FY - 40

Hotel.

Feng Zhongliang grabbed Zhao Youjin’s wrist and flung her through the door.

Zhao Youjin had lost a lot of weight recently and could barely stand, let alone with such force from Feng Zhongliang.

She fell to the ground, scraping her elbow.

Feng Zhongliang’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his presence overwhelming, as if he could destroy everything at any moment.

Zhao Youjin, however, simply lay on the ground, laughing heartily, until she ran out of breath and coughed violently a few times. Her gaze, as she looked at Feng Zhongliang again, couldn’t help but hold a hint of sorrow: “I thought I wouldn’t see you until the New Year, Director Feng.”

Feng Zhongliang’s displeasure was evident: “Zhao Youjin, I don’t deprive you of food or clothes, and I give you freedom to do whatever you want, as long as it’s not illegal. I thought you were a content person, but I didn’t expect you to push your luck! Your greed is insatiable!”

Zhao Youjin sat up, leaning against the TV cabinet. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her tracksuit pocket, took one out, lit it, then removed her mask, exposing the wounds on her face to him. She took a puff and pointed to her face: “Do you know what this is?”

Feng Zhongliang remained silent.

Zhao Youjin rolled up her sleeve, showing him the injuries on her arm, then her legs, her body, and finally her head. “The first thing you asked me when you saw me was why I went to Si Wen for 40 million worth of medicine, not why I was wearing a mask.”

She spoke pitifully, but didn’t look it: “My medicine was hijacked by pirates. The medicine couldn’t reach me, and there were daily compensation fees flowing like water. Did I, Zhao Youjin, ever ask you, Feng Zhongliang, for a single cent? No. You are my husband, yet you’re not even as willing to help me as a stranger.”

“I did ask Si Wen for help, but he didn’t give it. However, I’ve already resolved it now.”

Zhao Youjin didn’t know how Feng Zhongliang found out about this, but her medicine problem hadn’t been fully resolved, and she had promised Si Wen to work for him, so she decided not to mention his part to Feng Zhongliang.

Mainly, she had seen how ruthless Si Wen was; she hadn’t forgotten how she barely saved her own life. Play a trick on him? No way.

Feng Zhongliang asked her: “What’s resolved? What did you resolve?”

Zhao Youjin stubbed out the cigarette, stretched her legs towards Feng Zhongliang, parting them. She wasn’t wearing underwear, and that area was even shaved. To a man, it would have been blood-boiling, but not for Feng Zhongliang. He just looked annoyed, went to the bed, grabbed a blanket, and threw it over her: “I’m asking you! How did you resolve it!”

“Are you even a man? I married you purely, where did I not measure up to you? You haven’t even touched me once. Are you even a damn man?” Zhao Youjin finished her cursing and sneered: “Want to know how I resolved it? Wouldn’t you know if you just pressed down on me like them?”

Feng Zhongliang couldn’t listen anymore. He walked over, raised his hand, but didn’t slap her. He clenched his fist and punched the wall, scraping his skin.

Marrying Zhao Youjin was his family’s wish. Feng Zhongliang also believed that a harmonious family was the foundation of all success. After meeting her, he thought she was a decent woman, appearing docile, though her conversational skills weren’t great. But it didn’t matter; he didn’t need a clever wife, as long as she managed the household, he would treat her well.

The first few years after marriage were his busiest. He was rarely home, and when he was, he mostly slept, being a bit cold towards her, but he always gave her all his earnings. At first, his salary was barely enough for household expenses, and helping both sets of parents was difficult. Later, he got promoted, and things improved, but at most they were moderately well-off, as a large family relied solely on him.

Zhao Youjin was quite obedient at first, but then she started getting plastic surgery. Her face, her body, various places—she transformed completely. Later, she didn’t know who she met, some “business expert,” and started doing business.

Feng Zhongliang was quite supportive at the time, thinking it was good that she had something she wanted to do. Who knew she would leave home and never return?

Having tasted the pleasure that money brought, Zhao Youjin became unstoppable, greedily demanding more.

Feng Zhongliang wanted to trip her on her path to death, but he simply didn’t have the time. By the time he found a moment to extend his leg, Zhao Youjin had already gone much further.

From Zhao Youjin’s words, it seemed she had found a solution from some man. Since he hadn’t controlled her before, there seemed to be no reason to control her now.

