Xia Zhi and Wen Shihan had only suffered superficial injuries. After examining them, the doctor approved their discharge so they could return home.
On the day they were discharged, Song Yiwen brought Wen Yu, Wen Lun, Wen Le, and Wen Yi to pick them up.
Xia Zhi walked out of the hospital holding Wen Le’s and Wen Yi’s hands. Ahead of them were Wen Shihan, Wen Yu, and Wen Lun. All three were tall with long legs, very eye-catching in the crowd, and passersby kept glancing in their direction.
“Mom, bring the younger ones and walk faster,” Wen Yu turned his head and called out to Xia Zhi, who was lagging behind.
Xia Zhi had no choice but to quicken her pace. Wen Le and Wen Yi seemed delighted by the sudden acceleration, hopping along and laughing, “Mom, take me faster.”
Outside the hospital stood a black customized eight-seater G-Class SUV. Its exterior was luxurious and imposing, clearly very expensive at a glance.
Xia Zhi stopped in her tracks, staring at the car with a hint of timidity, not daring to get in.
Her family background was modest, and she had never ridden in such an expensive car.
Wen Lun seemed to understand and sidled up to her, saying, “Mom, this is the cheapest car in our family. If it didn’t have enough seats, the driver wouldn’t even bring it out.”
Xia Zhi, “……”
The cheapest car?
Wen Lun’s casually extravagant remark completely shattered her worldview.
The driver was already waiting by the car. When he saw Wen Shihan and Xia Zhi, he respectfully greeted, “Mr. Wen, Mrs. Wen.”
He opened the door of the customized G-Class, waiting for them to get in.
Meanwhile, Song Yiwen helped place their belongings in the trunk, then went around to the front passenger seat and got in.
Wen Yi and Wen Le got in and sat in the front two rows. Wen Yu and Wen Lun took the third row. That left only the two seats in the last row, and it was obvious who they were for.
Wen Shihan got in first and sat in the fourth row.
Xia Zhi gritted her teeth, gathered her courage, and climbed into the outer seat of the last row as well.
To be honest, she was still very afraid of Wen Shihan, extremely afraid.
Even though the situation had spiraled far beyond her understanding, in her eyes, Wen Shihan was still her boss, someone with an innate authority that suppressed everything. Seeing him felt like a mouse seeing a cat, trembling and wanting to avoid him. With him beside her, she did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
Perhaps this was the lingering aftereffect of being an employee facing a boss.
Seeing Xia Zhi spaced out, Wen Yu reminded her, “Mom, remember to close the door.”
Xia Zhi responded and quietly pulled the door shut. With that motion, she and Wen Shihan were sealed into the same space. The seats were close, and she could even hear his soft breathing. His presence was so strong that it instantly doubled her mental pressure.
Xia Zhi leaned as far toward the door as possible, minimizing her presence.
The car slowly started moving.
Xia Zhi turned her head to look out the window.
This was the city where she had spent three years, from age twenty-two to twenty-five, pouring her youth into it.
It was also a city that had created countless miracles in just thirty years, changing at a pace that was hard to imagine.
Now, twenty years later, its new appearance was still astonishing.
Familiar yet strange.
Xia Zhi could barely recognize the city she had once lived in.
After two hours, the black G-Class stopped in front of a manor. The black gates opened automatically, and the car slowly drove inside. Xia Zhi pressed against the window, taking in the scene.
The estate was enormous. Even after five minutes of driving, they had yet to reach the residence. Rare and expensive flowers and plants, the kind Xia Zhi had only seen in books, lined the surroundings. Swaying in the breeze, they filled the air with a refreshing fragrance, making the whole place feel exceptionally pleasant.
On one side of the estate stood a massive amusement park, fully equipped with trampolines, a carousel, slides, bumper cars, and even a small aerial train. It was like a dreamland for children.
On the other side was a large swimming pool, already filled with water. Swimming there in summer would definitely feel amazing.
In the center of the estate stood an artistic sculpture. Behind it rose a five-story villa, grand and imposing, dazzlingly luxurious, every detail seeming to declare, “I am expensive.”
Countless luxury cars were parked in front of the villa, like an exhibition, a spectacular sight that broadened one’s horizons.
So this was the world of the rich. It far exceeded Xia Zhi’s imagination and made her realize how limited her previous understanding had been.
This was S City, a place where countless wealth legends were born.
And to own such a vast estate in a place where every inch of land was worth gold was nothing short of godlike.
Xia Zhi came from an ordinary family. After graduating from university, she came here chasing a dream, inspired by the saying, “Once you come to S City, you are one of its people.”
People here worked intensely, overtime was the norm. Xia Zhi had seen countless nights at eleven o’clock in this city. Rent was high, two thousand yuan could only get a tiny twenty-square-meter room, sometimes without even proper lighting. Living there for a long time made her eyes ache. Housing prices were even more outrageous, easily reaching tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. Countless young people sighed at the cost of housing, shedding tears in this city, leaving with unwillingness and regret, dragging their suitcases away as their once-passionate dreams shattered.
To survive here, Xia Zhi had worked diligently on weekdays and run a stall at the night market on weekends.
She had worked very hard.
Because in this city, if you did not work hard, you could not even afford rent.
As Xia Zhi was lost in thought, the G-Class stopped in front of the villa. The doors opened, and the children got out one by one. Sitting on the outer seat, Xia Zhi got out first. As she stood beside the car, she caught sight of Wen Shihan bending down to get out. He was too tall, and the car roof was a bit low. Seeing that his head might hit the roof, Xia Zhi forgot her fear.
Her “employee instinct to protect the boss” kicked in. She darted to the side of the car like lightning, raised her hand to shield the roof, and said, “Boss, be careful not to hit your head.”
Wen Shihan lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at her. The look made Xia Zhi’s soul tremble.
As expected, she was still terrified of her boss.
“Dad and Mom are being all lovey dovey.” A cute little head with braided pigtails suddenly popped up below them. Wen Yi pinched her cheeks, giggled, and ran off.
Xia Zhi, “……”
Wen Shihan, “……”
From behind came Wen Lun’s helpless wail, “Mom, Dad, can you stop showing off your affection? Hurry inside.”
Xia Zhi, “……”
Wen Shihan, “……”
Xia Zhi awkwardly withdrew her arm.
Boss, I am sorry, I made you get misunderstood.
However, after entering the villa, Xia Zhi realized that what just happened was nothing compared to what came next. What she had really done to offend him was far worse.
Xia Zhi stared in shock at a huge framed photo hanging on the wall of the living room. It was a family portrait. In it, the children had their arms around each other’s shoulders, smiling brightly, full of warmth.
But…
Xia Zhi’s gaze landed on herself in the photo. She was sitting on Wen Shihan’s shoulders, her fingers pressing into both sides of his cheeks. With a firm squeeze, his handsome face had been distorted into an absurdly ugly grimace.
Wen Shihan, “……”
Xia Zhi, “……”