Struggle

<Liang Zhengxian> lay on <Wang Manni>'s rental bed, utterly dejected.

At this moment, he felt a bit fortunate that he hadn't had time to ask <Zhao Jingyu> to drive <Wang Manni> away, otherwise, he would be sleeping on the streets. Although he had many friends, he knew their true nature. They were mostly together for mutual benefit and resource sharing. To them, a friend in need wasn't a friend at all.

He silently blessed <Wang Yan> in his heart.

Currently, <Wang Yan> had been cursed to ashes and scattered at least three thousand times in his mind.

"Are you sick? I just said you were uncultured, and you're acting like a rabid dog?" He felt so wronged.

After being kicked out, he was left with only tens of thousands of cash. Compared to his previous life, what could this amount of money do?

Even this was only because his father had shown some fatherly affection; otherwise, he would be in massive debt right now.

He did have debt before, but that was normal, just standard operating procedure.

However, <Zhao Jingyu> had absconded with more than half his fortune, leaving him unable to cover his debts.

His father had helped him settle the matter. At a time when he could barely protect himself, this was the last thing he could do. Of course, it was also because there wasn't much money involved. Compared to the Liang family's current situation, it was insignificant. If it were otherwise, they might as well have let <Liang Zhengxian> die.

Originally, <Liang Zhengxian> had planned to beg <Wang Yan> for forgiveness. But yesterday, he received news that their family's attempts to intercede had not only failed but had resulted in even harsher actions. Their resolve was firm, so why would he go out of his way to be humiliated?

His father had simply dismissed him with a "take care of yourself."

<Liang Zhengxian> understood the implication: he was completely finished.

Without the Liang family, he was nothing. He had made money before through connections and relationships. But now, with the Liang family on the verge of collapse, who would recognize him?

Some people can achieve nirvana in adversity, while others falter.

He couldn't be too absolute with his words, but after years of smooth sailing without experiencing setbacks, <Liang Zhengxian> was likely among the latter.

At this point, he might not be able to accept it, but he had to acknowledge it. There was nowhere else to turn if he didn't.

It would be a lie to say he didn't think about revenge, but the gap in their standing was too vast. His family had failed against them; what else could he do? If he truly angered <Wang Yan>, what if <Wang Yan> simply killed him? It was better to be in his current state; at least he was alive. Fortune turns, and perhaps there would be another chance in the future.

<Wang Manni> had been feeling restless and insecure lately. Her work performance had been poor, and her sales were not good. <Daisy>, whom she disliked, found opportunities to criticize her.

Since she had mentioned transferring to Hong Kong, <Liang Zhengxian> hadn't contacted her for some time.

She had her suspicions but was unwilling to face reality. This was the closest she had felt to him in years; she truly wanted to be Mrs. Liang and spend the rest of her life with <Liang Zhengxian>.

Upon seeing the men's shoes by the door, <Wang Manni> froze. Only she and <Liang Zhengxian> had keys, so who else could it be?

She quickly closed the door and hurried to the bedroom, where she found the man she longed for, looking at her with a smile.

Dropping her bag, <Wang Manni> lunged at <Liang Zhengxian>, sobbing uncontrollably.

Through her sobs, she beat <Liang Zhengxian>, "Where did you go? I thought you wouldn't come back."

<Liang Zhengxian> grabbed <Wang Manni>'s hands and said gently, "Alright, your makeup is ruined. Aren't I back now?"

Looking at his face so close, <Wang Manni> leaned in and began to kiss him, seeking intimacy.

There was no need for many words; the atmosphere was right, the emotions were there, and when feelings ran deep, nature took its course.

However, when <Liang Zhengxian> took off his clothes, <Wang Manni> was shocked to see bruises all over his body.

Gently caressing him, <Wang Manni> asked, "Zhengxian, what happened to you? How did you get beaten up like this?"

<Liang Zhengxian> began to spin a tale about getting drunk, being extorted by thugs, getting beaten, and then being unable to find them afterward.

<Wang Manni> believed him, not thinking too much of it, as the story sounded plausible.

