Ma Changjun, thinking himself clever, had tried to play both sides, ingratiating himself with both Zhou Yinghuai and Hu Pingsheng, acting like a fence-sitter who swayed with the wind. But he had forgotten what kind of person Hu Pingsheng was.
Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t initially planned to “kindly” remind him, but Ma Changjun’s behavior was so repulsive that he felt compelled to cut off any attempts at flattery. If he didn’t, who knew what Ma Changjun might do next? What if he tried to get closer to Qiuqiu…
Zhou Yinghuai tightened his grip on the bicycle handlebars, his eyes darkening.
Ma Changjun watched Zhou Yinghuai’s retreating figure, the words echoing in his ears. It took him a while to process their meaning, and when he finally did, his face turned pale. He wanted to turn his bicycle around and head home, but a glance at the time told him he was about to be late for work.
The people in the department already disapproved of him for using connections to get in. If he was late on his first day, who knew what they would say behind his back?
So, in the end, Ma Changjun didn’t go back.
It was just one afternoon. Surely nothing would happen. Besides, knowing his mother’s temperament, she wouldn’t act immediately on his instructions to visit and apologize to smooth things over between the two families. She would probably wait until tomorrow.
He would discuss this matter thoroughly with his family after work tonight. They needed to change their strategy.
By choosing to enter the technical department through Hu Pingsheng, he had effectively taken a side. From now on, he and Zhou Yinghuai’s family would be “enemies.” The best approach was to neither befriend nor offend them.
With this thought, Ma Changjun let out a sigh of relief and pedaled toward the technical department.
However, what he didn’t anticipate was that the person he had entrusted with this task, Zhang Guixiang, wasn’t the one who had actually listened to his instructions—it was Ma Shugen.
“Just stay at home. Don’t go out and embarrass yourself. You’ve already had two run-ins with that girl. If you show up in front of her again, you’ll definitely offend her for good,” Ma Shugen said, combing his sparse hair in front of a small round mirror while instructing Zhang Guixiang.
Zhang Guixiang didn’t notice Ma Shugen’s preening. She glared at the items on the table and cursed, “We’re already short on money at home. Why should we give so much to that little wench?”
Upon hearing this, Ma Shugen’s face showed obvious disdain.
“Women are short-sighted. This is an investment in our son’s future. If we don’t give gifts and smooth things over, how can Comrade Zhou look out for Changjun at work? Besides, we’ve already spent so much money to get him transferred. Why fuss over such a small amount now?”
The logic made sense, but Zhang Guixiang couldn’t help feeling a pang of anger whenever she thought about the two previous incidents where she had been humiliated by Cheng Fangqiu.
Before she could say more, she noticed Ma Shugen checking himself in the mirror, seemingly dissatisfied. He eventually changed into a new outfit—a gift from their son for his birthday last year.
Only then did Zhang Guixiang realize something was off. She asked suspiciously, “Why are you fussing so much just to deliver something to the neighbors?”
A flicker of guilt passed through Ma Shugen’s eyes, but he raised his voice to cover it up. “What do you, an old woman, know? They’re respectable people. If I dress well, it reflects well on our son, doesn’t it?”
Zhang Guixiang, who had been dominated by Ma Shugen her entire life, shrank back at his raised voice and didn’t dare to ask further.
“Don’t you dare come out. Stay home and make sure these two money-sucking brats do their homework.”
After straightening his clothes, Ma Shugen picked up the items on the table and walked out. Zhang Guixiang nodded, then turned to see the two girls hadn’t touched their homework. She grabbed a tree branch from the table and struck them.
“Who told you to daydream? If it weren’t for the director forcing us to send you to school, who’d be willing to spend that money? Useless girls! What’s the point of studying? Next year, I’m sending you both to the countryside to farm!”
Ma Linjuan and Ma Pandi huddled together, trembling, and quickly started scribbling in their notebooks.
Seeing the ferocity on Zhang Guixiang’s face, Ma Shugen looked away in disgust and walked out the door. When he reached the neighbors’ door, he cleared his throat, spat twice on his hands to smooth his hair, and then knocked.
Two knocks—no response.
Four knocks—still no response.
Could they not be home? Ma Shugen’s eyes darted around. That couldn’t be. He had been keeping an eye on the neighbors’ movements. Since the couple returned together, only Zhou Yinghuai had left for work. She must still be inside.
With this thought, Ma Shugen knocked again.
This time, there was a response—a woman’s impatient voice from inside. “Who is it?”
The voice was soft and melodious, with a hint of sleepiness.
Ma Shugen immediately pictured her stunningly beautiful face. Suppressing his excitement, he forced a smile and said, “Comrade Cheng, I’m your neighbor from across the hall…”
“Get lost.”
Before he could finish, he was cut off by icy words.
Ma Shugen’s smile froze. He hadn’t expected her to be so rude, not even opening the door.
“Comrade Cheng, I came specifically to apologize for what happened before. Could you open the door so we can talk face to face?” Ma Shugen softened his tone and tried again.
But she didn’t take the bait.
“You didn’t come when my husband was home, but you show up now. Who knows what your family is plotting? Get lost, and if you keep yapping, don’t blame me for calling for help.”
