Chapter 195 Dragging Each Other Down

Even though that's what I said, the corners of my mouth unconsciously turned up.

Since that night at the hotel, the atmosphere between the two seemed to have been subtly altered.

There was no deliberate attempt to get close, nor any intense verbal expression, yet every glance and every touch conveyed an indescribable warmth.

The feeling was not like the burning sensation of strong liquor, nor like a wildfire, but more like a cup of warm water slowly handed to you on a winter's day.

It flows silently into the heart, melting away the long-accumulated ice little by little, making one unconsciously fall into this gentleness.

In Yancheng at the end of the year, the snow fell unusually frequently.

When I woke up in the morning, everything outside the window was covered in white. The branches were covered with frost flowers, the roofs were covered with a thick blanket of snow, and even the air felt clean and crisp.

The streets were covered with a layer of soft white snow, which made a slight crunching sound when you stepped on it.

The windows of the shops on both sides are covered with warm yellow light bulbs, twinkling like stars hidden in the human world.

Bright red Chinese knots hang high under the eaves, swaying gently in the cold wind, reflecting the snow, exuding a strong festive atmosphere.

Sheng Tingzhou held a large black umbrella, his left hand holding Song Zhiwei's hand, while his right hand naturally shielded her from the slanting wind and snow.

Their steps were unhurried, their footsteps leaving a trail of footprints as they walked side by side on the snow.

As he walked, he said, "I've already had someone formally file a lawsuit against Chen Yun."

His tone was gentle, yet every word was clear and carried an undeniable force.

"The chain of evidence is complete, it cannot be forged, and it cannot be denied. It's basically a done deal that she'll go to jail."

Song Zhiwei nodded, her face expressionless, as if she had already expected this.

She didn't even ask for details or inquire about the process.

Because she knew that when she said "I won't let you touch her" that night at the hotel, it was just a delaying tactic to buy time.

At that time, she needed to calm Sheng Tingzhou down and also buy time for subsequent plans.

As for Chen Yun—she could endure any insults or humiliations she received.

But that person dared to touch her boyfriend, pointing a knife at his neck and threatening his life...

She, Song Zhiwei, was never a saint, nor did she intend to be a bodhisattva.

Sheng Tingzhou suddenly stopped and turned to stare at her intently: "Are you really just going to let your uncle's car accident go like this?"

His gaze was sharp and deep, as if he could see through her deliberately hidden emotions.

Song Zhiwei bit her lip, her nails unconsciously digging into her palms.

She wasn't being sentimental, nor was she trying to protect Zhou Yuze.

But that car accident...

She had investigated; the driver had been bribed long ago, and the evidence at the scene had been carefully altered.

All the evidence points to an accident, and even if the court intervenes, it will be unable to hold him accountable.

The law can't touch him, so what can she do?

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke in a low voice, her voice filled with weariness and determination: "I will not have anything to do with him anymore."

From then on, kinship was severed, affection was cut off, and they went their separate ways.

Sheng Tingzhou didn't say anything more, but silently reached out and held her hand tightly. The warmth of his palm reached through her fingertips, carrying an irresistible firmness.

He took her hand and walked steadily toward the brightly lit restaurant next door. The doorbell rang crisply, and the wooden door was gently pushed open. Warm yellow light shone on the two of them, casting long shadows.

Across the street, a dark gray sedan was parked with its windows half-rolled down, letting in a cold wind mixed with fine snow.

A pair of brown eyes stared intently through the car window at the two figures at the restaurant entrance, their gaze sharp and almost etched into their silhouettes.

Chen Yun huddled in the corner of the back seat, her face as pale as paper, her lips trembling slightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible, choked with sobs: "Zhou Yuze... what do we do now?"

She was filled with such regret that she could hardly breathe. Her mind kept replaying that absurd decision she had made—how could she have been so blinded by greed and believed him?

Do you believe his so-called "guaranteed profit" scheme, or his lies that "you can turn your life around as long as you do it once"?

But now, the Chen family's business in Shengjing has completely collapsed. The old man was so angry that he fell ill and was hospitalized. In front of all the family elders, he announced that he would strip her of her inheritance rights and transfer the family business to the illegitimate son who had been hidden for twenty years.

She felt as if her dignity had been stripped away, with nowhere to go but to hide in this cold car, even breathing was filled with fear.

Zhou Yuze suddenly turned his head, his movements swift and decisive, like a cheetah locking onto its prey. His gaze was like a knife, scraping across her face with undisguised contempt and disgust.

Chen Yun's body stiffened, and she subconsciously shrank back into the corner of the car, as if an invisible hand had grabbed her throat, and her breathing became rapid and weak.

Her voice trembled, almost squeezed out through clenched teeth: "If you...if you pinch me again, I'll call the police!"

Her memory flashed back to that day at the hospital, when he pushed her down in the corridor in front of everyone, grabbed her by the neck and pressed her against the wall, coldly warning her, "Don't even think about escaping."

That scene still haunts her nightmares, waking her up every night with weak legs.

If she weren't now desperate, expelled from her family, and refused to see her father, she would never have groveled before him, begging him to save her.

Zhou Yuze's lips curled into a mocking sneer, his eyes as dark and icy as a deep pool. He slowly turned around, staring straight ahead, his voice low, hoarse, and cold: "Truly stupid. Are your brains just for show? Why didn't you take precautions earlier? Crying only after something goes wrong? What's the use of crying?"

He paused, tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, and his knuckles turned white.

The thought of that day at the hotel, when he hid in the shadows of the corridor and witnessed her entangled with another man, her clothes disheveled, made his chest feel like it had been hit hard by a hammer, leaving him breathless.

That was the girl he had raised in his arms since she was a baby, the eldest daughter of the Chen family whom he had raised single-handedly, and the person he had promised to protect for the rest of his life!

But she just so cheaply gave herself away!

Chen Yun bit her lip, wanting to retort, but when she looked up and met his deep, seemingly devouring eyes, all her courage instantly crumbled.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back, managing only to utter a tearful question: "So what... what do you want to do now? You can't just watch me go to jail, can you?"

She took a deep breath and tried to straighten her voice: "Zhou Yuze, I'm not threatening you—I really have no way out. Once I'm in, you can forget about getting away with it. I remember every single thing you made me do. Transfer records, call recordings, notes you wrote yourself... If I ask, you won't escape any of it."

Zhou Yuce frowned, a deep crease appearing between his brows. His gaze swept over her again like a blade, his voice as cold as if it had crawled out of an ice cellar: "Don't be afraid."

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the familiar figure in the restaurant across the street. His voice was low, yet carried an undeniable air of control: "I've already arranged this. You keep Sheng Zhengfeng calm for now."