"Third brother, fourth brother? Have you been in contact with them recently?" Huang Fei asked.
Fang Yi smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
After being rebuffed by Fang Yi again, Huang Fei's anger flared even more. He now fully understood why people say women are trouble. Before that "Green Cucumber" appeared, their brotherhood was quite good. But after "Green Cucumber" came along, the two good brothers broke up. Isn't that a case of a beautiful woman causing trouble? But at least that troublemaker was a beautiful woman. What kind of beautiful woman is "Green Cucumber"? Huang Fei couldn't understand it!
He had a bellyful of resentment with nowhere to vent it, so he took it all out on Chu Yang. Once, when he was driving past H University, he impulsively turned his car in. But when he actually saw Chu Yang, he didn't dare to vent his anger. He didn't dare to mess with the boss, and he didn't want to provoke the fifth boss either. He could only glare at Chu Yang fiercely, point at her, and shout angrily, "What's wrong with me? Huh? Why did I send you to the boss? If I had known you were such a troublemaker, I, I—" Huang Fei anxiously spun around twice, wanting to say something harsh, but after saying "I" for a long time, he couldn't get the rest of the harsh words out. He could only turn around and helplessly clasp his hands in prayer to Chu Yang, "Little Miss, please have mercy!"
Chu Yang remained silent, only coldly staring at Huang Fei.
Seeing Chu Yang's expression, Huang Fei finally gave up completely, thinking to himself, "Like attracts like, how come these three are all the same?" Too lazy to say anything more, he angrily cursed, "Damn it! I'm the one who's just bored and has nothing better to do!" and turned to leave.
Fan Xiaojuan followed from behind, still shaken by Huang Fei's expression earlier, and timidly asked Chu Yang, "What kind of people did you offend?"
Chu Yang gave a cold smile, offering no answer. Who had she offended? She herself couldn't explain it, so how could she answer Fan Xiaojuan? She had never intended to offend anyone, so why were these people so determined to get rid of her?
He Yiqian would still appear occasionally, sometimes inviting her to a meal or having her walk around the campus with him, reminiscing about their childhood, but never mentioning anything about her and Fang Yi.
Fang Yi, for some unknown reason, suddenly became infatuated with her little shabby house after that night. At first, he would stay there every few days, but later he stayed there almost every night, even bringing his daily necessities and changes of clothes with him.
If Chu Yang didn't have any social engagements in the evening, Fang Yi would pick her up from school. Chu Yang couldn't cook, and there were no cooking utensils in their rented apartment, so the two of them usually ate dinner out before going back together. Several times, Chu Yang couldn't help but hint to Fang Yi that the environment in their rented apartment was too bad, and if he wanted her to keep him company, she wouldn't mind going to his place.
Fang Yi just smiled and said no, because he couldn't guarantee he'd go back every day. Besides, the apartment there was too far from the school and not nearly as convenient as this place. If he stayed here, even if he couldn't pick her up at night, she could come back by herself.
Chu Yang remained silent. In truth, she didn't mind spending the night at Fang Yi's place, because it was just a place to sleep. She could get up and leave as soon as she woke up, leaving no trace in her heart. But this place was her own space, her own private space. When Fang Yi came, he would leave his mark on her space, which made her feel insecure.
Chu Yang felt a vague unease. She had been isolated for too long and had long been used to being alone. Now that there was suddenly another person in her life, she began to feel uneasy, especially since she felt that she was slowly getting used to Fang Yi's presence in her life.
On Sunday morning, Chu Yang woke up at nearly ten o'clock. Fang Yi was still fast asleep on the other side of the bed. Chu Yang stared at the ceiling for a while, then got out of bed and casually pulled open the curtains. Strong sunlight rushed in and fell on Fang Yi. He mumbled something, turned over, and continued to sleep with his head in his hands. Chu Yang wanted to laugh. It was the first time he realized that Fang Yi looked like a naughty child.
Chu Yang
Whether it was on a whim or not, she stepped forward and lifted the thin blanket covering him, letting the sunlight shine directly on him. She laughed and called out, "Get up! Lazybones! The sun's already high in the sky!"
