Chapter 318: Pay Back the Money

Wang Yan had originally thought that after taking Yang Tao out for a trip, so much time had passed that Lan Weiwei's affair, being dumped, and miscarriage incident were long over. But then he recalled that the timing roughly coincided with just a few days after Yang Tao's resignation—so the difference wasn't much at all. After all, the original Yang Tao had worked a full month-plus; now, with his presence, she'd only worked less than a week more before going on vacation with him.

So when this scene unfolded, Wang Yan wasn't surprised. He chatted idly with Yang Tao, but his attention was fixed outside.

"Zhuang Yan? How did you get here?"

Lan Weiwei stepped out and saw her beloved Zhuang Yan arrive—she was naturally happy, but more than that, she was uneasy, because Yang Tao was watching right behind her. If Zhuang Yan were discovered to be Li Wei, her boyfriend of three years, what would she do? And most importantly, they'd only ever eaten together occasionally in the past, let alone gone shopping—this was the first time Zhuang Yan had ever sought her out anywhere other than a hotel.

Zhuang Yan looked deeply troubled, wanting to speak but not knowing how to begin.

The woman sitting beside him stood up: "You must be Lan Weiwei!"

Lan Weiwei was stunned, but Zhuang Yan had a history—her mind raced through possibilities, and tears instantly welled in her eyes as she looked at Zhuang Yan and hesitantly asked: "She's…"

The woman sneered: "Zhuang Yan, introduce her."

Zhuang Yan was utterly at a loss, so humiliated he avoided looking at Lan Weiwei's desperate gaze: "What am I supposed to say?"

"Say exactly what you said at home," the woman pressed, seeing no movement from him: "Are you going to say it or not? If you don't, I'm leaving."

Zhuang Yan quickly grabbed her arm—if she left now, why had he even come here? He took a deep breath, eyes darting away from Lan Weiwei: "Let me introduce you—this is my wife."

Lan Weiwei's eyes widened, struggling to process this shocking revelation. She looked at the woman before her—uglier, less shapely, yet utterly smug—and asked Zhuang Yan: "She's your wife? Then who am I?"

"Didn't I tell you before? I have a family, a wife." At this point, Zhuang Yan had to shift all blame onto Lan Weiwei—it had to be her shamelessly seducing him, and he was merely passive. Otherwise, he couldn't explain anything to this woman; it would all collapse.

Lan Weiwei cried out in anguish: "When did you ever tell me you had a family? When did you ever tell me you had a wife? When did you ever say it?"

"I told you multiple times! Are you pretending to be stupid now? What's your meaning? I never thought you'd be this kind of person!" Seeing the crowd gathering, Zhuang Yan shouted loudly, twisting the blame, ignoring Lan Weiwei's reaction entirely, and pulled the woman away: "Let's go, let's go, let's leave."

The woman turned back to Lan Weiwei: "I don't care if you're truly stupid or faking it—Zhuang Yan is my husband. I hope you cut off all contact with him from now on. Why do you love being a mistress? Why do you enjoy seducing other men's husbands and destroying families? Is it fun? Are you addicted? Can't you just do your job properly? Is money really worth everything?"

"Shut up!" Lan Weiwei screamed, lunging forward to grab Zhuang Yan and stop him from leaving, sobbing in anguish: "Don't go! Tell me clearly—who's the mistress? Last night you told me we were going to Hawaii to get married! I'm not the mistress! Explain it to me…"

Zhuang Yan wrenched his hand free: "Who was I with? Can't you have some dignity? There are so many people here—what are you babbling about? Come on, let's ignore her."

"Zhuang Yan, don't leave! Explain it to me!" Lan Weiwei grabbed him tightly, refusing to let go: "Don't go! Tell me clearly—I'm not the mistress! What did you say to me last night? We've been together for three years—how could you treat me like this? You…"

Yang Tao had already been drawn by the commotion. Seeing that familiar face, she froze, stepping forward involuntarily, her mind replaying scenes of their past happiness together.

Wang Yan, perfectly timed in his confusion, wrapped his arm around her shoulder: "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Yang Tao murmured: "Li Wei."

"What did you say?"

