“When the reins of power are truly handed over to someone else, leaving you with nothing and forcing you to start from scratch, that’s when you’ll truly understand what hardship is!”
“Don’t be so selfish. Think long-term. Look at your own children, clamoring for food. Their childhood is important, but their adulthood is even more so!”
“If you don’t work hard now, they’ll have to fight for themselves when they grow up. Do you want to see your children struggling to survive under others? Bowing and scraping for meager gains? Think about it!”
With that, the old man, furious, stormed away.
Jiang Nan Fang and Zhan Bei Jue exchanged a look, losing their appetite for the meal.
Fearing Zhan Bei Jue might be upset, Jiang Nan Fang tried to comfort him.
“Grandpa is old. He feels that descendants should stay close. It’s normal for him not to accept it right away.”
“Take it slow. Besides, you just promised to help him with financing, so you can’t leave anytime soon.”
“I have to go to the company later. I won’t be staying with you.”
She called Zhou Jin Bei to arrange things for Shen Min Er, but no one answered.
She sent him a WeChat message, but he didn’t reply.
“Where did your cousin go? She hasn’t made a sound since last night.”
“What did she tell you before she left yesterday?”
“Her family’s mess has flared up again. She must have gone home to clean up their mess. If you want to know what happened, you need to call Zhou Jin Xiu.”
Fine, she’d call him.
Jiang Nan Fang called Zhou Jin Xiu again in front of him.
This time, he answered.
“Are you up yet? Where’s Bei Bei? Why isn’t she answering my calls?”
The other end of the line was eerily silent. After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Jin Xiu suddenly wailed.
“Nan Fang… as expected, only you remember me and want to help me in times of crisis.”
“I’m so touched, boohoo, where are you now? Can we meet? I’m dying, save me.”
Since Zhou Jin Xiu decided to go home and focus on his career, they hadn’t contacted each other much.
When they did, it was usually when Zhou Jin Xiu was drunk, making jokes, and asking if Jiang Nan Fang was doing well.
He always seemed carefree and full of spirit, so his sudden颓废 (tuí fèi - dejected/decadent) demeanor startled Jiang Nan Fang.
“What’s wrong? Why are you dying? Speak properly, don’t scare me!”
“It’s hard to explain over the phone. My dad is looking for me everywhere, and he’ll beat me to death if he finds me.”
“Where are you? Can I come find you? You have to help me this time.”
Jiang Nan Fang looked at Zhan Bei Jue.
He had always had a poor impression of Zhou Jin Xiu. With drooping eyelids, he pretended not to hear, his expression blank.
But Jiang Nan Fang had always considered Zhou Jin Xiu a friend and couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
“Alright, then come over to my place. I’ll wait for you at home.”
After hanging up, Zhan Bei Jue, with a scowl, took out his phone and personally called Zhou Jin Bei.
That damned girl, she appeared carefree and thoughtless on the surface.
But in reality, she was more reserved than anyone.
Every time a major incident occurred, she handled it quietly behind the scenes.
She really should have been born with Zhou Jin Xiu’s gender.
After calling several times with no answer, Zhou Jin Bei finally picked up.
Her voice sounded groggy.
“Second Brother, what’s wrong?”
Zhan Bei Jue immediately sensed something was wrong.
“Where are you?”
“Home. I slept late last night and just woke up.”
“You don’t sound well. Is everything alright?”
There was something wrong, something very serious.
Zhou Jin Bei had cried for most of the night, and her eyes were now swollen like walnuts.
But she didn’t want Zhan Bei Jue to know.
There were many things she had to learn to grow up and solve on her own.
Others could help you for a moment, but not for a lifetime.
She couldn’t expect Zhan Bei Jue to save the world just because he was rich.
“It’s nothing. I have a bit of a headache and want to take the day off. Second Brother, please tell sister-in-law that I won’t be coming to the company today.”
Zhan Bei Jue pretended not to know about the situation at the Zhou family’s house.
“What’s wrong, caught a cold?”
“Maybe I caught a chill yesterday. I have a terrible headache, but I’ll be fine after taking some medicine and sleeping. I’m hanging up now.”
After the call ended, Zhan Bei Jue rubbed his temples and leaned his head back against the chair.
His grandfather had a point.
One shouldn’t live too selfishly.
Even if not for oneself, then for those around them, it was wrong to hang up one’s armor prematurely when one had the ability to do more.
He wondered if Jiang Nan Fang could understand him, and he wasn’t joking.
For now, he really couldn’t emigrate.
In fact, Jiang Nan Fang knew very well that emotional outbursts were just talk.
It was unrealistic to expect Zhan Bei Jue to abandon everything and roam the world with her.
Unlike her, Zhan Bei Jue didn’t have a simple family background.
Once he drew a line with those scumbags, he would have no more attachments.
His situation involved not only the vast business of Zhan Corporation but also many peripheral relationships that couldn’t simply be discarded.
As a man, besides his wife, children, and a warm hearth, he bore many other responsibilities.
To abandon them so easily would be truly selfish.
After all, he was an adult. To dream of a carefree, innocent, and bright life like in the TV shows was pure fantasy.
Soon, Zhou Jin Xiu arrived.
With Zhan Bei Jue’s permission, the security guard let him in. Jiang Nan Fang went to the entrance to greet him, but Zhou Jin Xiu hesitated to enter.
He wore a white shirt and black trousers, looking as if he hadn’t changed them in days. The shirt was wrinkled, and his pants were covered in ash.
Coupled with his red eyes and messy hair, he truly looked like a wanderer on the run.
“What’s wrong? What exactly happened?”
The last time Jiang Nan Fang saw him, he was full of spirit, talking about how successful his career was.
“I… I’m too ashamed to say. If you still consider me a friend and believe in my character, lend me some money first.”
It wasn’t that Jiang Nan Fang didn’t trust him or wouldn’t lend him money, but rather that she wasn’t wealthy herself at the moment.
“How much do you need?”
“Ten… ten million?”
“How much?”
“If not, eight million will do! Ah, five million will do!”
“…… Zhou Jin Xiu, tell me the truth, what exactly happened?”
He ran his hands through his hair, looking filled with regret.
“Just don’t ask for now, I… can’t you just not ask?”
“No.”
Zhan Bei Jue emerged from somewhere, appearing coldly behind Jiang Nan Fang.
“Who lends money without a reason? Even close brothers keep clear accounts. What do you need the money for?”
“……”
Zhou Jin Xiu had always been inferior to Zhan Bei Jue since childhood, and he harbored a resentment because of it.
The incident today was also due to his eagerness to prove himself and stand tall in front of his parents.
Who would have thought…
Anyone could laugh at him, but not Zhan Bei Jue.
Being questioned by him, Zhou Jin Xiu’s already low spirits became even more agitated and furious.
“If you’re not lending, then don’t. I wasn’t expecting to borrow from you anyway, what’s so great about you?”
“Fortune turns, the east wind prevails over the west wind. Zhan Bei Jue, you won’t always be stronger than me!”
“I’m leaving! Consider this visit as if it never happened!”