Pinned to the ground, Li Feng only then remembered that the man he had just asked for directions hadn’t left yet.
Struggling, he lifted his head. Despite the pain in his face—like it had been smashed by a brick—he hurriedly explained, “You’ve misunderstood! She’s my sister. I’m not a hooligan.”
Afraid the passerby wouldn’t believe him, he shouted toward Tang Huan, “Hurry up and explain!”
Explain?
Tang Huan said seriously, “He’s not my brother.”
“How am I not your brother? My mother married your father. They have a marriage certificate. If I’m not your brother, then who am I?” Li Feng didn’t care whether she acknowledged him as a brother or not. But right now, the situation was urgent—he had to secure this identity.
Indecent assault charges could mean prison at best—and even the death penalty at worst!
He had seen busybodies before, but never someone this eager to interfere.
Meng Zeyan looked at Tang Huan, a hint of inquiry in his eyes, as if asking how she wanted to handle this.
Tang Huan clutched her schoolbag straps tightly and said to him, “Comrade, please let him go.”
A faint crease appeared between Meng Zeyan’s brows, but he still respected her decision and released Li Feng.
Li Feng staggered to his feet. He wanted to curse at the passerby, but feared being attacked again, so he swallowed his anger and turned it all toward Tang Huan instead.
“I’m telling you, the doctor said your old man doesn’t have many days left. You’d better go see him while you still can, or you won’t even know when he dies!”
“I’ve never seen a daughter like you—an ungrateful wretch.”
“Raising you is worse than raising a dog. Even a dog has more conscience than you.”
After venting at Tang Huan, he turned to the still-present passerby.
“Brother, you live around here too, right? Let me tell you, your neighbors should stay away from her. She’s vicious. She didn’t even invite her own father to her wedding. I don’t know what kind of man would even want her—probably not a good person either!”
These words were exactly the same kind of slander the original owner had heard countless times.
But this was the first time Tang Huan had heard them herself.
Watching Li Feng twist the truth so shamelessly—even insulting Meng Zeyan’s deceased brother-in-law—she couldn’t endure it.
Her tolerance was nowhere near the original owner’s.
Before anyone could react, she picked up half a brick from the wall and charged at him.
She had no fighting experience, but she knew one thing clearly: don’t waste time talking before striking.
So she said nothing at all.
The moment Li Feng turned around after slandering her and the Meng family—
The brick smashed upward into his nose.
He had just been knocked to the ground earlier, and his nose was already red. Now, hit again with full force, it visibly shifted out of place.
Blood streamed down his face, mixed with tears of pain.
Clutching his nose, Li Feng staggered back, the pain unbearable.
After striking him, Tang Huan immediately retreated until her back hit the wall. The brick slipped from her hand and fell heavily at her feet.
The attack had been pure impulse—she had simply lost control in the moment.
Now, her legs were weak.
She leaned against the wall just to stay standing.
Li Feng, bleeding heavily through his fingers, forced himself up and stumbled out of the alley. Before leaving, he shot her a vicious glare, as if he wanted to tear her apart.
He nearly ran as he fled—he needed a hospital.
After he left, only Tang Huan and Meng Zeyan remained in the alley.
Her legs gave out, and she slowly slid down the wall into a crouch. She had never fought anyone in her life—this was the first time.
She buried her face in her knees, tears soaking her clothes little by little.
How could she not be afraid?
Looking at the curled-up figure, Meng Zeyan honestly hadn’t expected her to strike so suddenly—let alone hit someone’s nose with a brick.
She made no move to stand, her head still lowered. Soft sobbing drifted over.
“Are you going to visit your father?” Meng Zeyan asked after a pause. He wasn’t sure how to comfort her.
She shook her head without lifting her face.
She didn’t want to go. That man didn’t deserve to be called a father.
A father was supposed to protect his child—so why was all of the original owner’s suffering caused by that so-called father?
But somewhere deep inside, she could still feel a faint emotional pull—it wasn’t entirely hatred. Even after all the harm, there was still lingering attachment.
Then she hesitated, and nodded.
She would treat it as closure for the original owner.
Go, then.
Meng Zeyan wasn’t sure which meant yes, so he assumed the final answer was yes.
“Do you want me to go with you?” he asked.
She lifted her head, eyes red, and nodded.
“Thank you,” she said hoarsely.
He probably thought she was afraid of running into Li Feng again.
Her brother-in-law really was a good person.
Her eyes were red and swollen, tears still clinging to her lashes and rolling down her cheeks.
She took out a handkerchief from her bag and wiped her face quietly, embarrassed to cry in front of someone else.
After calming down, she stood up, dusted herself off, and asked softly, “Can we go now?”
“Mm,” he replied.
He had never seen someone cry so miserably before. For a moment, he even regretted not carrying a handkerchief.
She walked ahead, and he followed behind.
Her face clearly showed she had been crying, and someone as shy as her now kept her head even lower than usual.
They took three bus transfers to the hospital. She said nothing the whole way, getting on and off quietly.
At the hospital, they asked for directions and went upstairs to the ward.
Tang Yuan Dao had been hospitalized recently and suddenly felt the loneliness around him.
His son was busy with business and only called every half month, mostly asking about Tang Huan.
His daughter had married on her own terms and hadn’t returned even once.
He had even asked Li Feng to call her back—but would she come?
She was still his daughter. He would lower his pride this time, so she wouldn’t keep saying he was biased.
On the fifth floor, they found the ward.
Just as they were about to knock, the door opened.
They ran straight into Tang Yuan Dao coming out.
His arm was in a cast, but he looked nothing like someone at death’s door—he was full of energy.
The moment he saw them, his expression turned cold.
“So you still know how to come see me? I thought you had forgotten you even had a father!”
His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
Tang Huan had expected to see a dying old man on a hospital bed.
Instead, she found a man with a plastered arm—alive, healthy, and full of strength.