Chapter 1105: A Slight Change

At the door of 2201, Ye Zhenzhen pressed the doorbell.

Not long after Wang Yan left, her parents called. On the phone, she seriously criticized her overly doting parents and stated that they must not do this again.

Her parents agreed without hesitation, but she also knew it would be hard to avoid in the future. She herself believed her family suffered from persecution complex, and she possessed it to some extent as well. Otherwise, in an international metropolis like Shanghai, where she frequented only bustling venues, the probability of encountering a 'wolf' was actually extremely low.

Yet she had survived safely for nearly thirty years, having studied for many years in Europe where overall social security was far worse than back home, without ever thinking to practice martial arts or carry the anti-wolf spray that appeared so often in dramas. Instead, after He Minhong was secretly filmed, she suddenly became terrified as if facing a snake or scorpion; soon she acquired anti-wolf spray and began carrying it with her...

After finishing the call with her parents, she pondered back and forth, finally feeling she ought to come and sincerely apologize to Lucy, so she came over and rang the doorbell of 2201.

Before long, Lucy opened the door and looked at Ye Zhenzhen in silence.

Ye Zhenzhen said, "I'm sorry, Lucy, I..."

"Come inside and talk," Lucy said, stepping aside.

Ye Zhenzhen glanced at Lucy with some surprise, then nodded and stepped into the apartment.

Lucy poured a glass of Bai Shui, placed it before Ye Zhenzhen, and then sat on the sofa to watch her.

Ye Zhenzhen felt somewhat oppressed; she let out a long breath and said, "Lucy, what I said outside earlier was the truth. My parents, they..."

"I understand it all." Lucy waved her hand, smiling. "I actually envy you for having parents who care for you so much. Let me tell you a story..."

Then, Lucy recounted her ordeal. Bringing it up again, Lucy naturally burst into tears.

In fact, whenever she merely thought of that scene, that helpless fear and despair rushing over her, recalling her circumstances from back then, she could not help but want to cry.

Just as when she told Wang Yan, she had originally intended to gloss over it lightly, but once the words left her mouth, she could not control herself, and her eyes turned red...

As the quiet listener, Ye Zhenzhen's eyes also turned red; she sympathized with and pitied Lucy's plight.

Once Lucy had roughly recounted her ordeal at the time, as well as how she was subsequently misunderstood and everyone blamed her, the victim, Lucy's secret was fully told.

Ye Zhenzhen let out another long breath to calm her surging emotions, then said, "So you used someone else's identity just to find an opportunity to make that person receive punishment and pay the price?"

"Something like that."

"Lucy, then I don't quite understand: why did Wang Yan say he is also a participant now?"

Lucy wiped her tears and actually smiled: "He is quite innocent; it is because of me, but I won't tell you too much more about it."

Ye Zhenzhen frowned, thinking for a moment: "You aren't seeking revenge, so with him..."

"No." Lucy shook her head with a smile.

"You are so beautiful, and he is such a scumbag; besides him coveting your beauty, I really can't think of any other reason."

"I was too clever for my own good." Lucy said no more. "There has been no actual progress yet; could I ask you to keep this confidential?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a gossip. That deadbeat scumbag Wang Yan doesn't even trust me." Ye Zhenzhen spoke confidently, then smiled. "But I must remind you to be very careful of Wang Yan; he is no pious believer, he truly eats people."

"I know, but thank you for the reminder nonetheless."

"Alright, then I'm leaving." Ye Zhenzhen stood up and was escorted out by Lucy.

The door slammed shut with a bang; Ye Zhenzhen, walking away, turned back to look at that tightly closed door, then shook her head, sighed, and returned to her 2203...

That evening on a workday, Zhu Zhe got off work early, picked up her younger brother and sister, her brother's girlfriend, and the girlfriend's mother; the group of five returned to 2202 in Ode to Joy. With so many people entering, the not-so-large apartment was instantly filled.

Ye Zhenzhen, He Minhong, and the others were all aware of the arrival of Zhu Zhe's family; Zhu Zhe had even stored all their belongings at Wang Yan's place.

Just as in the original drama, Zhu Zhe displayed extremely shabby items, all unattractive old clothes and bedsheets with holes. She told her younger brother and sister that she had scrimped and saved for their education, even taking out loans, and had been working hard to repay the debts.