"That man is Li Wei!" Yang Tao looked at Wang Yan beside her, her eyes flickering with hurt. In this moment, she understood much: that she had broken up with Li Wei three years ago, and Lan Weiwei had been dating him for three years…

Just then, Lan Weiwei and Zhuang Yan were locked in a fierce struggle. Zhuang Yan couldn't bear the entanglement, nor the crowd watching. He only wanted to escape quickly, to avoid tomorrow's headlines. Without hesitation, he shoved Lan Weiwei hard—she fell to the ground.

Lan Weiwei wept uncontrollably, heart shattered, gut-wrenched: "Zhuang Yan… don't leave…"

Yang Tao watched Lan Weiwei lying on the ground, screaming in agony, and rushed forward two steps: "Weiwei, are you okay? Weiwei? Honey, call 120 right away!"

Wang Yan pulled out his phone to dial while saying to Yang Tao: "She's in no condition to stay. Go with her to the hospital—watch your own safety. I'll talk to Li Wei. Don't worry, it's fine."

"No, don't—hey…" Yang Tao started to protest, but Wang Yan, without another word, was already speaking into the phone about a gym's location, vanishing around the corner.

She wasn't overly worried about Wang Yan—she wasn't afraid he'd be hurt. After their month-long trip, living side by side, they'd grown deeply familiar with each other. Through countless people and events, Wang Yan had given her a sense of security—he seemed capable of handling anything.

She sighed helplessly, looked down at Lan Weiwei, and gasped: "Oh! You're bleeding! Weiwei? Are you alright?"

After calling in the location, Wang Yan walked out to the gym's entrance and saw them about to get in the car. He called out: "Li Wei!"

He instinctively turned his head, then acted as if nothing had happened and kept walking.

Wang Yan stepped behind him and slapped his shoulder hard: "Why pretend you didn't hear me?"

"Who are you? I'm not Li Wei. You've got the wrong person."

Wang Yan smiled faintly: "I'm Yang Tao's husband. We just got married two days ago. Got it?"

Zhuang Yan instinctively glanced at the woman beside him, then forced a nervous laugh: "I really am not Li Wei, and I don't know any Yang Tao. You must be mistaken."

Without Wang Yan speaking, the woman understood: "Who's Yang Tao? When did you ever go by Li Wei? Zhuang Yan, explain this to me right now—or we're getting a divorce."

Wang Yan glanced at Zhuang Yan's pale face and asked: "You're married? How long?"

"We just got married," the woman replied automatically, then snapped back: "Wait—why am I answering you? Who are you?"

Wang Yan reached out and gripped Zhuang Yan's shoulder hard, making him howl in pain. He looked at the anxious woman: "Didn't I say? I'm Yang Tao's husband. And as for who Yang Tao is… could you please lower your voice? Hmm?" As he spoke, he tightened his grip, forcing Zhuang Yan into a half-crouched, hunched posture.

"Y-yes, yes, yes… sss… can you let go? It really hurts…"

Wang Yan ignored him, pressed harder until Zhuang Yan gritted his teeth and stopped whimpering, then nodded in satisfaction. He turned back to the woman, who wanted to help but dared not move: "Yang Tao was his girlfriend three years ago. Back then, he used the alias Li Wei, stole Yang Tao's savings, maxed out four credit cards—over 200,000 yuan—everything was swindled from her. Since then, he vanished without a trace. Today I found out he's been secretly dating Yang Tao's best friend—just now's Lan Weiwei—for three years. Quite the talent."

"I guess your family background is pretty good?"

The woman glared at Wang Yan: "How do you know that?"

"Isn't it obvious? You saw Lan Weiwei just now—her looks, her figure—aren't they far superior to yours? If your financial situation were poor, would he have broken things off with her to marry you?" Wang Yan looked at the woman, who wanted to argue but had no reply: "He can fabricate identities, forge documents—so what's real about him? I advise you: while you're still not too deep, cut ties now. Don't waste your time on a man like this."

The woman's face darkened. She glared at Wang Yan, then kicked Zhuang Yan. After a long pause, she delivered a hard kick to his shin and turned to get in the car.

Zhuang Yan shouted: "Listen to my explanation! Listen to me!"

Wang Yan glanced at the bystanders—luckily, their voices were low, drawing no more attention. He shoved Zhuang Yan into the car and pressed several acupoints on his body—like martial arts pressure-point techniques, though not supernatural, just enough to temporarily paralyze his body, leaving him weak and trembling, like a slap to the back of the head that dazes you—targeting key neural junctions. As a master of traditional Chinese medicine, a peerless healer, he knew exactly where to strike. Seeing Zhuang Yan trembling, terrified, he knew it worked perfectly.

