Chapter 11: The Consequence

After the officers had settled Zhou Lichuan, they quietly withdrew to the adjoining room to listen in, separated by a single one-way mirror. Inside sat two people who had once been closer than brothers, now facing each other as adversaries—a scene truly lamentable.

“I knew you’d come,” Lin Rui’s voice was hoarse, unused to speaking after days of silence. The words came out awkwardly, as if he had to force them.

Zhou Lichuan sat there, calm and composed. “Yes. The police said you wanted to see me. After so many years of friendship, I thought it deserved an ending.”

“Friendship. Ha.” Lin Rui gave a cold, bitter laugh. “What friendship is there between us? Master and servant, perhaps? I was nothing but a servant in your family, and you talk to me about friendship? Aren’t you afraid it’ll lower your status?”

Zhou Lichuan was at a loss for words. “Lin Rui, the Qing dynasty ended over a hundred years ago. You’ve studied abroad, seen the world—how can your mind still be so shackled to servitude?”

Lin Rui fired back, “Did I have a choice? I was raised in your house since childhood, ate at your table, slept under your roof. Outwardly, I was the orphan your family rescued and supported, but in truth, I waited on you hand and foot, lived by your whims. My survival depended on you. Only by following you did anyone bother to notice me—so they’d know that the lackey running errands for Young Master Zhou was called Lin Rui! I am Lin Rui! I am my own person! I am not some slave bound to your family by indenture!”

Zhou Lichuan, unmoved by Lin Rui’s outrage, replied in his steady, low voice, “But in the end, no one forced you. I gave you many chances to choose differently. You chose this path yourself.”

Lin Rui, furious, let out a hollow laugh. “Yes, ha, I chose it myself—so what? Did I have another choice? I wanted to make something of myself, be seen for who I am—Lin Rui, not just Zhou Lichuan’s follower! Is that so wrong? I just wanted respect, admiration! What, only you, Young Master Zhou, deserve to be looked up to? The rest of us must bow and be trampled underfoot?”

Zhou Lichuan clasped his hands together on his lap, unruffled. “If all these choices were your own, you chose the hotel school, you chose to work as a butler—what is it you’re resenting now?”

Lin Rui slammed his fists on the table. “If I hadn’t, what chance would there have been for me to stand at the top? In this world, in this society, where is there ever a fair opportunity for an orphan like me? The children of the rich—if they simply avoid mistakes and make ordinary decisions, they’re called exceptional, the future pillars of the nation! But people like us, born in hardship, are destined only to survive in the shadows, supporting your glorious lives as mere background! Why?!”

Zhou Lichuan listened, his expression unchanged. “So this is why you broke the law?”

Lin Rui froze, the heat of his anger fading, his eyes growing wet.

Yes, he had broken the law.

No one had forced him. Driven by selfish desire, he had chosen crime.

Seeing his silence, Zhou Lichuan spoke again. “Lin Rui, no matter what others thought of you, I never once saw you as lesser. You were always outstanding—brilliant, prudent, always able to see what others missed. With your character, even if you’d left the Zhou family, you could have made your own way. The reason you’re here today is because you were too consumed by your own obsessions. You never let yourself go.”

Lin Rui gave a bitter laugh and wiped his face. “Such fine words. Who knows what you really thought? I was your butler, your assistant—did you ever truly see me? I was at your beck and call like a servant. Only someone like Jiang Zao, who grew up abused, would believe in your so-called magnanimity, believe you could treat ordinary people as equals. Little does she know, one day, her fate may be worse than mine.”

At the mention of Jiang Zao, Zhou Lichuan frowned. “Believe or not, that’s up to you. Now that you’re here, you’ll have plenty of years to reflect on your past—how the Zhou family treated you, how I treated you. What might have happened if you hadn’t broken the law? What became of you after you did?”

“I’d rather not think about it. My life has always been a road of no return. Whether I did it or not, what difference would it make? In the end, history is written by the victors—you’ll have your version of events.”

Zhou Lichuan nodded. “Then take care, Lin Rui.”

The officers monitoring next door entered and escorted Zhou Lichuan out.

As they walked out, Zhou Lichuan remembered Lin Rui’s words about Jiang Zao’s abusive upbringing, and turned to the officer beside him.

“Officer Zhang, just now Lin Rui mentioned that Jiang Zao was abused as a child. Her father, Jiang Jingyuan, was also arrested in this case. During interrogation, could you investigate whether he really abused his children?”

Officer Zhang considered it. “That shouldn’t be difficult, but I’m afraid it’s not directly related to this case. The procedure might not be proper.”

Zhou Lichuan replied, “Jiang Jingyuan placed his daughter by my side as a spy to control me. Just a few days ago, he even hit Jiang Zao—probably because she wouldn’t cooperate with his illegal activities. Perhaps you could use that as an entry point.”

Officer Zhang smiled. “That could work, but if we dig too deeply, it might affect your own reputation, Mr. Zhou.”

Zhou Lichuan smiled too, his voice softening. “If you want sincerity, you have to offer sincerity first. Between me and her, someone has to take the first step. She’s had a hard life and is gentle by nature, so I’ll simply have to go further to meet her.”

Hearing this, Officer Zhang, a father of two, couldn’t help but indulge in a little matchmaking fantasy. “For Miss Jiang, that’s true good fortune.”

“With her, I’m the fortunate one.”

…

A week later, Jiang Zao retrieved her identification documents from the police station—the ones Jiang Jingyuan had withheld: her ID card, graduation certificate, household registration book, all there.

Elated, Jiang Zao returned to the company to share her happiness with Zhou Lichuan. “I finally got my documents back!”

Zhou Lichuan beamed, sharing in her joy. “Getting your documents back makes you this happy?”

“Of course! They’re so important. Whether I want a job or just to travel, I need them everywhere. And having them back means Jiang Jingyuan’s case is almost over—everything is finally coming to a conclusion. Isn’t that even better?”

Zhou Lichuan nodded. “Yes. To celebrate your documents’ return, let’s leave work early and go home. I have a gift waiting for you.”

“A gift for me?” Jiang Zao exclaimed in delight. “What is it?”

“You’ll see when we get home. Call Du Bin to bring the car—we’re going home.”