"Aunt Jiang, please don"t say that. Maybe Zhiqing just didn"t think it through at that time. Other than that, you still have my elder brother and me, don"t you? You"ve treated me like your flesh and blood all this time, and I"ve thought about you as my mother too. Moreover, I know what happened between you and my father. It"s the same thing if I am as filial to you like a daughter in the future," said Lu Weining gently.

Yan Zhiqing pursed her lips scornfully. Which part of Lu Weining"s words was calming? Lu Weining was obviously fanning the heat.

Like Jiang Changdai, Yan Zhiqing was on the receiving end of Lu Weining"s similarly-styled "advice" before. Now that she was looking at from a different perspective—the perspective of an outsider—Yan Zhiqing finally sees the difference.

Refusing to see the two women sobbing in each other"s embrace, Yan Zhiqing muttered to the caregiver, "Let"s go."

The caregiver was confused but pushed Jiang Changdai away anyway. "Since we"re already here, don"t you want to have a look?"

"Nah, I don"t want to. Even If I go in, I"ll just be labeled as the unfilial daughter," Yan Zhiqing said, straightening her back subconsciously. "In her mind, children born of her and my father will never compare to those from the Lu family."

After the whole shebang with Lu Zhenghang, there were not a lot of people who did not know about what was going on with the Yan family. Therefore, Yan Zhiqing no longer had to avoid the topic.

The caregiver stopped talking and called Xiao Deng, only to find that he just found parking but that there was a long line of cars in his way. Therefore, he asked everyone to wait for him at the door.

When everyone arrived at the lobby of the outpatient clinic on the ground floor, they stood around waiting for the driver. The caregiver could not hold her bladder in anymore and said, "Miss Yan, I can"t hold it in anymore. I need to use the toilet."

"Go ahead. I"ll wait for you here." Yan Zhiqing did not mind at all.

The caregiver hurriedly nodded. "I"ll be back in a sec."

Bored, Yan Zhiqing stayed and waited. As she could not turn her head, she tried pus.h.i.+ng the wheel with one hand to look out. It was at this moment that she heard someone behind her, "Zhiqing."

Yan Zhiqing"s first response was to turn around, but since her neck was incapacitated, she could only spin her wheelchair around. She saw Lu Weining walking toward her.

Yan Zhiqing could not manage to put on any facial expression other than that which was hostile. The thought entered her mind, "based on the way those two were crying, Lu Weining himself will not be able to walk away for a long while".

"Miss Lu," Yan Zhiqing greeted Lu Weining coldly. She could not help teasing, "what a coincidence to b.u.mp into you at a place like this."

Lu Weining had her usual warm smile on and looked at Yan Zhiqing as if she were her own younger sister. "I knew it was you when I saw your back just now. Are you here to visit Aunt Jiang?"

Yan Zhiqing did not answer. Lu Weining bent down and held Yan Zhiqing"s hand. "I"ve always wanted a reason to visit you because I feel sorry after hearing what happened to you. It"s just that you"re staying in the Family Mansion, so I can"t go at will. Zhiqing, are you alright?"

Yan Zhiqing slid her hand out from Lu Weining"s hold in disgust and wiped her palm—back and front—on the wheelchair handle. "Look at me now. Which part of me is alright?"

"Zhiqing, are you angry at me too because of my elder brother? Nevertheless, I"ll always treat you as my little sister. No matter what happens, nothing can change that. Zhiqing, let"s not ruin our relations.h.i.+p because of the people around us, okay?" Lu Weining told Yan Zhiqing patiently with the demeanor of an understanding elder sister. 

However, Yan Zhiqing had no intention to play along with Lu Weining"s hypocrisy. "There"s no need for that. I have just one brother, Yan Beicheng, and no other elder sisters. If you lack a younger sister, why don"t you just ask my mom and your dad to give birth to another one? After all, everyone knew about their dirty secret; there"s no reason to hide anymore. Then, you can have an actual younger sister sharing the same blood. If you want a younger sister to love, then you"ll have a place to express yourself."

