You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Zhou Jixuan

Linjiang City. The Zhou Residence.

The yard of the detached villa was kept in perfect order, with pebble paths and lush green branches trimmed with extreme precision. Upon entering the villa, one was met with a spacious and bright living room, where a complex crystal chandelier hung high above the hall, emitting a cold, crisp light.

An elegant lady sat on the sofa, her well-maintained hands holding a teacup as she savored its contents. As soon as the tea hit her palate, she suddenly frowned, and the lines etched by time on her face became visible.

“Nanny Wang, what’s wrong with the tea today? Why does it taste so astringent?”

With a sharp clack, the teaware was set down heavily.

Hearing this, Nanny Wang ran to the lady’s side in a panic, explaining, “Madam, the Young Master took all the Yunwu tea with him a few days ago, so I brewed some Qishan black tea instead.”

At the mention of her son, Xu Manshuang’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. She asked, “Did Jixuan say when he would be back next?”

Nanny Wang shook her head helplessly. At that moment, the sound of the front door opening drifted in. Nanny Wang hurried over to check and found that it was indeed Zhou Jixuan. She called out to Xu Manshuang in surprise, “Madam, it’s the Young Master! He’s back!”

Xu Manshuang’s eyes lit up, and she stood up quickly to greet him. “Jixuan, you’re back? Why so early this time?”

At the door, a boy dressed in designer brands was changing his shoes. His expression was cold, and he gave no reaction whatsoever to Xu Manshuang’s words. Usually, when his father Zhou Sibo was present, Zhou Jixuan could play the role of the filial son. Now that his father was away, he didn’t want to give Xu Manshuang the time of day.

Xu Manshuang’s expression stiffened.

Nanny Wang quickly tried to smooth things over: “Did the Young Master leave something at home? Why didn’t you just call?”

Zhou Jixuan was brief: “Back to handle some business.”

Even though he answered the nanny, he refused to acknowledge Xu Manshuang, the mistress of the house. It was clear he held no respect for her.

“Ah, right, of course,” Nanny Wang said, breaking into a nervous sweat.

Xu Manshuang forced a smile again, changing the subject: “Jixuan, I saw you liked a pair of sneakers before, so I had someone buy them—”

Zhou Jixuan gave her a cold glance, his eyes flashing with undisguised loathing. “When did I ever admit you were my mother?”

As if ignoring her frozen smile, he dropped a sentence that stabbed straight at her heart: “Don’t go around claiming sons. Your son’s last name is Song, not Zhou.”

He turned and went upstairs.

Zhou Jixuan had always looked down on his stepmother, Xu Manshuang, and after a recent incident, his disdain had only grown. With this in mind, he remembered the purpose of his trip home.

Last night, while he was in his dormitory at A-University, he suddenly received a call from Song Ying. Zhou Jixuan had been tracking Song Ying’s movements and knew perfectly well that he had gone to Dong’an City to retake his senior year. However, he hadn’t paid much attention to him after that. Since Song Ying had failed the College Entrance Exam, he was, in Jixuan’s eyes, a loser with no competitive edge. There was no need to waste focus on a failure.

Song Ying’s voice on the phone was freezing: “Zhou Jixuan, you made me miss the National Exams; the debt between us is settled. Just how long do you plan to keep haunting me?”

Zhou Jixuan didn’t understand at first. “What do you mean ‘haunting’ you?” He paused, his gaze turning cold as he curled his lip. “Also, what do you mean I made you miss the exams? If you want to blame someone, you should blame Xu Manshuang. Why pin it on me?”

“I don’t want to argue about that. If you dare send people to follow me to Dong’an again, I won’t hesitate to return to Linjiang and tell Uncle Zhou everything. I don’t have much evidence, but over all these years, I’ve gathered enough.”

Song Ying’s warning came through the receiver with a ruthless, static edge, grasping the snake by its weakest point. “When that happens, your ‘perfect’ image in Uncle Zhou’s eyes will crumble to dust.”

Zhou Jixuan’s face turned pale instantly, and he gripped the phone tight. He feared nothing except disappointing his father. Zhou Sibo was grooming him as an heir and held him to extremely high standards—grades, morals, and conduct. To that end, Zhou Jixuan studied desperately; even in the elite Linjiang No. 2 High School, he remained at the top of the rankings. In front of his father, he could even swallow his disgust and act like a filial son toward Xu Manshuang.

