"Miss, could you..."
"No!"
Dongfang Zhixia let out a sharp, explosive shout into the phone at her little secretary, flatly refusing as she quickened her pace out of the hospital ward.
She didn't go straight to her little secretary; instead, she went to the restroom to check the situation. Why hadn't a certain bastard returned yet?
Upon arriving at the restroom, Dongfang Zhixia was dumbfounded.
There was no one there!
There were only two toilet stalls with their doors torn off, completely empty inside. Let alone Ye Cheng, even the eldest young miss who had kicked the door earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Dongfang Zhixia: "???"
Luring the tiger out of the mountain?
For some reason, Dongfang Zhixia felt like she had been tricked, and... her mother was the one who had come over to sabotage her.
If her mother hadn't arrived right at that moment, she definitely could have beaten that certain problem child and taken the person away. But because of her mother's arrival, the plan was forced to abort.
What a stroke of bad luck.
It was the first time Dongfang Zhixia had ever felt this way. In all her life, she had never been this exhausted. Not only did she have to guard against outsiders, but she also had to fend off her own family...
"Sigh." Dongfang Zhixia sighed and retraced her steps back to the ward where her little secretary was.
Step, step, step. The sound of footsteps gradually approached.
Dongfang Zhixia stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, organizing what she was going to say in her head once more. She placed her hand on the doorknob and pressed it down.
With a click, the door opened.
The once-crowded ward had become empty again, leaving only two people: the little secretary and Su Su. The little secretary was holding a rice ball, her cheeks bulging as she chewed relentlessly, her big sparkling eyes staring unblinkingly at the TV in front of her.
Playing on the TV was the latest hit idol drama, something like My Love from the Sun. The male lead was an alien whose spaceship broke down, causing him to land on the Blue Planet, where he eventually met the female lead's ancestor...
Dongfang Zhixia: "???"
Why... why was this so different from what she had expected?
Shouldn't they be very emotional?
Why was it so different from what her mother had said?
Not only was the little secretary watching with utmost concentration, but even Su Su, who was accompanying her, was completely mesmerized. Neither of the two in the room noticed the extra person at the door; they were too focused on the TV.
It was good. They loved watching it.
Because she was closer to the door, Su Su, who had been somewhat entranced by the show, noticed her daughter and froze for a moment. She thought she was seeing things. When did she get here? Why hadn't she noticed?
Feeling her daughter's resentful gaze, Su Su revealed an awkward smile. "Zhixia, you're here. Have a seat, sit down."
At her age, she was actually engrossed in an idol drama meant for young kids. Sigh, it was truly inappropriate. But she had to admit, these TV shows were indeed good, leaps and bounds better than the ones from their time.
Dongfang Zhixia frowned. She walked in, sat next to the little secretary, and pinched her chubby cheeks.
"You're still in the hospital. Who told you to eat something so greasy? What if you get indigestion?" Dongfang Zhixia instantly switched to her mother-hen persona, leaving Su Su staring in bewilderment.
Why was their daughter exuding such strong maternal instincts?
Well, naturally. The little secretary wasn't very smart when she was a child, so she was basically raised like an oversized daughter... Cough, cough, of course, that was just a joke. Only the two of them knew the exact nature of their relationship. It was quite complicated, but one thing was certain: they weren't just simple friends or besties.
The little secretary blinked. Feeling the tugging sensation on her face, she finally snapped back to reality. "Miss, you're back!"
The little secretary was overjoyed!
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
Idiot...
"Miss, let's go home. I don't want to stay here," the little secretary said hurriedly, looking a bit anxious. She didn't want to stay here a second longer.
Dongfang Zhixia frowned. She had noticed something was wrong earlier. Where were Li Erhe and the whole Li family who had come over early in the morning?
Why had they all disappeared?
They couldn't have all left, right?
Su Su instantly understood. She pulled Dongfang Zhixia out into the hallway, and after making sure the little secretary couldn't hear their whispers, she finally spoke, telling her daughter what had happened in the ward earlier.
Dongfang Zhixia frowned, seemingly deep in thought.
Su Su said, "Zhixia, Mengmeng isn't a child of our family after all. We can't just hog her and not return her to her own people, right?"
Dongfang Zhixia didn't speak, but her frown deepened, making her look quite displeased.
"Actually, Mom's thought is to send Mengmeng back first, send her back to the Li family to adapt for a while. Then you two can still be like before..."
Dongfang Zhixia waved her hand, interrupting her mother. "Mom, are these your words, or Li Erhe's?"