"Zhiqing, is this how much you hate us?" Lu Weining"s shocked expression that was borderline sincere tickled Yan Zhiqing so much that she felt like laughing every time she looked at Lu Weining. Lu Weining continued, "In truth, even if I didn"t b.u.mp into you today, I would have still found a time to meet up and explain everything to you. This isn"t a good spot to talk; let"s find somewhere quieter."

Then, Lu Weining reached out to push Yan Zhiqing"s wheelchair.

"What are you doing?! I"m waiting for someone here! I"m not going anywhere!" Yan Zhiqing"s face was filled with horror. She could not turn her head around so she could only look to her front. Her uninjured right hand gripped onto one of the wheels to stop Lu Weining from carting her away.

Sitting in her wheelchair, Yan Zhiqing was not in the best position to exert her energy. How would the force from her one hand exceed Lu Weining"s two as she pushed Yan Zhiqing from the back?

Even if Yan Zhiqing exerted all of her energy, she would not be able to stop Lu Weining.

At this point, Yan Zhiqing could not care for anything else. She started yelling, "Help! Let me go! Help!"

Yan Zhiqing rarely frequented the hospital and therefore the security guards at Chu Tian Hospital could not recognize her. However, upon hearing her calls for help, they walked over.

However, the security guards had their doubts when they saw Lu Weining. Dressed in proper attire from head to toe, the aura Lu Weining exuded did not paint her as a human trafficker or anyone like that.

In addition, with her platinum handbag in hand and a pair of absurdly pointed high-heels that would cause pain to anyone looking, she really did not look like she was here to commit any crime.

In Chu Tian Hospital, the rich often pa.s.sed through the doors on a daily basis. Anyone with a brain would be able to identify the real deal after a while.

Hearing Yan Zhiqing"s calls, Lu Weining gave the approaching security a calm smile. "This is my younger sister. She"s throwing a temper tantrum at me. It was exactly this same ruthlessness that made her run away from home before. In the end, she got into an accident and suffered serious injuries. Now, she"s directing all her anger at her family. She"s angry at me right now and refuses to follow me home."

The guards" eyes darted between Lu Weining and Yan Zhiqing for a long while. Lu Weining had a point and it sounded quite legitimate. They hesitated.

"Can I ask your name, miss? And you too, miss?" asked one of the security.

"She"s lying!" Yan Zhiqing hissed. How did she not realize how despicable Lu Weining was before?!

"I"m not her younger sister! I have no elder sister! Lu Weining, you better get lost in this instant! Don"t you dare claim anyone to be related to you over here!" Yan Zhiqing was extremely angry and unknowingly spat out Lu Weining"s name.

Lu Weining gave the security a smile that said, "See, I told you. She knew my name. I"m not the bad guy here."

At this point, the security believed her and was ready to let this go.

Yan Zhiqing"s agitation reached its peak and she felt like crying. "So what if we know each other? I don"t want to talk to you at all! Stop blowing your own trumpet! I"m a Yan; you"re a Lu. We"re not related to each other at all! I don"t want to go with you so you"ll kidnap me?! Somebody! Help me please!"

As Lu Weining almost pushed Yan Zhiqing out the door, the wheelchair stopped in its tracks.

Yan Zhiqing was unable to move her head, but from the corner of her eyes, there seemed a man standing next to her.

"Miss Lu, it"s obvious that Miss Yan refuses to talk to you. It isn"t right to force someone like this, is it?" a male voice said.

The itch to raise her head was especially strong because Yan Zhiqing wanted to see the man who helped her. Unfortunately, she could not do anything about it. 

After some straining, she managed to notice that the man was dressed in casual attire. From the corner of her eye, she could only see his waist—it was toned and muscular; very attractive.

Lu Weining"s expression changed. "Who are you to interfere in our matters?!"

"Unfortunately for you, I consider myself a friend of the Yan family. I"ve been dealing with a matter related to the Yan and Lu family. Since I"m witnessing this now, it"s imperative that I interfere." Wei Wucai"s pale hand held the wheelchair"s armrest without noticeable strength. Despite him looking relaxed holding onto the armrest, Lu Weining could not move the wheelchair a single inch.

