Volume One, Chapter Seven: Planning to Get Something for Nothing

It was as if a timely rain had fallen.

Wen Li typed "Need" into the dialog box but did not send it. She glanced at Zhou Huaiqing, who was humming a tune while driving.

"Could you pull over? I have something to take care of."

"What is it? Looking for another man? An afternoon wasn't enough for you?"

"…I'm looking for a woman."

Zhou Huaiqing raised an eyebrow. "I couldn't tell; you're quite liberated, aren't you?"

"I'm meeting a friend," Wen Li replied.

"That girl from the Ling family?"

Wen Li nodded. She didn't have many close female friends—Ling Dan was the only one—so it wasn't hard to guess.

After getting the address from her, Zhou Huaiqing made a U-turn and headed toward the destination. Ten minutes later, they arrived at Die Zhuang.

Die Zhuang was one of the premier entertainment venues in Nancheng. Located along the river in the city center, it was an old, prestigious establishment housed in what looked like an ancient castle. The people who frequented it were either incredibly wealthy or of high social standing, spending money like water.

"Thank you," Wen Li said, preparing to get out.

Before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt, Zhou Huaiqing stretched his hand out from the steering wheel. Wen Li looked at him with a bewildered expression, silently asking what he wanted.

Seeing her lack of awareness, he said languidly, "Planning on a free ride and welching on the fare?"

Wen Li asked helplessly, "How much?"

He held up two fingers. "Two hundred."

A black-hearted driver. She wanted to report him.

"A luxury private car, plus this handsome face of mine for your viewing pleasure—others don't even get the chance."

To be fair, Zhou Huaiqing was quite good-looking. Perhaps due to being raised in different environments, he carried an air of a refined rogue, yet possessed an added touch of refreshing straightforwardness. It was just that he was thick-skinned, foul-mouthed, and a bit devious.

"I didn't bring any cash," Wen Li said, feeling troubled.

Zhou Huaiqing casually picked up a phone from the center console—it had a white pear-blossom case—and promptly displayed a QR code.

"I accept mobile payments."

He was well-prepared.

Wen Li glanced at the colorful phone case. A grown man with such a feminine accessory—it was likely a matching set with his partner.

The code Zhou Huaiqing displayed was not for payment, but for adding a contact. She didn't want to point out his mistake, fearing another round of his sarcasm. So, she sent a friend request right in front of him, and once it was accepted, she transferred the two hundred yuan.

Zhou Huaiqing accepted the money swiftly. "Come back again sometime," he said with a wave.

Inside Die Zhuang, Ling Dan was sitting at the water bar on the first floor, waving her over. "Over here."

Seeing the noisy crowd below, Wen Li asked, "Why didn't you book a private room upstairs?"

"Probably because I didn't want to."

The private rooms at Die Zhuang were not open to the public; they were membership-only. Ling Dan had always come and gone with ease, but today she had been told that without a prior reservation, everything was full.

In Nancheng’s social circles, the hierarchy was distinct. The Jiang, Wen, and Shen families led the pack, with the Zhou family also holding significant weight. It didn't take much to guess that Shen Ningyuan, that spineless brat, had been stirring up trouble. The staff, quick to judge and cater to the powerful, had no interest in welcoming her.

Wen Li understood immediately. She sat down beside her and ordered a glass of sake. "Have you spoken with the Shen family?"

"I did. It completely fell apart."

"The Shen family said that as long as I’m willing to issue a public apology, they’re willing to let bygones be bygones."

"Let bygones be bygones"—and an apology, to boot. They really had the nerve to say that.

Ling Dan continued, "They even offered to throw in an extra villa on top of the original terms, to be transferred to my name as pre-marital property."

Shen Ningyuan was even more shameless. He would deflect, claiming he was drunk, then blame the other party for seducing him, all while repeatedly promising he would cut ties with her cousin, Ling Yuan.

Wen Li was stunned. "Did you agree?"

"How could I? I only hate myself for not seeing Shen Ningyuan’s true colors sooner. I wasted years of affection on him, only to have him carry on an affair with Ling Yuan right under my nose."

Ling Dan had only recently discovered that Ling Yuan and Shen Ningyuan had been involved for a long time; they were essentially dating simultaneously. Having both sisters at once, he must have been having quite a time.

Thinking about it made Ling Dan feel nauseous. Even if she ground her teeth to dust, she couldn't swallow this insult.

Wen Li hugged her, feeling a pang of sympathy. "Don't be sad. A cheating scumbag isn't worth holding onto. There are plenty of men out there."

Ling Dan straightened her back and pulled away from the embrace. "It's not him I'm angry at; it's my parents."

After downing her drink, she added, "They actually sided with the outsiders, urging me to smooth things over and forcing me to go to the Shen family to apologize. They claimed it was for my own good. Tell me, what kind of parents are like that?"

Wen Li wanted to say that there were plenty, and some were even worse.

However, she held her tongue. After all, this wasn't her stage; she simply listened intently as Ling Dan recounted the sequence of events.

"They just can't bear to let go of the Shen family's wealth and status. In their eyes, me landing Shen Ningyuan was a miracle, something that only happens when the ancestral graves smoke with good fortune."

Ling Dan’s family background wasn't bad; although they didn't hold political power, they ran a real estate company. Still, compared to the Shen family, they were a tier below.

Although Shen Ningyuan’s mother was a mistress who had usurped the wife's position—hardly a respectable lineage—Shen Ningyuan was, after all, the legitimate second young master of the Shen family. He enjoyed immense prestige in public.

The Ling family had been eager for this marriage. Because of the relationship between Shen Ningyuan and Ling Dan, the two families’ business dealings had become deeply intertwined, making them difficult to disentangle.

In the context of such a marriage alliance, a romance was a win-win, but any slip-up could cause severe damage. From a certain perspective, the Ling parents' actions and considerations weren't entirely illogical.

Ling Dan babbled on for a long time without reaching a point. Wen Li eventually asked, "So, what was the final result?"

Ling Dan didn't speak, but Wen Li understood from her silence.

Ling Dan took Wen Li’s hand. "You'll support me, right?"

Wen Li squeezed back. "Of course. We're best friends."

She and Ling Dan had known each other since they were very young, having been classmates through elementary, middle, and high school. Their true friendship had formed in their second year of high school.

That year, Qi Min and her clique had ostracized her, framing her for stealing a fountain pen and demanding to rummage through her bag in public to "prove her innocence."

It was a clumsy, illogical attempt at harassment. Even if the Wen family daughter wasn't well-liked, why would she bother stealing a pen? But everyone had chosen to stand by and watch, and no one was willing to believe her.

It was Ling Dan who had stood up decisively and declared that if they were going to search, they should search everyone.

"Back when you and Jiang Chen..." Ling Dan didn't finish the sentence.

Wen Li wasn't an extroverted person; she was the complete opposite of Ling Dan, preferring to keep many things buried deep inside. Especially regarding Jiang Chen, Ling Dan knew very well that Wen Li didn't like to bring it up.

As friends, although they had kept in touch over the years, Ling Dan could feel that she had never truly entered the depths of Wen Li’s heart. Even if they had a bond, it remained shallow and superficial, hardly justifying the label of "best friends."

Compared to Ling Dan's cautious probing, Wen Li replied with a sense of relief, "Our situations are not the same."