A life of financial freedom

A man walked in. He was burly, and his dark gray suit had a stiff, structured look. The fabric shimmered slightly under the lights, smooth and wrinkle-free.

His hair was slightly messy, with a few strands falling across his forehead. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned in a half-smile.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Seeing the man, Zhong Tingyue frowned, an indescribable expression appearing on her delicate face.

"Ye Zhijie?!" He Yi murmured softly.

Zhou Yahan was also stunned for a few seconds when she saw the man in the suit, then a ripple appeared in her pupils: "Interesting, very interesting."

Many classmates looked at each other, their eyes questioning why Ye Zhijie was here and who had told him.

One of the classmates stood up, greeting Ye Zhijie and saying, "I told Zhijie. Although we were only classmates for a year, our friendship lasts forever. And Zhijie also wanted to see his old classmates and have a good time reminiscing."

The man in the suit, Ye Zhijie, smiled slightly: "I miss you all very much. I came here today to see you all. I hope I'm welcome."

"Welcome, of course, you are most welcome," the class monitor naturally extended a greeting to this special old classmate.

He Yi slowly withdrew her gaze: "Ye Zhijie has been released from prison."

"Yeah," Zhong Tingyue bit her chopsticks, a bright smile blooming on her face as she looked at the funny emoticon sent by Chu Fang.

"Ye Zhijie is here, and you're still smiling," He Yi nudged her. "Aren't you worried?"

"In broad daylight, under the clear sky, what is there to worry about?" Zhong Tingyue remained unmoved. "It wasn't me who sent him to prison."

"But, but..." He Yi paused for a few seconds, and ultimately did not say what she wanted to say.

At first, many classmates were wary of Ye Zhijie's arrival, after all, he had been in prison. But as they talked more, they found that Ye Zhijie's personality had changed dramatically, becoming kind, approachable, and humble.

Gradually, everyone lowered their guard.

"Weren't you sentenced to ten years? How did you get out?"

"I behaved well in prison and was released early," Ye Zhijie replied.

"What's it like in prison?"

"Um... how should I put it? Comfortable, pleasant, and cozy."

"Really?"

Ye Zhijie laughed: "Of course, I'm just kidding."

Many classmates laughed.

"What are you doing now?" an old classmate asked.

"I just got out and I'm not used to society, but fortunately, my family's house was demolished, leaving me with some assets, enough to support myself," Ye Zhijie replied to his classmate's question. "To put it bluntly, I'm just a freeloader."

"Demolished? Then you've made a fortune."

"That's good."

"Exactly, you don't have to work hard like us."

"Working now is no different from being a slave."

"..."

Once a person is wealthy, even if they have many bad habits, they seem to become radiant.

Even though Ye Zhijie had been in prison, under the 'rich' halo, he became a 'good person' in the eyes of many classmates.

This is the so-called 'approachable billionaire'.

Soon, Ye Zhijie took charge of the dinner, saying, "I'm sorry I'm late today, this meal is on me."

After dinner, Ye Zhijie suggested going to KTV to sing, and many classmates agreed. He casually glanced around: "Why are two classmates missing?"

"Oh, Zhong Tingyue and He Yi left early," a female classmate replied.

Ye Zhijie's expression was indifferent: Then he went to the nearby KTV with many classmates.

Arriving at the KTV, Ye Zhijie booked the largest room. Beer, peanuts, and snacks were brought up, and the room was lively.

Ye Zhijie took the lead in singing a song. After the song, he said, "I'm going to the bathroom, you guys have fun."

Inside the bathroom.

Ye Zhijie looked at himself in the mirror, his features twisted, his fists clenched, his knuckles white, and the veins on the back of his hands bulging, as if a fire was about to burst out of his body.

Bang!

He punched the mirror, shattering it into pieces.

"Damn!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." a teasing voice came from the side. "I knew it, people's nature is not so easy to change. You've finally revealed your true colors. You're still the same Ye Zhijie as before."

Zhou Yahan leaned against the bathroom wall, arms crossed, smiling faintly.

