TEDWR: Chapter 39

 Glossary

· Liang Zheng (梁征): Liang Yingying's nephew from her hometown.

· Zhang Yansheng (张雁声): The female protagonist, the reborn eldest daughter.

· Zhang Heling (张鹤翎): Zhang Yansheng's nine-year-old half-sister.

· Zhang Huan (张寰): Zhang Yansheng's father.

· Liang Yingying (梁莹莹): Zhang Yansheng's stepmother.

· Zhang Shuocheng (张硕成): Zhang Yansheng's seven-year-old half-brother.

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Chapter 39

"Huh? What?" Liang Zheng shamelessly played dumb.

His phone screen was already locked, and he had a passcode. A creep like him, with so much unsavory stuff on his phone, naturally had it locked.

Zhang Yansheng took two steps closer, her voice cold. "Delete what you just secretly took a picture of."

Zhang Heling was here. Considering the young girl's mental well-being, Zhang Yansheng didn't explicitly say what Liang Zheng had been taking pictures of.

She was in her swimsuit, dripping wet. The Liang family was tall, and looking down at her from his height, Liang Zheng felt she posed no threat whatsoever.

He continued to play dumb. "What secret picture? I was taking selfies openly! What, did my aunt and uncle say no selfies allowed in this house or something?"

Zhang Yansheng was disgusted by his sleazy act.

In her past life, he had been this same repulsive person. When she caught him secretly taking pictures, he would act shameless, and if she made a fuss, Liang Yingying would jump out to defend him.

"Stop pretending," she said. "You know what I'm talking about."

Liang Zheng was amused.

He could tell that Zhang Yansheng, with Zhang Heling present, didn't want to say out loud that he had been secretly photographing her. These young girls with tender faces were the easiest to bully.

"Really sorry, big brother doesn't know what you mean," he said with a smarmy grin.

He was a guy, what did he have to fear?

Zhang Yansheng had zero patience for people like him. He wasn't worth it.

"Take out your phone," she said. "Give it to me."

"No can do." Liang Zheng waved his phone playfully in front of Zhang Yansheng. "You're just a kid, you don't understand. A phone is a very private item. It's personal privacy. You can't just ask someone to hand over their phone willy-nilly."

As long as you were shameless, you were invincible. Especially against a young girl who had a sense of shame.

That's what Liang Zheng thought, smugly.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

The more Zhang Heling listened, the more she felt the atmosphere was wrong. Her cousin and her sister wouldn't start fighting like she and Zhang Shuocheng did after a couple of words. They were just talking, but the mood was clearly off.

And her cousin's tone, his expression… why were they so annoying?

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Even though she didn't know what exactly her sister meant by him secretly taking pictures, in Zhang Heling's heart, she had already given her cousin an "X" and her sister a "√."

Zhang Heling was just about to move closer to Zhang Yansheng when she suddenly saw her sister, faced with her cousin's shamelessness, say nothing but swing her hand.

The chopping hand struck Liang Zheng's wrist, and he let go in surprise.

His brand-new phone, bought specifically before coming to K City for fear of being looked down upon by the Zhang family, drew a perfect parabola through the air and landed flawlessly… in the swimming pool.

The air froze for a brief moment.

Then, with Liang Zheng's pig-slaughtering cry of "My new phone!", he plunged into the pool with a splash.

However, the phone had fallen at the deepest end of the pool. Although Liang Zheng could breaststroke a few dozen meters, he had never properly learned to swim.

Panicking, he dove twice but couldn't reach the bottom to grab the phone.

Finally, on the third try, holding his breath, he managed to sink down and retrieve it. He had just grabbed the edge of the pool, not even climbed out yet, when he felt his hand slip—the phone was snatched right out of his grasp by Zhang Yansheng, who had leaned over.

"Hey!" Liang Zheng shouted.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yansheng didn't even bat an eyelid.

Zhang Heling only saw her sister take a stance and then hurl it with force—

The freshly waterlogged phone flew in a beautiful arc over the pool, landing steadily on the opposite side with a clear, distinct crack.

