On the eighth floor, Song Xinya saw Yuan Jingcheng coming down from the thirty-eighth floor.
He looked to be in an excellent mood, carrying himself with the smug, triumphant air of a man who had gotten exactly what he wanted.
As he passed Song Xinya’s workstation, he deliberately glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile.
From that faint smile, Song Xinya caught a hint of smugness.
What was he so pleased about?
The smug smile vanished in an instant. It disappeared too quickly for her to examine it properly, almost as if she had imagined it.
Song Xinya was emotionally grounded. Rather than worrying about other people, she cared more about improving herself.
Instead of spending all day wondering whether other people were doing well, she might as well think about how to make her own life better.
Instead of complaining that life wasn’t going her way, she preferred to work steadily and build up her abilities.
She focused more on herself and wanted to do her own job well.
Besides, Song Xinya had something very important to take care of.
She needed Sheng Tianjun’s father, Sheng Changpu, to treat the scar in Qin Yuhe’s palm.
She wanted Qin Yuhe’s hand to recover completely, just as it had been before.
Sheng Tianjun had been beaten by Qin Yuhe and still hadn’t been transferred out of the ICU. Sheng Changpu was unwilling to treat Qin Yuhe’s hand.
That was all right. Song Xinya had a way to make him willing.
After Zhao Yinian was fired, Song Xinya went through every one of her filing cabinets and found all the information relating to Sheng Tianjun.
A year ago, Sheng Tianjun would only hire female tutors. Now, he would only hire male tutors.
When something changed that drastically, there had to be a reason.
Song Xinya found the answer in the information Zhao Yinian had concealed.
It turned out that a female tutor had once been raped by Sheng Tianjun.
Song Xinya had only suffered an attempted rape; Qin Yuhe had arrived in time and rescued her.
That other female tutor had not been so lucky. Sheng Tianjun had raped her.
She had reported it to the police at the time, but for some unknown reason, she later withdrew the case.
She had graduated from a prestigious university and worked hard for more than a decade to get there. Fresh out of college, she had stepped into the world with bright hopes for the future and every prospect of a wonderful life ahead of her.
Then Sheng Tianjun raped her.
Her parents had given her a name filled with their hopes and blessings:
Shen Chaoyang.
A name meaning vitality, vigor, and hope.
Song Xinya called the tutoring company where Shen Chaoyang had once worked and asked about her whereabouts. The company replied that they didn’t know; she had resigned.
As an experienced professional who had worked for years, Song Xinya knew that the company’s employee database would contain workers’ home addresses.
She asked for it, but the company refused, citing privacy protection.
The response did not surprise Song Xinya.
Just when things seemed to have reached a dead end, Chen Siyan stuck his head over.
“Talk about crossing a river and finding a ferryman waiting there. What luck. The owner of this company is one of my best friends. Ever since he founded it, he’s been trying to persuade me to join him as vice president.”
Chen Siyan pulled out his phone and said to Song Xinya, “I’ll call and ask him.”
The call connected, and the voice on the other end sounded delighted.
“The sun must’ve risen in the west—or I must be dreaming in broad daylight. You, this great Buddha, actually called me of your own accord.”
Chen Siyan said, “I wouldn’t dare call myself a Buddha. In front of you, I’m nothing more than a lowly minion.”
“Have you finally decided to come work for my company as vice president?”
“How about this? Help me with something, and I’ll answer that question.”
The other man readily agreed. “Name it!”
“Send me Shen Chaoyang’s home address.”
Without a second word, the other man sent it over.
Chen Siyan said, “Brother, aren’t you exposing a former employee’s private information like this?”
The other man replied, “Do you want it or not?”
“I do.”
“Then why are you still running your mouth? Trying to prove you have one?”
“Looks like I do.”
The other man chuckled. “I’ve done you the favor. Now can you answer me? Are you willing to come work for me as vice president?”
“Let’s discuss it another day.”
“You son of a bitch!”
“You screwed me over.”
“…”
There was a long silence.
Then the other man said lewdly, “Is your asshole itchy? Want your big brother to loosen it up for you?”
Chen Siyan was shameless too. Grinning, he said, “I’m especially tight. You’re getting old and don’t have the strength. You wouldn’t be able to loosen me.”
This time, the other man didn’t fall silent. He immediately exploded.
“Fuck!”
“Go home and work on your body before you start thinking about fucking. You’re a physically weak man.”
After infuriating the other man half to death, Chen Siyan hung up in high spirits.
Song Xinya had listened to the entire exchange between the two grown men. She asked sincerely, “Manager Chen, how do you still have friends when you talk like that?”
“Scientific research has shown that living too dull a life increases the risk of metabolic disorders. When I curse at people, I’m doing it for their health. I’m adding a little excitement to their lives so they don’t develop metabolic diseases. Is this cursing? No. This is me helping others. Don’t doubt it—your brother is a treasure.”
Song Xinya said, “More like a stuffed boy who’s eaten until he’s bloated.”
