Chapter 562: Trust Me Once, The Coldness of Family Ties

As the door clicked shut, Zhou Can felt a wave of tension wash over him.

He’d been burned by a situation like this before.

It happened at the hospital, when he was chatting about work with Director Xueyan in her office. Her husband had misunderstood the whole thing.

Keep in mind, Director Xueyan was much older than Zhou Can.

And that was in the hospital’s office, no less.

Now, it was the dead of night. Not only was this woman around his age, but she was also tipsy—and worst of all, they were at her home. The situation made Zhou Can incredibly nervous.

“Feel free to sit. Want something to drink?”

She wasn’t completely drunk, just carrying a slight buzz.

“I’ll get you a glass of warm water to sober up. We’ll chat for a bit, then I’ll head out.”

Zhou Can noticed her unsteady steps and worried she might stumble.

He hurried to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water.

The kitchen showed no signs of recent cooking, though it was spotlessly clean.

She probably ate at the hospital most days. Living alone, there wasn’t much need to cook.

Breakfast was likely the only meal she made for herself.

A transparent container held half a leftover pancake from the morning. Many young women liked making their own pancakes for breakfast—eggs, ham, corn, all wrapped up in a nutritious and clean meal. Paired with a glass of milk, it was a solid start to the day.

He poured her a glass of warm water.

They settled into the living room.

Many older folks believed strong tea could sober someone up, but that’s a misconception.

The caffeine and polyphenols in strong tea can stimulate the nervous system, making you feel alert, but they don’t counteract alcohol.

In fact, drinking strong tea after alcohol can strain the heart, worsening symptoms like palpitations or dizziness.

On top of that, it burdens the liver and kidneys. Alcohol needs to be metabolized by the liver and expelled through the kidneys, and so do the compounds in tea.

So, far from helping, strong tea after drinking only adds stress to the body.

A lot of old-school remedies are pretty unscientific. Take choking on a fishbone—some swear by swallowing rice to dislodge it. If the bone’s big enough, that’s practically suicide. It could easily pierce the esophagus.

Then there’s the idea of bundling up during postpartum recovery. Even in scorching heat, when a new mother is already weak, some insist on no fans and thick blankets. That’s a recipe for heatstroke. Some women have even died from such outdated practices.

There are plenty of these so-called folk remedies floating around, and who knows where they came from. They don’t hold up to modern science at all.

“Since it’s already late, I’ll cut to the chase. Someone offered you fifty thousand to frame me. Things have reached the final step, and I think you shouldn’t back out now. See it through and get that money.”

Zhou Can’s words jolted her halfway out of her haze.

“No way. I can’t do that. I’ve already done enough to wrong you. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

She shook her head firmly, rejecting Zhou Can’s suggestion outright.

“Jiang Wei, look into my eyes. I’m dead serious about this.”

Zhou Can stared straight at her.

She slowly lifted her gaze, meeting his with a hint of hesitation.

Their eyes locked, and she could see sincerity and kindness in his.

“I don’t know why you borrowed so much from loan sharks for your brother, but I’m well aware you’re teetering on the edge of a cliff. I heard you’re planning to sell this house, probably to pay off those loans. But even if you manage to sell it, after the mortgage and hefty property taxes, will what’s left cover the debt? I doubt it’d even touch the interest.”

Zhou Can had once mortgaged his own house to a bank to save Su Qianqian. He knew firsthand how tough it was to scrape together a large sum in a short time.

As someone who’d been through it, and with plenty of life experience, Zhou Can could see her predicament clearly.

“Jiang Wei, trust me just this once, okay?”

Zhou Can looked at her with genuine concern.

“From the moment you took a knife for me, I’ve seen you as someone I can trust.”

This time, she didn’t look away. She held his gaze.

A woman in a half-drunk state is a sight to behold.

Her cheeks flushed, eyes hazy, long lashes fluttering lightly. Her gaze was like autumn water, soft and shimmering.

The term ‘drunken beauty’ likely came from moments like this.

