Chapter 7: Clinging to a Big Shot

It’s getting dark—where can she go, where can she go…?

Zhang Yue rushed to question Zhong Yang, only to receive a response that made her go weak with shock—Zhong Yang actually had the guts to curse at Mr. Pei. Was she tired of living?!

She hadn’t slept all night, and by 8:30 AM, it was already time for work.

Yin Qi called Pei Yunzhe’s assistant, but before he could even speak, he was met with a cold sentence:
“Producer Yin, no need to explain. President Pei said to watch your behavior from now on, or bear the consequences. Goodbye.”

Yin Qi choked on his words, frozen by the sound of the dial tone in his ear. His face turned a sickly shade of green.

At that moment, Zhang Yue realized—most likely, they’d been tricked.

If Zhong Yang had really offended Mr. Pei, would she still be sitting here, so confidently provoking her?

It was more likely that she hadn’t angered Pei Yunzhe at all—but had instead latched onto a powerful figure, giving her newfound confidence and swagger.

Zhang Yue clenched her teeth and repeated, “What exactly did you say to Mr. Pei?”

Zhong Yang shot back, “Why should I tell you?”

Zhang Yue slammed the table. “I’m your agent!”

“Oh, well, not for long.” Zhong Yang pulled a check and a signed termination contract from her bag and placed them on the table. “I’m terminating the contract.”

Zhang Yue’s fingers tightened around her pen. “You’ve climbed up the ladder and now you’re burning the bridge that got you there? Real classy.”

Zhong Yang smiled. “Didn’t I learn that from you? One must know how to adapt—when opportunity knocks, climb.”

Zhang Yue sneered. “He’s just playing around with you. And you actually think you’re something?”

Zhong Yang stood to leave but gave Zhang Yue a once-over and said, “So what? If you’ve got the guts, why don’t you try to get him to play with you? Ugly cow.”

Bang!

A cup smashed onto the ground. Glass shards scattered everywhere.

Zhong Yang dodged swiftly, but one shard still grazed her leg, leaving a thin line of blood on her fair skin.

“Get out!” Zhang Yue was seething, her chest heaving.

Zhong Yang thought to herself, So now that she can’t outtalk me, she’s getting violent? Pathetic.

She sighed lightly, pretending to be smug:
“Aww, I’m bleeding. Mr. Pei said he especially likes these legs of mine. Miss Zhang, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

———

On the subway, Zhong Yang replayed the furious yet regretful look on Zhang Yue’s face and chuckled. Then she checked the time and called the moving company.
“Sir, please deliver my stuff to the address I sent you. Thank you.”

Last night, she had calculated: once she paid the penalty for breaking her contract, sold some bags to clear her credit card debt, she’d have around 10,000 yuan left.

No way could she afford an upscale apartment anymore—she’d have to settle for somewhere remote or with poor conditions.

After scouring rental apps, she finally found a place that was cheap yet passable. The complex looked a bit old in the photos, but the surroundings seemed clean.

She paid three months’ rent up front and a deposit, spending 5,000 yuan. She maxed out another 5,000 on her credit card. Now she had 5,000 left for living expenses.

The subway wasn’t crowded. She popped in her earbuds, closed her eyes, and let the music and the rhythm of the train calm her.

She was finally free. Finally starting over…

———

After exiting the subway, Zhong Yang wandered for nearly two kilometers following the address before she finally saw a sign that read: Ping’an Residential Complex in a narrow alleyway.

“Ugh…” She was immediately hit by the stench of public toilets and overflowing trash cans and quickly covered her nose.

This looked nothing like the photos!

Three movers were already there waiting. Seeing her arrive late, they looked annoyed—but seeing that she was a pretty young woman, they stayed polite.
“Miss, can we start moving in now?”

“Please wait a moment, don’t move anything yet!”

Sensing something was off, Zhong Yang rushed into the building, climbed four flights of stairs, and knocked on the door.

Creaaak.
An old, rusted metal door opened.

