Chapter Seventy: True Happiness Lies in Shared Joy!

Bai Bing glanced at Wang Zheng beside her, puzzled by what he had just said.

What did he mean by “Is it really worth liking someone?” Hadn’t he once said that liking someone didn’t need a reason? Did it suddenly require one now?

The way Wang Zheng would only say half of what he meant and then deliberately put on an enigmatic air greatly irritated Bai Bing. She deeply disliked this kind of roundabout, evasive way of speaking. She couldn’t tell if Wang Zheng was doing it on purpose to keep her guessing.

“You—you’re not seriously going to just stand by and watch Lin Xiaolei make a mistake without trying to stop her, are you?” Bai Bing couldn’t help but ask, looking him in the eye.

“How could I stop her, even if I wanted to?” Wang Zheng replied coolly. In truth, Lin Xiaolei’s actions had been within his expectations from the very start, and he’d never had any intention of intervening. Had he ever tried to persuade her? No—he hadn’t earnestly tried, not once; he hadn’t even explained the potential consequences to her.

Besides, Lin Xiaolei had never explicitly said what she planned to do; everything Wang Zheng knew, he had deduced from her expressions. Maybe he was just waiting, waiting to see what choice she’d make; he wanted to see if she would succeed. For Lin Xiaolei, this was a crucial turning point in her life, but for Wang Zheng, it was like watching a play on Broadway—only this time, he happened to know the leading lady. In this drama, Lin Xiaolei was the protagonist, and he was merely the audience. As an audience member, one should play their part: even if the show isn’t good, you don’t make a scene; you simply settle in and watch. Who knows, perhaps there would be an interesting ending.

“What if she succeeds?” Bai Bing asked, as if she were eager to see Wang Zheng’s reaction to Lin Xiaolei’s success.

“Success?” Wang Zheng smiled. “The outcome itself doesn’t mean much to me. What I care about is the process. Maybe she’ll succeed in the end; if she does, I’ll congratulate her. But if the journey wasn’t worth it, I’ll still see it through to the end, and the day she succeeds will be the day I walk away.”

“Hm? Walk away? Is it because things didn’t go as you’d hoped, and now you feel upset?” Bai Bing asked.

“I told you—it depends on the process. The result, whatever it may be, hardly matters to me. To put it bluntly, isn’t it all just about ‘money’? Do you think I, Wang Zheng, lack money? Ridiculous!” Wang Zheng scoffed at Bai Bing’s suggestion, as if she’d insulted him deeply by implying he could be so petty.

He thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and continued, “There are only two possible outcomes: success or failure. But the process can take many forms—easy or arduous, whether something is gained at the cost of something else, what is gained, what is lost… Isn’t that the real test for her?”

“Oh!” Bai Bing looked at him with sudden understanding. “So you’re using this as a way to test her. She’s just a backup, and it looks like you haven’t really fallen for her yet!”

“Heh, you’re finally getting it. I told you, I don’t fall in love with a woman that easily.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Playing the rake while pretending to be a saint,” Bai Bing replied with a sneer, clearly unimpressed by Wang Zheng’s supposed loftiness.

“That remark seems to fit you better, doesn’t it…?”

Smack! Bai Bing landed a hard punch on Wang Zheng’s arm. She actually wanted to kick him, but after being suspended and beaten by him a few days ago, she decided against it—using her hand was safer, after all, and she might need her legs to make a quick escape!

Wang Zheng took a leisurely sip of tea, then lightly patted the spot where Bai Bing had struck him. He didn’t scold her; instead, he smiled with poise, crossed his legs, and said to her, “If you’ve got energy to burn, why don’t you give me a back rub or a shoulder massage? That way, you’re not always so irritable. Anyone who didn’t know better might think you’re hitting menopause early!”

Bai Bing was about to unleash another barrage of punches, but just as she raised her fist, her eyes gleamed with a new idea. She put her teacup down, stood up, and walked around behind Wang Zheng.

“Fine, I’ll give you a shoulder massage!” she declared, then balled her fists and brought them down hard on his shoulders.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

“Harder! What, didn’t you eat today?” Wang Zheng called out loudly, though he could feel Bai Bing was being ruthless. His shoulders hurt, but he feigned dissatisfaction just to annoy her.

Standing behind him, Bai Bing glared at the back of his head. She had intended to go easy, but seeing his attitude… she decided to make him suffer. With that, her punches became even more forceful, the heavy thuds echoing without pause.

