Copycat - Chapter 38
Chapter 38
◎Thunder and Lies◎
The housekeeper was in a daze, and she slumped to the ground. She crawled forward and grabbed Wen Jiao’s thigh. “I really, really didn’t know, CEO Wen.”
Wen Jiao pressed the throbbing vein on her forehead and kicked her leg to get rid of the housekeeper’s grip. “That’s enough. You’re fired. Get out of the villa and out of my sight right now.”
“CEO Wen!” The housekeeper cried and crawled forward, grabbing the woman’s pant leg. “I was just doing what you asked me to! Isn’t this situation exactly what you initially envisioned?”
“Miss Zhou has no money and is dependent on the medicine. You can completely control her with the drugs and keep her by your side.”
Wen Jiao’s brows furrowed slightly. The housekeeper saw that Wen Jiao’s attitude had softened, and she immediately said, “CEO Wen, everyone knows that Miss Zhou betrayed you. Everyone in the upper class knew how she threw herself at other people at that banquet. Even after you became successful, that incident was still used by the upper class to make fun of you.”
“Is it really worth it for a woman like that, CEO Wen?”
Wen Jiao crouched down and helped the housekeeper, who was sitting on the ground, up. The housekeeper’s eyes instantly lit up, and she said flatteringly, “CEO Wen, I knew you wouldn’t just abandon me for a woman like that…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the world spun. The housekeeper’s head hit the ground, and her disbelieving eyes looked up at the woman who was looking down at her. Wen Jiao’s expression was cold. She shook her hands a few times, as if she had touched something dirty. “Get out.”
“Before I change my mind.”
The housekeeper froze for a few seconds and then immediately scrambled out of the basement. “Thank you, CEO Wen! Thank you, CEO Wen!”
She had heard about the cold-hearted and ruthless CEO Wen who had returned from M Country. She bankrupted the Zhou family, cut off the Cheng Group’s cash flow, and sent anyone who offended her to prison.
At first, she thought it was just a rumor from the upper class. The owner of this villa was gentle and indifferent, but also polite to everyone, and she didn’t seem like a ruthless person at all. It was only today that she suddenly realized the truth.
All the effort and patience Wen Jiao had expended in this seaside villa were just part of a show for a hunter to make its prey willingly get eaten.
Early morning.
Zhou Ziyan woke up from her sleep, feeling as if the memories in her mind were shattered into pieces that she couldn’t piece back together. Fortunately, when she woke up, Wen Jiao was sitting by her side, their hands tightly clasped together, just like any other couple.
“Wen Jiao, did something happen yesterday?” Zhou Ziyan had just woken up, and her voice was still groggy with sleepiness. Wen Jiao was silent for a moment. She didn’t mention her almost insane behavior from last night. She only said calmly, “You took your medicine last night. The side effects were strong, and you fell asleep very early.”
“Do I still need to keep taking that medicine?”
Wen Jiao pulled her into her arms and stroked her soft hair. “Of course you do. Your illness isn’t cured yet. Stop taking the medicine after you get better.”
“How long will it take for me to get better?”
Wen Jiao smiled without saying anything. She buried her head in Zhou Ziyan’s neck and greedily inhaled the fragrance that she was obsessed with. The faint scent of grapes was peaceful and tranquil.
The housekeeper’s actions made her angry, but there was one thing she was right about. The purpose of having the doctor prescribe the medicine for Zhou Ziyan was so that she would never be able to leave her.
Wen Jiao smiled and stroked her smooth, fair cheek. “Isn’t it good like this, darling?”
The villa had a new batch of staff, and even the permanent housekeeper had been replaced. The seaside villa now looked like a castle. To make Zhou Ziyan’s stay even more comfortable, Wen Jiao had even bought the surrounding land, intending to turn the seaside villa into an estate.
“Let me out!” The woman in the straw hat stomped her foot in the villa’s lobby, her tone angry. “You’re just a housekeeper. What right do you have to stop me?”
The new housekeeper was a person of unyielding principles. There was no emotion on her face. Her large body completely blocked Zhou Ziyan’s path, leaving no room for her to escape. “I’m sorry, Miss Zhou.”
“CEO Wen has instructed me that your illness has not been cured, so you cannot go out.”
Zhou Ziyan bit her lower lip tightly. “Just let me out. I’ll call Wen Jiao and explain the situation to her.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Zhou,” the housekeeper said expressionlessly. She only said, “CEO Wen has instructed that you must get her permission beforehand to leave.”
“If you want to see the sea, there’s a man-made lake in the estate specially built for you. There are many beautiful koi fish in the lake waiting for you to feed them. The sea has too many people and has been contaminated by too many people. It’s not suitable for you.”
Zhou Ziyan’s expression grew more and more angry. Just as she was about to speak, the housekeeper’s tone suddenly changed. “If CEO Wen agrees, I can have someone accompany you. Would you like me to call CEO Wen for you?”
Zhou Ziyan’s mind calmed down. “Okay. Give me the phone. I need to call Wen Jiao.”
“Yes.”
Ever since she moved into the seaside villa, all her communication devices had been taken away by the staff. The only tool Zhou Ziyan had to contact the outside world was the one Aldrich had left her…
The housekeeper walked down the stairs and handed her a phone. Zhou Ziyan came to her senses and dialed the familiar number. The call was answered quickly.
