Qiao En recognized him, he was one of Song Lian's lackeys.
"Fuck, you sure can hide! You think if you can dodge the first of the month, you can escape the fifteenth?"
Spewing filth from his mouth, cursing up a storm, he grabbed Qiao En's arm and forcibly dragged her toward the parking lot.
Song Lian, dressed in a white suit, was originally short and fat, leaning against the hood of the car like a wax gourd frosted over in autumn.
"Hiding from me?"
Song Lian approached Qiao En, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.
He pressed in, aggressive and swelling with pompous anger.
Like a pufferfish about to burst.
Qiao En quickly tried to appease him, "Young Master Song, you're wronging me. Why would I hide from you? I've been so busy these past few days I haven't even slept. If you don't believe me, you can ask Miss An, she can vouch for me."
"Pah! What shitty job, more important than my life? Making me wait for you in the hospital, who the fuck gave you the nerve?"
Song Lian burst into profanity.
His lackey joined in the bluster, "Fuck, not taking my big brother seriously, are you fucking asking for death?"
His mouth going on, he raised his hand to slap Qiao En's forehead.
She didn't have time to dodge, so she just closed her eyes.
However, the slap didn't land on Qiao En's forehead.
First came a "thud" of a dull sound, then a cry of "ow" in agony.
Song Lian's lackey wailed as he fell to the ground, his forehead bloody.
The object that hit him was a phone with a shattered screen.
Everything happened so fast, Song Lian didn't see what happened, and neither did Qiao En.
He couldn't believe it and stood there with his mouth agape in shock.
"Damn, what the fuck!"
Song Lian muttered to himself.
Qiao En wasn't dumb, the person who acted did so to save her.
She didn't know who it was, but she found that phone somewhat familiar.
Qiao En looked up and saw the black Maybach ten meters away.
That was Zhou Jin'an's ride.
The car window was partially open, and there was someone sitting inside.
She couldn't see the person inside clearly, but she knew they could see her.
A feeling of shame, like being stripped naked, surged over her, and Qiao En just wanted to flee.
Yet, she nodded in that direction as a gesture of thanks and hurriedly walked away.
Song Lian reacted quickly, grabbing Qiao En's wrist, "You motherfucker think of running again? Listen to me, today, old debts and new, I'm settling them all with interest!"
"Young Master Song, let's talk somewhere else."
Qiao En pleaded.
She didn't want Zhou Jin'an to see this sorry state.
But Song Lian wasn't giving up, "Trying to play tricks on me again? Are you fucking asking for a beating?"
His mouth was foul, and his actions were even more disgraceful.
Even in a parking lot, in public view, he actually reached toward Qiao En's chest.
"Bang!"
Another dull thud followed, then the sound of the shattered phone screen hitting the ground.
Qiao En immediately recognized it.
It was Zhou Jin'an's phone.
He didn't show himself, but he made his move.
Song Lian held his forehead, the red blood flowing down his fingers.
"You got balls, come out and fight one-on-one, you fucking digging your own grave by playing dirty?"
Song Lian, still not holding back, continued to curse.
Before he finished speaking, the door of the Maybach was pushed open from inside.
Cheng Lu got out of the car.
He was tall and burly, covered in bulging muscles, a professional martial artist, serving as Zhou Jin'an's assistant and bodyguard.
Song Lian squinted at Cheng Lu.
He was a head shorter than Cheng Lu, twice as wide, but in the category of puny.
Lacking self-awareness, Song Lian pointed at Cheng Lu and began to yell, "Was it you who just hit my—?"
Before he could finish saying "brother," Cheng Lu had already made his move.
His action was crisp and decisive, both fast and fierce.
Song Lian hadn't grasped what happened before he was pinned to the ground, unable to move, only able to grunt.
He wanted to curse, but he didn't dare anymore.
His eyes boiled with resentment as he lay on the ground, flailing uselessly.
Song Lian was despicable, but he was An Kexin's man.
You look at the owner when hitting a dog.
To hit Song Lian was to slap An Kexin's face.
"Assistant Cheng, thank you. Young Master Song and I just have a little misunderstanding, we can resolve it ourselves."
Cheng Lu looked at Qiao En, puzzled.
Being bullied yet speaking up for the bully, this wasn't her style.