Fang Yi turned around and looked at Chu Yang against the light. For a moment, he was a little dazed, feeling that her smile was even more dazzling than the sunlight behind him, so bright that he couldn't open his eyes. He squinted, easily concealing the strange light in his eyes, and suddenly pulled Chu Yang down onto the bed, pressing down on her. He said in a hoarse voice, "Girl, you're so smug now, huh? Why were you so lame last night?"
Chu Yang, her face flushed, couldn't speak. She pressed her hand firmly against his chest, trying to create a safe space for herself.
Seeing her reaction, Fang Yi smiled helplessly and sighed, saying, "Girl, you're just going to torment your husband. One day you'll regret it. If you suffocate him, you'll be living the life of a widow!"
Young men and women, sleeping in the same bed every night, inevitably experience moments of passion. But for some unknown reason, at the climax, she would always curl up in spasms, her body stiff as stone. He didn't want to hurt her, so he was the only one who suffered. When his desire burned, he would suppress it as much as he could, and when he couldn't suppress it anymore, all he could do was relieve himself.
Last night, his desire was incredibly intense. They struggled in bed for ages, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to force himself on her. As usual, he suppressed his lust and gently held her in his arms, comforting himself that she was making progress and that one day she would open herself up to him. Even so, once lust takes hold, it's hard to suppress. Eventually, she relaxed in his arms, but his desire remained as hard as iron. Sensing his change, she felt a pang of apology and whispered, "I'm sorry." He forced a smile and guided her shy hand to his desire. Just as her slightly cool fingertips hesitantly touched his core, his body trembled uncontrollably, and he ejaculated in her hand…
Afterwards, her face turned as red as a ripe persimmon. What she didn't know was that he was also embarrassed. This reaction was nothing like the Fang Yi who used to be a womanizer!
Fang Yi mocked himself, never expecting that he would have such a day of self-indulgence. He wondered if it was God's punishment for his past excessive indulgence. Now, he was holding the woman he deeply loved in his arms, but he could only whisper comfort to her, unable to have her.
Chu Yang blushed as she looked at Fang Yi, trying to push him off her. His strong body pressed down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. "Get up, hurry up!" she shouted breathlessly.
Fang Yi laughed, ignoring her struggles, and lightly pecked her lips before shifting his weight away. He then whispered in her ear, "Your smile was so beautiful just now, brighter than the sunshine."
"Get up! You pervert!" Chu Yang said, embarrassed, forcefully pushing Fang Yi off him. He got up and walked towards the outer room, saying angrily, "Just stay in bed! I don't care about you!"
Fang Yi laughed, stretched, and actually lay down on the bed again.
Chu Yang had no choice but to go wash up first. Before he had even finished brushing his teeth, he heard someone knocking on the door. Chu Yang rinsed his mouth and went to open the door, only to be stunned as soon as he opened it.
"Mom? Why are you here?" Chu Yang panicked. She never expected her mother to find her here. She had given her mother the address, but because she had moved out of the house after arguing with her mother, her mother had never come to her rented apartment before.
"There are heartless children in this world, but no heartless parents!" Chu Yang's mother had climbed five flights of stairs in one go, and was already out of breath. She shoved the fruit she was carrying into Chu Yang's arms and angrily cursed, "You brat, you don't know how to come home, so I had to come and see you!"
She was about to walk into the house when she saw her daughter standing blankly at the door with a bag of fruit in her arms, showing no intention of letting her in. A bad feeling arose in her heart. Looking at the panic that Chu Yang could not hide on his face, her suspicion deepened. She pushed Chu Yang aside and went into the house.
Seeing his mother enter the living room and start looking around, Chu Yang immediately realized what was happening and quickly pushed her to sit on the sofa. "Mom, sit down and rest for a while, catch your breath."
The old lady refused to sit down and pushed her away, heading towards the bedroom.
"Mom!" Chu Yang hurriedly blocked the bedroom door, preventing his mother from entering. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "I haven't made my bed yet, it's a mess inside. You can sit outside!"
At this point, Chu Yang's mother refused to believe it, pushed Chu Yang aside, and opened the door directly.
In the bedroom, Fang Yi's shirt was not fully buttoned. When he saw Chu Yang's mother suddenly push open the door, a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face, and he called out, "Auntie."
Chu Yang's mother was shocked and furious to find Fang Yi in her daughter's bedroom. Her face turned pale when her eyes fell on the messy bed and the wads of tissues on the floor. She pointed at Fang Yi's nose and asked in a trembling voice, "You, you, what did you promise me before?"
