"Shoot?!" Zhang Wan sneered. "You think I wouldn't dare?"
"You dare!" Xin Yu retorted coldly. "Miss Zhang, what wouldn't you dare?"
"You'd better know," Zhang Wan said sarcastically. "Besides, you should remember your identity: the fallen eldest daughter of the Xin family."
Xin Yu ignored her, focusing on finding an opportunity.
"I'll give you a chance," Zhang Wan said coldly. "A chance to save your life."
"…"
"Get Mu Yichuan to invest two billion in the Zhang family."
"Miss Zhang!" She had just admitted it, and already forgot? Xin Yu was truly impressed. How come she hadn't known she had such a thick skin? "I'm just the fallen eldest daughter of the Xin family, that's all. I can't help you."
"Won't help? Then you'd better weigh what you'll lose." Zhang Wan pressed the gun against Xin Yu's back again, then snatched her phone and dialed Mu Yichuan. "Zhang Wan, you'll tell me the truth once you call."
"You won't!" Zhang Wan said firmly. "You wouldn't want your savior to worry?"
She knew Xin Yu's character; she possessed a kind but foolish kindness.
Besides, she had a gun pointed at her; she didn't believe Xin Yu wasn't afraid.
No one is unafraid of death.
"Where are you? Come back." Mu Yichuan's cold voice came through the receiver.
Perhaps it was just Xin Yu's imagination, but his voice sounded somewhat pale. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Mu Yichuan didn't answer, but he felt a little relieved. Even the little girl could hear the change in his voice!
"Just finished changing my dressing."
"Zhang Wan came to see you." Xin Yu said calmly.
"I'll give you five minutes to get back to my room."
Click, the call ended.
Xin Yu shook her phone, dazed. "He hung up. I can't help it."
Zhang Wan felt a chill. Mu Yichuan was so indifferent upon hearing her name! "Who brought her to the capital? Who gave her the villa and the job?!"
"You—"
Xin Yu whirled around, swinging her arm to knock Zhang Wan's gun away!
...!
She stood there, her clear eyes flashing with cold horror.
Damn it, it wasn't a gun!
"Miss Xin, you're angry already?" Zhang Wan mocked. "Looks like you really are as Mu Yi'ai said."
Mu Yi'ai?
Xin Yu frowned, recalling how Mu Yichuan had placed her in the Nanlong Villa as punishment for Mu Yi'ai.
She had thought the two of them were at odds, but it seemed they had formed a revolutionary friendship.
"How was it? Fun?" Zhang Wan continued to provoke. "I'm Mu Yi'ai's good friend. She asked me to scare you."
"Is that so? Then you'll take the blame for her too." Xin Yu finished speaking and lunged at Zhang Wan.
The latter nimbly hid behind the equipment, smiling confidently.
In the blink of an eye, a large hand grabbed Zhang Wan's collar, glaring angrily.
Xin Yu was startled and quickly stopped, looking towards… Nan Juechen!
How did he appear like a shadow, barging in without warning!
"Are you Mu Yi'ai's friend?" His voice was icy cold, as if he wanted to tear someone apart.
Zhang Wan trembled violently, completely unprepared for the sudden turn of events. How did a man suddenly appear and grab her!
"Handsome…handsome guy!" She tried to blink, but she was too frightened to control her eyes, which trembled violently.
"Answer my question!" Nan Juechen was the commander of the Qing Dynasty; how could an ordinary person withstand his imposing presence!
Especially a woman.
"Yes, yes..." Zhang Wan was afraid, but remembering she was the friend of the dignified Eighth Miss of the Mu family, she straightened up. "Who are you! Let me go! Otherwise, you've offended Mu Yi'ai, and do you know the consequences?!"
"What consequences?" Nan Juechen slammed Zhang Wan against the wall. "The consequences are... crippling... you."
"You...!" Zhang Wan was stunned by his sharp eyes, staring wide-eyed, unable to blink.
"Tell me, where is Mu Yi'ai?!"
Xin Yu took two steps back. She remembered Nan Juechen pushing her down yesterday.
After Zhang Wan treated her like that, she wasn't kind enough to defy Nan Juechen and hurt herself.
"I don't know where Mu Yi'ai is. Isn't... isn't she at the Mu family's old residence?" Zhang Wan's voice trembled with tears, not knowing who she had offended. "I'm not very familiar with her."
"Not familiar?" Nan Juechen clearly didn't believe her, growing even angrier.
"Of course!" Zhang Wan quickly changed her expression, adopting a weak, feminine demeanor. "I really don't know her. You can ask Xin Yu if you don't believe me."
"I don't know," Xin Yu replied hastily, casually. "Didn't you just say you were asked by Mu Yi'ai?"
"Xin Yu!" Zhang Wan roared. She was afraid of the man in front of her, but not of Xin Yu, that wretched woman!
Not only did she steal Mu Yichuan, but now she was acting like it was none of her business!
"You called me to remind me that I haven't hit you yet?" she raised an eyebrow, asking matter-of-factly.
Zhang Wan was so angry she wanted to break free from Nan Juechen's control and pounce on Xin Yu.
She had miscalculated today, losing face in front of Xin Yu!
"Let me go right now!" she said, head held high, resuming her elegant demeanor. "I really don't know Mu Yi'ai. I'll make a phone call if you don't believe me."
