Chapter 1 — Love Can Be Wrong, Money Can't

That year, when I broke up with Chu Kinh Chieu, I left with pride, not taking even a penny from him. When we reunited, in order to attract investment, I had to bow my head and smile at them. He sat high up, coldly watching me get into trouble. The investor saw his eyes occasionally glancing over, so he asked: "Does Mr. Chu know her?" Chu Kinh Chieu leisurely played with his wine glass and glanced at me indifferently: "These days, I have to get used to cats and dogs, right?" The investor smiled in understanding, without any hesitation, intending to reach out and grope him. At that moment, someone outside the room rushed in and kicked him to the ground. “Damn it, you dare to touch my people?” Ky Canh Nhien pulled me behind me to protect me. As soon as I turned around, I saw Chu Kinh Chieu. I saw his eyes light up and blurted out: "Brother?" 1 Tonight's party, I had to run around a lot to get a ticket. The glass of wine was just raised in front of the other person, but was pushed down by a hand. Opposite was an extremely difficult man, his fat face shiny under the light, as if oiled. "Miss Ha, doing business requires sincerity. Sincerely what I want, it's not that you can't give it to me, I'm just trying to see if you want to close this deal or not." “It's okay if you don't eat, but are you planning on letting the people under your command have to go hungry and full?” I cursed in my heart: "You beast!", on the surface I still pretended not to understand the meaning. Raising my glass of wine again, I smiled: "Director Du, we really want to cooperate. Let's do this, I'll give you an extra point of profit, what do you think?" He smiled faintly, not caring: "Miss Ha, I heard that it took a lot of effort for you to get tickets to the party today, right?" Then he turned to tease everyone around him: "You have to be reasonable in business. If your back is too stiff, it's not good, right?" Someone contributed: "What kind of person is Director Du? It's not like someone brought a glass of wine in front of him, he doesn't even have to glance at it, Miss Ha..." I clenched my fist and was about to speak when a voice interrupted me. A figure that was just passing by, but stopped right next to my right shoulder. That voice is so familiar to me that I couldn't be more familiar - when it's closest, it's a whisper in my ear, and when it's most cruel... it's a voice as cold as rust: "Ninh Sanh, I really want to strangle you to death. It would be good if you died, no debt, no fate." “Du Quan Thinh, just drinking a glass of wine and still sneaking around like this, I didn't know this was my glass of wine, do you dare to drink it?” The day I left Beijing, I never thought I would see Zhou Jingzhao again. Heaven in the South and land in the North, high mountains and long rivers. If there were no surprises, then someone like me... would have no chance of entering your world anymore. 2 Actually, as soon as I entered the banquet hall tonight, I saw him. He was still as lazy as before, sitting there nonchalantly, head down, playing with his phone. Everyone appeared to be having a private conversation, but in fact they had unconsciously formed a center, everyone was attentively watching him, no one dared to ignore him. Today's party was held in the largest hall of Ngu Kinh Lau restaurant, which can accommodate up to a thousand people. As for the investors I want to attract, they are only allowed to operate on the outside. The moment my eyes met Chu Kinh Chieu, my heart fell I had an urge to turn and run. However, in just one turn, I was smiling warmly to welcome guests. At that time I thought, if Chu Kinh Chieu saw it, he would not believe it. The Ninh Sanh girl in the past, once borrowed his position and dared to hold an ashtray and hit the head of a noble family's daughter. Now I also know how to look at other people's faces, bow my head and bend my body. Looking back, it was all because of the wild years of youth, thinking that everything had a way out in the end. Only when I was actually pushed out of the ivory tower did I understand clearly: in life, there are few things that please people. Yet right now, he witnessed my predicament with his own eyes. I don't have the courage to turn around to see what his expression is now - Is it contempt, ridicule, or simply joy in the suffering of others? I stood motionless, my spine as tense as a guitar string, my hand still clutching the wine glass. Director Du and the group of people next to him stood up in panic, one by one they quickly gathered around. “Mr. Chu, Mr. Chu, what you said made us scared to death, we wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare.” I heard Chu Kinh Chieu laugh softly. There was a gust of wind passing by my side. In my vision, I vaguely saw him sitting in the chair. Director Du bowed down and offered the glass of wine in front of him. Chu Kinh Chieu glanced at him, seemingly smiling, then took a