Chapter 35: A Wealthy Man

After seeing Li Pingsheng out, Xing Haotian wanted to go upstairs and apologize to Wei Zi, but he felt a bit awkward. After a moment’s thought, he went to the study and accessed his authorization to pull up the breathing techniques for Tai Chi. He began drafting a personalized training regimen for her. If Wei Zi could stay committed, her physical constitution would improve significantly; if she executed it with total dedication, reaching the limits of human physical potential was not entirely impossible.

Such a plan required not only standard exercise protocols but also the support of various spiritual herbs and mystical fruits. Xing Haotian had practically exhausted all his available resources for this.

Meanwhile, back in Xing Haotian’s bedroom, Wei Zi opened her communicator to check her messages.

"Where on earth did you go? Your father came by earlier. Are you okay?" Zhou Xiaoya’s tone was filled with confusion; clearly, she did not know what had transpired. When Wei Zi’s father arrived and couldn't find her, he looked furious. "Oh, I’m worried sick! Answer me!"

The subsequent messages were all from Zhou Xiaoya, but since Wei Zi hadn't responded, there was little she could do. She eventually resorted to sending a message every hour, and later, every few hours. This was understandable, as Wei Zi had only been missing for a day, and Zhou Xiaoya wasn't certain if she was truly in danger.

*Ding-dong!* Another message came through—it was Zhou Xiaoya again.

Wei Zi smiled, tapped on Zhou Xiaoya’s profile, and initiated a video call.

"Wei Zi, why are you only answering now? What happened? You left me at the hospital yesterday!" Zhou Xiaoya complained frantically. While she was venting about Wei Zi’s behavior, it was clear she was worried, even if she didn't want to admit it directly.

"I went home to get some money, but I ended up overhearing my father and He Xiaohe plotting to harm me!" Wei Zi didn't intend to hide the truth from Zhou Xiaoya. After all, it was a fact, and she needed a friend to vent to—to use Zhou Xiaoya as a sounding board to release ten years of pent-up bitterness.

"What? How could they do that?" After hearing Wei Zi’s account, Zhou Xiaoya was shocked beyond words. She patted her chest and said, "Thank goodness you left. If they had caught you, it would have been over! Where have you been the last two days? Do you want to come stay with me? You look like you’re at someone else’s house."

"Yes, I’m at a friend’s place. It’s very safe, don’t worry," Wei Zi replied.

"Which friend? Do I know them?"

"They’re in the military, but their identity is a bit sensitive, so I can’t disclose it. It’s very safe, though!"

"If it’s a soldier, that’s reliable enough. But you know what they say—soldiers can be quite repressed. Is he just after your beauty?" Zhou Xiaoya teased with a giggle.

Wei Zi mentally gave her a thumbs-up. Zhou Xiaoya had actually guessed right!

"Alright, I won't talk for now. Let’s catch up another day!" Afraid she might accidentally reveal too much, Wei Zi hastily said goodbye and ended the call.

Next, she began listening to the other messages.

"Wei Zi, where are you? Dad heard you were scared, so I came to pick you up!" This message was sent during the period when Wei Dongming couldn't find her at Zhou Xiaoya’s place. Because the call wouldn't go through, he had left a string of voice messages. Half an hour later, his tone turned into a rage.

"Wei Zi, you have some nerve! Daring to strike your aunt—have you lost your mind? You ungrateful brat born of a woman who didn't raise you right! Get back here immediately, or don't ever step foot in this house again. Come back and apologize to your aunt!"

Of course, Wei Zi had no intention of apologizing.

Perhaps sensing that the previous voice message was too harsh and might scare her away, Wei Dongming’s subsequent messages shifted to a cajoling, persuasive tone. Wei Zi sneered coldly, her eyes flashing with anger. It was true she wasn't raised by her mother—her mother was dead, so how could He Xiaohe have possibly raised her?

As for He Xiaohe, she also played the hypocrite, fearing Wei Zi wouldn't show up. Wei Zi knew with certainty that He Xiaohe hadn't said a single kind word about her to Wei Dongming; she had likely been weeping and playing the victim, otherwise, Wei Dongming would never have said such vile things.

"Wei Zi, I know you’ve always hated me, but I am your aunt after all. How could you treat me like this? Come back; I won't hold it against you. It’s already late, and it’s dangerous outside!"

*It’s only dangerous if I go back!* Frost flickered in Wei Zi’s eyes, and the temperature around her seemed to drop.

Finally, there were the accusations and curses from Wei Qing and Wei Xuan.

Wei Qing, like her mother, was a two-faced schemer who loved to play the damsel in distress. She was attractive, but her heart was the darkest and her hands the cruelest. Since they were ten, she had been cutting up Wei Zi’s dresses, throwing away her notebooks, or staging falls to frame Wei Zi in front of Wei Dongming.

In contrast, Wei Xuan had a blunt personality. Unlike Wei Dongming or He Xiaohe, she didn't plot; she simply hit and cursed at Wei Zi whenever she felt like it.

A year ago, Wei Xuan had become a practitioner and enrolled in the Department of Mystical Arts at the Imperial First Academy. She had once beaten Wei Zi so severely that Wei Zi was terrified to return home during holidays, fearing further violence.

However, Wei Zi listened to Wei Xuan’s curses with a sense of grim satisfaction.

"Wei Zi, you slut! You dare cut my mother’s hair? Just wait until you come back; I’ll make you wish you were dead!"

"You trash, you bitch! When you come back, I’ll knock your teeth out. If you have the guts, stay away from me forever."

"Who do you think you are? Your mother was nothing but a homewrecker. You’re just an illegitimate daughter—you’re nothing! How dare you strike my mother? Just wait. Once I find you, I’ll have eighteen men take turns with you!"

"Hahahaha!" Wei Zi laughed heartily. The sound of Wei Xuan’s frantic, enraged voice flowing from the communicator made Wei Zi feel as though she could see her fuming with rage.

The knocked-out teeth and the shorn hair couldn't be instantly healed by medical equipment, which made Wei Zi truly happy.

Still feeling that it wasn't enough, Wei Zi took a photo of herself, striking a beautiful and innocent pose, and sent it to Wei Qing.

"I’m doing great. Yesterday, I met a wealthy man on the street who bought me a new dress from the SDFAF collection—it costs over seventy thousand, apparently. Sigh, where else can you find a man like this? I’ve decided not to come home until after my birthday. Don't worry about me!" Wei Zi said happily into her communicator.