Lu Weining paled. She did not expect the person to know her ident.i.ty. Fear rose in her heart.

"Miss Yan!" At this moment, the caregiver hastened to Yan Zhiqing"s side.

The caregiver noticed that Yan Zhiqing surrounded by a man and a woman but looking very unhappy. The caregiver"s heart skipped a beat and s.n.a.t.c.hed the wheelchair from the couple hastily.

This time, Wei Wucai did not struggle; he effortlessly handed over to the caregiver. Meanwhile, Lu Weining knew she would not be able to win and let go as well.

"Miss Yan, are you alright? I"m sorry I took a while," said the caregiver nervously. Initially, she only wanted to go for a number one without expecting that she would feel like a number two too. As she was worried about Yan Zhiqing, she forced herself to be quick. What she did not expect was anything happening in this short period of time.

"Lu Weining, I have nothing to talk to you about. I must be blind in the past to think of you as a nice person." Yan Zhiqing glared at Lu Weining coldly. "Don"t come to me next time! Pretend that you don"t know me even if you see me!"

Lu Weining ignored the fact that there was an outsider present. It was not easy to meet up with Yan Zhiqing. If she let her go now, Yan Zhiqing would always stay in the Yan Family Mansion, making it hard for her to see Yan Zhiqing again.

"Zhiqing, considering all that we"ve been through in the past, can"t you just let this go? In this incident, my father and elder brother were both scammed. You were so close to us in the past—even if we were not related by blood—we treated each other like family. Should an eighteen-year-old bond disintegrate just because of a single mistake? Also, you"re related to my elder brother by blood," Lu Weining said hastily, a desperate expression on her face.

"What are you saying?" Yan Zhiqing asked impatiently. She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, wanting nothing so badly than to move away.

"Can you please talk to your family? Tell them to let my father and elder brother off the hook. My elder brother is your elder brother after all! Please stop forcing our hands," said Lu Weining.

Yan Zhiqing tsked and pursed her lips, displaying a look such arrogance that anyone who saw her right then would instantly loathe her.

Unaware of how loathsome she looked, Yan Zhiqing spared no decency and replied, "Oh? Has your family fallen to this extent? That"s wonderful to know. I want to see your family descend further into this h.e.l.l hole. The worse off you are, the happier I"ll be. Coming to me for help was definitely a mistake."

Yan Zhiaqing shuffled in her wheelchair. She supported her bent body with her right arm and the tips of her finger kept toying around with a strand of loose hair. "But, I"ll allow you to beg me. Make your story sadder. Be more sincere as you beg me. I"m willing to hear all that. However, remember, don"t bring up all those sentiments of the past. That"s disgusting. I don"t want to hear any of that."

"You—" It was impossible for Lu Weining not to understand Yan Zhiqing in between the lines—Yan Zhiqing was obviously mocking her.

Lu Weining could not believe that someone she once thought of as naive was currently toying with her!

Lu Weining realized that nothing she said would change the situation. She glared at Wei Wucai in anger and snapped, "Mind your own business!"

If Wei Wucai had not shown up, Lu Weining would have pushed Yan Zhiqing away earlier. If that happened, she would be able to do something to make the Yan family get the Lu family off the hook, no matter what it took.

Lu Weining placed all the blame on Wei Wucai.

However, there was no reason for Wei Wucai to be afraid of her. His expression remained calm.

There was nothing else Lu Weining could do other than leaving the scene angrily.

Yan Zhiqing finally saw her savior"s face clearly. Thinking about how embarra.s.sing she looked, she braced herself and said, "Thank you for your help just now."

It was no surprise that Wei Wucai"s investigation on the Lu family matters led him to Yan Zhiqing, as Yan Zhiqing had always been by Jiang Changdai"s side and she had always been close to the Lu family.

In his eyes, there was only a word plastered on Yan Zhiqing"s face, in capitals—"STUPID".

