usatvline Chapter 9: Moving Out
Chapter 9: Moving Out
Young Master Zhang looked down at his little brother and saw that the guy was already a bloody mess, unrecognizable. Before Young Master Zhang could even grieve for his manhood, the big black dog he had chased away was charging at him again.
"Young Master Zhang, please don't provoke it, or people will really die." Chu Xinglan, who was watching the spectacle, put aside his curiosity and spoke up, feigning concern.
With his life at stake, Young Master Zhang took off running, but the big black dog relentlessly pursued him.
“Young Master Zhang, go to the left. There’s a river on the left. It won’t attack you once you’re in the river,” Chu Xinglan called out again.
Terrified, Young Master Zhang lost his judgment and turned to run to the left following Chu Xinglan's directions.
Sure enough, a river appeared not far ahead. Without thinking, Young Master Zhang jumped into the river with a splash.
But when he jumped into the river, he realized something was wrong. Why did the river water have a strange, foul smell?
Just as Young Master Zhang was about to climb out of the river, he discovered that the big black dog had already chased him to the riverbank and was barking wildly at him.
Seeing the ferocious black dog baring its teeth, Young Master Zhang could only endure the stench and stay in the water.
Every time Young Master Zhang tried to climb out of the river, the big black dog would appear out of nowhere, forcing him to stay submerged in the water. He remained submerged for a whole day and night. This was no river; it was clearly a stinking ditch. It wasn't until Zhang's family realized something was wrong that they frantically searched everywhere with Chu Xinglan's parents. Finally, they found Young Master Zhang in the stinking ditch. Because of his injuries, being submerged in the foul-smelling water all night had caused his wounds to become infected and inflamed, meaning he would never be able to be intimate with a woman again for the rest of his life.
Chu Xinglan feigned innocence, saying she thought Young Master Zhang had gone back and hadn't paid any attention. Although the Zhang family was angry, they couldn't find any way to blame her. Most importantly, Chu Xinglan had a powerful backer, and even the Zhang family couldn't afford to offend her. So the matter was left unresolved, and the Zhang family could only grit their teeth and swallow their anger.
It's not fair to blame Chu Xinglan for being so ruthless. Zhang Wenkang is truly a scoundrel. Relying on his wealth and power, whenever he sees a beautiful woman, he has his henchmen bring her to his bed and rape her. Afterwards, he just pays her some money to settle the matter. Those women, lacking money and power, can only endure it. His wife was also forced into marriage by him. He didn't cherish her and instead indulged in debauchery and womanizing. His mistresses thought she was easy to bully and came to harass her. The pregnant woman was filled with grievances and, in the end, she died from a bottle of paraquat, along with her unborn child.
These things happened before Chu Xinglan's death, which is why Chu Xinglan punished him in this way.
Chu Xinglan knew that even if Zhang Gongzi was gone, there would be Li Gongzi and Wang Gongzi. In short, they wouldn't give up until they sold her for a good price. Also, she was pregnant with Gu Ye's child. It wasn't obvious yet, but it would definitely show in three or four months. If her parents found out that she was carrying Gu Ye's child, they would definitely try every means to blackmail Gu Ye. If Gu Ye found out then, it would probably cause a lot of trouble. So, the most urgent thing for her was to find a way to move out.
However, she had already come up with a reason.
"Lanlan, why did you move out all of a sudden?" Mrs. Chu looked at Chu Xinglan in surprise.
"I'm preparing for the exam, aren't I? I want to find a quiet place to study." Having been reborn, Chu Xinglan is no longer the naive and innocent girl she once was. Now she can easily control her expressions and keep her emotions hidden.
“You are my daughter, Chu Nan’s daughter. Even if you’re a good-for-nothing, you won’t starve. In my opinion, you shouldn’t even think about graduate school. A university degree will suffice,” Mr. Chu said calmly.
He actually hoped that Chu Xinglan was a fool, so that they could manipulate her at will. Unlike now, she had offended Boss Zhang, but he couldn't force her to obediently marry someone else.
"Lanlan, listen to your father, just stay at home and don't go anywhere," Mrs. Chu hurriedly said.
She was also afraid that after Chu Xinglan left, she would be free to roam the world, and her daughter was becoming more and more independent. If she were allowed to go out into the world, she would be even harder to control.
"Dad, Mom, no matter what you say, I'm moving out. Since you're unwilling to pay, I'll find a way myself." Chu Xinglan didn't want to be controlled by them anymore.
"What are you saying? Do you even have me as your father?" Mr. Chu jumped up from the sofa angrily, looking so fierce he was almost ready to hit him.
But Chu Xinglan remained unmoved, not even blinking.
She was already used to this scene. She used to be terrified of Chu Nan's anger. Once he got angry, she would curl up like a frightened kitten. But now, Chu Xinglan's indifferent reaction surprised Chu Nan.
Mrs. Chu was also taken aback.
When did this girl become so tough? Was she always scared before?
"Dad, don't forget that the company survived this crisis because of Gu Ye's help. What did Gu Ye say before he left?"
Although she didn't want to mention Gu Ye, if she didn't bring up Gu Ye as a shield now, she probably wouldn't be able to leave the Chu family's house at all. So, she had no choice but to use Gu Ye as a scapegoat.
Upon hearing Chu Xinglan's words, Mr. and Mrs. Chu's expressions darkened.
Finally, Mrs. Chu seized the opportunity to speak up: "Lanlan, how dare you talk about Gu Ye like that? Look at the generous dowry he brought to propose to you, and you still refused. If you had married Gu Ye, why would we need to worry about you anymore? Tell us honestly, are you going out this time to be with that Xu guy? Have you no shame? A girl in her early twenties, using her family's wealth to live with someone else!"
Upon hearing Mrs. Chu mention the surname Xu, Mr. Chu remembered this potential problem. If Chu Xinglan had truly lost her innocence, how could he sell her for a good price? Therefore, he would not allow her to leave under any circumstances.
"No, I absolutely disagree with you having any further contact with that kid surnamed Xu," Mr. Chu said anxiously.
"Dad, Mom, you're overthinking it. I'm not moving out because I want to be with Xu Yang. Besides, I've already broken up with him and we won't have any contact anymore. The reason I want to move out is simply so I can focus on my exams."
Chu Xinglan spoke earnestly, but what she said was true; she was just hiding the fact that she was pregnant.
Mr. Chu and Mrs. Chu looked at each other, their faces showing disbelief.
She was so desperate to be with Xu before, how could she break up with him so easily? Was this a smokescreen she deliberately put out to lull them into a false sense of security, so that she could force herself on Xu when they weren't looking?