Chapter 3

At that time, they were drinking beer and chatting animatedly at the roadside stall. Xiao Wu got a bit tipsy later on, while Tong Yehui became increasingly clear-headed as he drank. In the end, he said to Xiao Wu: "Xiao Wu, I can't just drift through life like this. I want to achieve something and live well, better than many others. When I work for someone else, it's to learn something. In the future, I want to start my own trading company."

Tong Yehui returned to discuss with Xiao Wu. At that time, they both knew that the company could not be saved. With the collapse of the company, it was inevitable that someone would take the fall. In the office, their eyes met at a critical moment, and they abruptly stopped the conversation, remaining silent thereafter. They then tacitly parted ways to transfer funds and destroy evidence. They watched helplessly as Han Sheng was sent to prison, the only thing they did was to clear themselves in court, stating that all the wrongdoing was committed by Han Sheng. It was Han Sheng who evaded taxes; she was the legal representative and the CEO of the company, and all decisions were made by her. Yet, Han Sheng had no one to hire a lawyer for her, and she honestly pleaded guilty. They then tacitly parted ways to transfer funds and destroy evidence. They watched helplessly as Han Sheng was sent to prison, the only thing they did was to clear themselves in court, stating that all the wrongdoing was committed by Han Sheng. It was Han Sheng who evaded taxes; she was the legal representative and the CEO of the company, and all decisions were made by her. Yet, Han Sheng had no one to hire a lawyer for her, and she honestly pleaded guilty. Xiao Wu usually looked down on Han Sheng. Throughout their lives, he and Tong Yehui had often ridiculed and plotted against her in private. However, since the incident and Han Sheng's imprisonment, they had not discussed her at all for many years.

Later, after they had been operating their stall for half a year, Tong Yehui found a way to source goods, specializing in leftover orders from foreign trade. Although the inventory was incomplete, the quality and styles were good. With Huan Sheng's enthusiastic promotion, their business truly flourished. However, just as they were preparing to expand and set up another stall, Tong Yehui suddenly quit. He went out to work for someone else, taking a job at a trade import and export company, where he performed various tasks, served tea, and occasionally organized documents, earning a salary of less than 1,000 yuan, and continued this for a year. Just as they were preparing to expand and set up another stall, Tong Yehui suddenly quit. He went out to work for someone else, taking a job at a trade import and export company, where he performed various tasks, served tea, and occasionally organized documents, earning a salary of less than 1,000 yuan, and continued this for a year.

In a haze of drunkenness, Xiao Wu saw two flames burning in Tong Yehui's eyes. With a slurred tongue, he asked, "Starting a company requires capital; our stall is only worth at most twenty thousand at best." Tong Yehui did not respond, instead finishing the bottle of liquor in silence, his gaze fixed on the distance, the fire in his eyes growing ever more intense.

Tong Yehui stood at the door, not daring to enter. He was unsure if Han Sheng was in a deep sleep. The way she slept looked rather pitiful, and he wanted to go in and help her change her position, but he was afraid of disturbing her. He was somewhat afraid of her. Throughout his journey, he had always found ways to cope, always fearless and unafraid, but when it came to the current Han Sheng, he felt a sense of fear because he owed her too much.

She had neither bathed nor changed her clothes, and her wounds had not been properly treated before she went to sleep. Tong Yehui knew in his heart that he had been occupying the bathroom, and Han Sheng did not want to have any contact with him. Exhausted, she simply fell asleep like that

Tong Yehui had a childhood friend named Xiao Wu, who came from a large family and faced difficulties. They had been close since childhood. After graduating from high school, Tong Yehui enrolled in a vocational college but lacked the motivation to study. Xiao Wu was in the same situation, and the two of them decided to start a stall together. They pooled some money to import jeans from Guangzhou to sell at the night market. At that time, Han Sheng had also graduated from high school without any further education. Knowing that Tong Yehui and Xiao Wu were setting up a stall, she asked her mother for 2,000 yuan to invest in their venture. The three of them, all under twenty, worked together passionately every day, seemingly enjoying a wonderful friendship. However, the bond was truly strong between Xiao Wu and Tong Yehui; they brought Han Sheng along primarily for her investment of 2,000 yuan and her loud voice to attract customers at the night market.

Since childhood, Han Sheng's mother rarely cared for her. She was not a quiet child; every day she would play foolishly in the yard, drawn to any place where people were gathered. When she saw adults, she did not call out to them but instead spoke nonsensical things. For some reason, she became disliked by others. Adults loved to gossip, and the children, having heard the gossip, were unwilling to play with her.

Tong Yehui sat in the darkness, his thoughts flickering back and forth, the expression in his eyes dimming and brightening. After much mental strain and repeated contemplation, he finally fell into a state of confusion and drowsiness.

In the days of prosperity, Tong Yehui's life was marred by the presence of Han Sheng, a foolish woman. As the legal representative of the company, she was regarded as the boss. She took great pride in the fact that Tong Yehui was her boyfriend, boasting about it to others, which led Tong Yehui's friends to know that he had risen to success through a woman, leaving him feeling humiliated. Behind closed doors, she often brought up the fact that she had taken money from her mother, which saddened him, as he feared he would never be able to face his mother again. Although she did not overtly use this matter to control him, her frequent reminders made him feel that she was intentionally playing tricks to keep him aware of her favors. The lack of genuine feelings between them, over time, only led to his growing annoyance.

After sitting and resting for a while, a gentle breeze wafted in from outside the window, finally bringing a hint of coolness. Tong Yehui felt somewhat more comfortable; he believed he had been working for quite some time. However, the sounds of children running and shouting outside continued to intermittently reach his ears, making it a bit unclear what time it was. He raised his wrist to take a look and discovered that it had just barely passed 9 o'clock.

