I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 542 - 536: An Old Friend Returns

Jiao Jiao’s college entrance exam was right around the corner, and the tension was palpable. She devoted herself to studying from dawn till dusk, and the teachers at school also paid her special attention in all subjects.

Zhou Hai no longer insisted that his daughter come home every day. As long as Qiao Qingyu and He Xiuyu didn’t mind, he let Jiao Jiao stay with the He Family, to be tutored by Qiao Qingyu. Although Jiao Jiao was already at the top of her class, Zhou Hai still wanted her to excel even further.

But just two days before the college entrance examination, Zhou Hai received a phone call.

The voice on the other end was somewhat hoarse, unfamiliar yet tinged with a trace of familiarity. For a moment, he didn’t react, instinctively asking, "Who is this?"

A light laugh came from the other end, seemingly laced with sarcasm and self-mockery, "Zhou Hai, you must have a short memory for important people. I am Zhang Zening."

Zhang Zening?

Zhou Hai’s mind went blank for a second, followed by a sinking feeling in his chest. He furrowed his brow, calculating the time. The man was already out of prison?

How did he get his home phone number?

His hand gripping the receiver tightened involuntarily, and his forehead began to twitch, small beads of sweat seeping out. freёnovelkiss.com

At that moment, just as Liu Ying was about to enter the study and speak, Zhou Hai stopped her with a fierce glare.

Such a look frightened Liu Ying stiff. She awkwardly stood at the threshold, unsure whether to enter or leave.

Leaving would be a loss of face, and the color drained from her face.

Biting her lip, an odd thought sprang up in her mind—could it be Zhou Zijiao’s biological mother on the other end of the phone?

For a moment, she was itching to rush over and listen to that woman’s voice.

She held herself back.

But the next moment, thinking that it was Zhou Hai’s ex-wife on the phone, Liu Ying felt extremely uncomfortable. Her other foot, which had been halted, stepped into the study without a second thought; she hurriedly approached Zhou Hai, and despite his dark countenance, said in a sweet voice, "Old Zhou, whose call is that? It’s time to eat, and all the kids are getting anxious..."

The person on the other end, Zhang Zening, instantly fell silent.

After a brief pause and a light chuckle, he cut to the chase crisply, "Zhou Hai, let’s meet. I have many questions waiting for you to answer."

Zhou Hai’s mouth opened, but he didn’t know what to say. Zhang Zening then asked, "Zhou Hai, will you and your wife come to Beijing, or should I look for you both at the Tenghai Research Base?"

Zhou Hai’s expression changed drastically. He absolutely couldn’t let Zhang Zening find the Tenghai Research Base. As for how Zhang got his home phone number, Zhou Hai no longer had time to consider.

The Zhou Family’s status was no longer what it once was. Now, at the slightest trouble, others were quick to kick them when they were down. Just yesterday, Brother Zhou had called to suggest he settle down and work at the Tenghai Research Base for a few years, and not to return to Beijing just yet, hinting that the situation in Beijing wasn’t favorable. However, Brother Zhou didn’t inform him that Zhang Zening was back.

Zhou Hai was somewhat annoyed; it had been too long—ten years— and he had indeed begun to forget about Zhang Zening.

Regardless, he had to see Zhang Zening.

If he hadn’t forgotten, that would have been better. But now, he was truly at a disadvantage.

Without a second thought, Zhou Hai said, "We’ll come to Beijing. Wait for us at the usual place."

Once the other end made a soft affirmative noise and hung up, Zhou Hai stood still, holding the phone. Beside him, Liu Ying frowned in displeasure and asked Zhou Hai, "Whose call was that? Where are you going, and with whom?"

Zhou Hai looked at Liu Ying beside him and said softly, "Let’s pack our things and go."

"Packing? What’s going on, Old Zhou? Talk to me, I’m completely confused..." Liu Ying was clearly upset, stamping her foot.

"Confused?" Zhou Hai looked at Liu Ying, his expression complex. "The call was from Zhang Zening. He’s been released from prison. He wants the two of us to go to Beijing."

Liu Ying’s face turned deathly pale, and she stood frozen in place, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

Qiao Qingyu genuinely hadn’t expected that, with only two days left until Jiao Jiao’s college entrance exam, Zhou Hai and Liu Ying would need to return to Beijing.

They said it was for something very, very important.

Liu Ying hadn’t come along, and Zhou Hai sat in the living room, his face somewhat flushed.

He was indeed embarrassed.

But he had to go back immediately because Zhang Zening was out.

He carefully calculated the time and realized it wasn’t that he had forgotten—it was that Zhang Zening’s release was earlier than expected.

He talked to Brother Zhou, who had also just found out and then discovered that Zhang Zening had been released early for merits. He was supposed to serve a full ten years, and though they said ten years, it was actually just nine.

But the incident was now eleven years past.

Other things had happened during this time.

Now, he didn’t even know Zhang Zening’s phone number, and his elder brother had no interest in dealing with Zhang anymore.

It was said that a senior member of the Ye Family was about to make a comeback.

The case of Ye Hongyuan’s parents was being re-examined, with rumors that someone had fabricated false evidence and wrongfully accused them.

Zhou Hai knew his brother was preoccupied. His father and brother had contributed significantly to that affair back then.

If the Ye Family truly rose again, the first to be targeted would likely be the Zhang Family. But the Zhang Family had now faded into the crowd, becoming very ordinary.

That included himself, who married Liu Ying. He was likely to bear the brunt of the anger by association.

Brother Zhou didn’t blame him but merely told him indifferently that since he had insisted on this path, he had to bear whatever the outcome was and not to be a laughingstock.

The underlying message, he didn’t dare to contemplate.

So he had to take Liu Ying back, even though he knew what questions Zhang Zening might ask. They indeed needed to resolve these issues face-to-face. But as for the so-called "issues," his mind was a chaotic mess.

He mustered a forced smile and explained to He Xiuyu and Qiao Qingyu, "It’s really too urgent, I can’t go into detail, but we have to leave tomorrow morning. Ruoruo will have just finished her exams, so I’ll take Ruoruo and Pengcheng with me. We’ll entrust Jiao Jiao to you. I’m really sorry, this favor—I’ll remember it for a lifetime."

He Xiuyu waved his hands dismissively, "Brother Zhou, don’t talk like that. If you have things to take care of, go ahead. If you trust us, you can leave the kids here."

"Trust? Of course, I trust you. These kids have bothered you for some time, and I remember it well," Zhou Hai replied, and then he offered many kind words.

His usually stiff spine bent a little today. Qiao Qingyu watched from the side, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

It was hard to say what kind of person Zhou Hai was.

She was very curious what sort of earth-shattering event had transpired.