Zhao Panpan poured herself a glass of water and took a sip. “That’s my money. What does it have to do with you?”
Zhao Yongwei tried to sound patient. “Panpan, your husband’s family doesn’t want you anymore. From now on you’re a divorced woman. If you remarry, what kind of good family do you think you’ll find? You should treat your brother better now. In the future, he’ll be your support when you’re in your husband’s family.”
Zhao Panpan didn’t budge at all. “When I was being treated terribly by my husband’s family this time, who stood up for me? Who helped me? Nobody even spoke for me when things went wrong. And now you’re talking about the future? Dad, if you’re going to sell dreams, at least make them match reality. Haven’t I treated you and him well all these years? Growing up, I never wore shoes that cost more than fifty yuan. But every pair of shoes I bought for Zhao Tianqi cost four or five hundred. And my stepmother—well, maybe I should call her Aunt—those gold earrings and silver bracelets she wears, who bought them? I did. Every holiday I brought you good cigarettes and expensive liquor, and you enjoyed them without a second thought. But when it came to my problems, who ever helped me?”
When Zhao Panpan got married, even the quilts in her dowry were bought with her own money. After she posted about it on social media, Liu Fenhong finally called her, pretending to be concerned. She spoke in that polite, indirect tone, saying she was so busy but that Zhao Panpan could ask her if she needed anything.
What was even more ridiculous was the wedding custom. When the couple toasted their parents, the parents were supposed to give them a red envelope as a symbolic blessing. But Zhao Yongwei and Liu Fenhong actually asked Zhao Panpan to pay for that envelope herself.
And there was more. According to tradition, Zhang Liang’s family gave red envelopes to all the children from the Zhao side who attended the wedding. But the Zhao family kept their wallets tightly shut—none of them gave even a small red envelope to the children from Zhang Liang’s side.
Because of that, people gossiped about Zhao Panpan behind her back for a long time.
At this point, Zhao Yongwei could no longer keep up the act. He slammed his hand on the table and roared, “That’s your brother! The only son of the Zhao family! Everyone in the Zhao family should support the eldest son and grandson!”
Zhao Panpan let out a cold laugh. “The Qing dynasty ended a long time ago. How did someone as old-fashioned as you survive into today?”
The “eldest son and grandson”? By that logic, she might as well claim to be some noble daughter from an ancient household.
But Zhao Yongwei didn’t care what she said. He shouted, “Take out that two hundred thousand! We’ll use it as the down payment for Tianqi’s house. You won’t even have to pay the mortgage! You’ve got money but refuse to help your own brother—heartless! No wonder your husband’s family took you to court just to throw you out!”
Once again, Zhao Panpan felt like she had discovered a new low in human shamelessness. So because she didn’t have to pay the mortgage, she was supposed to be grateful?
If she had two hundred thousand for a down payment, wouldn’t it make more sense to buy a place for herself?
She didn’t feel like arguing endlessly with him. “First, I insisted on the divorce. I was the one who left that abusive man. Second, raising your son is your responsibility, not mine. Third, helping someone is kindness, not obligation. Considering there’s neither kindness nor obligation between us, it’s perfectly reasonable for me not to help. Fourth…” She paused, then waved it off. “Forget it.”
She had been about to remind him not to take on things far beyond his abilities—sometimes when desire grows too big, it can crush a person. But arguing with someone like him felt like a waste of breath.
So she simply added, “My money will never end up in your pocket, or Zhao Tianqi’s.”
That was enough to push Zhao Yongwei over the edge. Furious, he flipped the table.
Liu Fenhong screamed and instinctively backed away. “You—don’t hit Panpan! Her temper is just like that. Don’t argue with her!”
Zhao Yongwei froze for a moment, then clenched his fists and walked toward Zhao Panpan.
Zhao Panpan quickly ran out into the hallway and stood directly under the security camera. “Zhao Yongwei, if you dare touch a single hair on my head today, I’ll call the police immediately. Zhang Liang treated me well for ten years and I still managed to send him to jail. Do you really think I’d let you go?”
Zhao Yongwei hesitated.
