Hua Qirou was nearly stunned by the impact of the cup.
Instinctively covering her nose, her mind went blank.
She never expected that Su Huan, who appeared gentle and easy to bully, would suddenly resort to such ruthless means.
Lowering her head, she observed her fingers stained with fresh red.
Experiencing both pain and frustration, she couldn't contain herself and let out a sharp scream, lunging towards Su Huan.
Aunt Liu hurriedly stepped forward, intercepting her mid-air.
Hearing the commotion, the bodyguard rushed in, pulling Hua Qirou away.
With a stern expression, Gu Beixian entered with his assistant, casting a cold glance at Hua Qirou before turning to Su Huan. Seeing she was unharmed, his countenance improved slightly.
Hua Qirou, holding her bleeding nose, complained to Gu Beixian, "Look, this is your so-called virtuous woman! Seemingly gentle and meek, yet striking so viciously! A cup thrown at me nearly took my life!"
Gu Beixian's voice remained unaffected as he replied, "Su Huan has always been gentle, calm, and indifferent. If she resorted to physicality, it must be in response to something you provoked."
Looking at Su Huan, he asked gently, "How did she provoke you?"
Su Huan was surprised; she hadn't expected Gu Beixian to side with her at such a moment, considering Hua Qirou was the mother of his beloved.
She pursed her lips slightly, gesturing to Aunt Liu to explain.
Aunt Liu quickly spoke, "Madam was peacefully reading on the bed when Mrs. Chu barged in, berating her and even attempting physical harm. I managed to intervene, but she continued her relentless verbal abuse. Madam, with her patient temperament, endured quietly until she couldn't take it anymore and finally took action."
Gu Beixian's gaze turned cold abruptly as he addressed Hua Qirou, "Apologize to Su Huan."
Hua Qirou looked bewildered, thinking she misunderstood, "Beixian, I'm the one injured. If anyone should apologize, it should be her to me. Look at how ruthlessly she attacked me, and she must be the one behind Lock-lock's injured hand."
Gu Beixian's expression became stern, "Lock-lock's hand is injured. I understand your concern and emotional distress. However, without evidence, you can't casually accuse Su Huan. Physical harm is harm, and so is emotional harm. You insulted Su Huan first, and an apology is necessary."
His voice was not loud, and his emotions remained steady, yet it created an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Hua Qirou felt a bit intimidated, but apologizing meant losing face.
She straightened her neck, saying with determination, "Beixian, the Gu and Chu families have been in business cooperation for many years. I hope you consider the overall situation and reconsider who should apologize."
Her words carried a subtle threat.
Gu Beixian glanced at her for a moment, lifted the corners of his lips in a faint smile, picked up his phone, dialed a number, and said, "Mo Chen, your stepmother came to Su Huan's ward and caused a scene. Please send someone to handle it."
Chu Mochen paused for a moment before responding, "I'm in Lock-lock's ward. I'll be right there."
Gu Beixian faintly acknowledged and hung up.
Hua Qirou, holding her bleeding nose, trembled with anger, "Beixian, you're not protecting justice; you're assisting in wrongdoing! This is tyranny!"
Gu Beixian didn't bother looking at her, stood up, and walked to Su Huan's bedside. He adjusted her wrinkled collar, asking softly, "Are you injured?"
Su Huan shook her head.
He reached for her hand, "Does your hand still hurt?"
"It's alright."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, looked into her eyes, and asked in a low voice, "Are you still angry?"
"Mm."
"You did the right thing today. Fight back against anyone who bullies you."
Su Huan raised her eyes, gazing at him with watery eyes, silently pondering how to retaliate against him for bullying her.
However, in the presence of others, solidarity against a common enemy prevailed.
Watching the two exchange affectionate glances, Hua Qirou couldn't endure it any longer and wanted to leave.
But leaving in this state was unsatisfying, and staying made her furious.
Before long, Chu Mochen arrived with his entourage.
