Chapter 17: Kicking Someone When They're Down

Lin Xilan opened her eyes to the pungent smell of disinfectant filling her nostrils. Her memory was hazy—how had she ended up in the hospital?

“Awake?”

At the sound of the voice, Lin Xilan turned her head. “Master, what are you doing here? How did I end up in the hospital?”

Hua Zhan was seated in a chair. Looking at her, he said, “I was at the civil affairs bureau handling some business when I happened to see you fall. I called an ambulance and had you brought here.”

Lin Xilan nodded. “So that’s what happened.”

Hua Zhan asked, “Were you there to file for divorce?”

“No. I can’t get divorced at the moment. Some things have happened recently.”

Lin Xilan gave him a brief account of everything. After listening, Hua Zhan offered his opinion.

“In your situation, you really can’t get divorced. The Zhou family has power and influence. Getting you moved up the waiting list for a kidney wouldn’t be difficult for them. If you want to save your sister, you’ll have to do as Old Master Zhou says.”

“There’s just one thing I’m curious about. Why is Old Master Zhou so determined to tie you and Zhou Yuheng together?”

“You two are secretly married. Even if you got divorced, it wouldn’t cause much of a stir, nor would it have any real impact on the Zhou Corporation. So could it be that Old Master Zhou genuinely likes you that much?”

Lin Xilan certainly didn’t think she possessed that kind of charm.

“I think it may be a matter of values from their generation. They place great importance on loyalty and affection. My grandfather and Old Master Zhou used to be very close friends. I heard that they originally hoped to unite the next generation through marriage, but both families ended up having only sons. So the arrangement was passed down to me.”

Hua Zhan found this rather unexpected, though the mystery had now been solved. Put simply, the feelings of the previous generation had carried over into the present, resulting in an old-fashioned arranged marriage.

“Then if that’s the case, shouldn’t you have been married to Zhou Yuheng’s older brother? After all, Zhou Yuheng is only an illegitimate son. Having you marry him seems like a betrayal of those two old men’s friendship.”

“Zhou Yuheng was my own choice,” Lin Xilan replied at once. “I’m terminally obsessed with looks. I think Zhou Yuheng is more handsome than his brother.”

“And besides, other than being a little blind when it comes to love, I’m fairly capable in every other respect. Master, Zhou Yuheng may seem utterly useless right now, but I have a feeling he’ll accomplish something someday. I rather like men who pretend to be pigs while secretly devouring tigers, so I decided to take a gamble.”

Hua Zhan reached out and flicked her on the forehead. “What good is it that you like him? You should be thinking about what to do with your life from here on.”

Lin Xilan let out a long sigh. “What else can I do? Keep fawning over Zhou Yuheng and take things one day at a time. Once my sister recovers, I’ll think about getting divorced.”

Hua Zhan did not say everything that was on his mind. He felt certain that Old Master Zhou had some other motive concerning Lin Xilan; he simply had no idea what it was yet.

“All right. Focus on healing your leg first. You have a fracture now and can’t go anywhere, so settle down for a while.”

Not long after Hua Zhan left, Lin Wei and Jiang Cuiping appeared.

The moment he arrived, Lin Wei flung a stack of papers at Lin Xilan.

“You shameless bitch! What’s the meaning of this contract? Why did the Zhou Corporation suddenly terminate the agreement without liability?”

Terminate it without liability? They had that much power?

Lin Xilan didn’t need to think hard to know who was behind it. It had to be Zhou Yuheng. She simply hadn’t expected him to have the ability to cancel the contract without bearing any consequences.

Had he anticipated this from the very beginning? Had he deliberately kept a card up his sleeve to prevent them from burning the bridge after crossing it?

Lin Xilan sank into thought. If her guess was correct, then Zhou Yuheng was a rather frightening man.

“...”

When Lin Xilan remained silent for a long while, Lin Wei automatically assumed that she had known about the matter all along.

He slapped her across the face. “You ungrateful traitor!”

The blow brought Lin Xilan back to her senses. She glared at him. “What gives you the right to hit me?”

“Lin Wei, don’t forget who I am. I’m Zhou Yuheng’s wife. If you hit me, he won’t let you off!”

Zhou Yuheng was the weapon Lin Xilan used against Lin Wei, and over the years, she had wielded it with considerable skill.

Lin Wei had intended to strike her again, but the moment she invoked Zhou Yuheng’s name, the impulse died in his throat.

Lin Xilan watched as he lowered his hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, Zhou Yuheng suddenly entered the room and approached the hospital bed.

The expression on Lin Wei’s face changed immediately. He assumed Zhou Yuheng had come to stand up for Lin Xilan.

“Yuheng, you’re here.”

“What I did just now was...”

Lin Wei tried to explain why he had hit Lin Xilan, but Zhou Yuheng ignored him completely. He merely looked at Lin Xilan on the bed and said in an unhurried voice, “Lin Xilan, do you actually believe the lie you just told?”

Lin Wei and Jiang Cuiping were utterly confused. Lin Xilan lowered her head, not wanting to be exposed at a time like this—especially not in front of Lin Wei.

But Zhou Yuheng had no intention of letting her off.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? I had no idea our relationship was this good.”

Lin Xilan raised her head and looked at him. In a somewhat humble tone, she said, “Can I explain everything to you later?”

Zhou Yuheng shook his head. “No. I don’t like being used. So, Lin Xilan, you’d better tell them the truth.”