Chapter 9: Juliet

Zhou Mo noticed that ever since she returned from the banquet that day, her family’s supervision over her had tightened considerably. Someone was always picking her up and dropping her off for school, after school, and even during lunch breaks. Her Saturdays and Sundays were packed full with extra classes, leaving her with no chance to go out alone.

Zhou Mo was still preoccupied with what Duan Yongzhou had said last time. She kept wanting to meet with He Chong and ask him face-to-face, but she never found the opportunity. Left with no choice, she decided to skip class. No matter what, she had to see He Chong.

She set up a time with He Chong in advance, taking advantage of an elective class on Wednesday afternoon to sneak out of school and head to Han Yu’s bar to meet him.

During the day, the bar hung a “Closed” sign. When she pushed the door open and went in, Han Yu was not around, but He Chong was on the phone with someone.

He Chong gestured to her, signaling for her to wait a moment. Zhou Mo sat down on an armchair, clutching her backpack.

After a short wait, He Chong finished his call. He rounded the bar counter, brought over two cans of soda, and smiled. “Skipping class again?”

“I had no choice.”

He Chong handed her a soda and sat down beside her. “Hasn’t it been over a week since we last saw each other?”

Zhou Mo curled her lip. “You didn’t miss me at all.”

He Chong burst out laughing. “Only if I could actually see you. I can’t just recklessly go to the Zhou family’s home looking for you, can I?”

“Hmph.”

He Chong looked down at her and grinned. “Instead of wasting time getting angry, you might as well hurry up and let me kiss you.”

Before Zhou Mo could even say “No,” He Chong wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her.

After a long moment, He Chong loosened his hold slightly, pulled back, and asked, “What did you want to ask me?”

Zhou Mo gave him a gentle push and adopted a serious expression. “I wanted to ask you-“

“As the sun sets in the west and red clouds fly, soldiers…^[1]“

Zhou Mo: “…”

He Chong pulled out his phone and glanced at it. “Sorry, I need to take this.”

Holding his phone, he stood up and walked toward the back after answering it, clearly trying to avoid her.

Zhou Mo’s heart sank a little.

A moment later, He Chong finished the call and returned to his seat.

Zhou Mo gathered her thoughts for a moment and was about to pick up the interrupted topic when He Chong’s phone rang again.

This repeated several times. Suppressing a stomach full of frustration, Zhou Mo asked him, “Did something happen?”

He Chong felt quite guilty as well. However, he had asked many friends to help resolve the issue with the garment factory, so every call was crucial.

“My uncle’s factory ran into some trouble.”

Zhou Mo stared at him. “What kind of trouble?”

“Just minor things.”

“I’ll tell you after it’s sorted out.”

The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but Zhou Mo swallowed them back down. The matter with Sun Qi hadn’t been resolved yet, and now there was trouble at the factory. He Chong was overwhelmed with stress right now, and she didn’t want to lose her temper at a time like this, adding to his worries for nothing.

He Chong returned to the topic from a moment ago. “What were you going to say to me?”

Zhou Mo shook her head. “You mentioned taking a road trip to the desert when we had time. When are you going to keep that promise?”

“Tomb Sweeping Day or May Day^[2]? Depends on when your school has time off.”

Zhou Mo sighed silently. If I can get through to my family, I’ll tell you.

An inexplicable sense of anxiety churned inside her, growing even stronger after seeing He Chong.

She stopped talking, leaned into him, and held He Chong tightly.

He Chong hugged her back. “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Mo shook her head. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to skip class next.”

He Chong chuckled softly.

After clinging to each other for a little while, Zhou Mo soon had to leave. Her family had arranged a car to pick her up right when her class ended, so she needed to rush back to school before then.

He Chong walked her to the door and asked, “Are you sure you don’t need me to drive you back to school?”

“No, it’d be bad if the driver saw us.”