Liang Zheng's heart cracked along with it! That phone contained so much stuff!!!

Zhang Yansheng calmly put on her bathrobe, tied the belt, and walked toward the house.

Furious, Liang Zheng climbed out of the pool, wiped his face, and roared, "Zhang Yansheng! You stop right there!"

He shouted as he ran over, reaching out to grab Zhang Yansheng's shoulder!

Zhang Heling gasped, "Sister! Watch ou—"

Before the word "out" left her mouth, Zhang Yansheng sidestepped and hooked her foot. Not only did Liang Zheng grab empty air, but he was also tripped, falling flat on his face, nearly breaking his teeth.

Zhang Heling's mouth formed a perfect "O."

Liang Zheng hadn't even processed how he had fallen. Pushing himself up and looking, he saw the hem of Zhang Yansheng's bathrobe and her pretty calves right in front of him. He reached out to grab her waist.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Immediately followed by searing pain in his shoulder.

Zhang Yansheng twisted his arm behind his back, her knee pressing into his spine. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

Liang Zheng struggled a few times. However, after her rebirth, Zhang Yansheng had mysteriously gained a significant increase in arm strength—stronger than an adult man. Liang Zheng felt as if an iron tower were pressing on his back; there was no breaking free.

Zhang Heling was still watching from the side. His face flushed crimson. Finally, he said, "Let me go! What are you doing! I'm a guest in your house!"

Zhang Yansheng snorted. "Never seen a guest like you." Saying so, she still let him go.

Zhang Heling had been terrified her sister and cousin would start fighting. Seeing her sister release him, she sighed in relief.

Even though her cousin had just viciously lunged at her sister, she wasn't worried about her sister anymore. She had seen clearly how her cousin had fallen and how he had been pinned to the ground, unable to get up.

Her cousin seemed… no match for her sister at all.

Her sister was super cool! What should she do!

She felt like she was about to turn into starry eyes!

After that useless struggle, Liang Zheng had come to recognize Zhang Yansheng's combat prowess. He suddenly remembered hearing that little brat Zhang Shuocheng mention that Zhang Yansheng had trained since childhood. It seemed to be true.

No matter how furious he was, he could only swallow his anger. Pointing toward the other side of the pool, he accused her, "Zhang Yansheng, tell me, what are you going to do about this?"

Zhang Yansheng put her hands in her bathrobe pockets and lifted her eyelids. "Do about what?"

"The phone! Don't play dumb!" Liang Zheng glared at her furiously; he genuinely ached for the loss. "Damn it, it hasn't even been a week since I bought it! Cost several thousand!"

For the first time, Zhang Yansheng learned you could put the word "big" in front of "several thousand."

She went, "Oh," then asked in return, "So what do you want to do about it?"

Liang Zheng thought, although this started because he took a secret photo of Zhang Yansheng, she hadn't actually lost anything, while he had destroyed a phone. Compensation! He had to make Zhang Yansheng compensate!

"Compensate me!" Liang Zheng planted his hands on his hips. "I don't want money! I want a phone! The exact same model! Now, immediately, right away!"

He figured when Zhang Yansheng couldn't meet this demand, he could then bring up monetary compensation, and he could ask for more money then.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yansheng snorted and said, "Fine."

Liang Zheng was stunned, not believing she could produce a phone right then and there. This phone was the latest model from a premium brand, released just a few months ago. He had bought it specifically right before coming to K City.

Even if they went to buy one now, the round trip would take an hour or two!

"Don't smirk, I'm not joking with you," he said sternly. "Adults can't be without their phones, you know! Do you know how many important things need to be handled through a phone! You destroyed my phone, do you know how much you've delayed me! I have to—"

He was rambling on, and Zhang Yansheng was already fed up. She called out, "Heling!"

Zhang Heling zipped over to her. "Sister!"

"…" Zhang Yansheng said, "Go to my room. In the third drawer on the right side of my desk, get a phone for your cousin."

"Okay!" Wrapped in her towel like a little Batman, Zhang Heling ran off.

