"Zhou Yang, wait a moment."

Deng Yingying's voice was so soft it could melt your heart.

"What's up?"

Zhou Yang frowned almost imperceptibly, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

Deng Yingying took a deep breath, as if she had made a great decision. Her watery eyes stared straight at Zhou Yang, and her voice trembled.

“Zhou Yang, I know you're good to me… Xu Yao… she might not be right for you. We were classmates in college, we know each other inside and out. If you… if you're willing, I can…”

She hadn't finished speaking, but the implication in her eyes was so blatant that it couldn't be ignored.

In order to marry Zhou Yang, to completely break free from the control of her family, and for the wealth and glory that were within her grasp, she decided to take a gamble!

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

In Zhou Yang's mind, the pure and innocent image of Deng Yingying from their college days shattered like dumpling filling with a "snap".

He originally thought she was just a pitiful person whose family had fallen on hard times and who needed help, but he never expected that she would be so cunning as to almost hurt him!

I was just trying to help her out of kindness, and look what happened – she actually tried to steal Xu Yao's boyfriend!

You're overthinking it.

Zhou Yang's eyes instantly turned cold, like ice in the twelfth lunar month. He stretched out his hand, decisively and cleanly.

"Give me back my check."

The tenderness on Deng Yingying's face froze instantly, replaced by astonishment and panic: "Zhou Yang, what... what do you mean?"

"Literal meaning."

Zhou Yang's tone was devoid of any warmth, "This money is too hot for you to handle. My money, Zhou Yang's money, isn't for people like you."

"No! Zhou Yang!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Yingying rushed forward and hugged Zhou Yang tightly around the waist, her hot tears instantly soaking his shirt.

"Don't be like this! Listen to me! Do you know how difficult it is for a woman like me to gain a foothold in the family?"

"My parents almost sold me off to that old man like a commodity because of the company's funding shortfall! You saved me!"

"Zhou Yang, please help me one more time and marry me, okay? If you marry me, you'll completely save me!"

Zhou Yang felt nauseous.

Deng Yingying was once a pure lily in college, the white moonlight that all the boys in the department could only dream of!

She was pure, lovely, elegant, and kind; she would never have such disgusting thoughts.

What disgusted him even more was that he could clearly feel Deng Yingying's body writhing restlessly as she hugged him, trying to arouse his desire in the most primal way.

The once-beloved ideal has simply fallen apart!

“Heh,” Zhou Yang sneered, his voice filled with contempt.

"Deng Yingying, what do you take me for? A sucker?"

"If you don't want to accept an arranged marriage, you can sever ties with your family, start your own family, or even go abroad!"

"But you didn't. Since you accepted your family's resources, you should of course accept the shackles that your family puts on you!"

Zhou Yang grabbed Deng Yingying's shoulders with both hands, wanting to push her away.

"Zhou Yang?"

Just then, a voice, filled with doubt and unease, came from not far away.

Xu Yao had somehow found her way over and stood prettily at the corner, looking at the scene before her that resembled an eight o'clock drama, as if struck by lightning.

Deng Yingying, her clothes slightly disheveled, hugged Zhou Yang, tears streaming down her face, while Zhou Yang's figure remained stiff.

Xu Yao's heart clenched painfully, a wave of bitterness and pain washing over her.

But she forced herself to calm down, and she saw Zhou Yang the moment he heard her voice.

As if electrocuted, he flung Deng Yingying away without hesitation, even with disgust!

"Yao Yao!"

When Zhou Yang saw Xu Yao, his heart tightened, and he quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand, it's not what you think."

He strode over to Xu Yao, glanced at Deng Yingying who was on the verge of tears and wanted to speak, and said coldly.

"Deng Yingying, I, Zhou Yang, was truly blind before. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other anymore."

After saying that, he didn't even bother to take the check back. He simply grabbed Xu Yao's hand and said in an unquestionable tone, "Let's go!"

As Xu Yao was pulled by him, she felt the warmth and strength in his hand, and most of her unease dissipated, leaving only a faint trace of grievance.

She didn't look back at Deng Yingying's deathly pale face, letting Zhou Yang lead her away from this place of trouble.

Back in the Cullinan, Zhou Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained to Xu Yao.

"What you just saw wasn't real. That woman was trying to seduce me and make me break up with you so I could be with her."

"But he's mistaken. You're the only one in my heart. I only helped her because of some things that happened in the past. Consider the money as charity. I will never see her again!"

As Zhou Yang spoke, he immediately blocked all of Deng Yingying's contact information.

Xu Yao fastened her seatbelt and, seeing his actions, finally felt completely relieved.

She turned her head to look at him, a faint smile on her lips, but her tone carried a hint of reproach.

"Now you know, right? You think you're still the same unknown Zhou Yang? You're now a rising star in Jindu, a highly eligible bachelor!"

"So many women are practically begging to throw themselves at you! From now on, keep your eyes open. Don't assume someone is sincere just because they say they're an old classmate you've been reunited with!"

"Tsk, you make me sound like a naive and innocent girl."

Zhou Yang was amused by Xu Yao's "lecture," and his slight displeasure vanished.

After the turmoil subsided, life went on as usual.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!