Ten minutes later, at the First People’s Hospital.
When Jin Yu, enduring her physical discomfort, rushed to the intensive care unit, she was met with a scene of utter chaos.
At that moment, Aunt Zhang was clinging to a bodyguard, pleading desperately, while doctors and nurses were sternly trying to reason with them. However, the uniformly dressed black-suited bodyguards remained expressionless, their actions rough and aggressive as they pulled and shoved.
“Stop!”
Her aunt, Zhang Ru, seeing her arrival, exuded an air of disdain. She crossed her arms and sneered condescendingly.
“Oh, so you finally decided to show up? I thought you were heartless enough to abandon your own brother.”
Hearing this, Jin Yu’s dizziness intensified. If not for the driver supporting her, she might have collapsed right then.
But precisely because the driver was holding her up, Zhang Ru formed a malicious assumption. The impeccably made-up woman scoffed mockingly.
“Jin Yu, oh Jin Yu, you’re at least moving in social circles under the identity of our Lin family’s niece. Tell me, if you’re pregnant, it couldn’t be this old man’s, could it? Tsk tsk, he’s old enough to be your father. How could you even bring yourself to…”
Jin Yu had expected Zhang Ru to say something so vile, but the driver was an honest man. Hearing such slander, he glared fiercely at Zhang Ru.
“You old hag, what nonsense are you spouting!”
This damn old hag probably wanted to get her killed.
The young mistress’s child belonged to his family’s eldest young master. Spreading such rumors about him—who knew what madness the young master would unleash if he found out?
Being called an “old hag” for the first time, Zhang Ru’s face turned pale with rage, leaving her speechless. In the end, she decided to go all out, adopting the posture of a shrew as she tried to slap the driver. But the driver was no pushover.
Being a driver wasn’t just about driving for him—he had trained specifically for situations like this. As Zhang Ru lunged forward, he simply pushed her away.
Effortlessly, he sent Zhang Ru crashing to the ground, her mind blank.
Everything happened too quickly, leaving Jin Yu stunned for a moment.
To make matters worse, the driver refused to let it go verbally. “You damn old hag, I’m warning you—I may just be a driver, but I’m a driver with dignity. If you keep spreading lies like this, I’ll sue you!”
Zhang Ru: “…”
While Zhang Ru was still on the ground, Aunt Zhang, the caregiver, rushed over with tears in her eyes to apologize. “Miss Jin, I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop them…”
As she spoke, Zhang Ru finally remembered she had brought bodyguards with her today. The woman gnashed her teeth and roared, “Are you all useless? Hurry up and help me!”
At her command, the five bodyguards rushed to assist her.
With everyone gathered around Zhang Ru, Jin Yu quickly entered the ward and positioned herself protectively in front of the hospital bed. Beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead, but her tone was firm and resolute. “Zhang Ru, from now on, you don’t need to worry about Grandma and Xiao Qi’s medical expenses. If you dare cause trouble here again, I’ll call the police!”
This was the first time Zhang Ru had seen Jin Yu so assertive, but she didn’t take it seriously in the slightest.
In her eyes, Jin Yu was just overestimating herself.
With medical expenses amounting to hundreds of thousands per month, how could a mere wage earner like Jin Yu possibly afford it?
After being helped up by the bodyguards, Zhang Ru remained as arrogant as ever. “Don’t need me to worry? Jin Yu, before you boast like that, why don’t you take a look in the mirror? Do you really think you have the ability?”
Then she glared fiercely at the driver, “Or do you think this dead old man really has money?”
The phrase “dead old man” offended the driver. He took two deep breaths, intending to retort, but Zhang Ru spoke first, “You lot, drag that old man out and beat him up now, and this ventilator—pull it out immediately!”
Several bodyguards obeyed and quickly swarmed forward.
Outnumbered, the driver was soon dragged out.
With the driver no longer shielding her, Jin Yu stood protectively in front of the hospital bed, her confidence visibly waning.
Seeing this, Zhang Ru laughed, a smug smile spreading across her face. “If you apologize properly now and agree to go get your marriage certificate with Boss Huang later, I promise to cover all medical expenses for your grandmother and your brother from now on…”
But before she could finish, Jin Yu coldly interrupted, “I’ve already told you, I’m pregnant.”
Zhang Ru didn’t care, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. “Boss Huang doesn’t mind. He actually enjoys playing with pregnant women. Even if he didn’t, you could just get rid of the baby.”
Hearing such inhuman words, Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but stand up for Jin Yu. “What kind of elder are you, saying such things?”
