Boyfriend's passive-aggressive behavior, she turns the tables and makes him her backup option.

Xie Jingyao got up and turned on the bedroom light.

Bright lights instantly filled the bedroom, forcing Si Nian to stare at Xie Jingyao.

She tried to remain calm, but still asked somewhat hesitantly, "Did I...did I faint this afternoon?"

"Yes, you have a high fever and a bit of low blood sugar."

Si Nian responded with an "oh".

Xie Jingyao continued, "The food is in the restaurant, go and eat by yourself."

Si Nian was indeed hungry; her stomach felt empty and cramped.

She has a sensitive stomach, and she needs to be extra careful when she feels any discomfort in her stomach, otherwise she will soon experience stomach cramps.

To avoid triggering her stomach ailment, she went downstairs as soon as possible.

On the table was a bowl of porridge that was still kept warm, along with a few light dishes.

After Si Nian took a few bites, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Xie Jingyao was coming downstairs.

Xie Jingyao made a phone call as he walked towards Si Nian.

Immediately afterwards, Xie Jingyao came up behind her and casually put his arm around Si Nian's shoulder.

He half-circled her body and placed the phone to her ear.

"Say a few words to your mother."

Xie Jingyao reminded him.

Si Nian was stunned for a moment, then quickly took the phone.

"mom?"

"Niannian? Is that you?" Feng He's voice trembled as she spoke.

Si Nian's eyes immediately welled up with tears. Her heart clenched, and she couldn't help but ask anxiously, "How are you? Don't be afraid..."

"Niannian, I'm so sorry. I never imagined it would cause such a big problem," Feng He cried on the other end of the phone.

Si Nian asked urgently, "Are you injured? Is it serious? Are those people still bullying you?"

"I'm not in pain. I'm not locked up with them anymore."

Feng He did not say what kind of injury she had suffered, or how serious it was.

I just said it didn't hurt.

Si Nian always knew Feng He's true nature; she would never fight back unless she was bullied severely.

"Niannian, I heard from the prison guards that the person couldn't be saved. Waaah, I've been afraid to sleep these past few days. I can see her coming to find me whenever I close my eyes. I really didn't mean to."

"What exactly happened that day?"

"I was already asleep in the middle of the night when she suddenly came to my bed, straddled me, and choked me. I couldn't breathe from her choking, so I instinctively fought back... As a result, she crashed into the metal bed and bled a lot."

Feng He spoke with a sob in her voice, her words trembling. What she didn't dare to continue was... the way her fellow inmate who had bullied her lay in a pool of blood was exactly the same as Zhou Lin's back then.

Even in her dreams, Zhou Lin appeared with that person, seeking to take her life.

Feng He's sobs were intermittent, and before Si Nian could offer any words of comfort, the voices on the other end of the phone switched.

After the voice changed to that of a staff member, Si Nian returned the phone to Xie Jingyao.

Xie Jingyao simply hummed in agreement a few times, then hung up the phone.

Si Nian couldn't help but ask him, "My mother only fought back when her life was threatened. Does that count as excessive self-defense?"

Xie Jingyao paused for a moment, then said, "The explanation they gave was that your mother took the initiative."

Si Nian frowned. "My mother was bullied in prison all those days. On the day of the incident, she was sleeping when her roommate, who was bullying her, choked her. She had no choice but to fight back!"

Xie Jingyao pressed Si Nian back into her chair. "Calm down."

"I want to calm down, but my mind is in turmoil. This involves a murder case, and my mother's situation is particularly complicated. I'm afraid she'll be punished for multiple crimes..."

Xie Jingyao pushed the bowl of porridge in front of Si Nian, "Eat a few more bites."

"I don't want to eat anymore, I have no appetite."

"If I had known that making this call would make you lose your appetite, I would have refrained from doing so," Xie Jingyao said deliberately.

Si Nian took a deep breath, took the spoon back, fed the porridge to her mouth again, and drank the remaining half bowl of porridge.

She then asked Xie Jingyao, "Could you help me investigate the specifics of this matter?"

Both Lin Tinghan and Xie Jingyao claimed that Feng He intentionally injured someone.

Xie Jingyao said, "I've had someone investigate."

"Thank you."

After finishing the meal, I watched Xie Jingyao answering a phone call not far away.

Si Nian was anxious and uneasy.

She tidied up the table and then took a shower.

She got caught in the rain in the afternoon and had a high fever, which made her feel unwell.

After taking a hot shower, my tense skin finally relaxed a little.

Si Nian wrapped a bath towel around herself and went outside. She looked at the man standing in front of the French windows, but her legs felt like they were made of lead, incredibly heavy.

She stood at a distance, staring at Xie Jingyao for an unknown amount of time.

The other person seemed to notice her gaze.

He turned around and suddenly met her gaze.

Si Nian instinctively looked away, then clenched her fists, feeling that since she had agreed to make this deal with Xie Jingyao, there was no need to hide any longer.

So she took the initiative to come to Xie Jingyao's side.

Si Nian hesitated for a moment, then lifted her foot to kiss his lips, but he only let out a muffled groan without responding or refusing.

Si Nian pushed his body, and they both fell onto the sofa. She hooked one arm around his neck and slipped the other inside his clothes.

"Open your eyes and look at me," Xie Jingyao suddenly said.

Si Nian opened her eyes, her lips slightly reddening, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Is this proactive approach the first step in the transaction?"