Having run out of options, Du Yifan eventually crawled back to Han Weicheng's research team. By then, Han's work had achieved some success, and for reasons unknown, he accepted Du Yifan back into the fold.
Riding on the team's achievements, Du Yifan regained a bit of fame in the medical field. Later, he partnered with Luo Jialin to venture into the healthcare business, gradually reviving the Du family's fortune—though it never returned to its former glory.
Still, that didn't stop Du Yifan from seeking revenge. Not long after Shu Lanzhou was framed and sent to prison in their past life, rumors said Du Yifan had also sent Huang Tiantian to jail on charges of corporate espionage.
Coincidentally, the very same "President Zhang" was also imprisoned. Back then, the confidential documents Huang Tiantian stole were handed over to him, making him one of the main culprits behind the near-collapse of the Du family.
Having lived a second life, the moment Shu Lanzhou saw Huang Tiantian again, she knew Du Yifan couldn't escape the fate of his past life. What she didn't expect was how fast everything unraveled this time.
The downfall of the Du family had come years earlier than before.
"Shu Lanzhou, what are you thinking about?" Dong Anlan nudged her elbow. "I know you must feel complicated about Du Yifan getting arrested. After all, he was your former senior."
"But if you ask me, he brought this all on himself. Don't forget how he treated you. Don't go soft over someone like that."
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "I'm not soft. I was just thinking about what you all were wondering earlier—how much money Du Yifan actually spent on Huang Tiantian."
"If I had to guess, it must've been around seven to eight million."
"How do you know?" Zhang He looked at her, wide-eyed with curiosity.
The other two also stared at her with strange expressions.
Shu Lanzhou let out a laugh. "Don't get any funny ideas. I'm just guessing. Back when Du Yifan was pursuing me, he said that if I agreed to date him, he'd give me a monthly allowance."
"And that's not even counting the designer shoes, clothes, and handbags he planned to shower me with. Just the cash alone was quite a sum. So considering how long he was with Huang Tiantian, it's not surprising at all."
If it were just a few hundred thousand, Du Yifan wouldn't have shamelessly chased Huang Tiantian down in public like that.
He had probably been cut off by his father financially and was stuck at a crossroads, unsure of what path to take next.
Going from a spoiled rich heir who had never lifted a finger to suddenly having to take responsibility for his own life—it wasn't something Du Yifan could adjust to overnight.
In this moment, Huang Tiantian—sweet, gentle, and obedient—became his perfect escape from reality. But unfortunately for him, she chose now to break up with him.
Even an average person would have trouble coping, let alone someone like Du Yifan, who had always seen himself as exceptional and had been coddled all his life.
Shu Lanzhou couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"No wonder so many girls want to catch a rich second-generation boyfriend," Ding Yuejiao said with a click of her tongue. "It really is a money-making machine!"
Zhang He and Dong Anlan both shook their heads.
"Spending money that's not yours… how do you not feel guilty?" Dong Anlan said.
"Exactly." Zhang He sighed. "If it were true love, fine. But judging by what happened today, that woman was clearly in it for the money!"
Shu Lanzhou shrugged. "One was willing to pay, the other was willing to take—it's the mess they made themselves. Who else is there to blame?"
"True that." Dong Anlan sighed, shaking her head. "Du Yifan's really disgraced the entire Du family—losing both face and pride. His father's definitely going to teach him a hard lesson. Serves him right!"
Zhang He raised her milk tea. "Alright, alright, let's stop talking about them. Let's eat. Once we're full, we're going to the movies!"
At the hospital, Huang Tiantian looked anxiously at the man lying on the hospital bed. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you badly?"
"It's not serious," President Zhang said, a cruel glint flashing in his fleshy face. "But I'm not letting this slide."
"I told you to lay low for a while. Why didn't you listen?"
Head hanging, Huang Tiantian looked properly remorseful. "The new mall just opened and I wanted to go shopping. How was I supposed to know he would come find me? I'm sorry, President Zhang. I shouldn't have disobeyed you."
"Alright, alright. I'm not blaming you," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Just be good, trust me—it won't be long now. Once the Du family collapses, you'll be Mrs. Zhang. I'll take you anywhere you want."
Huang Tiantian beamed with joy, though she was still a little confused. "Why wait? With the files I gave you, can't you destroy the Du family right away?"
"You don't understand," Zhang said with a smirk, not bothering to explain. "In business, nothing is that simple. I can't use that information until the timing is perfect. Just trust me—you've done me a huge favor, and I won't forget it."
At the police station, Du Yifan's father arrived to see him.
"You really are something, huh? Getting played like a fool by a woman, making headlines for all the wrong reasons—how the hell did I raise such a disgrace of a son!"
He pointed at Du Yifan, fuming.
"I didn't know she was acting this whole time!" Du Yifan said defensively. "She used to be so sweet and obedient to me, I really thought…"
Remembering his time with Huang Tiantian, Du Yifan still couldn't believe he had been betrayed.
"You really don't know yourself, do you? What kind of girl would want to be with a brat like you if you didn't have money? If she wasn't after your wallet, would she even look at you?"
Du Yifan rolled his eyes secretly. Aren't you the same? Always surrounded by women. What gives you the right to criticize me?
"I've told you before—anything you can buy with money isn't worth talking about love over. It's just a transaction. But you? You expected her to truly love you? Who gave you the confidence?"
His father glared at him, exasperated. "If you really wanted someone to love you, then you should've gone for a girl who wasn't eyeing your wallet. That girl from your research team—what was her name?"
"Shu Lanzhou." Du Yifan looked down, regret clouding his face as he recalled his past crush.
His father slammed the table. "Yes! Her. You could tell she was a decent one. If you had put in the effort, she'd have been loyal to you and not care about your money."
"She was smart too—Han Weicheng's student, wasn't she? Marry her and she might've even helped you with the family business. You'd be free to do whatever you want!"
"I don't get how your brain works. You ignored a gem like her and chased after that. Are you dumb?"
He looked at his son with utter contempt.
"I did try!" Du Yifan muttered, frustrated. "She didn't like me. Turned me down."
"How did you try?" his father asked, surprised. "Didn't she know your background? Or did you treat her badly?"
Thinking about how half-hearted his pursuit had been, Du Yifan felt a wave of regret. "I… I didn't really think about it. I just didn't expect her not to like me."
There were so many girls who liked him—why was Shu Lanzhou the only one who didn't?
Du Yifan still didn't understand it.
After hearing his son's story—especially what he had done to Shu Lanzhou in the past—his father fell silent.
His fists clenched at his sides, jaw grinding audibly. This idiot is really my son?
I wasn't this brain-dead when I was young!
Standing up, Du Yifan's father said, "Forget bail. Sit in there and reflect on your mistakes."
He turned to leave. "When you're out, don't even think about coming back to the company. Focus on your research. If you can't make something of yourself, don't come home. Don't even tell people your last name is Du. I'm embarrassed to death."
Du Yifan had been completely abandoned by his father. No one answered his cries for help, and President Zhang refused to reconcile. He was destined to be detained.
Desperate to escape his fate, he thought of the one person who might still help him: Shu Lanzhou.
Just as she and her friends stepped out of the theater after finishing their movie, Shu Lanzhou's phone rang.
It was a call from Du Yifan—from the police station.