Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng analyzed the classic honeytrap schemes.

Such incidents weren’t just a modern phenomenon—ancient people had already developed various techniques, and now it was simply old wine in new bottles. The methods remained the same, only the means had changed.

But could Yuan Han and Zhou Yi understand this?x

“No, they won’t understand. They’re too caught up in the situation to see it clearly,” was Zhou Cheng’s assessment.

He had already given up any hope regarding his elder cousin’s intelligence.

If it weren’t for Zhou Yi’s presence of mind to prevent the situation from spreading at the crucial moment, Zhou Cheng truly couldn’t see any redeeming value in Zhou Yi!

These two certainly lived up to Zhou Cheng’s “expectations,” being thoroughly manipulated by Ye Xiaoqiong.

Yuan Han was anxiously trying to gather money!

He calculated the money he had left: 45,000 Hong Kong dollars.

The current shortfall was 105,000 Hong Kong dollars!

Converted to Chinese currency, it was about 50,000.

He needed the Yuan family to gather 50,000 in the shortest possible time.

When the phone call reached Yuan Han’s hometown, his mother and two sisters were thunderstruck.

Yuan Han’s Second Sister couldn’t maintain her usual gentleness, her voice turning shrill: “This is extortion, it’s a scam! Even if you kill us, we can’t come up with 50,000! Can’t you just return the money she gave you?”

“No, she wants to send me to jail, says she needs to vent her anger,” Yuan Han’s voice was panic-stricken.

Second Sister Yuan was on the verge of a cerebral hemorrhage, “Vent her anger, right, these matters are usually resolved behind closed doors. Why did Zhou Yi have to make such a scene? After Zhou Yi beat her up, of course, she wants revenge! How could Zhou Yi be so hot-tempered? And now with all this money, is she expecting our family alone to pay?”

Let the Zhou family pay!

The Zhou family had such high-ranking leaders, that they could certainly come up with this money.

Even if Zhou Yi’s immediate family couldn’t afford it, the Zhou family had many relatives, all of them prominent figures with substantial means.

No matter how you looked at it, they were wealthier than the Yuan family.

Second Sister Yuan thought she had come up with a good idea, but Yuan Han quickly covered the phone receiver, “Xiaoyi, Second Sister is just talking nonsense because she’s upset.”

Zhou Yi was right beside him and heard everything.

At this point, she should have given Yuan Han another beating.

But for some reason, she felt strangely calm. Perhaps because Yuan Han’s image had completely crumbled in her heart, and she cared even less about his family members now?

Zhou Yi took the receiver from Yuan Han:

“Second Sister, what you’re saying is quite interesting. Yuan Han was caught having an affair, I found out about it, and I’m supposed to quietly swallow my pride and not make a scene. And since it accidentally became public, I should ask my family to pay and settle this mess for Yuan Han?”

Zhou Yi was truly beginning to reflect on herself.

She wasn’t reflecting on her initial decision to be with Yuan Han—that thought was too painful, like needles piercing her brain, and would completely shut down her ability to think!

She was reflecting on her attitude toward Yuan Han’s family after getting together with him.

Yuan Han’s family didn’t seem to fear her at all… did this whole family think she was a pushover?!

Second Sister Yuan was extremely embarrassed, not expecting Zhou Yi to be listening beside the phone.

“Xiaoyi, that’s not what I meant. What Yuan Han did was wrong, but you’re husband and wife. Don’t fight among yourselves when facing difficulties. If you help him through this crisis, our whole family will remember your kindness…”

Second Sister Yuan rambled on and on, while Zhou Yi remained silent. When Second Sister Yuan finally finished, Zhou Yi suddenly asked:

“Your whole family will remember my kindness, and then what? What can you offer in return for this favor?”

Yuan Han was skilled at sweet-talking women. His eldest sister was more straightforward, but his Second Sister was cut from the same cloth as Yuan Han, gentle and very persuasive.

Most people would find it difficult to directly contradict such a woman, and would unconsciously be led along by Second Sister Yuan.

