When Qin Xiaoxue saw the threatening tone in Zhou Feng’s final message, she immediately panicked.
Qin Xiaoxue: [What are you trying to do?]
Zhou Feng: [Nothing. I just miss you. Send me a photo of yourself.]
‘A photo?’
‘What does this guy want my photo for?!’
He was definitely up to no good, so Qin Xiaoxue immediately refused.
Qin Xiaoxue: [I don’t have any photos on my phone.]
[Then take one now.]
Back at his villa, Zhou Feng could not help laughing when he saw her reply.
‘What era are we living in? She’s actually trying to brush me off with an excuse like that.’
Less than a minute later, Qin Xiaoxue really did send him a photo.
However, it was a work photo, and it was even a group picture of Qin Xiaoxue with her employees.
[No, this one won’t do. Do you have one of you wearing pajamas or stockings?] Zhou Feng replied.
[Zhou Feng, I’m warning you not to go too far!] Qin Xiaoxue immediately became anxious.
[Then just send me a casual photo.]
Zhou Feng did not force her.
Although he had leverage over Qin Xiaoxue, Zhou Feng understood her personality very well. He could not push her too far.
The only reason he had managed to have an intimate relationship with Qin Xiaoxue last time was because she had been on the verge of a complete breakdown. She had even been planning to take her own life.
If Zhou Feng put even more pressure on her, there was no telling what Qin Xiaoxue might do.
So Zhou Feng intended to take things slowly, one step at a time.
Before long, Qin Xiaoxue sent him a casual photo.
Judging from the background, it seemed to have been taken somewhere like a park.
She was wearing a long dress that followed the contours of her figure, its hem swaying gently in the breeze. Sunlight fell across her skin, outlining her graceful curves.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
It was an exceptionally beautiful photo.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiaoxue felt extremely uneasy, uncertain whether Zhou Feng would be satisfied.
The photo was not particularly private. She had posted it on WeChat Moments before, where it had received plenty of likes.
Qin Xiaoxue knew perfectly well what Zhou Feng truly wanted.
She doubted such an ordinary photo would be enough to satisfy him.
She had already prepared another photo, one that revealed a little more.
However, to Qin Xiaoxue’s surprise, Zhou Feng replied with only three words.
[Very beautiful.]
Then there was no further response.
Qin Xiaoxue could not help wondering whether Zhou Feng had some other trick waiting for her.
‘Could it be that Zhou Feng really only wanted a photo of me?’
‘He doesn’t have any more excessive demands?’
Qin Xiaoxue carefully thought back on the past. Zhou Feng had actually been a fairly decent person before.
He had allowed her to delay her debt repayments several times.
He had also frequently treated Ye Yun to meals and other things.
Qin Xiaoxue even knew that Zhou Feng had lent Ye Yun quite a lot of money and had never asked him to repay it.
What had happened in the office last time did not really fit Zhou Feng’s usual personality.
‘Could it be because he likes me? Was that why he lost control of himself for a moment?’
‘That’s possible…’
Thinking about it, she had also lost her senses when she accumulated so much debt.
She had wanted to end her own life and use her death to morally pressure Zhou Feng.
Many people thought about suicide when they fell into despair. Yet once an attempt failed and they survived, they often looked back and realized how foolish they had been.
Of course, there were also those who had truly fallen into complete despair.
Qin Xiaoxue belonged to the former group. Looking back now, she felt that her thoughts last time had been far too impulsive.
At present, she was merely in debt.
Things had not yet reached the point where she needed to die.
…
Jiangcheng, inside a cheap billiards hall.
Nowadays, most billiards halls had moved toward higher prices and better service.
They were usually divided into different table grades, with hourly rates of around 70 or 80 yuan. Some billiards halls even provided playing companions, and their prices were even more outrageous.
However, both the prices and environment of this particular billiards hall were at the very bottom of the market. A little over 10 yuan was enough to play for half a day.
The place was filled almost entirely with young thugs smoking cigarettes and laughing loudly.
The smell of tobacco hung thickly in the air.
There were also quite a few delinquent girls hanging around them, many with tattoos on their arms.
Most ordinary people would immediately turn around and leave upon entering a place like this, afraid they might accidentally provoke trouble.
Zhou Feng, however, merely smiled and pushed open the door.
Zhu Qiang was squatting on a chair, surrounded by clouds of cigarette smoke.
Recently, Zhu Qiang had been extremely frustrated, and the reason could be summed up in just two words.
No money!
After graduating from high school, Zhu Qiang had failed to get into university.
His family had arranged for him to learn a practical trade as an auto mechanic.
However, Zhu Qiang lasted only a few days before running away.
The work was simply too exhausting.
Not only did he get filthy every day, but he constantly had to climb over and crawl under vehicles. His entire body always reeked of engine oil.
After that, his family stopped caring about him.
Zhu Qiang consequently became an idle street punk. Whenever he had a little money, he would come here to play billiards.
“Huh?”
He had actually spotted one of his high school classmates—the rich second-generation heir, Zhou Feng!
‘Impossible!’
‘Why would Zhou Feng ever come to a place like this?’
‘I must be seeing things.’
However, Zhu Qiang soon saw Zhou Feng walking directly toward him.
He had not been mistaken.
It really was Zhou Feng, that gullible rich fool!
“Well, well. If it isn’t Young Master Zhou Feng. What brings you to a place like this?” Zhu Qiang approached him with a broad smile.
The moment they heard Zhou Feng’s name, several thugs around Zhu Qiang immediately brightened.
They came over one after another and surrounded Zhou Feng.
Among them were some of Zhou Feng’s former classmates, as well as several thugs he had never met before.
However, all of them had heard of Zhou Feng.
That was because Zhu Qiang frequently bragged to them that he had once gone to high school with a rich second-generation heir.
According to Zhu Qiang, whenever he held out his hand and asked for money, the other party would obediently hand it over.
Now, they had finally met this legendary gullible rich fool in person.
In his previous life, Zhou Feng had been extremely generous, and not only toward Ye Yun.
He had often bought drinks and snacks for little thugs like Zhu Qiang as well.
Sometimes, when Zhu Qiang directly asked him for money, Zhou Feng would casually hand over several hundred yuan.
For a high school student, that was already a considerable amount.
Of course, it had meant very little to Zhou Feng. Even during high school, his monthly allowance had already been tens of thousands of yuan.
However, the real reason Zhou Feng had come here today was to settle accounts with Zhu Qiang.
He intended to settle both old and new grudges at once.
In Zhou Feng’s previous life, Zhu Qiang had eventually become one of Ye Yun’s lackeys.
The two had already been on fairly good terms back in high school.
Later, Ye Yun sought out Zhu Qiang, who was still nothing more than a street thug, and offered him a few small benefits.
From then on, Zhu Qiang became Ye Yun’s hired muscle, specializing in dirty work that could never be brought into the open.
On several occasions, Zhu Qiang and his people had pretended to be random thugs and harassed girls.
Then, at the crucial moment, Ye Yun would appear and stage a heroic rescue.
Later, Ye Yun had used precisely this trick to win Wu Jiarui’s heart.
Of course, what angered Zhou Feng the most was what happened after he himself fell from grace.
Zhu Qiang had played no small part in making his situation even worse.
“I just came by to take a look around,” Zhou Feng said with a faint smile.
After exchanging only a few pleasantries, Zhu Qiang immediately asked him for money, “Young Master Zhou, your brother’s a little short on cash lately. How about giving me some spending money?”
“Brother?” Zhou Feng sneered. “Who the hell is your brother? You think you’re worthy?”