“If you trust me, then do as I say. Can you do that?”

Zhou Can kept his eyes on her.

“This is clearly going to hurt you. I can’t get past my own conscience.”

She still shook her head, though her lips were pressed tight, and tears glistened in her eyes.

Hearts aren’t made of stone.

In her own words, her heart had been cold, but Zhou Can had warmed it.

“Listen to me. Just follow my plan. I have ways to protect myself. In the end, you’ll get the money, and the mastermind behind this will lose more than they bargained for.”

A glint of cunning flashed in Zhou Can’s eyes.

“It really won’t harm you?”

She was clearly tempted.

Fifty thousand was an enormous sum for someone drowning in loan shark debt.

“We’ve worked together for over two months. Have I ever lied to you?”

Zhou Can was a man of his word, and he spoke with unshakable confidence.

Integrity is hard to maintain, but once you do, you stand firm in society, like a mountain unshaken.

At this moment, Zhou Can was someone trustworthy in her eyes—and in the eyes of their colleagues at the department.

“Tell me what I should do.”

She decided to hear him out.

“Simple. Keep in contact with the mastermind. I’m guessing they’re more desperate than anyone right now. They’re one step away from ruining my career as a doctor. That’s to your advantage. Fish see the bait, not the hook; people see the profit, not the danger. While they’re at their most eager, that fifty thousand will be easier to secure.”

Zhou Can remained calm, breaking down the plan for her.

“I’ll be clear: don’t assume signing a contract guarantees the money. I’ve got a hunch who’s behind this, and countless doctors have been screwed over by them. Your best bet is to get the money now, at this critical moment. They’ll want you to testify in court. You can sign a commitment to do so, but demand full payment upfront.”

After hearing Zhou Can’s approach, she asked with concern, “What about you when the time comes?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got my own way to handle it.”

Zhou Can flashed a confident smile.

“Alright, I’ve laid out the basic plan. When they reach out, demand the money first. No payment, no testimony. It’s what you’re owed anyway. Once you have the money, just follow through. Don’t worry about me.”

Zhou Can kept one trump card hidden from her.

It wasn’t entirely a lack of trust. He simply lived by the principle that secrecy breeds success, while loose lips lead to failure.

Never spill the beans before a plan comes together.

Good news shared too soon often falls apart, while bad news spreads like wildfire.

“Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”

Seeing Zhou Can’s confidence, she stopped doubting and nodded in agreement.

“Even if you get that fifty thousand, it won’t cover all your loan shark debt, will it?”

Zhou Can wasn’t sure how much she still owed.

“At least it’ll pay off a chunk. I’ll figure out the rest.”

She said as much.

Selling the house was likely still part of her calculations.

Selling a house quickly often meant taking a loss, and there was no guarantee it’d even sell in time.

“You borrowed seventy thousand in principal, right?”

“Yes.”

“How much have you paid back?”

“Around thirty thousand. But the interest on these loans is insane. I still owe over a hundred thousand.”

“Do you have the loan contract?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll step in and try to help with this. Once you get the fifty thousand, hold off on paying it back right away. I’ll see if I can find someone to help. We’ll aim to cover the principal and reasonable interest, and fight to waive the rest.”

Zhou Can hadn’t wanted to get involved in this mess.

But if he was going to help, he’d see it through. Otherwise, even with the fifty thousand, she’d still be in a bottomless pit.

“Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

Hearing Zhou Can had a way to potentially waive some of the illegal interest, she couldn’t hide her relief and joy.

“Hand over the loan contract. I’ll have someone look into it tomorrow.”

“Okay!”

She went into another room, rummaged around, and returned with a contract folder.

Zhou Can opened it and took a look. The loan shark agreement was full of traps. Just skimming it made his blood boil.

“We’ve covered this issue. Now let’s talk about your family. We’re just colleagues, so I shouldn’t meddle in your personal affairs. But I’m worried that even if I help clear your debt this time, you’ll fall into the same trap again. Then all this help would be for nothing.”

Zhou Can spoke bluntly.

