Chapter Five: Why Not Pursue It?

The visitor was Mrs. Zhou. Surrounded by four bodyguards dressed in suits, she wore an elegant and tasteful royal blue cheongsam, her delicate face betraying no trace of emotion.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Zhou Chenyan asked in surprise.

Mrs. Zhou ignored him.

I wasn’t sure why she had come or whose side she intended to take.

After a moment’s thought, I rose and politely addressed her, “Mom.”

Mrs. Zhou gave a soft “hmm” and gently reassured me, “I know you’ve been wronged. Don’t be afraid, Mom is here.”

I was completely baffled.

How did she find out about this? From her tone, it seemed she had already uncovered the whole story.

Unable to voice my doubts, I simply whispered, “Thank you, Mom.”

She said no more.

Her cold gaze swept over everyone in the room before settling on the group of thugs, pointing at me as she asked, “You said just now that she ordered you to bully Zhou Zhi?”

The thugs nodded hurriedly.

A sneer flickered in Mrs. Zhou’s eyes. “Then tell me, what deep grudge could Chen Yan have against Zhou Zhi that would make you act so cruelly?”

Before Zhou Chenyan could question my name, Mrs. Zhou’s look warned him.

I immediately understood—she was setting a trap for those three.

Sure enough, they took the bait at once—

“Miss Chen said she was jealous that her husband was close to that woman and told us to teach her a lesson.”

“Miss Chen, these are your exact words! You can’t deny it!”

They called me “Miss Chen” repeatedly, making Zhou Chenyan’s expression grow ever darker.

I scoffed coldly, “If what you say is true and I bribed you, how come you don’t even know my surname? It’s Mu, not Chen!”

At my words, the three thugs turned pale, realizing they had fallen into a trap.

The investigating officers saw through it and separated the three for questioning.

The interrogation was swift.

After reviewing the statements, the officer returned and said, “The suspects’ accounts are inconsistent and unclear. From this, we can conclude that their accusations against Ms. Mu are entirely slanderous!”

The injustice I could not clear in my past life was finally exposed in this one.

I breathed a sigh of relief and lifted my eyes to meet Zhou Chenyan’s evasive gaze.

“Since it’s all a misunderstanding, I won’t pursue it further.”

I stood coldly to the side, feeling thoroughly displeased.

If those three thugs hadn’t been bribed by Zhou Zhi at the last moment and had prepared their story better—

What fate would have awaited me?

I wasn’t willing to endure this grievance in vain.

“If you’re not pursuing it, then why not?” I asked with a smile instead of anger.

Turning, I approached the investigating officer politely. “Officer, since the accusations against me have been lifted, I want to file a report!”

“I’m an innocent, law-abiding citizen. I neither offend the powerful nor antagonize the influential families. So why would three thugs conspire to slander me?”

“This time it’s Zhou Zhi who’s unharmed, but if something had happened, how could I defend myself? Therefore, I request a thorough investigation into this case. Find the mastermind behind it and give me and Miss Zhou an explanation!”

I implied more than I said, my gaze flickering briefly over Zhou Chenyan.

I supposed he had already guessed, at least in part, what lay behind this incident.

More or less, it was connected to Zhou Zhi.

She had involved herself deliberately, scheming and willing to sacrifice herself, all to ensure I would be completely eliminated.

Yet with Zhou Chenyan’s feelings for Zhou Zhi, he would rather feign ignorance than believe the cherished “little rose” in his palm was capable of such ruthlessness.

But once the police investigation concluded, no matter how unwilling, Zhou Chenyan would have no choice but to believe.

…

At the hospital.

Zhou Zhi’s injuries were mostly superficial. The nurse had treated her, and by all rights, she was out of danger.

“Perhaps Miss Zhou was so frightened that she hasn’t yet regained consciousness,” the nurse offered after some thought.

After the nurse left, the three of us—Mrs. Zhou, Zhou Chenyan, and I—sat quietly, no one speaking.

Minutes ticked by, but Zhou Zhi showed no sign of waking.

How much longer would we have to stay here?

Just as I was about to find an excuse to leave, Mrs. Zhou suddenly picked up a cup and walked toward the water dispenser in the corner.

A steaming cup of hot water.

She hurriedly placed it on the bedside table next to Zhou Zhi’s bed.

“It’ll be just the right temperature when Zhi wakes up.”

After speaking, she turned around, but accidentally knocked over the cup.

The hot water spilled instantly onto the cabinet, the bed, and Zhou Zhi’s arm…

“Ah!”

Zhou Zhi cried out in pain, opening her eyes.

Seeing her reddened arm from the burn, she instinctively looked at Zhou Chenyan with a helpless, pleading gaze.

The next second, she realized what was happening and forced herself to calm down.

“Mom, b… brother, Sister Yan, you’re here.”

Mrs. Zhou saw through her but didn’t say anything.

“Look at you, always so disrespectful. You should call her sister-in-law!”

“Sister-in-law,” Zhou Zhi said reluctantly.

“That’s better. From now on, show some respect to your sister-in-law. Don’t be so reckless, understand?”

Mrs. Zhou’s tone was as gentle and kind as ever, yet Zhou Zhi felt an inexplicable chill down her spine.

She dared not speak again, merely nodding sullenly.

“That’s right,” Mrs. Zhou smiled approvingly before abruptly changing the subject.

“The invitation for your graduation celebration banquet the day after tomorrow has arrived—your father and I have been invited, and your brother and sister-in-law will accompany you.”

Boom. It was as if something inside my mind exploded in that instant.

Nothing that happened today had stopped the original storyline?

Zhou Zhi’s celebration banquet would go on, and she would still be cast out from the family.

Then bullied by petty thugs.

And I would again become the scapegoat for her tragic fate.

My loved ones and I could not avoid Zhou Chenyan’s furious vengeance!

What was I to do?

Feigning annoyance, I said with deliberately forced displeasure, “Mom, I’m not going. I want to stay here a while longer.”

As long as I didn’t go back, I might avoid this disaster.

“You’re angry with Chenyan and don’t want to return. Stay as long as you like. But Zhi’s graduation banquet is the most important day of her life and a big event for our family. As her sister-in-law, you should attend.”

Mrs. Zhou spoke earnestly, leaving no room for refusal. “It’s settled then. I’ll send the driver to pick you up the day after tomorrow.”

What else could I say?

Knowing I couldn’t avoid it, I began to think calmly.

I had to ensure that Zhou Chenyan and Zhou Zhi would confirm their feelings for each other at the banquet—and that I—

No matter what, could not become the “villain” who ruined their romance!

That way, Zhou Chenyan would have no reason to resent me, and I could smoothly proceed with the divorce.

Two birds with one stone.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhou and the others were still discussing Zhou Zhi’s discharge and return home for recovery.

I sat quietly beside them, a near-perfect plan slowly unfolding in my mind…