Chapter 12: I Bow to You

“C-Can I come in and speak?” Yang Hua stumbled backward in panic, her voice trembling and stammering.

Chen Fan stepped aside, making a path for her.

Once she entered, he slammed the door shut with a heavy thud.

The loud bang sent chills down Yang Hua’s spine, her hair standing on end.

Chen Fan looked down at the trembling Miss Yang with a furrowed brow, impatience in his voice. “Don’t waste time. Just say what you want.”

Yang Hua tilted her head up to face Chen Fan’s disdainful and indifferent expression. An invisible weight pressed down on her heart.

She hadn’t slept all night, carefully preparing a letter of apology to soften Chen Fan.

But when confronted with him in person, the overwhelming pressure made her carefully crafted words freeze on her tongue.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke sincerely, “Chen Fan, I admit I went too far bullying you back in middle school, and I understand you’re forcing me to repay the money as revenge for that. But I’m willing to apologize for my past mistakes. As long as you stop pushing me for the money, whatever you want me to do or how you want me to apologize, I’ll agree.”

Chen Fan looked down on her coldly and sneered, “If apologies worked, why would we need the law? The past is the past. Now the evidence of your stealing is undeniable. I’m just dealing with the facts. Don’t mix things up. Like I said, if you don’t pay back all the money by the end of the month, we’ll see each other at the station.”

Seeing Chen Fan utterly uncompromising and ruthless, Yang Hua panicked.

Suddenly, she collapsed to her knees. “Chen Fan, can’t I just pay you back? It’s not that I won’t, I just don’t have that much money now. If you can give me some more time, I promise to pay everything back. Please, show mercy and give me a chance!”

Chen Fan froze in place.

Damn, I haven’t even made my move yet, and Yang Hua’s already kneeling!

With her usual temper, she should’ve been fighting me to the death.

When did she become this submissive?

Chen Fan’s gaze shifted to Yang Hua’s stomach.

Could it be that she’s pregnant with that little punk’s child?

Is that why she can’t pay back the money yet and is willing to swallow her pride to beg me?

If that’s true, this is going to be interesting!

But Yang Hua felt nothing but humiliation.

She’d been spoiled by her parents and elder brother all her life—whenever trouble arose, it was always them who handled it. She’d never had to beg.

And now, she was begging Chen Fan—the very person she’d bullied since childhood.

Yet, thinking about how the money could help her boyfriend through this crisis, that humiliation suddenly felt worth it.

Seeing Chen Fan’s contemptuous expression, Yang Hua bit her lip, suppressing her grievances. “Chen Fan, if you agree to my conditions, I’ll kowtow to you—one hundred times if you want!”

Just as Yang Hua was about to prostrate herself, Chen Fan turned on his heel and strode upstairs without looking back. “If you’ve done wrong, you accept the punishment. Kowtow a thousand times all you want—it won’t help!”

“Chen Fan, are you trying to kill me? We may not be blood-related, but I’m still your sister. Can’t you just give me a chance?”

“You say we’re not related by blood. Why should I give you any chance? Either you pay back the money, or you go to jail. Make your choice.”

“Aaah... Chen Fan, damn you!” Desperate, Yang Hua knelt on the floor, furious.

She was about to unleash her spoiled heiress tantrum, reaching for something nearby to smash on the ground.

At the stairway, Chen Fan made a dramatic about-face, pointing at two surveillance cameras on the wall. “Hey, look up. If you have money, feel free to smash the store’s stuff. You’ll just pay for it. But if you don’t, and you dare to mess things up, I’ll have you locked up for good!”

Holding a jar of preserved fruit, Yang Hua suddenly noticed the two previously unseen cameras.

Full of rage, she could only turn red-faced, suppress her anger, put the jar back, then stomp the floor fiercely.

Staring at the empty stairway, she tried to calm her simmering fury. After hesitating, she gritted her teeth and hurried upstairs.

***

In the second-floor bedroom.

“Heh heh heh…” Chen Fan, lying on the bed, grinned widely, amused by Yang Hua’s frantic, helpless demeanor.

Just now, she looked pitiful and fragile, begging for mercy.

