`Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Luo Wensheng got out from the front passenger seat, holding a black umbrella over the car door to shield Li Xuan from the slanting rain. Although the temperature outside was still fairly mild, Li Xuan had caught a cold a few days ago, putting everyone on high alert. Even though Luo Wensheng only leaned out halfway, he did not dare to be careless.

Shi Yin’s mind was still in chaos, her face expressionless, which made her seem almost blank. She sat dazedly on the wet ground, rainwater dripping down from her hair into her collar, completely unaware, neither crying nor fussing, looking unlike a normal car accident victim.

“Hit someone?” Li Xuan’s expression was calm, his voice low, carrying a slight hoarseness from illness.

The driver glanced at the space between Shi Yin and the front of the car, enough to lie down two people side by side, intending to say no, but seeing her dazed state, he hesitated.

“Hit you?” Li Xuan didn’t wait for the driver’s reply and turned to Shi Yin, his tone still indifferent.

Shi Yin secretly gave him a nickname in her mind—“Calm Brother.”

She hesitated half a second between faking an injury and telling the truth, then honestly shook her head: “No, I was startled when I saw the car suddenly and fell on my own.”

Shi Yin steadied herself on the ground and struggled to stand. As soon as she put weight on her right foot, a sharp pain shot up her ankle. She let out a soft “hiss,” swaying slightly.

Li Xuan’s gaze followed downward.

Shi Yin wore ordinary sneakers, exposing a slender ankle that trembled slightly, the extent of the injury unclear.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked calmly.

Shi Yin opened her mouth to respond but hadn’t yet answered when the men who had been chasing her lost patience. Two of them suddenly rushed forward—one quickly restrained Shi Yin’s arm, while the other roughly pulled the strap off her neck. Her phone “clattered” to the ground, splashing into a puddle. The man stamped it several times with his 200-pound frame, cracking the screen into a spiderweb pattern.

Shi Yin cried out in pain, her face contorting, instinctively struggling with all her strength. Her resistance shifted their positions; the man holding her unintentionally staggered toward the car, almost hitting Li Xuan—

The silent driver appeared like a ghost behind him, performing a swift grappling move: grabbing the wrist, pressing the elbow, spinning his body 180 degrees, using the rotation’s momentum to flip the man to the ground, then kneeling with his right knee to pin his elbow.

Boom—!!

The 200-pound man slammed onto the ground, pinned directly in front of Shi Yin’s feet, prostrating almost fully as if kowtowing to her.

Shi Yin: “(xue)!!” No need for such formalities.

Time seemed to freeze. A few onlookers around stared at each other, then stepped back in unison.

Some people act silently but hit hard.

The man thrown down rolled his eyes, unable to help but wail: “Aah—!! Bin, save me, save me!”

The sturdy driver kept one knee on him, restraining him with some leniency, looking toward Li Xuan, clearly waiting for instructions.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?”

Li Xuan repeated himself. His voice was lighter than before, as if saying more words would exhaust him. He lowered his eyelashes, silently waiting for Shi Yin’s answer. He didn’t even twitch an eyelid at the recent struggle and ongoing fight at his feet, completely detached.

“Go… okay?” Shi Yin said hesitantly.

A bald man quickly approached from behind, looking around, and spoke politely to the driver: “Brother, we live in a law-abiding society. We can talk this out; there’s no need for violence.”

Bald Liu Bin was extremely alarmed inside. Whoever acted across from him was fast and ruthless, military or police-level, definitely not ordinary. Though he and his men looked intimidating, they were just lackeys following a rich kid for money. No need to risk their lives! Moreover, Xu Wei’s original instruction was “deal with the secretly recorded video,” not “deal with people”! The girl’s phone was already smashed; that settles it!

The driver glanced at him sideways, giving no response.

Liu Bin’s eyes flicked between Li Xuan and Shi Yin for two seconds, unable to grasp the situation. He could still be flexible; without another word, he walked to Li Xuan and bowed deeply: “I’m sorry! My brother acted without restraint and almost hit you. You’re generous; please forgive him this time.”

Li Xuan sat lazily in the car, motionless, and in Liu Bin’s anxious gaze, he slightly nodded.

The driver then released the man.

Liu Bin breathed a sigh of relief, signaling his men with a sharp glance. They quickly helped the injured man up while he picked up the phone from the ground.

“Wait! That’s my phone.” Shi Yin grabbed him, insisting.

Liu Bin twitched his face repeatedly, sneaking a glance at Li Xuan. After struggling internally, he pulled out a stack of cash tied with bank straps from his bag and, half warning, half advice, said: “Here’s ten thousand yuan, consider it compensation. Buy a new phone, and in the future, don’t go where you shouldn’t, don’t record people you shouldn’t.”

Shi Yin accepted it: “Oh.”

She had only been acting casually anyway. If the other party was willing to pay, even better. If she acted too indifferent about the stolen phone, and Xu Wei found out she kept a backup, he might give her trouble.

