Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Woman's Schemes

Zhang Wei, currently occupied with entertaining clients, was oblivious to his colleagues’ gossip about him. Even if he had known, he would have merely laughed it off. The deal he was handling now was indeed rather complicated. In order to keep the relationship between Fatty Zhou and Liu Yurou a secret, he even had to pretend to be Liu Yurou’s boyfriend.

What worried him more was that Liu Yurou herself seemed to be growing restless. If she sincerely wished to expose everything, no matter how skilled Zhang Wei was at lying, it would be all for naught.

From their conversation along the way, Zhang Wei had also come to understand Fatty Zhou’s wife. Her name was Wu Qian. She had married Fatty Zhou at the age of eighteen, and the two had been husband and wife for over a decade now. Back then, Fatty Zhou’s family was extremely poor—so poor that buying new clothes, let alone marrying a new bride, was out of the question.

Wu Qian’s family, by contrast, was relatively well off. The two families deliberated and decided that, since Zhou’s family could not afford a bride price, Fatty Zhou would become a son-in-law who married into the Wu family. Fortunately, the Wu elders had no son and treated Fatty Zhou as half a son, never shortchanging him.

Not long after their marriage, with the support of her father, Wu Qian and Fatty Zhou bought a second-hand truck and started hauling coal in Shanxi. Wu Qian was shrewd and meticulous, while Fatty Zhou excelled at networking. Their business flourished and expanded. Eventually, they sold the truck, purchased a coal mine, and became coal barons, slowly building up to their current success.

Therefore, Fatty Zhou’s fear of his wife was not without reason—one could even say he was justified in his timidity. Yet as their business prospered and their wealth increased, so too did the temptations that came Fatty Zhou’s way. At first, he could resist, but this time, he had been thoroughly bewitched by Liu Yurou, that little enchantress.

“Sister-in-law, this is the house I found for you. Let me show you inside,” Zhang Wei said, leading the group back to the villa they had previously viewed. He gestured invitingly.

Wu Qian nodded noncommittally and entered the villa’s courtyard, taking in its layout and surroundings. The courtyard was not particularly large—real estate in the capital was at a premium, and villas with spacious grounds were rare. But this villa was exquisite and aesthetically pleasing.

She walked along the pebble-paved path, admired the flowerbeds arranged in artistic patterns, and the sparkling water of the swimming pool. Her eyes lit up. “Fatty Zhou, this house isn’t bad! Since when did you develop such taste?”

“As long as you like it, dear!” Fatty Zhou squeezed out a smile in response.

Ding-dong—the doorbell rang as Zhang Wei pressed it and stepped back so the owner could see him through the peephole.

“Oh, Mr. Zhang, didn’t you just finish viewing the house? Why are you back again?” Sister Hong, the owner, opened the door and asked, puzzled.

“Sister Hong, here’s the situation: Mr. Zhou was very pleased with the house after seeing it, so he brought his wife for another look. If she’s satisfied, they’ll purchase it on the spot,” Zhang Wei hastily explained, worried that a second viewing might displease her.

“Oh, in that case, come in, please!” Upon hearing that the couple intended to buy, Sister Hong hurriedly welcomed them in.

Though they were viewing the same house, the focus had shifted from Liu Yurou, who lacked decision-making authority, to Wu Qian, whose opinion was paramount. If Wu Qian approved, Fatty Zhou would not object.

Once inside, Wu Qian was immediately captivated by the decor and the layout. Despite their wealth, she and Fatty Zhou came from humble backgrounds and were not particularly cultured—in the words of old-money families, they were “nouveau riche.”

She crouched to feel the plush carpet, sat on the genuine leather sofa, gazed up at the ten-meter-high chandelier, and scrutinized the oil paintings on the walls. A look of satisfaction appeared on her face. Grabbing Fatty Zhou’s arm, she said, “Come on, darling! Come upstairs with me!”

“You go ahead, dear. I want to take another look at this oil painting—it seems familiar.” Fatty Zhou, hearing his wife’s affectionate tone, felt reassured that she was in a good mood.