But Zhou Yi wasn’t like most people.

Her blunt question left Second Sister Yuan speechless.

Indeed, what could the Yuan family offer to repay Zhou Yi’s kindness?

Did Zhou Yi need the Yuan family’s gratitude?

The entire Yuan family together wasn’t worth even a finger of the Zhou family.

It was Yuan Han who had schemed his way to become Zhou Yi’s husband, wanting to be Zhou Wenbang’s son-in-law!

And now Yuan Han was caught having an affair.

Currently, they needed to deal with He Shiyuan’s threat to expose Yuan Han’s acceptance of money, and after this was resolved, it was questionable whether Zhou Yi would even want Yuan Han anymore—it was only because of Zhou Yi’s previous apparent affection for Yuan Han that his family remained optimistic, believing that although Zhou Yi was angry, she would eventually be coaxed back by Yuan Han.

Second Sister Yuan immediately changed her tone:

“Xiaoyi, I’m just worried about you both, concerned about Yuan Han’s future. Mother fainted when she heard about this, said she would take the next train to Pengcheng to stand up for you—”

Second Sister Yuan wanted to continue, but Zhou Yi handed the phone back to Yuan Han.

“Talk to them yourself, discussing this gives me a headache. I don’t want to be involved in the process. If you can’t gather 150,000 Hong Kong dollars, you’ll have to go to jail yourself.”

Why should she discuss these things with Yuan Han’s family?

Listen to Second Sister Yuan find various excuses to defend Yuan Han.

Or worry about whether Yuan Han’s mother had been upset too badly?

If she was upset, didn’t she deserve it?

It wasn’t her who upset her, it was Yuan Han who chose to get involved with He Shiyuan!

“Xiaoyi—”

“I’m going out for some air, don’t follow me!”

Zhou Yi left Yuan Han behind and ran out.

She hadn’t expected that Joan would still be waiting nearby, even though nearly half a day had passed since the affair was discovered and it was now evening.

Yuan Han was covered in injuries and couldn’t return to the work unit dormitory, nor was it appropriate to stay at the hotel where he was caught in the act, so after getting his injuries briefly treated at the hospital, they found another hotel to hide from the shame.

The only reason Joan could still be seen now was that she must have been following Zhou Yi the whole time.

Zhou Yi’s eyes reddened.

“Joan, where did you go earlier? I was scared of myself!”

She sounded so grieved, like a child in her twenties.

In Zhou Yi’s eyes, there was complete dependence and trust.

Zhou Yi had never imagined that the director of today’s grand performance was her good friend Joan.

Ye Xiaoqiong let Zhou Yi grab her hand while speaking in a lowered voice to comfort her:

“I’ve been here the whole time. I thought you wanted me to wait outside because you didn’t want me to see how you would deal with your husband. It’s hard for outsiders to judge family matters, I didn’t know how you would choose to handle it! Later when things got noisy in the room, I quickly went to call the police.”

Zhou Yi immediately believed this explanation.

The police had arrived exceptionally quickly.

If it weren’t for the police arriving, she would have continued to be bullied by that arrogant He Shiyuan!

Zhou Yi had a torrent of anger and grievances, which she poured out to Ye Xiaoqiong, telling her everything about how He Shiyuan had insulted her, hit her, and then talked about Yuan Han accepting benefits, demanding 150,000 Hong Kong dollars in compensation for the 50,000 Hong Kong dollars given.

Zhou Yi was careless, and her mind was in chaos at that moment, so she didn’t notice that Ye Xiaoqiong, whose hand she was holding, had tensed up completely.

It was just for a brief moment before Ye Xiaoqiong returned to normal.

“Didn’t I tell you to first understand your opponent’s strength and temperament? But now that things have gone wrong, I won’t lecture you further. However, about what He Shiyuan said when insulting you… is it true that you took your current husband from someone else?”

—If Xia Xiaolan had been present, she would have known this was a fatal question that Zhou Yi needed to answer carefully.