He Chong felt a pang of bitterness in his chest. In that instant, he made up his mind: once he resolved the matters with Sun Qi and the garment factory, he would lay his cards on the table with the Zhou family. He couldn’t afford to worry about a foolproof plan anymore; wanting to be with Zhou Mo was something that was destined to have no foolproof plan.

Zhou Mo made it back to the academic building before class ended. When the bell rang, she walked out as if nothing had happened and headed toward the parking lot.

The Zhou family’s car was a Porsche, parked near the exit.

Zhou Mo walked over and pulled open the car door, her heart skipping a beat in shock. She instinctively took half a step back. Tang Shulan was sitting in the backseat.

“Mom, why are you…”

“Get in the car.”

Zhou Mo got into the car anxiously and stole a glance at Tang Shulan’s face. She was wearing sunglasses, making her expression impossible to read, but having lived under the same roof for twenty years, Zhou Mo could tell whether her mood was good or bad just from the tone of her voice.

Not a word was spoken all the way home. Zhou Mo followed cautiously behind Tang Shulan, keeping her breathing as quiet as possible.

Tang Shulan pulled out her keys and opened the door. Taking off her sunglasses, she tossed them onto the entryway cabinet and, without a word, raised her hand and slapped Zhou Mo across the face.

Zhou Mo’s head buzzed. Only after a moment did she realize what had happened, her cheek burning with a searing pain, as if branded by a red-hot iron.

“Do you know why I slapped you?”

Zhou Mo clenched her hands into fists and bit her lip, keeping silent.

“Zhou Mo, do you think your father and I are fools who wouldn’t track your whereabouts? Look how capable you’ve become, even skipping class now!”

Tang Shulan stared intently at Zhou Mo, doing her utmost to suppress the rage inside her. “Tell me yourself: did he seduce you, or did you initiate it?”

Sure enough, the secret was out. Yet strangely, Zhou Mo didn’t feel afraid at all; instead, she felt a wave of relief.

Tang Shulan barked angrily, “I’m asking you a question! Are you mute? Tell me, was it He Chong who seduced you first?”

Zhou Mo gritted her teeth. “No, I did it of my own free will!”

“Foolish! Do you even know what kind of person He Chong is? Not to mention using a corpse to extort money…”

“Who was using a corpse to extort money? Who wanted money while refusing to provide a grave site?”

“You’re taking his side?”

“I’m taking the side of what’s right!”

Tang Shulan was furious and raised her hand to slap her again.

Yet Zhou Mo didn’t dodge. Instead, she held her head high, staring back at her provocatively.

Tang Shulan froze. She suddenly realized that, without her noticing, Zhou Mo had changed completely. She was no longer the docile, obedient girl she used to be. The old Zhou Mo would never have worn an expression like this, nor would she have had the eyes of a wild beast. Going head-to-head with her right now would very likely backfire.

Tang Shulan suppressed her rage and took a few deep breaths. Lowering her voice, she tried to reason with Zhou Mo. “Do you even know He Chong? Do you know what he’s done in the past?”

“Better than you do.”

“You think he actually likes you? What he’s after is the Zhou family’s background.”

Zhou Mo sneered. “He didn’t even care about a sixty-million-Yuan property, so why would he care about the Zhou family’s background?”

“You’re too naive; you don’t understand how sinister people can be. Momo, I’m your mother. I would never harm you. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask He Chong. Ask him what happened five years ago with the heiress of the Qin Group.”

Zhou Mo froze.

Tang Shulan glanced at her, knowing she had struck a nerve. “You don’t know? He never told you? Of course, how could he dare tell you. This is his standard trick: feigning retreat to advance, playing on sympathy, and using daughters of wealthy families as stepping stones to achieve his goals. Where did he get the money to open his bar and his garment factory? Are you clear on that? Have you ever asked? Do you even dare ask?”

Zhou Mo’s head buzzed. She couldn’t help taking half a step back, clutching the edge of the shoe cabinet door.