"W-what did you do to me? Do you think I won't call the police?"

"No need to fear—it'll pass soon," Wang Yan said, driving off without looking back. "You can call the police, of course. But they won't find any injuries on you. As for illegal detention? Forget it. So I suggest you drop it."

Zhuang Yan struggled desperately, but found he couldn't muster any strength. Fortunately, he hadn't lost control of his bowels—if he had, he'd be utterly humiliated. After a long while, he gave up, panting: "What do you want from me?"

"Pay back the money."

Wang Yan had already investigated him. Even without today's incident, he'd have tracked him down soon enough.

Aside from his constant womanizing, he'd been mostly clean—only one issue: fake academic credentials and fabricated work history. Zhuang Yan's real identity was genuine; Li Wei's was fake, but three years had passed. Before this, he'd only swindled a few girls, nothing else. He wasn't stupid—he never kept the money permanently, and not a single victim had filed a report. Legal methods were useless. The only plausible charge was embezzlement, but that was an internal company matter. He could expose it, sure—but it would create enemies he had no desire to make.

As for extralegal means? Killing him was unnecessary. Though his older brother ran a lot of shady operations, this was different. He disliked how this bastard had seduced Yang Tao like a cabbage. But the story was what it was—if she'd been better off, she wouldn't have ended up here. And though it was regrettable, he had no vendetta, no murderous intent. A small punishment, a big warning: repay the money, then consider breaking a leg.

It was a harmonious society that saved Zhuang Yan—and also, Wang Yan simply lacked sufficient resources this time. Otherwise, a player like him would never have even crossed his path.

Hearing no reply, Wang Yan continued: "I know where you work. I know your family details. I know your bank account. I know you embezzled public funds. You might not believe me—but Zhuang Yuanliang is your father, right? From Hándān, ×× County, ×× Village—the fourth house when you enter the village? Your bank account ends in… 3251, right? You stole over a million yuan in cash from your company. Am I wrong?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Didn't I say? I'm Yang Tao's husband. I'm also a nouveau riche—I own over thirty apartments. I don't have much money, but I've got more than you. Your little details? A few bucks and a private investigator can dig them up. So—pay up or not? If you dawdle any longer, I'll walk away."

"Fine, I'll pay it back, okay?"

Unable to gauge his true strength, he struck decisively—and knew every detail about him. Forget dignity; anyone else would've been powerless. He spoke casually, yet every word was truth, giving off the vibe that he was no ordinary man—a real brute. Paired with Wang Yan's unmasked, murderous glare, he was a wild outlaw.

"Good." Wang Yan nodded, saying nothing more.

Not daring to speak, Zhuang Yan stayed silent—he was terrified. All he wanted was to avoid attention, to prevent escalation and protect himself.

More than ten minutes later, Wang Yan pulled over, turned off the engine, and dragged Zhuang Yan—still weak and trembling—from the car. Amidst the strange stares of onlookers, he hauled him into an office building, up to the fourth floor, stopping before a sign reading "Wan Chun Law Firm." He'd spotted it earlier on the street; a simple contract agreement could be handled by a lawyer.

Standing before the door, Wang Yan looked down at the powerless Zhuang Yan: "For both our sakes, to avoid trouble later, let's sign a formal repayment contract. No problem, right?"

Zhuang Yan forced a nervous laugh: "No problem! Of course no problem!" He hadn't expected this man to be so thorough—now it looked voluntary, not forced, not extortion. It had nothing to do with him. He couldn't be touched.

"Good." Wang Yan nodded in satisfaction, dragging him inside. He raised an eyebrow at the front desk girl, who had risen in confusion, watching the scene like a spectacle, and smiled: "Miss, could you get us a lawyer who's free? Cost isn't an issue—we need a professional, formal contract."

"Of course, sir. Please wait here a moment." Though startled, the front desk girl's professional demeanor kept her smiling.

The rest went smoothly. With full video recording and the lawyer's assistance, both signed a formal repayment contract: the amount was set at 400,000 yuan, with the extra sum counted as interest. Immediately after signing, under the lawyer's witness, the money was transferred to Yang Tao's account. He'd originally wanted 500,000, but Zhuang Yan didn't have that much—so he settled for 400,000.

Below the office building, Wang Yan watched Zhuang Yan, now recovered, and grinned: "All settled between us?"

