Chapter 73 is about protecting her.

Information barriers will always exist between people.

Some barriers can be eliminated through communication, while others cannot be understood without understanding the other party's perspective and position.

But Jingge stood in the wind and snow, her bangs disheveled to one side, revealing her dark blue eyebrows like distant mountains, and Li Mushi's expression softened.

"Are you feeling better?"

Jing Ge nodded.

Amanda cleared her throat, made an excuse that she had seen an old acquaintance and wanted to go in first, while taking the other two managers with her.

The snow fell softly.

A male assistant held up a large black umbrella, which Li Mushi took with his bulging veins. His voice was as cool as ice: "Mr. Dong is about to arrive. The old man is afraid of the cold, so lead him to the underground parking lot to get off the car."

Assistant: "Okay."

After saying that, he jogged to the gate, leaving two rows of footprints in the snow.

The wind and snow falling on Jingge's hair and face suddenly stopped, and the man's black umbrella sheltered her.

Jing: "I don't need it, I want to be with Amanda, thank you."

“This snow is very damp,” Li Mushi said. “You’ve just been discharged from the hospital, so take care of yourself.”

Jing Ge replied politely, "Okay, thank you."

Seeing her about to leave, Li Mushi sighed silently: "Take the umbrella, your face is frozen."

Not only did she stop calling him, but her smile also disappeared.

This girl is deep in thought and doesn't like to speak her mind directly. There's nothing she can do about it; she has to take care of herself, and there's no reliable elder in her family to guide her or help her resolve the sensitive internal conflicts on her path to adulthood.

It's unclear when exactly this responsibility fell into Li Mushi's hands.

Jing Ge declined, saying, "No need, it's just a few steps, I can run there."

Li Mushi suddenly said, "Are you blaming me?"

"..." Jing Ge looked up from under the umbrella. "What?"

Li Mushi: "I didn't visit you in the hospital."

The humidity was indeed heavy, even making her eyes wet. Jingge endured the soreness in her nose from the cold wind: "What right do I have to blame you? You're not even my uncle. You've helped me so much, I have no way to repay you. You're too kind."

She pretended not to be surprised, but when he asked, she couldn't help but make her "not surprised" statement sound awkward and incoherent.

Li Mushi: "You can complain, but if you have something to say, keep it to yourself. No one will answer your questions."

Jing Ge was incredibly stubborn: "It's not my fault, I'm leaving."

Li Mushi said in a deep voice, "Jing Ge."

They probably felt they had no status or position, no relatives, no blood ties, and after the engagement was dissolved, the two families would have no contact. As time went by, they would all be classified as "former friends," just like the Jing family and their relatives and friends before the bankruptcy.

The girl clung to her "decency," leaving Li Mushi helpless: "Was the car accident because you were angry with Li Zhan, or something else?"

“…” Jing Ge paused, “What?”

Li Mushi: "Use your new car to ram Li Zhan's car."

Jing Ge's lips moved slightly.

No sound was made.

He deliberately mentioned "new car" to emphasize her love for it. The fact that she lost her mind and disregarded both her life and the new car suggests that it wasn't just a simple argument with Li Zhan.

“Zhuo Yueyue,” Jing Ge’s voice trembled, “she told me to calm down, but she had that innocent yet provocative expression on her face. She’s always like that; she’s the one causing trouble, but in the end, it’s always my fault…”

She hadn't taken her medication for a while.

She controlled it quite well; even after seeing Liu Sisi and Meng Shi, Jing Ge even thought she had fully recovered.

But she still lost control that night.

Sheng Man and Jing Beile both thought she had gotten into a heated argument with Li Zhan.

But no.

She was just out of control of her body and wanted to get away from them as soon as possible; she was scared.

Li Mushi asked her, "Are you aware of the lawsuit?"

Jing Ge nodded.

Li Mushi asked bluntly, "You want me to withdraw the lawsuit?"