“What is it?” The person who answered the phone sounded a little impatient.
Zhou Ziyan recognized Wen Jiao’s tired and hoarse voice on the other end of the line and slowly said, “It’s me, Wen Jiao.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and then her tone softened. “What is it, Yanyan? Did something happen?”
Her voice was extremely gentle, but Zhou Ziyan slowly lowered her eyelashes. “The sea is only one kilometer away from the villa. I want to go out and see it, but the housekeeper you hired keeps stopping me.”
A jumble of voices came from the other end of the phone, all in a language she didn’t understand. Zhou Ziyan heard Wen Jiao’s pleasant voice say something in French with a hint of helplessness. The other end of the phone was quiet for a moment but then erupted in louder, teasing laughter.
Wen Jiao held the phone and sounded a little helpless. “Ziyan, I’m very busy right now. We can talk about this when I get back, okay?”
“But…” Before Zhou Ziyan could finish her sentence, the person on the other end had already hung up. Only the cold tone of the customer service operator echoed in the empty villa. She held the phone and stood there blankly, her eyes vacant.
“Miss Zhou, we’ve installed a sun umbrella by the man-made lake. Would you like me to take you there?”
Zhou Ziyan stood there. After a long while, she silently returned to her bedroom.
That night was a rainy night. Wen Jiao didn’t return to the villa because of work. After taking her medicine, Zhou Ziyan stood barefoot, looking at the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window. The rain fell, disturbing the calm surface of the lake. A bird with wet wings rested in the embrace of a tree, waiting for the storm to stop.
All the lights in the villa were off. The medicine made her feel mentally tired. She leaned against the wall by the window and closed her eyes. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a flash of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky outside the window. She was startled awake by the thunderous sound.
The rain was getting heavier. Zhou Ziyan was shocked to find that the water in the man-made lake in the estate was almost overflowing. She quickly put on her slippers, casually put on a bathrobe, and ran downstairs, wanting to wake up the sleeping housekeeper and the staff in the villa who were in charge of maintaining the man-made lake.
Her panicked footsteps suddenly stopped when she heard a conversation.
Who was it?
Because of her illness, her nerves were a little weak, and any sound would wake her up. Wen Jiao had given the staff in the villa a strict order that everyone had to turn off the lights by eleven o’clock at night. Zhou Ziyan took off her slippers and walked step by step toward the source of the sound.
She was surprised to find an entrance to the basement in the lobby on the first floor. A familiar voice came from the basement.
“CEO Wen, Miss Zhou is getting more and more eager to go out lately. We really can’t stop her. The security of the villa isn’t completely flawless. If this continues, I’m afraid Miss Zhou will go out on her own sooner or later.”
“It is a bit of a problem.”
Zhou Ziyan bit her lower lip and thought, “As expected, Wen Jiao genuinely doesn’t want her to go out.”
She sighed. “Does she still think that once I go out, I’ll leave her?”
“The misunderstanding has lasted for so long that she no longer has the energy to explain, but if Wen Jiao still cares so much about what happened three years ago…”
“Is that person still in the country?”
Zhou Ziyan was stunned for a moment. She only heard the housekeeper reply, “Yes, CEO Wen, he’s still in the country. The money you gave him has all been gambled away. Now he spends his days at the church, living off charity meals.”
“I’ll take her out myself the day after tomorrow. You know what to do.”
The housekeeper hesitated a little. “Miss Zhou has finally stopped having nightmares. Won’t this make her condition worse?”
“If she were a good girl, none of this would be happening. Don’t talk back. You just need to follow my orders. Don’t forget who is paying you a high salary.”
“Yes, CEO Wen.”
Zhou Ziyan covered her mouth, her back pressed tightly against the wall near the basement. Endless tears ran down her cheeks, soaking the back of her hands. She felt as if she had fallen into a bone-chilling ice cave, and an unbearable sob escaped from her nose.
“Who’s there?!”
An angry shout came from the basement. Zhou Ziyan, with her bare feet, hid in a corner of the villa. She held her nose tightly, letting her tears flow, not daring to make a sound.
The housekeeper and Wen Jiao, who was wearing a suit, walked out of the basement. Wen Jiao frowned and looked around but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. The housekeeper asked, “CEO Wen, what’s wrong?”
“I heard a sound just now.” Wen Jiao’s sharp eyes scanned the lobby. Zhou Ziyan, her head tilted back, was slumped against the wall in a corner, her curled-up body trembling uncontrollably from the pain.
The housekeeper checked carefully. “There’s nothing, CEO Wen.”
A clap of thunder split the sky, and the housekeeper was startled. “It must have been the thunder.”
“Miss Zhou took her medicine and has been fast asleep for a while. It’s impossible for her to be up now.”
Wen Jiao’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. The housekeeper continued, “How about we turn on the lights and check again?”
Zhou Ziyan nervously bit her finger, and a drop of bl00d seeped out from her flesh. If the lights were turned on now, Wen Jiao would see her immediately.
Sweat poured down her body. Every second felt like a year.
“Forget it.”
Wen Jiao’s gaze went to the tightly closed door on the second floor. “She has neurasthenia. She’ll be woken up by even a little bit of light, and she’s been taking her medicine.”
“Let her have a good night’s sleep.”