"Thud." He gently pushed the cabinet door shut.
Thinking that Jiang Zhixue might really have gone out to buy breakfast instead of fooling around again, he left the apartment once more.
Downstairs in the alley, there were food carts selling breakfast.
As Jiang Zhixue stepped out of the building, she caught the scent of steamed buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks—breakfast items lined up in a row.
With many people renting in the area, the demand for breakfast was high, and there were plenty of vendors.
Though it was already late, there were still quite a few people buying breakfast.
There were elderly folks with children, women, and men who had just finished a night shift, grabbing a bite before heading back to catch up on sleep.
Jiang Zhixue was hungry. She swallowed her saliva and headed toward a steamed bun cart.
"Jiang Zhixue."
A voice called out. She turned to see a Porsche parked not far away.
The driver's side window was rolled down, revealing a face looking straight at her.
Jiang Zhixue's expression darkened as soon as she saw who it was.
It was Han Ling.
Dressed in a suit with a styled haircut, he was the typical rich second-generation heir—looking polished on the outside but doing nothing decent.
She had blocked him last night, yet he had come looking for her.
"Get lost!" she cursed, then went to buy her breakfast.
After being cursed at over the phone yesterday and then blocked, Han Ling was utterly confused.
He thought it was just a woman's game of playing hard to get, hoping to gain favors from him later.
Now that he had come to find her, her attitude remained the same, leaving him completely baffled.
"Bang!" He pushed the car door open, got out, and in a few quick strides, reached Jiang Zhixue's side, grabbing her wrist.
Jiang Zhixue slapped him hard across the face, broke free from his grip, and stepped back.
"You hit me?" Han Ling touched his cheek, stunned once again.
"Han Ling, don't show your face in front of me again, or I'll hit you every time I see you."
"Are you insane?" Han Ling was furious.
As a respectable rich second-generation heir, he had been publicly slapped by a woman like her.
Crushing someone like her would be as easy as stepping on an ant.
But for the sake of her husband's kidney, he held back.
He glanced at the skin exposed by Jiang Zhixue's square neckline—tender enough to pinch water out of, whiter than snow.
He had been searching for a woman who was both pure and seductive for a long time but had never found one.
Once he got her husband's kidney, he would definitely lock her up and make her suffer.
A dark fire flickered in his eyes before he regained his polished appearance, reaching out to pull Jiang Zhixue. "Get in the car. Let's talk properly."
He had arrived in a luxury car, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, which had already attracted a lot of attention. Everyone was staring at them.
Jiang Zhixue was beautiful and dressed elegantly, looking expensive in everyone's eyes.
They had seen plenty of young women like her—pretty, well-dressed, and living in a slum—and they knew exactly what it meant.
Either kept as a mistress or serving as someone's side piece.
Everyone smelled a juicy story and kept their eyes fixed on them.
Han Ling was a man of status. How could he let these lowly people gawk at him like monkeys?
He just wanted to take Jiang Zhixue away first.
"Let go of me!" Jiang Zhixue struggled, shouting loudly.
But the difference in strength between men and women was too great. She couldn't break free and could only let him drag her toward the car.
Jiang Zhixue panicked. If Han Ling took her away and forced the issue, they would kill her and find a way to get Zhou Yan's kidney.
"Help!" she screamed.
A powerful force pulled her back, and as her body spun, she fell into a solid, broad embrace.
Zhou Yan shielded her in his arms, raised his leg, and kicked Han Ling away.
Only then did Jiang Zhixue realize it was him. She clung tightly to his waist, leaning against his chest. "Husband, save me!"
Zhou Yan looked at the delicate woman clutching his waist, pressing tightly against his chest, seeking protection. His heart gave a sudden jolt.
She seemed to have become like her old self again.
As a graduate from a second-tier university, surviving in Haishi was tough for her. She had clung to him like a dodder vine.
But now, there was something slightly different.
"Zhou Yan, how dare you lay a hand on me?! If I want you gone from Haishi, you won't see tomorrow's sun," Han Ling scrambled to his feet, cursing furiously.
If it weren’t for the importance of this matter, he would never have come to this slum.
And to be beaten by such lowly scum—how could he swallow this insult?
Furious, he hurled abuse.
"Try laying a finger on my wife," Zhou Yan’s gaze turned icy as he stared at Han Ling, like an inviolable lion.
Han Ling shivered under his stare, shrinking back slightly as he cursed, "You’re a loser with a hundred million in debt, and you think you’re somebody?"
Having spent so much time with Jiang Zhixue and needing Zhou Yan’s kidney, he naturally knew him well.
In his eyes, Zhou Yan was nothing but a bottom-rung social outcast, forever unable to rise.
Zhou Yan’s expression hardened, his anger intensifying.
If Han Ling dared to touch Jiang Zhixue, he would risk his own life without hesitation.
Jiang Zhixue had calmed down. As long as she wasn’t taken away by Han Ling, she was safe.
Watching Zhou Yan glare at Han Ling like an angry lion, she felt an inexplicable stir in her heart.
Right now, Zhou Yan still saw her as his wife and would protect her without regard for himself.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time she had ever been shielded like this.
She released Zhou Yan, stepping out of his embrace, and turned to Han Ling. "Han Ling, you’re the one trying to steal someone else’s wife. My husband is protecting me."
Han Ling turned his gaze to her, his thick, knife-like eyebrows furrowing fiercely, a headache pounding in his skull.
He couldn’t understand why this woman had suddenly changed like this.
Dozens of people, young and old, had gathered around, all looking at him with unfriendly eyes.
No matter what Jiang Zhixue and Zhou Yan were like, they were all tenants in this alley, neighbors who couldn’t let an outsider bully one of their own.
Seeing this, Han Ling didn’t dare to resort to force.
He looked at Jiang Zhixue and said, "Jiang Zhixue, are you sure you want to make trouble with me? Look at what you’re wearing and this dump of a place. Are you sure you want to live like this?"
Jiang Zhixue glanced down at herself. Though she was wearing brand-name clothes, in the eyes of the people around her, they were already expensive.
But to a rich second-generation like Han Ling, they weren’t even enough to cover the cost of a single dish.
"What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? Did I eat your rice? I’m happy with it," Jiang Zhixue retorted.
Han Ling choked with anger, glaring at Zhou Yan. "Are you sure you want to spend your life with a man who owes a hundred million?"
Everyone looked at Zhou Yan with pity.
These tenants were the poorest of the poor, struggling to make ends meet, with endless chores to do every day. Who had time to care about other people’s problems?
But in the three months since Zhou Yan moved in, although Jiang Zhixue hadn't come often, each visit had been quite dramatic.
She was exceptionally beautiful, always dressed in designer gowns, making her the most eye-catching presence.
Before long, everyone in the building knew their situation.
A young entrepreneur goes bankrupt, his beautiful wife demands a divorce, and she's seen mingling with wealthy men.
Most notably, Zhou Yan owed a billion in debt and was an orphan from the countryside.
Before, the entire building had been lifeless, permeated with a depressive atmosphere.
Since Zhou Yan moved in, everyone's spirits had lifted, filled with renewed vigor.
No matter how bad things got, could they possibly be worse than Zhou Yan's situation?
Zhou Yan lowered his head, silently watching Jiang Zhixue before him. He had long understood her intentions.
If it were before, he might have stepped forward to make a statement.
But now, unable to offer Jiang Zhixue a future, he chose not to interfere.
"That's right," Jiang Zhixue declared firmly. "Han Ling, let me tell you once more—I'm living well with my husband now. Don't come bothering us anymore."
As she spoke, she clung to Zhou Yan's arm, her resolve unwavering.