To put it simply, the reason Zheng Zhe has survived until now is that he is “selfish”.
He always held an attitude of “letting well alone” and didn't have a very good relationship with Xu Jia.
This gradually dispelled the murderer's doubts, and ultimately, he was spared.
Now, he chose to tell Xu Tingyu about it. Firstly, when he was in the UK, he was really desperate and could only use this as a means to get back to China.
Secondly, his life wasn't going well, so he hoped to get another sum of money from Xu Tingyu.
He was quite justified in his actions, believing that he had ended up in this situation because he had followed Xu Jia into the laboratory building back then.
Ultimately, it was all because of Xu Jia.
So now, it was only natural for him to hand over the evidence to Xu Tingyu and get a sum of money in return.
Xu Tingyu gave Zheng Zhe a long, deep look.
This man, no, perhaps he couldn't even be called a man yet; he was still just a young boy.
He had been accidentally caught up in this storm back then and had indeed suffered a great deal.
If Xu Jia were still alive, he would be the same age as this boy.
But he would surely be much more handsome.
Xu Jia had been a good kid since childhood, sensible and well - behaved. His learning ability and emotional intelligence were top - notch, and he had a strong sense of empathy.
“I can give you a sum of money, but it's not compensation for your years of hardship,” Xu Tingyu said.
“If you need compensation, you should go to the murderer. It was him who caused you to end up like this.
“I'm giving you the money because my Jia Jia would surely hope that his classmate would stop being so decadent.”
The fact that Zheng Zhe had once had a conflict with Xu Jia over grades showed that he wasn't a particularly bad person at heart.
Xu Tingyu could understand his self - preservation later on.
After all, he had been an underage child back then. How could he not be scared after witnessing a murder?
Zheng Zhe was taken aback by her words, seemingly shocked.
He hadn't expected Xu Tingyu to say such things.
Just as Xu Tingyu asked for his bank account number, sent it to Shu Shu, and was about to leave with the hard drive,
Zheng Zhe suddenly spoke up again. “Actually, you're quite similar to Xu Jia. Both of you are soft - hearts... Anyway, take care of yourself and stay away from the Qi family.”
After saying that, he didn't look at Xu Tingyu anymore. Instead, he lowered his head and gulped down the coffee on the table in one go.
Xu Jia had been the same way back then. Facing Zheng Zhe's hostility, he always remained calm.
A week before Xu Jia's accident, it was the monthly exam, and Zheng Zhe's score was lower than Xu Jia's again.
Out of anger, he deliberately spilled water in the dormitory and splashed it on Xu Jia's bed.
Xu Jia knew he had done it on purpose but wasn't angry. Instead, he seemed a bit helpless.
“Zheng Zhe, I don't have the energy to play these petty tricks with you. I have many important things to do,” he said.
“I'm not your only competitor. There are so many people taking the college entrance examination. Your competitors aren't just me.”
He made his point subtly and privately.
At that time, Zheng Zhe thought that Xu Jia was like a man made of clay, with no temper at all.
Didn't he just rely on his family being richer than his? What was he trying to prove by acting so aloof? In the end, he just looked down on him.
Later, he learned what Xu Jia had been going through at that time.
He also realized that Xu Jia hadn't looked down on them; he was just really exhausted.
He had a poor health condition, and there were signs that his family was on the verge of collapse.
He had to balance his studies, worry about his family, and also worry about his sister because the tabloid news online was really over - the - top.
Even so, he hadn't been overly angry with Zheng Zhe, who had been causing trouble repeatedly.
He was truly a gentleman.
It was just that Zheng Zhe hadn't understood back then. By the time he did, it was too late to say sorry to Xu Jia.
When Xu Tingyu walked out of the coffee shop and got back into the car, she was a bit dazed.
Zheng Zhe had said that she was similar to Xu Jia, both soft - hearts.
But did being a soft - heart mean one had to be bullied?
She kept a straight face all the way.
Now, she not only had to figure out whether Xu Jia's death was related to Qi Ye but also whether Qi Shifeng really knew nothing about it.
She didn't go home but went to visit Zhang Wan instead.
Because the evidence was conclusive, Qi Ye had abandoned her immediately. With Qi Shifeng pressing hard, Zhang Wan was in a sorry state.
She had been detained for the past few days, and it was said that Qi Ye hadn't even bothered to hire a lawyer for her.
When Xu Tingyu walked in, the faint smile on Zhang Wan's face froze instantly.
“Why is it you?” she frowned. “Can't wait to watch me make a fool of myself?”
Xu Tingyu sat down leisurely, looked up at the furious Zhang Wan, and clicked her tongue twice.
“What, did you think it was Qi Ye coming to see you? Are you still daydreaming?”
“I mean, how could a talented person like you end up in such a mess?”
“Do you think your parents expected you to be this stupid when they sent you abroad to study?”
Zhang Wan's face turned red with anger. “What right do you have to mention my parents? I don't want to talk to you. I refuse this visit.”
Xu Tingyu thought she was being ridiculous. “You think you can just refuse? You're just a discarded pawn now. What right do you have to refuse?”
Qi Shifeng had said that Qi Ye was really heartless towards Zhang Wan.
Not only did he refuse to hire a lawyer for her, but he also provided a lot of evidence right away.
He had said it with a hint of jealousy in his tone. “I have to say, Qi Ye really treats you well.”
But Xu Tingyu didn't take it seriously. “He's not angry because she hurt me. He's angry because she was disobedient and dared to make her own decisions.”
A disobedient chess piece was just a useless one.
A man like Qi Ye, who seemed warm on the outside but was cold - hearted inside, would never show the slightest bit of mercy.
She understood this, and Zhang Wan surely did too.
It was just that Zhang Wan refused to believe it and was too afraid to believe it.
She thought that after staying by Qi Ye's side for so many years, she was a special existence.
Qi Ye's ignoring her during this period was just because he was too busy...
After all, the old man had passed away, and he had health problems...
But now, Xu Tingyu had mercilessly torn off the last fig leaf.
“Zhang Wan, stop deceiving yourself. Qi Ye just doesn't like you. Now that you're of no value to him, he wants to get rid of you as soon as possible,” she said.
“He's the one you've been loyal to for so many years, but he's never cared about you. Otherwise, how could he have let you take risks?”
“You've also seen how he treats me. Have you ever seen him let me get involved in his shady businesses?”
“Even the industries he transferred to me are all clean and legitimate.”
“So, you've seen how he treats someone well. How could you still think you're special?”
“Oh, right. You are special. You're the one who does all his dirty work for him.”
Xu Tingyu knew how to hit someone where it hurt the most.
In front of Qi Ye, Zhang Wan was just a pathetic person who couldn't get what she wanted.
Just attacking this weakest point of hers was enough to break her down.
Sure enough, Zhang Wan's hands were trembling with anger, but she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Because what Xu Tingyu said was the truth.
Even the industries transferred to Xu Tingyu were handled by Zhang Wan herself. They were the most legitimate and profitable ones under Qi Ye's business empire.
Love or lack of it was really obvious.
“Zhang Wan, he doesn't deserve your love. So now, it's your turn to take revenge on this scumbag,” Xu Tingyu suddenly smiled and changed the topic.