“Ah, that’s it! Feels great—harder!” Wang Zheng closed his eyes, feigning bliss, though he was gritting his teeth from the pain. Bai Bing’s blows were no joke; his shoulders were hurting so badly he’d lost all sense of pain.

But Bai Bing wasn’t faring much better. It felt as if her fists were striking a steel plate—her hands turned red, sore, and numb. Seeing Wang Zheng’s annoying expression, she refused to show weakness, so she kept going, using all her strength despite the pain.

Perhaps Wang Zheng’s exaggerated groans had drawn attention, for Su Xue and Chu Jun emerged from their rooms. When Su Xue saw Bai Bing massaging Wang Zheng’s back in the living room, her expression—which hadn’t been pleasant to begin with—grew even darker.

“Well, aren’t you two cozy—like newlyweds!” Su Xue taunted loudly, her words laced with a sour jealousy.

“Why don’t you come enjoy it too?” Wang Zheng forced a smile, though he was at his limit and his arm felt dangerously close to dislocating.

“I’m not as lucky as you. Enjoy it yourself!” Su Xue snorted and stormed back to her room.

While Bai Bing was distracted by Su Xue’s departure, Wang Zheng leaned forward and quickly stood up from the couch, escaping from her “demonic fists.” He shrugged his aching shoulders and forced a smile.

“That was refreshing!” he said to Bai Bing, determined not to lose face in front of her, even though he was in pain.

“Is that so?” Bai Bing replied with a smile of her own. “Since you enjoyed it so much, how about I ‘massage’ you every day from now on?” As she spoke, she hid her reddened hands behind her back, rubbing them together to soothe the pain.

Was that really hitting a person? It felt like pounding on a wall. Bai Bing knew Wang Zheng was strong, but she hadn’t realized just how freakishly tough he was. She was already considering whether she should bring a hammer the next time he asked for a back massage.

Wang Zheng ignored her, walked around, and headed to his own room. Bai Bing, confident in her punching skills, was pleased to see him leave without a word—she knew he must have suffered in silence. Overjoyed, she hopped over the back of the sofa and sat down.

Huh? What’s this? Something hard pressed against her waist. She reached down and pulled out a pair of binoculars from beneath the cushion.

“Binoculars?” Bai Bing was puzzled as to why these were here. They were small but powerful, and so exquisitely made that she knew you couldn’t buy them on the domestic market—they must be imported.

Why would something like this be here?

Wang Zheng, who had just entered his room, came back out when he heard her voice.

“Give that to me—it’s mine!” he said, seeing Bai Bing examining the binoculars. He’d been using them before dinner to admire the “scenery,” and in his haste to eat, he’d stashed them under the cushion—only to forget all about them in the joy of the meal.

“Yours?” Bai Bing glanced at Wang Zheng, then at the precision binoculars in her hand. Seeing how anxious he seemed, she smirked, a wicked idea coming to her. She strode to the balcony, raised the binoculars, and began looking around, whistling as she did.

She looked for all the world like a delinquent harassing a respectable woman.

“You… you’re using my stargazing binoculars for peeping, Bai Bing, I misjudged you!” Wang Zheng exclaimed in mock disappointment.

“I almost forgot!” Bai Bing replied as she peered through the lenses. “Su Xue once said this was the most famous beauty district in Jinghua City—over ninety percent of the residents are single women. And your place is right in the center, with the perfect vantage point. Add a pair of binoculars, and you have the whole neighborhood at your fingertips. Wang Zheng, I have to say, I’m impressed!”

“A wise person sees wisdom, a benevolent person sees benevolence. Some people see binoculars and think of the stars and the vast universe; others, well—they think only of less honorable pursuits.” Wang Zheng sighed, his tone heavy with regret. “What does that say? That the human heart is unpredictable.”

With that, he reached to snatch the binoculars from Bai Bing, but she was ready for him. She blocked him with one hand and kept scanning with the other, a look of wicked enjoyment on her face.

Wang Zheng couldn’t help but be curious. It was around seven in the evening—the golden hour—when many single women with no evening plans would be home, changing clothes and relaxing. And those with plans would be slipping into revealing outfits before heading out.

Was there really someone changing clothes?

Wang Zheng edged closer to Bai Bing, peering in the direction she was looking, though his eyes weren’t sharp enough to see anything. He tapped her shoulder and whispered,

“Better to share the fun than enjoy it alone. Anything good to see?”