“Zhang Wei, take your sister-in-law upstairs for a tour. You’re familiar with the place,” Fatty Zhou said with a meaningful glance.

“Sister-in-law, let me show you around upstairs,” Zhang Wei replied, catching the cue that Fatty Zhou wanted a word with Liu Yurou, and cheerfully led Wu Qian upstairs.

Liu Yurou, seeing Wu Qian and Zhang Wei ascend, prepared to follow, but Fatty Zhou grabbed her arm and whispered, “Why are you going up?”

“I was the one who asked Zhang Wei to find this house. Why shouldn’t I go up?” Liu Yurou rolled her eyes and huffed.

“Please, be reasonable. You should leave now, and I’ll find you later,” Fatty Zhou pleaded.

“Why should I leave? Do you think we have anything to do with each other?” Liu Yurou replied coldly.

“We don’t have anything? But I’m your—” Fatty Zhou almost blurted it out, but caught himself, glancing warily at the second floor.

“Go ahead, say it—what are you to me?” Liu Yurou mocked, seeing him choke on his words. “You don’t even dare to acknowledge our relationship. What future could I possibly have with a man like you? As of now, we’re done!”

“Yurou, don’t be like this. Once this is over, I’ll make it up to you,” Fatty Zhou pleaded, afraid she would reveal everything to Wu Qian.

“I’ve seen right through you, Fatty Zhou. You’re big and tall, but you’re such a coward. I’d rather be with a bad man than a man who’s afraid of his wife,” Liu Yurou retorted, shaking off his hand.

Liu Yurou was a woman with her own ambitions. She hadn’t attached herself to Fatty Zhou merely to be his mistress. She had found out that he and Wu Qian had no children and planned to use a child to secure her place. But seeing how terrified he was of his wife, she abandoned that idea.

“Yurou, don’t be rash. I do care about our relationship,” Fatty Zhou insisted.

“Relationship?” Liu Yurou exclaimed as if hearing a ridiculous joke. “What relationship do we have? You’ve only held my arm and touched my hand. We haven’t even kissed. What relationship could there be? Ridiculous!”

“Here’s the necklace you gave me last time. I’m returning it—give it to your wife for her birthday,” she said, yanking a gold necklace from her neck and tossing it to him. “And let me give you a piece of advice: don’t give gold necklaces to women anymore. It’s out of date and tacky.”

“Yurou, I…” Fatty Zhou stared at the necklace, unsure whether to keep it or return it, completely at a loss.

“Enough. Don’t call me Yurou anymore. I’m Zhang Wei’s girlfriend now. You’d best address me as Miss Liu,” she said with a wave.

“Yurou, what exactly are you after?” Fatty Zhou asked, baffled by her attitude.

“Relax, Fatty Zhou. I won’t expose us to Wu Qian. In fact, I intend to become her good friend. I think being close to her is far more promising than sticking with you!” Liu Yurou shot him a glare and turned to head upstairs.

No woman is born wanting to be a mistress, and Liu Yurou was no exception. It was merely a means to attach herself to wealth. Now, seeing how utterly hen-pecked Fatty Zhou was, she realized there would be no good days ahead with him. She decided to cut her losses—after all, nothing had truly happened between them.

Her claim to want to be Wu Qian’s good friend was not an empty boast. From their brief interaction, she had found Wu Qian, though temperamental, was not difficult to get along with. With some flattery and pleasant conversation, it would be easy to win her over.

Liu Yurou believed that if she could gain Wu Qian’s favor and, coupled with Fatty Zhou’s lingering fear of her, she would surely secure a decent job—perhaps even as a department manager, earning tens of thousands each month and commanding a team. That was far better than being a secret mistress.

“Yurou, why are you going upstairs again?” Fatty Zhou asked worriedly.

“To find my boyfriend and help Sister Wu look at the house!” Liu Yurou replied with a seductive smile, throwing the words over her shoulder as she sashayed up the stairs.

“What a mess! If only I’d listened to my father-in-law—beautiful women are nothing but trouble. I’ve brought this on myself!” Fatty Zhou muttered miserably, wishing he could slap himself twice.