Chapter 61: Phrogging 2

Zhang Heping’s face contorted as he recounted the incident to the police, his voice quavering with a volatile mixture of rage and revulsion. 

His eyes darted around the room, taking in the remnants of the Song family’s intrusion. The very thought of continuing to reside in this defiled space made his skin crawl.

Tension crackled in the air as the officers turned their attention to the Song family. 

Father Song’s face flushed crimson, his fists clenched at his sides as he argued for their right to stay. 

Mother Song’s shrill voice pierced the room, her finger stabbing accusingly at Zhang Heping, her face contorting in anger. 

Song Qingqing stood apart from the commotion, her eyes downcast, her shoulders hunched as if attempting to vanish from sight.

“Who owns this house?” the officer’s cut through the chaos, his eyes boring into Song Qingqing.

She bit her lip, her reply barely above a whisper. “Zhang Heping.”

“And your relationship with the owner?”

“Boyfriend and girlfriend,” she admitted, her voice barely audible.

“Are you married?”

She shook her head, her hair falling like a curtain around her face. “No, not yet.”

“Did you obtain the owner’s permission to bring your family here?”

Song Qingqing’s shoulders slumped further, her words laced with reluctance. “No, I didn’t.”

The officer’s eyebrows shot up, his tone sharp. “Then the matter is quite clear. This constitutes the crime of unlawful invasion of a residence. Do you understand? Would you prefer to settle this privately or through official channels?”

Mother Song rushed forward, her hands fluttering in agitation. “That can’t be right! My daughter was simply caring for us, allowing us to stay temporarily. How can that be a crime?”

The officer’s gaze was unwavering, his words carrying the weight of the law. “This house belongs to Mr. Zhang; it has no connection to your daughter. You moved in without his consent and even assaulted him. What do you think?”

Father Song’s face paled, the gravity of the situation sinking in. He took a step towards Zhang Heping, his hand outstretched in supplication, but Zhang Heping recoiled, his eyes flashing with disdain. Father Song’s knees began to bend, his pride crumbling under the weight of desperation. “Heping, we truly didn’t know. Can you find it in your heart to forgive us? For Qingqing’s sake, please don’t send us to jail.”

The police officer shot out his arm, barring Father Song’s descent. “We don’t condone kneeling here. The law dictates how this matter will be handled.”

Zhang Guodong and Lin Lihua burst into the room, their faces etched with concern. Lin Lihua’s eyes widened as she took in the scene, her hand flying to her mouth. “Heping, what are you doing? How can you, as a junior, allow your elders to kneel before you?”

A harsh laugh escaped Zhang Heping’s lips, his eyes narrowing to slits. “You’re quite the concerned aunt, aren’t you? Upon entering, you fail to notice my injuries or the room full of strangers. Your sole focus lies on the Song family. Aunt, you seem exceptionally close to them!”

Zhang Guodong’s brow creased, attuned to the sarcastic undertones in Zhang Heping’s words. “Heping, what exactly is going on here? Who are all these people, and what are they doing in your home?”

Zhang Heping jabbed his finger in Lin Lihua’s direction, his words dripping with venom. “You can thank my dear aunt for this. She insisted on introducing me to a girlfriend. When I refused, she brought the girl to my doorstep and refused to let her leave. Hah! My girlfriend? My mind isn’t that far gone!”

He whirled on Song Qingqing, his voice rising to a shout. “Song Qingqing, tell your family the truth. Did I ever date you? Did we sleep together? Every time I asked you to leave, didn’t you just cry and make a scene, refusing to go?”

Song Qingqing lowered her head as tears streamed down her face, her body shaking with silent sobs.

“Aunt, I’ve already moved out to live on my own. Why won’t you let me be? If you’re so fond of Song Qingqing, why not take her into your own home? Instead, you sent her to harass me. What are your intentions?”

As Zhang Heping and Lin Lihua’s argument escalated, Zhang Guodong turned his attention to the police’s account. As he listened intently, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and anger flared in his eyes. He rounded on Lin Lihua. “What kind of messed up person did you introduce to Heping? What were you thinking?”

Lin Lihua’s mouth opened and closed, her mind scrambling for an explanation. “I… I heard from my younger brother’s wife that her niece from the maternal side was quite decent, so I thought I’d introduce her to Heping.”

