Jiang Zhixue looked up, only able to see the back of the man’s head.
He seemed so tall, towering and unyielding, with a fierce intensity about him that sent chills down one’s spine.
If anyone dared to lay a hand on her, he would truly fight with his life.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time someone had stood up to protect her like this.
Her heart felt as if it had been struck hard.
Han Ling was intimidated by Zhou Yan’s demeanor and instinctively took a step back, shouting at Jiang Zhixue, “Jiang Zhixue, a golden opportunity is right in front of you. If you miss this chance, you’ll be stuck living in this filthy gutter forever.”
This was what Jiang Zhixue had feared most in the past. Just a hint like this would make her blindly obey him.
Jiang Zhixue stepped out from behind Zhou Yan and declared to Han Ling:
“Han Ling, a poor person’s kidney is still a kidney, and a poor person’s life is still a life. No matter how poor we are, we won’t sell our lives.”
“If you dare to harass us again in the future, I won’t be polite to you.”
Han Ling gritted his teeth. “Utterly ungrateful.”
“Grateful?” Jiang Zhixue sneered. “Han Ling, you’re nothing but a bloodsucker. You’ve been jumping around in front of me only because you see that we, as a couple, have fallen on hard times.”
As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around Zhou Yan’s arm, presenting a united front as husband and wife, ready to face adversity together.
“You just want to use us, to suck our blood.”
“You think you’re superior just because you have a bit of dirty money.”
“You’re nothing but a bloodsucker preying on us, not only wanting to use us for your own gain but even coveting our organs, our lives!”
Han Ling’s face turned pale, unable to believe that Jiang Zhixue could say such things. There was also panic on his face, as if his schemes had been exposed.
He had taken a liking to Jiang Zhixue’s beauty and wanted to sleep with her.
But someone from such a lowly background, and a married woman at that, could never be worthy of marrying him.
He only wanted to treat her as a plaything, to have his fun for a while.
Who would have thought that Zhou Yan’s kidney would match that of The Patriarch of the Lin Family?
The Lin Family was the wealthiest in Haishi. As long as he could help them find a suitable kidney for The Patriarch and save him, gaining the Lin Family’s support would not only secure his position in the Han family and make him the heir but also elevate the Han family’s business to new heights by aligning with the Lin Family.
Otherwise, why would he bother coaxing Jiang Zhixue like this? He would have long since forced himself on her.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding onlookers grew furious and began cursing:
“He looks decent on the outside, but he’s actually a beast!”
“These rich people are the worst, always preying on us poor folks, using and sucking us dry.”
“Using us for profit is bad enough, but now they even want our organs, our lives.”
“They don’t see us as human beings at all.”
“Get lost! Don’t ever come back here!”
“…”
The crowd continued to curse, and a few burly men, seeing that he wasn’t leaving, were about to rush forward and beat him up.
“Jiang Zhixue!” Han Ling shouted at her. “You still have some of your things in my rental apartment. Go get them yourself.”
As long as he could get her alone with him, he would have the chance to make her hand over Zhou Yan’s kidney.
Currying favor with the Lin Family was the best opportunity, and the only one.
“I don’t want them anymore. You have ill intentions and a dirty mind. Anything left with you is tainted.” Jiang Zhixue took the opportunity to berate him a few more times.
What she had left in the rental apartment were a few sets of clothes, a suitcase, and some skincare products.
To her now, they were worth a few thousand yuan.
But for someone like Han Ling, getting involved with him is extremely dangerous, and she would no longer give herself the chance to be alone with him.
Zhou Yan stared in surprise at the woman still clinging to his arm, amazed that she could have such a shrewd and tough side.
Was it because she had learned the truth about Han Ling that she had changed like this?
Soon, he shook his head and dismissed the thought.
What she wanted was money, to enter the upper circles, and Han Ling had offered a high price too…
Now there was no time to worry about that. Since she was like this, he would protect her.
He shouted at Han Ling, "Get lost! From now on, don’t show your face in front of her again, and don’t even think about laying a finger on her."
