“Hey, why are you hitting someone?”
Several police officers rushed over to restrain the man.
“Don’t hit my daughter! Don’t hit my Enya.” The middle-aged woman holding the girl suddenly became extremely agitated, slowly breaking into tears.
Just then, the ambulance arrived.
Doctors quickly pushed a stretcher over and were about to lift the girl onto it when the man suddenly lunged forward, pinning his daughter down firmly.
“Tell me, was it really him who hit you? Speak up, you useless girl, can’t even talk properly! Who taught you to lie like this? Is this man your lover? Are you both teaming up to trick me? Just so I’d give you the money? I spit on you!”
“It was you who pushed me, it was you! Everything I said is the truth!” the girl cried out loudly.
“Bitch! Since you insist on lying, then you don’t need to go to the hospital either. I don’t have money to treat your leg. Stay crippled for the rest of your life. We’re not going to the hospital. All of you, get lost! Whoever dares to send her to the hospital will pay for it themselves!”
The middle-aged woman rushed forward again to argue with the man, crying as if her heart were breaking. “No, Enya must go to the hospital! Let go of my daughter. My daughter can’t become crippled, my Enya…”
Han Shixu looked through the crowd and saw the girl at the center of the chaos, her head lowered, tears seemingly embedded in her face, as if they would never stop flowing.
She looked pitiful, as if the whole world had bullied her.
“I’ll pay for it.”
Han Shixu walked over and pushed the man aside. “No matter what, I did hit someone. I’ll cover all the medical expenses.”
The man refused to back down, looking up and demanding, “Just the medical expenses?”
Han Shixu turned and went back to his car, gathering all the cash he had.
Song Enya looked up through tear-filled eyes and saw the man throw a thick stack of money into her father’s arms.
“Take the money and get lost!”
The man’s face lit up with joy as he hurriedly picked up the money scattered on the ground, counting it ostentatiously before swaggering away.
Once he was gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did the shaken medical staff dare to lift Song Enya onto the stretcher.
Several police officers looked grim, muttering quietly as they helped pick up the scattered belongings before finally getting into the police car.
Han Shixu returned to his car in a foul mood and followed the ambulance as they left the airport.
After being taken to the hospital, Pei Jize slept deeply for an entire night. When he woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the faint sound of the Pei Family patriarch’s voice could be heard outside the door.
“Officer Xue, I must thank you again this time. If it weren’t for your dedication and sense of duty, Jize might not have made it.”
“I dare not take credit for this. We were only able to find him thanks to Miss Jing.”
“Regardless, I still want to thank you. This is a small token of our appreciation.”
At the old man’s gesture, the assistant beside him handed over a box.
“As for that Miss Jing… who exactly is she? For such a life-saving favor, we must personally visit to express our gratitude.”
Officer Xue weighed the box in his hands, feeling its substantial heft, and decided not to hold back.
He smiled and said, “She’s from the Jing Family, who live in Royal Mansion. However, Miss Jing Yuanxi’s temperament is quite unpredictable, so it would be best to prepare thoroughly before paying a visit.”
He remembered that Jing Yuanxi hadn’t recognized the young master inside last night, and if the other party didn’t even know about the Jing Family, they were likely just ordinary nouveaux riches.
However, since he had accepted the gift, he wasn’t afraid to say a few more words and do a favor.
For wealthy people, making more connections was never a bad thing.
The old man understood the underlying meaning—the other party was afraid they would be turned away.
But there was no need to explain all the details to outsiders.
The old man smiled again and thanked him before seeing him off.
“Jing Yuanxi…”
Lying inside, Pei Jize muttered this name, unconsciously recalling the events of the previous night.
“Click—”
Hearing the noise, Pei Jize quickly closed his eyes again.
After closing the door, Pei Xiuyuan leaned on his cane and sat by the bed with his assistant.
“Since you’re awake, stop pretending. I won’t ask what you did before, but from today on, you’ll behave and go to school. You’ve been running wild outside for too long, becoming more and more reckless.”
“Huh? School?”
Pei Jize suddenly opened his eyes and tried to sit up, only to pull at his wound, causing him to grimace in pain. He was forcefully pressed back down by his grandfather’s assistant.
“I’m not going.”
Pei Xiuyuan struck his cane hard against the floor, producing a dull thud. “Why don’t you understand? It’s because you’ve been messing around outside that you nearly got yourself killed! Those people you’re dealing with have no honor. Do you really think they’ll help you? They’ll only ruin you!”
Hearing this, Pei Jize suddenly fell silent, lowering his gaze without a word.
Pei Xiuyuan glanced at him and said quietly, “Let your parents’ matter rest.”
“So they just died like that? He was your only son, and she was the daughter-in-law of the Pei Family.” Pei Jize asked hoarsely.
The sole head of the Pei Family had died eight years ago in a riot, shot to death by rebel forces of the church, along with his wife.
Pei Xiuyuan opened his mouth but remained silent for a long while before speaking:
“The dead cannot be brought back to life. What matters now is that you’re alive. I insisted on returning to the country to keep you far away from those people. Do I have to bury another generation before my own time?”
“I’ve already transferred you to Di’an International, and the Pei Family’s headquarters will gradually move back to the country. We won’t interfere with the church anymore.”
“Once you’ve recovered, go back to school. Do it for me.”
Pei Jize turned away without a word, facing away from the people by the bed.
Soon, the room fell into silence once more.
Jing Family—
Jing Yuanxi came downstairs and saw her father, Jing Yuan, already seated at the dining table.
“I heard from Han Wenzhou that Han Shixu has left Zhongdu.”
As soon as Jing Yuanxi sat down, the man’s calm voice rang out.
Silence lingered for a long time, broken only by the clinking of cutlery.
“You didn’t know?” Jing Yuan seemed to have noticed something.
“He’s not answering my calls.” Jing Yuanxi toyed with the knife in her hand. “He’s the fiancé you chose for me.”
“Clang—”
Jing Yuan set down his knife and fork, looking at his daughter. “You grew up together since childhood. Your bond has always been strong.”
“Li Chengshuo grew up with us too. Why wasn’t he chosen?”
“He’s not worthy.”
After saying this, Jing Yuan picked up his cutlery again, his voice growing firmer. “In recent years, the Han family has been thriving, with strong momentum for development. Han Shixu is the only son, making him the best candidate for a marriage alliance. If he’s disobedient, it’s because you lack the ability to manage him.”
“If I’m disobedient, it’s because you lack the ability to manage me.”
Jing Yuan paused, lifting his eyes to meet his daughter’s gaze.
Father and daughter shared nearly identical expressions—sharp and domineering.
Their tone carried almost no hint of argument, yet the words they spoke were fiercer than any quarrel.