After greeting Gu Beixian, he glanced at the bloodied Hua Qirou, then turned his gaze to Su Huan. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment, and with polite manners, he said, "Madam Gu, Lock-lock is injured. My stepmother is too upset, leading to uncontrolled emotions. Please accept her apology on her behalf."
He inclined slightly, bowing his head with genuine remorse, "I apologize."
Su Huan, inherently reasonable, responded casually to Chumo Chen's sincere apology, "Let it be."
Hua Qirou, however, retorted in anger, "You might forgive, but I cannot! My nose is throbbing in pain from your attack. I'm going for a disability assessment! And as for Lock-lock's hand, it's highly likely your people are involved. I'll sue you for intentional harm!"
Chumo Chen frowned and impatiently gestured to his subordinates, "Take her to tend to her injuries promptly."
His subordinates hurried forward, each supporting Hua Qirou away.
Chumo Chen politely addressed Su Huan, "Once you're discharged, I invite you and Beixian to dine together. Consider it an apology from my stepmother."
Su Huan couldn't help but give him a second look, saying, "No need for formalities."
She found herself repulsed by Chu Suo, but strangely, she couldn't muster the same feeling towards Chumo Chen. He appeared discerning and cultivated, a person with moral integrity.
Beixian asked Chumo Chen, "Have they apprehended the person who harmed Lock-lock?"
Chumo Chen's expression darkened slightly, "Not yet. The person has strong counter-surveillance abilities, skillfully avoiding all monitoring along the way. There are no fingerprints at the scene. Given it happened in an underground parking lot with numerous footprints, it's challenging for the police to collect evidence. The only lead is a blurry back view captured from the surveillance, corresponding precisely to the time of the incident."
Beixian raised an eyebrow, "Do you have the photo? Let me see."
Chumo Chen took an envelope from his coat pocket, extracted a 7-inch photo, and handed it over.
Beixian accepted it, scrutinizing the image carefully.
The photo was indeed quite blurry, revealing the silhouette of a tall man in dim lighting. He wore a black tactical jacket, a black baseball cap, and black gloves, holding an iron hammer. Despite the blur, the person exuded an aura uncommon among ordinary individuals.
Thinking of someone, Beixian tightened his grip on the photo.
He said to Chumo Chen, "Give me this photo; I'll have someone look into it."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After Chumo Chen left, Beixian instructed Aunt Liu to leave the room.
Once the door closed, the room fell silent.
Beixian said to Su Huan, "Do you recall the bald man who took you away to restore the ancient painting?"
Su Huan nodded, "I do."
"He's the brother of the woman who severed your finger. She resented you for sending her brother to prison and sought an opportunity for revenge. I've already avenged you, chopping off her left hand."
Su Huan listened with a shiver.
Looking down at her bandaged left hand, she couldn't help but feel sad.
What's the point of revenge? Her finger was already severed, and she didn't know what the future held.
Beixian cryptically added, "This matter has nothing to do with Lock-lock. Your retaliation was misdirected."
Su Huan's heart skipped a beat, and she raised her head abruptly, staring at Beixian, her voice trembling, "Are you suspecting that I orchestrated the attack on Lock-lock's hand?"
Beixian's gaze deepened as he stared at her for a moment, then grasped her shoulder, saying, "Don't be angry. I believe it's not you. What I mean is, someone sought revenge for you, but they got the wrong person. Lock-lock is innocent."
Su Huan restrained her emotions, asking, "Then who do you think is helping me in secret?"
Beixian handed over the photo, "It's this person."
Su Huan took the photo, scrutinizing the blurry figure.
Yet, based on a mere silhouette, it was challenging to identify the person.
Beixian gazed at her meaningfully, "Is this person in the photo Yao?"
Su Huan's nose tingled, her eyes suddenly reddening. Clutching the photo tightly, she vehemently exclaimed, "It's not him! It's impossible for it to be him!"