But Zhu Zhe's younger brother and sister showed not a shred of understanding; they were still thinking of squeezing money out of Zhu Zhe. Although Zhu Zhe had already accepted this outcome, she still felt deeply chilled.

Yu Chuhui and He Minhong cooperated in acting, expressing their dissatisfaction with these people being there. After such a farce, Zhu Zhe's younger brother and sister finally could not bear it and stated they would find a hotel near the hospital to stay. Even under such circumstances, Zhu Zhe's brother still wanted to borrow money from Zhu Zhe to pay for the hotel, showing not the slightest intention, or even awareness, of repaying...

He Minhong told Ye Zhenzhen about the situation in 2202; upon hearing they were leaving, Ye Zhenzhen offered to drive them to the hotel.

In the corridor on the 22nd floor, Ye Zhenzhen patiently explained to He Minhong that she wanted to drive them so Zhu Zhe's younger brother and sister would not remember the address of Ode to Joy, preventing them from showing up at the door in the future.

"So that's how it is." He Minhong suddenly realized, then added, "Hey, by the way, Zhenzhen, Sister Zhu's group has five people; you can't fit them all, right? And if caught, you'll get points deducted and fined."

This time it was Ye Zhenzhen who was surprised: "You even thought of that?"

He Minhong pouted, looking at Ye Zhenzhen with eyes full of grievance. "Zhenzhen, do you think I'm very stupid?"

"Uh, I meant that you usually don't pay attention to such things."

"I have a driver's license, you know?"

"Ah... haha." Ye Zhenzhen laughed it off, then asked, "Does Sister Zhu have a driver's license?"

"We chatted about it before; Sister Zhu said she never had time to learn driving and never imagined she would buy a car."

"Is that so? At first I hadn't considered this issue, but now that you mention it, thinking about it again, it's late at night, so we certainly can't let some scumbag off easy; I've decided to make him make a trip too."

Saying this, she took out her phone and immediately made a call.

"Scumbag, where are you?"

"Then come down. Jiji's younger brother and sister have arrived; they're going to a hotel near the hospital now. There are five of them, Jiji can't drive, and I can't fit them all alone, so please help out."

With just those two sentences, Ye Zhenzhen waved her phone at He Minhong: "He'll be down immediately."

"Brother Yan is so warm-hearted," He Minhong said.

"Am I not warm-hearted?"

He Minhong chuckled: "Zhenzhen, you are even more warm-hearted."

In less than a minute, Wang Yan strolled down.

Ye Zhenzhen nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad, very fast."

"There will be a time when you know exactly whether it's slow or fast."

"Hmph~" Ye Zhenzhen shot Wang Yan a reproachful glare, then said, "In a moment, don't say..."

"I know, Zhu Zhe's younger brother and sister are not good people; we cannot expose that Zhu Zhe is a big manager doing quite well."

"You're smart enough."

He Minhong interjected: "But Brother Yan, I think what Sister Zhu did is somewhat..."

Noticing Wang Yan's gaze, He Minhong stopped speaking, then weakly added, "I just feel..."

"They are all one family; no matter how you look at it, those are Zhu Zhe's own younger brother and younger sister, right?"

"That's exactly what I think."

"You've heard Zhu Zhe talk about her family's situation, right?"

"But that was just Zhu Sister's one-sided story."

"So now you know not to listen blindly? Then why didn't you notice earlier how they were hinting and implying, asking Zhu Zhe for money?" Wang Yan shook his head with amusement. "Xiao He, when exactly will you learn to keep your mouth shut? If you can't figure it out immediately, then ponder it slowly; don't be so quick to voice your opinion. I've told you this at least three times already."

"I'm sorry, Brother Yan..."

"You're just habitually saying sorry, aren't you? But in reality, you still don't understand where the problem lies. You really need to go visit a train station or a hospital."

Ye Zhenzhen said, "Hey, Honghong, hurry and tell Jiji that Wang Yan and I will drive them."

"Oh..." He Minhong pouted, then turned and trotted back to room 2202.

Watching He Minhong leave, Wang Yan nudged Ye Zhenzhen with his shoulder. "You think I'm too idle, so you just had to assign me a task, is that it?"

"Well, who asked you to come down?"

"If I hadn't come down, wouldn't my persona as a public-spirited do-gooder be shattered?"

