At the Lu family's dining table.
Father Lu and Mother Lu played their parts perfectly, enlivening the atmosphere without probing too deeply into Meng Jiaxiao.
Jun Jiuli had already instructed the kitchen beforehand about Meng Jiaxiao's favorite dishes, placing them all in front of her without her needing to reach.
Keeping Meng Jiaxiao within his sightline, Jun Jiuli gave her a strong sense of security. The meal was a delightful affair for all involved.
Both Father and Mother Lu gave Meng Jiaxiao red envelopes. After chatting for a while until 9 PM, Jun Jiuli drove Meng Jiaxiao home.
"Lingheng, drive slowly on the road. Goodbye, Jiaxiao, come visit us often in the future."
"Okay, thank you, Auntie."
"Silly girl, what are you being so polite about."
"Mom, Dad, we're leaving."
"Goodbye, Uncle and Auntie."
...
"How do you feel? My parents are really good people. You won't have to worry about mother-in-law issues from now on. Meng Jiaxiao, are you ready to marry me now?"
"Your uncle and aunt are very nice, but can you stop being so glib?"
"You're shy, aren't you? It's not urgent, though. Let's take our time. When you're ready, can you let me meet your future father-in-law and mother-in-law?"
"Give me some time. I'm not ready yet."
"Alright then, hurry and open the red envelope to see what's inside."
Meng Jiaxiao had actually been in a state of nervous tension. She only remembered now. She took out her purse, rummaged through it, and upon opening it, found two cards. Passwords were taped to the back of the cards.
Nervously, she thrust the cards in front of Jun Jiuli, "I can't accept this. It's too valuable, please return it to Uncle and Auntie later."
"Silly girl, this is their token of appreciation for their future daughter-in-law. Take it, don't have any psychological burden."
"But what if in the future..."
"Don't worry, there won't be any 'what ifs.' Someone is practically itching to marry you, they won't give you a chance to run away."
"What are you saying? Then I'll accept it for now. If there are any 'what ifs' in the future, I'll return it to you. And if we get married in the future..."
"I really don't know what to do with you."
He dropped Meng Jiaxiao off at the apartment building where she rented.
"Go up quickly and get some rest."
Meng Jiaxiao suddenly stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jun Jiuli on the chin before quickly escaping.
Lu Lingheng, standing nearby, felt an urge to stomp his feet. Jun Jiuli suddenly felt strange. It was a bit awkward like this. She felt like she was deceiving the young girl's feelings.
After returning home, Meng Jiaxiao hit her pillow in frustration.
"Ahhhh, why were you so proactive, Meng Jiaxiao? Shouldn't this kind of thing be initiated by the boy? You didn't even manage to kiss him, you're so embarrassed!"
"How am I supposed to face anyone tomorrow? This is so embarrassing! What was that kiss on the chin? Why did you run away?"
Her mind was filled with all sorts of strange thoughts, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The next day, she went to work with dark circles under her eyes. Seeing Jun Jiuli acting as if nothing had happened made her a little unhappy.
Jun Jiuli clearly felt her resentment but pretended not to notice. What else could she do? Give her a domineering CEO-style French kiss? She dismissed the thought.
These young people were just starting their relationship; these were normal occurrences. She needed to finish her mission quickly and leave, so as not to interfere with their important matters.
Both of them pretended that the incident that day never happened, continuing their normal work routines. Meanwhile, news came from Shui Wa that Xu Peipei was ready to make her move.
She had found several thugs and paid them 100,000 yuan, intending for them to kidnap Meng Jiaxiao. They were to insult her and beat her severely, then take some photos and threaten her to stay away from Jun Jiuli.
Those men had been staking out Meng Jiaxiao for two days, familiarizing themselves with her commute to work, and knowing both her car model and Jun Jiuli's.
For the past two days, Meng Jiaxiao had been driving home alone. In the morning, she had also driven to the company alone. Therefore, they planned to make their move today. It was the end of the workday.
"Xiaoxiao."
"What is it!"
