"You’ve lived with your parents for 20 years and learned nothing, except for fantasizing and expecting handouts.”
“If you don’t work hard yourself and only dream of manna from heaven, expecting others to help you without complaint, do you think there are so many fools in the world?”
“I thought you were being bullied and wanted to help you get justice. Now I see, it’s entirely your own fault.”
Fine.
Zhou Jinbei had to admit it was partly her own fault.
But things had come to this.
“Second Brother, please stop scolding me. Given our family’s current situation, if they find out I’m divorced, they’ll curse me to death.”
“Please take pity on me. Take me in for a while.”
“Take you in for a while, and then what?” Zhan Bei Jue asked with a stern face.
“Won’t they find out eventually? What will you do then?”
Zhou Jinbei drooped her head.
“I don’t know, I’ll deal with it when it happens. Anyway, I don’t want to die so soon.”
“Please, for Auntie’s sake…”
Zhan Bei Jue raised his hand to interrupt her and asked about school instead.
Zhou Jinbei continued,
“I was never good at studying since I was a child. The moment I see a textbook, I feel sleepy. You know this. I’m afraid I can’t continue with this schooling.”
“Especially now, my mind is so cluttered, I don’t want to go at all.”
“Second Brother, a diploma makes no difference to me anyway. Your company is so big, there must be many vacant positions. Why don’t you arrange one for me to do?”
She really had the nerve to say that.
Zhan Bei Jue sneered.
“Are there many vacant positions? Indeed. But do you know Zhan Corporation’s hiring standards?”
“Even ordinary graduates from top 985 and 211 universities can’t get in, let alone you, a high school graduate.”
“You want me to take you in for a few days and give you shelter? Dreaming if you think I’ll give you a job.”
“Then fine. I have no job, I’m divorced and pregnant. I might as well starve to death.”
Zhan Bei Jue thought he misheard. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her coldly.
“What did you say? Say it again?”
“Didn’t you say he doesn’t like women? Where did the child come from?”
Zhou Jinbei instantly regretted telling him about it.
But then she thought, she couldn’t hide it forever anyway.
“Then you don’t need to worry about it. Anyway, I have a child in my womb.”
“If you don’t give me a job, and my parents won’t give me pocket money, and no one is supporting me, then my child and I will starve to death.”
Zhan Bei Jue was almost amused to death by her.
“You’re really something else, Zhou Jinbei. You’re sharp as a tack when it comes to scheming against your own people, but you just take it lying down when you’re taken advantage of by others?”
“Jiang Si Cheng is such a scumbag, and you’re still pregnant with his child? You’re divorced, why didn’t you terminate it?”
“This is a person, a life. How can you speak so lightly of it?”
Zhou Jinbei suddenly exuded maternal radiance, speaking righteously.
“My private matters with the child’s father are between the previous generation. What relation does the child have? Why should I deprive him of his right to live?”
“Besides, do you have the right to say that? Wasn’t your ex-wife also pregnant after you divorced?”
“……”
Zhan Bei Jue was rendered speechless by her retort.
Perhaps women and men thought differently.
Men tended to be realistic, cold-blooded; if they no longer loved, they no longer loved, and they’d leave without a second thought.
Women, driven by maternal instinct, would not give up their children, even after divorce, even in desperate situations.
He wasn’t surprised that Jiang Nan Fang would make this choice.
But for the seemingly unreliable Zhou Jinbei to think this way was truly impressive.
Because of this maternal radiance, and for the sake of the child, Zhan Bei Jue decided to compromise further.
“I’m only keeping you because I think your mind is still somewhat agile, and you have a child.”
“It happens that I need an assistant recently. If you’re okay with it, you can stay and work as my assistant.”
Zhou Jinbei’s mouth split into a grin, ready to cheer.
Zhan Bei Jue interrupted her again.
“Don’t get happy too soon. Do you know what an assistant does?”
“The work isn’t as simple as you imagine, and I cannot tolerate any mistakes.”
“If you can’t do it well and have me clean up your mess, don’t blame me if I directly call your father to come and pick you up.”
Zhou Jinbei assured him.
“I know, I know! I haven’t eaten pork before, but I’ve seen pork being cooked, haven’t I?”
“I’ve worked summer jobs for my dad! I could handle even him, who’s so picky. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine!”
“Don’t start bragging yet.”
Zhan Bei Jue turned around, pulled a file from the cabinet, and threw it to her.
“This is the company’s organizational structure. Read it. You have to recite it back to me before you leave work.”
“I don’t want you to go collect and deliver documents tomorrow and not even recognize people, making a fool of me.”
It was strange.
The same text, when it was in a textbook, made Zhou Jinbei want to sleep.
But when it was turned into a document and related to interpersonal relationships, she became very interested.
Perhaps she was born for this. Coupled with her upbringing, she quickly grasped the framework clearly.
She even volunteered to recite it to Zhan Bei Jue in advance.
Not entirely foolish, then.
Zhan Bei Jue tacitly accepted her.
“Go back and pack your things. Sleep early, wake up early, and be here punctually at eight tomorrow morning to start work.”
“I don’t want anyone to know about your past troubles, nor do I want anyone to know you’re pregnant. It’s best if you keep your mouth shut tight.”
“I understand. It’s nothing glorious. Do you think I want others to know?”
After saying that, Zhou Jinbei didn’t leave, staring intently at him.
Zhan Bei Jue stared at the computer, she stared at him, and after a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.
“Still not leaving? What are you hanging around for?”
“To leave with you. Aren’t you going home?”
Zhan Bei Jue said, “No. And I had a bit of a disagreement with your aunt, so she went abroad.”
“Everyone’s in a bad mood lately, and I don’t want to invite trouble. Don’t contact her, and don’t ask about her when you go back.”
“Oh,” Zhou Jinbei nodded, but still lingered.
“You’re not going back to live? Where are you staying now?”
“Do I need to report my living arrangements to you?”
“That’s not what I meant, it’s just…”
The Zhan family villa was too far from the city.
If Zhan Bei Jue lived in the city, and commuting was convenient, could they switch?
This way, she could sleep in longer every day, and save a lot on gas money for the round trip.
There was no other way. When one is poor, their ambitions are limited; she had to be frugal now.
Her eyes darted around, and Zhan Bei Jue saw through her thoughts instantly.
“Zhou Jinbei, you’re pushing your luck, aren’t you? You want to switch with me? Dream on.”
“How about I buy you a new place then.”
Zhou Jinbei smiled, “You’re so rich, buying a house is like buying a toy for you…”
“Is my money falling from the sky? You only think of getting something for nothing. With this attitude of yours, I would never give you anything for free.”
If you’re not giving it, you’re not giving it. Why are you so fierce?