Mother Song’s eyes flashed with indignation, her words tumbling out in a rush. “My Qingqing is a wonderful girl. You all look down on her. Who are you trying to fool? If you truly disdain my Qingqing, how could she have stayed here for so long? Claiming they’re not dating— who would believe that?”

Zhang Heping’s lips curled into a sneer as he held up his phone, his finger hovering over the screen. A series of short videos played, each one a damning indictment of Song Qingqing’s behavior. 

In clip after clip, Zhang Heping’s disinterest was palpable, his words blunt and uncompromising. Song Qingqing, on the other hand, clung to him like a leech, her tears and pleas falling on deaf ears. Even when Zhang Heping demanded she move out, she invoked Lin Lihua’s name, using it as a shield against his anger. In the end, her behaviour even caused Zhang Heping to leave his house in frustration.

The Song family’s faces burned with shame as the videos played, the truth of the situation laid bare before them. Song Qingqing’s tears intensified; Zhang Heping had thoroughly exposed her actions in humiliating detail.

The police officer’s voice cut through the silence. “So, how do you plan to proceed? Shall we take the official route?”

Lin Lihua’s hands clasped together, her eyes pleading. “Heping, for your aunt’s sake, can you let them off this once? Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain this to my maternal family.”

Zhang Heping’s laugh was devoid of humor, his finger jabbing at the bruises on his face. “Aunt, how come you didn’t consider how to explain this to me?”

Lin Lihua’s mouth snapped shut, her arguments dying on her lips. She turned to Zhang Guodong, desperation etched on her features. Zhang Guodong sighed, his words measured. “Heping, it’s not a grave matter. Simply send them away; there’s no need to make it irreversible.”

Zhang Heping’s jaw clenched, his reluctance palpable. But in the end, he couldn’t disregard his uncle’s opinion. After all, it was his uncle who had raised him since childhood.

“If you want to settle this privately, that’s fine. Just compensate me for the losses incurred in my house.”

The Song family nodded eagerly, relief flooding their faces. “Okay, okay. We just ate some things. You tell us the amount, and we’ll pay you.”

Zhang Heping’s sneer deepened, his words dripping with disdain. “I don’t have the habit of using second-hand goods. In the bedrooms, how many new bedding sets did you open? Surely you kept count. Those are all high-quality items; one set costs five figures.

“And the food in the storage room— it’s almost all gone, isn’t it? I stocked it with imported goods. One storage room, tens of thousands of dollars worth of items, and you finished them in less than a month.

“Also, look at that—  the grease stains on the sofa, the fingerprints on the curtains. Tell me, how much should you compensate for that?”

Mother Song’s voice was weak, her argument feeble. “We just used them a bit; we didn’t break anything…”

Father Song chimed in, his tone wheedling. “Yeah, if they’re dirty, you can just wash them for us. Why be so petty? Besides, how can you claim such high values?”

Zhang Heping’s eyes flashed, his words as hard as steel. “I intended to use this house as my wedding home. Have you ever seen anyone furnish their wedding home with second-hand items? I have invoices for everything. Since that’s the case, let’s calculate the compensation based on the invoice prices. Pay what needs to be paid, and then take these second-hand goods with you.”

Father Song’s face crumpled, despair etched in every line. “What use do we have for these things?”

“Then what use do I have for these second-hand goods? To let my future wife look down on me?”

“Then, let Qingqing be your wife!”

Zhang Heping pointed to his own nose, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You think I’m stupid?!” The words exploded from his lips, his patience at an end. “Let’s go the official route. If they should go to jail, let them go to jail. I don’t lack those few bucks of compensation. Let them get out, get out, get out!”

Lin Lihua’s shoulders slumped as the reality of the situation sank in. She had never imagined the Song family would stoop to such despicable behavior. Thoughts of her younger brother’s wife causing a scene with the family flashed through her mind. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Zhang Heping, her voice soft but determined. “Heping, don’t be like this. How about I cover the compensation?”

Zhang Heping’s gaze was as cold as ice.”If aunt is so capable, then replace all my things with new ones. If you can replace every item with the original brand-new versions, I’ll pretend today never happened. I’ll just consider these injuries my own misfortune.”