—Although she indeed kept a copy.

The men left one after another, leaving only four people under the empty, rainy sky. Shi Yin looked at Li Xuan.

“Get in the car.”

Li Xuan’s tone remained flat, carrying a faint sense of lifelessness.

Following his words, Shi Yin hopped forward two steps, then stopped in surprise— a long blanket blocked her view. Only when she got closer did she realize Li Xuan was sitting in a wheelchair! The carbon-fiber frame gleamed with a cold technological shine. The interior of this MPV was exceptionally spacious; the right seat had been completely removed and modified into a space suitable for wheelchair mobility.

…So he wasn’t being arrogant, refusing to get out of the car—he simply couldn’t move freely.

A complicated mix of emotions welled up in Shi Yin’s heart, leaving her momentarily speechless. Li Xuan seemed to notice her gaze; his dark, quiet eyes lifted. Shi Yin was momentarily stunned, then politely averted her eyes, awkwardly hopping on one foot to the other side, opening the door and crawling in.

Once inside the car, Shi Yin hunched over, feeling embarrassed. She was soaking wet, having rolled around on the ground several times, looking like a dirty rag. The leather seats, however, were pristine light beige, giving off a sense of luxury, and she was worried about dirtying them.

“Yunfeng.”

Li Xuan called softly. The driver, Zhou Yunfeng, immediately understood, pulling a brand-new blanket from the trunk and silently handing it to Shi Yin. Shi Yin thanked him, wrapping herself carefully and sitting on the edge.

The car door closed silently. Through the foggy windows, Shi Yin saw Luo Wensheng walking toward the few remaining people who were secretly filming, negotiating quietly. The onlookers sheepishly put their phones away.

Zhou Yunfeng returned to the driver’s seat, parking the car smoothly in the reserved space, then disappeared into the background, leaving no trace of sound.

Outside, the rain poured, making the rear seat even quieter. Shi Yin, concerned about her mission, broke the silence in a small voice: “Excuse me, is this your car?”

Li Xuan assumed she was confirming the responsible party and replied, “Yes.”

Shi Yin pressed further: “So you’ve always been the one using this car?”

Li Xuan: “Mm.”

Shi Yin closed her eyes in despair, calling up the system interface to reconfirm the mission:

【Optional Side Quest A: Turn Clouds into Hands】

【Mission Content: Seek help from the owner of the outdoor parking car A88688 to resolve the secretly recorded footage crisis】

【Mission Reward: Zhuang Wanyan’s gossip (purple) x1, Sanda (beginner)】

—The owner of car A88688 is not Li Yun.

So the mission target was correct all along. The person she needed help from was always Li Xuan. The modified MPV belonged to Li Xuan, the person sitting in the Lotus Hotel car was Li Xuan, the person she passed by at Yin Tai IN99 was also Li Xuan—always Li Xuan, nothing to do with Li Yun!

Damn it. She had been blindly researching Li Yun’s information, seriously discussing strategies with Xiao Assistant (even though there was no response), yet Xiao Assistant never once reminded her, secretly writing “owner of car A88688,” deliberately playing a trick on her, seeing if she’d make a fool of herself!

Shi Yin ground her teeth in frustration.

“Tap, tap.”

The car window was politely knocked. Outside stood a man in his early forties, wearing a crisp white shirt tucked into dark pants, with the name “Wang Hongze” floating above.

Luo Wensheng, who had just returned, nodded at him: “Secretary Wang.”

Wang Hongze smiled warmly and slightly bowed, explaining to Li Xuan in the car: “There’s been a small incident. Officers from the municipal bureau have arrived. The leadership can’t leave at the moment and is arranging follow-up work. They specifically instructed me to come down and inform you.”

Before he finished, his phone rang. Wang Hongze glanced at the screen and immediately answered: “Yes, yes, sir. Understood, we’ve seen it, communicating now, okay, okay. I’ll give it to him right away.” While speaking, he handed the phone to Li Xuan, lowering his voice: “The leader wants to say a few words to you.”

Li Xuan took the phone and held the receiver at a comfortable distance.

He sat quietly in the wheelchair, left hand resting on the blanket, mostly silent, occasionally speaking: “Mm, much better… understood, I’ll go then.”

Shi Yin’s eyes, cast downward, accidentally fell on the back of his hand—pale skin dotted with infusion bruises, some new, some old.

After hanging up, Luo Wensheng whispered a few words with Wang Hongze, then opened the car door and returned inside. Moisture clung to his shoulders, but his expression remained calm and clear. Luo Wensheng slightly turned, looking at Shi Yin:

“This…?”

“I’m Shi Yin.”

“Miss Shi,” Luo Wensheng’s tone was steady, without unnecessary pleasantries, “did you just enter room 2708?”

His timing and angle for the question were extremely precise, clearly having connected the fragmented information at the scene and completed his reasoning in a very short time.