There’s a saying: pitiful people often have their own flaws.

She had a bright future ahead, yet ended up here partly due to her own choices.

Some women are too soft-hearted. From a young age, they’re conditioned to fear and respect their parents, unable to defy them. Some parents are experts at playing the family or pity card, manipulating their children without mercy.

Parents should treat all their children equally.

No matter which child, fairness should be the rule.

Yet many parents instinctively favor a son, or the son they like more. Ironically, the more they spoil that son, the more useless he becomes.

Why? Because he knows he just has to ask, and his parents will find a way to get him what he wants.

No money for marriage? Ask the parents.

No money for a house? Ask the parents again.

After marriage, no money for a car? Still, ask the parents.

Once this mindset takes root, what are the odds that son will stand on his own? Why bust your back when you can just open your mouth and get what you want?

And often, it’s exactly this kind of son who turns out to be the most selfish.

To put it harshly, once the parents lose their usefulness, they’re kicked to the curb. Some don’t even let their parents step foot in the new house they paid for. Even if that money came from the parents—or was squeezed out of a sister or daughter. To that son, it’s all deserved, all his by right.

“Sigh. I’ve seen their true colors this time. I shouldn’t fall for the same stupidity again…”

With that, she began to share her family background.

There were two children in her family. She was the older sister, just a year apart from her younger brother.

It was obvious her parents desperately wanted a boy. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have had children so close together.

Normally, after a woman gives birth, it’s best to wait about three years before trying for another child, giving the body time to recover.

Her parents had always favored her brother, their preference for sons over daughters painfully clear.

If there was good food, it went to her brother first.

Clothes and shoes were the same. She got hand-me-downs or cheap street stall stuff, while her brother wore the best from proper stores.

Later, when it came to school, her grades were consistently excellent.

Becoming a doctoral student abroad at such a young age showed she had both talent and incredible dedication. Without hard work, even the most gifted prodigies often fade due to laziness.

When she got into high school, her parents told her they didn’t want her to go to university.

Their reasoning? Girls would just get married off anyway.

Later, when she was accepted into the top university in the Imperial Capital, she begged her parents to support her through college.

They reluctantly covered part of the tuition, leaving her to figure out the rest. Meanwhile, her brother, too mischievous to even get into a regular high school, was sent to a private one costing sixty thousand a year—paid for by their parents.

When it came to university, he couldn’t even get into a third-tier school. Still, their parents funded his education at some shady institution.

Jiang Wei had always known she couldn’t compare to her brother. To keep studying, she took on part-time jobs during summer and winter breaks, earning her own tuition.

Later, when she got the chance to study abroad, the money she’d saved from working wasn’t nearly enough. She knelt and pleaded with her parents, finally getting a hundred and thirty thousand in support. But they never let her forget it, constantly bringing up how much they’d ‘sacrificed’ for her.

Even after she graduated and repaid that hundred and thirty thousand, when her brother needed money for marriage and a house, her parents still played the pity card over it.

They claimed her annual salary was at least two hundred thousand, so helping her brother borrow money shouldn’t be an issue.

This loan shark debt was orchestrated by her brother and family, taken out in her name.

Faced with family pressure, she ultimately chose to bear it silently.

It wasn’t until she realized it was a loan shark deal, with compounding interest piling up terrifyingly, that she panicked. There was no way to pay it off.

When she called her parents and brother about it, their responses were flippant.

They told her, with her high salary, to figure it out herself.

Jiang Wei, in her most desperate moment, turned to her parents for help, asking to borrow some money to pay off a portion. Otherwise, the loan sharks might threaten her safety. Her parents didn’t budge.

Her brother was even worse. He accused her of faking it.

He cursed her, saying she was hoarding money for her future husband, calling her selfish.

It was this that made her see her parents and brother for who they truly were. Family ties could be so heartless. They didn’t care if she lived or died.

After hearing her story, Zhou Can let out a sigh.

It wasn’t his place to meddle in someone else’s family affairs. All he could do was hope she’d come to her senses on her own.