Chapter 77 Chaos

Zou Qingqing could not stand Guan Wei making such comments about Zhao Shuo right in front of her; she exploded on the spot. Her voice was sharp. "Guan Wei, shut up! Say one more word and I’ll tear you apart."

Guan Wei just laughed, stepping forward and lifting her chin defiantly. "Oh, look at you, so tough. Come on then, show me how you’ll tear me apart."

She was taller than Zou Qingqing, naturally dominating her with her presence. Zou Qingqing was never good with words, and wearing those sky-high heels made her movements awkward; she didn’t dare actually make a move. She stood there spluttering, her teeth clenched, stammering for ages.

Guan Wei pressed on, "I’m just telling the truth. That man you found—chubby-faced, piggish, always sniffing around for women. Calling him a pig is no injustice at all."

Zou Qingqing’s chest was heaving with fury; she looked truly incensed. And who could blame her? Whatever her feelings for Zhao Shuo, anyone with a shred of pride would be humiliated in such a scene.

But Qiao Jiu lost all interest in the squabble. Every time she’d sparred with Zou Qingqing before, Zou Qingqing had never won. The woman clearly never learned her lesson, always hurling herself into doomed confrontations; even victory felt dull.

Qiao Jiu tugged at Guan Wei. "Enough, enough. Let’s go eat. This kind of argument is pointless. There’s not even a spark left."

Guan Wei had no desire to continue either. She shot Zou Qingqing a disdainful look and turned to leave with Qiao Jiu.

But then Zou Qingqing, having caught her breath, suddenly spoke up. "So Zhao Shuo likes to fool around and has no morals. But do you really think your precious Liang Xiujin is any better?"

She let out a cold laugh. "You probably don’t know, do you? Xu Yi has already broken up with that other man and gone back to Liang Xiujin. You two haven’t split up yet, but Liang Xiujin is already tangled up with Xu Yi again. So do you think the man you’re holding onto is any good?"

Guan Wei was stunned. "What did you just say?"

Seeing her reaction, Zou Qingqing grew more triumphant. "This very afternoon I saw Liang Xiujin and Xu Yi getting cozy at a café. Guan Wei, what right do you have to sneer at me?"

Qiao Jiu frowned. She’d had her suspicions—Liang Xiujin’s absence from the office all afternoon likely had something to do with Xu Yi—but she hadn’t expected those two to be so brazen already.

She pulled at Guan Wei gently. "Don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s just lashing out because she’s desperate."

But Zou Qingqing quickly retorted, "You think I’m making things up? Go check the surveillance cameras at Lukang and see for yourself. I might lie, but the cameras won’t."

Guan Wei stiffened visibly; clearly, she already suspected the truth.

Qiao Jiu’s brows knitted together. She turned to Zou Qingqing. "And so what? If Liang Xiujin’s no good, Guan Wei can just kick him to the curb. There’s nothing shameful about that."

She gave Zou Qingqing a thorough once-over. "But you—knowing full well what Zhao Shuo is like, yet still pretending he’s some kind of treasure. That alone sets you two apart."

She held up the invitation in her hand. "You’re making such a big show of inviting me, as if you can’t wait for me to see what you’ve picked up."

Zou Qingqing glared. "What did you say?"

Clearly enraged, she stepped forward, raising her hand to point at Qiao Jiu. "Say that again, I dare you!"

Qiao Jiu wasn’t about to indulge her. She struck Zou Qingqing’s wrist with a swift movement. "Don’t point at me. Are you looking for a fight?"

Zou Qingqing, in her towering heels, wobbled from the force of the blow and nearly lost her balance.

At that moment, another car pulled up by the roadside. The door opened, and someone stepped out slowly. "What’s going on here?"

Qiao Jiu was taken aback and turned to look. It was Lu Fengzhou.

Her expression had already been sour, and seeing him only made it worse. "What are you doing here?"

Lu Fengzhou walked toward the three of them, casting a glance at Guan Wei.

Guan Wei looked unwell—an expression very rare for her.

He then looked at Zou Qingqing, whose face was a blotchy mix of red and green.

He spoke. "Miss Zou, what a coincidence."

Zou Qingqing glanced at Lu Fengzhou, shrinking back a little, clearly guilty. She knew exactly who he was and had often spoken ill of him behind his back. Her poor relationship with Qiao Jiu had led her to disparage Lu Fengzhou’s background as a former bodyguard, spreading rumors at every turn.

With her lips pressed tightly together, she stammered, "Mr. Lu, hello."

Lu Fengzhou glanced at the invitation in Qiao Jiu’s hand. "I hear you’re getting engaged, Miss Zou. Congratulations."

Zou Qingqing mumbled a weak thank you.

Lu Fengzhou thought for a moment, then added, "By the way, have you broken up with that college student yet? He still seems to be living in your house on the north side of the city."

Zou Qingqing froze, her face changing colors even more dramatically. Her mouth opened, but not a single word came out.

Qiao Jiu looked at Lu Fengzhou. "What college student?"

Lu Fengzhou maintained a calm expression. "You didn’t know?"

He gave a slight smile. "Miss Zou used to keep a college student in an apartment on the north side. Just a few days ago, I saw the two of them coming out together. Miss Zou is about to get engaged, yet she still hasn’t broken things off with her college boy."