And with that, she actually dialed a number.
Nan Juechen raised an eyebrow and said, "The Great Master?"
Xin Yu was also startled. Zhang Wan knew the Great Master!
The one who confessed to her yesterday, and seemed to have said she had no bad habits.
Damn it!
This is a blatant slap in the face!
Zhang Wan has a huge number of bad habits!
"Xin Yu!" Zhang Wan called out angrily as she left, then mouthed, "You wait."
Xin Yu glanced at her indifferently. Did she think she would succeed again?
"Xin Yu." Nan Juechen walked towards her, his imposing manner softening considerably, his eyes gentler. "Yesterday, were you alright?"
She knew what he was asking and quickly shook her head. "I'm fine, Nan Yu, he..."
"He went back to the army." Nan Juechen didn't say more, but the more silent he was, the more it revealed Nan Yu's current state.
"I...I'm sorry." Xin Yu looked up at him. Regardless, she hadn't actually done her best to stop it yesterday.
"Never mind." He didn't dwell on it. He knew Mu Yi'ai's unruly nature well; if Xin Yu had desperately stopped her then, she probably wouldn't be standing here unharmed now.
Xin Yu pursed her lips, unsure what to say. After a moment of silence, they both instinctively suggested leaving.
However, before even opening the door, they heard a haughty voice outside, "830, is this the place Zhang Wan was talking about?"
Nan Juechen smiled. "What a coincidence, your stepsister?"
Xin Yu's face flushed instantly. She quickly locked the door, frowning. Her stepsister was here too.
How lively!
Zhang Wan… there's definitely something wrong with her.
I must investigate her thoroughly when I get back.
"Sister, are you in there?" Xin Ran called softly, but her hand was forcefully turning the doorknob. "Why is it locked? Sister?"
Xin Yu leaned against the door, somewhat embarrassed to look at Nan Juechen. She really didn't know how to explain.
"Didn't you say you wanted to talk to me last time?" He spoke patiently, his voice almost a whisper. "I don't care about the location, just talk."
Xin Yu lowered her head, biting her lip. "You...you look a lot like my mother."
"What?" Nan Juechen took a step closer to her. He hadn't quite heard her, but he was more surprised.
"Sister! You're not afraid of me, are you?" Xin Ran shouted from outside. "I came here for your own good. Why do you have to be so presumptuous and insist on finding some rich husband?"
"Xin Ran, have you eaten too much salt?!" Coming to the hospital so early in the morning to say this, "What a waste of time!"
Hearing Xin Yu's voice, Xin Ran sneered inwardly. Sure enough, she was inside, daring to hide from her!
"Sister, just like Father said, a person's ability is only matched by their capacity." Xin Ran said sarcastically, her lips curling into a cold smile. If Xin Yu really had a relationship with Qiu Zhi, she would definitely cripple her! "Why did you come all the way to the capital if you're so obedient to him!" Xin Yu said coldly, as if she didn't know what her stepmother was up to.
"Sister, have you thought this through? Offending Father means that even if you marry, without your family's support, you'll suffer a lot of injustice."
"Compared to that, I've suffered even more injustice in the Xin family." Xin Yu finished speaking, glancing at Nan Juechen. Actually, she didn't want to waste words with Xin Ran here, but if she went out and exposed the man in front of her...
"Sister," Xin Ran rolled her eyes angrily, then reached for the doorknob, "if the Liu family tells others about your betrayal, you'll probably have a hard time getting married."
I hope you'll never be married!
Xin Yu rubbed her ears. Having been exposed to so much sourness so early in the morning, she truly admired her own survival skills!
"You've said it all without the Liu family saying anything." She also admired Xin Ran's ability to twist the truth.
Betrayal?! She broke her promise to Liu Shuihan, abandoned the love of her youthful days?!
Thinking this, a sense of irritation welled up inside her. How could she forget so many things!
Could this be a sign of something wrong with her body?
Xin Ran kicked the door a few times. After saying so much, why wouldn't that deadbeat Xin Yu come out?!
Then don't blame her for using her ultimate weapon!
"Sister—"
"You always call me that. Don't you hate yourself when you go back?" Xin Yu interrupted her. How much did she hate herself? Why be so hypocritical? "There are no outsiders here. Just show your true self."
Hmph!
A ruthless glint flashed in Xin Ran's eyes.
"Xin Yu, marry Liu Shuihan!" she commanded.
"I'm already married." Xin Yu spoke instinctively, raising her left hand. The ring was gone?
Bang!
The sound of a gunshot and the ring shattering echoed in her head.
"Hiss—" Another wave of unbearable headache.
"What's wrong?" Nan Juechen strode over and supported Xin Yu, noticing her face had turned deathly pale.
Xin Yu shook her head, but inwardly groaned, "Oh no, I must be sick!"
"If you marry Liu Shuihan, I'll tell you some news about my aunt."
Despite her head still buzzing, Xin Yu looked up, her eyes wide. The aunt Xin Ran spoke of was her mother!
How could she have news about her own mother?!
Xin Yu reached for the door to leave, but Nan Juechen grabbed her arm. He continued to support her, looking at her worried face. "Be careful not to be fooled."
"Better safe than sorry." She then tried to unlock the door.