But in both past and present lives, Yang Hua was arrogant and disrespectful towards his parents, often cursing them without a shred of respect.

As the youngest in the family, Chen Fan was her preferred target for bullying and framing.

In short, she was completely lawless in the Chen household.

Yang Hua’s confidence came not only from being spoiled by her family’s bad habits.

Mainly, it stemmed from Chen Fan’s eldest sister, Chen Ya, having married into the Yang family eight years ago and still being unable to conceive.

This caused Yang Hua’s parents to treat the Chen family with disdain, showing no warmth either in private encounters or during festivals, often laced with sarcastic remarks.

Chen Fan’s parents, out of guilt for Chen Ya’s childlessness, always chose to yield.

This emboldened Yang Hua to imitate her parents’ arrogance and become increasingly domineering in the Chen household.

If Chen Fan didn’t have a hold on her, this woman would be trampling all over him today.

She would never have knelt so humbly just now.

“Yang Hua, Yang Hua… never thought I’d see the day you’d kneel to me. Heh heh heh…” Chen Fan glanced at the blacked-out computer screen.

The entire scene of Yang Hua begging was recorded.

Knowing he had more dirt on her lifted the dark cloud that had hung over him all morning after being overshadowed by Tan Ya.

His mood soared sky-high.

Outside the bedroom door.

Yang Hua watched Chen Fan lying on the bed, laughing foolishly. A wave of humiliation and frustration washed over her.

Taking a deep breath, she knelt by the bed with tear-filled eyes. “Chen Fan, I truly know I was wrong. Please forgive me.

Last night, your sister was scolded by my parents over the child issue. If I hadn’t intervened, she’d have been yelled at all night. Can’t you give me a chance for helping your sister?”

The smile on Chen Fan’s face faded. “Heh… Yang Hua, you help me now only because you have no choice. Why didn’t you help earlier when I had the evidence of your crimes? After my sister married into your family, hasn’t she treated you well? Haven’t your parents and brother spoiled you like crazy? You only realize your mistake now because you’re facing disaster. Too late!”

Yang Hua’s face flushed red and pale repeatedly as her suppressed anger surged again. “Chen, must you be so heartless? Are you really determined to give me no chance? If you keep pushing me, your sister won’t have it easy either!”

Chen Fan, unruffled by the threat, smirked and looked coldly down at the kneeling Yang Hua. His eyes darkened. “Yang Hua, I’m warning you—if you dare say a word against my sister after you leave, or if you cause her trouble with your parents, I swear I’ll give the police your stealing evidence and release the footage of you begging on the internet. It’ll spread all over the county.

You won’t just go to jail—you’ll know what it’s like to wish you were dead. Your entire Yang family will never be able to hold their heads high here again!”

Yang Hua instantly paled and collapsed in a heap.

She forgot about the downstairs cameras; everything from the moment she entered had been recorded.

Meeting Chen Fan’s beastlike cold, merciless gaze, a wave of helplessness swept over her.

“You have two choices now: pay the money back by month’s end, or go to jail and ruin your reputation.”

Chen Fan withdrew his gaze, picked up the comic beside him, and ignored the soul-crushed Yang Hua.

Overwhelmed and uncertain, Yang Hua hesitated briefly before seemingly making a resolution.

She quickly took off her coat, revealing a black low-cut camisole beneath.

Her chest trembled slightly, subtly quivering.

Hearing the movement, Chen Fan curiously put down his comic.

The next moment, Yang Hua suddenly climbed into bed and hugged him tightly, covering his mouth!

“My first kiss!” Chen Fan exclaimed, pushing her away with wide eyes. “Wait… just for three thousand yuan, you’re willing to sacrifice yourself?”

Yang Hua bit her lip and nodded. “My girlfriends in society say for someone my age, the first time is worth at most three thousand. So just think of this as a transaction—I’m still worth that much.”

Chen Fan was thunderstruck.

What kind of friends does Yang Hua have that she’d hear about this? He wanted to meet them!

Wait…

Yang Hua said she’s still worth three thousand, meaning she’s still a virgin.

Chen Fan stared in disbelief at her tear-streaked face, already prepared to make the sacrifice and deal.

His eyes flickered with doubt.