Zhuang Yan nodded frantically: "Settled! Settled!"

"Convinced?"

"Convinced!"

Just as Wang Yan was about to speak, his phone rang. He pulled it out—unsurprisingly, it was "Miss Taozi." He clapped Zhuang Yan hard on the shoulder, watching him grimace, and laughed: "That's it then."

Turning away, Wang Yan answered the call: "Hello, sweetheart?"

"Nothing. Yeah, it was Li Wei who sent it."

"Let's talk when we meet. Where are you?"

"Alright, I'm coming to pick you up."

Hanging up, Wang Yan got in the car. Moments later, the engine roared to life, pulling into traffic and driving off.

Zhuang Yan's face turned ashen. He cursed under his breath, glaring at the onlookers who treated him like a circus monkey, then staggered away—he'd been beaten.

Driving to the hospital Yang Tao mentioned, Wang Yan asked around and found her sitting alone outside the operating room. His round trip had taken barely an hour—add ambulance dispatch, pickup, and the time for the minimally invasive ectopic pregnancy surgery—and Lan Weiwei still wouldn't be out for a while.

Seeing Wang Yan, Yang Tao stood up immediately: "What happened? Why did Li Wei send me money?"

"He realized he was wrong—not to have taken your money. So he's returned it all, principal plus interest." He pulled her down beside him and gently stroked her abdomen: "Right now, keeping a calm mind is most important. It's already happened—don't overthink it."

"How can I not think about it?" Yang Tao looked at him seriously: "Tell me the truth—how did you get the money back?"

"How else? I threatened him into compliance." Wang Yan pulled out the freshly signed contract: "Don't worry about trouble—I've got your back. Look, this is a proper lawyer-drafted contract. He signed voluntarily. There's no way they can come after me. Just relax—nothing's going to happen."

Yang Tao read the contract: forged identity, emotional deception, fleeing after collecting donations, then voluntarily returning the stolen funds plus interest—total 400,000 yuan. She saw the signature beneath: "Zhuang Yan," and the thumbprint. She sighed: "So his real name really is Zhuang Yan?"

"Mm." Wang Yan tightened his arm, pulling her closer: "Now the money's back. Stop thinking about it. Besides, think of it this way—if this hadn't happened, you might've married someone else by now. You wouldn't have met someone as outstanding as me, right?"

"You're shameless." Yang Tao rolled her eyes: "I'm not thinking about that bastard. I'd already given up on that money. Now that I've got it back, I'm thrilled. I'm thinking about Weiwei."

"Bah, no need to think about it—it's not worth it." Wang Yan said: "When her parents arrive, we'll leave. She won't tell the truth."

"I still want to ask. After all, we grew up together." Yang Tao said: "At this point, why would she still lie?"

"Precisely because of this moment, she must lie. She doesn't want to die looking like a monster. If she admits it, that means she stole your man—and ended up like this? That's even more humiliating. How could she face anyone? If she denies it, then it's all Zhuang Yan's fault. You're both victims. Psychologically, that's a total contrast. Tell me—would she tell the truth or lie?"

Yang Tao understood this logic herself. As for why, in the original plot, she continued contacting Lan Weiwei, Wang Yan assumed it was partly because Lan Weiwei admitted fault first, and partly because Lan Weiwei was so pitiful—ectopic pregnancy, massive hemorrhage, could've died. Also, perhaps she was too embarrassed to refuse.

She was kind. Inability to refuse was common among kind people. Even Xue Sumei, that mother-in-law, hadn't used this incident to strike back at Lan Caiping. A single blow would've ruined Lan Caiping and Lan Weiwei completely among friends and family—but neither mother nor daughter did it. They were good people.

Listening as Yang Tao murmured about disbelief and confusion, a while later, Lan Weiwei was wheeled out of surgery. Wang Yan and Yang Tao followed the gurney to the ward. Wang Yan didn't enter—he waited outside. He didn't want to hear useless chatter; it was already enough to upset him.

Though under general anesthesia, the dosage for such a minor surgery was light. The anesthesiologist had handled it well. Soon after being wheeled into the ward, Lan Weiwei woke from pain—and saw Yang Tao sitting nearby…

About half an hour later, Lan Weiwei's parents rushed in, frantic. Seeing Wang Yan, they looked at him like a savior. Lan Caiping hurriedly asked: "Wang Yan, how's our Weiwei?"