A pot-bellied man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth came into view. Even from two meters away, the stench of his sweat was overwhelming—like a trash bin—and nauseating.

“Well, hello there, beautiful. Who’re you looking for?”

Zhong Yang showed him her phone’s rental page, stretching her arm as far as she could to avoid getting too close. “Are you the landlord for this short-term rental?”

“Let me take a look…” The man squinted, pretending not to see clearly, and tried to grab her arm to pull her closer.

Zhong Yang flinched and pulled her arm back. “Sorry, wrong door.”

She turned to leave—but the man blocked her path.

“No, no, this is the right place. Come on in, take a look at the apartment.”

His eyes leered openly at her legs.

“Come on, girl. Take a look.”

Zhong Yang’s alarm bells were blaring. Her heart raced, and her palms began to sweat.

The man stepped closer. “Don’t be scared. I’m not a bad guy. You’re here to see the place, right?”

Her back was now pressed firmly against the neighbor’s door. There was no way out.

She tried to sound calm and shouted, “One more step and I’ll call the police!”

“Go ahead, call them. I haven’t done anything wrong.” The man was fearless, stepping even closer.

The overwhelming stench filled her nose, but she could no longer worry about that—his hand was about to touch her leg!

“Damn it!”

She shoved him hard with both hands and followed up with a kick to the groin.

“F*ck! You bitch!” the man yelled, clutching his crotch and stumbling back. The narrow exit he had blocked now opened up slightly.

Zhong Yang seized the chance and bolted down the stairs. She was gasping for breath, constantly looking back to see if he was following.

Just as she turned her head, she tripped over a pile of junk in the stairwell and crashed to the floor, pain shooting through her ankle.

Fear overwhelmed her, and adrenaline kicked in—she scrambled up and limped toward the moving truck. Only when she reached it did she finally exhale.

One of the movers asked again, “Miss, can we unload now? We’re almost off the clock.”

“Sorry, there’s been a problem with the apartment.” Zhong Yang winced through the pain and negotiated, “Can I pay double to keep everything in the truck overnight?”

No work and double pay? The movers readily agreed. One even kindly advised:
“This place is too sketchy. It’s not safe for a girl to live here. If you can find somewhere else, do it.”

Zhong Yang nodded. So much for trying to save money… The photos looked okay, but the reality was insane!

Her left ankle throbbed more intensely under the scorching sun. Sweat formed on her brow.
“Sir, can you drop me off at the nearest bus station before you go? Thank you.”

“No problem, hop in.”

They dropped her off near a bus stop and, before leaving, reminded her,
“Call a friend or family. Find a safe place soon.”

Zhong Yang sat on the bench, nursing her injured ankle.

Family…?

Her mother died when she was a toddler. The next day, her father brought home another woman and her child. Her grandfather, outraged, took her in and raised her.

After he passed, she cut ties with her father and stepfamily completely.

Her grandfather had left her a small apartment and a savings account with a hundred thousand yuan. She used that to move to the capital and go to school.

In her heart, her only family had been Grandpa.
But he was gone now…

She had no one.
Not even a place to stay.

Time passed slowly. The sun began to set. The sky turned a hazy purple. Streetlights flickered on. A breeze brushed the sweat from her forehead, bringing a bit of cool relief.

It was getting dark. Where could she go? Where could she go?

Should she call Xu Youyou to pick her up again?

Forget it. Maybe she’d just ride a few bus stops and find a cheap motel for a night or two.

Suddenly, two sharp car honks interrupted her thoughts.

Zhong Yang looked up. A black Rolls-Royce was parked nearby. The front passenger window rolled down slowly, and a cold, firm voice called out:

“Miss Zhong.”

Zhong Yang immediately recognized Pei Yunzhe. Her guard shot up, but her face wore a polite smile.
“What a coincidence, running into you again.”

“Just passing by.” His gaze subtly swept over the dirt on her injured left leg.
“Where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride.”