"Mr. Zhou..." Mr. Li approached and realized the man he had seen kissing Tian Youyou wildly was none other than the well-known second son of the Zhou family. Recognizing his stature in their elite circle, Mr. Li dared not speak out of turn.
"What's wrong? Our relationship is exactly what you think it is. Want me to explain in detail?"
"No, no, Mr. Li here failed to recognize a great man. I truly didn't realize you had such a connection with Ms. Tian; I would never dare to lay a finger on your woman," Mr. Li stammered, a sheen of sweat covering his bald forehead.
"I'm not fond of secondhand goods, but my things are mine to discard. It's not for others to take!" Zhou Moyan's voice was low and measured, but to Tian Youyou, it cut deep, like a dull knife torturously carving her heart.
She was nothing but his used good, to be discarded or trampled upon.
Mr. Li heard an unmistakable threat, "Mr. Zhou, you misunderstand. My intentions with Ms. Tian haven't progressed to the stage you imagine. I'll take my leave now and will steer clear of her in the future, erasing any foolish thoughts I had!" Mr. Li hurriedly promised and swiftly retreated to his car, speeding away.
Zhou Moyan turned and made his way to the CEO's private elevator leading to the garage, not sparing Tian Youyou a glance.
Once in his car, Zhou Moyan called his assistant Zhang Chen to investigate what exactly was the nature of the relationship between the insignificant Mr. Li and Tian Youyou.
After the call, he pounded the steering wheel hard. Was her pitiable state just for show?
Tian Youyou tasted blood in her mouth; he had bitten her lip.
Secondhand goods! In her twenty-something years of life, he had been the only man—how had she become secondhand?
As the scene subsided, she felt utterly drained. Her life never had a moment's peace, filled with melodramatic twists.
Zhou Moyan returned to work. She definitely couldn't stay here anymore, but fortunately, her mother had provided her with a place of refuge.
She went to her office to pack up her personal belongings and headed to the apartment her mother had given her.
She knew this place; it was a high-end apartment in the city center, mostly inhabited by white-collar workers. Her modest two-bedroom contrasted with the much larger 200 square meter apartments across from her.
She believed this was the best her mother could offer, the only real warmth she had in her life.
Tian Youyou looked around the fully furnished apartment, realizing she only needed to buy a few essentials to move in, which she planned to do over the weekend.
Her phone rang, interrupting her plans—it was Mr. Li. She suddenly remembered Han Chong's situation. How was she going to get Han Chong out and explain things to Hou Xiaomei?
"Ms. Tian, ah! You have such a strong backing with Mr. Zhou, and yet you use me to strike the cymbals? It's really not decent of your family; Mr. Tian has taken quite a few favors from me," Mr. Li's voice was filled with frustration over the phone.
"Mr. Li, I want to know how much Tian Sheng sold me for?" Tian Youyou also wanted to understand Tian Sheng's intentions from Mr. Li.
"Now that it's come to this, I have nothing to hide. Tian Sheng said that as long as I can get Han Chong out and secure a 20 million loan guarantee for him, he, as a father, would not oppose us dating. I've fulfilled the guarantee, but it's really unfair to exploit people like this—20 million! Han Chong was just an excuse; the real aim for Tian Sheng was to secure a guarantee from me, and that's how much I am worth to you, Tian Youyou.
"I've definitely offended Mr. Zhou now; with his power, dealing with ten of me is no challenge. How about this, I'll finish helping with Han Chong.
Can you say a few good words for me in front of Mr. Zhou? Don't let me suffer; I've worked hard all my life to build a small fortune." Mr. Li's tone turned pleading. He hadn't gained the benefits he hoped for from this transaction and didn't want to make an enemy, especially not someone like Mr. Zhou.
"You might not fully understand my relationship with Zhou Moyan. I can't explain it well, but if possible, I will speak for you."
Tian Youyou was never malicious; besides giving her a couple of disgusting moments, Mr. Li hadn't really harmed her.
"Mr. Zhou! This Mr. Li is newly acquainted with Ms. Tian, and there isn't any substantial relationship between them…" Zhang Chen always worked efficiently.
Zhou Moyan unconsciously sighed in relief, perhaps not even realizing it himself.
"There's also something else discovered related to Ms. Tian, not sure if you'd want to hear," Zhang Chen quickly organized his thoughts on how to concisely report Tian Youyou's background, guessing that Mr. Zhou might not be aware.
"Speak!"
A single word.
Zhang Chen was used to his boss's terse style of communication.
In under a minute, Zhang Chen reported Tian Youyou's background and how she was sold out by Tian Sheng to Mr. Li in order to save Han Chong.
"Tomorrow, get Han Chong out before that Mr. Li does, handle it personally and report back to me when done."
"Yes, Mr. Zhou!"
"And buy out that Mr. Li's shoddy company, make him leave this city, I don't want to see him again." Was that it?
Zhang Chen thought it best not to speculate too much about his boss's motives; loyalty was all Mr. Zhou required from him.
After hanging up, Zhou Moyan felt as though his chest was stuffed with cotton, suffocating.
No wonder, when he first returned and saw Tian Youyou, she was dressed so shabbily, enduring his humiliations without leaving the company.
Foster daughter of the Tian family? When did she become a foster daughter?
During their time together, Tian Youyou often complained about Tian Sheng's opportunistic nature, pushing her to learn all sorts of etiquette and skills to ascend the social ladder.
Tian Sheng, a mere businessman, couldn't compare to his prestigious family background. His circle never lacked daughters of affluent families, but only Tian Youyou's authenticity comforted him.
Her carefree beauty, uninhibited and effortless, was distinct from the others. She never pretended to be the demure and gentle lady to please him.
Women around him, like Tang Wanyi, maintained their beauty through expensive clothes and meticulous grooming, their beauty a tool and burden in his eyes.
Fortunately, he wasn't the heir to the Zhou enterprise; he could choose his path freely, his family's expectations for his marriage not as stringent as those for his brother, where only a well-matched lady from a prestigious family like Tang Wanyi would suffice.
He thought he and Tian Youyou could be the exception in high society, her desires perfectly aligning with what he could offer.
Until he received that message from Tian Youyou, asking him to the hotel room for a surprise.
He rushed there only to find her and his brother naked in bed together.
His love crumbled under money and power.
Both families quickly intervened to quell the scandal, planning for her and his brother to get engaged swiftly.
He couldn't understand why everyone chose to humiliate him to achieve their ends.
Perhaps, to everyone else, reputation and family interests were paramount, and his belief in love above all else made him a fool.
His brother and Tian Youyou still owed him an explanation, one that would convince him!
Thinking too much made Zhou Moyan's head ache.
These past three years, other than work, he believed he needed to prove nothing to anyone, but that incident changed everything.