Chen Ji had bought the earliest flight available, departing at seven-thirty in the morning. Because time was so tight, only business class seats remained. He gritted his teeth and paid full price for one. He arrived at the airport at twelve-thirty at night, rented a power bank, and headed to the business lounge. The comfortable seating there was a small consolation. He was just settling in to sleep when hunger struck.
Damn it, he thought. I came all this way, accomplished nothing, exhausted myself half to death, and now I’ve shelled out a fortune for a ticket! Should’ve just accepted Zhao Chengying’s offer back at the club and grabbed something to eat before leaving.
Chen Ji felt a twinge of regret.
He got up, splurged at the convenience store on a charger kit, a bucket of instant noodles, and two marinated eggs. After scarfing it all down, he bought a milk tea and claimed a sofa in the lounge for some well-deserved rest.
Meanwhile, across S City, several families were anything but relaxed.
Zhou Nan and Xiao Lifan had been rushed to the hospital. One had three broken ribs and a deep gash on his thigh that took nearly thirty stitches to close. The other had his left arm fractured in three places, extensive abrasions, and worst of all, both remained in comas. The accident was under urgent investigation.
The dashcam footage and Heavenly Eye surveillance showed Xiao Lifan complaining of a fever and headache, so Zhou Nan took the wheel. Barely twenty meters after pulling out, both men appeared terrified, let out a scream, and floored the accelerator. The car slammed into a roadside flowerbed and flipped.
Traces of alcohol were found in both their systems, so the crash was preliminarily ruled as drunk driving.
Yun Shaoyang’s situation was far more alarming. Paramedics raced to the hotel after a frantic call from staff. When they opened the door, they found the bathroom awash in blood and an unconscious man on the floor. The hotel staff panicked, fearing a death on the premises. The doctors confirmed he was alive, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. But before they could sort things out, the Yun family arrived.
Hospital exams revealed a shattered right leg, a concussion, and assorted superficial wounds—no immediate threat to his life. The Yun family launched an instant investigation into the attacker. Chen Ji hadn’t bothered hiding his involvement; it was as good as a neon sign pointing to him as the prime suspect.
The real issue arose when the Yun, Xiao, and Zhou families converged at the hospital. Putting their heads together, they realized it all stemmed from the same incident.
The three matriarchs harbored deeply conflicted emotions.
Their sons running wild outside was one thing—bedding anyone regardless of gender could be overlooked if it was consensual. But this time, they’d crossed into outright coercion and abduction. Getting beaten to a pulp was no less than they deserved! The crash was just karma catching up. Still, seeing their only children hurt so badly tugged at their hearts.
As the three matriarchs were discussing the matter, Mrs. Yun’s assistant quietly reminded her, “Ma’am, we’ve got info on that young man. His name is Chen Ji—Chen Ji. He used to be the lead programmer in the development team at Youshen Company here in S City. He quit and went back to Y Province, but Young Master Fan invited him back this time.”
The assistant briefed them on Chen Ji’s background. All three families felt the sting of shared embarrassment. With Mrs. Yun’s tacit approval, the assistant laid out the details of the day’s events. The ladies already knew bits and pieces, but not with this level of clarity.
Mrs. Yun felt too ashamed to seek revenge. She even considered offering an apology.
The assistant tapped her earpiece, listened intently, then said gravely, “Ma’am, surveillance picked up something related to Young Master Zhou and Young Master Xiao.”
Mrs. Yun prompted, “Go on.”
The assistant nodded. “After leaving the hotel, Master Chen hailed a cab that passed within a kilometer of the crash site. He went right by the accident scene, glanced at it, and less than three minutes later, had the driver reroute to the airport. He’s currently in the airport lounge.”
Those few simple words left all three matriarchs looking uneasy. Yun Shaoyang had been beaten fair and square by the young man—skill outmatched skill, injury justified. Even death would have been his own fault. Zhou Nan and Xiao Lifan had left midway; their crash had nothing to do with him. But he’d passed right by the scene? And after spotting it, immediately changed direction?
He couldn’t possibly know Xiao Lifan or Zhou Nan, much less their license plate.
Coincidence, then?
…But was it really that much of one?
That deliberate glance of his was too obvious. Evidence or no, it screamed suspicion. And hadn’t he supposedly gone blind recently? Yet he walked and looked around without the slightest hint of impairment.
As the three women pondered this, a doctor approached. “Family of Xiao Lifan? Could you come here, please?”
Mrs. Xiao nodded to the others and hurried inside. In the private room, Xiao Lifan lay pale as a ghost, his eyes vacant. Before Mrs. Xiao could speak, he thrashed wildly. “Let me go—ahh—help! There’s a ghost—!”
Spotting her, he shrieked, “Mom—! Mom, save me—! Ghosts! There are ghosts—!”
“Don’t come closer! I never hurt you! Why are you haunting me? Ahh—get away! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me—help!”