If she’s still untouched, then the frequent stealing wasn’t to pay for an abortion.

Damn, he had jumped to the worst conclusion.

Chen Fan gripped her soft hand as she tried to pull his pants open, suppressing his rising anger and forcing himself to stay calm.

***

Yang Hua was momentarily stunned.

Did Chen Fan not like this?

But he had already stood up.

Or was it that he had no feelings for her?

Yang Hua suddenly froze, nearly forgetting that in movies there’s always foreplay before anything real happens.

Though reluctant, a small spark of excitement flickered inside her.

Blushing, she lowered her gaze and began to twist her hair.

Chen Fan rolled his eyes, quickly pulled up his pants, and climbed out of bed.

Then he scooped Yang Hua up with one hand like a delicate figurine, grabbed his clothes, and marched to the bedroom door.

Without a shred of mercy, he tossed her out.

“Put on your clothes and get out. If you don’t pay back the money by the end of the month, you can look forward to jail and your video going viral!”

“And I’ll be watching your sister’s situation at your home closely. If you dare bully her, you won’t even make it to the end of the month—I’ll send you straight in!”

With a loud bang, Chen Fan slammed the door shut, giving her no chance.

Sitting on the floor, tears welled in Yang Hua’s eyes as she looked at the locked door.

Sobbing, she dressed and left in a daze.

***

Inside the bedroom.

Hearing the door slam downstairs, Chen Fan smiled slightly at the computer screen.

The video playing showed Yang Hua’s attempted sacrifice and their tangled moments in bed.

“Heh heh heh… Dear Miss Yang, even if you pay back the money, you won’t escape my grasp!”

***

Meanwhile, Yang Hua wandered the streets like a ghost.

Everything from last night until now felt like a dream—so unreal.

The current Chen Fan was cold and ruthless, so different from the quiet, hardworking guy from two days ago.

She clearly sensed he had changed completely.

Recalling the way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine that she couldn’t explain.

“We’re only half-related after all. I did bully him too much before. He has no reason to show me any mercy.”

Sitting on a bench, Yang Hua let out a self-mocking laugh.

She pulled out her phone, opened her contacts, and stared at her boyfriend’s number, conflicted.

After a moment’s thought, she dialed ‘Xiao Ze (Honey).’

The call connected after about thirty seconds.

“Hey baby, why are you calling me at noon? Missing me already?” Xiao Ze yawned lazily.

Frowning, Yang Hua hesitated two seconds before confessing, “Honey, I might not be able to give you the three thousand startup money I promised.”

Xiao Ze was startled, suddenly wide awake. “We agreed you’d give it to me last night. Why can’t you now? What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“Well, here’s what happened...” Yang Hua explained roughly where she stole the money and how Chen Fan caught her red-handed.

After a pause, Xiao Ze pondered. “So, you already prepared the money for me, but your sister’s brother-in-law has evidence of your theft. If you don’t pay back my three thousand startup money, he’ll report you, right?”

“That’s exactly it!”

Feeling helpless, Yang Hua sighed bitterly. “Darling, I have to pay the money back first, or Chen Fan will really have me arrested.

Give me some time. I’ll ask my family later, but it might not be the full three thousand.”

“Don’t pay him back! That money was hard for you to steal for me. Why should we give it to that punk Chen Fan?”

Xiao Ze was instantly agitated, stopping Yang Hua from repaying him. “Baby, just give me the money tonight. As for that little dog Chen Fan, I’ll handle him.

A kid still in school threatening others? Your boyfriend’s been around the block. I know how to deal with him.

Don’t worry—I’ll help you get back the evidence of your stealing and make sure he pays.”

Leaning back on the bench, Yang Hua’s eyes reddened with gratitude.

Without her parents and brother’s help, only Xiao Ze stood up for her.

She looked up, fighting back tears, and warned, “Honey, go easy on him. Chen Fan’s still in school. If it gets messy, it could cause trouble.”

Hearing the choked-up voice, Xiao Ze comforted her, “I know what I’m doing. Just wait for my good news.”

After hanging up, Yang Hua sighed in relief, a cunning smile creeping across her lips.

Since Chen Fan won’t budge, don’t blame me for playing hardball...