“You’ve been together for a while now, haven’t you? Does he dare make your relationship public? Does he dare let you tell us?”

“That’s because you would object.”

Tang Shulan was utterly exasperated with her. “You don’t believe what I’m saying? Then call him right now. Ask him if he dated a rich girl like you five years ago, and if her surname was Qin!”

Zhou Mo shook her head reflexively. She couldn’t utter a word. Her mind was in unprecedented chaos, as if someone had crushed tons of information and shoved it straight into her head.

Tang Shulan’s words were logical and grounded, but He Chong… how could she not trust He Chong?

She closed her eyes, shoved Tang Shulan aside with a sudden push, and ran upstairs.

Tang Shulan called out sharply, “Zhou Mo!”

The figure didn’t stop, disappearing up the second-floor stairs with heavy, echoing footsteps.

Tang Shulan didn’t follow her, intending to leave her alone for a while. Zhou Mo had never been exposed to the complexities of the world and didn’t understand how treacherous people could be. Tang Shulan felt there was no need to resort to harsh measures to force them apart. That conversation just now had been enough to shake her and shatter her illusions. Before long, she would naturally give up her resistance and get back on the right track.

Zhou Mo went into her room, slammed the door shut, and slowly crouched down, wrapping her arms around her knees. Tang Shulan’s words echoed in her mind over and over, sentence by sentence.

She didn’t want to doubt He Chong, but she had never heard him mention this so-called rich girl named Qin either. This wasn’t something made up out of thin air. Tang Shulan wouldn’t invent a name out of nothing, because that would be far too easy to expose.

So, had He Chong really hidden the truth from her?

Since he could hide his real profession and hide what happened with Sun Qi, was it possible he was hiding this as well? Was the past he had shared with her that night really all of it?

Suddenly, she realized she truly knew nothing about him.

Anger, pain… a wave of emotions surged in her heart, and tears fell. Zhou Mo bit her lip tightly and raised a hand to wipe them away, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t clear them.

In the end, she gave up, covering her mouth as she sobbed softly.

Zhou Mo stayed awake all night, unable to sleep, her head throbbing as if an electric drill were churning inside it.

Just past six in the morning, she got out of bed, washed her face, and went downstairs.

Tang Shulan was sitting at the dining table eating breakfast with complete composure, as though the argument from the night before had never happened.

Tang Shulan said, “Good morning.” She took two slices of bread from the basket, spread some butter on them, set them on a plate, poured a glass of milk, and handed them to Zhou Mo.

Zhou Mo sat down at the table, accepted the plate, and said in a raspy voice, “Thank you.”

She had no appetite. She couldn’t taste the food at all, and after chewing mechanically twice, she set down her knife and fork.

Tang Shulan looked at her and said with a light smile, “Momo, I requested leave from school for you, so take a couple of days to rest. I know you’re feeling terrible right now, but don’t worry. Mom will help you get through this difficult time.”

Zhou Mo was startled. “No, I don’t need to rest…”

“Be good. There’s no need to put on a brave face in front of your mother. By the way, He Chong is someone who will resort to anything to get what he wants, so I’m afraid he’ll keep bothering you. Hand your phone over for Mom to keep for now.”

“But I still need to stay in touch with my friends…”

Tang Shulan interrupted her. “If your friends call, I’ll let you answer.”

Zhou Mo fell silent and stopped talking. Tang Shulan was clearly set on temporarily cutting off her contact with the outside world, and any resistance right now would be useless.

He Chong hadn’t been able to get in touch with Zhou Mo for three whole days.

It wasn’t that something like this had never happened before, but this time he had an ominous premonition. This eventful period was already giving him enough of a headache, and he didn’t want any new complications arising with Zhou Mo at a critical time like this.

That afternoon, he received a call from Wang Song, asking to meet up and talk.

Toward evening, He Chong drove to Jianghu Dao.

