Chapter 7: Do Not Bully Her

Lin Xilan had finally weathered the storm. Zhou Yuheng did not make things difficult for her; that day, he simply took Song Qingli and left without saying a word.

Lin Xilan breathed a sigh of relief, though she remained unaware that her act of kneeling had somehow etched itself into Zhou Yuheng's mind.

Yes, this was the first time Zhou Yuheng had truly noticed her. He felt that she did not seem to be the person he had imagined. In his eyes, there was no difference between Lin Xilan and the lower class. She lacked any intellectual depth; after graduating from vocational school, she had entered the workforce, and while Zhou Yuheng couldn't recall much else about her past, he remembered she had worked as a hostess at a business karaoke lounge.

There were many factors behind their marriage, but love was certainly not one of them. Consequently, ever since they wed, Zhou Yuheng had never treated Lin Xilan like a wife. Often, he felt she was no different from a common prostitute, and sometimes, even less straightforward than one.

Zhou Yuheng was a man of his word. Lin Xilan received the apartment at Cuihu—one hundred and thirty square meters, valued at approximately sixteen million yuan by current market rates in Haicheng.

Lin Xilan knew that Zhou Yuheng was no simple man, but she had not realized just how complex he truly was. The world assumed he was merely a figurehead at the Zhou Group, yet no one knew his real strength. Lin Xilan knew, and because of that, she wanted more.

The Zhou Group was a private catering conglomerate. From a simple noodle stall, the elder Mr. Zhou had built it into a publicly listed company. Now, Zhou Group restaurants could be found in shopping malls across the country, spanning everything from Western fine dining to spicy hot pot—a virtual monopoly within the industry.

The Zhou family was not short on money; the current generation could never spend their entire fortune. However, Zhou Yuheng held no real share in the business. To silence public gossip, he was given the honorary title of Vice President with a basic salary, while the true lifeblood of the Zhou Group was actually controlled by his older brother.

***

Lin Xilan had been very busy lately; she had secretly enrolled in an adult undergraduate program at a top-tier university. She was the only one who knew about it.

One day, Lin Xilan returned home carrying a pile of goods. As soon as she stepped through the door, she felt a wave of discomfort. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw her stepfather, Lin Wei, leering at her with a predatory gaze.

"Xilan is back." Her mother, Jiang Cuiping, emerged from the kitchen.

"Yeah. Where is Xingxing?" Lin Xilan asked, avoiding any further conversation with her mother.

"She's in her room doing homework."

Lin Xilan went to the room, and the moment Lin Xingmian saw her, she burst into tears. "Sister, wuwuwu."

"What’s wrong? Did that old pervert bully you again?"

Lin Xingmian nodded. "The day before yesterday, when I was showering, I discovered him peeking from outside. Sister, can you please take me away?"

Lin Xingmian had just started middle school this year; she was timid and introverted.

Hearing this, Lin Xilan felt her knuckles turn white with rage. After dinner, once Lin Xingmian had left for school, Lin Xilan grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it over Lin Wei’s head.

"Didn't I tell you, you son of a bitch, not to touch Xingxing!"

As Lin Wei reeled from the blow, Jiang Cuiping grew terrified and couldn't help but scold her daughter. "Xilan, what are you doing?"

Lin Xilan pointed at Lin Wei. "He was peeking at Xingxing while she showered and was getting handsy with her. Are you blind?"

Jiang Cuiping dared not look at her daughter. Lin Wei jumped to his feet and slapped Lin Xilan across the face. "You filthy bitch, how dare you hit me? If it weren't for me all these years, the three of you would have starved to death!"

Lin Xilan’s biological father had died in an accident. After his death, Jiang Cuiping, unable to cope, remarried Lin Wei and changed her daughters' surnames to his. Lin Wei earned a decent living, but he was a man of intense, depraved lust. Before Lin Xilan married, he had harassed her; once she became Zhou Yuheng’s wife, he dared not touch her anymore, so he turned his predatory attention to Lin Xingmian instead.