Chapter 94

Just as Qiu Rongxin and Yang Tianlin turned around, they heard a sound so terrifying it could shatter one’s soul. They whipped their heads back and saw that the car, which had just driven away right before their eyes in perfect condition, was now almost a heap of scrap metal.

Qiu Rongxin instantly felt a chill run through her whole body. She was completely weak in the limbs. It was Yang Tianlin’s tearful cries that snapped her out of her daze. “Mom, Sister Lihuan and the others were in a car accident! Help them, please!”

She immediately shouted toward the security booth, “Help! Help! There’s been an accident!”

The security guards quickly responded, running toward the wrecked car. One of them immediately called for emergency services, his sharp eyes fixed on the large truck, ready to stop the driver if he tried to escape. Oddly, the truck driver remained sitting in the driver’s seat, unmoving.

There were plenty of vehicles passing by at the time. Several drivers jumped out of their cars to help. Qiu Rongxin and Yang Tianlin had been frantically circling the crushed vehicle, helpless, but upon seeing so many people come to their aid, they were deeply grateful for the helping hands.

The ambulance and fire department arrived quickly, and before long, the three people in the car were pulled out. The most seriously injured was Luo Er, who had been in the driver’s seat. Shen Lihuan, seated in the back, also suffered various degrees of injury. Only You Changqing, who had been tightly shielded under Shen Lihuan’s body, came away with just a few scrapes.

By then, the truck driver had been dragged out of the vehicle. He reeked of alcohol, with flushed cheeks and slurred speech—it was a case of drunk driving.

When she was pulled out, You Changqing was still conscious. She stared at the unconscious Shen Lihuan, tears streaming down her face. Her first instinct in the crash had been to protect Lihuan, but Lihuan had been even faster, wrapping her arms around her and shielding her with her own body. Now, she was the one barely hurt, while Lihuan had lost consciousness.

You idiot… why are you so stupid? If something happens to you, how am I supposed to go on living?

You Changqing broke down, covering her face with her hands as tears poured through her fingers.

Outside the operating room, You Changqing stood anxiously, unable to sit still for even a second.

Qiu Rongxin stood with hands clasped in prayer, begging heaven that good people would be rewarded. Yang Tianlin’s eyes were red as he silently prayed for Sister Lihuan.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. You Changqing looked up dazedly and saw Gu Qinglan and Shen Jiashu rushing toward her, faces full of worry.

“Changqing, how’s Lihuan?”

You Changqing fought back tears and said, “She’s still in surgery.”

“It’s my fault. If she hadn’t protected me, she wouldn’t be this badly hurt.”

Gu Qinglan saw the torment on her face and knew her pain was no less than their own. Her eyes red, she pulled You Changqing into a hug. “Changqing, don’t blame yourself. Lihuan is your future wife. If she hadn’t protected you, I would’ve been angry. I believe she’ll be fine—how could she bear to leave us?”

When Gu Qinglan first got the news, she nearly fainted. In the last accident, she and Jiashu had been there to protect their daughter, and she hadn’t been seriously hurt. But this time, there had been no one. She was consumed by worry. But she didn’t blame Changqing—if it had been her daughter in that situation, she too would’ve instinctively chosen to protect the one she loved. That’s just how love works.

She believed her daughter would never abandon them. She had faith in her.

Even though Aunt Gu didn’t blame her, You Changqing still felt overwhelmed with guilt. She wrapped her arms around Aunt Gu’s neck, silently weeping, praying with all her heart for a successful surgery.

Before long, the You family arrived as well. You Changhong and Yang Yingzhi stayed close to You Changqing, holding her hand and lending her strength.

Shen Jiashu pulled You Zongzheng aside. With a grim voice, You Zongzheng asked, “What exactly happened? How did Lihuan and the others end up in a car accident all of a sudden?”

Shen Jiashu had been about to light a cigarette, but when he saw the “No Smoking” sign on the wall, he gave up the thought and simply held the cigarette in his hand. “I suspect the Hu family is making a desperate move.”

Back when Hu Zhiyuan had tried to kidnap his daughter, the Shen and Hu families had become mortal enemies. Over the past two years, Shen Jiashu had gathered ample evidence of Hu Zhiyuan’s crimes. Once he was sure Hu wouldn’t be able to escape justice, he handed the evidence to the police. Hu Zhiyuan was promptly arrested.

Once the wall collapsed, everyone started pushing. The Hu family’s downfall was visible to the naked eye. It was like a bleeding fish in the ocean, drawing sharks from all directions eager to tear it apart.

The Hu family’s business had long been in trouble. In a desperate bid for salvation, Hu Zhiyuan had taken on a multi-billion-dollar deal. But the partner suddenly backed out, investors withdrew, and even minor shareholders dumped their stocks… The Hu family was truly finished.

After Hu Zhiyuan’s arrest, his mother reportedly nearly went mad. The Hu family patriarch quickly shoved his eldest son, who had been obsessed with painting, into the spotlight to clean up the mess.

Worried they’d lash out like cornered rats, Shen Jiashu had arranged to keep them under surveillance. But even a dying camel is bigger than a horse—they still found a gap in the defenses and went after Lihuan.

“The Hu family?” You Zongzheng’s sharp eagle-like eyes flickered with murderous intent. “They’re already at death’s door and still causing trouble. Jiashu, you weren’t ruthless enough.”