Su Su's expression stiffened. "Uh, right now, it's Mom's idea. But the Li family probably means the same thing; they just haven't had the chance to bring it up yet. After all, this matter..."
"Then there's no need to say more. Unless she wants to leave on her own, no one is taking her away." Dongfang Zhixia's tone was very calm.
She refused to believe that the idiot she had raised for over ten years would just run off like this. There were still so many hidden snacks at home that hadn't been eaten, and allowance money that hadn't been spent. How could she just leave?
She wouldn't allow it!
But after all, the connection to the Li family was there. She had to acknowledge that relationship eventually; things couldn't stay tense forever.
"I'll take her to see Li Erhe in a couple of days. Let's forget about it for now," Dongfang Zhixia said after weighing her options.
Both of them were just recovering from serious illnesses. There was no reason to make one patient go see another patient, especially if it meant wronging her family's idiot. She absolutely wouldn't agree to such a thing.
Going over to see him was already generous enough. If they kept nagging about it, they were just being ungrateful!
Su Su's expression shifted a few times, but in the end, she just sighed and agreed.
"Alright, as long as you know what you're doing, Zhixia. Mom won't say any more unnecessary words... Oh, right, Zhixia, your father's birthday is in two days. What do you think..."
Su Su paused here, her tone carrying a hint of pleading, and her eyes softening considerably.
Dongfang Zhixia clenched her fists. After a moment of internal struggle, she let go. "I'll go back. But don't even think about anything else. I won't give you another chance to hurt him!"
Su Su's face paled. "Zhixia, Mom and Dad really don't have that intention. What happened before was all a misunderstanding..."
"And what about today?" Dongfang Zhixia asked coldly.
Su Su: "..."
"We'll talk about this later. Wait until the two of you change your prejudice against him, and then I'll bring him back," Dongfang Zhixia said.
The mother and daughter had practically laid everything out in the open.
Su Su's intention was for Dongfang Zhixia to bring Ye Cheng back, using this opportunity to clear up the previous misunderstandings and unpleasantness, eliminating the rift so they could proceed normally from there.
But right now, the Madam President was too terrified of being backstabbed to take another gamble, deathly afraid of any more unexpected mishaps.
Dongfang Zhixia had thought it through. There would be plenty of opportunities to acknowledge her identity; she wasn't desperate for this one. If she missed her dad's birthday banquet, there was still her own, and her status would be far more official then.
Even though Dongfang Zhixia really wanted to just nail the matter down right now.
After all, delays bring complications. She had no choice; she was truly traumatized by her own parents' backstabbing over the past two days and had to keep her guard up.
If another mess happened this time, she wouldn't even be able to forgive herself. She had to be cautious!
Since the conversation had reached this point, Su Su knew that pressing the issue would only lead to unpleasantness, so she agreed.
"Alright, as long as you know what you're doing, Zhixia. Mom will listen to you. There was a bit of a misunderstanding with what happened before, so please go and clear it up, Zhixia. Come over to the house for dinner some other day."
"We'll talk about it later," Dongfang Zhixia still refused to take the bait. Su Su was completely out of options. She could only sigh and prepare to leave.
"Zhixia, Mom is going to head back first. There are still some things to take care of at home..."
"Mm." Dongfang Zhixia nodded, showing absolutely no intention of seeing her out.
Su Su: "..."
Sigh, they only had themselves to blame. They needed to be much more careful next time, otherwise they would cause another huge mess just like this time, not to mention... sigh.
Demoness, just you wait!!!
Su Su gritted her teeth. The culprit behind this entire fiasco surfaced in her mind: a certain madam who was happily flashing her teeth and throwing up a peace sign.
She originally thought Du Wanyi had found her conscience, changed her mind, and remembered the old friendship between their two families. Looking at it now, what old friendship? This was clearly a cheap shot!
Too sinister!
Su Su was so angry she hadn't slept well all night. If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't win in a fight, she would absolutely challenge that detestable demoness to a one-on-one duel and solve the problem with physics!
Imagination was beautiful, but reality was cruel. Even if she and her husband teamed up, they still couldn't beat her... sigh.
Demoness, this is bullying!!!
Clack, clack, clack... The sound of high heels gradually faded away. Su Su left the hospital and headed back toward the Dongfang estate.
Only Dongfang Zhixia and the little secretary were left in the hospital room.
The little secretary was still happily munching on the rice ball in her hands, her cheeks bulging. She had a fantastic appetite, looking every bit like a strong and energetic kid!
Dongfang Zhixia sat to the side with a slightly troubled expression. She wanted to say something but didn't know how to start. Right now, this little fool of theirs was somewhat in a precarious state of mind.
