Chapter 2, "Need any help?"

He Yanzhou returned to his car to catch his breath. After smoking half a cigarette, he saw a figure approaching from a distance, and the headlights of the car next to him flashed twice.

He Yanzhou was a little drunk. He leaned back in his chair and watched for a while. When she got closer, he saw that she was dressed in heavy clothes, her fluffy ponytail was rolled up in her scarf, and she ran all the way to open the door and get into the car.

Not long after, he stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his body slightly, and was about to leave for home when he saw the car door next to him open again. She got out, walked to the front of the car, and kicked the tire.

He Yanzhou lowered his eyes as she did so. Her tire had blown out.

Driver Zheng Zhi observed the situation through the rearview mirror, then withdrew his hand from the start button and also peeked out the window.

Zhu Xu had already taken off her down jacket and was shivering from the cold. She stood in front of the car for a few seconds, her mind blank, then kicked the tire. She hesitated between calling for roadside assistance and changing the tire herself, thinking that the latter might be faster.

She went to the trunk to get the jack and spare tire. Moving the spare tire took some effort, but the hydraulic jack made things easier. After lifting the car, she went to the trunk to find a wrench, but suddenly remembered that the electric one had broken, and she only had a simple one in the car.

Zhu Xu felt a headache coming on, guessing that she might not have that much ability. She went over and tried it, and as she expected, even with all her strength, the screw wouldn't budge.

She rubbed her aching palms and suddenly heard the sound of a car door opening behind her.

Zhu Xu turned around, stunned. It was the same person from the class reunion earlier.

He Yanzhou, buttoning his suit jacket, asked, "Need any help?"

Although they weren't very familiar with each other, there was no reason to refuse help in this situation. Zhu Xu stood up, rubbing his hands helplessly: "The wrench isn't working well."

"I'll give it a try."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" she said politely, already picking up the wrench and handing it to him with both hands.

He Yanzhou didn't speak, only glancing at her briefly from the side. He pulled up his suit trousers, squatted down, and wrenched the socket of the Z-shaped wrench into the screw. After confirming it was secure, he stood up, stepped on the handle with one foot, and lifted the other foot slightly, applying a little downward force. The wrench easily sank ninety degrees with his weight, and the screw loosened.

Zhu Xu suddenly realized that it could be used in this way.

He Yanzhou removed the first screw, then, remembering something, knocked on the car window. Driver Zheng Zhi quickly got out of the driver's seat.

He Yanzhou asked, "Do you have an electric wrench?" "Yes." Zheng Zhi strode to the trunk to get it: "Let me do it, Mr. He."

He Yanzhou nodded slightly and stepped back to make room for him.

Zheng Zhi worked quickly and efficiently, unscrewing all the screws in no time.

Zhu Xu stood two steps away from He Yanzhou and out of the corner of his eye saw that He Yanzhou had his hands in his trouser pockets, his head slightly lowered, and was focused on watching the driver install the tires, seemingly not intending to say anything.

The two stood side by side for a while. Although there was a sound of wind, the surroundings felt eerily quiet.

Zhu Xu felt he should say something, so he rubbed his hands together, turned his head, and smiled, "Thank you."

"It's nothing," He Yanzhou replied.

Zhu Xu started a conversation: "There was an electric wrench in the car, but I forgot it was broken, otherwise I wouldn't have overestimated my abilities and changed the tire myself."

He Yanzhou nodded: "This kind of wrench is indeed not very friendly to ladies; I also find it a bit difficult to use."

Whether it was true or not, his words made her feel much more relaxed.

Zhu Xu smiled gratefully at the other person, noticing a faint smile also flickering at the corner of his mouth, a subtle response. Silence fell again, their gazes returning to the squatting driver. The punctured tire had been removed, and he was installing a replacement.

The north wind howled, growing more unrestrained as the night deepened.

The bare branches danced wildly overhead, and the few leaves that could no longer withstand such devastation were scattered by the wind no matter how they struggled.