If Lihuan hadn’t protected her, Changqing would probably be in surgery too. He only had two children—Changqing and Changhong. If the Hu family dared to lay a finger on Changqing, they shouldn’t blame him for being cruel and merciless. He would make sure the Hu family vanished from the capital’s stage forever.

“This was my mistake. I thought I’d spare those old bastards a life, but clearly, I was too soft-hearted.”

Shen Jiashu punched the pristine white wall, leaving streaks of blood behind.

Half an hour later, the surgery finally ended. The doctor emerged from the operating room, exhausted. “Congratulations, the surgery was a great success!”

Gu Qinglan’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed. Her body swayed, nearly losing balance. You Changqing quickly caught her, crying tears of joy.

When Shen Lihuan woke up, it was already early the next morning. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Chang Qing leaning on the bedside. She had just fallen asleep, and even in slumber, her face was still clouded with worry. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Had it only been a few hours? And she already looked so worn out.

Shen Lihuan felt an overwhelming pang of heartache. When the truck had come barreling toward them, she actually had the ability to keep all three of them completely unharmed. But that would have been too suspicious—people might have thought they were made of steel, and then they’d end up being poked and prodded, subjected to blood tests and biopsies… So in that split second, she chose to shield Chang Qing with her own body and used her powers to protect the internal organs of the three of them. As long as their organs were intact, the injuries wouldn’t be considered severe.

Luckily, her judgment had been right. She and Brother Luo were only lightly injured, and Chang Qing didn’t even have a scratch. But the fact that she herself had gotten hurt had really scared Chang Qing.

A trace of guilt flickered through Shen Lihuan’s peach blossom eyes. Sorry, Chang Qing. In order to avoid future trouble, I had no choice but to make you worry.

Just as Shen Lihuan was gazing intently at You Changqing’s sleeping face, Gu Qinglan and Guan Kening came in carrying warm porridge. Seeing her awake, they widened their eyes in surprise and joy. Gu Qinglan quickly set down the porridge and rushed to her daughter’s side, lowering her voice with concern as she asked, “Lihuan, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

“I’m fine now, Mom. Sorry to have made you worry.”

Shen Lihuan smiled and shook her head. She knew her own body well—there was nothing wrong.

Gu Qinglan held her hand tightly. “It’s good that you’re okay. You really gave us a scare this time.”

She turned her head to wipe her tears. “Your dad went to investigate the car accident, so he’s not at the hospital. Don’t blame him for not being here.”

“Mom, how could I possibly blame Dad? I wasn’t even seriously hurt. I could probably jump out of bed and run around right now if I wanted. Don’t worry about me.”

Shen Lihuan was slightly puzzled, not understanding why her mom suddenly brought up whether she’d blame Dad, but she still answered quickly.

“No way. You just had surgery. What are you trying to prove?”

Chang Qing had stayed by her side all night. She had only just dozed off, and Gu Qinglan had been keeping her voice low so as not to wake her. Even now, she remembered to keep it down, though she was getting anxious. But You Changqing’s sleep had been restless from the start. In her dreams, she kept reliving the truck roaring toward them, the moment Lihuan threw herself over her. The difference was, in reality, Lihuan was fine—but in the dream, she was covered in blood. She woke with a jolt, shouting, “Lihuan!”

Guan Kening was startled and clutched her chest.

Shen Lihuan immediately grabbed her hand and gently reassured her, “I’m right here. I’m fine. Nothing happened to me at all.”

Feeling the warmth in her hand, You Changqing looked at Shen Lihuan with tear-filled eyes and bit her lip in disbelief. Shen Lihuan saw the grievance in her expression and pulled her tightly into her arms. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’m completely fine. I haven’t grown old with you yet—how could I bear to die?”

“Don’t say that word. I’m scared.”

You Changqing raised her hand to cover her lips, her eyes filled with panic. She had never felt so deeply how fragile life could be. She was truly terrified.

“Don’t be afraid. I swear this won’t happen again. I still want to grow old with you, slowly.”

Shen Lihuan whispered the vow into You Changqing’s ear, her peach blossom eyes turning icy cold. This accident was almost identical to the one years ago—both times, a large truck had suddenly charged at them, with a clear purpose. That truck had been aiming for her car. Someone wanted her dead.

But who?

She rarely clashed with others. Who could possibly hate her enough to want her dead?

She got the answer from her father after she and Brother Luo were discharged from the hospital.

As it turned out, it had been Hu Zhiyuan’s mother.

Back then, she had been nothing more than a D-list actress, yet she had completely captivated the old man of the Hu family. He even brought her into the house before his legal wife had passed away, and married her immediately after the original wife’s death. Her schemes and ambition were evident.

She valued nothing more than her status and her son, Hu Zhiyuan. Now that Shen Jiashu had ruined both the Hu family and Hu Zhiyuan, how could she not hate him? But Shen Jiashu was always surrounded by bodyguards—there was no way she could get to him. So she turned her attention to Shen Lihuan, his most beloved daughter.

Normally, Shen Lihuan rarely left the house. Finally catching an opportunity, the woman hadn’t cared whether she’d be exposed. As long as she could make Shen Jiashu suffer, she was willing to do anything.

So You Changqing and Brother Luo were merely collateral damage. The true target was Shen Lihuan.