"Even if we break up, we need to clarify things. Are you hiding something from me if you're so afraid to see me?"
Seeing Ah Zhong blocking her from closing the door, his girlfriend became angry.
"Zhong Jiaming, what do you think you're doing? Trespassing into my home late at night?"
"We've broken up, so we're strangers now! You can't come to my house without my permission, or I can sue you, believe it or not!"
There were no fundamental issues between them, no insurmountable problems.
She could actually be so decisive.
It was just as Zhou Jinbei had said, she had never loved him.
Ah Zhong felt terrible.
Not because he had completely lost his girlfriend from this moment on.
But because his eyes were so blind, his judgment so poor, that he had been a fool for three and a half years with a woman who didn't love him!
"Sue me. Sue me if you want. I'm barging into this place today anyway."
Ah Zhong pushed the door open and walked in with Zhou Jinbei, looking around the room.
"Quite a nice place you're living in. And you've even prepared red wine and candles. Who are you planning to celebrate with?"
His girlfriend looked at the handsome but poor man with disdain.
"Zhong Jiaming, do you know how disgusting your clingy behavior is?"
"Indeed, I don't like myself like this either. But you've forced me to be this way."
Ah Zhong went to the table, sat down, and poured himself a glass of the already aerated red wine.
"Don't just stand there, come and sit down to talk."
His girlfriend turned her head away. "I have nothing to talk about with you! My roommate will be back soon, and he doesn't welcome outsiders. Could you please leave?"
Seeing how eager she was for him to leave, it was likely that her new lover was about to arrive.
How could Ah Zhong leave at such a moment?
"Why would we have nothing to talk about? We were together for over three years, a thousand days and nights. We even picked out names for our future children, so why is there suddenly nothing to talk about?"
"Zhong..."
Seeing that he was about to mention their past, unpleasant memories, his girlfriend rushed to the table, wanting to cover his mouth.
Just then, a deep, middle-aged male voice came from the door: "Honey, I'm back!"
Everyone turned their gaze to the door.
A short, middle-aged man in a shirt and tie, with a belly as round as if he were six months pregnant, walked in.
His trouser pockets were bulging, as if he were carrying a small box.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell what it was, especially Ah Zhong, who was also a man.
"Is this your current boyfriend? Did he go out to buy that? Planning to have a candlelit dinner and then some 'exercise'? How nice."
"..." His girlfriend's face turned ashen.
The man entered with a confused expression, looking at Zhou Jinbei and then at Ah Zhong. "Honey, who are these people? Why didn't you tell me friends were coming over?"
Without making his girlfriend feel awkward, Ah Zhong stood up and offered an explanation.
"Hello, I'm her ex-boyfriend. We just broke up two days ago, and I missed her, so I came to see her. I didn't expect to disturb you."
"?" The man looked shocked. "Ex-boyfriend? Just broke up two days ago? What's going on?"
"I..." His girlfriend was about to explain to him.
Zhou Jinbei took over the conversation.
"You didn't know she had an ex-boyfriend, or you didn't know they broke up just two days ago? Buddy, from your appearance, it seems like earning a living isn't easy for you. You seem like a good person, but don't get fooled by her."
His girlfriend: "..."
"Damn it! What is this! I never thought you were this kind of woman!"
The man took out the item from his pocket, smashed it onto the ground, and turned to leave in anger.
Silence fell upon the room. After a moment, his girlfriend looked up coldly at Ah Zhong.
"Zhong Jiaming, are you satisfied?"
Ah Zhong was suddenly at a loss for words.
He understood her past. She came from a small town and yearned for success.
But he never imagined that for the sake of success, she had reduced herself to this point.
"Is he married?"
"What?!"
"I'm asking if the man just now is married! If not, I wish you both well."
"..." His girlfriend refused to answer.
"So it seems he is married. Fine, I have nothing more to say."
If you love to debase yourself like this, you're an adult, and I respect that.
Ah Zhong turned and walked out. "Don't worry, I won't bother you again."
He turned and left the room, but Zhou Jinbei did not.
She couldn't stand to see a scheming woman achieve success so easily.
If she cried in front of this man and he wouldn't blame her, then cried in front of that one...
How could a straightforward woman like herself survive?
"I'll speak on his behalf now. Hand over the wages he's given you over the past three and a half years."
His girlfriend clearly hadn't expected this to continue.
This woman was actually asking for money on Ah Zhong's behalf?
"I wasted three years of my youth with him, and in the end, you're going to settle accounts with me?"
Zhou Jinbei rolled her eyes.
"What do you mean you wasted over three years of your youth with him? He also spent over three years on you, sister!"
"Is a woman's youth precious, and a man's just worthless? You're not getting away with this! Hand over the money!"
His girlfriend was left speechless by the retort.
She looked Zhou Jinbei up and down and then remembered.
"It was you waiting for him downstairs at the company last time, wasn't it? You even claimed to be his boss's sister. Now it seems you're his new girlfriend."
"Bringing your new lover to settle old scores with me. You guys are something else."
Zhou Jinbei shrugged.
"You can speculate about him however you want, but don't drag me into it."
"I am indeed his boss's sister, and to put it bluntly, I'm a second-generation rich kid. I wouldn't be interested in a salaried worker like him."
"Don't involve us both. I'm just being helpful, fearing that you might throw a tantrum with him, and he might be too embarrassed to retaliate, thus wasting so much money."
His girlfriend sneered.
"So much money? How much is 'so much money'? Can you even calculate it? We lived together all that time, we can't possibly keep track of every single expense, right?"
"Besides, asking your ex for money after breaking up is really classless."
Zhou Jinbei hated her to death.
Talking to her made her want to rip her mouth open. She really didn't understand why men liked women like this.
"Don't worry, we won't count the small expenses; I've already sorted out the major ones for you."
"His monthly salary was fifty thousand. After deducting the mortgage and pocket money, the rest went to you. We have bank statements as proof."
"Thirty thousand a month, three hundred and sixty thousand a year. That's one million two hundred and sixty thousand over three years. Let's count the odd numbers as living expenses you received during your time as his girlfriend. In other words, you owe him a million."
"Hand it over. A million."
His girlfriend was furious.
"A million? How dare you say that! Where would I get so much money to give you? You're just spouting nonsense."
"So you're saying you want to take this to court. Fine. Then let's do that."
"However, I'll remind you. In court, there are no such things as rounding down for the remainder. By then, even the bags he bought you, the luxury cosmetics, the car..."
His girlfriend knew all this.
Seeing that Zhou Jinbei was not someone to be trifled with, and that she was indeed in the wrong.
"Stop talking! Isn't it just a million? I'll transfer it to him!"