Wang Yan nodded politely: "She's stable. Needs hospital observation. Go see her."

The elderly couple said nothing, turning straight into the ward. Soon after, Yang Tao emerged, eyes red and swollen, and said sadly: "Let's go."

Wang Yan stepped forward, wrapping his arm around her shoulders: "Cheer up. I'm telling you—you can be sad, but don't let it hurt my child inside you."

"What? Are you serious? Do you even have a conscience? Is that how you comfort someone?"

"I'm trying to comfort you."

"That's comforting?"

"Did it work?"

Yang Tao fumed: "It worked too well—I want to bite you to death. Stay away from me. I can't stand looking at you."

"Oh? My little wife's gotten a temper lately? Daring to talk to me like this? Hmm? You've got the heart of a lion and the guts of a leopard."

They laughed and playfully tussled, leaving the hospital and driving off to look at storefronts.

Watching the traffic ahead, Yang Tao in the passenger seat suddenly spoke: "Don't tell Mom about this. Or she'll start another fight with Weiwei's mom."

Thinking of what would come next, Wang Yan smiled: "Like not telling her will stop them from fighting."

He wondered whether he should write a letter to Zhuang Yan's company leadership first—but then, why bother? He might as well just expose Zhuang Yan outright. So he dropped the idea. Let the mother-in-law handle it. For now, he definitely wouldn't touch Zhuang Yan—that was basic. He'd wait.

"Are you pretending to be dense? Are those the same thing?"

"Yes, yes, you're right. I won't say anything, okay?" Wang Yan said: "You just got a windfall. What are you going to spend it on?"

"Oh, you reminded me." Yang Tao sat up straight: "I want to pay off my car loan first—no more monthly payments."

"Go ahead. Then what?"

"What 'then'? That's it."

"Come on. I dragged Zhuang Yan around like a spectacle—everyone stared at me like I was a monkey. Even if I didn't earn credit, I earned sweat. And you just say 'that's it'? Don't you owe me a good meal?"

Yang Tao burst out laughing: "Look at you. Tonight, let's see if Jiao Yang's free—we'll go out and eat like kings."

"Now that's more like it."

Wang Yan nodded in approval. He had no objection to seeing Jiao Yang—no jealousy either. Jiao Yang really was Yang Tao's best friend. Sharing the joy of pregnancy and today's Lan Weiwei incident gave them common ground to talk. Unlike him—he just told her not to think. Mostly, he didn't want to talk about it himself. Yang Tao understood the logic anyway—saying it again would be pointless. Talking to Jiao Yang, her old friend, outsider, raised among women, nearly turned into one himself—was soothing. Good.

"Hey, wait—what did you mean by 'dragged Zhuang Yan around like a spectacle'?"

"Me? Back then, I went out and pinned him right there, and I told that woman, 'Oh, you didn't know? They just got married, so I told her…'"

Wang Yan went on boasting, making Yang Tao burst into giggles; the whole car ride was filled with laughter…

After wandering around all afternoon, Wang Yan took Yang Tao to see several of his own shops—all sizable, all in decent locations. Yang Tao had no opinion of her own; every shop looked good to her. In the end, Wang Yan called the renting companies and owners, but none wanted to move, none had closed—some even wanted to buy his shops outright. Tenants of retail spaces directly serve customers; their customer base and product positioning have already been tested, and the renovation costs are substantial, so no one switches locations halfway unless they're going bankrupt—and all leases are long-term.

So the idea of saving a large sum in rent by using his own shops fell through. He could only look around for a suitable shop with a good opportunity and rent one to open a store. He was the landlord, yet he still had to rent? It was just a bit… embarrassing…

In the evening, Wang Yan declined his mother-in-law's invitation to eat at home and drove Yang Tao to a fairly decent restaurant. Because of her current condition, Yang Tao still needed to avoid certain foods; compared to street snacks, barbecues, or hot pots, the restaurant was a better choice.

Jiao Yang had already arrived, slumped at the table scrolling through his phone. Seeing the two walk in together, he pushed up his glasses and teased: "You two newlyweds, heavenly couple, what brings you to dine with this mortal?"

Wang Yan smiled warmly at him: "That's not fair—can't I just come chat with you even if there's nothing special?"

"Of course you can! So, Wang Yan, want to have a drink?"

Yang Tao waved from inside: "No alcohol—we'll just eat, chat, and have drinks instead."

