Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The second hand of the quartz clock on the wall ticked rhythmically. The room was silent, save for the sound of Bai Hezhi’s sobbing.

After a long silence, Shen Jincheng finally spoke. “Bai Hezhi, go home first. I’ll handle things here.”

Hearing this, Bai Hezhi stood up to leave.

I rolled up my sleeves. “Stay right where you are. You aren’t going anywhere!”

Shen Jincheng stepped in front of me, blocking my path to Bai Hezhi.

He didn’t show the slightest hint of guilt or panic; instead, he seemed even more furious than I was. “Xu Chunyan, didn’t you say your father was injured from a fall? Why did you come back in the middle of the night? You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

“And who is this man? Is he your lover from outside? How long have you two been together? When did this start?”

Look at that. That was Shen Jincheng for you.

In my past life, when I caught him and Bai Hezhi in a hotel room, he had acted exactly the same way-refusing to admit his own mistakes and instead hurling insults at me.

In his eyes, I had no redeeming qualities.

If I occasionally played a few rounds of mahjong with the ladies from work, I was a gambling addict who neglected the home.

When my brother was hospitalized after a car accident and I gave him two thousand yuan, in his eyes, I was endlessly subsidizing my natal family.

He claimed he had endured me for decades until he couldn’t take it anymore, insisting on a divorce even if it meant leaving with nothing.

Leaving with nothing? Ha, he didn’t have any money left anyway.

He had sold the house and spent all his savings to pay off Bai Hezhi’s debts.

He had even instigated our daughter to lie, making her say she had racked up high-interest gambling debts online to swindle a hundred and fifty thousand yuan out of me.

I suppressed the urge to kill him, forcing myself to look away and toward Lu Junrong.

Lu Junrong looked thoroughly bored. He had pulled a novel from the bookshelf, grabbed a chair, and sat down.

He blocked the doorway like a lord, crossing his legs as he flipped through the book.

I crossed my arms and looked Shen Jincheng straight in the eye. “That gentleman is someone I hired to help me catch you in the act. You couldn’t beat him if there were ten of you, so you’d better behave.”

“Furthermore, many of your school’s faculty live in this neighborhood. If this turns into a scene, it won’t be good for your reputation.”

I jerked my chin toward Bai Hezhi. “It won’t be good for hers, either.”

Shen Jincheng fell silent for a few minutes.

Suddenly, he let out a sigh, his face filling with feigned remorse. “Chunyan, this has nothing to do with Xiao Bai. I had a few too many drinks with colleagues today. When I came back and saw Xiao Bai, I mistook her for you.”

I laughed. “So what you’re saying is, you raped Xiao Bai?”

I turned to Bai Hezhi. “Do you want me to take you to the police station to report it? Don’t be afraid; we have video evidence in our hands.”

Bai Hezhi’s body trembled. “No, I’m not going…”

She lowered her head. “Teacher has been as kind to me as a mountain. I… I don’t blame him.”

I sneered. “Oh, so what you mean is, Teacher Shen did indeed rape you, but you’ve forgiven him. But from what I heard just now, you didn’t seem to be resisting. In fact, you sounded like you were enjoying it.”

Lu Junrong couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.

Shen Jincheng practically ground his teeth. “Chunyan, we are husband and wife. Whatever happens, we should discuss it behind closed doors. What good does it do you if my reputation is ruined? I can admit my mistake to you. I’ll get on my knees if I have to! Just please, destroy that recording!”

Bai Hezhi also wept as she made a vow. “Ma’am, I was wrong. I’ll write a letter of guarantee. I’ll never return to West City for the rest of my life, and I’ll never see Teacher Shen again.”

I smiled. “Never see Teacher Shen again? Is that even possible? Would your daughter, Shen Yuqing, agree to that?”

As expected.

Bai Hezhi’s face instantly turned as white as paper, and her lips began to quiver.