"Don't worry; your scumbag persona will never shatter." Ye Zhenzhen shoved Wang Yan harder, but finding him immovable as a mountain, she slapped him in dissatisfaction before changing the subject. "I haven't told you yet; after you left that day, I went to apologize to Lucy again. She told me about those things, but she didn't tell me why you became a participant. You have to tell me."

"So gossipy? Knowing too much isn't good for you." Wang Yan smiled. "I'm more concerned about whether you washed your face that day."

"And you still bring it up? Taking advantage of me, you damned scumbag!" Ye Zhenzhen, flushed with anger and shame, swung her flailing fists at Wang Yan.

Just as the two were horsing around, the door to room 2202 opened, and Zhu Zhe led her younger brother and sister out.

She said, "Zhenzhen, Wang Yan, it's truly troublesome for you to make a trip at this late hour."

Ye Zhenzhen replied, "It's nothing; since we couldn't sleep anyway, going out for a stroll is quite nice. Isn't it?"

"She's right." Wang Yan nodded in agreement and beckoned, "Shall we go now?"

Thus, everyone took the elevator down to the underground parking lot. Wang Yan drove his S8, taking Zhu Zhe along with her younger brother and sister, while Ye Zhenzhen drove her own car, taking Zhu Zhe's brother's girlfriend and the girlfriend's mother.

During the journey, Zhu Zhe continued to deceive her younger siblings, constantly reinforcing the impression that she was destitute. Although her brother and sister restrained themselves somewhat in front of Wang Yan, an outsider, their words were hardly polite, filled only with complaints toward Zhu Zhe.

Even though it was night, Shanghai's traffic volume was enormous; the universally late working hours combined with the metropolis's rich nightlife created this situation.

Therefore, they drove for over half an hour before finally arriving at their destination.

Waiting until Zhu Zhe led the others away, Wang Yan said to Ye Zhenzhen, "Don't you have work tomorrow? You go back first; I'll wait for Zhu Zhe a while longer and then drive her back."

"At least you're sensible." Ye Zhenzhen yawned and got into her car. "Then I'll leave Jiji in your hands. I need to get back to sleep quickly; I might have to pull an all-nighter tomorrow, so I must conserve my energy."

"Go ahead, drive slowly, and stay safe."

Wang Yan helped close the car door; Ye Zhenzhen waved, shifted gears decisively, and drove off.

He lit a cigarette, sat in the driver's seat, sent a message to Zhu Zhe, and then listened to music while playing on his phone.

After about twenty minutes, Zhu Zhe opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

"Thank you, Wang Yan; it's so late, yet I've troubled you to make this trip."

"You already said that before we came." Seeing her fasten her seatbelt, Wang Yan shifted gears, drove onto the road, and headed back to Ode to Joy.

Inside the car, Zhu Zhe remained very silent, immersed in sadness.

Wang Yan smiled. "Your spirits are low."

"It would be strange if they were high. You heard everything along the way. I worked hard and scrimped to save money to put them through university, and what did they do? They were still asking me for money, both openly and subtly. Although I expected it, now that it's actually happened, it feels terrible. And I can't do anything about it."

"I can't explain reason to them, nor can I negotiate money. In the future, I still have to fulfill my duty as a child supporting my parents, and my parents will still favor my younger brother. My younger sister will still not care about me. Tell me, what can I do?"

"There's no way; you're bound by familial affection. To break free, you'd have to disown your entire family. But then again, your parents did raise you to adulthood without illness or disaster. Given the conditions back then, that was indeed the reality; if you hadn't come out to work, you would likely have married early. Now that you have gained knowledge and culture, you can understand your parents' feudal mindset. Sometimes you even feel fortunate, after all, there are many people far more unfortunate than you."

"The resentment is real, the understanding is real, and the helplessness is real. It's just that contradictory, isn't it?"

"That's exactly it. If my parents had abused me, it would actually be better; I wouldn't feel this miserable..." Zhu Zhe let out a long sigh, full of helplessness.

"If vexing matters can't be resolved, it's best to think about them less. Living your own life well is what matters most. Come on, give me a smile."

Zhu Zhe turned to Wang Yan, the corners of her mouth lifting.

"Not good-looking."

"You're truly blunt."

"You're just realizing that?" Wang Yan raised an eyebrow at Zhu Zhe, then asked, "By the way, is that Chen Zufu still harassing you?"

"How would he dare? You beat the fear into him." Speaking of Chen Zufu, Zhu Zhe genuinely laughed. "He's currently ruining my reputation among our fellow townspeople."

