Volume One, Chapter 93: She Truly Wanted to Block Liang Muzhi Again.

Not until the next day did Xu Zhi come up with no solution at all to the predicament before her.

There was no way she could take that much money from Liang Jinmo to plug the hole in her family, yet she also could not simply stand by and ignore Zhao Nianqiao.

During this time, she kept asking Zhao Nianqiao about things at home.

Every reply she got said the same thing: everything was fine.

But for some reason, her heart remained in turmoil.

That afternoon, Liang Muzhi sent her a message on WeChat: Have you made up your mind yet?

Xu Zhi saw it, but had no mood to reply.

Liang Muzhi began bombarding her with messages.

My parents are making a huge production out of this. A designer came today to take my measurements for custom clothes. Tell me, why does an engagement need a specially tailored suit?

I’ve never seen anyone in North City make this much fuss over an engagement. It’s not even a wedding. So annoying.

Oh, right, my mom said she’s going to see you tomorrow, ask which designer you like, invite them to make you a custom gown, and have matching jewelry ordered too. Looks like she really does like you.

If she can’t find you, she might switch to someone else. I’m not pressuring you, of course. At worst, I just get engaged to somebody else. Unlike you. If you don’t go through with this engagement, your family might go bankrupt, and your mother might end up getting beaten again.

Xu Zhi could not bear reading any more. She replied: If this isn’t pressure, then what is?

He answered instantly: The engagement is planned for before the New Year. There isn’t much time. Why are you dragging your feet like this? Do you really need that long to think?

Clutching her phone, Xu Zhi felt only irritation. She had been anxious enough these past two days, and now Liang Muzhi was piling on the pressure.

It’s only a fake engagement. You don’t lose anything. Afterward we can figure out a way to break it off. First let’s get through what’s right in front of us. I really can’t stand this anymore. This bodyguard is practically following me into the bathroom. I feel like a damn prisoner now.

Xu Zhi ran a hand irritably through her hair.

Think about your mother.

She truly wanted to block Liang Muzhi again, but her finger stopped midway. After a long moment, she typed instead: Have you seen my mother these past two days? How is she?

Haven’t seen her.

Can you check on her for me? She says she’s fine, but I’m worried.

Don’t you have legs of your own?

Before she could answer, another message came.

Oh right, the only thing your legs know how to do is climb out windows.

Speechless, she ignored the sarcasm and sent back: Forget it if you don’t want to.

She had never truly expected this pampered young master to help. Anxiety gnawed at her as she wondered whether she should arrange to meet Zhao Nianqiao outside once more.

Before making a final decision, she absolutely could not go back home to see Zhao Nianqiao. By now, Xu Heping was probably furious enough to want to kill her.

Her phone buzzed again.

Mind your attitude. I’ll think about it.

Xu Zhi scrolled through the sticker pack Yang Xue had sent her, found one, and sent it over.

It was a little Pomeranian standing on its hind legs, forepaws clasped together, eyes full of pleading, with the caption: Great boss, have mercy.

Wait there. I’ll get you first-hand news in a bit.

Xu Zhi thought that Liang Muzhi was still as childish as ever.

Liang Muzhi put away his phone and changed clothes, the corners of his lips lifting.

It had been a long time since he had felt this lighthearted. Lately his life had been full of aggravation: his parents forcing him into marriage, then his once-obedient fiancée rejecting him and climbing out the window in the middle of the night to flee, and after that Chen Jing adding to the chaos by using a breakup to pressure him.

But chatting with Xu Zhi like this brought back the old feeling. They used to talk like this almost every day.

After changing, he was about to head out when Chen Jing sent him a WeChat message: Your fake engagement plan is completely unrealistic. Everyone in North City will know you’re engaged. What does that make me then? Your mistress?

He glanced at it, slipped the phone back into his pocket, and did not reply at once.

If Chen Jing broke up with him now, then his parents would have achieved their goal. They wanted her unable to bear being hidden in the shadows, wanted her to leave him of her own accord.

