Seeing Xie Qian glance over, Mrs Peng let out an “oh dear”.
“I forgot how close your families are. Pretend I never said that; it is just my personal preference!”
Everyone liked Zhang Zhijun, but Mrs Peng felt she had the right to dislike him.
Peng Guoce had been the first to talk to Tai Jing, but later when Xie Tang and Xie Qian met Tai Jing, Peng Guoce was not there and had not heard her suspicions about Zhang Zhijun.
Peng Guoce was puzzled.
“Ah? Uncle Zhi is a good bloke!”
Mrs Peng rolled her eyes. “Whether he is good or bad has nothing to do with you. Hurry up and eat; you have the afternoon exam!”
Mrs Peng never asked her son how the exam went from start to finish.
Asking would do no good; they could not retake it, and it would only add pressure on Peng Guoce.
She did not ask Xie Qian either.
With his grades, there was no need.
…
After lunch, Xie Qian planned to rest for half an hour, but Xie Jinghu rang him. Xie Qian hesitated before answering.
On the phone, Xie Jinghu did not ask how Xie Qian did; instead he mocked him, sneering that if Xie Qian lacked the ability, he should concede early.
Xie Qian gave his scumbag father no face and said bluntly, “The bet is not over yet. Do you think I have lost for sure?”
“Lane Neighbours” had been a hit in both ratings and reviews. With that first success, Xie Qian’s bet with Xie Jinghu was already half won.
Xie Qian now had the upper hand.
Once the bet’s deadline arrived, Xie Qian would own “Jiashin” and exercise his shareholder rights in “Jinhu”.
Everything looked promising. Why on earth would Xie Qian go abroad?
Xie Jinghu laughed coldly on the line. “If you are so confident, why stir up Zhang Zhijun to stick his neck out for you?”
“What has Uncle Zhi done?”
Xie Jinghu thought Xie Qian was playing dumb and cursed him out.
It turned out that Zhang Zhijun’s first act on returning was not to pick up his niece Zhang Nan, but to head straight to “Jinhu” headquarters and confront Xie Jinghu in person.
Zhang Zhijun had somehow heard about the sabotage against “Lane Neighbours” and pinned the blame on Xie Jinghu. He stormed in and gave him a proper dressing-down.
Xie Jinghu did not say exactly what was yelled, and Xie Qian could not be bothered to ask. He simply hung up on Xie Jinghu.
To stop further harassment, Xie Qian even blocked him.
That call from Xie Jinghu ruined Xie Qian’s midday rest.
Still, rest or no rest made no difference to his afternoon exam. A super top student with solid foundations had that kind of confidence.
That evening, Xie Qian finally heard the full story from Assistant Qi.
Assistant Qi was reluctant at first and tried to dodge, but Xie Qian insisted, leaving him helpless.
“Mr Zhang arrived at the company and demanded to see Mr Xie. They talked in Mr Xie’s office. Mr Zhang questioned why Mr Xie was growing more muddled, not cherishing his talented son was one thing, but tripping up his own flesh and blood too.”
Assistant Qi did his best to recreate the scene in words.
“Mr Zhang was furious, and so was Mr Xie.”
Xie Jinghu was more than furious; he could not fathom what demon had possessed Zhang Zhijun.
Xie Jinghu and Zhang Zhijun were childhood friends.
When Xie Jinghu cheated, Zhang Zhijun scolded him for shirking family duties. Xie Jinghu was unhappy but understood, figuring Zhang Zhijun just wanted his mate’s home stable.
But Zhang Zhijun’s agitation went too far: not just cursing, but trying to throw punches. Xie Jinghu was baffled. Blood rushed to his head, making him blurt out questions at Zhang Zhijun.
“What did he ask?”
Xie Qian sensed his scumbag father’s mouth could spew nothing but filth; it would surely be ugly.
Assistant Qi hemmed and hawed, but under pressure he steeled himself. “Mr Xie said it was a Xie family matter, none of anyone else’s business, and accused Mr Zhang of meddling…”
Xie Jinghu, cornered by Zhang Zhijun’s grilling, flew into a rage and called him a busybody.
He added that no matter whom he favoured, it was still his own son, and demanded what right Zhang Zhijun had to meddle in Xie Qian and Zou Weijun’s affairs.
Zhang Zhijun had sons of his own!
Did Zhang Zhijun covet his friend’s wife and itch to replace him, looking after his wife and kids?
This implied suspicion that Zhang Zhijun fancied Zou Weijun.
He even dragged up how Zhang Zhijun had helped with Professor Zou’s funeral as “proof” that he and Zou Weijun were already entangled.
“Mr Zhang was livid!”
Zhang Zhijun swung for him. Assistant Qi stepped in to pull him back and took a few hits for his trouble, barely stopping Xie Jinghu from getting thrashed in the office. In truth, a beating might do Xie Jinghu good; Assistant Qi thought he deserved it.
If only Zhang Zhijun had cornered him outside.
But inside the company, with Assistant Qi present, slacking on the intervention might cost him his job!
“He missed?”
No matter what game Zhang Zhijun was playing, Xie Qian relished seeing his scumbag father humiliated.
Assistant Qi gave a dry laugh. “Mr Zhang missed, but Mr Xie still got hit.”
Assistant Qi had focused on holding Zhang Zhijun back and missed the figure at the office door: Zou Weijun, holding a file, having overheard who knew how much.
When Zou Weijun entered, set down the file, and slapped Xie Jinghu twice.
Xie Jinghu was stunned. When he recovered, he tried to kick up a fuss, but Zou Weijun coldly dropped “divorce” and walked out.
Yes, Zou Weijun demanded divorce, right in front of Xie Jinghu, in front of Zhang Zhijun, and with Assistant Qi witnessing!
Assistant Qi was too scared to breathe.
If Xie Qian had not asked, Assistant Qi would not have dared mention it.
It was Gaokao day!
Everyone knew how crucial it was; nothing could interfere, lest it upset the candidate’s mood.
So Zhang Zhijun, meeting Xie Qian, said nothing.
Assistant Qi held his tongue.
Zou Weijun would never tell.
Only Xie Jinghu, fearing Xie Qian might do too well, spilled it all to him… Assistant Qi had played the turncoat, feeling guilty at first and needing to brainwash himself that it was “for Mr Xie’s own good”.
Now Assistant Qi needed no such pep talk.
Mr Xie was truly a scumbag.
Working for such a boss, Assistant Qi feared lightning might strike him one day!
“Young Master Xie…”
Assistant Qi fretted over Xie Qian’s mindset, but Xie Qian only found it amusing. “I am fine. It is my dad who got slapped, not my mum. It will not affect my exam mood.”
The words sounded rather filial.
Assistant Qi breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as it does not.”
Whether Xie Qian aced the Gaokao or not made no difference to Assistant Qi’s pay.
Oddly, Assistant Qi just hoped he would shine.
The more Mr Xie scorned Young Master Xie, the more excellent Young Master Xie should become.
Whether Mr Xie regretted it mattered little; what counted was Young Master Xie dazzling the world and foiling all those schemes!
Assistant Qi got fired up and, before hanging up, raised his voice. “The warrior will slay the dragon one day, Young Master Xie. Fight on!”
The slogan was cringeworthy and middle-school-level. Assistant Qi hung up hastily.
Xie Qian meant to ask about his mother Zou Weijun but thought better of it; tomorrow was still Gaokao day, and handling it now would be inconvenient. Best to pretend he knew nothing.
