She spoke with utter conviction. "No one forced me! I owed him a favor, so I invited him over for dinner."
A favor!
He bleakly closed his eyes.
Wasn't it because of Zhang Xiang's savage beating of Yang Wei? Wasn't it because Wan Donglin intervened behind the scenes to stop the extortion?
"Yang Wei repeatedly threatened Xiaoya and me. We couldn't come up with the money. If it hadn't been for him, I really don't know what I would have done..."
She said lightly, "Xiaojue, you know I'm all alone. I really can't stand up to Yang Wei..."
I can't stand up to your mother—I can't count on you. Am I supposed to just wait for death then?
Her gaze, as unwavering as ever, seemed to convey a clear message: Xiaojue, you should understand. If I don't allow it myself, no one can force me.