But no matter what, Zhou Jixuan could never beat Song Ying academically. Finally, Song Ying hadn’t taken the exams this year. Then, out of nowhere, a guy named Ji Chenxiang appeared and forced Jixuan into second place again. Zhou Sibo had already expressed disappointment in his grades. If Song Ying revealed that Jixuan was the one instigating thugs behind the scenes, he couldn’t imagine how disappointed his father would be.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Zhou Jixuan snapped, though his voice wavered slightly with hidden fear.

Song Ying’s voice was icy. “Try me.”

However, after a moment of calm, Zhou Jixuan sneered. “Heh, let’s be real, Song Ying. If you actually had evidence, wouldn’t you have reported me long ago? What a coincidence that you’re ‘exposing’ it just now. Why should I believe you?”

Song Ying remained stern and calm. “I don’t care if you believe me. If you have the guts, then bet that Uncle Zhou won’t find out.”

The other side of the line went silent for a long time. Finally, Zhou Jixuan gritted his teeth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Since you went to Dong’an, other than checking your location once, I haven’t sent anyone to find trouble with you.”

“I don’t care if you sent them or not. Zhang Kun is your man, isn’t he? If he appears in front of me again, the recording of this call—and other evidence—will find its way onto Uncle Zhou’s desk.” After finishing, Song Ying hung up immediately.

Zhou Jixuan: “You—!”

Realizing he’d been hung up on, his face turned green with rage. Once he calmed down, he guessed that Zhang Kun and the others must have taken it upon themselves to harass Song Ying. To prevent Zhang Kun’s group from getting out and provoking Song Ying into exposing everything to his father—a terrifying scenario—Zhou Jixuan flew home from A-University overnight.

In his room, he unlocked a drawer at the bottom of his nightstand. Under a pile of books lay a phone. This phone was registered under someone else’s ID, used for things he’d rather keep hidden. He turned it on and called someone who could handle the situation. He instructed the person to make sure Zhang Kun and the others stayed in the detention center indefinitely to eliminate any future trouble.

After finishing, he called Song Ying back.

“Hello,” Song Ying answered after a few seconds.

Zhou Jixuan gripped the phone. “The people won’t be coming out again. You can delete the recording.”

Song Ying let out a short laugh. “Since they won’t be coming out, does it matter if I delete it or not?”

“You!” Jixuan gritted his teeth. “What do you mean by that?”

Song Ying: “Nothing. I’m not as despicable as you. This recording is just for self-protection. As long as you don’t come looking for trouble, I guarantee the recording won’t appear before Uncle Zhou.”

Just as Zhou Jixuan was about to speak, there was a knock on his door.

“Who is it?” he asked, frowning.

Xu Manshuang’s gentle, somewhat pleading voice came from outside. “Jixuan, it’s hot today. I sliced some fruit; do you want some?”

The disgust on Zhou Jixuan’s face was plain to see. “I don’t need any. Don’t disturb me.”

On the other end of the line, Song Ying heard this brief exchange clearly. His body stiffened, and the hand holding the phone trembled slightly. His heart hammered, accompanied by a sharp, stinging pain.

The woman on the other side was his biological mother, yet she was acting so warmly toward someone else’s child—even when that child gave her no thanks at all. It turned out that no matter how many times he told himself not to care, seeing this still made him want to cry.

Song Ying’s face went pale. He lowered his eyes, hiding the disappointment and sorrow within.

After dismissing Xu Manshuang, Zhou Jixuan noticed the phone was still connected but silent. He sneered, “Song Ying, you really are pathetic.”

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end. Suddenly, a voice spoke: “Zhou Jixuan, you’re pretty pathetic too.”

Click. The call ended.

Looking at the disconnected phone, Zhou Jixuan didn’t care much. After looking for trouble with Song Ying for so many years, he was getting bored. As for Song Ying’s words, he found them laughable.

He, the young master of the Zhou family and future heir to the Zhou Corporation—pathetic?

Heh, what a joke.