Qin Yusheng's eyes shifted slightly. He saw it but didn't expose her, pressing her against the window behind him.
Zhao Shuyao gulped, forcing a calm demeanor.
"Since you want compensation so badly, I'll compensate you handsomely..."
The man gripped her chin, tilting her head up abruptly. His other hand landed on her skin.
Zhao Shuyao trembled violently, her phone falling to the floor. "Qin Yusheng, you're insane!"
"Shout louder, I don't mind if they all come out to watch!"
"Qin Yusheng!" Zhao Shuyao could no longer hold back, tears streaming fiercely from the corners of her eyes.
The man, however, acted as if he neither heard nor saw her crying and tears.
Fearing that someone nearby might push open the door, Zhao Shuyao tightly covered her mouth, preventing herself from making any sound.
She didn't know how she fell asleep. Zhao Shuyao felt exhausted. When she woke up the next day, she found herself lying on a large bed.
The spacious room had gray walls and floors. The nightstand and bed were all in cool tones, even the duvet cover was cool-colored.
This was Qin Yusheng's bedroom!
Zhao Shuyao suddenly threw off the covers and jumped off the bed. Had she sleepwalked into Qin Yusheng's room last night?
As her feet touched the ground, a strange sensation brought back memories of the previous night.
On the bedside table lay a check for one million yuan.
The man's handsome and sharp signature was already written on it.
Zhao Shuyao picked up the check, feeling an urge to tear it up, but she held back.
One million yuan, not a hundred or ten yuan. She could use it to subsidize household expenses. Her current financial situation didn't allow her to be reckless or willful.
Zhao Shuyao took a deep breath, biting her tongue, and forcefully suppressed her pride.
She picked up the check, gathered her clothes from the floor, and put them on.
Zhao Shuyao, enduring the discomfort, walked towards the door.
"Brother Yusheng..."
Outside the door, Huo Yanxue raised her hand, about to knock, when the door opened from the inside.
The joy on Huo Yanxue's face lasted less than half a second. The moment she saw Zhao Shuyao, it vanished, and her expression instantly turned grim.
"You... why are you in Brother Yusheng's room?!"
Huo Yanxue raised her voice, her tone sharp.
Zhao Shuyao blinked, her mind racing. "I came in to clean."
Huo Yanxue's gaze swept over Zhao Shuyao's neck. "Cleaning? Zhao Shuyao, do you take me for a three-year-old? Look at the marks on your neck! Who gave you those?! Was it Brother Yusheng?! Answer me? Was it?!"
Huo Yanxue was aggressive, almost frantic, closing in on Zhao Shuyao. Her innocent and harmless face was contorted with rage.
Zhao Shuyao saw this side of Huo Yanxue for the first time.
But she wasn't surprised.
This was her true face.
It was truly detestable.
"Yes, Qin Yusheng and I did everything that should have happened last night. Huo Yanxue, you're just a pitiful creature. Even if Qin Yusheng doesn't have feelings for me, he's been intimate with me. And you, he hasn't even touched you yet, right?"
A loud slap landed on Zhao Shuyao's face.
Zhao Shuyao's head turned to the side from the impact. She touched the blood at the corner of her mouth and smiled, unfazed.
"What, broken? Huo Yanxue, even if Qin Yusheng marries you, it won't change the fact that we were together for three years. You can only use the man I used, live in the room I lived in. Your man came to my room in the middle of the night looking for me. You can't keep a man, you're just a useless nobody..."
Zhao Shuyao raised her hand, adjusted Huo Yanxue's collar, patted Huo Yanxue's chest, a faint smile playing on her lips.
That smile was extremely provocative.
"You, Zhao Shuyao! You damn slut! You should be rotting in a sewer! You steal my things and still have the nerve to justify it. I've never seen such a shameless woman like you!"
"Well, now you have. Huo Yanxue, what you snatched from me will never truly be yours. You're still too young to become the young madam of the Qin family!"
Zhao Shuyao's lips curled into a sharp arc, revealing two sharp little canine teeth.
She used to be the Qin family's young madam and dared not speak carelessly. Now, she was just an ordinary person, free to speak her mind.
With the million yuan in hand, there was no need to be subservient anymore!
"You... you're scolding me like this, aren't you afraid I'll complain to Brother Yusheng? You're just a servant of the Qin family now!"
"Slap!" Zhao Shuyao raised her hand and slapped Huo Yanxue hard.
She had been a sports champion in high school and college, stronger than most boys, and worked with vigor. With one slap, Huo Yanxue's head turned, and her face instantly swelled.
Huo Yanxue covered her face, her almond-shaped eyes widening. "Zhao Shuyao, you..."
"Me, me, me? What about me?" Zhao Shuyao shook her hand.
She even felt her hand hurt from hitting Huo Yanxue!
"Don't provoke me again in the future. It's best to avoid me. Otherwise, every time I see Qin Yusheng, I'll flirt with him, and you'll just have to wear a cuckold's hat!"
Zhao Shuyao snorted through her nose, turned, and left.
Clutching the check in her hand, she left the Qin residence and headed straight to the bank. She withdrew the one million yuan in cash and deposited it into Le Haitian's bank account.
Her own savings were still enough to cover rent, utilities, and living expenses for now.
Besides, she was now sharing an apartment with Xiang Liang, so she didn't need to buy groceries or anything.
She could manage until payday.
She decided to leave this money for Le Haitian and Li Huiyun.
Her father was old and not in good health...
Thinking this, Zhao Shuyao transferred the money.
In the evening, Le Yanran called, hesitantly probing, "Are you still in contact with Qin Yusheng?"
"What's up? Oh, right, I transferred some money to my father today. I wanted to let you know it was me who sent it..."
Le Yanran didn't seem surprised, only asking, "Where did you get that money from?"
"You don't need to ask. After divorcing Qin Yusheng, he should give me some benefits, otherwise, how can he make up for my three years of youth?"
Zhao Shuyao said, half-jokingly.
"That's true... I'm going to the capital on a business trip in a few days. Where are you staying?"
Zhao Shuyao thought for a moment. "I'll come to you. If you have time, I can show you around the capital."
The Zhao family was in Haicheng, and Le Yanran had barely visited the capital.
"Okay... Do you know where Doctor Xiang lives?"
Hearing Le Yanran say this, Zhao Shuyao found it a bit strange.
Lately, Le Yanran seemed very concerned about Xiang Liang, making several calls, and every word revolved around Xiang Liang.
"I don't know. I don't pay attention to Doctor Xiang's whereabouts. If you're curious, you should ask him yourself!"
Zhao Shuyao also found it odd. Xiang Liang had been going out recently, but she didn't know where, and he hadn't found a job at a hospital.
Could it be that he went for interviews, but Qin Yusheng obstructed him, so he couldn't find a job?
"I won't talk to you anymore, I have something to do."
Zhao Shuyao hung up the phone and walked into the living room.
Coincidentally, Xiang Liang had finished cooking and called Zhao Shuyao over for dinner.