"It's okay, don't worry. I'm almost healed, it's nothing."

Saying this, he moved <Wang Manni>'s hand away from his wounds and continued to kiss her... He hadn't been in the mood for this lately, and he had been holding back quite a bit.

After a while, <Liang Zhengxian> held <Wang Manni> as they leaned against the headboard, his hand caressing her smooth back.

"Why haven't you come to see me for so long?" As the initial passion subsided, <Wang Manni> asked.

"Manni, I'm sorry. My family's business ran into some problems, so I didn't have time to tell you that day. I've been swamped with work ever since and haven't had a moment to contact you."

He knew exactly what <Wang Manni> was capable of. If he told her the real situation, she would definitely kick him to the curb. So, he decided to string her along for as long as possible while he figured out his next move.

<Wang Manni> wisely didn't ask further questions. Regardless, he had returned, hadn't he?

"Oh, I see. How is your family's business? You left in such a hurry and have been so busy; is everything alright?"

"It's fine, just some competitors playing dirty tricks. We were caught off guard, but it's all handled now."

<Wang Manni> didn't understand these things and didn't press further.

She then steered the conversation to the matter of transferring to Hong Kong.

"Zhengxian, you left without properly explaining when I mentioned transferring to Hong Kong. What are your thoughts on it?"

"You want to go to Hong Kong because you want to be closer to me. I know your feelings, I know them all. I've considered this issue recently. Isn't it good for me to develop here in the mainland? What do you think, Manni?"

Hearing this, <Wang Manni> was overjoyed. Why had she done all this if not to integrate herself into <Liang Zhengxian>'s life and make him accustomed to her presence?

However, thinking of <Liang Zhengxian>'s aversion to marriage, <Wang Manni> felt a pang of regret.

Still not giving up, she cautiously tested the waters, "Zhengxian, if that's the case, it's not much different from getting married, is it?"

With that, <Wang Manni> stopped, observing <Liang Zhengxian>'s reaction.

<Liang Zhengxian> fell silent for a moment, struggling internally. He was tempted. After all, he had nothing left but his flashy exterior. Relying on her was an option.

He knew what kind of person <Wang Manni> was, it was entirely because of his money.

Although he played around with women everywhere, leaving them once he was tired of them. But he never forced anyone; in the end, it was consensual from the start, as one hand cannot clap by itself.

He would play with human nature, but he shouldn't play with other people's lives. He told himself he hadn't reached that point.

If they got married, it would truly ruin <Wang Manni>; this kind of harm wouldn't just be emotional.

He knew that if they got married and <Wang Manni> discovered he had no money, was bankrupt, and kicked out of the house, she would definitely divorce him. This would be bad for both of them. He might not care, but the harm to <Wang Manni> would be too great.

Although he was quite a scoundrel and had fallen to this point, he still had his pride. He sighed and said, "Manni, I don't want to talk about this right now. Give me some time, okay?"

Despite knowing the outcome, hearing this answer still made <Wang Manni> unable to suppress her disappointment, and she became listless.

<Liang Zhengxian>'s incorrigible ways, with a stream of sweet talk, managed to make <Wang Manni> smile again.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll make you something. What do you want to eat?"

"As long as it's made by you, I'll love it."

After <Wang Manni> heard this, she flirted back a couple of times and happily went to cook.

Since <Gu Jinghong> was brought over last time, <Wang Yan> had become idle again.

<Gu Jia> was even busier than before lately, working from dawn till dusk at the company, and couldn't pay attention to them, the three men.

The tea from the tea plantation was ready and waiting for <Gu Jia> to open up sales channels. She had been preparing for this since she returned.

Although the ladies' circle had purchased a batch before, compared to the tea from several mountain tops, it was basically just a drop in the bucket.

Ultimately, it still depended on the general consumers and the product itself. <Gu Jia> was confident about this; she had personally participated in the entire process, which was all handmade.

In <Henglu Village>, the old and young men were busy, even the children were helping out. <Gu Jia> certainly couldn't let down the earnest expectations of the villagers. She was also giving it her all.