Mrs. Xiao stared at the doctor in horror. “Doctor, what’s wrong with my son?!”
The doctor explained it was unclear; tests were needed. They’d called her in to check if Xiao Lifan could still recognize family…
At the same time, Zhou Nan suffered the same breakdown. Both families knew something was seriously wrong. Mrs. Yun had seen the pair’s sorry states and now glanced at Yun Shaoyang, still unconscious. Thank goodness… She actually felt a wave of relief.
“Young Master’s anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet,” the assistant murmured. “Ma’am, why don’t you head home and rest? I’ll keep watch.”
Mrs. Yun hesitated only a moment before nodding. Weariness dragged at her as she made her way home. It was past three in the morning when she stepped through the door—and the vase by the entrance suddenly shattered.
The sound was faint, but it startled her. For some reason, she felt eyes on her.
She stared at the broken vase and called for someone to clean it up. As the servant arrived, Mr. Yun descended the stairs in a rumpled suit, as if jolted awake from a fitful sleep. “How’s that little punk doing?”
Before Mrs. Yun could reply, he added, “Why’d the gourd vase break?”
She walked over. Neither was young anymore; staying up this late had left them haggard. “No idea. It just shattered the moment I opened the door… That boy’s getting way out of hand, Old Yun. You can’t ignore this anymore.”
Mr. Yun’s eyes narrowed at the thought. If Yun Shaoyang weren’t laid up with broken bones, he’d give the boy the thrashing of his life. The nerve—acting like he had no idea what he was doing, pulling stunts like this!
Mrs. Yun asked, “What about that young man?”
Mr. Yun grabbed a nearby tablet, opened a file, and handed it over. “Waiting at the airport for the seven-thirty flight back to Y Province.”
Mrs. Yun leaned in for a look. The earlier surveillance had shown only a profile, but this image captured Chen Ji asleep on a lounge sofa. He still wore the runway-style suit the boys had dressed him in, and with his eyes closed in slumber, the striking handsomeness usually overshadowed by those deep, dark eyes was on full display.
Mr. Yun frowned. “We’ll offer him some compensation later. Have Shaoyang apologize in person.”
Throughout, Mr. Yun never mentioned Zhao Chengying. The young man’s crush on Chen Ji was irrelevant—youthful romance didn’t warrant discussion. But criminal acts by the young did, and loudly. Good thing no major harm was done this time. Left unchecked, it would’ve led to total lawlessness.
Just then, a phone shattered the living room’s silence. The couple froze. Abruptly, Mrs. Yun felt a chill. She shivered and grabbed Mr. Yun’s hand as he reached for the phone. “Don’t… don’t answer it.”
He didn’t. “What’s wrong?”
She clutched her chest. “I suddenly feel freezing… My heart’s pounding. Don’t pick up…”
Mr. Yun and Mrs. Yun waited as the shrill ring echoed through the room, dragging on for nearly three unnatural minutes before stopping. They both exhaled in unison. Then Mr. Yun’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen—his old friend. “Ziran, what the hell are you doing in the middle of the night?”
Zhang Ziran and Mr. Yun went way back. He looked deadly serious. “That’s what I want to know. Did your gourd vase break?”
Mrs. Yun, right beside him, chimed in, “Yes, it just shattered out of nowhere when I got home.”
Hearing that, Zhang Ziran’s brows furrowed. Mrs. Yun had an extremely yang constitution; the gourd targeted only Yin Qi. Why would it break because of her?
“How did it break?”
Mrs. Yun knew Zhang Ziran well. “No clue. It happened the instant I walked in…”
“What happened tonight?” Zhang Ziran pressed quickly. “Pan your phone camera around the house.”
She did. Everything looked normal. He asked, “What did you do today?”
That set her off. “It’s all because of Shaoyang. He got beaten and ended up in the hospital—shattered right leg. I just got back!”
Coming back from the hospital was normal enough… Zhang Ziran paused, then asked, “Is he okay?”
He hesitated again, repeating, “Is he still alive?”
Mr. Yun snapped irritably, “It’s the middle of the night. You got nothing better to do?”
Zhang Ziran gave a wry smile. “Didn’t I warn you? Shaoyang has a deadly tribulation at twenty-three. You didn’t believe me, did you? Well, look—it’s come true.”
“But hey, just a leg. What stupid thing did Shaoyang pull? I told you, his fate line matches yours from your youth exactly…” He started calculating, still bantering with the couple. Then he stopped cold, his expression grave. “Which hospital is Shaoyang in?”
“His deadly tribulation isn’t over yet! It’ll strike within three days!”
Mr. Yun didn’t believe in such things, but Mrs. Yun did. She immediately said, “Zhang Ziran, you’re on the twelfth floor of Kanghui Hospital—don’t talk in half-sentences. What’s this about a death tribulation or not?”
“No time to explain!” Zhang Ziran said. “You two, meet us at the hospital!”
