Chapter 3: Sowing Discord and Getting the Money Back
Ning Xiyue waved the small notebook in her hand lazily and said, “If I don’t see the money by 6 p.m. today, then who knows where the copy of this little account book will end up? Will it be in the hands of your relatives and neighbors? Or maybe every worker at the steel factory will have a copy? Or perhaps I’ll make sure a copy lands on the leader’s desk? What do you think?”
Don’t think she didn’t know — over the years, Zhang Yuan had been taking the rare goods the original Ning Xiyue had given him and selling them for high prices on the black market, saving up quite a fortune. After the female lead was sent to the countryside, all the money, ration tickets, and supplies she had in the beginning came from Zhang Yuan, who would “generously” offer them, and the female lead would pretend to accept them reluctantly.
Now the original Ning Xiyue was gone, replaced by her. That meant the two of them had been spending her money this whole time. How could she possibly tolerate that? She had to take it back.
“You… you…”
Zhang Yuan trembled as if someone had seized him by the throat of fate. He was furious and panicked — returning the money would be like cutting out his own flesh, but if he didn’t, the job he was supposed to start next week could be gone. And worse — he’d face the scorn and judgment of everyone around him.
“Think carefully before you speak,” Ning Xiyue said with a sweet smile.
“Little Ning, if you ask me,” one of the older ladies watching chimed in, “if that little pretty boy doesn’t pay you back, just go make a scene at his workplace. What you’ve got in your hand is solid evidence. One good ruckus, and I guarantee the higher-ups will take your side.”
“Exactly, don’t let him get away with it!”
“Little Ning is just too kind — lending to these ungrateful people. I bet they ganged up to push her down on purpose just so they wouldn’t have to pay her back.”
The more Zhang Yuan listened to the neighbors taking Ning Xiyue’s side, the angrier he became. He wanted nothing more than to snatch that notebook from her hand, but the situation didn’t allow it. Everyone here was on her side. Grinding his teeth, face dark as ink, he spat,
“Fine! I’ll give you the 500 yuan. But you’d better give me that notebook when I do — no tricks.”
As he spoke, his heart bled. Those 500 yuan were his entire life savings. But if he wanted to keep his job, he had no choice but to bow his head.
Humiliated, he didn’t want to stay there a second longer. He turned and dragged the still-stunned Ning Xiaoxiao away with him.
“Wait,” Ning Xiyue’s voice rang out. “Talk is cheap. Sign a promissory note first. And don’t go yet — I haven’t settled things with Ning Xiaoxiao.”
Zhang Yuan’s jaw clenched so hard he almost ground his molars to dust. Right now, he truly wanted to sew Ning Xiyue’s mouth shut with a needle.
The blank look on Ning Xiaoxiao’s face vanished instantly. She hadn’t expected her cousin to suddenly strike back like this — not even caring about Zhang Yuan’s reaction. It seemed that fall had knocked more than just her head — it had knocked some sense into her too. While she calculated in her mind how to twist the situation to her advantage, Ning Xiyue’s next words shattered all their plans.
Ning Xiyue looked enviously at their clasped hands and muttered,
“You two really are such good friends, holding hands in front of everyone like that. No wonder my cousin keeps praising you to me.”
She said it like a quiet mutter, but the entire floor heard it loud and clear.
Improper male-female relationships were a very serious accusation.
Ning Xiaoxiao’s face changed drastically as everyone’s eyes shifted toward her. She snatched her hand away and slapped Zhang Yuan across the face, furiously cursing him for being shameless — desperately trying to distance herself from him in front of the crowd.
This whole performance left Zhang Yuan completely dumbfounded. He knew she was doing it for their sake, but still — how could this shrewish, hysterical woman be the same gentle girl he had liked?
The filter in Zhang Yuan’s eyes shattered almost completely. Even the secret glances Ning Xiaoxiao shot him were ignored. With a clear red handprint on his face and hurt in his eyes, he was in too much shock to react when Ning Xiyue pushed the promissory note in front of him and had him sign and press his fingerprint on it.
“Alright, you can go now,” Ning Xiyue said impatiently. “Bring the money before six to exchange for the promissory note and the account book.”
Zhang Yuan stumbled off toward the stairs in a daze, ignoring Ning Xiaoxiao’s frantic winks. Even the crowd parted silently to let him pass.
Watching her “human shield” walk off and leave her behind, Ning Xiaoxiao was furious and panicked. Her eyes reddened as she looked at Ning Xiyue and blinked pitifully. “Yueyue, we’re—”
Ning Xiyue cut her off coldly, not wanting to hear another hypocritical word. “Oh my, Cousin, are your eyes cramping? Or did you catch pink eye? They’re redder than a rabbit’s. Let’s hurry this up so you can get to the hospital. It’s a serious condition, you know — can’t be delayed. My head’s starting to hurt again too; I need to rest.”
“No, I—”
“No need to explain, Cousin. I understand. I kept a separate account just for you — I won’t mix things up or shortchange you.”
Ning Xiyue pulled out another notebook and waved it. “Let’s see… Cousin’s debt is small. Since we’re family, I won’t count the food and drinks — just the money and ration tickets. It adds up to 150 yuan. Do you have any objections? If so, speak up. I can list every single one — or we can go talk to Uncle about it.”
“Yueyue, I didn’t—”
Ning Xiyue leaned close and whispered in her ear, and one sentence froze Ning Xiaoxiao on the spot, “Cousin, I heard from Zhang Yuan that you found a valuable item and exchanged it for 200 yuan. What do you think will happen if I tell Uncle and Aunt about that?”
What would happen? At best, the 200 yuan would be confiscated. At worst, she’d get beaten and scolded.
Her uncle was obsessed with his son, believing all the money and resources in the house belonged to him. He was also a face-saving, patriarchal man. If he found out Ning Xiaoxiao had not only siphoned off all these things from her cousin but also kept the 200 yuan windfall for herself, she’d be doomed.
Ning Xiyue watched her panic with a serene smile. She wasn’t worried about Ning Xiaoxiao not paying — this was an open threat.
“I have no objections,” Ning Xiaoxiao ground out through her teeth, her heart bleeding. That money had been meant for black market purchases to prepare for the countryside assignment. Now, most of it would go straight into Ning Xiyue’s pocket. She hated Ning Xiyue — and Zhang Yuan for spilling the secret.
Thankfully, she still had that thing. As long as she had it, she wouldn’t be broke in the future.
Her hand unconsciously brushed the stone bracelet on her wrist, and she felt calmer.
But Ning Xiyue’s eyes did not miss the motion. A faint, dark glint flashed in her gaze when she noticed the bracelet — originally hers — before disappearing so quickly no one noticed.
“Good. No objections. Then give me the 150 yuan,” she said, calmly holding out her hand despite the murderous glare from Ning Xiaoxiao.
“The neighbors here are all witnesses. Once you return the money, I’ll tear up this notebook and we’ll be even. It won’t affect our family relationship.”
“Yes, we’re all witnesses! You can trust her,” the onlookers chimed in enthusiastically.
Grinding her teeth, Ning Xiaoxiao slowly pulled a wad of cash from her pocket, clutching it tightly. Ning Xiyue snatched it from her hand, counted out 150 yuan, and slipped it into her pocket.
Just like that, she earned 150 yuan, and sowed discord between the male supporting lead and the female lead. Ning Xiyue’s mood instantly brightened.
She then shredded the notebook into tiny pieces and handed the scraps to Ning Xiaoxiao — and at the same time, using a subtle little trick, she secretly pried off the smallest, ugliest stone from the bracelet and pocketed it without anyone noticing.