Although Tong Yehui and his companions were engaged in the work of setting up stalls, they were nonetheless considered bosses, earning several thousand yuan a month. With a decent income and no one to answer to, Xiao Wu could not understand how Tong Yehui could simply decide to stop working. He went to find Tong Yehui, hoping to persuade him to return.

Tong Yehui and Han Sheng studied at the same school since childhood. He was aware that Han Sheng was notoriously disliked in their courtyard, and he did not have a favorable opinion of her. However, for reasons unknown to him, Han Sheng liked to cling to him. Tong Yehui had a difficult childhood, living with his father, lacking food and clothing, while Han Sheng had never experienced such shortages. Her mother always provided well for her in terms of food, clothing, and pocket money. During that time, Tong Yehui would deceive her, initially for small treats and pocket money, and as they grew older, he would coax Han Sheng into cleaning his room and doing his laundry. Over the years, he became accustomed to a mix of genuine and deceptive manipulation, meandering through many years.

He gently turned off the living room light and slowly sat back on the sofa in the darkness. In the quiet of the night, he was lost in thought. Regret was a hurdle for him, Tong Yehui. He owed her an unquantifiable debt. If left unattended, she would forever be a thorn in his back, a bone in his throat. He wished to repay her so that he could live a clear and unburdened life from then on

Tong Yehui has ascended to his position by stepping on the exploitation and betrayal of a woman, a path that is far from honorable. For many years, he has contemplated that every prominent individual who rises to power does so with a clean slate. He thought it would be best to let it go, to forget that chapter and live his life well. Yet, there remains a small flicker of conscience in his heart, and as time passes, it only intensifies, making him feel increasingly uncomfortable.

A small light was on in the living room outside, as if it had been left on specifically for him. The light in the kitchen had already been turned off. He dragged his feet to the front of the sofa and collapsed onto it, feeling truly exhausted after the day's turmoil

Tong Yehui harbored little affection for Han Sheng, but a great deal of guilt. The only thing that left a deep impression on him over the past decade and more was the sight of Han Sheng's hunched figure in the courtroom. She never once turned her head during the several hearings, and throughout it all, they never exchanged a single word. In Tong Yehui's memory, it seemed like it was the first time she sat so quietly for such a long time. Only that figure made his heart ache for a moment, but it was merely a fleeting feeling. They never exchanged a single word throughout it all, and in Tong Yehui's memory, it seemed like it was the first time she sat so quietly for such a long time. Only that figure made his heart ache for a moment, but it was merely a fleeting feeling.

Tong Yehui has never thought highly of Han Sheng. Han Sheng has always been somewhat round and chubby; when he was younger, one could say he was cute, but as he grew older, he became less attractive. While being unattractive is not the main issue, the key problem is that Han Sheng is a bit simple-minded. To say he is simple-minded sounds somewhat pleasant, but in reality, he is rather inexplicably foolish.

Tong Yehui has been a person who can endure and conceal matters since childhood. His emotions are rarely discernible on his face. The two-bedroom, one-living room apartment spans about seventy to eighty square meters. There is no air conditioning inside, and although it is already dark outside, there is not a hint of coolness. He sweeps each of the three rooms in turn and then mops them, quickly breaking into a sweat. He has endured hardships in his early years, but since his rise to success, he has lived a life of comfort and luxury. The old house, which has been sunbaked all day, feels as hot as a sauna. Soon, the sweat dripping from his forehead threatens to obscure his vision, yet he reveals nothing on his face. After finishing the mopping, he dives straight into the bathroom.

Tong Yehui considers himself a decisive and straightforward person. He understands that debts must be repaid, yet he does not hold any respect for Han Sheng, and even now, he does not think highly of her. Repaying a debt to someone he looks down upon feels insincere, and such a repayment would likely be merely for show. Ultimately, he is just seeking to live comfortably.

The bathroom, like the kitchen, is one of the most difficult areas to clean. Tong Yehui was meticulous in his scrubbing inside. By the time he finally felt satisfied and emerged, he already had a slight feeling of exhaustion.

Both bedrooms were dark. Tong Yehui did not find her in Han Sheng's original bedroom; the single bed that used to be hers was empty, with only a bare mattress on it. In the other bedroom, there was a large bed covered with a cooling mat, where Han Sheng was sleeping. He had not changed his clothes, and a towel was draped over his stomach, bunched up and hanging precariously at the edge of the bed.

Not long after, Tong Yehui suddenly clarified her relationship with Han Sheng, and the two began to date in a seemingly proper manner. Later, Han Sheng stole her mother's retirement savings, giving Tong Yehui a savings book worth 500,000. Within a month, Tong Yehui established her own trading company, although the legal representative was Han Sheng and Xiao Wu served as the finance officer.

The room was eerily quiet, as if enveloped in a layer of tranquil stillness. Tong Yehui turned his head, searching for Huan Sheng. The layout of the old house was simple, with one wall of the living room directly facing the doors of the two bedrooms.

Then came a sudden change in the situation. After all, they were young back then and acted somewhat impulsively, with a shallow foundation. They encroached on others' businesses and blocked their financial paths. City B is under the emperor's feet, and it is easy to see how everything is interconnected among officials. Moreover, during that time, which trading company had a completely clean ledger? Those with power could easily target them. Fortunately, Tong Yehui was adept at handling people, and when the critical moment arrived, someone ambiguously shared some information with him. However, by then, the situation was already beyond salvage.

Regrettably, Shan Sheng stole her mother's money and could not return home, which coincidentally allowed her to live openly with Tong Yehui. During those two years, they were young and motivated, and Tong Yehui was truly intelligent and prosperous; their life was indeed splendid.