"What's your purpose for attending this class reunion? Let me guess, you're so angry that you're clearly not targeting the classmates in the KTV, so it must be related to the classmates who left early. The only ones who left early are Zhong Tingyue and He Yi. I guess you like He Yi!"

Ye Zhijie squeezed out a low voice from between his teeth: "Do you think you're very funny?"

Zhou Yahan shrugged: "Don't be like that, I'm scared."

She paused, touching her chin: "I'm very puzzled, it wasn't Zhong Tingyue who sent you to prison, why do you hate Zhong Tingyue so much?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Okay, it's none of my business," Zhou Yahan still said with a smile, "But I sincerely remind you, you finally got out, don't cause trouble. If things get big, you won't have a good outcome."

"I spent eight years in prison, a full eight years. Do you know how I got through it?" Ye Zhijie's body trembled slightly, like an enraged lion.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know," Zhou Yahan remained unmoved. "I only know that you can't afford to offend Zhong Tingyue. She's getting married soon and has someone to rely on."

"Wouldn't that be even better? Having a husband means having weaknesses."

"You can't beat Chu Fang. You're like an ant, crushed by him without him even knowing you exist. Who do you think you are? A criminal, relying on your limited force to bully ordinary people, but this world is far more complex than you realize. Your force is simply pathetic in the face of other people's wealth, and you are even more pathetic, so pathetic that you're like a stray dog on the side of the road..."

Ye Zhijie's eyes widened, and he suddenly grabbed Zhou Yahan's neck: "Have you forgotten my past deeds?"

Zhou Yahan's face was flushed red, and she could hardly breathe, seemingly about to be strangled to death, but she still stubbornly said: "If you have the ability, then kill me."

Ye Zhijie instantly released Zhou Yahan. Zhou Yahan fell to the ground, and he casually straightened his clothes: "You're not worthy."

"Since you say Zhong Tingyue's husband is very powerful, then I have to see just how powerful he is. Even if he's a tiger, I'll have to knock out two of his teeth."

After speaking, Ye Zhijie left. Zhou Yahan sat on the ground, gasping for breath.

"After a few years in prison, this bastard has made some progress, no longer as angry and unable to control his emotions as before."

Zhou Yahan removed the camera installed in her collar and sighed: "I originally wanted to get rid of Ye Zhijie and repay Chu Fang for his favor back then, what a pity that Ye Zhijie didn't do anything."

"I can only do this much, I can't help with the rest."

... ...

Night fell, and the dazzling lights rendered Modu into a city that never sleeps.

Zhong Tingyue and He Yi strolled down the street, the latter murmuring: "How did Ye Zhijie get out?"

"He has reformed," Zhong Tingyue replied.

"Do you believe it?"

Zhong Tingyue nodded: "The police wouldn't have released him if he hadn't reformed."

"Aren't you worried at all?"

"I said, it wasn't me who sent him to prison, why would he seek trouble with me?" Zhong Tingyue's expression remained unchanged, and she pondered for a few seconds, "He Yi, don't tell Chu Fang about this."

"You're still worried."

Zhong Tingyue agreed, saying: "I'm worried about Ye Zhijie's safety."

She understood her Chu's temper. If he knew about this, he would definitely find trouble with Ye Zhijie, and Ye Zhijie had just been released from prison, and from a legal point of view, he was considered a reformed person.

And before Ye Zhijie committed any crimes, attacking him first would be a crime.

He Yi nodded: "That makes sense."

Although Ye Zhijie had done many scary things, and had bullied others, and had almost killed someone, in the end, Ye Zhijie was just an ordinary person.

And Ye Zhijie and Chu Fang had a world of difference, even if his family's house was demolished, those assets were like a drop in the bucket compared to Chu Fang.

What could Ye Zhijie use to fight Chu Fang?

Zhong Tingyue sent He Yi home, and then returned to the昙花小区 herself.

She thought of tonight's encounter: "Your crimes were ultimately your own doing and had nothing to do with me. If you are still as stubborn as before, that's not a good choice."

"Don't go looking for trouble with Chu, otherwise you will regret it."

... ...