Chapter 37: Little Green Tea

Qiao Jiu stepped out of the car and, unable to restrain her temper, slammed the door shut with a forceful bang that made the entire vehicle shudder. She strode quickly back to her apartment and, upon reaching the window to look down, saw that Song Wan’s car had already driven away.

She had thought that anyone bold enough to confront her directly must have some backbone, yet who would have guessed that after just a few blunt truths, Song Wan would be reduced to tears? It was enough to make Qiao Jiu feel utterly disgusted. She had taken all the advantage for herself and still acted as though she were the most wronged person in the world.

Still fuming, Qiao Jiu yanked the curtains closed and turned toward the bathroom. She had barely taken two steps when her phone, left on the side table, suddenly rang.

Startled, she thought it might be Guan Wei calling to ask about the day’s visit to the temple, so she hurried over to pick up the phone. But when she saw the screen, her expression immediately darkened.

It was Lu Fengzhou calling.

Qiao Jiu pressed her lips together, recalling the things Song Wan had said earlier. Without a second thought, she swiped to hang up and blocked the number for good measure.

At present, she lacked the power to do anything to him, so there was no need to entangle herself any further. If fate ever gave her the chance to turn the tables, she’d be sure to settle all the scores—today’s humiliating encounter with Song Wan included.

She tossed the phone aside and went into the bathroom. The day had been relentless, and she was truly exhausted—after hours of chanting scriptures, she could almost still hear the echoes of Buddhist chants and wooden fish in her ears.

She washed up quickly, tidied herself, and returned to bed. Before sleep, she checked the gossip news: only a few pieces about Song Wan’s new drama appeared. No one seemed to know about her late-night visit. If Qiao Jiu hadn’t been so averse to involving herself, she might have sold the story to the media for a quick buck.

She set the phone down and drifted into a muddled sleep. Yet in her dreams, the Buddhist scriptures had barely begun when she suddenly woke again.

Sitting up groggily, Qiao Jiu squinted and listened. It sounded like someone was knocking at the door. At first, she thought it was next door—she had few friends, and none would come at this hour.

But the knocking persisted, rousing her fully. It was coming from her own door. Someone was pounding on it—yes, pounding, with an urgent, exasperated force.

A chill ran through Qiao Jiu. The first thought that flashed through her mind was that Song Wan, the little schemer, had taken offense at her blunt words and sent someone to deal with her.

She glanced around but found nothing suitable as a weapon. Left with no choice, she got out of bed, quietly fetched a broom from the bathroom, and crept to the door.

Peering through the peephole, she froze again.

The person outside, growing impatient, began kicking the door. He finally spoke. “Qiao Jiu, open the door.”

Recognizing the voice, Qiao Jiu’s fear vanished. She tossed the broom aside and snapped, “Lu Fengzhou, has your mother lost her mind? What are you doing at my place in the middle of the night? Do you believe I won’t call the police and have you arrested?”

She couldn’t see Lu Fengzhou’s expression clearly through the peephole, but his tone was thick with mockery. “Go ahead, call the police. See if it’ll do you any good.”

He really thought he was untouchable. Qiao Jiu snorted. “What is this, are you here to settle scores for your precious little manipulator?”

She scoffed. “If you really cared about your little princess, you’d have her cry behind your back—not show up at my door in tears. Did you think I’d indulge her?”

Lu Fengzhou was silent for a long moment.

Sure she’d hit the mark, Qiao Jiu was about to tell him to get lost when he suddenly kicked the door again, his voice cold and menacing. “I’ll give you one minute. If you don’t open up, I’ll have someone come and rip this door off its hinges.”