Chapter 19: Zhou Beiming Asks If She Wants to Change the Bed

Ever since the Chu family went bankrupt and she became the daughter of a defaulter, she was left with only one friend—Jiang Yun knew this well.

Chu Lige turned her head and glared at him. “If you dare say a word about it, I’ll kill you.”

Jiang Yun met her gaze leisurely. “With what? How about I rape you a few more times—maybe that’ll get me the death penalty.”

Chu Lige’s back stiffened. They had been together since high school.

During university, they crossed the line.

It was a clumsy, naïve start—but one they quickly became addicted to.

Night after night, they burned with wild passion.

Then the Chu family collapsed, and Chu Lige discovered it was the Jiang family pulling strings behind the scenes.

She confronted Jiang Yun. He responded by breaking up with her—said he was marrying someone else.

The hatred back then was fueled by pride.

She left without looking back.

But to get her father out of prison, she sought Jiang Yun again.

They slept together—and she accused him of rape.

To get her to drop the charges, the Jiang family pulled strings and had her father exonerated. But the Chu family was still drowning in debt.

Chu Lige clenched her fists. “Jiang Yun, let’s end this on good terms. We owe each other nothing now. Don’t hurt Nian Nian because of me.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

She had once trusted Jiang Yun deeply.

But after what happened to the Chu family, she could no longer see him clearly for who he truly was.

Behind her, Jiang Yun watched her frail silhouette with a shadowed gaze.

This woman still hadn’t learned how to say a soft word.

Just then, his phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The screen showed the name Zhou Beiming.

He picked up.

On the other end, a lazy but menacing voice warned, “Keep Jiang Yuling in check. I’m not interested in her. Don’t let her show up at the Zhou residence and make a fool of herself.”

Jiang Yun straightened up and walked in the opposite direction from where Chu Lige had gone. “Adults should manage themselves.”

Word had it that Jiang Yuling brought a jade pendant to see the Zhou family’s old master today.

The old man accepted the pendant—what happened afterward, Jiang Yun didn’t know.

Zhou Beiming chuckled coldly on the other end. “Good. If she loses a few body parts, don’t come crying to me.”

“Whatever.”

Jiang Yun’s tone was indifferent, detached.

Just before Zhou Beiming could hang up, Jiang Yun casually asked, “Do you know Su Nian?”

The line went silent.

After a moment, Zhou Beiming’s voice came through, icy. “You threatening me?”

Such a defensive response—Jiang Yun was certain now.

He was genuinely surprised. A man like Zhou Beiming was actually into someone like Su Nian, that harmless little white flower?

They didn’t match at all.

A little white flower like her would get torn to shreds by Zhou Beiming.

Jiang Yun gave a light, scornful laugh. “Don’t ruin her. Su Nian is Lige’s friend. She’ll turn on me if something happens to her.”

“Don’t meddle in my business.” Zhou Beiming’s voice was flippant, tinged with mischief. “You two are worlds apart now—what kind of ‘turning on’ are we talking about? Hell, you’d be better off buying shares in me and Su Nian. Who knows? Might save your ass in the long run.”

Save your ass in the long run?

Jiang Yun paused mid-step, then continued walking. “How far along are you two?”

Silence.

He looked down and saw the call had ended.

Only his phone screen remained—showing the image of a girl in a school uniform, her back to the camera.

Her long, seaweed-like hair danced in the wind.

He used to run his fingers through that hair, drawn in by its softness and scent, completely intoxicated.

Jiang Yun put away his phone and headed to another set.

---

In the apartment.

Su Nian lay on the couch for a long while before finally getting up to take a shower.

She had just slipped into the bathtub and was browsing reference material on her phone when a video call came through.

It was Zhou Beiming.

Since she was bathing, she switched to voice. “What is it?”

Zhou Beiming didn’t switch to voice.

It was daytime on his end.

His phone was placed to the side, and he wore earphones while signing document after document. Clearly busy.

“Switch back.”

An order, not a request.

It was as if Zhou Beiming had eyes everywhere—even while looking at papers, he somehow knew she’d switched the call to voice.

“I’m bathing,” Su Nian replied.

Zhou Beiming looked up and, without glancing at the phone, instructed his office, “Everyone out.”

There were quite a few people. After some rustling, the office finally quieted down.

He still didn’t look at the screen. “Done.”

Su Nian had no choice but to stand up, pull on her bathrobe.

Did he think it was about someone else being present?

If he hadn’t told them to leave, she wouldn’t even have known anyone was in his office.

Once she was dressed, she sat at the edge of the bathtub and turned the video back on. “Okay.”

Only then did Zhou Beiming set his pen aside and turn his head slightly, his half-lowered eyes looking at the screen.

Water still clung to her skin, and her pale, delicate neck glistened enticingly.

A droplet slid from the ends of her damp hair down her neck, disappearing into the depths of her robe.

Zhou Beiming tapped his fingers lightly against the desk. “Do you usually bathe with clothes on?”

Su Nian gave him a mild glare. “I just finished. What do you want? I’m going to bed soon.”

Prompted by her tone, Zhou Beiming let out a cold laugh. “Far away from the capital, and now the little bunny’s got guts?”

If Su Nian really were that bold, she wouldn’t have answered his video call at all.

She lowered her head, staring at her toes in silence.

Say whatever he wanted—he always had the final say anyway.

Zhou Beiming noticed her silence, her meek, wronged expression like a little wife.

He propped his phone against the laptop screen. “Why aren’t you talking? If your mouth’s useless, maybe you should donate it.”

Su Nian glanced at the screen. Zhou Beiming always had something outrageous to say.

She muttered, “I still need to eat, so I can’t donate it.”

Zhou Beiming chuckled.

He nodded with feigned seriousness. “Fair enough. You’ve got other uses for it.”

His cool gaze fixed on her lips through the screen, and even across borders, Su Nian felt a tingling sensation sweep across her mouth.

She instinctively pressed her lips together. “It’s almost midnight.”

To Zhou Beiming, her soft, moving lips looked like jelly—something he used to taste every day. The thought made him eager to finish this business trip.

He didn’t tease her further. “Tomorrow, Aunt Zhang will send someone over with my things. Take the morning off and let them in.”

“Okay.”

Su Nian was mainly working on her thesis now—didn’t really matter where she was.

Zhou Beiming added, “Want to change the bed?”

Change the bed? Su Nian immediately thought of her own.

Mediocre quality.

Zhou Beiming had been there before, but not often. The bed creaked.

Her face flushed bright red.

She turned her gaze away, not looking at the screen. “Up to you.”

Zhou Beiming saw her crimson face and smirked faintly. “Then we’ll change it. Weren’t you the one worried about disturbing the neighbors?”

Su Nian nearly hung up. “I’m really going to sleep now.”

“Mm.” Zhou Beiming didn’t hang up—waiting for her to do it.

Su Nian tapped the screen to end the call.

She slipped off her bathrobe and slid back into the bathtub, uncertain what the future would hold.

Whatever came, she’d face it.

One step at a time.

---

The next day, Aunt Zhang came with people to move his belongings.

There weren’t many items, but everything was well-organized.

Su Nian cleared out part of her wardrobe—enough space for Zhou Beiming’s clothes.

She had thought he was planning to move in with her.

Turns out, he just treated her place like a hotel.

Aunt Zhang had the bed replaced, and what was meant to become a walk-in closet was now turned into a study.

Before leaving, Aunt Zhang spoke to Su Nian respectfully. “Young Madam, from now on, I’ll have to trouble you to take good care of the Young Master.”