Being cuckolded didn’t matter to him, no matter how many times.

Now, what he didn’t understand was, did Si Wen go to all this trouble to bring him here just to tell him Zhao Youjin was in trouble?

Or was he trying to warn him about something?

Feng Zhongliang was too cautious. To avoid missing the first scene, he decided to stay in Qizhou for a while longer.

Until the mist before his eyes cleared, and both humans and ghosts could be seen clearly.

Zhao Youjin and he both harbored ulterior motives, gambling.

Gambling on who would control the next change in the weather.

Feng Zhongliang left the hotel and went to a small inn. On the way, he called his subordinate, instructing him to keep an eye on things at the bureau, and to communicate any problems promptly or consult the deputy director.

He had just hung up when the phone rang again.

Feng Zhongliang looked at the caller ID, hesitated, and answered reluctantly.

The voice on the other end was very concerned: “Director Feng, your kidney really can’t last much longer. At this rate of consumption, I can’t even guarantee you’ll live until the end of the year. You can’t catch all the drug dealers, why do you push yourself so hard?”

Feng Zhongliang was disguised when he came out. Hearing the words “drug dealers,” his eyes instinctively swept around.

He said: “Catch one, save one.”

The person on the other end couldn’t reason with him and finally reminded him again: “I know you want to tell me you can’t make next week’s check-up. It’s okay, you handle your own body. Don’t forget to take your medicine.”

“Thank you.”

________________________________________

Zhou Siyuan was discharged the next day. He packed up in the morning and went to school in the afternoon.

Zhou Yan watched Zhou Siyuan put the milk candy Guo Xiaolei gave him into a drawer and excitedly put on his backpack. Suddenly, she worried that Zhou Siyuan might be sad if he didn’t see Guo Xiaolei at school. Finally, she chose to tell him: “Siyuan, come here.”

Zhou Siyuan walked up to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan took his hand and told him: “Guo Xiaolei came to the hospital to see you. When he got in the car, he didn’t get in properly and was dragged by the car for a few meters. He’s in the hospital now. But it’s nothing serious, he’ll be discharged soon.”

Zhou Siyuan’s smiling eyes disappeared, and he almost cried: “Why?”

Zhou Yan touched his face: “Don’t be sad, Siyuan. We’ll wait for him at school, okay?”

Zhou Siyuan hid in Zhou Yan’s arms and still cried: “Guo Xiaolei is already so pitiful. His mom sued his dad and sent him to prison for domestic violence, all for custody. He can’t even see his dad now.”

No wonder. Zhou Yan hugged Zhou Siyuan: “Our Siyuan should always be friends with Guo Xiaolei at school. You two little ones should work hard together.”

Zhou Siyuan nodded: “Mhm. Outside of school, we won’t be friends. His mom doesn’t seem to like me.”

Zhou Yan’s eyelashes fluttered, and she apologized to Zhou Siyuan: “I’m sorry, Siyuan, his mom doesn’t dislike you, she dislikes Sister.”

Zhou Siyuan didn’t care what that woman thought. “Anyone who dislikes my sister is a bad person!”

Zhou Yan felt comforted.

The topic ended.

After dropping Zhou Siyuan off at school, Zhou Yan went to Chuanguo Courtyard, Si Wen’s apartment.

Si Wen had laid out a piece of artificial turf in the living room and was hitting golf balls with a club.

He seemed to have a lot of leisure, but the clearly extensively ransacked room seemed to object.

Zhou Yan entered without waiting for Si Wen to speak and immediately began tidying the room.

She was very good at this. Si Wen’s destructive power was unparalleled; she had never seen anyone wreck a home like this, with nothing in its original place or intact.

She wasn’t as unrestrained with Si Wen as the previous two times. She sensed that Si Wen’s aura was a bit strange; he was angry, very angry.

At such times, Zhou Yan would never let him catch her off guard.

But it seemed useless anyway; Si Wen didn’t need a reason to be cruel to her. Only if he wanted to.

Thinking of this, before Zhou Yan could even sigh for herself, Si Wen had already walked over and taken the towel from her hand.

Zhou Yan’s hand was still wet, and he grabbed it, leading it to the drawstring of his sweatpants.

Some areas were already burning hot to the touch. Zhou Yan squatted down, pulled open his waistband, and took out that slightly raised object. It even sprang up a little, hard and massive, pressing against Zhou Yan’s face.

