38: If you break her wings, she will never be able to fly away again.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the businesses, is it really necessary to do this? If you do this, they’ll die. What about Xixi? What about Xixi’s parents?” Pei Yanxiu was somewhat agitated.

"That's their fate. Who told them to do things wrong? The fact that they couldn't hold onto their assets shows that they never truly belonged to them."

"I disagree. It will make Xixi sad."

"Are you crazy?! We're doing business here, and you're telling me she'll be heartbroken? Fine, fine, you're really something. Should we put up a memorial arch for your chastity outside the door? You shouldn't be surnamed Pei anymore, you should change your surname to Shang!"

"Dad! We don't need to do this. Can't we just cooperate and compete normally? Do we have to ruin everyone else's family? Besides, Xixi isn't an outsider; she's my wife!"

"So what? Women are just women, there are plenty of them. Child, you're too young, you haven't seen enough people or had enough resources. When you have much more power than you have now, you won't be so bothered by these love affairs anymore. Only money and power are real, and women, you can have as many as you want." Pei Qing'an sat calmly to the side.

"Besides, once she loses all her money and resources, she will only rely on you more. If you break her wings, she will never be able to fly away again. Child, I am doing this for your own good."

"Did you treat my mother the same way back then? You broke her wings, so she was willing to stay, wasn't that it?"

"You bastard! What nonsense are you spouting!"

"Do you know who you're talking to? Kneel down, kneel down! Get the whip, get me the whip!"

The study door was tightly closed, and the only sound from outside could be the faint crack of a whip across the air.

Pei Yanxiu knelt upright, his back streaked with blood.

"You dare to talk back to me for a woman? Pei Yanxiu, is that how I taught you!"

"I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget today!"

......

"The master is back." A voice came from downstairs, temporarily breaking the stalemate between the two. Shang Zhi looked down and saw that Pei Yanxiu was walking unsteadily and seemed to be injured.

"What's going on?" She walked to his side, somewhat startled.

"Did Dad do it? Why would he do this?" Shang Zhi knew it must have been Pei Qing'an who did it, but she couldn't understand why he would do something so cruel to his own son.

"Xixi, I'll handle the cave incident, don't worry." He weakly took her hand, unwilling to say anything more than reassure her. Shang Zhi looked at his wounds and felt bad too, so she took some ointment and applied it to him little by little.

He kept his head down, his gaze fixed on her.

"Couldn't you have just hidden yourself? You're such a grown man, why don't you think of a way to help yourself?"

He felt a warmth in his heart when he heard her complaints and concern.

She had a fever that night. She didn't know if it was because she was not used to the new place or because she was frightened during the day. She curled up in the quilt and wrapped herself up tightly, but she still felt cold.

"Uncle Pei, Uncle Pei..." she whispered his name as he took her to the hospital. Resting her head on his lap, he held her hand tightly, feeling no pain from his own injuries, his heart filled only with her. Shang Zhi couldn't understand how they had gotten to this point.

At the very beginning of the story, everything was quite simple.

After the doctor examined her, he said the problem wasn't serious; she'd just caught a cold and been frightened, and some medicine would suffice. But she insisted on being hospitalized and refused to go back to Banshan with him. She said it was cold and deserted there, that she was too lonely, and that it wouldn't be good for her recovery. She even demanded that he return her phone. He naturally understood what she was up to, but he didn't expose her and simply stayed quietly with her.

The room fell silent again. Her strength had returned considerably after the injection. Seeing him fall asleep beside her, she tiptoed downstairs. But as she turned the corner, she saw that suffocating figure leaning against the doorway, watching her.

"Where to?" A sinister glint appeared in his eyes, and her hands unconsciously clenched.

"Go to the restroom."

"Why are we coming out when there's a bathroom in our room?"

"Are you a dog? Why are you always following me? Pei Yanxiu, I really can't stand you anymore!"

"Can't you just leave me alone?!"

"What did I do wrong to deserve this!"

Shang Zhi was emotionally distraught and momentarily forgot that he was injured. She pounded her hands on Pei Yanxiu's body, again and again, until faint bloodstains seeped through his shirt and his lips turned white, before she noticed.

"Uncle Pei?" Shang Zhi rarely saw Pei Yanxiu like this, as if he was about to faint at any moment, and her heart was suddenly gripped.

"I'm fine, I just need to go see a doctor." He said this, but then staggered and fell onto her.

It seemed rather inhumane to just leave him here, so Shang Zhi ultimately decided to stay.

The doctor treated Pei Yanxiu's wound and applied medicine. She thought he would rest well for two days after being injured, but she suddenly received a call from the scene in the middle of the night, saying that a crack had been found on the ground and the cave issue needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

He endured the pain and got up, and Shang Zhi gently helped him put on his clothes.

“I’ll go with you.” He nodded, knowing that she was also worried and that she would only become more anxious if he didn’t go to the scene.

When Shang Zhi and Pei Yanxiu arrived, the situation was more complicated than they had anticipated.

The scene was surrounded not only by a large number of media, but also by members of environmental organizations and several NGOs. Pei Yanxiu had expected his father to take action, but he did not expect to gather so many people so quickly.

These people have different demands. The media believes that Ruikang deliberately concealed the fact that Tiancui has problems. Environmental organizations believe that Ruikang is destroying the underground ecology. Civil groups bring up feng shui, saying that if Tiancui continues, it will destroy the dragon vein and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Opinions were divided for a time.

"They're here! They're here!" Pei Yanxiu and Shang Zhi were immediately surrounded by the crowd. One flash after another blinded Shang Zhi. Pei Yanxiu regretted it. If he had known it would be like this today, he would never have brought Xixi.

"President Shang, we've received information that there's a large karst cave beneath Tiancui. Will this affect the project's progress? Are you capable of handling this matter effectively? If you can't manage it, would you consider resigning?"

Shang Zhi was young and had little experience in such situations. While she could banter smoothly with Pei Yanxiu at home, she wasn't up to the task here. A single wrong word from her could have devastating consequences for Ruikang. Knowing the magnitude of the responsibility, she dared not speak rashly.

“I’ll answer this question.” Pei Yanxiu gently squeezed her palm and stepped forward.

"That's right. Ms. Shang's experience is indeed limited, but so far, she has done a very good job with zero accidents and zero disputes. Besides, Wanjia is currently cooperating with Ruikang on Tiancui. Wanjia has done many similar projects. A karst cave is not an insurmountable problem. Please give Ms. Shang and Tiancui some time. We will definitely deliver a satisfactory result to the citizens."

Pei Yanxiu's tone was very sincere, and the reporters and the public temporarily believed his words. The crowd gradually dispersed, but Shang Zhi was still standing there in a daze, not knowing where to go.