Seeing his mother like this, Chu Yang panicked and rushed forward to help her, saying urgently, "Mom, listen to me—"
Chu Yang's mother forcefully shook off Chu Yang's hand and slapped her hard across the face. The slap not only stunned Chu Yang, but also shocked Fang Yi. After recovering, Fang Yi shielded Chu Yang behind him and said coldly to Chu Yang's mother, "Auntie, what are you doing!"
Seeing Fang Yi blocking her way like that, Chu Yang's mother was so angry that she couldn't speak. After a long while, she pointed at Fang Yi and said, "Get out! It's none of your business how I discipline my daughter!"
"She's not just your daughter, she's also my woman. I won't allow anyone to touch her," Fang Yi said coldly.
Chu Yang's mother was furious, her body trembling even more violently. "Fine, fine," she cursed, her words incoherent, "She's your woman, she's your woman! She's not my daughter! I don't have such a disgraceful daughter, so young and already fooling around with men, seducing them..."
As Chu Yang's mother continued to curse, she grew angrier and angrier, her words becoming increasingly harsh. Fang Yi, mindful that she was Chu Yang's mother, couldn't afford to lose his temper, but his expression grew colder and colder. Unable to hear any movement from Chu Yang behind him, Fang Yi turned around to look at her worriedly, only to be startled by the scene before him.
Chu Yang's face was deathly pale, and then his body suddenly began to tremble violently. He gripped his clothes tightly, his eyes were panicked and lifeless, as if he had suddenly locked himself in a closed space. He murmured in a trembling voice, "I didn't, I didn't, I didn't seduce them, I didn't, don't tell my mom, don't tell the teacher, I won't say anything, I won't tell anyone."
Fang Yi was startled by her reaction and hurriedly pulled her into his arms. "No, no, I know you're not, don't worry." Feeling her trembling more and more violently in his arms, Fang Yi became furious and yelled at Chu Yang's mother, "What nonsense are you talking about? This is your daughter! Don't you know what kind of child she is!"
Chu Yang's mother was clearly terrified by Chu Yang's reaction. She was stunned for a moment, then snapped out of her out-of-control anger and hurriedly grabbed her daughter's hand, crying, "Chu Yang, Chu Yang, don't scare Mommy. It's Mommy's fault. Look at Mommy, don't scare Mommy."
Chu Yang's face was already blurred with tears, her eyes empty and lifeless. She stopped talking to herself, clenched her teeth so tightly they clenched together, and curled up in spasms. Fang Yi panicked, afraid that she would hurt herself again, and forcibly pried her teeth open. Chu Yang bit down hard on his hand, and blood gushed out. Fang Yi frowned and endured the pain, but still held her in his arms, gently comforting her, "It's okay, it's okay, it'll be fine in a bit. Nobody knows, nobody knows."
...
After a long while, Fang Yi quietly retreated from the bedroom, closed the door behind him, and then looked up at Chu Yang's mother, who was still sitting blankly on the sofa.
When Chu Yang's mother saw Fang Yi come out, she quickly stood up from the sofa and was about to go to the inner room to see Chu Yang. Fang Yi stopped her and said in a low voice, "Auntie, she's asleep. Please wait a moment before going in. There are some things I want to talk to you about."
Chu Yang's mother sat down on the sofa again, looking at Fang Yi with a suspicious gaze. "Just say what you have to say! That's my daughter, you don't need to pretend to be kind here!"
Fang Yi smiled helplessly and sat down opposite her. "Auntie, I know you have some opinions about me, and I don't want to correct you now. I just want to ask you some things that I can't ask Chu Yang directly, so I want to know them from you."
Chu Yang's mother looked at him coldly and asked warily, "What's the problem?"
"What exactly happened six years ago? How did you find out? Did Mrs. He come to see you? What did she say?"
Chu Yang's mother seemed to have been pricked by a needle, and immediately replied, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about!"
Chu Yang
Fang Yi remained silent, only staring coldly at her. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Auntie, you saw it just now. Although you've all been avoiding the topic, it has long been a demon weighing on Chu Yang's heart. If it can't be resolved, it will continue to weigh on Chu Yang's heart. You should know better about the changes she's undergone over the years. Don't you feel heartbroken seeing this?"
