Xue Jingrui's face showed no expression.
Qi Ji felt a bit happy inside, though she didn't know why. Her mood was simply good, and Qi Ji even felt her current thoughts were a bit sinful.
When they returned home, Ye Rong had been waiting for a long time. She had prepared several new dishes. Since Qi Ji hadn't come back for lunch, she was worried her daughter-in-law might not eat well outside.
Now it was evening, and they had finally returned. If they hadn't come back soon, she would have gone out to look for them.
"Why are you so late? Are you tired? You shouldn't overwork yourself. Whatever needs to be done, just let Jingrui do it," Ye Rong glanced at Jingrui.
"I was at Sister Yin's place. There was a problem in the evening, so we didn't have time to go out for dinner."
"It's fortunate there was a problem, otherwise my dinner would have been wasted again. What kind of problem was it?"
Ye Rong was slow to react.
Qi Ji didn't know how to explain. After all, Xue Jingrui used to like Qi Yan. If she told her mother-in-law about Qi Yan's encounter tonight, wouldn't it seem a bit like gloating?
"It was a problem with Qi Yan," Xue Jingrui said.
This light remark terrified Ye Rong, causing her to sit down immediately.
She worried her son might have done something rash.
"Qi Ji, can you tell mom what the problem was?" Ye Rong asked cautiously.
"This afternoon we were at Sister Yin's place, and in the evening we planned to go out for dinner. At the corner of Sister Yin's studio, there was a shadowy figure. When Sister Yin went over, that person tried to throw sulfuric acid on her."
"Was that person Qi Yan?"
Though it was a question, Ye Rong said it with the tone of a statement.
"Yes."
"How is Shen Yin now? Is she alright? And that woman called Qi Yan, when will she ever behave herself?"
"Sister Yin is fine. She managed to dodge it. Later, when Qi Yan tried to throw it again, Sister Yin used a bit of force, and Qi Yan fell down. The remaining acid spilled on her own face."
"Oh my, that's frightening. I thought..."
Ye Rong didn't finish her sentence. She had thought her son had lost his mind.
"How was the matter handled?"
"She was taken away. Xiuhe decided to press criminal charges."
"That's good. She should be charged, otherwise who knows what trouble she might cause in the future," Ye Rong said.
"Come, let's eat."
Learning that it had nothing to do with her son and that Qi Yan had brought this upon herself, Ye Rong felt much more at ease.
"I've never seen someone with such thick skin before. Mom's judgement of people is quite accurate. You, working at the prosecutor's office, what do you think? How many years might she be sentenced to?"
"I'm not sure. It depends on what Xiuhe ultimately decides. It's possible she could be in for life."
He knew Xu Xiuhe too well. Xu Xiuhe was skilled at handling such matters; he had known this since childhood.
"That's good."
Qi Ji listened to the conversation between mother and son, not knowing how to join in. But there was no need for her to speak; her mouth was already full of various dishes.
At Ziyue Manor, Xu Xiuhe was heartbroken. He was truly fed up. One problem after another – first Zhou Man, then Qi Yan. When would these unfortunate individuals stop appearing in front of their family of three?
"I thought it was Zhou Man," Shen Yin said.
"Zhou Man is in Pei City. The detectives are watching her. If she comes to Rong City, I'll know immediately."
"Was that thing really sulfuric acid?"
"Yes, it's a chemical product with corrosive properties. If it touches the skin, it causes burns."
"So her face is red?"
"It's disfigured."
"Do you feel sorry for her?" Shen Yin joked.
"Hm? How could I? What I had with her doesn't count. You're my true love. She wasn't the right person, nor was it the right time when we met. Moreover, she's not the one I love – you are."
"Smooth talker!"
Shen Yin, hearing the satisfactory answer, acted a bit coy.
"Since Zhou Man is under your surveillance, can I go out as usual tomorrow?" Shen Yin asked.
"Where do you want to go?"
"On a date with Shu Yi."
"I'm your husband. You can only go on dates with me."
"But Shu Yi said she found a great ice cream shop. Zheng wants to try it."
...
"I doubt it's Zheng who wants to try it. Zheng probably doesn't even know about this, right?"
Shen Yin pretended to know nothing, smiling foolishly.
What could Xu Xiuhe do? Could he refuse? This was his wife; he had to indulge her.
"Keep me updated at all times. No matter what happens, safety comes first."
"I got it!"
"What do you call me?"
"I got it, hubby!"
Only then was the man satisfied.
But Shen Yin never imagined that Shu Yi would stand her up.
"Shu Yueru? Explain yourself."
"If I say I'm working overtime, would you believe me?"
"Do you think I should believe you?"
"It's like this – I'm at the hospital."
"Why are you in the hospital again? Is it serious?" Shen Yin's tone was a bit anxious. How could someone end up in the hospital so frequently, especially a big star and public figure? In a few days, there might be rumors circulating that Shu Yi was caught having a prenatal check-up at the hospital.
"It's not me."
"Then who is it?"
"It's Chang Zhiyuan. This morning, he was going down the stairs – I don't know how he managed it – but he fell and fractured his leg."
...
So they were taking turns going to the hospital.
The rumors were likely to continue.
Shen Yin was already imagining a big piece of gossip.
Famous actress goes for prenatal check-up, while her boss gets a vasectomy.
Of course, she didn't dare say it out loud.
"Are you going to take care of him?"
Shen Yin asked, already knowing the answer. She didn't know when she had developed this little amusement, but she enjoyed seeing Shu Yi's contradictory behavior. Shu Yi clearly wanted to go herself, but would always find an excuse, like Chang Zhiyuan forcing her to go.
Sure enough, just as Shen Yin expected, that's exactly what Shu Yi said.
"I don't want to go, but he said that when I was sick with altitude sickness, he took care of me the whole time. Now that he can't walk, of course he needs me to take care of him."
"Alright, taking care of the boss is important."
At the hospital, Chang Zhiyuan lay with his leg in a cast, suspended in the air.
"I want some water."
"Here you go."
"Feed me."
"Boss, it's your leg that's broken, not your arms."
Shu Yi now felt that, relying on Chang Zhiyuan's affection, she had become fearless, speaking in a tone quite different from before.
"I'm the boss, and now my arms are uncomfortable too."
When the man acted shamelessly, Shu Yi truly couldn't handle it. She held the cup to Chang Zhiyuan's lips.
"My neck, I can't move my neck. I can't drink."
Although Shu Yi knew Chang Zhiyuan was pretending, she still had no choice but to help. She supported Chang Zhiyuan's head with one hand while holding the cup with the other.
"Are you done?"
"I've finished drinking."
Shu Yi had just put the cup aside when the man spoke again.
"I'm done drinking. Now I want to go to the bathroom."
Shu Yi looked at Chang Zhiyuan's large frame and felt troubled.
"Can you move your other foot?"
Chang Zhiyuan nodded.
Shu Yi supported Chang Zhiyuan as he put one foot on the ground. As Shu Yi tried to move closer, her foot accidentally tripped over Chang Zhiyuan's, causing her to fall forward and land between his legs.