sip of wine himself: "It's not like someone brought a glass of wine in front of me, I also have to glance at it, right?" When doing business, everyone is an old fox. Director Du glanced between me and Chu Kinh Chieu, his face full of scrutiny. He raised his hand to wipe away the sweat—even though there wasn't any drop—then half probed, half asked: "Miss Ha... do you know President Chu?" Of course, he did not dare to ask Chu Kinh Chieu directly, but instead asked me. I pursed my lips slightly and was about to open my mouth when a thought popped into my mind. If Chu Kinh Chieu doesn't clean up the relationship today, if it stays ambiguous like this, it will be beneficial for me to win the contract with Lang Chinh. In this world, there is nothing that a word from Chu Kinh Chieu cannot solve. As long as he wants, the stars in the sky can be picked for fun. Having decided so, I raised my head, my eyes met his eyes. Still as before, the corners of his eyes and eyebrows all had a cold, indifferent look. He retracted his gaze, smiled coldly and said: "These days, I have to get used to cats and dogs, right?" I pursed my lips and responded to his warm smile: "Mr. Chu and I really don't know each other." Chu Kinh Chieu gently withdrew his hand from the table, clasped his ten fingers, and placed it on his knee. He raised his head to look at me.{Read full at Van Ha's love page} I understand him better than anyone—every time he gets angry, it's in this pose. "Really?" His voice rang out, neither high nor low, but made people's hearts tremble: "Why do I keep seeing Miss Ha here, just like the ungrateful white dog I once raised?" "That dog, doesn't know anything at all. After eating and drinking enough, he quietly slipped away." "I keep thinking, if one day I meet him again, I must peel off his skin and flesh to see what color his heart is." That's right... If I were to say who Chu Jing Chieu hates the most in this world—that person would definitely be me. I have betrayed the love that I once had No one dared to touch him, and was also the first person who dared to disobey him, daring to leave him without a word. 3 I have met many men—some so beautiful that they glowed, some as cold as pine branches in the wind and snow—but none could surpass the first time I saw Chu Kinh Chieu. Wet rainy season, villa in the middle of a mountainside, man standing next to the carved handrail of the spiral staircase. Half is lonely white snow, half is dark and tired fog. Those were the words that suddenly flooded into my head when Chu Kinh Chieu's eyes passed over me. His eyes passed without stopping, just like when he looked over the interior of this villa—indifferent, not much interested in commenting. Standing in front of him was a middle-aged man more than ten years older than him—also a leader at school—who was extremely respectful at this moment. "I told you, Tay Thanh... that place..." "You're still so greedy..." He calmly reprimanded, not taking anyone's eyes, those words were not meant for me. The black car discreetly rolled through the trees, heavy raindrops falling to the ground. The car door lowered halfway, revealing a face that had only been seen for a few seconds: "There's still a part from here to the foot of the mountain. I'll give you a part?" At this time, he was no longer sharp and cold like in the villa, but lazy and carefree. The corner of his lips smiled, looking a bit like a gentleman playing around in a luxurious place. The early autumn wind blew past me. I quickly raised my bag to cover my head, instinctively shaking my head in refusal. He smiled and pointed at my white shoes: "In this weather, it would be a pity to get dirty." Later, on that road... in the tight space of the car, it seemed like all sounds were drained away. Outside is a night scene filled with bright lights, silhouettes of people undulating in the night, luxurious yet quiet and stuffy. From the mountainside to the foot of the mountain, from the suburbs of Beijing back to the city center, the car stopped under the dormitory of University B. I thought this road would end here. But later, whether it was accidentally or intentionally, we kept bumping into each other. From a simple meal, to getting used to eating many meals together. Just like that, Zhou Jingzhao entered my quiet and ordinary life. At that time I was only twenty—the age when I looked at everything with enthusiasm. Looking at love, it's hot and happy every moment, not thinking that love means marriage. Zhou Jingzhao likes me the most—reasonable, not entangled. He is afraid of trouble, afraid of talking about the future, afraid of discussing his whole life. But human nature is inherently selfish—because of love, we are afraid of losing, so we only want to monopolize. Even though I knew full well, even if I tore myself apart to confront him, I still couldn't take Zhou Jingzhao completely—both body and heart. Perhaps he has never met anyone who loves as wildly and naively as me.