Chapter Thirty-Four: As It Should Be

"Xiao Xue, don't you apologize to her! I'll go and have it out with your aunt again!" Upon hearing this, Yan's father hurriedly stopped Yan Xue, terrified that she—an impulsive person by nature—might hang up the phone right then and there before he could finish his thought. "I had no idea Chenchen had caused trouble at your office too! That is not at all the version of the story your aunt told me!"

"Forget it, Dad. I know my aunt is used to being overbearing; just take what she said as the reality of the situation." Yan Xue’s tone carried a hint of sorrow, sighing as she spoke to stir up some emotion.

In truth, neither she nor Song Chen had given the original version of events. Song Chen hadn't explicitly asked her to cover for her or release anyone, but Yan Xue hadn't slapped handcuffs on her either. So, since Song Chen had made the first move, Yan Xue had made the second; it was a fair trade.

"Xiao Xue, have I put you in a difficult spot?" Yan's father sounded distressed, his plea turning into heartache. "Is it my fault for not getting the facts straight before rushing to talk to you? Did I let you suffer because of it?"

"I know your job is exhausting, and you work so hard. Don't worry about this anymore. Just focus on your work and don't let your superiors get any wrong ideas about you! Leave Chenchen's business alone, and don't apologize to her. The matter is settled now, so let's just turn the page. If your aunt asks later, I’ll just brush her off."

Although Yan's father still maintained a submissive attitude toward his sister's family—even after hearing Yan Xue's version and realizing Song Chen was at fault—the fact that he stopped urging her to make nice with Song Chen for the first time in all these years was already a huge step forward.

After hanging up, Yan Xue let out a sigh of relief. It didn't feel exactly triumphant, but it had saved her a lot of breath and prevented a headache.

Turning around, she saw Kang Ge standing in the distance, clutching a laptop. He had clearly been giving her space to handle her family affairs. She quickly tucked her phone into her pocket and headed over to join him.

After the car had driven a distance, Yan Xue caught Kang Ge glancing at her for the nth time. She couldn't help but smile at him. "If you have something to ask, just ask! You keep sneaking looks, and it’s affecting your safe driving!"

"It’s nothing much, really. I just heard you on the phone when I came out. It sounded like family, and I wasn't sure if it was about your cousin from the other day, but I didn't want to pry." Kang Ge didn't hide it; he answered candidly when asked.

"I took to heart what you told me last time." Yan Xue didn't intend to hide things from Kang Ge on this matter. After all, having nightmare relatives wasn't her fault, and it was a fact that her parents were timid. "But playing weak really isn't my strong suit. I did my best today, but if I were to act any more fragile, my dad would probably think I’d been replaced by an impostor!"

"Hmm, I think that was enough. Take it slow; the situation can't be turned around overnight. Gradual progress is key—you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry! And you're right, playing weak isn't your strength, and neither is acting. Given your lack of experience, you did a pretty good job." Kang Ge had obviously heard everything clearly from the side. He gestured to himself, half-jokingly, half-seriously. "I'm no expert, but I’ve had some success in this area. You might consider taking me as your mentor; I could teach you a trick or two?"

"Sure! I look forward to your guidance, Master!" Yan Xue cupped her hands in a theatrical bow to Kang Ge.

"And what about your cousin, Song Chen... the apology?" Kang Ge asked.

"Of course, I’m dropping it! Song Chen has already spun enough lies about me to my parents. Even if I did apologize, she wouldn't necessarily tell them, just to keep playing the victim. Plus, if I bow down to her now, who knows what kind of chaos she’ll stir up next?"

"Hmm... I have a different perspective. Understanding is mutual. You know your cousin's bottom line, and she knows your personality. She’s certain you wouldn't call to apologize. Why not do the exact opposite? If she doesn't want your parents to know, you can just make sure they do!"

Yan Xue’s first reaction was one of rejection. She couldn't bring herself to do something so demoralizing, so she shook her head decisively.

Kang Ge seemed to have anticipated this reaction. He smiled and said, "Your current state is what they call 'dying for the sake of pride and suffering for it.' As the saying goes, a grieving army will win. If someone who has endured humiliation finally reaches their limit and strikes back, everyone will think it was well-deserved and applaud them. But a general who has never known defeat? People might just jump out to accuse them of being cold-blooded, cruel, and lacking empathy for the weak."

"My parents have been enduring this for decades, and I haven't seen anyone support them in rising up against those absurd relatives!" Yan Xue didn't quite agree with Kang Ge's logic. She knew he had more clever tricks than she did, but the thought of her parents being the "grieving army" for all these years, only to be treated like soft persimmons to be squeezed and trampled upon, made her doubt him.

Look at her uncle’s family: because her aunt was sharp-tongued and wouldn't tolerate a grain of sand in her eye, she could criticize her husband from head to toe in front of all the relatives without leaving him any face. If someone provoked her, she didn't need time to prepare a comeback—she could leave them speechless in a few sentences.

As a result, for years, even though people weren't particularly close or warm to her aunt, they didn't dare to push her around easily.

Yan Xue had grown up watching the different fates of her mother and her aunt among their relatives. One was mild-mannered and easy to talk to; while other relatives seemed to "like" her, they only liked how easy she was to manipulate. The other was the exact opposite—seemingly distant, yet she never suffered a loss.