Otherwise, even if it cost him his life, he would make sure Han Ling died.
Han Ling trembled under Zhou Yan’s fierce gaze. Seeing that he couldn’t take Jiang Zhixue away, he glared viciously at the couple.
He spat out, "Ungrateful vermin, don’t regret it!"
Then he got into his car, drove off in his Porsche, and fled in a panic.
The onlookers around them also breathed a sigh of relief and offered a few comforting words to the couple:
"Don’t be afraid. If that kind of person comes again, just call for help. There are plenty of us here."
"We’re just ordinary folks, but we’re not afraid of them."
"Young lady, you really shouldn’t provoke people like that in the future. They’re wealthy, and we can’t fight them."
"That’s right. Rich people don’t do anything without a reason. If they come looking for you, they must have some ulterior motive."
"Your husband seems like a good man. Live a good life with him."
"When a husband and wife are united, they can overcome anything. You’re still so young; things will definitely get better for you in the future."
"…"
A few elderly women and housewives kindly advised Jiang Zhixue, as in their eyes, it was she who had attracted trouble.
She was simply too beautiful and dressed so well.
Jiang Zhixue knew they meant well, and it was indeed her own past mistakes that had drawn Han Ling to her.
She nodded repeatedly in response, "I understand, thank you all for your concern…"
Seeing her like this, Zhou Yan’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and his deep gaze grew a little clearer.
Once everyone had dispersed and gone about their business, Jiang Zhixue finally let go of Zhou Yan and sighed in relief.
No matter what, after this incident, Han Ling wouldn’t dare to come looking for her openly.
If he still had his eyes on Zhou Yan’s kidney, she would report him to the police.
Those with nothing to lose fear nothing. The Han family had a reputation to uphold in Haishi, and the higher their status, the more they couldn’t afford such negative publicity.
From now on, all she had to do was stay by Zhou Yan’s side, endure this year, and wait for him to return to his wealthy family. Then everything would be fine.
With this thought, her spirits lifted, and she felt full of hope for the future.
Zhou Yan frowned as he watched her bright-eyed expression. "I’ll go buy breakfast."
"Mm," Jiang Zhixue nodded, standing to the side and waiting.
She was already hungry, and after arguing with Han Ling, she was even hungrier.
The smell of meat buns drifted into her nose with each breath, making her mouth water. She craned her neck to look at the breakfast stall.
"Give me four steamed buns," Zhou Yan said, then turned and saw Jiang Zhixue’s expression.
His dark brows furrowed slightly. "Two steamed buns, a basket of meat buns, and a cup of soy milk."
After buying breakfast, Jiang Zhixue followed Zhou Yan upstairs.
Going downstairs was easy, but climbing back up was hard. By the time they reached the third floor, Jiang Zhixue was already panting heavily.
In her previous life, she was a purebred workhorse who had long since exhausted her body. Even now, Jiang Zhixue's physical condition was nothing special.
On her feet, she wore a pair of three-centimeter Mary Jane shoes—these were already her most comfortable pair.
In the rental room upstairs, there were only high heels—seven-centimeter, eight-centimeter, even ten-centimeter ones. Wearing those to climb these stairs would be sheer torture!
"Huff… huff…" She clung to the stair railing, panting heavily.
Zhou Yan stood on the steps ahead, turning to look at her.
Her face was flushed, her snow-white cheeks tinged with a rosy pink, like peach blossoms blooming in March—delicate and captivating.
Fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, adding to her allure.
She looked genuinely exhausted, tilting her head up to gaze at him pitifully, her eyes carrying a fragile vulnerability tinged with a hint of grievance.
Back then, Zhou Yan hadn't stopped her from associating with people like Han Ling, precisely because he didn't want her to endure such hardship by his side.
Jiang Zhixue was truly famished, feeling weak and drained. Zhou Yan walked so fast that she could barely catch her breath, which was why she looked at the man ahead with such an expression.
She had no idea that the way she was looking at Zhou Yan now was like this.
Zhou Yan pressed his thin lips together, walked back, took her hand, and led her up the stairs.