"If you don"t want her to push you away, you should"ve pretended that it was her attempt to kidnap you. You can"t even do that and you were so easily triggered by a few words that you shouted her name?" Wei Wucai glanced at Yan Zhiqing condescendingly. He thought people from the Yan family looked rather intelligent, so why would there be an outlier like her?

Yan Zhiqing realized that she was blinded by her anger when she uttered her thanks and regretted it almost immediately.

Yan Zhiqing was aware that she was a rash person. However, she could not find the decency to accept being lectured by a stranger with hostility. She hissed through gritted teeth, "Anyway, you"ve helped me and I"m just thanking you. As for my mistakes, I"ll reflect on them. I don"t need you to lecture me!"

Then, she told the caregiver directly, "Let"s go! Hmph!"

The caregiver gave Wei Wucai a small smile and pushed Yan Zhiqing away.

Wei Wucai could hear the caregiver apologizing to Yan Zhiqing, saying, "Miss Yan, I"m really sorry."

"Alright, alright. That"s enough." Yan Zhiqing was irritated but she did not say anything else.

Wei Wucai shouted "STUPID" at Yan Zhiqing from the bottom of his heart and turned around to see Yuan Jiangyi walking over with a bandaged wrist. 

"Xiao Cai, where have you been? I waited so long for you but you didn"t come back so I came out to look for you," Yuan Jiangyi sobbed and whined, holding onto his injured wrist. He only needed to stomp his feet to complete the whole acting package.

"..." Wei Wucai was speechless.

"Didn"t I tell you that I was out buying bottled water?" Wei Wucai"s face was as black as charcoal. "We"re in public right now! Mind your actions!"

"Aww, don"t be so cruel, Xiao Cai. I was the one who took the blow for you last night, remember?" Yuan Jiangyi lowered his head and attempted to wipe off non-existent tears.

It was utterly disgusting to see a huge grown man displaying such emotions.

Last night, Yuan Jiangyi, Wei Wucai, Hao Donghuai, and Chai Yu went on a night out. Despite being from the Wen family, all four of them were particularly innocent and would never have thought about heading to pubs, clubs, or anything of the sort.

As they were discussing where to spend their night out, Hao Donghuai was the first to shout, "I want to hang at SEGA! T City is too crowded with queues everywhere. I"ve always wanted to go to SEGA but I"m never free! Now, we can finally have a break, I want to go there!"

Yuan Jiangyi tsked at him and said nonchalantly, "Look at you now!"

After a bunch of teasing, all four of them ended up at SEGA anyway…

The four of them competed against each other at the claw machine with Yuan Jiangyi emerging with most wins and also the happiest.

Hao Donghuai won the least. Looking at Yuan Jiangyi"s arms full of dolls from the claw machine, he huffed in dissatisfaction. "Look at you now!"

As they were ready to go home with their prizes, they clashed with armed terrorists from an infamous terrorist group. Not long ago, the terrorist group attacked G City and H City in the south, both attacks targeted at railway stations. The number of casualties and deaths were severe.

Since then, public places in the country kept their guard up and upgraded their defenses. On days, they would receive letters of warning—one day, it might be rumors of a bomb installed in some commerce center in a certain city; on another day, a certain date to launch a terrorist attack on a location in another city.

Nine out of ten of those warning letters were fake, making it a waste of time. Even so, n.o.body dared let their guard down. All those who received warnings would increase their defenses. This struck fear into everybody"s hearts. Fake rumors swarmed the internet as well, sprouting fake news on estimated attack locations today, the day after, or the day after that. The public was no longer able to differentiate between what was real and what was fake.

And so it was that, without warning, a terrorist attack occurred in the very building where the four played last night.

A group of people walked in and suddenly took the security guard hostage, making the guards shut all the doors. Then they started slas.h.i.+ng their knives maniacally and cut down everyone in their path.

Wei Wucai and his friends naturally would not let this happen. They chucked aside their hard-earned prizes and started fighting the criminals.