“Pear juice, orange juice, apple juice—you’re my Best Bro.”
With the help of Best Bro Chen Siyan, they successfully obtained Shen Chaoyang’s address.
Song Xinya took the afternoon off and prepared to set out.
“I don’t have much work this afternoon,” Chen Siyan said. “I’ll take the afternoon off too and go with you.”
“You finally have a free day. You should go home and get some proper rest. Sleep for a while.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to sleep after you’re dead. Why sleep so much while you’re alive? And don’t misunderstand—I’m not going with you because I’m worried about you. I’m just bored by myself and want to wander around with you to clear my head.”
Who would go to the home of someone involved in a case just to clear their head?
Song Xinya did not refuse Chen Siyan’s kindness.
“All right. Let’s go together.”
The two of them headed out. Song Xinya treated Chen Siyan to a meal, claiming she had managed to snag a discount coupon.
After eating, they set off for Shen Chaoyang’s home.
They drove for two hours before arriving in front of a dilapidated residential building.
The houses were low, their roofs gray and dusty. Power lines and network cables crisscrossed overhead like a giant spiderweb.
The cement walls were mottled and cracked, with large chunks of plaster peeling away. They looked like damaged skin, exposing the vivid red flesh beneath—the reddish-brown bricks.
Several households shared the same courtyard and used the same toilet.
The toilet had no door, only a tattered cloth curtain hanging in its place.
Whenever the wind blew, the ragged curtain fluttered wildly.
Chen Siyan watched it float into the air and sighed. “If I had to squat in a toilet like this, I’d be worried about someone seeing my big white ass.”
Song Xinya turned her head and sized up the arm he had exposed. “You have wheat-colored skin.”
“My arms are tanned from the sun. My ass is covered every day, so it’s still very white.”
“Oh, is that so? I’ll ask Tiantianquan sometime.”
“Don’t ask her. She hasn’t seen it.”
For a moment, surprise flickered through Song Xinya.
The first time those two had met at the bar, they had run to the bathroom and frantically licked each other once. And yet, they still hadn’t seen each other completely naked.
Song Xinya had no interest in whether Chen Siyan’s butt was white or wheat-colored. That was a question best left to Tiantianquan to investigate.
She stared at the tightly shut door in front of her and raised a hand to knock. “Is anyone home?”
There was no answer.
Chen Siyan said, “Shen Chaoyang isn’t home?”
Just then, a clattering sound rang out, and a plainly dressed middle-aged woman appeared at the entrance to the courtyard, riding a tricycle.
A sign on the tricycle read: Spicy Claw-Claw Braised Foods.
The road into the courtyard sloped upward, and the woman was pedaling with great difficulty.
Song Xinya ran over and gave the tricycle a push.
It made it smoothly into the courtyard.
The woman climbed down from the tricycle and politely thanked Song Xinya. “Thank you, young lady.”
Song Xinya said it was no problem, then took the opportunity to strike up a conversation. “Excuse me, do you know Shen Chaoyang?”
The expression on the middle-aged woman’s face suddenly changed. She became wary.
“Why are you looking for her?”
Song Xinya reassured her, “Please don’t misunderstand. We’re not here to do anything that would harm you.”
The middle-aged woman said, “Shen Chaoyang doesn’t need your help. Leave.”
Chen Siyan roughly estimated her age and asked, “You’re Shen Chaoyang’s mother, aren’t you?”
The wary look on the woman’s face grew even more intense. She picked up a shovel propped against the wall and swung it at Song Xinya and Chen Siyan.
“Get out! Leave right now. Whoever I am has nothing to do with you. Stop bothering Shen Chaoyang!”
She raised the shovel high. “If you don’t leave, I’ll show you no mercy. I’ll beat you to death!”
The shovel came swinging toward Song Xinya and Chen Siyan with vicious force.
It looked extremely dangerous, but in reality, it didn’t hit either of them.
Song Xinya and Chen Siyan were driven out of the gate. With a heavy bang, the courtyard gate slammed shut.
Chen Siyan said, “See that? The moment she saw us, she treated us to a closed door. She’s really considerate.”
Song Xinya said, “The squid always loses. My whole life is like a bowl of mung bean ice.”
Chen Siyan said, “Come on. I’ll buy you a bowl of mung bean ice. Eat it, go home, and we’ll fight again tomorrow.”
The two of them walked toward the entrance of the alley.
On the other side of the wall, the tightly shut door in the courtyard opened, and a girl stepped out.
It was the height of summer, and everyone else was wearing short sleeves and shorts. She, however, was covered from head to toe: a hat, a mask, long sleeves, long pants, socks, and canvas shoes.
Shen Chaoyang ran toward the middle-aged woman. “Mom, what happened just now?”
The middle-aged woman put the shovel back against the wall. “Nothing. It was nothing. Two people came by selling credit cards. Nobody wanted one, but they insisted on making people apply. Those people are so annoying.”
