Chapter Thirty-Four: A Lesson

When Hong Chen awoke, the hottest hour of the day had already passed; it was two o’clock in the afternoon.

He stretched lazily and walked to the window. Pulling the curtains open, a slant of intense sunlight poured in, stinging his eyes until they felt slightly sore.

Shielding his face with a hand against the glare, he took a dozen deep breaths by the window, expelling the lingering haze of sleepiness, then turned and entered the bathroom. After a quick wash, he stepped out of his room.

Less than five seconds later, along the corridor leading to the dining room, another door swung open. Lin Yufei, her hair still damp, emerged wrapped in a white bath towel, humming a tune, her bare feet padding softly on the floor. A few droplets slid down her delicate, youthful face, tracing the line of her cheek.

She looked every bit the picture of a fresh beauty just out of the bath.

Hong Chen’s steps halted abruptly, and Lin Yufei’s humming stopped as well. The two stood a little more than a meter apart, their gazes locked, both caught off guard.

“Ah! Pervert!” After a brief silence, Lin Yufei shrieked, whipped around, and dashed back into her room, slamming the door shut just as the towel threatened to slip.

Hong Chen touched his nose and offered a wry smile, muttering, “Is it really such a big deal? It’s not like you were naked.” He resumed his walk to the dining room, rummaging in the fridge for milk and half a bag of sliced bread, then sat down to eat.

Barely two or three minutes had passed before Lin Yufei reappeared, now dressed in cute, cartoon-themed loungewear. Despite her adorable look, her aura was fierce and bristling with hostility.

“It’s Monday, shouldn’t you be at school today?” Lin Yufei sat opposite Hong Chen, but before she could speak, he lifted his eyes and asked.

“Why aren’t you at work?” she retorted, eyes flashing with anger. On weekdays, Lin Yuangui and Lin Yuxin went to work, Shen Huifang left every afternoon to play mahjong, and with Hong Chen’s new job, the house was supposed to be empty at this hour—otherwise she wouldn’t have been so careless and relaxed.

Just now, she’d narrowly escaped disaster; she almost exposed herself in front of this man she despised. No, he’d already gotten an eyeful of her bare shoulders. The thought alone made her furious and embarrassed.

“My boss isn’t around, so I took a day off,” Hong Chen replied, then frowned in annoyance, “Don’t look at me like that, as if I did something to you. Why aren’t you in class? What are you doing at home? You scared me just now—I thought I’d run into a ghost in broad daylight.”

“You’re the ghost—a lecherous one,” Lin Yufei snapped, stung by his comeback. Hong Chen ignored her and, switching to a gentler tone, spoke quickly, “Yufei, you’re not a child anymore. You can’t act solely on impulse; at least consider the consequences beforehand—whether you can bear them, and whether they’ll affect your family.”

“Think about it: just these few days, how many things have happened to you? Over forty thousand charged to your credit card in a month, a meal with a million-dollar bill, and that night’s car accident—all linked to you, with your family left to shoulder the consequences.”

Lin Yuxin’s face alternated between pale and flushed. After a moment, she squeezed out, “You have no right to meddle in my affairs.”

“Fine, I have no right, I’ll shut up. Is that good enough?” Hong Chen surrendered without protest, picked up his milk and bread, and headed for the living room.

He never truly intended to lecture Lin Yufei; it was simply a distraction, a way to shift the focus so she wouldn't harp on the earlier incident, calling him a “pervert” or “lecher” and ruining his meal.

Settling onto the sofa, Hong Chen lounged back, legs propped on the coffee table, turned on the TV, and alternated bites of bread and sips of milk, savoring the comfort.

But the peace was short-lived. Lin Yufei stormed out of the dining room, marching straight toward him. Standing before him with arms crossed over her chest, she looked down at him with a self-satisfied air and demanded, “Let me ask you—where did you get that VIP card you used to pay at the hotel the other day?”

Hong Chen glanced at her. “My company boss got it in my name.”

A look of understanding flashed in Lin Yufei’s eyes, but suspicion lingered. “Was it really you who treated my injury with acupuncture that night? Did you study Chinese medicine?”

Hong Chen replied with a simple, “I’ve read some medical books, used to help out at a clinic. It was just a minor injury, so I took care of it for you.”

Lin Yufei nodded thoughtfully, then turned away. Moments later she returned, holding a dress in her arms. Hong Chen watched her, puzzled.

“Take a look, my dress—there are over a dozen needle holes where you treated me. This dress cost eighteen thousand seven hundred; I can show you the receipt if you don’t believe me. So, what are you going to do about it?”

A cold smile flickered in Lin Yufei’s eyes as she handed over the dress. Hong Chen stared, dumbfounded. He’d seen much in life, but this was absurd—was she really asking him to pay for it?