Chu Yang's mother kept her head down and remained silent. Every word Fang Yi said struck her heart. No mother could ignore her daughter's sudden change in personality. She had tried to ask her daughter for the reason, but every time she tried, Chu Yang would dodge the question. If it weren't for Chu Yang's evasiveness, why would she have asked that woman for answers? The answer she received was so unbearable. She didn't believe it, but she also knew that her daughter was indeed very close to the He family brothers. This kind of thing, whether true or false, was something that her family couldn't bear. So she could only choose to ignore and forget, just like her daughter's choice. She thought she would just keep it a secret, not mention it to anyone, and pretend it never happened.
Fang Yi added, "Moreover, from what I understand, there are many problems with this matter, and I think you wouldn't want Chu Yang to suffer such a great injustice!"
"You think I don't know my daughter has been wronged?" Chu Yang's mother looked up at Fang Yi, gritted her teeth, and said angrily, "I know my daughter isn't that kind of child, but that woman made it sound so convincing, and they're all powerful and influential. Even if Chu Yang has been wronged, what can I do? If things get out of hand, their children can be sent abroad, but what about my child? Am I supposed to let her stay here and listen to gossip? How is she supposed to face people in the future? She's so young! Even if she's been wronged, we can only suffer in silence!"
Fang Yi's brows furrowed even more, and he asked in a cold voice, "What did she tell you?"
Chu Yang's mother was stunned for a moment, her thoughts seemed to return to that year, and the embarrassing scene suddenly surfaced. She looked at Fang Yi, her lips pursed, and remained silent.
Fang Yi suppressed his anger and sneered, "You don't dare to say it because you don't fully trust your own daughter, do you? You didn't even ask Chu Yang before you condemned her in your heart, so you didn't dare to ask and pretended to know nothing about that matter. Today, in your anger, you let slip what was on your mind! It's because of your distrust of Chu Yang that she didn't dare to tell you even when something happened to her, keeping everything to herself, which is why her personality changed so drastically!"
Chu Yang's mother was stunned, then exclaimed in anger, "You're talking nonsense! How do you know?"
"How would I know?" Fang Yi sneered. "Because I believe her, because I want those who owe her to pay back what she owes! You don't need to tell me what that woman said to you, because I've already planned to hear it from her again!"
Mrs. He was surprised that Fang Yi would choose such a humble place to meet her. As the mayor's wife, she had not visited such a residential area for many years. Looking up at the somewhat dilapidated building, Mrs. He was puzzled. If she hadn't seen the car downstairs that seemed out of place, she would hardly have believed that Fang Yi would be here.
"You can go back now. I'll call you later." Madam He turned around and said gently to the driver. In a neighborhood like this, a car like this would be too conspicuous. Fang Yi's car was enough.
Mrs. He went upstairs, paused for a moment in front of the top-floor door, carefully examined the somewhat simple wooden door, and gently knocked. Fang Yi opened the door as expected. He smiled and said, "Mrs. He, please make yourself at home. I'm truly sorry to have the mayor's wife come to this place."
Madam He smiled and nodded. As soon as she entered the room, she saw another middle-aged woman. She was slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered from her initial shock. She smiled elegantly at Fang Yi and complained in a relaxed tone, "You child, why did you choose a place like this?"
Fang Yi smiled and didn't answer her question. He simply said, "Madam He, there's nothing else today. I know you want what I have. Mayor He is probably having trouble sleeping and eating because of these things, isn't he?"
Madam He glanced casually at Chu Yang's mother beside her and said with a smile, "Fang Yi, didn't you and Yi Qian have a good relationship before? How did things suddenly turn out like this? It's Yi Qian's fault. Don't hold it against him. It would be bad if this strained the relationship between our two families! We've fallen into the trap of some people trying to sow discord."
Chu Yang's mother had originally planned to follow Fang Yi's arrangements and remain silent, but seeing this woman start with such underhanded words, she couldn't help but blush with anger and retorted, "Who are you calling a troublemaker?"
"Auntie! Please don't get angry." Fang Yi stopped her for a moment, then turned to Madam He and said with a light smile, "Madam He, there's no need to beat around the bush today. Don't worry, there are no surveillance cameras here, so you don't need to say anything superficial. There's something I've been wondering about, so I have to ask you. Let's make a deal. I want the truth from you, and then I'll give you the item. From now on, Mayor He can have no more worries. How about it?"
