In a critical situation,
Zhou Qi immediately dialed Liu Qing's number, hoping she would accompany him to the hospital. The phone rang for tens of seconds before it was finally answered. Just as Zhou Qi was about to speak, a suspicious noise came from the receiver.
He froze instantly, suspecting he had misheard. However, the sound persisted. Five years ago, arranged by Old Master Liu, he got engaged to Liu Qing, and they had known each other for a decade since then. Over these ten years, he knew Liu Qing inside out, from her hobbies and abilities to her behavioral patterns. Thus, he instantly recognized that the voice on the other end belonged to none other than his fiancée, Liu Qing.
The shock left his mind blank. A maelstrom of complex emotions - anger, humiliation, and a sense of being wronged - surged forth like a flood, threatening to drown him. His eyes turned blood - red, and a metallic taste filled his throat. At that moment, a hoarse male voice came through the receiver.
"Baby, when are you going to make our relationship public?"
"Yan Shao, it's not the right time yet. Don't worry. Once I secure the position of heir to the Liu Group, we can be together openly. That good - for - nothing Zhou Qi thinks he can have me? It's a laughable joke!"
"Then it's a deal. You belong to me."
"Yes, I'm yours. You're the only one in my heart..."
"As you wish, my little princess. It's my honor to please you... But does Zhou Qi know that you sent someone to teach his aunt a lesson?"
"So what if he knows? That freeloader can't turn the world upside down. Besides, she's not dead yet."
...
Zhou Qi's head was in a whirl at this point, and he couldn't bring himself to listen to the rest of the conversation. Yan Shao was the very man who had killed his parents, leaving him an orphan overnight! And his cherished fiancée was with this murderer? Was his aunt's hospitalization also part of their scheme?
Fuming with rage, Zhou Qi tried to call back, but no one answered. In a fit of anger, he kicked over the decorations in the room. Then, his vision went black, and he fainted.
When he came to, groggy but still worried about his aunt in the hospital, he ignored his fatigue, rubbed his throbbing head, and made his way to the underground garage. He yanked open the car door, slipped into the back seat, and lay down.
"Um, take me to Renxin Hospital..."
He hadn't had a proper rest for days due to preparing for the proposal. After a while, he vaguely heard the car door open and close again, and then the car started moving slowly. Suddenly, the car jerked to a halt by the roadside, and he almost rolled off the back seat. Infuriated, he got up, ready to curse.
With a thud, he hit his head on the car roof. The unfamiliar interior of the car jolted him back to reality. He realized he had gotten into the wrong car.
"Sorry, I..."
He tried to get out of the car in a hurry but couldn't. He remembered that he was a victim too. The point was, he had entered the wrong car and offended someone he shouldn't have. The scare had all but dissipated his drowsiness.
Zhou Qi swallowed hard as he met Liu Ruyan's cold eyes, which seemed ready to erupt at any moment. This was bad! Out of all the cars, he had to choose the one belonging to Liu Qing's intimidating sister? And judging by Liu Ruyan's reaction, there was clearly more to this than met the eye.
Zhou Qi's scalp tingled. Could he even explain this mess?
"You've become a habitual freeloader, Zhou Qi. You're truly disgusting!"
Liu Ruyan's words, laced with disgust and contempt, struck a blow to Zhou Qi's already fragile self - esteem. Zhou Qi's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his face paled with anger.
"You, what did you say?"
The woman's alluring red lips parted, and the words that came out were like barbs.
"What, are you too cowardly to admit it? You really are spineless."
The words "freeloader" and "spineless", coupled with her look of utter disgust, felt like a dull knife slowly carving into Zhou Qi's heart. It was her sister, Liu Qing, who was the shameless one, yet she had the audacity to call him a freeloader?
Instantly, Zhou Qi's anger flared up, replacing his initial unease. This despicable woman! Despite his hardships, he had always been a man of integrity. What right did she have to humiliate him? If she thought he was despicable, he'd show her just how despicable he could be.
Zhou Qi's face turned deathly pale with anger. "Miss, you should speak with some sense of fairness. Is it really appropriate for you to say such things?"
He wasn't spouting nonsense. He was stunned, not forgetful. At first, their lips had met, and he had initiated a kiss, but then she had pushed him down, not giving him a chance to think or resist. She had been overly passionate. He was just an ordinary man; getting carried away was only natural, wasn't it? So, in fact, she was the one who had forced herself on him.
"Say that again?"
Liu Ruyan's voice dropped another ten degrees, and her entire body tensed up, like a lioness ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.
Having just been betrayed by Liu Qing, Zhou Qi was already filled with embarrassment and anger. His sincere feelings had been trampled on, and now, not only had he been intimate with someone, but he was also being humiliated. He had had enough!
For a moment, he forgot how terrifying the woman in front of him was and blurted out his pent - up anger.
"So what if I say it again! The women of the Liu family are all shameless. You can't keep your morals in check and yet have the nerve to scold others? Yes, I'm talking about you, this cold - hearted woman... Oof!"
Before he could finish, the next second, Liu Ruyan's powerful punch sent his head flying to the side. He didn't even have time to cry out in pain before she stepped on him.
Wait! What was that red stain on the off - white car mat?
He was as if struck by lightning, completely dumbfounded. Was Liu Ruyan... a virgin?
Before he could think further, his back sank as the hand pressing on him increased its force. Zhou Qi's pupils dilated. Was she about to overpower him? No, this woman wanted to kill him!