Zhang Yansheng shuffled in her slippers toward the house.

Liang Zheng shouted, "Hey!" and chased after her a couple of steps. He looked back, glanced at Zhang Yansheng again, stomped his foot in anger, but still ran to the other side of the pool to pick up the shattered phone.

Waterlogged and physically broken, it was obvious to the naked eye that this phone was beyond repair.

Liang Zheng's heart ached, his liver ached, his lungs ached! Not just for the phone, but for all the content inside it!

He pinched it, used a towel to soak up some water first, then angrily clenched it and went into the house to find Zhang Yansheng.

Zhang Yansheng told Zhang Heling to get a phone? Was there really one? How coincidental that there just happened to be a new phone at home. Was she just bluffing? Liang Zheng didn't really believe it.

Was she going to fob him off with some old phone? That wouldn't do! Either compensate with a brand-new phone of the exact same model! Or pay double the money!

His mind racing with these thoughts, Liang Zheng stormed into the house.

Entering from this side door led to the small living room the Zhang family used for daily relaxation.

Zhang Yansheng was sitting on the sofa waiting for Zhang Heling. Turning her head, she saw a pack of Zhang Huan's cigarettes on the corner table.

Quite naturally, Zhang Yansheng took one, held it between her lips, and picked up the lighter, lowering her head to light it when she suddenly remembered—she was fifteen-year-old Zhang Yansheng now.

She twirled the cigarette between her fingers, then brought it under her nose to smell it. In the end, Zhang Yansheng still crushed it into a ball in the crystal ashtray.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Given her task by Zhang Yansheng, Zhang Heling ran incredibly fast. Just as Liang Zheng stepped into the small living room, she came running down holding a box: "Here it is, here it is! Sis, is it this one?"

Zhang Yansheng took it, glanced, and tossed it onto the sofa on the other side, saying to Liang Zheng, "See if it's the same model."

Suspicious, Liang Zheng picked it up. Not only was it the same model, but it was the top configuration of that model. The shattered one in his hand was only the basic version.

And it wasn't an old phone either. The plastic wrap on the outside of the box was completely intact—a hundred percent brand new!

Liang Zheng was stumped. He was speechless for a good while before asking suspiciously, "You planned to destroy my phone from the start?"

Otherwise, why would there be a brand-new one already prepared at home?

Zhang Yansheng scoffed. "When you buy a phone, don't you buy a spare? Who would specifically prepare one just for you?"

Who the hell…

Who the hell buys two phones at once!

You think it's buying soy milk!

Liang Zheng was indignant.

"See clearly? Same model?" Zhang Yansheng asked.

"It's the same model. But I don't like this color; it's too girly." Liang Zheng cleared his throat. "But it'll do. This one then, I accept it."

"Accept it, right?" Zhang Yansheng nodded. "Good."

With that, she stepped forward, snatched the phone from Liang Zheng's hand, and smashed it onto the floor with all her might!

The brand-new, top-of-the-line phone shattered on the spot! Clearly unusable!

Liang Zheng was dumbfounded.

"I broke one of your phones, and I broke one of mine," Zhang Yansheng said. "We're even. I owe you nothing."

Zhang Heling's mouth also formed an "O." She vaguely felt something was off, but it also seemed to make perfect sense.

Each person lost one phone. They were indeed even.

Zhang Yansheng bent down to take Liang Zheng's old phone.

Her movements weren't fast, but Liang Zheng, having been taught a lesson earlier and knowing her prowess, could only stiffly cry, "You, you, what are you doing?" not daring to try and snatch it from her, and could only watch as Zhang Yansheng took the old phone.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

The old phone was badly shattered, but maybe the data could be recovered?

Zhang Yansheng exerted force, directly breaking the phone in two.

Liang Zheng's eyeballs were about to pop out.

Zhang Yansheng pulled out the SIM card and threw it at him, her voice icy. "This is my home, not some public place. Neither the rooms nor the people here are for you to take pictures of as you please. If I catch you taking pictures of anything again, don't wait for me to do anything—get out on your own!"

(End of Chapter)

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