Chapter 260 Transaction
This sentence sounds particularly awkward.
Xia Mingzhao's anger vanished as if it had fallen into an ice cave, dissipating into an endless mist.
Is he still the same person now?
Is he still himself now?
“Mingzhao,” Xia Mian said, seizing the opportunity to gently guide him as she saw his eyes growing increasingly confused. “You used to be innocent, kind, and sincere. You were devoted to your family and friends and passionate and devoted to your relationships. Everyone who knew you praised you highly. When I first met you, I also felt that you were like a warm little sun.”
"But when did you start to change?"
"You've become fickle and bitter. You've started to take life for granted, betraying the person you once loved most and trampling on the life you once longed for most. You've learned to be cunning—to get Zhou Pingchuan. You even dared to cross the line of the law for him..."
"Stop talking!" Xia Mingzhao covered her head. "Shut up, stop talking!"
Xia Mian didn't stop: "Mingzhao, this isn't the you I know."
Xia Mingzhao: "Are you that familiar with me? You don't know me at all, you have no right to say such things to me!"
“I don’t really know, but Ren Xiping, who gave birth to you, does, and Xia Dongbo and Tang Wenhua, who raised you, also do. Guess if they even recognize you now!”
"I told you to shut up, didn't you hear me?!"
My head hurts so much, it feels like it's going to split open. Xia Mingzhao couldn't take it anymore. He bent down, snatched the teacup from Xia Mian's hand, and raised his hand to smash it over Xia Mian's head, so that he could also taste the feeling of a splitting headache!
"Alright, Mingzhao, that's enough. I'll ask one last question," Xia Mian said without dodging the question, "Do you really like Zhou Pingchuan?"
The hand holding the crystal glass froze in mid-air.
Does he really like Zhou Pingchuan?
Without even thinking, Xia Mingzhao could directly answer Xia Mian.
dislike.
He didn't like Zhou Pingchuan.
Then... then why did he do those low-class things?
She went to great lengths to get into Kepler, using various excuses to get close to Zhou Pingchuan, using the gifts Zhou Pingchuan gave to Xia Mian to force Xia Mian away, and even almost killing Xia Mian.
And... Zhou Ting.
The upright and virtuous Zhou Ting, whom he had etched into his heart at first sight.
Whether he is Xia Mingzhao of Xia Garden or Xia Mingzhao of the slums, he will always protect Zhou Ting.
He was merely an adopted son of the Diaoling family, while Zhou Ting was the next successor of a top conglomerate. According to the rules of the industry, they could never be together. It was Zhou Ting's insistence that led them to walk hand in hand into the wedding hall.
He loved Zhou Ting, and always had.
However, they almost killed Zhou Ting together.
Why did he do that?
Xia Mingzhao was going crazy. He pressed his temples and tried to recall the scene. Finally, he remembered that one afternoon when he looked at Xia Mian, who was surrounded by admirers, and suddenly felt that the person in question should be him.
But should it really be him?
He stole Xia Mian's life and enjoyed the love that should have belonged to her for twenty years. Even after his true identity was revealed, the Xia family still favored him, as if he were their own son, and never let him suffer a single day.
As for his little family with Zhou Ting... Zhou Ting has already taken care of everything, so he neither worries nor gets tired.
Most importantly, Zhou Ting is the Zhou family's recognized next heir. As long as he is patient and waits, he will eventually enjoy the glory of being the head of the Zhou family.
Why bother trying to get Zhou Pingchuan involved?
Why, why?
This time, Xia Mingzhao didn't need Xia Mian to ask; he started asking himself the same question.
He closed his eyes and thought hard, but he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried. He even suspected that he was bewitched by ghosts and was doing things that didn't make sense to him.
“I know the reason,” Xia Mian said, taking the crystal glass back from his hand and placing it on the table, her voice as clear and gentle as crystal. “Mingzhao, are you willing to make a deal with me?”
***
Half an hour later, Xia Mian came out of the villa and was surprised to see that familiar black car by the roadside.
He opened the car door, and in the back seat, the man was indeed sitting in his usual spot, propping his forehead up, seemingly lost in thought.
"We agreed to meet tonight," Xia Mian said in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Last night, he told Zhou Pingchuan that he wanted to handle the follow-up matters himself, and Zhou Pingchuan said "okay," so why did he still come after him?
Zhou Pingchuan carefully scanned Xia Mian from head to toe: "My agreement to let you handle it yourself doesn't mean I'm not worried about you."
This translates to: I acknowledge your abilities, and I also care about your safety. Xia Mian felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She got into the car and snuggled up to Zhou Pingchuan: "Now you can rest assured, right? Look, everything's alright, all right."
Zhou Pingchuan glanced at him and asked, "What else do you want?"
"Nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong. I was very careful and brought two teams of bodyguards, but there was only one old man at his house. All that work for nothing," Xia Mian quickly said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of myself."
Zhou Pingchuan glanced at him again but didn't say anything.
Xia Mian knew she had gotten away with it, and with a grin, she reached out and grabbed Zhou Pingchuan.
"Uncle Wang, turn the air conditioning down a bit." Xia Mian instructed the driver after feeling the cold temperature of the other person's hand.
Old Wang glanced at Zhou Pingchuan, unsure whether he should obey. He had been by Zhou Pingchuan's side for a long time and knew that his master was more tolerant of cold than heat, and liked to turn the air conditioner up high and keep it cool in the summer.
Zhou Pingchuan nodded to Lao Wang, who then turned the air conditioner up two degrees.
"What was the result?" Zhou Pingchuan asked.
"He agreed to cooperate with me."
"You told him the truth?"
Xia Mian shook her head: "You only told me half of it."
He dared not tell Xia Mingzhao the whole truth. Although, according to the original story, Xia Mingzhao was kind-hearted, gentle, and considerate, he still dared not speak of it. He only told Xia Mingzhao that the world they lived in was the world of the book, without revealing who the protagonist of the book was. He feared that Xia Mingzhao would become completely twisted and use the rules against him.
Telling Xia Mingzhao the other half was a gamble.
I'm betting that Xia Mingzhao will have a change of heart, and that the plot won't allow the protagonist to be ruined.
Before coming, he had already stored evidence of Xia Mingzhao's crimes on various social media platforms and set up timed postings. If he were truly guilty, the public would know Xia Mingzhao's true colors immediately, and Xia Mingzhao would be punished by law.
In the story, the protagonist's ending is dreamlike and beautiful, rather than suffering scorn and imprisonment. To avoid that ending, he guessed that Xia Mingzhao would agree.
Xia Mingzhao did indeed agree.
"Just wait quietly from now on," Xia Mian said.
Zhou Pingchuan hummed in agreement.
From the moment they met, Xia Mian sensed that he had something on his mind: "Really, there's no need to worry. Even if the plan fails, I still have you as my trump card. We're guaranteed to win."
He also copied the evidence to Zhou Pingchuan. If his scheduled message failed to be sent due to some unforeseen circumstances, Zhou Pingchuan would stand up for him and expose Xia Mingzhao. The plot was still one of taking precautions against harming the innocent.
Zhou Pingchuan shook his head: "It won't fail."
"Then why are you always unhappy? Okay, okay, I promise you, I'll never go on a dangerous mission alone again, alright?"
Zhou Pingchuan didn't speak, but held the man tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to knead the man's soul into his own bones.
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