Recalling An Che's frail figure lying in the hospital bed, An Ruo suddenly seized the moment when An Qing was showing off, yanking off her leather boots. Naively, she thought that if she returned them, she could get the money. That way, An Che could be saved...
An Qing shrieked, slipping as An Ruo tugged at her boots. Mrs. An rushed to steady her, angrily kicking at An Ruo. The servants watched the scene, unwilling to intervene—they had grown used to An Ruo being beaten, and as humans, their hearts gradually ached for her.
"What are you standing around for? Pull this crazy girl away!"
A servant trying to slip away was caught and had to brace herself, walking over to softly urge An Ruo to let go while following Mrs. An's orders to drag her off. An Ruo clung to the boots like a madwoman, refusing to release them, while An Qing furiously kicked at her. The group tangled into a mess at the entrance.
Nearby, a low-key black car was parked by the roadside. Snowflakes drifted down, and through the window, a man watched as the girl was torn apart, slapped, and kicked down by the mother and daughter...
His dark eyes deepened, recalling the girl who had sleepwalked and lain on top of him last night, now being bullied so miserably.
"Young master..." Han Chong couldn't bear to watch anymore. Even though he was curious about An Ruo's plight, the most urgent matter now was to save her. It looked like they were beating her to death.
Shen Xiaoxing interlaced his fingers, turning his head slightly as if he couldn't bear to see her so broken. A finger on his knee twitched. After a few seconds, his deep voice rang out:
"Save her, but don't reveal your identity."
He had two choices on this trip: if he saw An Ruo interacting with the second branch, he would eliminate her without mercy. If she obediently returned to the An family and was smart enough not to arouse suspicion, he could show mercy and let her live. But ever since he saw her at the hospital, nearly begging the doctor on her knees for her brother, he suddenly took an interest and followed her—only to be truly shocked.
-
An Ruo was beaten senseless by the mother and daughter, collapsing onto the snowy ground. Even lifting a finger was a struggle, but An Qing, furious from her earlier audacity, raised her leg for another kick. She spat out: "Crazy woman!"
Mrs. An soothed her, "Enough, leave her with some breath. If she dies now, we can't explain it to the Shen family."
An Qing, still unsatisfied, kicked her shoulder again: "You got off easy!"
The butler rushed over with a panicked face: "Madam, Miss. Bad news. The master is in trouble."
"What?"
"The master was hit by a car..."
An Qing and Mrs. An were both stunned. How could a perfectly fine person get hit? In an instant, the An household fell into chaos, and no one cared whether An Ruo lived or died.
It was snowing. She lay on the ground until everyone was gone, then slowly got to her feet...
Han Chong turned his head, looking at the man in the back seat through the rearview mirror: "Young master, should we go help the young mistress?"
"I never do charity," the man said coldly, withdrawing his gaze. He had already helped her.
Outside the window, the girl stubbornly clutched her most injured spot, limping away from the An family with uneven steps.
Shen Xiaoxing's chiseled face tightened, and he closed his eyes: "Notify Ye Feng. Leave Ande Yu with just enough breath to live. I still need him."
"Yes." Han Chong immediately called Ye Feng. Time was tight; he had just called the An family, falsely claiming Ande Yu had been in a car accident. Now they had to get him to the hospital before the mother and daughter arrived.
-
An Ruo dragged her injured body back to the hospital. Standing at the entrance, she took a few deep breaths of cold air, forcing herself to stay alert, trying not to let An Che see her like this. Her clothes covered the wounds, but the slap marks on her face were clear. She hesitated in the hallway.
"Excuse me, are you Miss An Ruo?"
An Ruo looked down, seeing a pair of men's leather shoes and a white coat reaching his knees. She jerked her head up.
The man was refined and scholarly. Given his attire, he was clearly a doctor, but... the back of his hand hanging by his side was tattooed. This was the first time she'd seen such a cool doctor.
An Ruo nodded blankly: "I am."
"I've heard about your brother's condition. Director Yang has already applied for the surgery to be paid afterward. I'm here to ask—if you're willing, you can take him to the operating room now."
So An Che could have surgery?
An Ruo was so happy she didn't react at first. It wasn't until He Su handed her the surgical consent form for the family to sign that she realized she wasn't dreaming. She carefully read the terms. She and An Che had grown up relying on each other, calling each other brother and sister, and had long considered each other family. As his sister, she could vouch for him.
Once the family signed the consent, the staff immediately arranged the surgery. The attending doctor was no longer as harsh as before; he smiled and reassured her not to worry, swearing on his twenty-plus years of medical career that the surgery would go smoothly!
"Miss An, would you like me to treat the wounds on your face?"
An Ruo was taken aback: "No need."
He Su chuckled lightly: "It's free."
He was just entrusted with a task, loyal to his duty. "Besides, such a beautiful face—if the wounds aren't treated in time, scars would ruin it."
Girls naturally love beauty, and no one is indifferent to facial injuries. The reason An Ruo was moved was that she feared An Che would see her hurt when he woke up, and she didn't want him to grieve over it.