"..." Jing Ge's red eyes feigned confusion. "How could this be?" Of course, she wouldn't let go of the opportunity to punish Zhuo Yueyue and the other two.

Li Mushi was even more direct: "If I go, I have to leave."

Jing Ge: "".

Li Mushi doesn't like to explain his actions; he has his own rhythm and process. But when she stands in front of him with her grievances bottled up, he can't bring himself to be hard-hearted. He can't just pretend not to know what she's upset about.

After a brief moment of confusion, Jingge quickly understood.

Zhuo Yueyue's pursuit of her responsibility for the car accident, which coincidentally forms a closed loop with Li Mushi's pursuit of the three of them.

If you forgive me, I will forgive her.

If you don't forgive me, I won't forgive her.

However, the deeper meaning behind this is even more disgusting and serious.

What makes her think she can control Li Mushi just by relying on Jing Ge?

She did it on purpose.

She wanted to confirm the rumors and muddy the waters of the Li family.

This is her trap; the trap will be activated as soon as Li Mushi appears at the hospital.

Because Li Zhan was watching from the sidelines.

Zhuo Yueyue was doing this to show Li Zhan that when the uncle and nephew turned against each other, the Li family's relationship became muddy, and things escalated, Jing Ge would be the "troublemaker" and pushed to the forefront.

They became the target of public criticism.

His decision not to go is the best way to remain unchanged in the face of all changes.

It's to protect her.

Jingge's eyes widened little by little, reflecting the shadows of the swirling snowflakes.

So, did she fall into Zhuo Yueyue's trap from the moment she started driving?

It should have been earlier.

For example, the game has already begun while you're enjoying a beautiful meal at a restaurant.

"Uncle," Jingge said, flustered, "I'm sorry."

She was foolish and unknowingly stepped into someone else's trap, almost dragging him in and ruining his plans.

The wind direction has changed slightly.

Li Mushi tilted the umbrella to shield himself from the fine snow blowing from the side. He didn't respond to her apology, but instead asked again, "Are you feeling better?"

Although he had heard Li Kaiji and Sheng Man mention it, he still asked.

“...I still feel a bit uncomfortable,” Jing Ge’s nose was also red. “The airbag hurt so much. My new car is gone. All the money I worked so hard to earn has been lost. A year of hard work, and I’ve worked for nothing at the end of the year.”

She muttered to herself, as if she wanted to pour out all her grievances to him.

The black umbrella was covered with a thin layer of white snow. Underneath the umbrella, a girl was making a two-minute accusation. The man was tall and slender, and one side of his coat, which was draped over his shoulders, was sticking out of the umbrella, glistening with moisture.

Finally, Li Mushi whispered, "It's good that everyone is alright. What's lost will come back in another form."

Jingge looked up at him: "Hmm?"

“Go inside,” Li Mushi handed her the umbrella, “It’s cold outside.”

Jing Ge: "Aren't you going in?"

Li Mushi: "I'll leave through the basement."

Jing Ge paused for a moment, then realized what she meant: "Then why did you park here? It would have been more convenient to park in the underground garage..."

As he spoke, Jing Ge's voice weakened.

Stopping here, it couldn't be for her, could it?

While others are making strategic moves, she's petty and narrow-minded, preoccupied with trivial matters, her vision as narrow as her bank account.

She also has to make people take time out of their busy schedules to deal with her capricious temper.

Jing Ge, embarrassed, said, "Uncle, I'm sorry."

“It’s not your fault, it’s partly my responsibility,” Li Mushi said with a forced smile. “You’re feeling hot, so eat something light.”

Jingge, holding the umbrella, obediently replied, "Okay."

She had only taken two steps when the man behind her called out, "Slow down, be careful not to slip."

Jingge: "Uncle, you're so long-winded today."

Li Mushi: "."

It's not that I'm being long-winded.

I just feel a little regretful.

On Christmas Eve, she gave him an apple and wished him a peaceful Christmas Eve.

He should have said those words to her.