"If the boss doesn't allow it, you'd never get better." Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and gestured: "Alright, order the food."

"You two are showing off your affection right here—next time I'll avoid eating with you. This is too much to take." Jiao Yang glanced at Yang Tao's happy face and sneered: "Why me today? Why not Lan Weiwei?"

"Ah, don't bring her up—I was just about to tell you." Yang Tao sighed, watching the waiter approach: "Let's order first, then I'll tell you later. Don't be shy—order whatever you want. Today we're rich. Don't worry about waste—Wang Yan eats a lot. Five or six dishes won't be a problem."

Wang Yan was speechless: "You make it sound like I'm a pig in the sty or the kitchen's garbage bin…"

"You eat that much—who else could you be?" Yang Tao laughed. "If your late in-laws hadn't left you a massive inheritance, you'd have starved to death long ago, living like a pampered master."

Wang Yan gave her a thumbs-up, praising her in a sarcastic tone: "Only you, wife, truly understand me so well."

Hearing the sarcasm, Yang Tao didn't care—she just pouted and opened the utensils.

"Come on, can you two at least not flirt in public? This is too much."

"It's all legal," Wang Yan chuckled. "Just order already—turn your anger into appetite and eat your heart out."

After ordering, the waiter brought fresh-squeezed juice. The three sipped and chatted while waiting for the food.

Jiao Yang asked: "You mentioned Weiwei earlier—what happened to her?"

"Ah…"

Before she could speak, Yang Tao let out a long sigh: "You won't believe it—this afternoon, Wang Yan and I went to see her to cancel our yoga classes, and…"

Listening to Yang Tao's long story, Jiao Yang wore an "I told you so" expression: "I always said that guy was unreliable—a fraud. I've felt something was off since day one. We're not super close to Weiwei, but we're not strangers either—and he kept us from meeting her for three whole years. Doesn't that raise red flags?"

Yang Tao nodded. "Do you know who that guy is?"

"Who?"

Yang Tao glanced at Wang Yan, who was quietly sipping his drink and scrolling through news on his phone, then sneered: "Li Wei!"

Jiao Yang froze, eyes wide: "No way—they're filming a movie?"

"It's even weirder than a movie."

Seeing Yang Tao's obvious distress, Jiao Yang slammed the table: "Wait a minute, Wang Yan, stop playing with your phone. You were there with her—did you just stand there while Li Wei walked away?"

As the waiter arrived with the first dishes, Wang Yan said: "What do you mean, could I not go? I rushed right up, shoved him to the ground, and kicked him until he was howling, even calling me 'Dad.'"

"Really?" Jiao Yang looked at Wang Yan's muscular arms and nodded. "You're definitely strong. But didn't he report you? Didn't he try to extort you? He's the kind who'd do that. How'd you settle it?"

Seeing Jiao Yang so serious, Yang Tao finally burst out laughing: "Enough, Jiao Yang, you're dumb—just listen to him brag. This is a legal society—he's rich, sure, but he still can't just beat someone up without consequences."

Jiao Yang looked disappointed: "You didn't even hit him? I despise you—I deeply despise you, Wang Yan. All that muscle, wasted."

Wang Yan gave him a thumbs-up: "You're really Yang Tao's good friend—you're truly on her side." He spoke as he pried open disposable chopsticks, rubbing the tips to scrape off any possible splinters.

Jiao Yang didn't hide his disdain: "You think I need you to tell me that? You've known her how long? We've been friends since childhood."

"Alright, Jiao Yang," Yang Tao took the chopsticks her husband handed her—he was always so thoughtful—"He didn't hit Li Wei, but he chased him down, talked to him somehow, and got back all the money I lost—and even added a lot of interest. Forty thousand total."

"Really?" Jiao Yang eyed Wang Yan skeptically. "Didn't you just pay her back yourself?"

"Do I look that pathetic? You're really underestimating me." Wang Yan clicked his tongue in annoyance, pulled out his phone, found the security footage from the agency, and placed it on the table: "Here—look closely. Use all four of your eyes."

Yang Tao couldn't help rising to peer over too. Seeing Li Wei trembling, barely able to stand, she asked curiously: "Why didn't you show me this before?"

"You already believed me—why show you this? It wouldn't ease your anger or help you move on. Watching it would be pointless. Better to look at me."