The criminals were not properly trained; they merely had weapons in hand and a lack of appreciation for human lives. That is how Wei Wucai and his friends defeated them.

However, there were only four of them and Wei Wucai and his friends still suffered some injuries with the chaos of a crowd running about wildly in the confusion.

Fortunately, the police arrived quickly and took control of the situation. All thanks to the four friends and although many people who suffered severe injuries, there weren"t any deaths. That, too, was something to be grateful for in the entire incident.

As for Yuan Jiangyi"s wrist, the injury occurred when Wei Wucai was busy fighting off three criminals. Unknown to Wei Wucai, there was a fourth criminal who attempted to ambush him from behind. Seeing that, Yuan Jiangyi stepped in to block the attack to Wei Wucai and defeated the criminal.

Yuan Jiangyi knew the best way to a.s.sist Wei Wucai was to keep his injuries to a minimum so that nothing serious happened.

At that time, Hao Donghuai and Chai Yu were busy taking an afternoon nap in the hotel, therefore Wei Wucai had no choice but to accompany Yuan Jiangyi to the hospital for his bandage change.

"That"s precisely why I"ve been caring toward you for the past few days. I"m not going to throw you punches for now. I"ll wait for you to recover, and I"ll collect all the debt for the past few days at one go." Wei Wucai"s dark brows accentuated his intense glare.

Yuan Jiangyi shuddered. Strangely enough, no matter how much Yuan Jiangyi trained, he could never contend with Wei Wucai.

Yuan Jiangyi accidentally let the question slip from his mouth afterward, only to receive an indifferent chuckle from Wei Wucai in reply. Wei Wucai teased, "That"s why I"m the leader of Shadowless and you"re the leader of Moon Shadow."

"..." Yuan Jiangyi was speechless.

"Say, I saw you talking to a lady just now." Yuan Jiangyi pursed his lips and decided to change the topic, making the most out of his own injuries in hope that Wei Wucai will forget his threat today.

Despite changing the topic, Yuan Jiangyi failed to make Wei Wucai come out from his sh.e.l.l of indifference—the more you poke, the quieter he seemed to get. Yuan Jiangyi nudged Wei Wucai a few times with his elbow. "I"ve never seen you making conversation with any girls before. What"s up today?"

Yuan Jiangyi was too far from them to see clearly. He only saw Wei Wucai and Yan Zhiqing facing each other as though they were "enjoying" the conversation.

Wei Wucai was extremely attractive, especially in recent years. No one really knew how ladies think; that they are attracted to people like Wei Wucai. In Hao Donghuai"s words, people like Wei Wucai were so effeminate that if they had long hair, they might be more alluring than the ladies themselves.

Therefore it did not come as a surprise that Wei Wucai had a lot of luck with the ladies. That is, of course, until the ladies find out about Wei Wucai"s venom-spewing mouth. In other words, Wei Wucai, in silent mode, is his best.

Any woman who attempted to start a conversation with Wei Wucai would not last more than one line as they would be put off by Wei Wucai"s poisonous tongue.

"..." Wei Wucai did not reply.

Wei Wucai could not help making some calculations—it seemed like he did speak one line to Yan Zhiqing but she responded with two. And still left unhappily anyway.

Wei Wucai never noticed this before. Now that Yuan Jiangyi mentioned it, it seemed to be true!

"That"s Yan Zhiqing, Yan Beicheng"s sister. I"m guessing that she"s here to visit Jiang Changdai today but got hara.s.sed by Lu Weining. So, I lent her a hand," Wei Wucai explained simply.

Realization washed over Yuan Jiangyi, but he could not help raising his eyebrows and giving Wei Wucai a cheeky smile. He added playfully. "I"ve never seen you so kind before!"

"..." Wei Wucai said nothing. He stared at Yuan Jiangyi dead in the eye and put his hands together, making popping sounds as he cracked his knuckles. "I don"t think I can contain myself anymore. What do you think about sparing me with one arm today?"

Yuan Jiangyi said nothing. "..."