But as far as he was concerned, other than a fake engagement, he had no better option for the moment. If he wanted to get rid of the bodyguard trailing behind him, he could only pretend to yield to his parents first.

Chen Jing was bound to suffer some grievance because of this, but he could make it up to her later. Yet now she insisted on rejecting his plan and threatening him with a breakup.

He was not someone who yielded to threats, and so he no longer had the patience for her that he once did.

His phone buzzed again inside his pocket. He did not even look at it, and went straight downstairs.

The bodyguard followed silently once more.

On the way to the Xu residence, the bodyguard did not stop him. Liang Muzhi quickly arrived outside, reached out, and pressed the doorbell.

No one answered. Frowning, he pressed it again and again.

In any case, there were only so many places he was allowed to go now, and he was bored enough as it was. The weather was pleasant today, so he simply stood outside the Xu house, basking in the sun while he waited.

The bell had rung five times. Just as he was about to give up, thinking no one was inside, a voice came through the intercom.

“Muzhi?”

It was Xu Heping. Liang Muzhi was momentarily startled, then looked up at the camera. “Uncle Xu, may I come in?”

“Of course. I’ll open the gate for you.”

The door opened, and Liang Muzhi went in with the bodyguard following behind.

The bodyguard remained in the yard. Liang Muzhi headed toward the main house, only to meet Xu Heping at the entrance.

Xu Heping stood in the doorway smiling at him, but his expression was unnatural, his breathing a little hurried. “What brings you here at this hour? Zhi is asleep right now.”

Liang Muzhi’s eye twitched faintly. He had heard from Zhao Nianqiao that Xu Zhi had run away; Xu Heping clearly did not know, and was still trying to maintain appearances.

There was obviously already a serious breakdown in communication between Xu Heping and Zhao Nianqiao.

He did not expose it. He only smiled politely. “It’s nothing important. The other day at the hospital I happened to see Aunt Xu on an IV drip, so I thought I’d come by and see whether she’s better.”

The muscles on Xu Heping’s face stiffened. He had no idea Zhao Nianqiao had gone to the hospital for an infusion.

He said, “It was nothing serious. Very kind of you to ask.”

After a brief silence, Liang Muzhi suddenly asked, “May I come in?”

Xu Heping’s hand slowly clenched. “Zhi is sleeping. Even if you come in, you won’t be able to see her.”

Suspicion grew in Liang Muzhi’s heart. In the past, whenever he came by, even if Xu Zhi really was asleep, Xu Heping would let him go upstairs to her room without the slightest wariness. But now, Xu Heping kept blocking him at the door.

He wanted to find out what was going on, but this was, after all, someone else’s home turf.

Xu Heping said, “When Zhi wakes up, I’ll have her contact you.”

Liang Muzhi was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded. “All right.”

After returning home with the bodyguard, he directly called Xu Zhi.

She picked up very quickly. “Did you go? Did you see my mother?”

Liang Muzhi answered honestly, “It may not be good. Your father wouldn’t let me in. He looked very nervous. I suspect... maybe he hit your mother again.”

Xu Zhi’s chest tightened, and her fingers unconsciously gripped the phone harder.

There was a rare gravity in Liang Muzhi’s voice as well. “Xu Zhi, you may think I’m saying this for my own sake, but I really think you should go home and take a look. With domestic violence, if it happens once, it happens again. Your mother got beaten to protect you. The two of you should talk it over. If nothing else, call the police first. Even if the police can’t really solve domestic violence, you can’t just do nothing... You may have run away, but can you really stay out there in peace now?”

If she could, she would not have asked him to check on Zhao Nianqiao for her.

Xu Zhi felt as though her heart were sinking without end.

She did not answer Liang Muzhi’s question. She hung up.

Not long after, her phone buzzed. Zhao Nianqiao had sent her a WeChat message:

Zhi, can you come home tonight? Bring me some anti-inflammatory medicine.

She held the phone tightly, her fingertips cold.

Another message came.

Don’t worry. Your father has to go out tonight for social obligations.

She closed her eyes. A moment later, she replied: All right.