The gym was already closed. Wang Song was holding a rag, meticulously wiping down the equipment.

He Chong called out a greeting. Wang Song turned around and sized him up from head to toe. “Well now, you’re looking pretty battered. Has life really gotten that miserable for you?”

He Chong wasn’t in the mood to joke around. “What did you call me over for?”

Wang Song draped the rag over the railing and pulled a bank card out of his pocket. “Old He, I know things aren’t looking good for you right now, and I can’t do much to help, so here’s the principal plus interest…”

He Chong glanced at it. “Keep it for now. I’m not short on cash.”

“Still puffing yourself up to play the big shot, huh? Once your uncle’s lousy factory goes under and Young Master Sun puts on more pressure, let’s see how you’re going to survive in Xicheng.”

He Chong smiled. “Then I’ll have to count on Boss Wang to take me in and give me a bite to eat. How much does a boxing coach here make a month?”

Wang Song cursed at him with a laugh, then added, “I’m a straightforward guy. If you ever need help with anything, just say the word.”

He Chong was moved. Along the way, he had helped many people. Many had failed him, but many had also remembered his kindness.

“Don’t worry, I definitely will.”

Wang Song glanced at him, looking hesitant. “There’s one more thing, Old He. I’m planning to sell off the gym.” He Chong was taken aback. “Why? Losing money?”

“Not losing money, just barely breaking even. My dad’s health isn’t good, so I plan to go back and take over his restaurant.”

He Chong fell silent for a moment before smiling. “Isn’t that pretty good then?”

“I’m sorry, brother. You’re going through a tough time right now, and here I am leaving.” “To be completely honest, you wouldn’t be much help even if you stayed.” Wang Song threw a punch at him. “Screw you!” He Chong burst into laughter.

After a moment, He Chong said, “No time like the present. Let me take you out for dinner tonight and call Boss Han. Consider it an early farewell dinner for you.”

“Sure, where are we eating?”

“Chengnan Old Street. We’ll grab some drinks and eat some stewed offal.”

Wang Song laughed and cursed, “You really are even stingier than Han Yu.”

On a chilly early-spring night, the small restaurant was warm and steamy inside.

After He Chong and Wang Song had downed a few liang^[3] of liquor, Han Yu finally arrived. The three called the owner over to order more drinks and food.

All good things must come to an end, but when the time actually came to part ways, the three of them couldn’t help feeling wistful. The memories of hustling together down south a few years ago, and then fleeing west in panic, were still fresh in their minds.

Wang Song clinked his glass against He Chong’s. “Don’t worry. When you marry that girl you brought to the boxing gym last time, I’ll definitely come back to Xicheng for you.”

Han Yu couldn’t resist mocking him, “That day probably won’t ever come. Old He is dead broke right now. Who knows how many lifetimes he’ll have to toil before he can afford to marry into the Zhou family.”

“Then regardless of who the bride ends up being, I’ll definitely come back and give you a fat red envelope!”

He Chong laughed and cursed, “If I really manage to marry Miss Zhou and do it before either of you gets hitched, will you two kneel down and call me Grandfather?”

Wang Song shouted, “Fine by me! Who’s afraid of who!”

Han Yu chimed in, “Fine by me! Who’s afraid of who!”

“Alright then, I’m holding you both to that.”

After shooting the breeze for a while, the three turned their conversation back to serious matters.

Wang Song asked, “Old He, what’s the situation on your end right now? Have you come up with a solution?”

He Chong briefly explained the situation to the two of them. In short, the modification plan was stuck, and the volume of orders the garment factory had already started processing was so massive that it was nearly impossible to find another buyer to take them over.

Wang Song and Han Yu were dumbfounded. Wang Song said, “Then aren’t you totally screwed? How can you still be so calm?”

He Chong smiled. “Does getting all worked up do any good?”

Han Yu said, “If nothing else, I really admire Brother Chong’s optimism.”