“Who gave you the right to speak?”
Aunt Zhang simply rolled her eyes.
Knowing Jin Yu was stubborn, Zhang Ru tried both soft and hard tactics. “Jin Yu, you need to think this through. Boss Huang may be a bit older, but he comes from a wealthy family. Once he passes away, all his assets will be yours. Besides, if you weren’t my own niece, I wouldn’t have saved such a good marriage for you. You’re grown up now; you should know how much your aunt cares for you.”
To this, Jin Yu calmly retorted, “If it’s so good, why don’t you marry him yourself?”
Hearing this, Zhang Ru exploded.
“You ungrateful brat, how dare you disrespect your elders!”
Jin Yu watched coldly as Zhang Ru stomped her feet in a frenzy, thinking only one thing in her heart—crazy!
The more indifferent Jin Yu appeared, the angrier Zhang Ru became. Finally, she called for the bodyguards. “Slap her!”
“You ill-mannered brat, with such a foul mouth. Your dead mother didn’t teach you well, so I’ll give you a lesson today on how to treat your elders…”
Two bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Jin Yu’s hands. She struggled, but it was futile. In that moment, Zhang Ru’s slap struck her face, turning it aside.
Hands on her hips, Zhang Ru declared with full force, “You little brat, do you really think you can stand against me?”
Jin Yu remained silent, her dark almond eyes hiding restraint. The truth behind her parents’ deaths was still unclear, and she couldn’t act recklessly. Only by appearing weak would her uncle’s family reveal their true intentions.
Her expression of suppressed anger was exactly what Zhang Ru loved to see. “Jin Yu, such immense wealth is offered to you, and you refuse it. Tell me, do you think you’re too good for this world?”
“Take my advice and get your marriage certificate with Boss Huang as soon as possible. Once you do, you won’t have to work so hard day and night.”
From beginning to end, Jin Yu had only one response.
“I told you, I’m pregnant.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ru’s anger, which had just subsided, instantly flared up again. Another slap was about to land.
Jin Yu closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.
However, the expected pain never came.
Instead, Zhang Ru’s piercing scream echoed through the room. Jin Yu opened her eyes to see Zhang Ru had been kicked away.
The one who kicked her was…
Jin Yu slowly looked up and saw a handsome face filled with concealed anger. Meng Jinyan looked at her with disdain. “You’re not cut out for taking hits. Tsk, that pretty face of yours has been slapped into a tomato.”
Jin Yu: “…” What a venomous mouth.
With Meng Jinyan’s arrival, all five of Zhang Ru’s bodyguards were down.
Zhang Ru, kicked in the waist by him earlier, had already strained her back. Leaning against the wall, her face was deathly pale, and she looked extremely weak. “Who are you?”
Meng Jinyan helped Jin Yu up with a hint of disdain, completely ignoring Zhang Ru’s question.
It was the driver who started wailing dramatically, “Young Master, you’ve finally come to save me and the young mistress! You have no idea how badly this wretched woman bullied us. If you hadn’t come any later, we might have had to meet again in the next life.”
Hearing the driver’s exaggerated words, Jin Yu coughed lightly.
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyan glanced at the driver, clearly sensing the exaggeration in his words.
The next second, he turned to Jin Yu. “You tell me.”
Jin Yu glanced at Zhang Ru on the ground, a flicker of hatred flashing in her eyes. “More or less.”
With those four brief words, Meng Jinyan understood. He lowered his gaze to her hands and asked calmly, “Do you still have any strength left?”
Jin Yu looked at him blankly. “?”
Her almond-shaped eyes were already watery, and now, after being bullied, they looked even more captivating.
As their eyes met, Meng Jinyan suddenly felt an intense itch in his throat.
Damn, she’s trying to seduce me again, isn’t she?
He pursed his lips and inexplicably uttered two words.
“Forget it.”
Jin Yu: “Huh?”
Her “huh” sounded utterly innocent. Just hearing it made Meng Jinyan’s heart itch, and he didn’t dare look at her. Instead, he asked coldly, “How many times did she slap you?”
“Once.”
“Oh.”
At first, Jin Yu thought he was just asking, but she never expected him to take action without another word.
Slap—
Slap—
Slap—
After three consecutive slaps, Zhang Ru was nearly dazed. She stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what had happened.
“You… you actually hit a woman?”
Meng Jinyan wiped his hands with a wet wipe while tacitly admitting it. “Yeah, I have no manners. I hit both men and women.”