He Yanzhou was silent for a moment, then finally turned to look at her and kindly reminded her, "Would you like to put on another layer of clothing?"

Zhu Xu then realized that she was only wearing a sweater, and her body was trembling unconsciously. Her hands were numb from the cold, and her senses were dulled.

“Okay,” she said.

She opened the car door to get her down jacket, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the phone screen on the holder was lit up, with Liang Haiyang's name standing out starkly. Zhu Xu felt a moment of panic, quickly pulled out her phone, and was about to answer when the other party hung up, while the screen showed four missed calls.

She forgot her down jacket and was typing on WeChat while closing the car door.

"The skirt," someone next to me suddenly said.

Zhu Xu turned his head blankly: "Huh?"

"Got it."

She looked down and saw that the hem of her long dress was caught in the closed car door.

"Oh." She actually reached out and pulled it.

He Yanzhou noticed the change in her emotions, his brows twitched slightly, and he leaned over to open the car door for her. But at that moment, she suddenly bent down to continue tugging at her skirt, and in her haste, she bumped into his arms.

He Yanzhou subconsciously put his hand on her shoulder, his gesture purely out of politeness, devoid of any impropriety or ambiguity. The man, however, was alert; a pair of eyes were watching him.

He Yanzhou turned his head and, sure enough, saw a man standing in front of the two cars, wearing a black business cotton jacket and carrying a laptop bag. His breath condensed in front of him, making it difficult to see his face for a moment.

He Yanzhou remained calm, gently placing Zhu Xu down and continuing to open the car door for her before withdrawing his hand and taking a half-step back.

At this moment, Zhu Xu also saw Liang Haiyang suddenly appear. Her eyelashes trembled slightly. At first, she was very puzzled. Gradually, her eyes became more and more complicated, showing fear, unease, and suppressed anger.

Liang Haiyang smiled gently, stepped forward, and affectionately patted her head: "What's wrong? Are you stupid?"

Zhu Xu took a long time to answer: "No."

Who is this?

“My classmate, He Yanzhou.” Zhu Xu paused when saying his name, thankful that he had listened carefully to his introduction in the private room, otherwise he would have been too impolite. He then looked into He Yanzhou’s eyes and said, “My husband.”

Zhu Xu explained briefly: "My tire was flat, and Mr. He helped me change it to the spare tire."

Liang Haiyang had already observed He Yanzhou discreetly, and upon hearing her words, he smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

He Yanzhou nodded without speaking, then glanced at Zhu Xu, also without saying anything.

He turned around and opened the car door: "Zheng Zhi?"

"Alright, Mr. He."

He stepped into the car.

Zheng Zhi quickly put away the wrench, placed it in the trunk, and strode back to the driver's seat.

The car started and slowly drove out of the parking space. In just a moment, the taillights blended into the city skyline.

Zhu Xu was busy tidying up the tools on the ground, not paying attention to anything else. She was freezing cold and didn't want to stay outside for even a second longer.

Liang Haiyang watched the Bentley drive away until it disappeared from sight. His expression had already turned cold, and he kicked the newly changed tire: "What? You think that car is nice?"

Zhu Xu seemed not to hear him, didn't respond, and didn't even look at him. He closed the trunk, opened the door, and got into the car.

We didn't say a word the way home, and it took about twenty minutes to get there.

They live in Mingzhu Garden, in the heart of Lincheng. It's a spacious three-bedroom apartment of 150 square meters, which Liang Haiyang bought with a mortgage after earning his first pot of gold. He works in social media, managing several accounts with followers ranging from tens of thousands to millions.

Zhu Xu and he got married a year ago. At that time, he was just an ordinary office worker with a nine-to-five job. They bought their marital home in the suburbs, a one-bedroom apartment, which Zhu Xu and he pooled their money for. Later, he quit his job to start his own business, and then became an internet sensation because of a video. Since then, he has accumulated a fan base, which has led to his current success.

Zhu Xu occasionally reminisces about the moments they've shared along the way, but unfortunately, it has gradually lost its luster over time.

