Mother Chu took Li Hui's hand with the air of a kind mother, "Now that the truth is out, we can't mix up primary and secondary any longer. Whatever used to be given to Zhiyi should now be given to Huihui."
Father Chu cursed 'fool' in his heart, unwilling to argue with this ignorant woman, he changed the subject, "You go tell the Zhou family the news, and find out what they think."
"What else could they think? They definitely wouldn't want to marry another fake heiress!"
Li Hui looked towards Chu Zhiyi.
She was so calm, obviously still harboring fantasies about the marriage.
This marriage should have been hers!
Li Hui almost crushed her teeth in frustration!
Li Hui suppressed her jealousy, "Mother is right, now that she's gone from a real daughter to an adopted one, would the Zhou family still want her?"
Everyone in the living room turned to look at Chu Zhiyi.
Chu Zhiyi pondered what expression she should show, then she furrowed her brows, hesitantly saying, "But... Ah Hen and I are still engaged."
Without a second thought, Li Hui said, "Then call it off, your current status is not worthy of him anyway."
Chu Zhiyi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Father Chu timely spoke up, "Zhizhi, go back to your room."
Chu Zhiyi went upstairs, half in pain, half unwilling.
After she disappeared, Li Hui began to cry softly, "Dad, Mom, even a fake heiress like Chu Zhiyi could marry into a good family like the Zhou's. I am not as good as Chu Zhiyi, the man I marry in the future probably won't be as good as the Zhou family either, how will others talk about our family..."
"She certainly can't marry Zhou Hen," Father Chu hid the dark shadows in his eyes, impatiently saying, "I will decide about Zhiyi's marriage."
Chu Zuo said, "Dad, are you still planning to arrange a good marriage for her?"
Father Chu said, "Isn't it all for the sake of the Chu family and you?"
"Although Zhiyi is not our child, I have spent so much effort raising her over the years. It can't all be for nothing."
Father Chu had made himself abundantly clear.
Only then did Li Hui understand Father Chu's deeper intentions.
So Dad intended to use Chu Zhiyi as a bargaining chip. She smiled happily, snuggling up to Mother Chu, saying, "Mom, shall I go register on the Chu family's household registry in a few days?"
"Of course, you are our child. This weekend, let's go help you register after the day after tomorrow," she said.
"Thank you, Mom!"
Chu Zhiyi was unaware of the conversation in the living room downstairs. After returning to her room and closing the door, she went to the bathroom for safety's sake.
Once she was completely secure, she took out her cell phone and turned it on.
Chu Zhiyi expertly dialed Jinjin's phone number.
Two seconds later, the call was immediately answered.
"Zhizhi?"
"It's me."
Both sides of the phone stayed quiet for two seconds in understanding, and then Jinjin grasped the answer Chu Zhiyi wanted to convey.
"What can I do to help you?"
Chu Zhiyi didn't bother with pleasantries, saying directly, "There's a key to my apartment inside the external electricity meter box. Go to my bedroom, in the bedside table there are four bank cards."
"Planning to run?" Jinjin felt hopeful. "Do you need me to help with buying a bus ticket?"
"Chu Heng took my ID card, how can I run?" Chu Zhiyi spoke with some resignation. "Jinjin, can you go back to the university soon?"
"I can, what do you need me to get for you?"
"In the drawer of my desk, there's our family's household registration book," Chu Zhiyi said.
Jinjin was surprised, "Did you get it before?"
"Yes."
There were four copies of the Chu family's household registry, all kept at home. Previously, when Chu Zhiyi needed it, someone had to deliver it. Mother Chu would sometimes get impatient, so Chu Zhiyi took one copy for her own convenience.
Chu Zhiyi was very grateful that she had taken one copy of the household book early. Otherwise, she might have lost even her last resort.
"I'll book a flight back to school right now," Jinjin paused, then asked, "Zhizhi, when can you get out?"
Chu Zhiyi looked up at the narrow window in the bathroom and said earnestly, "Very soon."
"Jinjin, you're right. As long as Chu Heng thinks I am still of value to them, it would be useless to run to the ends of the earth."
