Chapter 35: At a Loss

Zhao Kai was momentarily at a loss for how to react. There’s an old saying: a virtuous woman does not serve two husbands.
The idea, when reversed, was no different now. Though in this ancient era, it was normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines, his mind was shaped by modern values. He could not wrong Fei’er, nor could he bear to betray Yan’er.
After some thought, he said, “Yan’er, I like you too.”
“Really?” Joy flickered in Zhao Yan’er’s heart.
“But it’s only the affection an elder brother has for his younger sister.”
In truth, he didn’t believe his own words, for Zhao Kai knew his feelings weren’t so simple.
When he saw the light in her eyes fade, Zhao Kai felt a pang of guilt.
Zhao Yan’er managed a bitter smile. “I understand. You already have Fei’er. How could you care for anyone else? I understand...”
She left, her spirit adrift. Zhao Kai wanted to go after her but was unable to move, forced only to watch with worry and regret.
How he longed to run to her, to embrace her and give her warmth—yet he could not take even a single step.
Clearly, this was not the right time.
Indeed, it was not. Zhao Yan’er could no longer suppress her feelings and had chosen this moment to speak.
Zhao Kai had not shown himself for days, and the strange behavior of the Zhao family had begun to draw attention.
Soon, news of Zhao Kai’s paralysis swept through Jinghong County.
Many people began to talk.
“That can’t be! How could Zhao Kai be paralyzed? Who would do something so vicious to him?”
“Does it matter who did it? What matters now is his impact on Jinghong County. Will the Zhao family’s casino decline because of this? Will they lose money? That’s what’s important.”
“Of course, they’ll lose money! Zhao Kai is the backbone of the Zhao family. With him gone, how can Miss Zhao hold things together on her own?”
In ancient times, people did not believe a woman could achieve great things, but Zhao Yan’er proved resilient.
She turned her grief and anger into strength, channeling the blow of her emotions into her business.
She paid no mind to what others said or how they doubted her, and calmly ensured the casino continued to operate smoothly.
But with Zhao Kai—the man controlling the economic lifeblood of Jinghong County—brought low, the effects were undeniable.
Half the business at the casino and the rouge shop vanished; many no longer dared to enter, fearing the Zhao family might collapse at any moment.
This was something Zhao Kai had anticipated, but it didn’t trouble him. If he fell, there were still the shareholders.

But people are ever quick to sense which way the wind blows. The bosses who had invested and taken shares in the business soon gathered at the Zhao family casino, demanding to see Zhao Kai.
“Miss Zhao, we want to see Zhao Kai, not you. Please bring him out,” Boss Yang said bluntly, the first to speak without courtesy.
Zhao Yan’er kept her composure. “Boss Yang, I believe you’ve heard the rumors. My brother truly isn’t well enough to meet anyone.”
“Fine. Then can you explain these share contracts?”
Explain? What did he mean by that?
The bosses slapped the share contracts onto the table. Every clause had been drafted according to their prior agreements; Zhao Yan’er had reviewed them beforehand and found nothing amiss.
“Boss Yang, what do you mean by this?”
“What do I mean?” Boss Yang’s face was clouded with anger. “The seal on these documents is a forgery! Zhao Kai has been playing us!”
“That’s impossible!”
Her brother would never joke about such matters, yet the seal did differ from his private chop—though only discernible upon close inspection.
“I should have known Zhao Kai wasn’t so generous, offering us such a lucrative investment. Since ancient times, who has ever brought in shareholders with such favorable terms? This was a ruse! Tell me, did you expect the Zhao family to collapse and want us to share the fallout, so you brought us in?”
“No!” Zhao Yan’er quickly denied it.
“No? I think that’s exactly it! This contract was drafted by your family, the seal affixed by you. Now our money is in your hands, and not only can we not get it back, but if anything happens to the casino, we’ll be dragged down with you. And if you all simply walk away, we’ll be left with the mess!”
“That’s right! If we hadn’t discovered this, who knows what other tricks you’d play. Hand our money back, now!”
Faced with their aggressive demands, Zhao Yan’er was at a loss. She had no idea how this had happened.
With the bosses looking as if they were about to devour her, Zhao Yan’er could hardly withstand the pressure. Just as the casino was on the verge of being smashed and she was being threatened—
A man stepped forward from the crowd, saying evenly, “I’ll pay the money. Don’t trouble Miss Yan’er.”
It was Zhou Chengwang.
Seeing him, the bosses sneered, “You? And what right do you have? You’re just an errand boy at Zhao Kai’s side.”
“My status isn’t important. What matters is I can return your money within three days, and I’ll also inform everyone that Zhao Kai alone is responsible for this. All I ask is that you leave Miss Yan’er alone.”
The bosses exchanged looks; he seemed so confident, as if he could be trusted.
With Zhao Kai now a cripple, if someone was willing to shoulder the blame, what did it matter who it was?
“Fine. If we don’t have our money in three days, we’ll smash your casino.”
“No problem.”

With Zhou Chengwang’s guarantee, the group quickly dispersed.
Zhao Yan’er turned on him angrily. “Do you know what you just promised?!”
Zhou Chengwang looked at her. “Miss Yan’er, don’t be afraid. I can help you resolve this.”
“Resolve it? How? Will you return the money? Or make my brother recover?”
Zhao Yan’er didn’t need anyone to save her.
“It was Brother Zhao’s fault to begin with. They shouldn’t have made things difficult for you.”
“Enough!”
Zhao Yan’er could listen no longer. Zhou Chengwang was baffled—had he said something wrong?
“Miss Yan’er, those men were pressing you hard. All they want is the Zhao family casino. You can’t handle this alone. Since the shareholder idea was Zhao Kai’s, he should be the one to answer for it.”
“Be quiet!”
Zhao Yan’er slapped him hard across the face.
Raised in comfort all his life, Zhou Chengwang had never been struck before. He stared at her in disbelief.
“I don’t believe my brother would do such a thing. And even if he did, I’ll take responsibility for it. My brother has long been one with the Zhao family. It’s because of him our family flourished. We are not the sort to stab people in the back.”
Zhao Yan’er’s expression was more resolute than ever. Zhou Chengwang had never seen such courage in a woman before.
“Aren’t you afraid? This scandal will damage the Zhao family’s reputation. Even if the money is repaid, our family’s name will be ruined. This is all Zhao Kai’s fault.”
Zhao Yan’er looked him in the eye. “It’s not my brother’s fault. He would never do such a thing. Don’t judge a gentleman by a petty heart. And please, in the future, don’t act on your own. Our family’s affairs are none of your concern.”
Petty? He was petty?
Zhou Chengwang almost laughed. Don’t all women love heroes? He’d stepped in at her moment of crisis to help her out, and she called him petty.
Very well—if that was the case, he’d show her just what a petty man could be!
Zhao Yan’er swept out, her sleeves billowing. In a place where neither of them could see, a figure watched the entire scene unfold...