"Hahaha..." Zheng Tong also laughed, "Alright, there really is a lid for every pot, I guess! Ranran, you have no idea, back in our school days, how many girls in our class were smitten with him, and yet he didn’t fancy a single one of them. Now he’s finally taken a liking to someone, but he can’t believe that someone truly loves him! You always pay for what you do, sooner or later; those words are so true!"
At this moment, Zheng Tong took out a photo album, "Let’s have a look at our photos from over a decade ago, take a look at Qingchen..."
Bei Ran had never seen old photos at Gu Qingchen’s house, and naturally, she was very pleased at this moment. She flipped through the album, "He was particularly handsome and charismatic even when he was young..."
"You really don’t skimp on your compliments," Zheng Tong said as they looked at old photos together.
Bei Ran also laughed, "Indeed, you can tell from those old photos that this man has always been aloof..."
"But, you’ve conquered him!" Zheng Tong laughed as well.
"How have I conquered him?" Bei Ran remembered that he was still angry last night! She didn’t hide it from Zheng Tong, "He’s still mad at me for finding men to accompany me at Jiaoyang Club!"
"It proves he cares!" Zheng Tong said, "Qingchen is so proud and calm, the fact that he gets angry shows how important you are to him."
After looking at the old photos for a while and having a chat, Bei Ran left.
In the afternoon, Bei Ran and Wu Kang went to Zhu Qi’s home. Zhu Qi’s father answered the door, a gambler whose eyes gleamed sharply.
"Who are you?" Father Zhu asked.
As Wu Kang was about to speak, Bei Ran said, "I’m from a game adaptation company, we really appreciate Zhu Qi’s comics, so we’ve decided to adapt it into a game, today we wanted to talk to Zhu Qi about it."
Upon hearing it was about game adaptation, Father Zhu immediately asked, "Does game adaptation involve a lot of money?"
"That needs to be discussed first!" Bei Ran, dressed as a professional businesswoman, spoke very professionally.
"Alright then!" Father Zhu let them in, then called Zhu Qi out, "Someone’s here to talk to you about adapting your comic into a game, have a good talk!"
Zhu Qi looked at Bei Ran and Wu Kang, "I haven’t met you before!"
"First time meeting you!" Bei Ran gazed at him, "But our company really appreciates Mr. Zhu’s comics, they have great market potential, so we wanted to talk to Mr. Zhu about it today."
"Okay!" Zhu Qi smiled shyly.
At this point, Bei Ran gave Wu Kang a look, and Wu Kang stood up, "Mr. Zhu senior, let’s sit outside, shall we? Don’t disturb their discussion."
Father Zhu clearly did not want to leave; he wanted to know how much money was being talked about.
Bei Ran said coldly at this time, "I prefer not to have outsiders present when discussing business matters! Otherwise, forget about discussing!"
Fearing the loss of business, Father Zhu told Zhu Qi, "You’d better have a good talk, don’t screw it up!"
Zhu Qi, somewhat fearful of his father, quickly nodded in agreement.
When the door closed, Bei Ran noticed the scars of cigarette burns on Zhu Qi’s wrist. Her eyes narrowed, "Does your father abuse you?"
Zhu Qi didn’t respond, but changed the subject, "Can we talk about the game adaptation of the comic?"
But Bei Ran continued to gaze at him, "Zhu Qi, I’m not from a comic game adaptation company, I’m from Dadi Wedding Planning Company..."
Zhu Qi’s eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed again. He didn’t speak. A marriage with Song Ya was impossible for him!
Bei Ran knew the feeling of being unable to be with someone she loved. She softly said, "Perhaps one day, I will have the honor of planning your wedding with Miss Song, but that requires your own effort, don’t you think so, Zhu Qi?"
"There’s no chance," Zhu Qi shook his head, "One must be self-aware."
"But as a person, you should never give up," Bei Ran gazed at him, "Your mother is an ordinary housewife, and your father is a gambler who takes out his losses on you and your mother! Given this domestic violence, I think if you continue to tolerate, someday both you and your mother will meet a very tragic end. I have lawyers who can help you, don’t you want to go on drawing your comics with your mother? Don’t you want to be proactive and be with Shen Ya one day?"
"Dreams that are too far off are indeed just dreams," Zhu Qi said softly, "Why do you want to help me?"
Bei Ran flipped through his comic drafts, "One of the doctors your father is suing is the man I love. I just want to do something for the one I love; it’s as simple as that! You’re a smart person, you should know that your father is only after money. He knows he can’t win the case, but the trial will affect the reputation of the hospital and the doctors. I don’t want to see a dedicated doctor’s reputation be destroyed by a gambler."
Zhu Qi said with shame, "I’m sorry... If I disagree, he beats my mom, and I’m disabled in both legs, I can’t protect my mom..."
By the end of it, Zhu Qi covered his face with his hands and wept bitterly.
Bei Ran put her hand on his shoulder, "Only by becoming stronger can you protect the ones you love around you. But strength isn’t just about physical power, there’s more to it. Zhu Qi, in three days, I’ll pick you up at 5 a.m., I hope you and your mother can come out together."
Duan Feixun was in his study looking at the case Bei Ran sent him regarding Zhu Qi’s family situation, when Zheng Tong returned home!
She hummed a tune, went back to the bedroom, then headed for a shower.
Duan Feixun "swooshed" open the bathroom door. Zheng Tong, having had a bit to drink, her cheeks flushed, glared at the man in front of her, "Duan Feixun, show some decency!"
"Do you go to Jiaoyang Club to drink and find men after work every day?" Duan Feixun looked at her angrily, "You’re married, you’re a married woman!"
Zheng Tong replied indifferently, "We may be married, but we live our own lives, each with our own brilliance..."
"Is that so?" Duan Feixun stepped in, having showered himself, the water from the showerhead splashing onto him again, uncaring. He cornered her in a nook of the bathroom, leaving her with no escape.