Xia Xiaolan smiled and asked her in return, “If you knew it would affect the Zhou family, would you still do it?”

Ye Xiaoqiong remained silent. She could understand Xia Xiaolan and still felt grateful for how Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng had saved her on the train. But did that mean she couldn’t hate Zhou Yi? No, she couldn’t bring herself to let it go now.

Xia Xiaolan shrugged, “So, we have no position to stop you. Why should we prevent you? Zhou Cheng, don’t you agree?”

Zhou Cheng nodded, “My uncle said he failed in raising his daughter. She’s his child, and not teaching her well is his responsibility. Whether there are consequences or how severe they are, he accepts them all.”

These words were directed at Ye Xiaoqiong.

While Ye Xiaoqiong sought revenge, Zhou Wenban permitted it. However, if someone like Du Zhaoji tried to stir up trouble, Zhou Wenban would have smashed their heads in.

Children were like debts – when Zhou Yi did wrong and it affected him, he was willing to take responsibility. Zhou Yi had wronged Ye Xiaoqiong and disappointed her parents’ love, but she hadn’t wronged others outside the family.

Ye Xiaoqiong said nothing more and focused on listening to the sounds from inside the room. Xia Xiaolan also stood by the door with Zhou Cheng. From what they had heard when the door was briefly open, Xia Xiaolan had to praise He Shiyuan’s acting skills.

This woman of the world had truly brought “He Shiyuan” to life!

She had stunned Xia Xiaolan with her performance. With such looks and acting ability, she could have made a living as an actress. It was unclear how she had fallen to become a lower-class prostitute.

The slaps He Shiyuan delivered – striking Zhou Yi and Yuan Han – were all actions Ye Xiaoqiong herself disdained to take. He Shiyuan was hitting them on Ye Xiaoqiong’s behalf.

Yuan Han didn’t need to mention it, but Zhou Yi deserved such merciless humiliation – the harsh words and beating. If the Zhou family couldn’t bring themselves to discipline their daughter, and Xia Xiaolan didn’t have the standing to do so, then let Ye Xiaoqiong and the courtesan she hired teach Zhou Yi how to be a proper person!

Zhou Yi still retained a bit of conscience and clarity. Initially stunned by the beating, when she heard about “bribery,” she preferred to be beaten alone in the room and drove away the onlookers.

Zhou Yi now understood the importance of protecting the family’s interests, but did she ever consider the pressure the Zhou family was under when she, pregnant, knelt with Yuan Han at her parents’ door, making them the laughingstock of all Beijing?

At that time, Zhou Yi’s head was filled with nonsense. Her actions were like praising excrement as fragrant, not only enjoying it herself but trying to invite others to partake.

No, thinking about it further made Xia Xiaolan feel sick!

This time, Zhou Yi’s reaction was still rash and impulsive; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been led by the nose of Ye Xiaoqiong. But at least one could see conscience and responsibility in her reactions now. Her mind, previously clouded with foolishness, showed a rare moment of clarity.

If Zhou Yi truly learned from being severely punished by Ye Xiaoqiong, it might be a good thing.

Through the door, Zhou Yi didn’t know she had locked her support outside. She didn’t have X-ray vision to see Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan at the door. She also couldn’t call Joan for help. No matter how good a friend was, they couldn’t be dragged into such matters.

This He Shiyuan was crazy – what did she want to do? Now Zhou Yi’s anger wasn’t directed at Yuan Han’s infidelity; she couldn’t deal with that yet. Instead, it was about the land approval and bribes He Shiyuan mentioned.

Learning that Yuan Han had taken money from He Shiyuan left Zhou Yi feeling powerless. Yuan Han would be the death of her. Her father had worked for so many years and never dared to take such money.

Regarding helping with approval documents and connections – did Zhou Yi not know? If the Zhou family wanted to make much money, would it have been Yuan Han’s place to act?

Zhou Yi’s blood turned to frost, and her limbs stiffened, yet somehow she found the strength to slap Yuan Han twice herself. Then she glared at He Shiyuan:

“Whatever Yuan Han did, I knew nothing about it, and it has nothing to do with my family!”

“Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, save me-“

He Shiyuan clapped her hands, “Miss Zhou, I heard you loved Yuan Han deeply. How is it that your true love can’t withstand even this small test? Are you telling me that though husband and wife are like birds in the same forest when disaster strikes, each flies away alone?”

Zhou Yi hated He Shiyuan intensely. But He Shiyuan had beaten them both in one breath and despite apparently knowing Zhou Yi’s background, showed no fear of it. Zhou Yi, having suffered both physical beating and mental humiliation, both hated and feared He Shiyuan.

This matter wasn’t something she could handle alone. She should have listened to Joan and contacted her family after returning to China. If this was a trap, she had already fallen into it.

Zhou Yi bit her tongue hard, “I’m not afraid if you go to the police station to report this. Everything needs evidence. You say you gave money to Yuan Han, but with just empty words, how do I know you two aren’t conspiring to deceive me? You also said you treated Yuan Han as a male prostitute, so the money you gave him was- was payment for prostitution! Yes, that’s what it was!”

Zhou Yi wasn’t trying to save Yuan Han. She was trying to dissociate this matter from the Zhou family.

He Shiyuan applauded vigorously, “To be completely fooled by a male prostitute, I thought you were a complete fool, but it seems you have some brains after all. But what can you do? I have evidence.”

He Shiyuan took out a cassette tape from her handbag on the bedside table and said to her bodyguard:

“Go find a radio, let Miss Zhou hear this.”

The hotel was in chaos, someone had already called the police, and no one knew when they would arrive.

A radio was quickly found.

How the money was given, how much was given, why it was given – when the tape played, everything was crystal clear.

Yuan Han was both scared and angry, cursing loudly: “He Shiyuan, you set me up!”

“Pah, someone like you isn’t worth my time to set up! You said you could get the land approval documents, but now you can’t deliver, how could I let you off?”

This despicable Yuan Han had taken 50,000 Hong Kong dollars from He Shiyuan!

Zhou Yi’s mouth was so swollen she could barely open it, and speaking was extremely difficult:

“So what if you gave him money? That was his own decision. Send him to the police station, they’ll investigate naturally. His ill-gotten gains couldn’t possibly have gone to our family!”

The money that sent her abroad was her parents’ savings. Her living expenses in America came from her hard work, washing dishes, and waiting tables.

Zhou Yi suddenly felt immensely grateful that she had earned her living expenses through working odd jobs. Financially, her family could withstand investigation.

He Shiyuan gave her bodyguard a look, and the bodyguard released Yuan Han.

Yuan Han threw himself at Zhou Yi’s legs, “Xiaoyi, I was momentarily possessed when I took the money. I was thinking about how hard your life was in America and wanted to send you some living expenses. I was thinking about how your parents were helping us take care of our daughter, and I wanted to earn some money for our daughter… Xiaoyi, save me. If you don’t help me, I’m finished. If He Shiyuan reports me, even if I say your father didn’t know about this, who would believe me? Xiaoyi, save me, don’t let this woman’s evil scheme succeed.”

Zhou Yi was so angry she nearly had a brain hemorrhage.

Yuan Han was too shameless.

He took bribes for her and their daughter Zhou Ke.

Nonsense!

When she was in America, Yuan Han had never mentioned sending her money.

How shameless and despicable – what did he mean? If she didn’t save him, he would drag her father down with him?!