In a nearby café.
"Here is two million in cash. I know you're in desperate need of money right now. As long as you leave Qichuan, this money will be yours immediately. You're not suitable to stay by his side."
The elegant woman sitting across from her was none other than Lu Qichuan's mother. Born into a prominent family and having taken over the company for a time, she was a true powerhouse.
The two million in cash was neatly packed in a small box, clearly visible as she looked down.
Jiang Wanqing found it somewhat amusing. "Auntie, I think you've misunderstood. Qichuan and I don't have that kind of relationship."
"So, you're saying you don't want this money?"
The woman set down her coffee cup. "You're already living in my son's house. It's only a matter of time before it becomes that kind of relationship! Today, you *will* take this money and leave my son! If you insist on staying and seducing Qichuan, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
With that, she stood up and left, completely disregarding Jiang Wanqing's expression, determined to humiliate her.
As she stepped out of the café, she carried the heavy little box in her hand, her fingers turning white from the strain.
She never thought she'd be humiliated like this one day!
Hah!
Jiang Wanqing walked outside, suddenly flung the box open, and scattered all the banknotes into the air, letting the wind carry them away, shocking the passersby!
"What's going on? Why is there so much money?"
"Someone's throwing money! Is it that woman over there?"
"Hurry and pick it up before the wind blows it away!"
People scrambled to pick up the money, while others eyed her strangely, whispering among themselves, "What's wrong with that woman? Why would she just throw away money?"
"She looks familiar. Wasn't she in the news before? The ex-wife of the Huo Corporation's CEO? Her father just died, and the company went bankrupt!"
"Did she have a mental breakdown? Forget it, let's not bother with her. Hurry and pick up the money before it's gone!"
These murmurs reached her ears, and ripples of emotion stirred in Jiang Wanqing's eyes.
Back at the Jun Jue Hotel, she had abandoned all her dignity to make Huo Yan feel humiliated, but she hadn't gained much from it.
Then, during her interviews, Li Xi'er had repeatedly interfered, humiliating her on the spot and deliberately handing her the Jun Jue Hotel's business card, mocking her for being suited to work as a hostess.
In just one month, she had endured endless torment from Huo Yan, going from the only daughter of a wealthy family to an orphan that everyone could bully…
This feeling was truly unbearable.
The pedestrians on the sidewalk were in chaos. Some, in their rush to grab more bills, dashed into the street without regard for the traffic.
A black sedan stopped amidst the commotion. The rear window rolled halfway down, revealing the cold, chiseled profile of a man.
It was Huo Yan.
The car door opened, and Huo Yan walked unhurriedly toward Jiang Wanqing, his driver following closely behind to shield him from the surrounding crowd.
"It was you who arranged this, wasn't it?"
Lu's mother had long stopped managing the company. How could she suddenly care about her relationship with Lu Qichuan and come specifically to find her?
Other than Huo Yan, she couldn't think of anyone else who would go out of their way to target her like this.
"Jiang Wanqing, I've already shown you mercy."
Huo Yan's cold gaze swept over her inch by inch. "But I never expected you to cling to another man's coattails so quickly."
To Jiang Wanqing's ears, his words carried a hint of jealousy.
But soon, she found it laughable.
Before she could respond, the man spoke again, and his words sent a shiver down her spine. "I won't let the Jiang family live comfortably so easily."
"Then what else do you want?"
Jiang Wanqing raised her head to meet his gaze, her eyes slightly red but stubbornly refusing to shed tears. "My father is gone, the Jiang family is bankrupt, and we're already divorced! What more do you want?!"
"Jiang Zhenfeng's cowardice killed my parents. Now that he's dead, he still owes me a life!" His voice was icy, mercilessly sentencing her to death.
Jiang Wanqing was shaken by his aura but clenched her fists, refusing to back down.
At that moment, she finally understood what Huo Yan wanted.
A life for a life!
The Jiang family still owed Huo Yan a life.
"If that's the case, I'll give you my life. How about that?" A tragic, beautiful smile appeared on her pale face, tears teetering on the edge of her eyes.
A pang of pain flashed through Huo Yan's heart, and he didn't want to see Jiang Wanqing like this.
Before he could react, the woman in front of him suddenly dashed toward the road with fierce determination!
A black van was speeding by at that moment. With a dull "thud," the front of the vehicle collided violently with her body, producing a sound that made hearts clench.
The van screeched to a halt. The driver got out in a panic to check, and when he saw the woman lying in a pool of blood, he stumbled back in horror.
"An… an accident! Call the police, call an ambulance!"
The driver shouted while tremblingly pulling out his phone.
Just as he was about to dial, a powerful force shoved him aside. A man in a suit picked up the bloodied woman. Her eyes were closed, her beautiful, pale face devoid of life.
"To the hospital!"
In the midst of excruciating pain, Jiang Wanqing faintly caught the scent of tobacco. Someone was calling her name in a harsh, anxious voice, "Jiang Wanqing, open your eyes! Wake up! I won't let you sleep!"
But she was so tired…
Jiang Wanqing struggled to escape the voice. In her daze, she seemed to see her father standing in a beam of light, smiling kindly and reaching out to her.
"Dad… are you here to take me? Dad…"
A desperate murmur escaped her bloodless lips. She let out a soft groan before her head tilted to the side, and she lost consciousness.
Huo Yan's expression was grim. His hands, cradling her head, were covered in warm blood.
The sight made his mood even heavier, especially when the woman in his arms, who had briefly regained some awareness, called out "Dad" before her body went limp.
"Drive faster!" he urged the driver.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctors immediately operated on Jiang Wanqing.
After nearly five hours of surgery, she was out of danger but remained unconscious throughout the night. When she finally woke up, the first thing she felt was pain!
Her head hurt.
Every bone in her body felt as if it had been crushed.
"Miss Jiang, please don't move!"
As soon as she tried to sit up, the nurse on duty hurried over to stop her. "You were in a car accident. Although the surgery was successful, your injuries are severe. On top of that, you had a miscarriage and lost a lot of blood. You mustn't move around."
Jiang Wanqing's mind buzzed. "What did you say? I… I had a miscarriage?"
"Yes," the nurse said sympathetically. "The baby was just over a month old. If it had been a bit longer, you would've been able to feel its presence. It's really…"
Realizing she might have said too much, the nurse quickly tried to comfort her. "Miss Jiang, don't be too sad. As long as you take good care of your body, you can still have children in the future."
After tucking her in, the nurse left, not wanting to disturb her rest.