He was truly awesome.

And so was it.

Zhou Yan only took the head into her mouth, sucking and teasing his meatus with her tongue.

Si Wen’s breathing grew ragged, the veins on the back of his hand, which was braced against the wall, almost bulging. Zhou Yan understood him too well.

Zhou Yan held him, slowly engulfing the entire length, filling her mouth, then going deeper.

This process was lengthy, and if Si Wen intentionally controlled himself, it could be even longer.

Zhou Yan’s jaw ached, and she wanted to use her hand instead.

Si Wen wouldn’t let her, holding her head with both hands, he began to thrust forcefully. After a moment of almost convulsive pleasure, Si Wen pulled out, rubbing himself on her face.

Zhou Yan knew that the previous harmony was now meaningless.

Si Wen was still that unfeeling Si Wen, full of boundaries. Zhou Yan was still that Zhou Yan, dependent on him, only used by him.

Zhou Yan didn’t understand why Wei Lian was forbidden for Si Wen.

But she knew it wasn’t because of her.

Like when Si Wen gave her cufflinks, a car, cards—those were for her, she could feel it. But his discomfort with Wei Lian definitely wasn’t because of her. Perhaps it was because of his mysterious past.

However, as long as Si Wen didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t ask him.

Si Wen wasn’t satisfied with just one ejaculation. He picked Zhou Yan up again, carried her to the kitchen counter, lifted her legs, and thrust into her.

He was too big, too long, too thick. With no foreplay, entering like that, the tearing sensation immediately overwhelmed her. Zhou Yan’s face turned pale. She bit her lip tightly to distract herself, but Si Wen always seemed to have more strength.

He filled Zhou Yan too completely, leaving her no chance to breathe.

From the kitchen to the balcony.

He opened the window and made her call out: “Zhou Yan. Who am I?”

Zhou Yan, tears in her eyes, struggled to speak: “Si Wen.”

From behind, Si Wen gathered her hair, making it into a bundle, and gripped it in his hand: “He touched you.”

Zhou Yan clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Her three palm lines were forced into four: “No.”

Si Wen pressed harder, releasing her hair and gripping her neck: “He touched you!”

His hand showed no mercy. Soon, Zhou Yan couldn’t breathe. She used all her strength, turned, pushed him away, and ran naked onto the balcony. She took all the flower pots from the flower stand and smashed them at his feet: “Are you blind?! Can’t you see all the injuries on my body are from you?!”

“Or is your nose disabled too, that you can’t smell there’s no one else’s scent on me!”

She could accept returning to the pure employer-employee model with Si Wen, but she could no longer accept Si Wen being cruel to her.

She had said it before, while lying on his chest: there would be no ninth time.

Si Wen was the one who spoiled her. Now, for him to ask her to go back?

Then sorry, he’d better find a way to turn back time.

Si Wen, barefoot, stepped over the shattered flowerpot pieces, blood flowing, mixing with the dirt, drawing foot prints on the floor, one by one.

Zhou Yan didn’t hide. She had made up her mind: if Si Wen wanted to kill her, she would drag him with her from the balcony at the moment of death. No one would live!

Si Wen’s eyes held an army of thousands, all pressing down on Zhou Yan alone. They came fiercely, ready to fight to the death.

He walked up to Zhou Yan, pinched her face, and repeated: “He touched you.”

Zhou Yan tried to remove his hand, but couldn’t. She simply kicked him repeatedly: “Let go!”

Si Wen didn’t release her. He hooked his legs around hers, clamping them tightly, preventing her from moving: “Zhou Yan, I warned you.”

Zhou Yan bit his hand, kicked him in the groin, and ran.

Si Wen’s long arm reached out and caught her waist, not letting her escape.

Zhou Yan was pulled hard, lost her footing, and fell straight to the ground. She gasped in pain. Taking advantage of Si Wen’s awkward posture, she reached out and pulled him down too, swiftly straddling him. She slapped him across the face, then, still not satisfied, slapped him again: “I warned you too, there’s no ninth time!”

“I can only guarantee I won’t look at him. I can’t control whether he wants to die or do something else.”

“Do you think the whole world belongs to me, Zhou Yan? That I can do whatever I want? That’s you, that’s you, Si Wen! Not me!”

Si Wen initially listened to her for a few sentences, but then his face began to turn pale, and his hands trembled slightly.