Online, she was contacting various internet celebrity agencies to have them promote the products.

She had to find reliable ones. Her product positioning was mid-range; she couldn't let the internet celebrities turn it into cheap street vendor goods.

Moreover, many companies demanded too high a commission, which she couldn't accept. Her original intention was to give more rebates to the villagers of <Henglu Village>, for road repairs, school construction, and to lead them to greater prosperity. She couldn't let it all be pocketed by others.

Anyway, every day was filled with negotiations, finding reliable companies and agencies.

Offline, she didn't have to worry. <Wang Yan>, seeing how tired she was from working so hard, introduced her to some channels. The ladies' circle also helped by calling in favors.

They secured placements in many malls and supermarkets.

There was only so much tea, and once it was sold, they would have to wait for the next harvest.

This launch could be described as an immediate success, bringing joy to everyone. Consumer feedback, apart from a few individuals, was generally good.

With the first wave of establishing their brand name over, selling in the future would be much easier. As long as the tea remained the same, there wouldn't be many issues.

During this period, <Wang Yan> had fulfilled his responsibilities and obligations as a husband.

Now the situation was reversed, and he was practically becoming a househusband.

He didn't like making breakfast, so he would just buy it on his way back from his run every day.

Since <Gu Jinghong> lived in <Junyue Mansion>, which wasn't far, they had dinner together every evening.

With no one else cooking, even though they weren't short on money, they couldn't eat out every day.

So, <Wang Yan> took the opportunity to practice his cooking skills. However, his level was indeed insufficient. Although his hands were nimble, after a while of busy work, he would be flipping through recipe books. He was somewhat clumsy, and his speed was definitely lacking.

Seeing <Wang Yan>'s clumsy and clattering efforts, <Gu Jinghong> felt quite annoyed and decided to help out.

As the saying goes, he had rich life experience. While his cooking skills weren't as good as <Gu Jia>'s, they were far superior to <Wang Yan>'s.

As they cooked, the initial awkwardness disappeared. <Wang Yan> and his father-in-law, <Gu Jinghong>, got along very harmoniously.

In his free time, he spent his days reading, writing calligraphy, and coding.

Occasionally, he would have tea with <Gu Jinghong>, which also put <Gu Jia> at ease.

When <Xu Ziyan> was on vacation, he took him around to see things.

<Gu Jia> saw all of this and was overjoyed. What could make her happier than a harmonious family and a successful career?

One day, after dinner, <Gu Jia> put <Xu Ziyan> to bed.

The two of them embraced on the rooftop terrace, watching the vast <Huangpu River> flowing eastward, and the bustling human world with its endless traffic.

"You've worked really hard during this time," <Gu Jia> said softly, nestled in <Wang Yan>'s arms.

"You keep saying such formal things, my ears are getting calluses."

As he spoke, <Wang Yan> exaggeratedly rubbed his ears.

This action wasn't particularly funny, but as the saying goes, when you look at someone with eyes full of love...

<Gu Jia> was amused by his exaggerated actions and burst into laughter.

Not understanding the source of her laughter, <Wang Yan> took the opportunity to tickle <Gu Jia>, making her laugh even harder. After all, she had been very busy lately, and a good laugh would help relieve some stress.

After a period of lively interaction, the two finally quieted down.

"After some time, let's go to <Henglu Village> again," <Gu Jia> suddenly said.

<Wang Yan> readily agreed, "Of course we can."

Gu Jia smiled gently and stopped speaking.

After all, they had been together for some time. Everything that needed to be said had been said, and sweet nothings couldn't be spoken forever.

So, neither of them spoke further. They simply gazed into the distance, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

The atmosphere at this moment was warm and beautiful. Wang Yan couldn't help but be lost in it, not wanting to wake up.

"Ding. Ding. Ding." The unwelcome ring of the phone shattered the intoxicated silence of the two.

Wang Yan got up, picked up his phone, glanced at it, and answered, "Hello, yes, it's me."

"Okay, then you can bring her up."

Gu Jia, standing beside him, asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's the property management from downstairs. They said Zhong Xiaoqin drank too much, so I told them to send her up."