"Why are you so agitated? My car has a slight issue. Can I ride with you home today?"
"Oh, is that so."
"Is it like that, or is it not?"
"Alright, I'll drop you off at your apartment building first then I'll go home."
"No need, you drive to your apartment building. Then I'll drive your car back to my apartment, and I'll pick you up tomorrow."
"Okay, as long as you don't mind the trouble."
A few days had passed since the incident, and the two still felt a bit awkward in each other's presence. They could only talk about company matters. The drive was smooth.
Upon reaching the underground parking lot, Meng Jiaxiao parked her car and got out. A few steps away, Jun Jiuli took out the keys and followed her. She had already prepared an excuse: she had left her lipstick in the car.
Reaching a blind spot in the surveillance cameras, two men rushed out, attempting to drag her into a dilapidated van.
"Jiaxiao, dodge quickly!"
Jun Jiuli sprinted over and delivered a flying kick directly to the fat man's face. With a swing of her fist, she smashed it into the head of a shorter man. As both fell, she continued to unleash a barrage of kicks.
The two could only clutch their heads and howl. Soon, three men from the van heard the commotion and ran out. Meng Jiaxiao, who had been momentarily stunned, reacted and grabbed Jun Jiuli's hand, pulling her to run forward.
"Run quickly, they have too many people, it's too disadvantageous."
"It's okay, I've trained."
The three men realized they were facing a tough opponent and immediately grabbed steel pipes and charged forward. Jun Jiuli told Meng Jiaxiao to hide in a safe place and proceeded to knock them down one by one.
Before long, the sound of police sirens could be heard. It was Meng Jiaxiao who had called the police. She couldn't help in such a situation; going forward would only be a hindrance. Calling the police was the most sensible action.
"What's going on here?"
"Officer, save us! This punk wants to beat us to death!"
"Wuwuwu~ Help!"
The police officers looked at Jun Jiuli for an explanation. Before she could speak, Meng Jiaxiao rushed forward.
"Officers, I called the police. Please don't misunderstand. They were trying to attack me, and my boyfriend was acting in self-defense."
Jun Jiuli nodded quickly and explained the situation.
"Officers, we'll tell you everything. We were paid by someone to kidnap this woman. We confess. Can you please send me to the hospital first? I feel like I'm not going to make it, please."
There was no choice but to drag them into the car. The group headed to the city hospital. Meng Jiaxiao's palms were covered in cold sweat from nervousness. Jun Jiuli held her hand.
"Don't worry, I'm here for everything. Those who try to harm you will ultimately face legal consequences."
"I'm not scared. Are you okay? You weren't hurt just now, were you? Does your hand hurt?"
Jun Jiuli chuckled and patted her head.
"Silly girl, it doesn't hurt. Look, there's not even a red mark."
Meng Jiaxiao clutched her dangling hand, and a tear suddenly fell onto Jun Jiuli's wrist.
"I'm sorry, Lu Lingheng."
"Alright, don't cry. What is there to be sorry about? You're the victim. Besides, my baby is such a good person. Who these troublemakers are targeting is not necessarily clear. Don't blame yourself; we will both be fine."
She lifted her small face, her nose red, looking like a doll.
"Yes, we will be fine."
Despite what she said, tears continued to fall. She was genuinely terrified by the scene just now, and Jun Jiuli felt a pang of regret for acting that way.
She could have avoided such trouble. Seeing how distressed the young girl was, Jun Jiuli fumbled for tissues and began to comfort her.
"It's okay, I didn't want to cry, but I can't help it. Don't say anything else; the more you say, the more I want to cry."
"It's alright, it's good to cry it out. No one will laugh at you. I won't say anything more."
The group arrived at the hospital and registered for the emergency room. The five beasts kept complaining of pain. After a thorough examination, no internal injuries were found; they only had superficial wounds.
Seeing the skeptical looks from the police officers, the five beasts were on the verge of tears again. No matter how they argued, the officers wouldn't believe them. They were taken to the police station as per protocol.