C14 Wang Tao's Conspiracy

Chen Lan, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, heard Zhao Lei's voice and her tension eased considerably. She felt certain that she wouldn't come to any harm. She couldn't pinpoint the moment it happened, but Zhao Lei, several years her junior, had become a pillar of strength in her heart.

In stark contrast to Chen Lan's relief, the man was infuriated by the interruption of his plans. He glared at Zhao Lei with malice and barked, "Mind your own business, or I won't be so courteous!"

Zhao Lei was unfazed by the threat. He stared the man down and retorted, "Release her, or my courtesy will run out."

The man sneered, "I won't let go. What can you do about it? This is the county town, I—"

He was cut off mid-sentence as Zhao Lei lunged forward and delivered a resounding slap to his face, silencing his bluster.

Dazed, the man's grip on Chen Lan loosened as he stumbled back against the wall, struggling to regain his composure.

Spitting out blood, he looked at Zhao Lei in disbelief and exclaimed, "You... you actually hit me?!"

"That was just a warning," Zhao Lei replied coolly. "Disappear now, or next time I'll knock your teeth out."

Realizing Zhao Lei meant business, the man's bravado quickly deflated. He scurried down the alley, throwing over his shoulder, "You'll regret this... I'm going to get backup!"

Zhao Lei ignored the empty threats. He picked up Chen Lan's dropped belongings and offered them to her, asking, "Are you okay?"

Chen Lan massaged her reddened wrist and accepted her things, murmuring, "I'm fine."

Zhao Lei's brow furrowed as he questioned, "Ms. Lan, why would you get involved in something like this?"

Sensing his irritation, Chen Lan hastened to clarify, "You've got it wrong. I'm not that sort of woman, I assure you!"

"You're the one misunderstanding," Zhao Lei said with a wry smile. "I'm asking why you would go off with a stranger so carelessly. It's far too risky."

Realizing that Zhao Lei didn't see her as that sort of woman, Chen Lan breathed a sigh of relief and stammered, "Actually... I wanted to sell something. Someone said they would buy it, so I went with him."

To prove her honesty, Chen Lan pulled out an item from her bag to show Zhao Lei, "This is the jade bracelet my mother gave me when I got married."

Zhao Lei furrowed his brow, "Why would you sell something so sentimental?"

Chen Lan spoke softly, "The month is nearly over, and I need to repay the money I owe."

The Beautiful Widow's words were laced with resignation. It dawned on Zhao Lei that she was still struggling to pay off debts incurred by her late husband, who had died in a drunk driving accident. It was indeed a tough situation.

Moved by Chen Lan's forlorn look, Zhao Lei gently inquired, "How much are you asking for the bracelet?"

Chen Lan looked down and replied, "Three thousand. It's a fair price, but nobody seems interested. It's rare to find a buyer, and then..."

Before the Beautiful Widow could finish, Zhao Lei interjected, "I'll buy the jade bracelet!"

Chen Lan was taken aback and asked incredulously, "Really?"

"Absolutely," Zhao Lei affirmed, counting out three thousand yuan from his jujube sales and handing it to Chen Lan. "Check it to make sure it's all there."

Chen Lan instinctively accepted the money and passed the jade bracelet to Zhao Lei with reluctance.

Zhao Lei, taking the bracelet, said, "I'll hold onto this for you. When you're able to, you can buy it back anytime."

Zhao Lei had actually wanted to lend Chen Lan the money outright, but he knew she wouldn't accept it. So, he had come up with this solution to support the Beautiful Widow.

Chen Lan understood Zhao Lei's intentions and expressed her gratitude warmly, "Thank you, Zhao Lei!"

Zhao Lei beamed, "Last time, you saved my life by pulling me out of the river. No need to thank me for such a small favor!"

As she recalled that moment, a blush crept over Chen Lan's lovely face. She lowered her head and whispered, "We're neighbors, after all. Helping each other is only natural. I'm planning to head back to the village now. How about you?"

Zhao Lei offered, "Let's head out together. I rode my tricycle here, so I can give you a lift back home."

As they conversed and made their way out of the alley, they were completely oblivious to the fact that Wang Tao from the village was peering at them from behind the window of the building just beyond the fence.

Since his unsuccessful attempt to flirt with Chen Lan, which ended with Zhao Lei breaking several of his ribs, Wang Tao had been healing in the county hospital. With Zhao Lei holding incriminating evidence against him, he didn't dare admit to being assaulted and instead claimed that his injuries were the result of an unfortunate fall.

Despite his claims, Wang Tao harbored a deep-seated hatred for Zhao Lei and was constantly scheming for revenge. While taking a smoke break in the hospital corridor, he accidentally witnessed the exchange in the alley.

Seeing Zhao Lei hand a wad of cash to Chen Lan, Wang Tao seethed with jealousy and resentment, muttering to himself, "Look at that, the cheating couple has been at it for a while now. No wonder they were so ruthless with me. I can't let them get away with this!"

Quickly devising a scheme, Wang Tao tossed his cigarette aside and called Wang Hu, his voice dripping with sycophancy, "Hu, it's me, Wang Tao. What are you up to?"

On the other end, Wang Hu responded with impatience, "I'm in the middle of a card game. Spit it out, what do you want?"

Wang Tao and Wang Hu, both hailing from Three-river Village and sharing the Wang surname, were actually distant relatives. Technically, Wang Tao was even Wang Hu's senior.

But with Wang Hu's uncle, Wang Chenggang, serving as the village chief and having a few followers of his own, Wang Hu had never shown much regard for Wang Tao, treating his elder with scant respect.

Unperturbed, Wang Tao continued with a grin, "I just ran into Zhao Lei in town. You won't believe it, but the kid's struck it rich! He's walking around with a hefty sum of cash and casually handed over thousands to Chen Lan, the beautiful widow!"

Now Wang Hu was intrigued and pressed for details, "You sure you're not mistaken?"

"Positive!" Wang Tao assured him, "It's at least seven or eight thousand, all in cash! Plus, I know for a fact he's headed back to the village and hasn't stopped by the bank at all!"

"Alright, alright!" Wang Hu declared, "I'm aware of the situation. Once you're out of the hospital, dinner's on me, deal?" With that, he hung up the phone, a smug smirk spreading across his face. His luck had been terrible today; he'd lost several thousand dollars in a card game and was pondering where to scrounge up some quick cash. Knowing Zhao Lei had money, Wang Hu saw the perfect opportunity to "borrow" a bit.

With this plan in mind, Wang Hu dialed his henchman, deciding to head to Zhao Lei's place as soon as the card game wrapped up, to lie in wait for his return.

On the other end, Wang Tao, too, wore a self-satisfied grin as he listened to the dial tone. He whispered to himself with a chuckle, "Cross me, Wang Tao? Oh, you'll see how I settle the score!"

Unbeknownst to Zhao Lei, a plot against him was unfolding. At that moment, he was pedaling a tricycle, escorting Chen Lan toward the village.