Gu Jia would later discuss this with him. After all, a conflict had occurred, and it was normal for her to help her friend explain.

As for how Zhong Xiaoqin knew the address, Gu Jia had told them before. Moreover, when Wang Yan went to Hong Kong Island to meet Zhao Jingyu, Gu Jia had also brought them there, leaving a deep impression. It wasn't surprising.

Upon hearing that Zhong Xiaoqin was drunk and coming over, Gu Jia also became anxious and quickly pulled Wang Yan downstairs.

They reached the elevator. In a short while, property management personnel, along with Zhong Xiaoyang, came out supporting the drunken Zhong Xiaoqin.

As the elevator door opened, Gu Jia asked about the situation. Zhong Xiaoyang explained everything and then instructed Gu Jia to look after her.

After giving his instructions, Zhong Xiaoyang left with the property management.

From beginning to end, Wang Yan, who stood nearby, hadn't even glanced at him. He didn't think highly of this person; he was too pretentious.

If Zhong Xiaoqin hadn't been drunk and thinking of Gu Jia, drunkenly giving out this address, he wouldn't have brought her here. He didn't even know this was where Gu Jia lived. Otherwise, he would have left immediately.

The property management had already called downstairs. It wouldn't have been easy to explain if he had taken Zhong Xiaoqin away then. Otherwise, he would have left just now.

Gu Jia and Wang Yan helped Zhong Xiaoqin inside and placed her on the sofa.

Afterward, Gu Jia quickly tidied up a guest room and settled Zhong Xiaoqin in before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

On the bed.

"I'm sorry." Gu Jia knew that Wang Yan didn't think highly of Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Manni.

They had lived together for some time now, and she now understood why.

"It's okay. She's your friend, after all. Let's sleep. We've been through a lot today."

Gu Jia was in a special condition today, and she was exhausted. She was also worried about Zhong Xiaoqin, so she clearly wasn't in the mood.

The two embraced and slept.

The next day, after his workout, Wang Yan bought breakfast.

Gu Jia had been extremely busy lately, so Wang Yan didn't let her get up early to fuss.

When he returned, Gu Jia was already awake. She was worried about Zhong Xiaoqin and couldn't sleep soundly.

He went through his usual routine of waking up Xu Ziyan, and they washed up together.

After washing up, Zhong Xiaoqin also woke up.

Seeing the unfamiliar decor and Gu Jia beside her, Zhong Xiaoqin wished she could slap herself twice.

She also didn't think highly of Wang Yan. The previous conflict had left a very bad impression on her. She hadn't thought much about it and hadn't realized that Liang Zhengxian intended to step on Wang Yan. In any case, her perception of Wang Yan, like Zhong Xiaoyang's, was that he was too pretentious and unapproachable.

The atmosphere at the dining table was rather awkward.

Wang Yan was unwilling to engage with Zhong Xiaoqin.

Zhong Xiaoqin also didn't think highly of Wang Yan.

Gu Jia wanted to ease the tension but didn't know what to say.

Xu Ziyan didn't understand the situation. Children are forgetful, and he chattered away with Zhong Xiaoqin about random things.

After the meal, Wang Yan greeted Gu Jia and left to take Xu Ziyan to school.

After Wang Yan left, both Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling had been unbearable.

"I should leave. I don't want to cause you any more trouble here," Zhong Xiaoqin said.

The matter had escalated significantly. The public opinion was uncontrollable, spreading like wildfire. The righteous, enthusiastic, and passionate heroes of the masses were speaking out, unanimously and ferociously attacking Zhong Xiaoqin and the property management company.

"No, under the current circumstances, how can I rest assured leaving you alone?"

"But your man..."

This was indeed a problem. But now Zhong Xiaoqin had been exposed, and she was being cursed by thousands.

Not wanting to leave Zhong Xiaoqin alone, Gu Jia pondered for a moment. "Listen to me, just stay here for now. Wang Yan won't say anything. At worst, it will be awkward for a few days."

"Let's see. We'll talk about it later," Zhong Xiaoqin didn't immediately agree.

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