Ma Shugen’s face darkened. Fearing she might actually call for help, he slunk back home in defeat.
Inside, Cheng Fangqiu, still in her pajamas, listened carefully at the door. When she heard no more noise, she finally put down the broom she had been holding and let out a long sigh of relief.
She didn’t believe for a second that the Ma family had come to apologize out of genuine goodwill. There had to be some ulterior motive.
Moreover, she was home alone, and she had no idea what was going on outside. She wouldn’t dare open the door even if she had eight hundred times the courage. She decided to ask Zhou Yinghuai to install a peephole when he got back, so she could at least see who was at the door.
Her nap interrupted, Cheng Fangqiu was no longer sleepy. After drinking a glass of water, she remembered the eager looks Li Taoyuan and Li Zhiliang had given her earlier. She decided to take out her notebook and start writing down some photography tips and insights.
In her previous life, she had published books on related topics, which even made it to the bestseller lists of that year. Therefore, she was quite adept at this.
She spent the entire afternoon writing, moving from the dining table to the balcony. With the gentle breeze and the faint scent of flowers, she wrote in peace, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
When Zhou Yinghuai returned, Cheng Fangqiu was on the balcony watering the flowers. In the distance, the sky was painted with vast stretches of fiery clouds, the orange-yellow light dazzlingly beautiful. But none of it compared to the vibrant figure amidst the flowers up close.
He watched quietly for a long time before finally speaking up. “Don’t water them too much.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s hand trembled, nearly giving the flowers a bath. She put down the watering can and turned to glare playfully at Zhou Yinghuai. “I didn’t water them that much.”
He leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow with a light smile. His handsome face, bathed in the sunset, was utterly captivating, making her unable to resist stealing a few more glances.
“What do you want to eat?” Zhou Yinghuai didn’t miss the admiration in her eyes. For the first time, he felt that being good-looking was an advantage—at least it kept his wife’s attention.
“I’m not picky. I’ll eat whatever you make.” Cheng Fangqiu beamed, knowing exactly how to make him happy.
Zhou Yinghuai’s smile deepened. After mentally reviewing the ingredients they had at home and consulting her preferences, he headed to the kitchen to start cooking.
Cheng Fangqiu suddenly remembered something and quickly called him back. She recounted the incident from the afternoon and then grumbled, “It’s so annoying. First, the old lady, and now the old man. Is the whole family taking turns? I really don’t want anything to do with them.”
As she spoke, Zhou Yinghuai’s expression gradually darkened. Remembering the way Ma Shugen had looked at her that time, his brows furrowed deeply. He took a deep breath, barely suppressing the irritation and anger rising within him.
His lips pressed into a thin, sharp line, exuding a cold intensity.
“They’ll be moving out soon. You don’t need to pay them any attention, Qiuqiu.”
“Really?” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes lit up, thinking Zhou Yinghuai had heard some insider news. She couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why? Did someone in their family get promoted?”
Moving out was extremely rare these days, so she couldn’t help but think of this possibility. However, only the two elders in the Ma family were employed, and neither seemed capable of rising to a managerial position.
“No.” Zhou Yinghuai narrowed his eyes, hiding the sharpness within.
“Ma Changjun used to work in the logistics department. He and several others were skimming off the top. At the beginning of the year, the factory implemented policy reforms, and starting this year, they’re strictly auditing the accounts. They can’t get away with it anymore.”
That’s why he’s now spending a fortune to pull strings and get into the technical department.
This was no small matter. Once exposed, Ma Changjun would be lucky to escape with just losing his job—he might even end up in prison. As for his wife, Yang Liqun, whether or not she was involved, simply knowing about it and not reporting it was enough to warrant punishment.
The machinery factory wouldn’t keep these two troublemakers. They would definitely be held accountable and kicked out.
“They’re really bold, aren’t they?” Cheng Fangqiu was shocked but couldn’t help glancing at Zhou Yinghuai. “How did you find out about this?”
“With their level of intelligence, it’s too hard for them to cover their tracks.” Zhou Yinghuai’s eyes darkened, his words carrying a subtle chill.
Originally, he had planned to rely on his research projects to get promoted and move into a small villa, putting as much distance as possible between them and this bizarre family. So, when he investigated them, he hadn’t put much effort into it. But surprisingly, even a cursory look revealed some damning information.
“You should switch careers and become a detective.” With Zhou Yinghuai’s skills, he could easily become a top detective.
Zhou Yinghuai sighed helplessly at Cheng Fangqiu’s teasing and gently patted her head. “The evidence has already been submitted. We should see results in a few days.”
“Serves them right.” Cheng Fangqiu snorted lightly, then pushed Zhou Yinghuai toward the kitchen. “Let’s not talk about them anymore. Go cook. Should I help you?”
“Alright.” Zhou Yinghuai didn’t want to dwell on these unpleasant matters either and nodded in agreement.
—
The green train clattered along the tracks. As it approached the next major station, the carriage grew noisy.
The sleeper section was quieter compared to the hard-seat section, but not by much. Just then, a scream shattered the fragile peace.