"How is he ruining it?"

"What else could he say? He's claiming I've latched onto you, a wealthy man, and don't recognize old friends anymore. Believe it or not, recently even more people have been calling me to borrow money."

"How can that be ruining your reputation? Am I not a wealthy man? Am I not worth latching onto?"

Zhu Zhen laughed. "Stop showing off your powers; could I even afford to latch onto you? Although what Chen Zufu said sounds unpleasant, there is some truth to it."

"What truth? Do you think I'm the type to change flavors, start with chaos and end with abandonment, take no responsibility, and kick someone away once I'm done playing?"

"I'm not worthy."

"See, we're back to that again. You just lack a bit of self-confidence. You're no worse than anyone else. Don't always fixate on education, diplomas, age, or marital and childbearing status. Instead, think about how you stepped your way to today, sitting in a manager's position, and the skills you've honed over so many years that allow you to handle numerous situations. You must have confidence; you are a strong person."

Hearing this, Zhu Zhe laughed. "Has anyone ever told you that you'd definitely make a fortune as a successology lecturer?"

"Didn't you just say it? I haven't even started exerting my power yet." Wang Yan then said, "Do you need me to go talk to Chen Zufu again?"

"No need; it doesn't have much impact."

And so, the two chatted and laughed all the way back to Ode to Joy. Zhu Zhe's mood wasn't so terrible anymore; she was someone capable of self-regulation, especially with Wang Yan acting as her listener.

It was another Saturday. Ye Zhenzhen slept until she woke naturally, feeling delighted. The only downside was that she had dreamed of a certain terrible fellow again yesterday.

She picked up her phone and saw that David had sent many messages early in the morning. She replied to one, and the other side responded almost instantly.

After chatting briefly over the phone, David said he had something to discuss with Ye Zhenzhen and asked for her address, proposing to buy breakfast and talk while eating. Ye Zhenzhen did not refuse.

Not long after, David took a taxi over, bought a bouquet of flowers on the way, purchased food at a breakfast shop outside the residential compound, and made his way to room 2203, where he rang the doorbell.

Having already washed up and dressed in casual home wear, Ye Zhenzhen opened the door, casually accepted the flowers, and immediately turned back inside. "Come in. Why are you hounding me like my life depends on it so early in the morning? What exactly is the matter?"

"Hey, don't you think my looks have recovered to ninety percent now?"

"Can good looks be eaten?"

"Yes, why not? Wait, that's not right..."

David, who had been scanning the room, came to his senses. He carried the breakfast over to the kitchen island and stared straight at Ye Zhenzhen with his eyes behind the glasses, asking in surprise, "Say, is this still the Yan Zhengyi I know? I feel like I don't even recognize him anymore. What, have you changed your nature and don't like handsome men anymore?"

Ye Zhenzhen smiled and said, "What I mean is you've become a bit shameless."

"When I came back last time, we didn't talk much. Now I realize you've changed a lot these past few years."

"Could it be that you're just not handsome enough?"

"How is that possible?" David looked determined. "Whether man or woman, anyone who looks in the mirror thinks they are handsome, thinks they are beautiful. I admit, there are degrees of handsomeness, but I'm not bad either, okay? These years abroad, wherever I went, people would hit on me."

"And then? Any romantic and beautiful encounter stories?"

"I told you last time, when I was out playing, I was exhausted to death; how could I have the mind for that?"

"Who knows that." Ye Zhenzhen changed the subject, "Spit it out, what do you want from me? Hey, haven't you had breakfast yet?"

David smiled, "Otherwise, why did I buy so much?"

"Then let's eat together. Hurry up and tell me your business."

"Here's the thing. I wrote a novel online, and unexpectedly, it became an instant hit. Now the website's editor wants me to sign a contract. But I don't want to expose myself. So I want you to take me on, sign the contract with them using your name."

"Hehe..." Ye Zhenzhen smiled at David, then her expression turned serious, "No way!"

"Why?"

David anxiously explained various reasons, saying he couldn't bring himself to admit he was a shut-in typing at home, saying Ye Zhenzhen had studied abroad, had just returned to the country, and was a researcher working at an institute; all sorts of conditions fit perfectly. He also said he cared about his reputation. If people discovered Ye Zhenzhen was pretending, it would at least ensure he wouldn't be exposed, and so on...

