Qin Shuyi had noticed Zhong Mingzhou acting strangely at the drinking table. Seeing him chase after Tang Wei’s direction, she followed out of caution, casually grabbing a wine bottle along the way.
She never expected Zhong Mingzhou to be so bold.
A little alcohol and he wanted to kill someone.
Not only was he stubborn, but his head was also hard.
Qin Shuyi had used all her strength when she swung that bottle.
"Hmm, so it missed the mark."
In her panic, she hadn’t aimed properly. The man was bleeding but still conscious enough to lunge at her.
"Guess what—if I kill you in self-defense here, will Ling Jue send me to prison or cover for me?"
Facing Zhong Mingzhou, who was about to erupt again, she smiled with curved eyes, her voice calm and unhurried.
To Zhong Mingzhou, it sounded like the whisper of a demon.
He hesitated.
But as it turns out, in a fight, hesitation means defeat.
"Now."
In that moment of his pause, Tang Wei, weak on her feet, quickly moved away from the wall. A pair of pale hands seized Zhong Mingzhou’s hair and slammed his head against the now-empty wall.
The moment he was knocked unconscious by the pain, he vaguely heard the woman’s scornful, mocking voice:
"Drunk as you are, you still know how to bully the weak and fear the strong. If you don’t die, who will?"
Rage at being looked down upon and panic at losing strength filled his chest, but his eyelids drooped heavily, uncontrollably.
Before passing out, he was still thinking: She lied to him!
…
After dealing with Zhong Mingzhou in two moves, Qin Shuyi quickly checked his head and breathing. Out of professional habit, she casually wiped the blood from the man’s face on the ground, arranging him in a peaceful posture.
Tang Wei looked at the man lying on the ground as if peacefully sleeping, her gaze growing even more terrified.
Catching her expression, Qin Shuyi paused.
"Sorry, I’m used to handling corpses."
"???"
"!!!"
"Is… is he dead?" Tang Wei trembled as she asked.
Only then did Qin Shuyi realize what she was afraid of. She chuckled, "Don’t worry, bad people live for a thousand years."
Tang Wei let out a deep sigh of relief and slumped to the ground again, her legs weak.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness."
"Your necklace." A hand reached out in front of her.
Tang Wei looked with mixed emotions at the imitation "Fanyue" necklace that Qin Shuyi had picked up—dropped during the struggle, trampled many times, and covered in dust.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Tonight had been unlucky from the start, full of twists and turns. She never expected the one to rush out and save her would be Qin Shuyi.
No matter what, a woman facing her boyfriend’s ex must feel uncomfortable.
So many people on the beach had been utterly indifferent to her presence and departure, yet Qin Shuyi had noticed the danger around her and chased after her.
"Mind if I take a look?" Qin Shuyi asked naturally again, pointing to her head.
Tang Wei pressed her lips together and nodded.
Qin Shuyi’s movements were gentle. "No bone damage, but you should still go to the hospital for a thorough check later. You’ll need some medicine on your neck too."
Tang Wei nodded, then pointed at the half-dead Zhong Mingzhou. "What about him?"
Qin Shuyi’s expression was blank. "Let the person who should handle it handle it."
…
One minute later.
A phone ringtone abruptly cut through the beachside barbecue party, which was nearing its end.
Ling Jue saw the caller’s name and answered with a smile, "Baby…"
"Jue Ye! Help!"
Not long after leaving the beach, Tang Wei's urgent voice sounded from the other end of the line before the call was quickly disconnected.
Ling Jue's face darkened like water. Confirming that the call had indeed come from Qin Shuyi's phone, he abruptly stood up, his chair toppling over with a loud crash.
Ji Xiuheng, who had been chatting with Xie Muchen, watched as the man strode out rapidly, completely bewildered. "What's going on?"
Xie Muchen adjusted his glasses and stood up. "Let's go see."
…
"How was that? Did I convey the right emotions?"
After hanging up, Tang Wei flirtatiously tossed her hair.