Yan Xue had subconsciously realized what a great advantage a sharp temper could be. If she could be like that, not only would she not be bullied, but she could protect her parents, too.

Yet now, the nickname "Fire-Wheel" and her personality had been with her for years, but her parents' situation hadn't improved. She couldn't even "protect herself," as her parents were held like hostages in the family circle, making her hesitant in everything she did.

That was why Kang Ge’s suggestion seemed so incredible to her. It made no sense that being tough hadn't worked, but throwing away her pride to offer an apology would be some kind of brilliant move.

"It’s not hard to understand. Four words explain it: 'That’s just how it is!'" Kang Ge wasn't surprised by her confusion; her personality was direct, so she might not have reached this level of thought. "If someone provokes a tiger and gets killed, people won't be surprised or blame the tiger for being cruel; it’s just the tiger's nature. But, if someone provokes a rabbit and gets bitten to death by it?"

Yan Xue laughed at the comparison. "They’d probably think the rabbit had become a demon!"

"Exactly! They’d likely do everything in their power to kill that 'demon' rabbit. Because in people's minds, a rabbit that can kill a person is a danger that cannot be left alive. Your parents have played the weak, harmless rabbit for years. Who would be crazy enough to go and encourage a rabbit to bite, to turn into a ferocious beast?"

"Then if I act weak under these circumstances, doesn't that just turn our whole family into a nest of rabbits?" Yan Xue gritted her teeth, her gums itching with frustration. "What good would that do? Are we going to be spicy, braised, or charcoal-grilled?"

"Silly!" Kang Ge kept his eyes on the road, using one hand to flick Yan Xue on the forehead. "I told you, it’s the principle of 'that’s just how it is.' You’re strong. Even though your parents have urged you to compromise over the years, have they ever demanded you completely change who you are?"

"Ouch..." Yan Xue shrank her neck instinctively as she was flicked. Before she could protest, she heard Kang Ge’s question and paused. "Well... I suppose not..."

"Because from your parents' perspective, they urge you to compromise because they can't handle the pressure of the relatives striking back. But why haven't they demanded you become exactly like them? Because, in their eyes, your sharp temper is also 'just how it is.' People can't accept a little white rabbit suddenly becoming a man-eating monster, just as they can't accept a mighty tiger sadly turning itself into a kitten. Do you understand now?"

The confusion that had clouded Yan Xue’s mind gradually dissipated with Kang Ge’s analogy, and her eyes brightened once more.

"Oh! I get it! You're right! I'll do as you say! You really are a master," Yan Xue exclaimed. "When we have time, I’m going to dig up your dark history! No one accumulates this much experience without learning it through battle!"

"Hahaha, consider me a lotus root, dig away!" Kang Ge was generous. "Though this experience is half-learned from battle, and the other half is probably just natural-born talent!"

Yan Xue couldn't help but laugh. Her mood, which had felt sour even for the sake of acting, suddenly felt much lighter. However, she couldn't make the "acting" call just yet; after all, they still had to meet Zhang Dong.

"By the way, what is your secret gadget? Is it that computer?" Yan Xue pointed curiously at the laptop bag Kang Ge had thrown into the back seat. "Is there something special about it?"

"Nothing too mysterious, really. It’s just a small program. A few years ago, at a high school reunion, some close friends of mine who studied in that field made it for fun. Someone joked that in American blockbusters, hackers and high-tech scenes show all sorts of gibberish code flashing on the screen, which actually means nothing—it’s just special effects.

"Later, someone goaded them, and those guys got interested. They hacked together this little program to play around with. It’s a bit rough and not as flashy as the movies, but strictly speaking, it’s more of a prank tool.

"You can pre-set the input and the final result. My skills are limited, so it only supports text and low-resolution images. In the middle, there’s a completely meaningless calculation process that looks very profound. You can set it up beforehand and make a bet with someone—whatever they input, you can 'find' the result you've already set. As long as you can justify it, it works."

"So you want to use this to fake advanced technical means and make Zhang Dong think his behavior of using software to harass Lin Zhen has been exposed? Will your friends' creation look authentic enough? Zhang Dong might not be a pushover," Yan Xue asked, concerned.

"Don't worry. I'm not betting on Zhang Dong's ignorance; I'm betting on his guilty conscience," Kang Ge said. "When we meet him, you just need to project the aura that you have ironclad evidence regarding those harassing calls!"

Projecting an aura wasn't hard for Yan Xue—at least, it was much easier than playing the weakling.

Next, they had to find Zhang Dong. Since they needed the element of surprise, they couldn't contact him beforehand. The whole process was more troublesome than they had anticipated. After visiting three or four places, they finally found Zhang Dong in a rental unit in the suburbs.

As luck would have it, just as they reached the door and were about to knock, it opened. A man walked out wearing a tracksuit and a matching down coat—it was Zhang Dong.

The two sides met face-to-face right at the door of the rental unit.

Yan Xue had seen photos of Zhang Dong before. She knew he was twenty-six, tall, and sturdy, with a rugged look and a hint of a rogue's charm. In the photos, he was always dressed trendily, likely the type many girls would find attractive.

But the shabby rental house and the bearded, disheveled young man stepping out of it were a far cry from the Zhang Dong they had researched.

Looking at the panicked expression on Zhang Dong's face, a question popped into Yan Xue's mind: Was this guy "hiding out" here?