Cheng Lu didn't lift his foot, instead, he looked toward the direction of the Maybach.
He was waiting for a command from Zhou Jin'an.
Qiao En bent down and picked up two cell phones with shattered screens, handing them to Cheng Lu.
"I'll transfer you the money for the phones in a bit, you'll have to trouble yourself to buy two new ones."
Cheng Lu took the phones, "Are you sure you don't need help?"
Qiao En gave a shallow smile, "No, really."
Cheng Lu relaxed his stance, giving Qiao En a deep look.
That look was filled more with disappointment.
But he didn't say a word, and headed straight for the Maybach.
Seeing that Cheng Lu had gone, Song Lian started to get aggressive with his words again.
"I'm telling you, I'm going to demand a blood debt for today's account!"
He propped himself up with one hand on the ground and grabbed the car tire with the other, trying to get up.
Qiao En reached out to help him, but he pushed her away.
Just then, Cheng Lu suddenly came back.
Song Lian was so scared that he fell back onto the ground.
"That hand just now, did it touch her?"
His voice was low and grave, filled with an immense sense of oppression.
Song Lian's eyes were bloodshot with defiance, but Cheng Lu did not give him a chance.
He raised his foot and kicked directly at Song Lian's mouth.
Qiao En only saw a shadow flit by, and two of Song Lian's front teeth fell onto the ground.
Blood flowed down from his mouth as he howled in pain.
"This one?"
Cheng Lu stepped on his right hand, asking coldly.
Song Lian's head shook like a rattle-drum.
Cheng Lu stepped on his left hand, "And this one?"
Song Lian continued to shake his head.
Cheng Lu's brows furrowed, and he kicked fiercely towards Song Lian's wrist.
With a couple of "crack" sounds, Song Lian's wrists hung limp.
Qiao En didn't earn Zhou Jin'an's favor, but he still gave the order.
Dare to mess with his woman, you're asking for death!
Song Lian rolled around on the ground like a meatball, his white suit stained with dirt.
Qiao En's heart sank to the bottom.
Trying to do good but bringing harm instead, Zhou Jin'an was not helping at all.
The heavier Song Lian's injuries, the deeper An Kexin's suspicions would be towards her, and the harder her situation would become.
"Young Master Song, are you okay?"
Qiao En crouched down, trying to help Song Lian up.
Cheng Lu spoke, conveying Zhou Jin'an's words with emphasis on each one.
"Miss Qiao, Director Zhou asked me to ask you, have you fed your pride to the dogs?"
In the past, when she was still by his side, nobody dared to be so disrespectful towards her.
She didn't display her power, but no one dared to humiliate her like this.
Even if some ignorant fool emerged, Qiao En had ways to make them bow and submit before they could misbehave.
But now, she's being insulted, being humiliated, and she doesn't even get angry?! She's even speaking up for others!? How did she become such a pushover?!
"Can you eat pride?"
Qiao En's words had a double meaning, as she laughed it off.
Cheng Lu was a simple man, he couldn't understand the nuances of her words.
"You'd better take care of yourself."
After saying this, Cheng Lu left with long strides.
Soon, the Maybach drove away from the parking lot.
Qiao En stared in the direction the car had left, sighing deeply.
Her troubles were probably about to start, weren't they?
She went to help Song Lian, but he vented his anger continuously on Qiao En.
"I will not let this go!"
He had lost his front teeth, his speech was whistling, and his words were slurred.
Qiao En helped him into the car, coaxing softly, "Then let's go to the hospital first and plan carefully later, okay?"
"No way!"
Song Lian was stubborn, but he still listened to Qiao En's arrangement.
Cheng Lu had been heavy-handed and Song Lian's injuries were not light.
His body had multiple bruises, both wrists had suffered comminuted fractures, and his front teeth were broken off, irreparable.
The doctor fitted him with splints and casted him in plaster; he lay in the hospital bed with both hands wrapped tightly, looking like Edward Scissorhands.
He was accustomed to cursing people, but now his mouth ached, and he couldn't speak.
But trying to hold back only caused him heartache.
He troubled Qiao En in a suppressed voice, now claiming his waist ached, now his legs hurt, demanding her to rub and knead them.
He treated Qiao En like a soft touch, not expecting to hit a hard nail.