Yang Tao thought the words were sweet—but they felt like a loving punch: "Annoying. What's so special about you? Just eat your food."

Jiao Yang had finished watching the video. He gave Wang Yan a serious thumbs-up: "You're the real deal. I misjudged you—I'm sorry, Wang Yan. I only care about Taozi, so don't take it personally."

Wang Yan waved it off with a smile: "Forget it. You weren't insulting me—I know you care for her. I didn't take it to heart. Just eat."

Seeing Wang Yan truly wasn't offended, Jiao Yang chuckled and turned back to Yang Tao: "Now I get it. This is totally her style. Li Wei broke up with you because of Weiwei, right?"

"She says no, but I don't want to dig deeper anymore. I feel lucky I didn't stay with Li Wei. Today, Weiwei had a miscarriage from being pushed—she was lying in bed, pale as death—you didn't see it, but it was terrible. Compared to nearly losing her life, my forty thousand is nothing. And then I met Wang Yan—he got my money back, even added extra."

"But that was your youth you lost—and you're still feeling bad for Lan Weiwei? Taozi, snap out of it."

Yang Tao took a bite of food: "It's already happened. What can I do?"

"True enough." Jiao Yang sighed. "Another materialistic childhood friend has vanished from my heart."

Yang Tao waved her hand: "Don't curse her."

"I didn't curse her! Sure, that woman who stole your man is still alive—but in my heart, she's dead. Completely erased."

Yang Tao rolled her eyes and exhaled deeply: "Enough about her. Stay away from her from now on. Jiao Yang, I've got good news."

Jiao Yang sipped his juice, watching Wang Yan lift his head with a smile, and asked: "What good news?"

Yang Tao flashed her signature row of tiny white teeth: "I'm pregnant."

"Really?" Jiao Yang's mouth dropped open. "But you two moved fast! Aren't you going to enjoy your two-person life first?"

"I'm getting older—the older I get, the riskier it becomes. Better to have it early. If I can't handle it later, I'll just hand the baby to my mom—it won't delay anything."

"Saying that's easy, but you won't be relaxed once the baby comes. Still, you should have it soon—Wang Yan's fortune needs an heir, after all."

Wang Yan smiled: "It's not just about the fortune. Our conditions are good—we have no worries about raising a child. The only trouble? Kids are troublemakers. Everything else is fine. It feels like a complete life."

"You've got a complete life—I haven't even started. Really…"

Yang Tao laughed: "Hurry up then. By the time my kid can go buy soy sauce, you'll still be single."

"I hate eating with married people—you always hit me where it hurts. Fine, fine—eat up. Since you've hit the jackpot today, I'll help you spend it."

The three laughed and chatted as they ate and drank, the atmosphere much better than when they'd mentioned Lan Weiwei; some people and some things really did ruin one's appetite.

"Hey, by the way, you two were so busy with your wedding the other day that I didn't get to ask—what exactly happened with Guoran?"

Yang Tao said: "Didn't I already tell you? It's that match my brother-in-law set me up with. Didn't you say you even collaborated with him? What's there to ask?"

Wang Yan explained: "He's asking how Guoran ended up at our wedding and even gave us a gift. He works at the Minzheng Bureau—he was the one who registered us. Later, we ran into him and his mom at the supermarket, so what are the odds? Plus, he loves photography, is really good at it, has won plenty of awards, and he's also classmates with my brother-in-law, so we had a drink, and before long we became friends."

"Really that much of a coincidence?"

Yang Tao munched on her food and muttered: "That's exactly how it happened. Since he was the one who registered us, we figured it'd be lucky, so we invited him. He showed up, gave us how much again?"

Wang Yan kindly added: "Eight hundred."

"That's a lot," Yang Tao nodded. "He's a good guy."

Jiao Yang nodded and went on chatting—about work changes, friends getting together, all fine. Ever since Yang Tao told Jiao Yang about Lan Weiwei, she'd been much better—truly therapeutic.

After dinner, the two drove slowly, rolled down the windows, and felt the cool autumn breeze rising at the end of August, humming along to loud music playing inside the car—you drove, I sang, heading home…

Thank you, Brother Shengyin, for the 100-coin support.

Thank you, Brother Weige and Brother Na Yi De Feng Qing, for continuing your support.

Daily thanks to the good brothers who voted for the monthly ticket.

Thank you to all the brothers who gave recommendations.

Thank you to the brothers who quietly read the book.