The two stepped into the elevator, the small space filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere. Zhu Xu slowly picked at her fingertips, glancing up at the rising floor number, and noticed Liang Haiyang staring at her in the mirror.

She breathed a soft sigh of relief and reached out to take his arm: "You must have been very busy today?"

"I'm not as busy as you." Liang Haiyang's voice was chilling.

Zhu Xu knew he had misunderstood; it could actually be explained in just a few words. But the sudden surge of powerlessness within her made her unwilling to utter a single word. This negative state might directly lead to some consequences. Although the sweat on her palms never stopped, she felt fearless, as if she were dead.

Zhu Xu let go of his hand and remained silent.

After reaching the fifteenth floor, the elevator doors opened.

The pregnant woman from next door and her mother were getting ready to go downstairs.

The old man was talkative, and every time we saw him, he would smile and say, "So late, just getting off work?"

Zhu Xu was walking out when she belatedly looked up and felt someone put their arm around her shoulder.

With a smile on his face, Liang Haiyang answered the old woman, "I went to pick up my wife. It's gotten colder lately, and it gets dark early, so the roads are a bit difficult to drive on." He then pulled Zhu Xu closer to him, asking, "Auntie, are you going downstairs for a walk?"

"Yes, it's good to go for a walk after eating too much."

"Please wait a moment, the streetlight in front of our building is broken."

"Good, good." The old woman helped her daughter into the elevator, unable to help but praise, "This child is so good, she knows how to care for others, she's thoughtful and family-oriented, truly rare..."

The elevator doors slowly closed, trapping the old man's voice inside.

Zhu Xu felt disgusted and wondered what kind of mentality he had in accepting these compliments, and what had made him so despicable.

The hand on her shoulder tightened, as if trying to crush her bones. Zhu Xu's heart began to race, pounding like a drum about to burst from his throat. He pulled her, their steps faltering and overlapping. With a "beep" as the lock opened, she was slammed heavily against the entryway wall. Before she could even see clearly, his hand came crashing down on her head.

Zhu Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief, his heart rate returned to normal, and the sweat on his palms dried completely. It seemed that he both feared the arrival of this moment and vaguely anticipated and felt relieved.

The security door slammed shut, and Liang Haiyang loosened the buttons on his collar, approaching step by step, his voice hoarse like a demon's: "Having dinner with Jiang Rao? You fucking kidding me."

Zhu Xu's body slowly slid down, her cheeks only feeling swollen and numb, but her shoulder hit the wall, causing her to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

Liang Haiyang lifted her up in one swift motion. She was as light as a leaf, completely at his mercy. "Are you tired of me? Or am I no longer able to satisfy you?" He pressed his face close to hers, gritting his teeth. "A BMW isn't as comfortable as a Bentley, is it? That guy's rich, isn't he? Handsome, isn't he? Huh?!"

Zhu Xu turned his head away, avoiding his breath, but asked, "Did you monitor my phone or my car?"

Liang Haiyang remained silent for a moment; her attitude was tantamount to adding fuel to the fire. His gaze turned fierce, and he grabbed her collar, roaring, "Explain!"

Zhu Xu looked back into his eyes, wondering what he had left besides hatred for him.

"say!"

After a long pause, she said slowly, without any emotional fluctuation, "You're fucking right." "He's handsome, he's rich, I like him..."

Liang Haiyang slapped him again.

Zhu Xu slid down, but was lifted up halfway and then his tiger's mouth tightly gripped her neck. Her toes touched the ground, her ears were ringing, and she couldn't breathe. For a moment, she felt that she was about to die. Her survival instinct made her reach out and scratch, her nails using the last bit of strength to cut his neck.

Liang Haiyang let out a low growl and released her.

Zhu Xu gasped for breath, but in the blink of an eye, he was pulled up again and slammed into the shoe cabinet by the door.

With a muffled thud, her head throbbed with unbearable pain, her vision went white, and before she could think of anything, she lost consciousness.