Xia Zhizhi ran up to the two of them, her surprised look gone, and she looked at Xia Wan eagerly.

"Sister, Minghuai was shot. Did you come to see him?"

Xia Wan was puzzled; Xia Zhizhi didn't recognize Cui Ziqi?

In the novel, she recognized Cui Ziqi at a glance as the little boy she had saved years ago!

Xia Wan secretly glanced at Cui Ziqi and saw that his gaze was fixed on Xia Zhizhi, and she wondered what he was thinking.

She feigned composure and answered Xia Zhizhi.

"no."

Xia Zhizhi looked at Xia Wan in disbelief.

In the past, even if Zheng Minghuai only had a minor cold, Xia Wan would take care of him tirelessly. How come she doesn't seem to care at all now that he has such a serious injury?

"Sister, are you arguing with Minghuai? You'll hurt him if you do this."

"sad?"

Xia Wan almost rolled her eyes. "Do you think he'll be sad?"

“This…” Xia Zhizhi began to hesitate.

She lowered her eyes slightly, as if afraid that telling the truth would hurt Xia Wan's feelings.

Xia Wan simply looked at her coldly.

Xia Wan fawned over Zheng Minghuai for three years, while Zheng Minghuai fawned over Xia Zhizhi for three years.

Xia Zhizhi told her that she would not be with Zheng Minghuai, while accepting all the kindness Zheng Minghuai showed her.

Her indifference, neither responding nor rejecting, kept Zheng Minghuai feeling that he still had a chance.

Therefore, compared to someone like Xia Wan who pounces on him shamelessly, his attitude and methods are much more vile and despicable.

Therefore, Xia Wan never liked Xia Zhizhi.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Xia Wan beckoned to Cui Ziqi beside her and turned to leave.

"stop!"

The woman following behind Xia Zhizhi suddenly rushed forward.

Xia Wan watched as she rushed up to Cui Ziqi and raised her hand to slap him.

Cui Ziqi did not dodge.

Xia Wan cursed inwardly, instinctively stepped forward to intercept the woman's hand, and then shoved her aside hard.

The woman stumbled and glared angrily at Xia Wan.

What are you doing?

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? What are you doing?"

Xia Wan stood in front of Cui Ziqi, glaring at her, even fiercer than the spoiled woman before her.

Cui Ziqi lowered his eyes, looking at the woman blocking his way with surprise.

Xia Zhizhi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Sister, she is Cui Ying, Cui Ziqi's younger sister. Cui Ziqi injured Brother Minghuai, and she did this to avenge Brother Minghuai."

Xia Wan looked at Xia Zhizhi in disbelief.

She knows Cui Ziqi!

But why does it seem like I don't recognize Cui Ziqi?

Cui Ying pulled Xia Zhizhi away and stood in front of Xia Wan, glaring at her angrily.

"Xia Wan! Did you collude with this murderer to injure Zheng Minghuai, just to stage a 'damsel in distress' rescue in front of him and make him look at you in a new light?"

Xia Wan then looked at Cui Ying.

The girl in her early twenties has delicate and well-defined features, making her a rare beauty. However, her upturned eyes give her a strong and assertive appearance.

Xia Wan secretly searched her mind for the plot about Cui Ying in the original book.

Cui Ying.

The youngest daughter of the Cui family was spoiled and had a lot of bad habits.

He was also the most ruthless among the Cui family's children who bullied Cui Ziqi.

Xia Wan snorted and replied to her without any politeness.

"Stop slandering me! Who is the murderer? Do you have any evidence to back up your lies?"

“Fu Bo and the others were there at the time and can testify that it was Cui Ziqi who shot and killed Zheng Minghuai at the foot massage parlor. If he isn’t the murderer, then who is?”

"Is Zheng Minghuai dead?"

Xia Wan asked in a cold voice, her clear gaze devoid of any emotion.

Startled by her expression, Cui Ying instinctively replied, "She's not dead..."

"If he's not dead, then Cui Ziqi isn't a murderer!"

Cui Ziqi's hands, hanging by her sides, trembled slightly. It felt as if something had hit her heart, making it itch.

Xia Wan smiled slightly, looking at Cui Ying with a cool and indifferent expression.

"And Zheng Minghuai is nobody! From this day forward, I will never like him again!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying burst into laughter.

"Who doesn't know that you, Xia Wan, are Zheng Minghuai's loyal lapdog? The dignified daughter of the Xia family, you even went to the foot massage parlor to wash Zheng Minghuai's feet today, you've lost all your dignity and face. Now you say you don't like him anymore? What? You've fallen for that lunatic behind you?"

"Hahaha, a little bastard born of a slut and a shameless slut, what a perfect match!"

Cui Ziqi's face suddenly darkened, and his scarlet gaze instantly fell on Cui Ying.

My vision began to blur, and the surroundings became silent.

Only Cui Ying's annoying face and unpleasant voice became clearer and clearer.

Kill her!

Only this one sentence remained in Cui Ziqi's mind.

His hand slowly reached for the silver spear in his pocket, but halfway there, it was grasped by a pair of warm, soft hands.

"That's right! I've fallen for him! From now on, I'll only love him!"

The girl's clear, cool voice pierced through the thick fog and entered his ears.

He mechanically lowered his head, meeting Xia Wan's bright smiling face.

Xia Wan gently patted his hand, comforting him as she spoke to Cui Ying.

"It seems you really like that scumbag Zheng Minghuai. Why don't you just take him in and be with him, raising a bunch of illegitimate children!"

Xia Wan laughed heartily, mimicking her.

She wasn't just talking nonsense; that's how Cui Ying's ending was in the original book.

Because he had been framing Xia Zhizhi at every turn, Zheng Minghuai, desperate to protect his wife, plotted to ruin her reputation and eventually sent her abroad.

While abroad, she was forced into marriage by a philandering man, left to care for a group of illegitimate children, and lived out her life in resentment.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!