His drug addiction was acting up. Very intensely.

He hadn’t taken drugs for a long time. Ever since he used oral medication to quit inhaled drugs, he had become addicted to medication.

Later, Zhou Yan alleviated his physical need for drugs, so he stopped taking them, but he always kept some at home.

Si Wen’s drug use was out of necessity, but he knew that opioids were less damaging to the body than synthetic chemicals, and the addiction was relatively controllable, so he didn’t choose methamphetamine when presented with two types of drugs at the time.

In times of high tension and concentrated stress, his body’s craving for drugs was amplified.

Zhou Yan naturally noticed his abnormality. Seeing his hands start to tremble, she immediately hugged him tightly. It didn’t help. Ignoring the shattered flowerpots on the floor, she ran barefoot to find his medicine.

She found the medicine, but Si Wen swatted it away, grabbed Zhou Yan’s wrist, and pressed her against the base of the bar counter: “He’s a cop! You let him get close to you! What do you want to do! Zhou Yan, what do you want to do!”

Zhou Yan was completely pressed against his chest, unable to breathe, feeling like she would be crushed to death any second. Her face turned bright red.

She reached for the medicine, wanting to save his life, and her own.

Si Wen stopped, took the box of medicine in his sweating hand: “Do you know what this is?”

Zhou Yan didn’t try to escape. She had a direct feeling that Si Wen would catch her anyway, so she might as well save her strength.

She didn’t answer. If she had sharp teeth now, sharp enough to bite someone’s neck and kill them directly, she would definitely pounce and bite Si Wen to death.

His mood changed faster than the speed of light.

Just when she thought he was a decent person, he proved her wrong.

Si Wen didn’t spare her: “I’m asking you! Do you know what this is?”

How much did Zhou Yan hate him right now? As much as she hurt everywhere, that’s how much she hated him. She didn’t want to say a word to him.

Si Wen opened the medicine box and grabbed a handful of pills: “Do you know how much this thing made me hurt?”

As he spoke, a sense of despair consumed his face. Even the thin beads of sweat forming on his forehead seemed to enhance the despair, making it seem incredibly real. He was truly in pain, truly dwelling on something.

Zhou Yan had never seen Si Wen like this before.

The Si Wen she knew was a man with a gun and a horse, only looking forward, never back. Always victorious, always conquering.

Now, his eyes held stubbornness and fear.

He seemed to be very clear-headed, able to grasp the reasoning behind it, yet unwilling to accept it. His body was torn between two emotions, gasping for air in the ripping seams.

It turned out, even a high-flying flower could be broken with a single snap.

Zhou Yan’s heart suddenly ached so much, so much. What to do? It hurt too much, she couldn’t bear it.

She watched Si Wen’s face grow uglier, his expression more terrifying, yet she didn’t hide. She let him approach, let him madly stuff the pills into her mouth. This medicine was poisonous, she would die, wouldn’t she? Wouldn’t the pain stop then?

Si Wen’s hand trembled, as if waking from a dream. He saw Zhou Yan clutching her own neck, her eyes rolling back several times, trying to control the pain in her body. He immediately looked terrified. He picked Zhou Yan up, not bothering to be shocked by his own actions, and began to try and make her vomit: “Zhou Yan! Spit it out! Zhou Yan!”

He even reached his hand into her throat: “Zhou Yan! Spit it out!”

Zhou Yan was still conscious, but various parts of her body began to twitch uncontrollably. She was nauseous, constantly vomiting. Si Wen’s hand dug into her throat, inducing vomiting. Some of the medicine was expelled, half-dissolved, but some had already entered her stomach through her esophagus.

Si Wen then took out all the ice cubes and ice packs from the refrigerator, poured them on her, grabbed clothes, scooped her and the ice cubes up, and ran downstairs.

The elevator was quick.

In the elevator, he called his secretary.

“Sir.”

“Notify the nearest hospital, arrange for a doctor, stomach pump. Immediately!”

The secretary was startled, but calmly replied: “Yes, sir.”

Si Wen carried Zhou Yan to the car, floored the accelerator out of the garage, and sped off towards the nearest hospital.

While driving, he dressed Zhou Yan, and himself.

Si Wen’s residence had convenient transportation, with many shopping malls and hospitals nearby. He drove to the nearest hospital in less than ten minutes.