Liu Fenhong began crying as she pointed accusingly at Zhao Panpan. “Girl, that’s your father—your own father! You can’t treat him like this!”
Zhao Yongwei shouted, “That’s right! I’m your father! A father disciplining his daughter is perfectly natural. Let’s see who dares lock me up!”
Zhao Panpan pulled out her phone with one hand and pointed at the camera with the other. “The camera is recording everything. Zhao Yongwei, if you don’t believe me, try it. Intentional assault can land you in prison. And if your son ends up with a father in jail, it’ll affect his chances of passing civil service exams or getting government jobs. What do you think his classmates will say when they find out he’s the son of a criminal?”
Zhao Tianqi was Zhao Yongwei’s pride, the one thing he valued most. Zhao Panpan knew exactly where to strike.
“If you so much as touch me today, I’ll fight you to the end. I’ll sue you until you’re in prison. I’ll even go hang banners outside Zhao Tianqi’s school. Let’s see if he can still focus on the college entrance exam then. If his dream of going to university gets ruined by his own father, do you think he’ll still respect you? Do you think he’ll take care of you when you’re old?”
Zhao Yongwei finally backed down. He didn’t dare hit Zhao Panpan anymore. But losing face like that made him furious. He turned and slapped Liu Fenhong across the face.
“This is all your fault!”
Liu Fenhong staggered from the blow, covering her face as she burst into tears.
Zhao Panpan didn’t feel the slightest bit of sympathy. She said coldly, “Liu Fenhong, when I was a kid, every time Zhao Yongwei got drunk and started causing trouble, you used this same trick. To keep him from hitting you, you redirected his anger and let him beat me instead.”
She looked at her steadily.
“But I’m not a child anymore.”
She had grown strong enough to fight back. And she had learned to see people for who they really were.
Liu Fenhong glared at her with resentment as Zhao Panpan walked away. Eventually, she was dragged back inside the apartment.
Even after leaving the building, Zhao Panpan’s heart was still pounding. Her fingers trembled slightly.
She swore to herself that she would never come here so casually again. Zhao Yongwei was like someone who exploded at the slightest provocation. She had been lucky this time, but luck wouldn’t always be on her side.
Watching their drama up close? Forget it. The smartest thing to do was stay far away from people and situations like that.
Before leaving the neighborhood, Zhao Panpan turned back and looked at the brightly lit window.
In the past, when she visited and saw Liu Fenhong being beaten, she couldn’t stand it and called the police. But when the police arrived, Liu Fenhong would help Zhao Yongwei cover it up and accuse Zhao Panpan of meddling, which ended with the police lecturing her instead.
Now she simply didn’t care anymore.
Everyone had to live with their own choices.
When a woman becomes truly independent, the world opens up around her. If Liu Fenhong chose to stay trapped in a narrow marriage with an abusive man, that was her own path to walk.
Zhao Panpan had made a different choice.
She would rely on herself and live the life she wanted.
Still, Zhao Yongwei’s obsession with that money made her realize something—she needed to deal with it soon.
Thinking about the upcoming court hearing, Zhao Panpan sent a message to Gu Chen to ask for his advice.
Gu Chen replied clearly: the money needed to be presented in court as evidence, so she should wait a few more days.
It had been three days since the first trial. According to Gu Chen, she still had seven days to go.
Zhao Panpan decided to spend those seven days attending parenting and maternity workshops.
The more she learned, the more she felt that her current knowledge wasn’t enough to raise a child. If she was going to have this baby, she wanted to be prepared.
For many people, becoming parents didn’t require any kind of test. Some didn’t even bother learning basic knowledge about caring for infants.
But for Zhao Panpan, it was different.
She had to examine herself carefully—whether she could truly take responsibility for raising a life. And if there were a test, she wanted to pass it with the highest mark.
Back at the hotel, she spent two hours researching and writing an outline for herself.
She needed to learn about prenatal care. Infant care. Child psychology and healthy development. Even how to handle close relationships.
Her schedule suddenly filled up.
When a person stays busy, grows stronger, and keeps expanding their understanding of the world, there’s simply no time left for doubt or insecurity.