Seven or eight people stood outside the door.
Among them were a delivery person and the building’s manager, Mr. Lin.
“Miss, your delivery,” the delivery person cautiously made his way through the group of hostile individuals, holding his breath as he handed the box to Yu Wanli before quickly turning and rushing away.
Mr. Lin’s face bore a slap mark, his right eye was red, and his collar was crumpled.
“Miss Yu,” he said with a defeated expression, “these people have been causing trouble downstairs for a while now. The security guards were… they were beaten too. Our manager called and told us to let them in.”
“I… I really had no choice.”
Yu Wanli lifted her chin, her expression icy. “Three strikes and you’re out.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Mr. Lin replied anxiously. He was about to ask if Qiao Ling was home when he was suddenly shoved aside.
Xing Hui stood before her in high heels, her short hair neatly styled, makeup flawless, and dark red lipstick giving her the look of a wicked queen from a fairy tale. “What? Surprised to see your mother? Did you think turning off your phone would keep me from finding you?”
“You shameless woman really know how to flatter yourself. Please understand your place—you’re not even worth a pile of shit in my eyes.” Though Yu Wanli was slightly shorter, her presence was far more imposing.
In front of the Qiao Family’s matriarch, her words left Xing Hui utterly humiliated.
Xing Hui’s face instantly darkened, and she raised her hand to slap Yu Wanli. Not only that, but Xing Xueyu joined in as well.
“What a pair of shameless bitches,” Yu Wanli sneered, kicking Xing Hui in the knee. As Xing Hui fell to the ground, Yu Wanli grabbed her wrist and yanked her inside, simultaneously slamming the door shut with force.
Crack
Ah—
The crisp sound of bone breaking and a woman’s scream echoed simultaneously, the piercing cry reverberating throughout the floor.
But it wasn’t over.
Ignoring her own injuries, Yu Wanli tightened her grip on Xing Hui’s wrist and slammed the door against it several more times.
“Yu Wanli, you’re insane!” Xing Xueyu shrieked from outside the door, her voice gratingly shrill. “My mother is pregnant! Pregnant! If anything happens to her, Dad will never forgive you!”
Yu Wanli paused, her beautiful fox-like eyes turning icy and sinister. In an instant, she curled her lips into a cold smile, abruptly opened the door, and kicked Xing Hui in the stomach.
Without the slightest hesitation, her movements were filled with hatred.
At the critical moment, Xing Xueyu threw herself in front of Xing Hui, but Yu Wanli’s kick was delivered with full force, sending both mother and daughter crashing to the ground.
The bodyguards who had accompanied the Xing mother and daughter rushed forward without hesitation, attempting to restrain Yu Wanli.
At that critical moment.
A delicate, slender hand appeared on Yu Wanli’s shoulder, pulling her back.
Then, a young girl’s displeased, cool voice drifted through the air. “Are you sure you want to start a fight here?”
As the words fell, Qiao Ling’s strikingly beautiful yet aloof face came into view.
“Qiao Ling!” He Ping screamed.
The two bodyguards who had moved to act froze for a moment. By the time they realized what was happening, Qiao Ling had already seized their wrists. Though the girl appeared slender and frail, the strength in her grip was enough to twist their bodies in pain.
“What are the dogs barking about?” Qiao Ling glanced dismissively at He Ping, continuing to exert force as she twisted their wrists upward.With a sharp “crack,” she released her grip, and the two men’s hands went limp, hanging weakly.
An intense wave of pain instantly washed over them. The two men clutched their wrists almost simultaneously, their faces flushed red as they groaned in agony through gritted teeth.
At that moment.
Chi Nian appeared beside Qiao Ling, shirtless. He leaned against the doorframe, scratching his temple with his index finger, his tone casual and mocking. “Hearing your cries, I thought it was my unruly little mastiff causing trouble. Turns out it wasn’t the mastiff, but you two certainly need to be taught a lesson.”
“Tsk, I don’t like fighting women, but that doesn’t mean I won’t.”
With that, Chi Nian straightened up, walked over to Xing Hui, bent down, and grabbed the back of her collar with one hand while pinching He Ping’s neck with the other. The muscles in his arms bulged as he forcefully and roughly dragged the two women toward the elevator.
“Chi Nian!” Xing Xueyu grabbed his arm, tears streaming down her face. “Are you really going to ruin the friendship between our three families over these two? Don’t forget! They’re useless to their families now!”
Chi Nian laughed. “The Chi Family has ties with the Qiao Family and the Yu Family, but not with you. I, Chi Nian, am only friends with Qiao Ling and Yu Wanli. As for you, someone so beneath notice, stop trying to inflate your own importance.”
He reached the elevator and threw the two women to the ground.
“Kindly take your precious daughters and get lost.”
The elevator was ascending. Watching the floor numbers rise, Chi Nian suddenly had an absurd premonition.
What if… Brother Jinyue was coming!
It wasn’t unreasonable for him to think so. The two people who had just delivered food had left not long ago, and based on his understanding of Brother Jinyue, there was a seventy percent chance he was nearby!
Maybe he’d even bought an apartment in Ziyuan to keep an eye on Lingling!
Just as he was thinking this, the elevator doors slid open precisely on the twenty-eighth floor.
Chi Nian, “???”
“No way!”
He rubbed the corner of his mouth and took two steps back.
With a “ding,” the elevator doors opened. Seeing the familiar tall figure step out, Chi Nian almost gave himself a thumbs-up for his accurate guess.
Zhou Jinyue was dressed in black casual wear, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets. He walked out of the elevator slowly, as if treading on frost, his cold eyes sweeping over the two women on the floor. His handsome face remained expressionless.
Behind him followed two burly men in black suits.
Chi Nian walked over to him and asked meaningfully, “Brother Jinyue, what brings you here?” And with such perfect timing!
“I was nearby.” Zhou Jinyue lifted his eyelids, his cold gaze lingering for a moment on Chi Nian’s bare torso.
Chi Nian immediately felt a chill shoot through the top of his head, startling him into explaining hastily, “Brother, I was just applying medicine!”
Not forgetting to tattle, he added, “I was halfway through when these people came and stirred up trouble.”
“Throw them in.” Zhou Jinyue ordered coldly.
The bodyguards acknowledged and indeed threw them into the elevator. Even the pale-faced bodyguard cowering in the corner was forcibly tossed inside.
The hallway, which had been exceptionally noisy just two minutes ago, was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zhou Jinyue was notorious in Shengjing for his ruthlessness and madness. Those who crossed him never ended up well. Though He Ping and Xing Hui were seething with resentment, they dared not provoke him.The moment the elevator doors closed, Qiao Sijin suddenly called out “Master Jin,” startling He Ping into hurriedly covering her mouth.
Zhou Jinyue paid no attention, his deep willow-leaf eyes fixed on Chi Nian as he asked in a low voice, “When did you arrive?”