At the Li family's residence, they received an unexpected visitor.
Li Xiuli opened the door to find Qin Yue standing there. In just a few months, the other woman looked remarkably worn out.
She knew the outcome of the corporate rivalry between their two companies, but the specifics were unclear.
Therefore, when Qin Yue said, "Auntie Li, I have something important I need to discuss with you," Li Xiuli naturally opened the door and invited her in.
After ushering her inside, Li Xiuli poured a glass of plain water for Qin Yue and then asked with a hint of gossip, "I heard that Qin Group has gone bankrupt. Tell Auntie quickly, what exactly happened?"
"Auntie, my brother's company was acquired by Chen Li Shu. I have nowhere to go now, and friends I know are unwilling to help me. Could you arrange a place for me to stay for a while? I promise I won't just eat your food and live off you. I'll find a job and give you my wages! Please, help my brother and me?" After saying this, Qin Yue stood up from the sofa and then knelt down before Li Xiuli with a thud.
Li Xiuli was startled by this sudden action, but then she accepted the kowtow with a sense of justification. She recalled how she had to humble herself and flatter Qin Yue, a young woman, when Li Na went to work at Qin Group. She had felt resentful then, and now she finally had the opportunity for revenge!
With this thought, Li Xiuli put on an air of superiority, crossed her legs, and put on a look of difficulty. She said, "Little Qin, it's not that Auntie isn't helping you! It's just that our family's food expenses are already insufficient. You know, with Qin Group's bankruptcy, my daughter's business also closed down, and she has no income. An extra person means an extra mouth to feed, and more pressure for me! As a young lady from a big company, how could you have no money after your company went bankrupt? It's not impossible for you to stay, as long as you provide the rent and food expenses on time. Three hundred a month, that shouldn't be much for a young lady like you, right?"
Three hundred a month would have been a trivial amount for Qin Yue in the past, but her situation was different now. After the company went bankrupt, Qin Lan had many debts to settle. As siblings, they wouldn't let Qin Lan bear all the difficulties alone. Therefore, she had given all her pocket money from previous years to help Qin Lan clear these debts. In other words, she was now penniless, which was why she was begging for help.
Hearing that Qin Yue had no money, Li Xiuli's expression changed instantly, and her tone became impatient. "I told you, our family's financial situation doesn't allow us to take you in! As a pampered young lady like you, who can't even do manual labor, you say you want to find a job. I doubt you'll find a suitable job in your lifetime! Anyway, I don't need your money. Get out now. We're about to eat, and I don't have extra food for you!"
Seeing Li Xiuli driving her away like a stray dog, Qin Yue's anger surged. She put her hands on her hips and pointed at Li Xiuli's nose, yelling, "You ungrateful, bitch! Have you forgotten that no company dared to hire Li Na because she had been to prison, and only my brother took her in? Someone like you, who repays kindness with enmity, if I reveal all this, I'd like to see if your family still has the face to stay in this neighborhood!"
Seeing Qin Yue's defiant attitude, Li Xiuli was not to be outdone. She sneered and retorted unceremoniously, "Fine, go ahead and expose my 'repaying kindness with enmity.' Who has surplus grain these days, and who will pity you? Don't forget that you only asked Li Na to work at your company back then because she had value! You also asked Li Na to drug Chen Li Shu's company and stir up trouble. If Chen Li Shu hadn't exposed the matter out of consideration for our kinship, Li Na's life would have become even more difficult! You never considered Li Na's reputation, and now that you're in trouble, you have the audacity to beg us for shelter and expect us to remember your great kindness? Get out now, or do you think I won't call the police for trespassing?"
As if that wasn't enough, Li Xiuli grabbed a broom from behind the door, her face stern, and raised her hand to swing it at Qin Yue, "Get out, get out of my house now!"
Qin Yue seemed to want to say something more, but Li Xiuli gave her no chance. The broom swept across her hand, and a few red marks instantly appeared on Qin Yue's fair skin. How could a young lady who had never endured hardship tolerate such abuse? She gritted her teeth, disregarding the prospect of freezing or starving without a place to stay, and turned away from the Li family's home.
As soon as she stepped out, a fine rain began to fall. Qin Yue felt a sense of foreboding. Just as she was about to run away from the area, the rain intensified. She was now as disheveled as a drowned rat.
Just as she was despairing about her life, a car suddenly stopped beside her. A man stepped out, cast a condescending glance at her, and then extended his hand. "Isn't this Miss Qin? We haven't seen each other for a few days, and you've become so disheveled. Oh, right, I also heard about your brother's company going bankrupt. Miss Qin's life must be very difficult right now, isn't it? How can a pampered young lady like you endure a life of poverty? Why don't I give you a chance to return to your former life?"
Qin Yue wiped the water from her face with her hand, her voice hoarse. "Young Master Lu, I'm just a fallen young lady now. As the son of the second largest real estate group, why bother wasting your time on me?"
A frivolous smile appeared on the man's face. "When have I ever cared about your status? I only care about your face! Follow me now, and I guarantee your future life will be smooth sailing, with no worries about food or clothing!"
Qin Yue despised this kind of frivolous behavior in men, but now she had no choice. If she refused, she might very well starve to death in Kyoto. With this thought, Qin Yue gritted her teeth, thought for a moment, and then looked up at the man again. "I don't just want you to guarantee my food, clothing, housing, and transportation; I also want you to help me get revenge!"