“A-Juan, next time it’s my birthday, I’m going to book a few tables just like you—make sure you come and cheer me on!”
“Right, we had such a great time today. Thanks for the hospitality!”
“See you next time. Bye!”
Xiao Juan saw off the last few friends at the restaurant entrance before turning to head back inside. As she walked, the smile on her face gradually faded. She unconsciously glanced outside once more—but the spot was empty. Her hopes had ultimately been dashed.
“A-Juan, we have a surprise for you! Come quick!” Lin Aiyun stepped out of the private room and spotted Xiao Juan heading back. She waved enthusiastically, her eyes curving into crescent moons. Xiao Juan acknowledged her with a sound and was about to quicken her pace when a shout from another direction suddenly stopped her in her tracks.
“Xiao Juan!”
Instinctively, Xiao Juan turned to look. Before she could process anything, a rush of wind came hurtling toward her. Just as it was about to strike her, a pair of strong arms grabbed her shoulders and yanked her aside. A muffled grunt sounded from above her head.
“Shen Liang’an?” The name slipped out in a murmur, but it took her several moments to realize what had just happened. She scrambled to reach out and steady him, her fingertips trembling with fear. But the next second, she was shoved away from him.
The man who had swung the staff clearly hadn’t expected someone to leap out of the shadows to shield Xiao Juan. He cursed under his breath and was about to strike again when a powerful kick landed squarely on his back. The pain shot straight to his skull, and the wooden staff clattered heavily to the ground.
“Mind your own damn business!” The man wasn’t about to back down either, throwing a punch at Shen Liang’an. The two went back and forth, evenly matched—but Shen Liang’an was a trained fighter, one who’d actually seen combat on the battlefield. Soon enough, he gained the upper hand.
But the man had accomplices, who had been busy dealing with the restaurant security guards. Now, several fierce-looking men surrounded Shen Liang’an, likely wary of his skills, holding back before making another move.
“Xiao Cheng! Xiao Cheng!” While the fight was going on, Lin Aiyun pulled Xiao Juan to safety and began shouting for Xiao Cheng. He had gone back to the car to grab her thick coat a while ago and should be on his way back by now. If he heard her calls, he’d rush over immediately.
Nothing had gone wrong all day, so she’d let her guard down. She hadn’t expected an unexpected incident to occur right at the end of the birthday banquet. This must have happened in her previous life too—and it had become a lifelong wound for Xiao Juan.
Lin Aiyun cursed herself inwardly. She’d been too careless and had even sent Xiao Cheng away. Otherwise, Shen Liang’an wouldn’t have been left to fend for himself.
Thankfully, she wasn’t entirely unprepared.
With that thought, she tugged at Xiao Juan’s arm. “A-Juan, let’s head to the back door—there are people there who can help!”
After confessing her secret, she’d told Xiao Cheng about this possible event, and they’d made arrangements. Those helpers had been stationed in the surrounding private rooms, eating and waiting. Since nothing had happened, Xiao Cheng had sent them to guard the back entrance—a group of big men would draw too much attention, and given the current climate, it was best to keep a low profile.
Little did she expect that the moment he left, trouble would strike.
“S-sister-in-law, you go. I have to stay and watch Shen Liang’an…” Xiao Juan was so shaken by the scene before her that her voice trembled. Her gaze darted from the scattered flower petals on the ground to Lin Aiyun’s face, her lips quivering as she spoke.
“Hurry, sister-in-law!”
Seeing Xiao Juan’s resolve, Lin Aiyun knew she couldn’t persuade her. She also knew time was of the essence, so she gritted her teeth, held her belly, and ran toward the back door.
As soon as Lin Aiyun left, Xiao Juan scanned the area for something she could use as a weapon. But this was a restaurant—where would she find anything lethal? She grabbed a chair and hurled it at the men, managing to hit one of them on the shin. But a pampered young lady like her didn’t have much strength—it was barely more than a tickle.
Still, it made a loud enough noise to catch the attention of the men, who were already in a fighting frenzy.
“Xiao Zhen! You coward! If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me, Xiao Juan! Picking on a stranger—what kind of move is that?” Xiao Juan lifted her chin, gripping a new chair in her hands, looking surprisingly intimidating.
That’s right—the ringleader was none other than Xiao Zhen, the only son of Xiao Cheng’s eldest uncle. Back then, in order to ambush Xiao Cheng in Jiangming Province, he and his father had allied with the local boss, Tian Chengfu. But they’d been double-crossed, and Xiao Zhen had been taken hostage. Later, Xiao Jingquan had fought to the death to save his son, and both sides had been severely weakened.
They’d barely made peace when war broke out in Jiangming Province, throwing everything into chaos. The two had gone into hiding, but war was merciless—and people even more so. Tian Chengfu turned on Xiao Jingquan, killed him, and fled with all their money.
Only Xiao Zhen and a few of his men had survived. They’d planned to return to the capital to seek refuge, but transportation routes were blocked. It was only recently that he’d finally found a way back.
And what did he find upon his return? Xiao Cheng had donated all the family assets and was now a commander with nothing but the title!
How could he accept that? He and his father had fought Xiao Cheng tooth and nail for years over that wealth—his father had even paid with his life—and Xiao Cheng had just given it all away!
What a fool! What kind of saint was he pretending to be?