He’d heard stories of helping elderly people up from the roadside, only to be accused of knocking them down, but never of treating a patient, healing them, only to be asked to pay out of pocket instead of receiving a fee. Yet here it was, happening right before him.

So this was what people meant by good intentions being mistaken for ill will, or by repaying kindness with ingratitude—Hong Chen now felt this truth deeply.

He did not take the dress. Instead, he silently pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and suddenly Lin Yufei’s phone chimed with a message. Hong Chen drained his milk, rose to leave, and said quietly, “I’ve sent the money to your account.”

Lin Yufei stared, bewildered. Checking her phone, she saw a transfer of eighteen thousand seven hundred. Her expression shifted, words caught in her throat as she watched Hong Chen walk out the door, unable to say a thing.

Her intention hadn’t been to make Hong Chen pay for her dress. After being scolded, she’d wanted to retaliate, assuming he lacked the money to reimburse her. Then she could scold him again, justified and triumphant.

Hong Chen had said one should consider the consequences before acting—well, now the consequence had arrived; let’s see how he handled it.

In this world, many consequences aren’t foreseeable, nor can reason solve everything. Take the million-dollar bill: if her family were as powerful as her aunt’s, would her aunt dare swindle them? Or that car accident—though she was the victim, the Jiang family still held her family accountable…

She wanted to teach Hong Chen a lesson: truth isn’t in the hands of the one with reason, but in the hands of the powerful. Hong Chen was just a useless son-in-law, living off her family, unqualified to lecture her—he was the one to be lectured.

But today’s Hong Chen was not the man he used to be. Her plan was doomed to fail.

“So proud, are you? Isn’t it just my sister giving you three thousand a month for living expenses? You saved up all this time just for the sake of face, but if you’re willing, I certainly won’t be polite,” Lin Yufei muttered as she pressed “accept” on the transfer, conflicted for a moment before letting out a cold snort.

…

Paradise KTV, a luxurious private room.

Lin Huihuang sat on the sofa, drinking gloomily, casting bored glances at the couples locked in each other’s arms, swaying to the pounding music.

“Huihuang, business is always full of ups and downs. A man must know how to pick up and let go. You should learn from your cousin—so carefree! I heard her ad agency got blacklisted by Hongcheng Group, lost over a million in business, yet she still eats, still plays,” remarked a young man with slicked-back hair, clinking glasses with him. His gaze lingered on Lin Meimei, dancing with a man, a lewd smile flickering in his eyes.

“My grandma always favored her mother, stuffing her with fifty or sixty thousand in secret cash every year. Her ad agency is just a pastime. I’m not so lucky. The pharmacy’s gone, my dad and I are struggling. The new decoration company—my dad asked everyone he knows, still not a single order. Damn, if this keeps up, I won’t even afford a drink,” Lin Huihuang shook his head in defeat, downing his liquor.

At that moment, the door swung open and Chen Feiyang strode in, beaming, radiating confidence.

“Feiyang!”

“Mr. Chen!”

Immediately, the dancers paused, those seated stood, some approaching to greet him, others nodding with fawning smiles. Chen Feiyang had always been a star in their circle, and just this morning his company, Maoding Materials, signed a thirty-seven-million contract with Hongcheng Group, making him hotter than ever.

“Huihuang, I heard your decoration company’s been open nearly two weeks and still hasn’t landed any deals? I happen to have two small projects, together worth about fifty thousand. Interested?” After a round of toasts, Chen Feiyang sat next to Lin Huihuang, tossed a snack into his mouth, and spoke casually.

Lin Huihuang’s eyes lit up. “Mr. Chen, I’m desperate now—don’t just feed me empty promises.”

“Mr. Chen, my ad agency’s been suffering these past few months too. You can’t just favor my brother,” Lin Meimei pressed herself against Chen Feiyang, her gaze flirtatious.

“No problem. Maoding spends at least two million a year on hard advertising. I can allocate a quarter to you; that’s within my authority.” Chen Feiyang shifted away from Lin Meimei, keeping some distance. She was attractive enough, but not to his taste, and her reputation in their circle wasn’t great—too promiscuous for his liking.

“I’ll keep your business in mind, but you’ll need to do me a favor too.” Chen Feiyang raised his glass, clinking it with Lin Huihuang and Lin Meimei.

“Of course, just say the word,” Lin Huihuang replied, draining his glass without hesitation; Lin Meimei nodded eagerly.

“You all know that Yuxin and I were classmates in high school, and now we work together in business. I wanted things to progress naturally, but maybe I was too accommodating—she seems to think I’m naïve, someone to use when needed and discard when not. And her sister keeps taking advantage, making promises but never delivering. Honestly, I’m getting fed up, patience wearing thin,” Chen Feiyang narrowed his eyes, a flash of anger passing through them as he glanced at the two.