Zheng Juan stood at the entrance of her home, her heart filled with helplessness and anger. Her eyes sparkled with tears, but her stubborn nature forced her to hold them back. Her voice trembled, like a leaf blown by a strong wind, fragile in the night.
"Little brother, little brother, is it that you only see Zheng Gang in your eyes?" Zheng Juan's voice was filled with sadness and confusion. Her body trembled slightly, as if a gust of wind could blow her over. However, she still stood tall, refusing to show weakness in front of her family.
"Did I come into the world to be Zheng Gang's slave?" Her voice gradually rose, with a hint of anger. Her heart was filled with grievances and resentment. Why had her family always favored Zheng Gang since she was young, making her feel like a forgotten corner?
"It's always been like this since I was young. Whatever good things there are, they're all given to Zheng Feng first. Am I just picked up from somewhere?" Zheng Juan's voice was filled with anger and injustice. She remembered her childhood, when every time there was something delicious or fun at home, it was always given to Zheng Gang first, while she could only watch enviously. That feeling was really unbearable.
Lin Meiying glanced coldly at her daughter and smirked mockingly. "Oh, and you still have that adulterer, don't you?" Her words were like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Zheng Juan's heart.
Zheng Gang perked up immediately, his eyes glittering with greed. "Exactly, let him pay us a few hundred thousand. That's enough for me to marry a wife!" His words were filled with a thirst for money, as if he could already see the huge amount of money beckoning him.
Zheng Youjun followed suit, his eyes glistening with calculation. "Doctors should earn a lot, and they can even collect red envelopes..." His words were filled with prejudice and jealousy towards the medical profession.
"At least demand 500,000 from him, or don't even think about keeping this son!" Zheng Gang jumped up, his face brimming with greed and arrogance. Whenever money was mentioned, he became as excited as if he had been injected with adrenaline.
Zheng Juan's heart sank completely. She never expected her family to be so cold-blooded and heartless. She hugged her son, standing helplessly at the door, her heart filled with despair.
"Dad, are you kicking me out again?" Zheng Juan's voice trembled with disbelief. She couldn't believe that her own father would evict her from her home once again.
"If you don't bring back 500,000, you're no longer my daughter. I'll sever our father-daughter relationship!" Zheng Youjun's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing into Zheng Juan's heart once again. His words were filled with coldness and ruthlessness, as if he was pushing her into the abyss.
Zheng Juan sat weakly on the steps, her heart filled with despair and pain. She remembered her childhood, those days of being ignored and neglected by her family. She thought of her son, that innocent life who was being used as a bargaining chip by her family.
She looked at her son in her arms, her heart filled with guilt and remorse. She didn't know how to face this situation. All she knew was that she couldn't let her son suffer any harm. She hugged her son and turned away from this cold home, walking towards an unknown future.
Exhausted and hopeless, Zheng Juan dialed Zhang Zihao's number in the long, dark night, seeing him as her last refuge. However, when she tearfully recounted being evicted from her home and the 410,000 yuan compensation she needed to pay, Zhang Zihao's response left her feeling like she had fallen into an ice cave.
"Juan'er, my paycheck has always been in my wife's hands, so I can't help you either," Zhang Zihao's voice sounded cold on the other end of the line. "Moreover, this money was taken by your parents, so you should go to them for a solution." His tone revealed a hint of impatience. "I've already promised my wife that I won't contact you again, so please don't call or send me messages anymore."
The buzzing sound from the other end of the phone pierced Zheng Juan's heart like a cold needle. She sat on the floor, feeling as if all her strength had been drained, unable to move. She felt her world collapsing, and all her hopes were dashed in an instant.
After a long while, Zheng Juan finally regained her composure. A ruthless vicious gleam flashed in her eyes, a ferocity born from betrayal and despair. She gritted her teeth, and a resilient fighting spirit surged in her heart.
"If you're not kind, don't blame me for being unrighteous!" Zheng Juan whispered, her voice filled with determination. "At worst, we'll fight to the death." Her eyes flashed with a maniacal light, as if she had already made the worst plan.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ran was sweating profusely in the gym. After ten days of hard work, his body had undergone significant changes. The once-round belly fat had gradually separated, revealing the contours of his muscles. Although he was still far from achieving eight distinct abdominal muscles, such progress had already satisfied him.
Liu Susu was supervising Xiao Ran's exercise, but her heart was anxious. She had tried every means to get close to Xiao Ran, even resorting to seducing him with her body, but Xiao Ran remained unmoved. This left her feeling extremely frustrated and upset. She couldn't understand why Xiao Ran just wouldn't take the bait. Did he really have no interest in women?
Looking at Xiao Ran's focused exercise, Liu Susu felt a complex mix of emotions. She admired Xiao Ran's perseverance and determination, but she was also disappointed that she couldn't win him over. However, she didn't intend to give up. She believed that if she persisted, she would eventually touch Xiao Ran's heart.
The sudden ring of the phone broke Xiao Ran's focused exercise routine, causing him to furrow his brows slightly. Sweat trickled down from his forehead, sliding over his taut muscles and dripping onto the floor. He picked up the phone, and seeing the name "Liu Mei" on the screen, he was slightly surprised.
"Hello, Liu Mei." Xiao Ran gently pressed the answer button, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.
Liu Mei's voice flowed out like a clear spring, full of magnetism and strength: "Xiao Ran, something big has happened."
"Oh?" Xiao Ran's curiosity was piqued, "I'm all ears."