He Chong replied, “You flatter me, you flatter me.”

Wang Song asked, “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Boss Han is decent-looking enough. If he dresses in drag to seduce Young Master Sun and whispers a little pillow talk in his ear, maybe that could help…”

Han Yu shouted, “Get lost!”

Wang Song sighed. “Is there really no other way?”

He Chong said calmly, “Everyone has their own fate; we just have to hope for the best. If it really comes down to me sweeping the streets, could you two really stand by and not even give me a bite to eat?”

“If you really end up like that, do you still expect to marry Little Jasmine? Dream on.”

He Chong smiled and looked at Han Yu. “Boss Han, for some reason, I have a gut feeling that for the rest of my life, I could only ever be with Zhou Rong.”

Han Yu shushed him. “Alright, lay off the booze. Every time you drink, you get all cheesy and give me goosebumps.”

The three drank and chatted until nine in the evening before parting ways.

As they stepped outside to wait for a ride, the three of them saw a car across the street with its hazard lights flashing.

Han Yu said triumphantly, “My girlfriend’s here to pick me up.”

Wang Song gave a contemptuous snort.

Han Yu waved toward the other side. A moment later, Ye Yinyin got out of the car and walked across the street to meet them. Han Yu put his arm around Ye Yinyin and introduced her to Wang Song: “Meet my significant other.”

Wang Song said with a smile, “Nice to meet you, nice to meet you.”

After exchanging pleasantries for a bit, He Chong took the opportunity to ask Ye Yinyin about Zhou Mo.

To his surprise, Ye Yinyin hadn’t been able to reach Zhou Mo either. “Momo hasn’t been to school in three days. Didn’t you know? I called her phone, but her mother answered and chewed me out right off the bat.”

He Chong was startled. “Did she take leave?”

“I asked the department professors, and they said she did, she took sick leave. He Chong, go to her house and check on her. I’m really worried to death.”

He Chong fell silent for a moment. In the end, his concern won out over everything else. No longer hesitating, he hailed a cab and headed straight for the Zhou family residence.

A biting wind blew through the night, but with alcohol in his system, He Chong felt warm and energized.

He buzzed the intercom at the Zhou family gate. After waiting a moment, Tang Shulan’s voice came through: “Hello, who is it?”

“He Chong.”

Before he could explain his purpose, with a click, the gate unlocked.

He Chong was surprised for a moment before the realization hit him: her parents had likely found out about him and Zhou Mo, which was why she had been grounded.

He walked briskly toward the Zhou house. His mood felt much like the day he had gone to negotiate with the Gu family: neither joy nor sorrow, only a touch of indignation and a sense of the world’s absurdity.

The door to the Zhou house stood open. Inside, Tang Shulan was impeccably dressed with exquisite makeup, as if she had anticipated his arrival.

Tang Shulan’s eyes were filled with utter disdain. He Chong wore a black trench coat; haggard and unshaven from a lack of rest, he carried a desolute air. Standing in the Zhou family’s resplendent living room, he was completely out of place.

He Chong’s expression was exceptionally calm. “I heard Zhou Mo was sick, so I came to see her.”

Tang Shulan stood at a distance from him, as if afraid that getting any closer would contaminate her with germs. “Since you’re here, I might as well make things clear: Momo won’t be seeing you ever again.”

“Is this your decision, or Zhou Mo’s?”

“It’s my decision, and Zhou Mo’s as well.”

“If it’s Zhou Mo’s decision, let her tell me herself.”

Tang Shulan scoffed. “You certainly have some nerve.”

“That’s why I came today. I’m not leaving until I see her.”

Tang Shulan seemed to have anticipated his response. Without even looking at him, she called upstairs, “Momo!”

A moment later, footsteps echoed from above, and He Chong immediately looked up.

Zhou Mo stood on the stairs, four or five steps down from the second-floor landing, resting a hand on the rail as she looked over. She wore a grey velvet dress with her hair loose, her face completely expressionless.