Burning with hatred, Xiao Zhen had been biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike back. Today, he finally had his chance. He was determined to take Xiao Cheng’s head as an offering to his father’s spirit in heaven.
“You little brat, talking so big. We’ll see how long that mouth of yours lasts. Can’t even take care of yourself, and you’re still worrying about others?” Xiao Zhen spat, baring his teeth in a grin. Then something seemed to dawn on him. He looked down at Shen Liang’an, who was being pinned to the ground by three burly men, and studied him closely for a moment before letting out a sneer.
“What? Tired of that pretty boy Jiang Yan already? Got yourself a new one now?” Xiao Zhen jabbed at Shen Liang’an’s head with the wooden stick he’d picked back up. Shen Liang’an’s face was covered in wounds, looking utterly battered—but in the face of such humiliation, his eyes were filled with pure menace, as if he could break free at any second and lunge forward to tear a chunk out of his tormentor.
Xiao Zhen met his gaze and flinched involuntarily. Even though he had the upper hand, he felt an inexplicable fear.
Xiao Juan watched Shen Liang’an with worry. Hearing Xiao Zhen’s words, she forced herself to remain calm and deflected with a question: “What exactly are you after?”
“After?” Xiao Zhen pulled his gaze away from Shen Liang’an and twisted the corner of his mouth, a flash of disgust and ruthlessness crossing his eyes. He spat out coldly: “Your brother’s life.”
“Dream on! You’d better run while you still can—we’ve already gone for help…” Before Xiao Juan could finish, Shen Liang’an took a kick to the ribs. Xiao Zhen then ordered his men to grab her.
“What are you standing around for? Get that shrew over here. If that mouth of hers can’t talk properly, we’ll just cut her tongue out and feed it to the dogs.” Xiao Zhen’s expression turned ugly. No sooner had he spoken than one of his men strode forward to seize Xiao Juan.
“Xiao Juan, run! Don’t worry about me!” Shen Liang’an, summoning strength from somewhere, slammed his head into one of the men holding him down. The man cried out in pain and instinctively let go to clutch his head. Seizing the opening, Shen Liang’an drove his elbow into another man’s face.
He was just about to break free and shield Xiao Juan when—
“Shen Liang’an!” The anguished scream had barely left her lips when Shen Liang’an felt a searing pain in his head. His body went limp, his vision went dark, and consciousness slipped away. Through the haze, he could faintly hear Xiao Zhen’s furious curses.
“This lunatic—does he have a death wish?”
“Let me go! Let me go! Brother! Go save Shen Liang’an!”
“Xiao Cheng, watch out—there’s a knife behind you!”
After that, Shen Liang’an could hear nothing more.
—
Late at night, the hospital was quiet and desolate. Only a few family members wandered the corridors—some fetching hot water, others calling for nurses to change dressings. Everything seemed orderly on the surface.
Outside a room on the third floor, several people sat on a long wooden bench, each wearing a grim expression.
“If only I hadn’t gone back to drop you off—maybe I could have helped!”
“It’s all my fault. Why did I have to drink so much? Now one’s unconscious in there, and the other… ugh, what a headache.”
Lin Jianzhi wiped his face, his brow deeply furrowed.
“The doctor said there’s no danger to life,” Lin Wenkang muttered. He’d had his hair cut short recently, and his worried face made him look even fiercer.
Zhang Wenhua looked at the father and son, frustration building inside her, but there was nothing she could do. She could only wipe her tears and stare at the hospital room door, hoping someone would push it open and walk out.
The atmosphere inside the room was equally heavy. A tall figure sat beside the hospital bed, staring fixedly at the woman lying there. He looked as though he’d been crying—his eyes red and swollen like walnuts, tears still clinging to the corners, threatening to fall.
“Aiyun, please wake up, okay?” Xiao Cheng called out softly. Before he could finish, his voice cracked with tears.
“The baby is strong and healthy. You can rest assured.”
“Mom, Dad, and your brother are all waiting outside for you to wake up. Can you hear me?”
“A-Juan and Shen Liang’an aren’t seriously hurt either. You have to see them with your own eyes.”
“The association is waiting for you to come back for a new big project. Tomorrow I’ll have your teacher and Auntie come see you—and your friends too. You really like them, don’t you?”
“Wife, wake up, please wake up! I beg you—I miss you so much. I really miss you…”
By the end, he was sobbing uncontrollably. Then a weak laugh broke through the silence. He stopped abruptly and whipped his head toward the head of the bed. Tears blurred his vision, so he wiped them with his sleeve to make sure—was she really awake?
“What are you crying about? I’m fine, husband.”
Xiao Cheng laughed through his tears. He reached out and took her hand, interlacing their fingers, and pressed kiss after kiss to them. “I’m going to get the doctor. Wait for me—don’t fall back asleep.”
Snapping out of it, Xiao Cheng jumped up and yanked open the door. “Mom, Dad—go get the doctor! I have to stay with Aiyun—she’s awake!”
Hearing this, Lin Jianzhi couldn’t even spare a moment for joy. He shot off like an arrow released from its bow, with Lin Wenkang following behind to call for the doctor. Zhang Wenhua wiped her tears and stepped into the room to see Lin Aiyun.
After a flurry of activity, the doctor examined her and confirmed she was fine. Only then did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Leave a Reply