Liu Mei took a deep breath and said slowly, "Your ex-wife's family, knowing that Zheng Juan would inevitably lose the lawsuit, made a shocking decision. They kicked Zheng Juan and Zheng Jie out of their home, leaving her to find a way to raise the enormous compensation herself. In desperation, Zheng Juan took her son Zheng Jie to the hospital early this morning and went straight to Zhang Zihao."
"Zhang Zihao?" Xiao Ran furrowed his brows, not unfamiliar with this name. He was Zheng Juan's ex-husband, the one who had caused Zheng Juan's troubles.
"Yes," Liu Mei continued, "When Zhang Zihao's wife heard the news, she rushed to the hospital like a lit powder keg. She was extremely agitated when she saw Zheng Jie because she couldn't have children. However, that mischievous child, Zheng Jie, pointed at her nose and scolded her, angering Zhang Zihao's wife. She accidentally pushed Zheng Jie down the stairs, and the child died on the spot."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran felt a surge of indescribable emotions. He couldn't imagine the despair and pain that Zheng Juan and Zheng Jie must have experienced at that moment.
"What happened after that?" he asked in a low voice.
"Later..." Liu Mei's voice also became low, "Zhang Zihao's family offered 1 million in compensation to gain forgiveness from the victim's family and leniency for Zhang Zihao's wife. Zheng Juan reluctantly accepted the compensation in grief and helplessness."
"And Zhang Zihao?" Xiao Ran inquired further.
"Him?" Liu Mei sneered, "He quickly divorced his wife and was fired from the hospital. Clearly, his father-in-law is disappointed in him. He won't have a good time ahead."
After hearing Liu Mei's recount, Xiao Ran felt a mix of emotions. He didn't expect Zheng Juan to obtain the money in such a way, and he was even more shocked that Zheng Jie had died because of it. He sighed softly, "They brought this suffering upon themselves."
He hung up the phone and put the matter out of his mind. He knew that what was important now was his own life and future. He continued his exercise, and sweat soaked his clothes again. After finishing, he strode away amidst Liu Susu's disappointed gaze. He knew Liu Susu's feelings for him, but he didn't have the heart to consider them now. He only wanted to move out of the shadows of the past and embrace a new life as soon as possible.
Zheng Juan walked out of the room, tightly grasping a takeout bag in her hand, with no expression on her face. Zheng Gang immediately put down what he was doing, ran up to her with a smile on his face, and said with a smile, "Sister, why bother with or dering takeout? Just tell me what you want, and I'll go buy it right away. It'll be hot and fresh. This takeout is not only unhygienic, but you also have to wait for a long time."
Zheng Youjun echoed, "Yes, Juan'er, your brother is right. Just let him go buy it for you." There was a hint of calculation in his eyes, after all, their daughter now held 1 million yuan in compensation, which was the hope of their entire family. Even if they had to compensate Xiao Ran for a portion, the remaining nearly 600,000 yuan would be enough for Zheng Gang to marry a decent wife.
However, Zheng Juan seemed indifferent to their enthusiasm. She didn't even look at them and walked straight into the bedroom, leaving the father and son staring at each other.
Zheng Gang couldn't help but curse under his breath. He had been trying to please Zheng Juan for the past few days, but she remained as cold as ice, which made him feel very annoyed.
Upon hearing his son's curse, Zheng Youjun immediately glared at him, not with much force, but enough to silence Zheng Gang. He scolded in a low voice, "What kind of attitude is that? She's your sister! Don't you think about how we treated your sister before? We drove her out of the house and declared that we were breaking off our father-daughter relationship. Now we're bringing her back for money, who would be happy in her shoes?"
Zheng Youjun sighed and continued, "You need to be patient. Try to please your sister and make her happy. Otherwise, you'll have to find a way to get the money for your wedding yourself. That 600,000 yuan is not a small amount, don't expect me to help you."
Zheng Gang hung his head low, his expression defeated. He silently accepted what had transpired. Meanwhile, Zheng Juan sat in the corner of the room, chewing on her takeout while her thoughts drifted far away. Her eyes glinted with a sinister light, as if hiding some unknown secret.
Everyone assumed that Zheng Jie's death was merely a tragedy caused by Zhang Zihao's wife acting impulsively. However, the truth was far more complicated and sinister. It turned out that Zhang Zihao's wife only appeared at the hospital because Zheng Juan manipulated the situation behind the scenes. She insulted the woman over the phone with the most vicious language, deliberately provoking her anger and mercilessly attacking her inability to bear children, driving Zhang Zihao's wife to lose her senses in anger and despair, ultimately leading her to extreme actions.
Even more appallingly, Zheng Juan showed her son a picture of Zhang Zihao's wife and instructed him to curse her whenever he saw her. Under Zheng Juan's influence, her son viewed Zhang Zihao's wife as an enemy and attacked her relentlessly. This undoubtedly exacerbated Zhang Zihao's wife's anger and loss of control, ultimately leading to an irreparable tragedy.
"Zhang Zihao, it was you who betrayed me first!" Zheng Juan growled, her eyes flashing with malice. Her voice was low, but every word was filled with resentment and unwillingness. She shed a few crocodile tears, but it was all a facade to conceal her inner cruelty and ruthlessness.
After all, Zheng Jie was her own son, and his death was also a blow to her. However, this blow did not make her feel pain or sorrow; instead, it strengthened her resolve to pursue Xiao Ran. She believed that if she pursued Xiao Ran again and promised to have a child with him, he would surely return to her side.
"Four hundred million!" Zheng Juan murmured the figure in her heart, her eyes glittering with greed. She would never give up such a huge amount of money. For this money, she would do anything, even sacrifice her own son. In her eyes, money was the most important thing, and everything else was fleeting.