Seeing Ye Zhenzhen laughing while listening, David also smiled and said, "Does this mean you agree?"

"No way."

"Why?"

"You can't bring yourself to admit it, and you care about your reputation? I don't understand why it would be shameful. If you think it's shameful, why write it in the first place? At the very least, you just don't sign the contract, right? If this platform won't let you publish, then publish on another platform. Don't you want people to see it? As long as people see it, who cares about signing a contract?

And you say I'm a researcher, fitting the shut-in persona. Big brother, I'm very busy, okay? I don't have the time, nor the leisure. As for the issue of identity exposure, what if I say I'm a woman and it's impossible to write a harem novel? Does that mean it's impossible? What about BL novels? What about homosexuality? What about going to a club to find male prostitutes?

Moreover, I'm a researcher. When people find out about this kind of thing, how will they view me? Not how peers view me, but how netizens view me. They will think, is a researcher this idle? Collecting a salary without working, yet having the leisure to write novels?

If they also find out about my wealthy family background, wouldn't that be even worse? They will think everything I do is arranged by my family spending money, occupying a position without doing any work. That would be bad for me and for my family. If I deny it, does that mean I didn't write it? It's not that simple. This kind of thing, no one knows how it will develop, and it's even harder to explain clearly.

Besides, it's not like only I can do it. I definitely won't do it. You should give up on this idea and find someone else."

Ye Zhenzhen stated her reasons for refusal clearly, plainly, and directly, making a decision different from the original drama.

Just as Ye Zhenzhen said, David's reasons were full of holes.

This is understandable and explainable. Because David wanted to establish a connection with Ye Zhenzhen, wanted to get closer, but hadn't found any other reasonable excuse, so when this opportunity arose, he simply blurted it out with all its flaws.

And in the original drama, Ye Zhenzhen agreed, obviously because she wasn't opposed and didn't care about those things. But now, why has intelligence occupied Gao Di, and why does she disagree? This is obvious.

David wisely did not continue to pester, only wearing a pitiful expression: "Sigh, alright then. Since you are unwilling, I cannot force you. It's pitiful that such a handsome, dashing, sunny, sporty young boy like me will be thought of as a shut-in typing at home. The bragging I've done in the past will also be exposed."

"What's there to expose? After all, they are all your real experiences. I really don't understand what you are thinking. It feels particularly pretentious."

Fine, even someone with my iron bones and unyielding spirit is called pretentious by you. I won't say more. Do you have anything to do today?

"I ran a half-marathon by myself yesterday afternoon. Today I plan to rest. What's up?"

"Nothing. Since I'm idle anyway, I was thinking of going out for a walk and a look with you. I estimate that since you've been back in the country for so long, you haven't really toured this vast Shanghai. Just the two of us as companions, getting familiar with the environment. But since you want to rest, let's forget it. We'll talk another day."

Ye Zhenzhen shook her head and smiled, "Actually, there's not much to see. I occasionally drive out for a joyride. Driving aimlessly, following fate, feels meaningless."

"What can you see driving? You just see cars, and it's so congested. You have to be down-to-earth, walk to various places, taste various foods. I discovered a noodle shop a couple of days ago; their pork liver noodles are especially delicious. Oh, right, I shared it with you. Go try it when you have time; it's absolutely delicious. You can't eat these things abroad."

"That's true. I've been forced to learn how to cook. Can you believe that?"

"You say it as if I can't cook." David sighed and said, "How about we meet next week?"

"For what?"

"Chongming Island is very nice. It's the mouth of the Yangtze River, and it's been developed for quite a few years. I think the scenery is very good. We can go for a run, ride bicycles, watch the sunset, have a barbecue, drink some beer. How relaxing, right? What do you say?"

Ye Zhenzhen's eyes brightened, and she nodded repeatedly, "That's a good idea."

"See, how could I not know you?"

Glancing at him, Ye Zhenzhen said, "But with just the two of us, it might be a bit boring. And I'm not sure if I'll have time next week."

"Then let's put it on the schedule first. You look for some other people. I just came back; after so many years, I really don't have many friends in the country. By Friday, I'll ask you again. If you have time, we can go on Saturday. Stay overnight there, come back on Sunday. Wake up refreshed and go to work; isn't that wonderful?"

"Indeed wonderful." Ye Zhenzhen smiled, "Alright, then it's settled. I'll tell you on Friday whether I'm going or not."