Chapter 88 Exposure

The next day, Zhou Xuan drove his new car, bade farewell to his parents, and hit the highway leading to the provincial capital. The stated reason, of course, was that there were numerous company matters requiring his personal attention. Neither his father nor his mother raised any objections, merely urging him to drive carefully on the road.

Last night, after Zhou Xuan revealed to Liu Yixue that he was none other than the author Zhou Zixuan, Liu Yixue let out an incredulous gasp and remained in a state of profound shock for a full hour.

Afterward, it was mostly Zhou Xuan doing the talking while Liu Yixue listened. Naturally, he omitted the detail about owning a company in the provincial capital.

When it was time to part ways, Liu Yixue had grown somewhat silent. Perhaps she had never imagined that Zhou Xuan had already become a millionaire, or even a multi-millionaire. Given that Zhou Xuan was still a junior high school student, this felt nothing short of a myth to her.

As a straight-A student who had excelled since childhood, Liu Yixue viewed Zhou Xuan—who had suddenly risen to prominence a few months prior—as a figure shrouded in overwhelming mystery. Although they were in a relationship, Liu Yixue had always harbored a subtle sense of superiority regarding herself.

This was not due to any obsession with wealth or vanity, but rather a natural byproduct of growing up in a comfortable household where she never had to worry about food or clothing. Even though Zhou Xuan outperformed her academically and was exceptionally gifted in sports, her family background had always served to balance out those areas where she fell slightly short.

Liu Yixue had always believed this, maintaining a sense of equality between herself and Zhou Xuan throughout their relationship.

One might say that while young lovers often proclaim that mutual affection is all that matters and that family background and social standing are irrelevant, once they truly commit to each other, the differences in their respective backgrounds are bound to clash one day. Petty arguments inevitably arise from these disparities. Such friction is unavoidable, occurring in virtually every relationship.

Whereas Liu Yixue might have previously felt that her family's standing gave her an advantage over Zhou Xuan, the reality was entirely different now. Even as a mere junior high schooler, Zhou Xuan was already a millionaire, and before long, he would likely be a multi-millionaire.

Under these circumstances, the psychological advantage Liu Yixue once held had completely vanished, which was the root cause of her lingering sense of loss. It was easy to foresee that as Zhou Xuan grew increasingly successful, the gap between the two of them would only widen.

A wave of disillusionment inevitably washed over Liu Yixue, accompanied by an unsettling feeling that her future—a future intertwined with Zhou Xuan—was slipping from her grasp.

With her good upbringing and sharp intellect, Liu Yixue naturally grasped all these implications the moment Zhou Xuan made his revelations. If she could not share the hardships and triumphs alongside him through joint effort, how could she ever hope to secure her place by his side in the future?

Once Zhou Xuan stepped beyond Rongzhou and onto the national stage, there was no need to guess how many women far more capable and brilliant than herself he would encounter. Right now, standing before them, her advantages were steadily eroding.

Should she choose to become a pampered bird in a gilded cage, or a phoenix reborn through trials of fire? Liu Yixue had been pondering this question ever since she returned home. Back at her house, her absent-minded demeanor naturally did not escape her parents' notice.

Watching Liu Yixue retreat into her bedroom, her mother, Fan Yue, turned to her husband, who was engrossed in a book, and asked, "Old Liu, what do you suppose is wrong with our precious daughter? She went out just fine, but came back with a heavy heart. Surely she hasn't gotten herself mixed up in early puppy love, has she?"

Liu Dad put down his book and calmly replied, "Yixue has always been sensible; even if she is in a relationship, it's nothing to fret over. She knows her boundaries, and I trust her ability to distinguish right from wrong. However, judging by her behavior today, I suspect it has something to do with the young man who dropped her off. While I have confidence in her, you should probably ask her and find out what actually happened."

"Did you look into that boy? Whose family does he belong to, anyway? He actually drove the family car out to pick her up—how utterly outrageous." Perhaps Zhou Xuan had been a bit too ostentatious, waiting outside the residential compound for over ten minutes, which unfortunately tipped off the neighbors about him picking up Liu Yixue. One had to admit his luck was somewhat poor.

"I looked into him. The boy's name is Zhou Xuan, and he's actually one of Yixue's classmates. But his parents just run a clothing store over on Culture Street, opened only this year. There's simply no way they could afford a car this expensive," Liu Dad said with a hint of puzzlement as he recalled the information he had just retrieved.

"Oh? Then you'd better investigate further. What if he's mixed up in some illegal activity and ends up dragging our Yixue down with him?" Hearing that Zhou Xuan possessed an inexplicably massive fortune, Liu Mom could not help feeling anxious.

"Rest assured, I've already instructed people to look into it. We should be getting word shortly," Liu Dad said, calculating that about three hours had passed since the Public Security Bureau received the inquiry, so they should have uncovered the truth by now.

Even as he spoke, the telephone inside the room rang, and Liu Dad immediately picked up the receiver.

After a few minutes, he hung up the phone with an expression of utter shock etched across his face. Seeing this, Liu Mom felt her heart tighten and demanded, "What is it?"

Liu Dad looked at his wife and sighed, "Relax, you can put your mind at ease. This Zhou Xuan is completely legitimate, and on top of that, he's an absolute super-genius. I never imagined our daughter would have such an eye for men—the boyfriend she picked is practically a monster of talent."

"What? You're saying our daughter is dating him? How can we allow that?" Liu Mom asked, highly alarmed upon learning about the romance.

Liu Dad patted his wife's shoulder with a reassuring smile, "Hear me out first; don't panic. This situation isn't necessarily a bad thing. The main thing is that we need to have a proper talk with our daughter. Dating is fine, but there are certain lines she must never cross."

"This Zhou Xuan is simply a prodigy. He burst onto the scene last October like a powerful dark horse. He's taken first place in his grade on every single exam, and this year he topped the high school entrance examinations, securing admission into the First High School's advanced division. On top of that, his athletic prowess is exceptional—he broke several middle school records at the municipal sports meeting, making him practically invincible. And what you'd never expect is that he is actually Zhou Zixuan, the author of that immensely popular novel *Things That Happened in the Ming Dynasty*. Based on estimates, his royalty earnings alone amount to at least several million yuan, which explains how he could afford such a high-end car. Furthermore, he established a software company in the provincial capital and sold an internet café management system nationwide. Guess who his business partner is? None of other than Deng Cheng, the son of Deng Ting'an from the Blue Sky Group." Liu Dad rattled this off in one breath, leaving Liu Mom utterly dizzy.

"He is *that* Zhou Xuan? He's earned several million yuan? The Blue Sky Group? Deng Ting'an? Old Liu, are you making this up?" Liu Mom felt as though she were listening to an Arabian Nights tale. A junior high school student from a tier-four county bringing in millions in income, while partnering with the son of the chairman of the largest real estate group in the Southwest?

It sounded like absolute mythology, something Liu Dad and Liu Mom were hearing for the very first time.

Liu Dad wore a similarly stunned expression. "I've known about this Zhou Xuan for a while, but I had no idea he was such an extraordinary monster. Oh, that's right—remember how the Wei family's son was expelled from the Second High School a while back? Word has it that was because he tried to frame Zhou Xuan. It seems Zhou Xuan even has ties with municipal Party Secretary Li, so it's hardly surprising that he's acquainted with Deng Ting'an's son."