He drove the car directly to the emergency room entrance, got out, ran to the passenger side, picked up Zhou Yan, carried her all the way into the hall, and placed her on a prepared bed under the guidance of the on-duty doctor. Two doctors then quickly pushed her further inside.

The doctor was very serious, listening to Zhou Yan’s lungs with a stethoscope while asking: “What happened?”

Si Wen replied: “Codeine overdose, I performed emergency first aid, but she only vomited some of it.”

The doctor frowned, didn’t ask how she got poisoned, pushed her to the stomach pumping room, and started the machine.

The nurse laid Zhou Yan’s head flat, covered her upper body with a plastic isolation sheet tied around her neck, and then turned her head to the side.

Si Wen didn’t leave her. He kept holding her hand, squatting by the bedside.

He watched the doctor insert the gastric tube into Zhou Yan’s mouth, pushing it further and further in. During the process, liquid kept coming out of Zhou Yan’s mouth.

He didn’t leave; even when Zhou Yan vomited on him, he didn’t move an inch.

After drawing gastric fluid, the first irrigation caused Zhou Yan to vomit everything out. It was all liquid, along with some almost dissolved pills, meaning she hadn’t eaten anything, not even last night. Si Wen’s stomach began to hurt too.

Zhou Yan frowned.

He also frowned.

Zhou Yan was trembling.

He also trembled.

Zhou Yan’s hand slowly clenched, then loosened.

He also clenched his fists.

When the liquid Zhou Yan expelled turned clear, the procedure finally ended.

Zhou Yan lay motionless on the bed, as if dead. Si Wen began to panic, grabbing the doctor and not letting him leave: “Why isn’t she waking up? Didn’t you wash it all out? Why isn’t she awake yet?”

The doctor was helpless: “Let’s transfer her to a higher-grade ward first. The stomach pumping process was smooth, and she had no other reactions, which is a good sign. We’ll now test her stomach fluid, combine it with the lavage results, and observe her further.”

Si Wen didn’t want to hear any of this. He just wanted to know why Zhou Yan wasn’t waking up? “Why isn’t she awake?”

The doctor understood his feelings but could only say so much.

They didn’t know the patient’s current situation and couldn’t randomly define or treat.

As soon as the doctor left, the secretary arrived with a group of bodyguards and Yaogu managers, all trying to squeeze into the small room. Si Wen turned and snapped at them: “Get out!”

The secretary didn’t know what had happened. Hearing Si Wen’s urgent tone, he thought there was an emergency and rushed over in a panic. But with Si Wen’s command to “get out,” he led his large group out of the hospital. However, they didn’t dare leave completely; everyone stood in formation in front of the hospital entrance.

Later, it started to rain. Raindrops hit them, chilling them to the bone.

Passersby had no idea what was happening, such a grand display. And seeing their serious, solemn demeanor, no one dared to ask.

But they knew one thing: the person in the hospital was Si Wen.

Such a scene was too fresh in Qizhou, spreading like wildfire throughout the city that same night. Everyone was curious, was Si Wen sick? If not, who was sick? Who could make Si Wen stay in the hospital?

That prostitute? How could that be?

But it was precisely this prostitute.

Transferred to a higher-grade ward, Si Wen still didn’t let go of Zhou Yan’s hand. When the nurse came to help clean her and change her clothes, Si Wen wouldn’t let her touch Zhou Yan; he did everything himself. The nurse didn’t dare speak, only gently reminded him from the side what to do.

Si Wen put clothes on Zhou Yan, but she still didn’t wake up.

He clearly felt that Zhou Yan’s unconsciousness stimulated the release of adrenaline, which constantly put pressure on his heart’s blood supply, causing shortness of breath, chest tightness, and an unstable heart rate.

This physiological reaction was unfamiliar to him.

This wasn’t drug addiction.

He lifted Zhou Yan’s hand, kissing it delicately, precisely. He kissed her neck, her face: “Zhou Yan... wake up... I’ll give you the knife, or a gun, just kill me... I allow you to kill me, Zhou Yan...”

He just kept kissing her, his warmth like fire melting the icy sensation from her body.

Who was Si Wen? Wouldn’t he know Zhou Yan was out of danger?

He knew. He was just afraid.

When he thought he might lose her, that physiological pain and fear surpassed his lingering resentment towards the past.

This was certainly not a drug addiction; it was an addiction to Zhou Yan.