Chapter Sixty-Two: A War Among Women

Zhang Can’s mind went blank, nearly blacking out for a moment—he couldn’t think of anything at all. Zhou Nan’s words had left him utterly confused! He wasn’t someone especially bound by tradition; everyone wants to find a woman who belongs to them alone, but in today’s world, is that even possible? Such an idea is even more far-fetched than a fantasy. He’d been in Jin City for over three years and had his share of wild nights; he didn’t take these things too seriously. He’d always believed that unless you went looking in a kindergarten, you’d never find a truly pure woman. Yet standing before him, Zhou Nan made him believe that miracles still existed in this world—and Liu Xiaoqin must be that kind of girl too. This was an excruciating headache. Before, he just wanted to marry a decent woman and settle down. Now, all of a sudden, there were two—both extraordinarily beautiful—and instead of feeling lucky, Zhang Can felt only a throbbing pain in his head.

Zhou Nan poured out everything she’d been holding back, her eyes fixed on Zhang Can. Seeing him in a daze, she felt a little relieved. It seemed Zhang Can didn't dislike her after all; maybe it was just his pride acting up, or maybe he was so happy to hear her confess her feelings that he’d turned foolish. Zhou Nan had never underestimated her own charm. Men had once slit their wrists for her, others had sworn they’d marry no one else. Zhou Nan had never softened—if she didn’t like you, no matter what you did, she wouldn’t shed a single tear, wouldn’t be moved. She always trusted her heart; only if she liked someone would she accept them, and no one could sway her.

There was a rattle at the door’s lock. Both Zhang Can and Zhou Nan turned to look. Zhou Nan cocked her head and asked, “Is your sister back?” Zhang Can nodded, then shook his head. Zhou Nan’s casual reference to “your sister” was so natural it made her sound like she belonged to the family.

Zhou Nan laughed, exasperated. “Well, is she or isn’t she? What exactly are you—” Before she could finish, the door opened and two girls entered, one after the other.

Zhou Nan had been about to greet her as “sister,” but seeing two girls come in, she was startled and glanced at Zhang Can. He seemed evasive, and she immediately sensed trouble.

It was, of course, Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoqin. Both carried bags—some with daily necessities, some with groceries. The two entered, chatting and laughing, but stopped short when they saw, aside from Zhang Can, a particularly beautiful and stylish girl in the living room. Both were suddenly stunned.

Zhou Nan was also taken aback. No matter how much she’d imagined, she never thought that besides his sister, there would be another girl here. Suddenly, everything made sense—no wonder Zhang Can had refused to bring her home when they’d run into each other on the street.

Zhang Can’s headache intensified. He sat down abruptly, crossing his legs. Well, Liu Xiaoqin would be easy enough to deal with; Zhou Nan would be trickier, but he had never promised her anything. He’d always kept his distance, never once hinting at that kind of interest. Thinking this, a sense of calm returned.

The three girls exchanged glances, eyes filled with suspicion.

“Who are you? Are you my second brother’s colleague or a friend?” Zhang Hua was the first to break the silence.

Zhou Nan’s heart skipped a beat—not because of the question, but because it confirmed Zhang Hua was Zhang Can’s sister. The other girl, quiet and gentle, was so lovely it could tug at anyone’s heartstrings. Zhou Nan grew anxious.

But Zhou Nan recovered quickly, smiling as she answered, “My name is Zhou Nan. You’re Zhang Can’s sister, right? Pleased to meet you!”

Naturally, Zhou Nan was more calculating than Zhang Hua. She didn’t reveal her relationship with Zhang Can, but instead tried to draw Zhang Hua out. Zhang Hua was clearly a simple, honest girl—easy to mislead.

Zhang Hua nodded. “Hello, I’m Zhang Hua. Zhang Can is my second brother. And you are…?”

Zhou Nan didn’t answer, but instead asked, “Xiaohua, and this is…?”

“Oh, her?” Zhang Hua replied, “She’s my sister-in-law, Liu Xiaoqin. We’ve only just arrived in Jin City.”

Zhou Nan’s heart trembled at the word “sister-in-law,” stabbing her deeply. Forcing herself to speak, she asked, “Oh, Xiaohua, is she your elder brother’s wife? Where is your elder brother?”

Zhang Hua giggled. “No, my other sister-in-law isn’t as pretty as Xiaoqin. She’s my second brother’s wife!”

Zhou Nan’s face turned pale as she glanced at Zhang Can, who looked unconcerned, gazing around the room. A sharp pain twisted in her heart—she nearly burst into tears.

So he’d been lying to her. On the street, she had asked him whether he was married or had a girlfriend, and hadn’t Zhang Can clearly told her he didn’t?

Zhang Hua, oblivious to Zhou Nan’s reaction, was simply marveling at Zhou Nan’s beauty. She had thought Liu Xiaoqin was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen—certainly, back home, there was no one prettier. Yet she hadn’t expected to meet someone even more stunning.

Liu Xiaoqin was different. She was clever, educated, and had seen much more of the world than Zhang Hua. She took in every shift of Zhou Nan’s expression and noted that Zhou Nan was equally observant of her. Seeing Zhou Nan’s devastated look, Liu Xiaoqin grew uneasy—could there be something between her and Zhang Can?

If there was, she had no idea what to do.