Only she forgot she was injured; the movement tugged at her scalp, making her grimace in pain.
"Truly worthy of a superstar," Qin Shuyi praised.
"Will Jue Ye come?" Tang Wei squatted beside Zhong Mingzhou, who lay like a corpse, mimicking Qin Shuyi's posture, feeling somewhat anxious.
She could have just called the police, but given the Zhong Family's influence, it was hard to say who would end up suffering in the end.
If Jue Ye got involved, it would be different.
But based on her past understanding, Jue Ye wasn't the type to go to great lengths for a woman.
When Qin Shuyi had asked her to call Ling Jue earlier, she was almost too embarrassed to admit she didn't even have his contact information.
Not even Assistant Li's.
Who would have known that back then, she had always relied on the chauffeur to notify her of various drinking parties and banquets, only to be sent back the same way?
So when she saw Qin Shuyi casually dial Ling Jue's private number and confidently expect him to handle the trouble, she couldn't help but feel astonished.
"He'll come," Qin Shuyi said with certainty.
Tang Wei glanced at her enviously.
She also felt grateful that today, it was Qin Shuyi she had encountered by Ling Jue's side.
"I haven't said this to you yet," she said earnestly. "Thank you."
Without Qin Shuyi, she truly didn't know what would have happened to her today.
Qin Shuyi shook her head. "If we're being honest, you might have been implicated because of me today."
Tang Wei and Ling Jue had been separated for a long time; Zhong Mingzhou's anger was mostly directed at her.
"Don't say that," Tang Wei smiled. "If I hadn't been greedy and tried to strike up a conversation, I wouldn't have caught that madman's attention."
She opened her hand, looking at the necklace in her palm.
"Actually, 'Fanyue' wasn't something Jue Ye bought and gave to me. I bought it myself. At the time, I helped Jue Ye resolve a troublesome matter, and this was my bonus. He told me to choose, so I picked it."
She laughed at herself. "What can I say? You know what? It was the most expensive item at the auction. I couldn't take my eyes off it. Who doesn't love money?"
Qin Shuyi also smiled. "You chose well."
"It suits you. It's very beautiful."
When she complimented someone, she would look sincerely into their eyes, her lips slightly curved, her tone calm yet powerful, making people feel as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring. Especially since she herself was beautiful and had a pleasant voice.
Tang Wei looked at her in surprise. She could tell Qin Shuyi was sincere.
"Sigh," she sighed. "Actually, I wanted to make you feel better, so you wouldn't be upset about this necklace. But you don't seem to mind at all."
"If my boyfriend gave such an expensive gift to another woman, I'd dig myself out of the grave just to give him a good beating, even if it was an ex-girlfriend."
She wore a pained expression.
But compared to spending money on a woman, the meaning of rewarding a subordinate was entirely different.
Qin Shuyi was amused. "I don't have a possessive desire for other people's money."
Moreover, the weight of money is measured by the wealth of the person who possesses it. Sixty million may seem like a lot to ordinary people, but in Ling Jue's hands, what difference does it make compared to sixty cents?
If he were to be stingy, it would only make him seem even more contemptible.
Tang Wei clutched her chest. "Indeed, I'm still too poor."
Qin Shuyi smiled, her clear, almond-shaped eyes curving like crescent moons. "You don't need to explain. Not to mention it's all in the past, even if he didn't spend the money on you, he would have spent it on someone else. The money he saved wouldn't have gone to me anyway."
His future wife would be the one to enjoy all his wealth.
Tang Wei didn't ask why she was so certain she wouldn't be the one to marry Ling Jue.
She simply stared at her, admiring her savior. "Oh no, I'm starting to feel like Jue Ye isn't worthy of you now."
Qin Shuyi thought for a moment. "Judging by the number of exes, he really isn't worthy of me."
Tang Wei burst into laughter.
Calculating the time, the person who should be looking for them would arrive soon. Tang Wei bit her lower lip, as if struggling with something, then spoke with determination.
"Miss Qin… do… do you know Tao Wangxi?"