"I must get married before he sells me off."
```
Jinjin immediately asked, "So, does that mean you have to marry Yangyang's brother first?"
Chu Zhiyi replied, "Isn't he abroad?"
Chu Zhiyi thought of Wu Yang's brother, Wu Zhou.
He was indeed the most suitable choice.
The Wu family was a medical dynasty, with deeper roots than the Chu family, and she had been friends with Wu Yang since they were little, familiar with his parents and siblings.
"Yangyang made an international call last night, her brother is flying back the day after tomorrow."
Chu Zhiyi was startled and moved, "I understand. I'll try to sneak out the day after tomorrow."
"Be careful with everything."
After discussing their plans, they hung up the phone.
Chu Zhiyi took a deep breath, turned off her cell phone, put it away, and sat on the toilet, recalling the past two days' events.
Thankfully, she still had a group of good friends. If Wu Yang's brother hadn't come back, she might have been forced to take the risk of approaching Yan Jingting to negotiate terms with him.
The plan that Yan Jingting had recently announced to get married kept circling in Chu Zhiyi's mind.
Chu Zhiyi stood up and muttered, "It's still better not to involve him. Yan Jingting might be powerful, but he is also terrifying."
During the time Chu Zhiyi was trapped at the Chu family's home, Li Hui had changed her name to Chu Hui. She would leave at eight in the morning and return at ten at night with loads of luxury goods, living very happily.
Chu Zhiyi called it revenge spending.
When Chu Hui was at home, her favorite thing was to order domestic help around, who would talk endless bad things about her behind her back.
As for her arranged marriage with Zhou Hen.
Although Father Chu hadn't explicitly told her, Chu Zhiyi had already picked up hints from Mother Chu's behavior.
She feared she had been repudiated.
This was expected, and Chu Zhiyi didn't find it hard to accept.
On the contrary, if the circumstances weren't so dire, she would have wanted to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the end of her sham relationship with Zhou Hen!
Father Chu had been leaving early and returning late these past two days, but no matter how late, he always had to see Chu Zhiyi, claiming to "care," while asking impatiently about her current situation.
Chu Zhiyi presented a façade of cooperation while quietly waiting for the right moment.
At night, Chu Zhiyi would, as usual, turn on her phone while bathing.
Wu Yang had called her multiple times, but she had missed the calls. Just as Chu Zhiyi was about to call back, Wu Yang's call came again.
Chu Zhiyi answered the call.
"Zhizhi, something terrible has happened!"
"Do you know who that old geezer Chu Heng is planning to marry you off to?!"
Chu Zhiyi felt a sense of dread upon hearing her anxious voice.
Then Wu Yang said furiously, "He wants to marry you off to that wife-beater from the Liu Family!"
"The Liu Family we saw at the banquet the year before last?"
"Yes!"
The Liu Family was involved in technology, and the wife-beater Wu Yang mentioned had once, during a party, publicly beaten his wife so badly she vomited blood.
The wife was taken to the hospital where the doctors found internal bleeding due to the beating; she had barely survived.
Chu Zhiyi and Wu Yang had both been at that banquet and had cursed him for days.
Years had passed, but anyone who knew the Liu Family wouldn't dream of sending their daughter there as a death wish.
Chu Zhiyi had never considered that she might become the next daughter-in-law of the Liu Family.
Chu Zhiyi felt an icy grip around her heart.
Her voice was slightly hoarse, "Is it confirmed?"
"I had someone follow Chu Heng, and they saw with their own eyes Chu Heng meeting with people from the Liu Family," Wu Yang said with certainty.
Chu Zhiyi lifted her hand to cover her eyes, taking a moment to recover, "I see."
"Zhizhi, marry my brother, and our family will be your support," Wu Yang urged.
Chu Zhiyi pursed her lips, making up her mind, "Can Brother Zhou be back tomorrow?"
"Don't worry, his plane will fly directly to Capital City tonight, and it's just a two-hour transfer to Jiang City," Wu Yang said with shining eyes, assuring her, "Rest assured, Zhizhi, after tomorrow, we've got your back. You'll never be bullied by those people from the Chu family again."
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