"If you know, then go pick up Zhiwei." Lin Yu said tenderly, "It was my mistake how I handled the matter. When she comes back, I will explain everything to her."
"Mhm." Zhou Lin agreed nonchalantly, not really taking the matter to heart.
Cheng Zhiwei was just a cunning woman, managing to make his mother take all the blame while keeping herself squeaky clean and playing the victim, expecting him to bow down to her.
Hah, dream on.
...
Cheng Zhiwei tied up her hair and casually sat on the sofa flipping through boring variety shows, finally settling on a singing competition that was quite popular lately.
Xu Tian came out and sat beside her, glanced at the television and then at Cheng Zhiwei, "Want to continue singing?"
Cheng Zhiwei graduated from Yucheng University's music department, topping her class. Everyone thought she would go far in music, but after that incident happened, her reputation was completely ruined.
Cheng Zhiwei pulled her knees to her chest and leaned on the sofa, silent and not making a sound.
Xu Tian ruffled her hair and pulled out an invitation from her phone, sending it to Cheng Zhiwei, "There's a TV drama in the works, a big production, but they haven't found a satisfactory singer for the theme song yet so they've decided to hold open auditions. Want to give it a try?"
"You've already wasted three years on Zhou Lin, but as you can see, he's not worth you wasting your time and talent like this," Xu Tian urged.
How much Cheng Zhiwei loved Zhou Lin, Xu Tian knew. Three years of marriage couldn't exchange for the bastard's tenderness and it wasted Cheng Zhiwei's most precious youth and time. Finally, Cheng Zhiwei was thinking about jumping out of this mire of a marriage, and Xu Tian hoped she would strive for her dreams.
After all, a career-driven mind is the perfect antidote for a love-struck heart.
Cheng Zhiwei looked at the invitation, her eyes a bit dry. She had loved singing since she was young, but after marrying Zhou Lin, she hadn't sung at all.
Thinking about it, it had already been three years.
"Thank you, Tian," Cheng Zhiwei said, her eyes reddening slightly as she gripped the phone. She appreciated Xu Tian's good intentions and was also willing to try.
When considering divorce, she had already thought about looking for a job, but because the reason she married Zhou Lin in the first place wasn't something to be proud of, and she had lost contact with almost everyone in those three years and became somewhat isolated from society, if she wanted to start over, it would be very difficult.
Xu Tian's invitation was the stepping stone she needed.
Xu Tian was genuinely happy for Cheng Zhiwei. She kicked up her legs on the coffee table, raised her fist in the air and shouted, "To celebrate that our Yueyue is about to ditch that scumbag, tonight we drink till we drop!"
"Drink till we drop?" Cheng Zhiwei asked, puzzled.
Xu Tian pulled her up from the couch and pushed her into the bedroom, "I've already had someone warm up the place, change your clothes, let's go out and drink."
Cheng Zhiwei just finished dressing in her own clothes when Xu Tian yanked her over, handing her a black tank top and a pair of extremely short shorts.
"You're only twenty-five years old, why dress so drab and dreary," Xu Tian rolled her eyes dramatically.
Cheng Zhiwei looked at the clothes Xu Tian had tossed on the bed—proper shorts and long pants. From the time she married Zhou Lin, all her clothes were like that, very homely and very ordinary.
If she had decided to change, then she would start now.
Without any hesitation, she changed into the tank top and shorts.
The tank top clung to her body, with a large cut-out in the back, her skin pale and her waist without an ounce of extra fat, the shorts very short, her legs slender and straight—a feast for the eyes. This outfit showcased Cheng Zhiwei's figure perfectly.
The two of them went to a bar.
Cheng Zhiwei felt somewhat uncomfortable, as she was long unaccustomed to such a young and spicy outfit and noisy places like bars.
But it wasn't unacceptable, so she quickly came to terms with it and sat down with Xu Tian.
"Sister Tian, you're late," someone shout, passing Xu Tian a glass of wine, "Here, punish yourself with a drink."
Xu Tian downed the drink with ease and introduced Cheng Zhiwei to everyone, warming up the atmosphere quickly.
Cheng Zhiwei had always been quiet and composed; such occasions didn't faze her, but she wouldn't get particularly lively either. She just picked up a glass of wine and sat in a corner, a light smile on her lips as she watched Xu Tian and the others bantering back and forth.
Just watching quietly was enough to make her feel incredibly light-hearted and joyful.
Meanwhile, upstairs, a man with peach blossom eyes, wearing a black shirt, slightly raised his eyebrows and took a photo of Cheng Zhiwei with his phone, sending it to Zhou Lin: [Turn right at the entrance for a surprise.]
The woman next to him leaned over to take a look and immediately felt a sense of crisis, "Young Master He, who's the stunning beauty you have your eyes on this time?"
He Lanzhi wrapped the woman in his arms, stealing a kiss on her face with a roguish grin, "Jealous? Just wait for the show to start."
Perhaps feeling it wasn't thrilling enough, he snapped his fingers. Someone approached from behind, and He Lanzhi whispered a few instructions; the person nodded and walked away.
Cheng Zhiwei had the audacity to dress up and come here, which must mean that after being neglected by Zhou Lin for three years, she finally couldn't bear it anymore and revealed her true nature.
In that case, he would create the perfect opportunity for her.
Although Cheng Zhiwei was brought here by Xu Tian for fun, Xu Tian knew her temperament and intended only for her to experience a bit of worldly life without letting her get drunk, so she protected Cheng Zhiwei well.
However, after having a bit too much to drink, Xu Tian went to the restroom.
The men at the table immediately saw an opportunity to strike up a conversation with Cheng Zhiwei, who responded politely. Out of respect for Xu Tian, nobody dared to overstep.
Except for one man in a floral shirt.
The man in the floral shirt deliberately squeezed next to Cheng Zhiwei, scanning her from top to bottom with a suggestive look, "Beauty, why so reserved?"
The mix of alcohol and perfume was decidedly unpleasant.
Cheng Zhiwei imperceptibly shifted to the side, still smiling politely, "It's fine for you guys to play."
The floral shirt pushed a glass of wine in front of Cheng Zhiwei, "Have a drink, let's be friends."
Cheng Zhiwei raised the glass in her hand and took a sip, "I have my own here."
The floral shirt smirked, eyes hanging on Cheng Zhiwei as he moved closer, pulling out a sports car key and tossing it in front of her, "Drink this glass, and the car is yours."
Cheng Zhiwei's expression turned cold, "You're drunk."
The floral shirt reached out to embrace Cheng Zhiwei, "Come on, beauty, no need to play coy. Isn't dressing up like this all to attract rich men? Look, I have money. Spend one night with me, and not only is this car yours, but you can pick out anything you want."
Frowning, Cheng Zhiwei stood up, and the floral shirt also got up to pull her.
Cheng Zhiwei stepped back, but unexpectedly bumped into a firm chest behind her.
The next second, her slender waist was encircled by a strong arm.
A familiar voice, chilling and imposing, sounded above her head, "Having fun?"
It was Zhou Lin.