“Momo, tell him yourself.”

Zhou Mo lowered her eyes slightly and met He Chong’s gaze.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, brief yet seemingly endlessly long.

Zhou Mo looked quite calm. “Go back. Don’t come looking for me anymore.”

He Chong’s heart tightened. In that instant, he felt both guilt and heartache; it was easy to imagine the questioning and scolding she must have endured at home over the past few days, while he had known nothing about it.

“Zhou Mo, I…”

Tang Shulan interrupted him. “Didn’t you hear what Mo’mo said?”

He Chong looked at Zhou Mo. “Is this really what you want?”

Zhou Mo said nothing. Her eyes rested on his face for a moment before she turned to leave.

He Chong suddenly strode toward the stairs.

Caught off guard, Tang Shulan was unable to stop him in time. She hissed in a low voice, “What are you doing? Don’t think I won’t call the police!”

He Chong took a few steps up, stopping three or four steps below Zhou Mo.

Zhou Mo gripped the handrail, her lips pressed slightly together as she looked back at him. There was so much she wanted to say, yet not a single word came out.

He Chong’s gaze was as deep as an abyss. Gazing at her, he asked in a low voice, “Zhou Mo, tell me, is this truly what you want?”

Zhou Mo’s hand tightened on the handrail as her heart contracted sharply. A moment later, she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and squeezed out through gritted teeth, “Yes. Don’t come looking for me anymore.”

With that, she headed upstairs without looking back. Her steps were unsteady, and she wobbled, nearly tripping over herself.

He Chong stood in place for a long time without moving, standing ramrod straight.

Tang Shulan crossed her arms, her posture haughty. “Her attitude should be perfectly clear to you by now. Our Zhou family isn’t like the Gu family; we aren’t so rude as to turn guests away at the door. But even if the host is generous, the guest must have some self-awareness. Please leave, and stop pestering my precious daughter from now on, or else…”

He Chong’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Flicking his eyes up, he swept a glance over Tang Shulan, then set off downstairs without a word, heading toward the door.

As soon as the door closed, Tang Shulan immediately called the housekeeper to clean up. She walked upstairs and knocked on Zhou Mo’s bedroom door. “Momo.”

Zhou Mo opened the door. “What is it?”

Tang Shulan looked immensely satisfied. Reaching out, she patted Zhou Mo’s hair. “I’m so glad you can appreciate your mother’s good intentions. Would you like to go out for a bit to clear your head?”

Zhou Mo shook her head. “I want to go to school.”

Tang Shulan hesitated for a moment before finally smiling. “Alright, you can go to school tomorrow.”

Zhou Mo added, “My phone…”

“He Chong is bound to keep harassing you. Your phone will stay with me for now.”

Like a victorious general, Tang Shulan walked downstairs with light, triumphant steps.

Zhou Mo closed the door and immediately hurried to the window, opening it wide. She hoped to catch sight of He Chong on the path leading to the main gate, even if only for a single glimpse.

Yet she waited and waited, but no one passed by.

Deeply disappointed, she took a step back. Just as she was about to close the window, a faint whistle drifted through the dark night ahead.

Zhou Mo’s heart tightened, and she immediately leaned out to look.

In front of the bushes outside the fence, the tiny ember of a cigarette flickered, illuminating a hazy silhouette. She could vaguely make out He Chong looking up, gazing at the window.

Emotions surged within Zhou Mo, and she nearly cried out.

She saw He Chong pull a lighter from his pocket and strike it. By the faint glow of the flame, he pointed his index finger at her, then closed his hand into a tight fist, pressing it firmly against his heart.

Zhou Mo’s vision instantly blurred with tears.

A moment later, the lighter’s flame died. The glowing tip of the cigarette flickered once and went out as well.

Across the darkness and through the chilling wind, they gazed at each other from afar.