Mrs. He looked at Chu Yang's mother, then at Fang Yi, smiled, and said decisively, "Okay, I agree. I think I know what you want to ask now. Actually, I didn't want to bring this up again. After all, Chu Yang is a girl, and I watched her grow up. It hurts me more than anyone else to see her like this."
Then she whispered to Chu Yang's mother, "Elder sister, I know what you're thinking. I also always thought she could become my daughter-in-law, but since that happened, she can no longer enter our He family. Even if you resent me, there's nothing I can do."
When Chu Yang's mother heard Madam He implying to Fang Yi that she had wanted to marry into a wealthy and powerful family in the past, she was so angry that she trembled all over. She pointed at her and shouted, "You're talking nonsense! We never thought of marrying our daughter to a family like yours!"
"Is that so?" Madam He sneered. "Then why is Chu Yang still entangled with my son?"
"I don't care about your affairs," Fang Yi suddenly interrupted them, asking coldly, "I only want to hear about what happened six years ago. Madam He, can you tell me the truth about that incident?"
Madam He glanced at Chu Yang's mother, feigning hesitation on her face: "Since this matter is in the past, why bring it up again? Chu Yang was young then, and it's understandable that she made mistakes. She has already corrected them, so why can't we give her a chance to start over?"
Fang Yi sneered: "Our deal is to exchange what I have for the truth from you. Will you do it or not?"
Mrs. He gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, since you insist, I agree."
"Alright, wait a moment." Fang Yi said with a cold laugh, then turned and walked into the bedroom.
Chu Yang had already woken up on the bed in the bedroom. She could hear the conversation outside very clearly. She sat on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring at Fang Yi as he walked past with her big, lifeless eyes.
Fang Yi knelt down by the bed, smiled gently at her, and asked softly, "Do you trust me?"
Chu Yang stared at him blankly, without saying a word.
Fang Yi extended his hand to her and said, "If you believe me, come out with me. I'll be there for you to face this. We'll clear things up and make sure we get back everything that was owed to us!"
After a long while, Chu Yang hesitantly placed her hand in Fang Yi's hand. Fang Yi held it tightly, gave her an encouraging smile, then picked her up from the bed and carried her out of the bedroom.
When Madam He saw Fang Yi carrying Chu Yang out of the house, she was stunned for a moment, but then she calmed down and watched coldly as Fang Yi sat down on the sofa with Chu Yang in his arms.
"Alright, Madam He, please recount that matter again, in front of Chu Yang and her mother, please say it again," Fang Yi said coldly.
"Fang Yi, why do you have to do this? Why do you have to ask about the past in front of Chu Yang?" Madam He asked.
Fang Yi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the middle-aged noblewoman opposite him. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he said, "Please speak."
Mrs. He glanced at Fang Yi, then at Chu Yang, who was burying his face in his arms, and sighed. She said, "Alright, since you insist on asking, I have no choice but to tell you. It happened one afternoon more than six years ago. I went home on business and happened to run into Chu Yang and Yi Qian, uh—and two of Yi Qian's friends. They all seemed to be drinking, and the scene—" She paused, as if she was having trouble speaking, and looked at Chu Yang with difficulty before continuing, "It was simply an eyesore. I never imagined that these kids could be so depraved. Later, the nanny told me that this wasn't the first time. I was terrified at the time. For the sake of these kids' future, I had no choice but to suppress the matter and send Yi Qian abroad."
"You're talking nonsense!" Chu Yang's mother shouted angrily, "My daughter isn't that kind of child!"
Mrs. He ignored Chu Yang's mother, only looked at Chu Yang apologetically, and said, "Chu Yang, it was my fault back then. I shouldn't have scared you by telling your parents and teachers. But I was only thinking of you. I was afraid that you were young and naive, and if you told others about this, it would be fine for Yi Qian and the other boys, but how would you, a girl, face people in the future?"
“I didn’t,” Chu Yang trembled in Fang Yi’s arms, the scene from years ago replaying before her eyes once again. She forced herself to stand up, her hands tightly gripping Fang Yi’s clothes, and said through gritted teeth, “I have never been with them.”