The more Liu Xiaoqin thought about it, the more convinced she became. Since arriving in Jin City, Zhang Can had been cold and distant, eager to send her away. Unless there was another woman in his life, why would he treat her so? She had assumed he was still angry about her deceit, never suspecting there might be someone else. Of course, she didn’t want to think in that direction.

“Ha…” Zhang Can stood up, yawned, and headed toward his room, saying, “I’m tired. Going to bed.”

If he didn’t escape now, then when? Besides, this might be for the best—if he infuriated Zhou Nan enough to make her leave, it would finally put an end to her hopes. Zhou Nan, though calculating, was still a good woman. She had been born into a family that made ordinary life impossible, just as children born to royalty seldom lived the lives they truly wished.

What Zhang Can didn’t expect was that once he left, both Zhou Nan and Liu Xiaoqin calmed down. With him present, emotions would have run higher, but in his absence, they both regained their composure. Neither would yield an inch.

Zhou Nan now knew Liu Xiaoqin was Zhang Can’s woman, but she didn’t know the details. She needed to get more out of her. Liu Xiaoqin, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out Zhou Nan’s relationship with Zhang Can. So the two sat quietly.

Sensing the tension, Zhang Hua slapped her thigh. “Oh! I’ll go make some tea!”

Now only Liu Xiaoqin and Zhou Nan were left, facing each other. Each silently admired the other’s beauty.

“Miss Zhou, are you… Zhang Can’s colleague?” Liu Xiaoqin glanced at Zhang Hua making tea in the dining area, then asked quietly.

Zhou Nan shook her head, staring at Liu Xiaoqin so intently it made her uneasy. After a moment, Zhou Nan stood up. “Excuse me, I need the restroom.”

“Oh, it’s over there. There’s one in the bedroom too,” Liu Xiaoqin pointed to the bathroom off the living room.

Zhou Nan thanked her as she walked away. She paused by the bathroom door, smiled and shook her head, then continued toward the bedrooms. The master bedroom, where Zhang Can slept, was tightly closed—she’d seen him go in just now. Zhou Nan peeked into another room, judging from the decor that it belonged to Zhang Hua, then stepped into a third room. This one was simply decorated, with a faint scent of perfume and neat furnishings. Inspecting the pillow, Zhou Nan found a long hair—over a foot in length—clearly Liu Xiaoqin’s. Zhang Hua’s hair was much shorter, cut to her chin, while Liu Xiaoqin wore hers long.

Having found her answer, Zhou Nan returned to the living room, sat down, and looked at Liu Xiaoqin. Then she said calmly, “Miss Liu, may I ask—are you really Zhang Can’s wife, Zhang Hua’s sister-in-law?”

“What?” Liu Xiaoqin was startled, not understanding Zhou Nan’s meaning. After a moment, she realized and bit her lip, hesitating. To say she was Zhang Can’s wife wasn’t true—they weren’t married, not even engaged. Zhang Can had run off because she’d deceived him. Thinking back, she regretted not telling him everything from the start. Had she done so, Zhang Can wouldn’t have ignored her father’s illness, and he certainly wouldn’t be treating her so coldly now.

Hesitating, Liu Xiaoqin realized Zhou Nan was trying to sound her out. She bit her lip, unwilling to back down, and was about to claim she was.

But Zhou Nan cut her off. “Alright, you don’t have to answer. I understand. Let me ask you something else. If Zhang Can loves me, would you cling to him and refuse to let go?”

Liu Xiaoqin’s face went deathly pale. She froze.

She knew her own situation. Zhang Can might not love her, but he was a good man—of this she was certain. Coming to Jin City, she’d been ready to give her life to him, ready to love him wholeheartedly. She hadn’t expected that, in just a few days, she’d fall genuinely in love with Zhang Can. But her feelings didn’t mean Zhang Can would love her in return.

Zhou Nan now had a clear sense of things. In terms of cunning, Liu Xiaoqin was no match. A few probing questions had revealed that her relationship with Zhang Can was not as simple as Zhang Hua had claimed. After extracting this information, Zhou Nan cut off Liu Xiaoqin’s chance to retort, burying her indignation before it could surface. The full nature of their relationship could be teased out later—Zhang Hua was an easy target.

Liu Xiaoqin bit her lip, feeling miserable. In this silent war with Zhou Nan, she was clearly at a disadvantage, mostly because she had no hold on Zhang Can’s heart. She made up her mind: if Zhang Can loved someone else—even this beautiful woman before her—she would accept it. She owed Zhang Can a debt of gratitude, one she would repay however she could. But she couldn’t let her feelings show, because Zhang Can hated feeling like she was only there to repay him. She could only stay by his side because she loved him.

The two girls sat silently for a while. Liu Xiaoqin, defeated, lowered her head, not daring to meet Zhou Nan’s eyes.

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Nan’s face. She was glad she had resisted the urge to storm out. This girl was no match for her. Now she just needed to decide what her next move would be. The key was to get the truth about Zhang Can and Liu Xiaoqin’s relationship from Zhang Hua; Zhang Hua would never lie. Still, the relationship was clearly complicated—something even Zhang Hua or Zhang Can’s parents might not know. She needed to figure it out. Only by knowing her enemy as well as herself could she be sure of victory.