Chapter 6: With People Like That, Even a Touch Could Cost You Half Your Life

Qiao Jiu’s expression was taut as she blocked the doorway. “Why do you care so much? Just tell me what you’re here for.”

Lu Fengzhou hadn’t intended to come in. “Your father’s hundredth day memorial is coming up. I’ve arranged a seven-day ceremony at Taiping Temple for his soul’s deliverance. You’ll need to attend.”

Qiao Jiu was a little surprised. “Is that really worth you coming all the way here yourself? Are your subordinates all just sitting around doing nothing?”

Lu Fengzhou replied, “Don’t overthink it. I didn’t come just for you.”

He turned away, glancing out the window at the end of the hallway. “This neighborhood will be demolished soon. I’m just here to have a look.”

Qiao Jiu didn’t immediately grasp his meaning. “What did you say?”

Lu Fengzhou let out a soft laugh, his voice drifting. “I said, Qiao Jiu, you won’t have a place to live soon.”

...

The Qiao Corporation, which Lu Fengzhou had seized, dealt in real estate, mainly buying land and building housing.

Now, this old, shabby neighborhood had caught his eye and was about to be torn down.

Qiao Jiu sat on the sofa, ended her call with the landlord, and after a long moment, rubbed her face.

This was the outskirts of the city—a stretch of run-down neighborhoods with little development value. Even she, an outsider, could see that. But Lu Fengzhou, for whatever reason, had set his sights on this place. She refused to believe it wasn’t deliberate.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t rent somewhere else. But since Lu Fengzhou could target this place, it was clear he didn’t want her to have an easy life. If she found another apartment, he probably wouldn’t let her settle there, either.

After a while, Qiao Jiu suddenly laughed. Guan Wei had said he dealt with that man for her sake, but that was really wishful thinking.

Still, she couldn’t understand. She had clung to Lu Fengzhou and married him, but two years later, she’d lost her family company—wasn’t that miserable enough? What more did he want? Why did he have to drive her to complete despair, as if only then would he be satisfied? Did he really hate her that much?

After sitting there for a moment, Qiao Jiu hurried off to wash up.

Her landlord had told her she could stay until the end of the month, then she needed to move out. The end of the month was fast approaching; she had to get ready.

She’d lost her appetite, so after tidying up, she left the apartment.

At the entrance to the neighborhood, as she was about to hail a taxi, her eyes caught a car parked across the street. Her expression froze.

She recognized that car.

In the first year of their marriage, for Lu Fengzhou’s birthday, she’d given him that car. It wasn’t available in Yun City at the time; she’d arranged to have it brought in from headquarters. She’d put real thought into it.

But Lu Fengzhou hadn’t seemed to care much for it. He’d barely driven it.

Qiao Jiu pressed her lips together and looked away, just as a taxi pulled up. She raised her hand to flag it down.

A moment later, the window of the car across the street rolled down, revealing Lu Fengzhou’s indifferent face.

The driver, an older man, watched as the taxi drove off. “Sir, shall we go now?”

Lu Fengzhou leaned back and rolled the window up. “Let’s go.”

The driver didn’t dare ask another word, only started the engine and pulled away.

A luxury car like this had its own privileges on the road; the other vehicles kept their distance.

The taxi wasn’t moving fast, so the luxury car quickly caught up. The driver, seeing the expensive car about to overtake, tapped his brakes twice.

At first, Qiao Jiu didn’t know what was happening. She just felt the car slow abruptly. “What’s wrong?”

The driver smacked his lips. “If you so much as scratch a car like that, you’ll have to pay with your shirt.”

Qiao Jiu glanced out the window, her expression turning cold. “With people like that, a scratch could cost you half your life.”