Shen Chaoyang went over to the tricycle and took out the unsold braised foods. The box was heavy in her hands.
“There’s so much left.”
Her mother said, “Don’t you like eating Mom’s braised food the most? Since we didn’t sell it all, you can have it as a late-night snack.”
“I made all of it myself, and I used only good ingredients. I’d be happier giving it to you than selling it for money.”
The two of them went inside together. Shen Chaoyang immediately shut the door. It wasn’t even dark yet.
The curtains on all the windows were drawn as well.
Shen Chaoyang sat in a room with the door tightly closed and the curtains completely drawn, still bundled up from head to toe.
Her eyelashes hung low. She kept her head bowed, spoke in a soft voice, and didn’t dare look anyone in the eye.
After finishing the mung bean ice Chen Siyan had bought for her, Song Xinya waved goodbye to him, and the two went their separate ways.
When Song Xinya got home, she received a call from Qin Yuyan. The driver had an unexpected family emergency and couldn’t pick her up from school.
Song Xinya drove to the international school.
As she stood at the school entrance waiting for Qin Yuyan, she unexpectedly ran into Sheng Changpu.
Sheng Changpu was startled for a moment when he saw Song Xinya too.
He let out a cold snort.
Song Xinya said, “If you’re congested from a cold, go to the hospital. What good is snorting? I’m not a doctor—I can’t cure you.”
Sheng Changpu was furious. “I’m a doctor myself! Don’t I know whether I’m sick? Do I need you standing here making snide remarks?”
Song Xinya said, “Then why do you snort every time you see me? To show off how rude you are? Or to demonstrate how poorly educated you are?”
Sheng Changpu was so angry that he couldn’t catch his breath for quite some time.
This woman was truly sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued. Aside from being beautiful, she was utterly worthless. How had his son ever fallen for a woman like her?
The thought of his son still lying in the ICU because of this woman sent waves of fury through Sheng Changpu.
It was all her fault!
Sheng Changpu knew exactly what Song Xinya cared about most. A vicious, cruel smile spread across his face as he said, “The scar in your husband’s palm still hasn’t healed, has it?”
Song Xinya said, “No, it hasn’t.”
Sheng Changpu said, “I’m the world’s leading burn specialist. My latest research can heal the scar in your husband’s palm.”
His smile grew even more malicious. “But I will never treat your husband’s hand. It will never heal. The scar will remain forever, and his fingers will never be as flexible as they were before.”
Song Xinya reached out and clutched him by the throat, tightening her fingers. The veins on the back of her hand stood out with the force she was using.
“You’d better remember what you just said. When you come crawling to me on your knees someday, I’ll make sure to repeat those words back to you with a smile.”
Sheng Changpu’s face turned purplish-red and swollen as he struggled to breathe.
He fought back, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pry Song Xinya’s hand loose.
The security guard at the school entrance noticed what was happening and walked over. “What are you two doing?”
Song Xinya tossed Sheng Changpu aside like a piece of trash. “We’re playing tag.”
The guard was bewildered. “Tag…? You’re supposed to tag someone’s neck?”
Song Xinya looked down coldly at Sheng Changpu. “He likes being choked.”
Her gaze from above was icy and razor-sharp. Her eyes shifted slightly, her beauty concealing a chill, and her presence was intensely intimidating.
The guard asked Sheng Changpu, who was still on the ground, “Is that true?”
Sheng Changpu looked up and met Song Xinya’s cold, piercing gaze. He said nothing, tacitly admitting it.
He was afraid that if he said otherwise, the woman in front of him would step on the back of his hand with her high heels.
Sheng Changpu got up from the ground and brushed the dirt off his clothes.
Qin Yuyan walked out through the school gate. Sensing that something was wrong, she asked, “Sister-in-law, what were you doing just now?”
Song Xinya said, “Teaching an old bastard a lesson.”
“An old bastard? Who?”
“An animal.”
Qin Yuyan looked around and understood. The animal and old bastard Song Xinya was referring to was Sheng Changpu.
Once they got into the car, Qin Yuyan took the initiative to report what she had learned. “Sister-in-law, Sheng Changpu came to the school today to arrange a leave of absence for his son, Sheng Tianjun.”
Song Xinya said, “His son is still in the ICU. Even if he gets out eventually, he’ll need at least a year of rehabilitation. Taking a leave of absence is necessary.”
Qin Yuyan asked, “What kind of bad person beat Sheng Tianjun so badly?”
Song Xinya corrected her. “It’s about punishing evil and upholding justice. He’s a good person.”
When she got home, Qin Yuhe returned from the office around ten that evening.
As he pushed open the bedroom door, he saw Song Xinya kneeling on the carpet with her shapely bottom raised, trying to shove something under the bed.
Qin Yuhe walked up to her without a word, gripping her slender waist with both hands as his lower abdomen pressed against her hips.
His deep, husky voice rumbled from his chest. “Is this position your way of waiting for me?”
