Zhou Zhuofei’s home in a daze.
Before he went, she seized the opportunity to impose a three-day deadline, urging him to resolve the matter quickly.
"Honestly, I want no part in this," she admitted. "And your brother seems… intimidating. How long do you think I can keep covering for you?"
