Team Leader Chen opened the investigation report, his frown deepening with every line he read.
Feng Yu glanced at Yan Songyu, who was immersed in grief, then turned his attention to the document. “Team Leader Chen, have you found something?”
“The car accident wasn’t an accident. The brakes of the vehicle were deliberately tampered with.”
“What?” Yan Songyu rushed over and snatched the report from Team Leader Chen’s hands. Her tear-filled eyes quickly scanned the lines until they landed on the conclusion. “Who? Who would want to harm Chengli?”
Clutching the report tightly in her hand, she cried, “Chengli is gentle and polite. He never holds grudges or offends anyone. How could someone want to harm him?”
“Ms. Yan, please think carefully. If you can provide any useful clues, it would greatly assist our investigation.”
Yan Songyu shook her head in confusion. “I… I really don’t know.”
“Song Yu…” Feng Yu seemed to have thought of something, hesitating before speaking reluctantly. “The car Mr. Jiang was driving—it was yours.”
Boom—
Yan Songyu’s mind went blank as she stood frozen in place. “So it was me who caused this? He suffered in my place?”
“The target was me. It’s just that I left early in your car because Feifei was sick, so I narrowly escaped. But I ended up causing harm to Chengli.” Yan Songyu murmured to herself, sinking back into overwhelming grief.
“Xiao Yu, it’s the culprit who’s at fault, not you.” Yan Binghua held his sobbing daughter, gently stroking her hair. “Chengli is still fighting for his life in the operating room. You need to pull yourself together and cooperate with the police to catch the perpetrator and seek justice for Chengli.”
Yan Songyu bit her lip and nodded firmly. “Yes!”
“Ms. Yan, if you recall any useful information, please contact us immediately. I will never let any criminal escape justice,” Team Leader Chen assured them.
Feng Yu naturally continued, “Then we’ll trouble you, Team Leader Chen. Song Yu has suffered too great a shock today. Please contact me if anything comes up, and we’ll notify you immediately if we have any clues.”
“Alright, but… Mr. Feng, what is your relationship with Ms. Yan?”
“This isn’t a secret.” Feng Yu glanced gratefully at Yan Binghua and Yan Songyu. “I’m an orphan supported by the Yan Family. After graduation, I’ve been working by Mr. Yan’s side for ten years. If I may be so bold, I consider myself half a brother to Song Yu.”
Team Leader Chen nodded. “I see.”
Jiang Chengli remained in the operating room for ten hours. Only Feng Yu was still waiting when he came out. Yan Binghua had returned to the company after receiving a phone call, and Yan Songyu had been sent home after fainting.
“The surgery was successful. The patient is out of critical condition. However, the tendons in his right hand were completely severed. Although we’ve reconnected them, he may develop tremors as a sequelae. He won’t be able to perform delicate tasks or heavy labor.”
“Additionally, his right leg previously suffered a comminuted fracture and already had sequelae. This time, his right knee was injured again, so the sequelae will be more pronounced. He may experience leg pain during rainy weather.”
“Furthermore, his left eye was injured by small glass fragments. While not serious, his left eye vision will be somewhat impaired in the future.”
After listening to the doctor’s explanation, Feng Yu’s concern grew increasingly evident on his face. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure and thanked the doctor politely. “Thank you, doctor! You’ve worked hard!”
“The patient has experienced a major trauma. After he wakes up, make sure to soothe his emotions properly to prevent agitation that could cause secondary harm.”
“Understood, we’ll pay close attention.”
Feng Yu relayed the doctor’s words verbatim to Yan Songyu. “Jiang Chengli remains unconscious. I’ve arranged for two caretakers to look after him. The police haven’t made any progress so far.”
“You two, come with me.”
Yan Binghua’s voice suddenly sounded behind them. When they turned around, they only saw his retreating back.
In the study.
Yan Binghua leaned back behind his desk, the gray at his temples unable to conceal his sharp gaze. Yan Songyu and Feng Yu remained silent before him, standing like chastised students.
“Why?” Yan Binghua’s voice was calm and measured.
“Dad…”
Yan Songyu didn’t know how to begin, but she knew she couldn’t hide the truth from her father anymore.
“Don’t bother making up excuses. I’m your father – I can still tell when something’s wrong with my daughter.”
“Uncle Yan, I was the one who did everything, I…”
Yan Binghua raised his hand, cutting off Feng Yu’s attempt to take the blame.
“I often reflect on where I failed as this self-proclaimed good father. I thought I could control everything in Haishi, that I could give my daughter the best of everything. But in the end, I couldn’t even guarantee her most basic happiness.”
Yan Binghua’s gaze grew distant as he genuinely reflected on himself.
Tears fell from Yan Songyu’s eyes one by one. She shook her head vigorously. “Dad, it’s my fault. I was wrong.”
“Your depression was fake, wasn’t it?”
Yan Songyu released her tightly bitten lip and nodded.
Yan Binghua didn’t seem surprised. “I noticed something was off long ago, though I didn’t investigate thoroughly.”
“Your attitude toward Jiang Chengli after you woke up from childbirth was unusual. I thought you were just being childish, tormenting him because of the pain from delivery. Fortunately, nothing major happened, so I let you be. After all, that guy couldn’t cause any trouble anyway.”
“I’ve been watching coldly as you carried on these past few years. Feifei is about to start elementary school. I thought once you’d had enough, you’d leave him – just a failed marriage, that’s all. You have the confidence and resources to withstand any failure.”
Yan Binghua looked directly at Yan Songyu. “But I never expected you to hate him enough to want him dead. Xiaoyu, there are some things your father never wants you involved in. And when you did all this, did you think about Feifei? If anything happened to you, what would become of Feifei?”
Yan Songyu’s tears burst forth like a broken dam. In both her past and present life, the people she had wronged most were her father and Feifei…
Feng Yu supported the weakened Yan Songyu. “Uncle Yan, it’s not Song Yu’s fault. I handled everything myself. I guarantee Song Yu had nothing to do with it, and I cleaned up thoroughly – even I couldn’t trace it back.”
Besides, the person who tampered with the brakes wasn’t arranged by him. However you investigated, it would just look like Jiang Chengli’s bad luck.
“Xiao Yu, for this, I’m grateful to you.” Yan Binghua looked at him deeply, then his tone shifted. “But I’ve watched you grow up. I thought you were a steady young man. Is this unconditional help really good for Xiaoyu?”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Yan.” Feng Yu’s spine seemed to bend under the weight.
“Dad, I was the one who wanted to do everything. Feng Yu just couldn’t resist my pleas. I was using him.”
Yan Binghua watched the two standing together, each vying to take the blame, and inexplicably saw a certain compatibility between them. He had wanted to matchmake them from the start, but… fate had other plans.
He gazed at Yan Songyu and let out a long sigh. When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of choked emotion. “Then can you tell your father what grievance my little girl has suffered, that she would stake everything—even her own life—to fight him to the death?”