She didn't dare to speak too bluntly, fearing she might trigger their little fool. What if she got even more slow-witted?
She wouldn't even have a place to cry about it. But holding it in without saying anything made her feel terrible too. Plus, she had a very bad premonition, feeling that things were going to get much worse later on.
There had been signs of this earlier, and she hadn't dealt with it. As a result... those sparks had now erupted into a full-blown fire that she could no longer control.
Looking at the idol drama playing on the TV in front of them, with its handsome male lead and beautiful female lead... Dongfang Zhixia seemed to think of something. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter. Perhaps she could try a different approach to prescribe the right medicine?
"Mengmeng, didn't you say before that you liked the celebrities on TV?" Dongfang Zhixia took out her phone and scrolled through the idol dramas the little secretary used to enjoy watching.
"Which one do you like?"
The little secretary tore her gaze away from the handsome oppa on the TV with great difficulty. Blinking her big eyes, she looked at the phone her young miss handed over.
"Umm... this one, this one, and this one."
The little secretary pointed at three of them.
Dongfang Zhixia paused. "You only like these three? I remember you really liked this one before, didn't you?"
"Miss, I mean I don't really like these three anymore. I like all the rest." Mengmeng explained while chewing continuously on her large rice ball.
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
What an... honest good kid.
Dongfang Zhixia's mouth twitched, but she grew excited. She wasn't afraid of her liking too many; she was only afraid of her not liking any!
"Alright, Mengmeng, I'll have them come over to the house to see you today!" Dongfang Zhixia declared.
Mengmeng blinked. "Why are they coming to see me?"
"Don't you like them?" Dongfang Zhixia asked in confusion.
"Oh, then I don't like them anymore." Mengmeng blinked again, her not-so-bright little head seemingly pondering something.
Dongfang Zhixia: "???"
D-don't like them anymore?
"Miss, why hasn't the officer come to see me?" Mengmeng didn't notice that her young miss's expression had already turned sour and continued to ask about Ye Cheng's whereabouts.
Rather than having these handsome oppas from the TV dramas come see her, she much preferred the officer coming to visit. The officer was far better looking than the oppas in these shows... She wasn't stupid.
Dongfang Zhixia: "!!!"
Dongfang Zhixia's pupils shrank, her lips turning slightly pale. Her hands resting by her sides clenched subconsciously, and she gritted her teeth.
"Mengmeng, that annoying jerk is never coming to our house again!"
The little secretary grew anxious. "Why isn't he coming to our house anymore, Miss? Why?"
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
Why do you think!
Dongfang Zhixia braced herself and said, "I don't like him anymore. Seeing him come to our house is an eyesore."
The little secretary's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly spoke, stopping her chewing for fear of speaking too slowly. "Miss, I like him! I like him! Please let him come to our house, Miss, I'm begging you!"
Dongfang Zhixia: "???"
...
On the road.
"Why haven't they followed me yet?" Du Wanyi was riding a motorcycle by herself. She pulled over to the side of the road and looked back. She waited and waited, but there was still no sign of the car.
Du Wanyi continuously stroked her smooth chin. "Could something have happened? Or is someone trying to pull a scam by faking an accident?"
Du Wanyi rode her motorcycle... oh wait, no, she hoisted the half-ton motorcycle onto her shoulder and simply walked straight across the green median strip. It was the fastest way to make a U-turn. She could have just driven into oncoming traffic, but considering the bad impression it would make, she decided against it.
A moment later, Du Wanyi arrived at the intersection. She saw the car that had failed to keep up and... a little old man lying on the road, trying to extort them.
"Oh ho?" Du Wanyi parked her motorcycle and marched straight over.
At this moment, inside the car, Ye Cheng and a short-haired woman were still arguing over whether or not they should just run over the scamming old man in front of them. In the end, they reached a unanimous decision... they might as well just run him over; the Eldest Miss was more important.
The two hit it off immediately. Just as they were about to step on the gas pedal, they saw the Madam walking over wearing her motorcycle helmet.
The short-haired woman hurriedly rolled down the window and stuck her head out. "Family Head, this guy is..."
Du Wanyi didn't hold back at all. With a vicious kick, she booted the scamming old man right in front of her. He was sent flying several meters away, soaring through the air for a bit before hitting the ground and rolling several times. When he finally came to a stop, he let out a pig-slaughtering shriek and continuously coughed up blood.
"Alright, let's go. By the way, Little Lanlan, what did you just say?" Du Wanyi finally turned around and asked, looking puzzled.
The short-haired woman: "..."
Ye Cheng: "..."
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
