Sun Zhewen walked towards the apartment complex. He opened the door to what should be Li Zhiyan's home and quietly went inside. The living room was softly lit, and Li Zhiyan was sitting on the sofa, her eyes vacant as she stared ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
"Why aren't you resting yet?" Sun Zhewen asked, somewhat puzzled.
Li Zhiyan turned her head, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I'm experiencing what it's like for a wife to wait for her husband to come home late."
Sun Zhewen couldn't help but laugh. "We're just pretending to be married."
Li Zhiyan shrugged. "I know. That's why I said I'm experiencing it."
Sun Zhewen shook his head, a little helpless. "Well, enjoy your experience then. I'm going upstairs."
Just as he was about to go upstairs, Li Zhiyan suddenly stood up and walked over to him, her eyes flashing with an uncertain light. "Sun Zhewen, are you and my sister close?"
Sun Zhewen's heart clenched. The smile on his face instantly stiffened, but he pretended to be nonchalant. "Not bad, why?"
Li Zhiyan's gaze sharpened. "I saw you today!"
The words struck Sun Zhewen's heart like a bolt of lightning. His mind went blank. He fought to control his racing emotions, trying to keep his voice steady. "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Li Zhiyan gave a small, mocking smile. "Do you think I would? The perfume you were wearing is my sister's brand."
Sun Zhewen's heart pounded, and a fine sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. "What are you trying to say?"
Li Zhiyan's smile faded, replaced by a complex expression. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disappointment and helplessness flickered in her eyes. "I'm not trying to say anything. If I hadn't shielded you from Secretary Liu's view today, you might be in jail right now."
A chill ran down Sun Zhewen's spine, and cold sweat poured down his back. He tried to remain composed, but his voice trembled involuntarily. "Tell me, what do you want?"
Li Zhiyan sighed softly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. "I don't understand why my sister would be interested in someone like you – no job, no power, no money, and no connections. The only thing you have going for you is a degree from a prestigious university and being first in the civil service exam. But can you help her? You can't. Why would she be interested in you? It's very strange to me."
Sun Zhewen took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Look, you're mistaken. My sister and I… we really don't have anything going on."
Li Zhiyan smiled slightly, a hint of mockery in her expression. "Fine, I'll call Secretary Liu later and ask him."
Sun Zhewen's eyes widened, a hint of urgency in his voice. "You, are you trying to harm your sister?"
Li Zhiyan gave him a cold look, her tone laced with icy resolve. "How could I harm my sister? I only help her!"
Sun Zhewen felt things were getting more complicated. He tried to change the subject. "I'm curious, how did you get mixed up with Secretary Liu again? Weren't you with Chairman Liu?"
Li Zhiyan chuckled, a hint of ridicule in her voice. "Heh, are you saying it wasn't you?"
Sun Zhewen sighed helplessly, a trace of weariness in his voice. "Alright, let's just say it was me."
Li Zhiyan raised an eyebrow, a hint of provocation in her eyes. "What do you mean 'let's just say'? You're supposed to be a man, but you can't own up to your actions."
Sun Zhewen finally gave up resisting, his voice filled with resignation and compromise. "It was me, is that good enough?"
Li Zhiyan nodded, a hint of smugness in her eyes. "I knew I wasn't mistaken. Heh, I'm going to sleep."
Sun Zhewen watched Li Zhiyan's back, a mix of confusion and unease swirling within him. "You… you haven't answered me yet."
Li Zhiyan stopped, turning to look at him, a coldness in her gaze. "Why would I answer your questions?"
Sun Zhewen took a deep breath, a pleading tone creeping into his voice. "Because of your sister. Your sister saw you with Liu Qunqi today, and she knows about your relationship. She even guessed that the child you're carrying is his. She's heartbroken, you know?"
Li Zhiyan's expression flickered, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "So what? It's my choice, and it has nothing to do with her."
He looked at Li Zhiyan, his heart filled with complex emotions. He didn't know how to persuade her, and could only sigh helplessly. "Don't you care about your sister's feelings at all?"
Li Zhiyan, smoothing her messy hair, turned and looked at Sun Zhewen coldly. "So what if I don't? I'm just taking what's mine."
Sun Zhewen frowned, a barely perceptible anger in his voice. "So you're going to get it with your body?"
Perhaps those words stung her. Her face instantly paled, and she retorted sharply, "So what if it's true? What does it have to do with you? You're just my contract husband. You can't control me. Besides, what's the difference between you and me? Aren't you just trying to use my sister to get out of your current awkward situation?"
Sun Zhewen felt a sharp pain in his heart. He wanted to argue, but he couldn't. He could only say weakly, "You shouldn't be with those men either."
Li Zhiyan's tears began to well up in her eyes, and her voice was filled with despair and anger. "Do you think this is what I want? Do you think I've only been with those two? How many high-ranking officials and dignitaries have they sent me to? Do you even know? What do you think I am? In their eyes, I'm just a high-class plaything. A toy they can do whatever they want with."
Sun Zhewen's heart ached. He lowered his head, his voice weak but sincere. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
Li Zhiyan wiped the tears from her eyes, her voice becoming calm and resolute. "My sister can't protect you now, and you can't protect her either. You have no idea of their power, their bottom line. In Jiang City, no one can protect you. If you really want to be with my sister, I can send you both abroad. You can live a simple life. I still have the ability to do that."
Sun Zhewen raised his head, his eyes filled with determination. "My sister and I aren't going anywhere. The dragon must be vanquished."
Li Zhiyan let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with sarcasm and disdain. "Heh, who's going to vanquish it? You? My sister? Don't you know that the dragon slayers will eventually become dragons themselves? How many times have they been investigated? Has anything ever happened to them? Do you think that with my sister, a small section chief, and you, a small clerk, you can do anything? They have people in the city and the province."
Sun Zhewen's heart sank. He knew that Li Zhiyan was telling the truth, but he still refused to give up. "We have to try. We can't just accept our fate."