Shi Yin, still thinking about how to handle the secretly recorded footage crisis, immediately clarified: “I was helping someone deliver things. When I entered, I found them… having that party… there were laughing gas canisters under the sofa. I recorded a short clip with my phone, but they noticed and I had to run quickly.”

“Room 2708 has been reported for group drug use. Police will contact you later to understand the situation.” Luo Wensheng did not comment on her actions, only seriously informed her.

“Understood, I will fully cooperate!” Shi Yin’s tense heart relaxed significantly as she replied solemnly.

Li Xuan remained silent the entire time. His eyelids were lightly closed, and the space between his brows was almost imperceptibly furrowed, as if he were feeling somewhat unwell.

Zhou Yunfeng glanced at him through the rearview mirror and quietly raised the air conditioning temperature, also lowering the fan speed slightly.

“Go to Liangmu.” After starting the car, Li Xuan said weakly.

Shi Yin thought for a long time but couldn’t recall any public hospital in Tan City with “Liangmu” in its name.

Twenty minutes later, the answer became clear. The MPV smoothly drove into a quiet courtyard surrounded by greenery and stopped in front of a low-rise white building. The plaque “Liangmu International” was discreetly embedded in the wall.

At the entrance, the attending physician was waiting with two nurses and a full set of mobile medical equipment, all professional and composed.

Once the car stopped, they stepped forward gracefully. The doctor’s concerned gaze fell on Shi Yin: “Are you the car accident patient? Where does it hurt? Any impact to the head?”

“No, no need! I can sit in that one!”

Seeing that they were preparing a stretcher, Shi Yin quickly waved her hand, pointing to an empty wheelchair beside her.

What followed was astonishingly efficient. Shi Yin, still dazed, was pushed into a private treatment room. A gentle female doctor carefully cleaned her wounds, applied medicine, and bandaged them. Then came an extremely thorough full-body examination—blood tests, full-body CT, X-ray, ultrasound, even MRI was arranged. Every detail was attended to meticulously, as if afraid she might have the slightest problem.

Shi Yin thought: “……I didn’t mean to scam anyone, really.”

That misstep causing her to fall had been an accident, but she had mentally prepared for the subsequent fall. She only wanted a reasonable opportunity to get close to the owner of car A88688, not to injure her own leg.

Half an hour later, Shi Yin was pushed out, bewildered, and led to an elegantly arranged lounge.

Her ankle was fine, needing only a few days of rest. The scrapes were minor and well bandaged. All examination results showed she was as strong as a small calf, and she didn’t even have the low blood sugar she had long suspected.

The TV in the room was playing a foreign movie. Li Xuan leaned on one arm, his gaze vacant on the screen, seemingly not really watching.

A young doctor burst in, holding a report. Before he even stood still, his clear voice, tinged with playful teasing, echoed across the room:

“Brother Luo, nothing wrong! Every test has been done, not even a scrape! I think she’s faking a limp to attract attention, trying to catch Mr. Li’s notice! So young and already causing trouble—what will she be like when she grows up?”

Shi Yin “snapped” upright, a flash of indignation rising. Faking a limp? Attracting attention? She had genuinely fallen hard, scraped up a lot of skin! Who does he think he is?!

At that moment, a round, fluffy shape squeezed through the door crack—a black-and-white miniature Border Collie appeared. Its fluffy tail drooped pitifully. The little dog limped into the room, struggling all the way to Li Xuan, pressing its wet nose against his outstretched hand, letting out pitiful whines: “Awoo…woo…”

Shi Yin: “??”

The atmosphere turned awkward. She quietly, slowly sat back in the wheelchair.

Li Xuan raised his hand, gently rubbing the Border Collie’s head, then turned his gaze to Shi Yin: “How are your test results?”

The female doctor, arriving a moment later, quickly reported: “Mild ankle sprain, rest and reduce activity, will recover in one to two weeks.”

No one noticed that the little Border Collie, previously acting spoiled, suddenly perked up its ears. It looked at Shi Yin, who had just gotten the wheelchair, then at its owner sitting in the wheelchair, finally lowering its gaze to its carefully curled left front paw, eyes showing a clear hint of confusion.

The next moment, it seemed to understand something, stood up, and slowly moved in front of Shi Yin, tilting its head. Its big black grape-like eyes looked at her curiously and intently.

It was remarkably beautiful, clearly purebred. A strip of snow-white fur ran neatly down the center of its face, perfectly symmetrical on both sides, like measured with a ruler, resembling a delicate and soft plush toy.

Shi Yin tilted her head.

The little Border Collie tilted its head in response: Woo?

“You can pet it.” Li Xuan suddenly said.

“Ah?” Shi Yin politely declined, “No, I…”

The little Border Collie obediently stretched out its paw, softly resting it on Shi Yin’s knee. Seeing her not react immediately, it inched closer, placing its whole head on her lap. Its mouth slightly opened, a tiny pink tongue poking out, revealing a standard “smile mouth.”

Shi Yin: “……”

Li Xuan said calmly: “I’m talking to the dog.”

Shi Yin: “…………”