Ming's father, his long-suppressed rage finally breaking free, snatched Ming Zheng's arm as she passed him. His expression turned somewhat ferocious. "Ming Zheng, you have to get in this car today!" he declared, attempting to drag her forcefully towards the vehicle.
But no matter how he pulled, or how hard he yanked, Ming Zheng remained utterly unmoved. He simply couldn't budge her.
Ming's father's face flickered through various expressions before he resorted to using both hands to grip Ming Zheng's arms.
The girl's languid, placid voice drifted out, unconcerned. "Chairman Ming, it seems you love your wife dearly. Do you wish to become crippled along with her?"
As she spoke, her raven-like eyelashes drooped slightly, her gaze fixing on the hands her father had placed on her arms. The smile that curved her crimson lips held a hint of casual mockery.
With just a look, Ming's father flinched, immediately retracting his hands. His face, contorted in a grimace, turned deathly pale.
That was right. Ming's mother's sudden crippling of both hands was Ming Zheng's doing. Even the hospital couldn't find anything wrong. Even the sixth master, who had specially invited his own teacher, had declared Ming's mother's hands beyond help. It must have been Ming Zheng's doing! He certainly didn't want to end up like Ming's mother!
Ming Zheng's eyes held even greater disdain as she raised a hand and lightly patted the spot where her father had grabbed her, as if she had just touched some filthy garbage. Ming's father's face twisted and twitched. His tightly clenched fists betrayed his inner fury.
Ever since Ming Zheng had transformed into a different person, they had been utterly helpless against her. Even when they brought bodyguards to apprehend her, Ming Zheng could directly subdue any bodyguard they brought. If he wanted to use force against her, he feared becoming crippled like Ming's mother.
Was it possible... that he truly had no way to deal with this unfilial daughter?
"Beep—"
Suddenly, a horn blared, cutting through the air. A low-key, luxurious black sedan pulled up beside them. The car window rolled down, revealing a face that could topple cities.
Upon seeing that face, Ming's father's countenance instantly deflated, like an eggplant struck by frost. "Lord Chi, Patriarch of the Chi family!"
The man inside the car didn't even glance at Ming's father. He slightly raised his deep, dark eyes, his gaze settling on Ming Zheng.
"Zheng Bao." he said, a faint smile gracing his lips. His low, magnetic voice, as he addressed Ming Zheng, sounded as if he were speaking to his most cherished person, tender and lingering, making one's heart feel all soft and numb.
Ming's father stared at them in shock. Patriarch Chi called Ming Zheng... "Zheng Bao"? Why did Patriarch Chi use such an intimate term when addressing Ming Zheng? What was their relationship?
"Why is it you?" Ming Zheng looked at Chi Xian's breathtaking face, her every glance and the curve of her smile seeming to draw her in. She slightly furrowed her brow. "Where is Mo Qi Yu?"
"To pick you up for dinner," Chi Xian replied, opening the car door and descending from the vehicle with a tall, elegant posture. The white shirt and black trousers accentuated his long frame. He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. "Zheng Bao, get in."
Ming Zheng walked over, bent down, and got into the car. Ming's father didn't dare to move.
Only after Ming Zheng was in the car and Chi Xian had returned to his own seat did Ming's father suddenly come to his senses and hurry over. "Patriarch Chi, I, I still have something to say..."
Before he could finish his words, Chi Xian subtly raised his eyes. The light shining outside the Zhengrong Group filtered through the car window, casting fleeting patterns of light and shadow on the man's deep features. His eyes, like obsidian, were like cold stars in the midnight sky. They fell upon Ming's father, instantly making him feel as if he were plunged into an ice cellar. A bone-chilling cold. It was... a completely different demeanor from how he faced Ming Zheng.
All his words seemed to get stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth, but still couldn't utter a sound, as if the very air around him had been drawn away by Chi Xian's gaze. His breathing grew difficult.
"Chairman Ming." From within the car, the girl's languid, casual voice cut through the air. She turned her head slightly. Below the car window, her radiant, captivating face was etched with a detached indifference. Her gaze swept over Ming's father, then flickered towards Ming Ting Xu. "And Director Ming."
"From now on, don't pretend to be familiar with me."
"Please call me Miss Ming."
"I don't want to hear the word 'Zheng Zheng' from your mouths again. Don't tarnish my name."
With that, she rolled up the car window. The luxurious sedan instantly merged into the flow of traffic, leaving only a wisp of exhaust behind. Ming's father's face contorted. His pupils widened as he stared in the direction Ming Zheng had left. He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. In his ears, he heard Ming Ting Xu's anxious call, "Dad? Dad?!" Then, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness completely.
-
In the car.
Ming Zheng glanced at her phone. A message from Mo Qi Yu had just arrived. He had sent an emoji of himself laughing heartily, but with tears streaming down his face.
[Overbearing President Yu]: Baby, I have something urgent to attend to, a critical and unavoidable urgent matter, so I can only ask my good brother to pick you up. After he picks you up, you can have dinner together. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, let me continue my work!!!!!
Those five exclamation points perfectly conveyed Mo Qi Yu's inner feelings. This long message clearly indicated it wasn't Mo Qi Yu's own choice. Although he was a dean in the capital, it wasn't the start of the semester. What urgent matters could he possibly have? Clearly, he had been threatened by Chi Xian. They truly were "good brothers."
"Zheng Bao, where would you like to go for dinner?" Chi Xian asked, glancing at Ming Zheng's profile, a faint smile on his lips.
Ming Zheng put down her phone. "Anywhere."
"You must have been exhausted these past few days, right?" Yesterday, she could see the faint dark circles under her eyes even through the screen. Now, up close, her fatigue was even more apparent. Even after a day of sleep, the weariness from these past days couldn't be fully dispelled so quickly.
Ming Zheng glanced at him sideways. "Thanks to the Chi family's help, it wasn't that difficult." This man was quite sensible. He didn't press her about her identity at this moment, nor did he ask any questions about why she appeared in the unified department. It was better this way. It saved her the trouble of racking her brains to invent a story.
"Next time, if you have any missions, you can inform me in advance," Chi Xian said. "I don't want to encounter you in dangerous places again."
Ming Zheng leaned back lazily against the seat. "I'm so formidable, no dangerous place is truly dangerous." Her words weren't a joke, nor were they spoken casually. They were filled with confidence and assertiveness. Chi Xian believed she wasn't exaggerating. She genuinely possessed such strength. However... even now, thinking back to the scene he witnessed when he rushed into Kelson's room on the cruise ship, his heart couldn't help but clench tightly.