Shen Muzhi's head was knocked to the side by the punch, and his face was lowered to the side.

The room was already filled with dark clouds, as if a storm was about to break out at any moment.

The silence was terrifying. After regaining her senses, Xiang Zhilan took two steps back and immediately turned and ran.

He rushed forward without a care, ran downstairs, and out of the Shen family's garden.

Butler Chen was bewildered when he saw Xiang Zhilan run out like a gust of wind. He carried the tea and fruit to the study, but before he could see what was happening in the study, a pen holder was thrown out.

He dodged, knocking over the tea set and fruit in his hands. He dared not look into the study again, and his legs went weak as he scrambled downstairs.

Silence returned to the study. A drop of blood fell onto the thick carpet, blooming vividly on the white surface.

Shen Muzhi felt a rush of heat to his nose. He raised his hand to wipe it, and his hand was covered in blood.

He clenched his fists tightly, his face grim and menacing.

He couldn't remember the last time he had bled, and he never imagined that one day a woman would make his nose bleed.

Xiang Zhilan!

The sounds of clenched teeth and cracking fists echoed from inside the room.

After a long while, he squatted down, picked up the few sheets of paper, the words on them were crumpled and tattered, and he gently smoothed out each sheet.

...

After running out of the Shen family mansion, Xiang Zhilan soon ran out of breath and leaned against the riverbank to catch her breath.

A howling, cold wind swept across her face, and she shivered, her mind clearing from the rush of blood to her head.

Her fist was still aching, which clearly told her what she had just done.

She hit Shen Muzhi, the son of Chief Shen and the young master of the Qinghong Gang.

After regaining consciousness, her body trembled uncontrollably, overwhelmed by lingering fear.

But she didn't regret it. In her entire life, even her parents had never laid a hand on her. Since he had actually laid a hand on her, she shouldn't blame him for being vengeful.

But what happened after she finished reporting it?

Having spent time with Shen Muzhi, she couldn't figure out what kind of person he was, but she knew very well how powerful he was. If he wanted to take revenge on her, she would be powerless to resist.

The wind by the river made Xiang Zhilan's mind clearer. There was no point in her running away. It would be easy for him to catch her and bring her back, just like that Manager Feng, who had been smuggled out of the country for so long but was found by him with ease.

Looking at the vast river in the dark night, Xiang Zhilan felt that her future was shrouded in darkness.

She stood frozen on the shore for a long time, the river wind howling and blowing against her slapped cheeks, making them both cold and painful.

Suddenly a light rain began to fall from the sky, and the cold raindrops hit her face, gradually making her cheeks numb.

She didn't know how long she stood by the river, her body stiff, before she turned around and took difficult steps toward the Shen family's villa.

She had no other choice; she couldn't let herself implicate those around her.

His rage could only be borne by her.

The drizzle mixed with snowflakes fell, growing heavier and denser, running down her cheeks to her neck, and then flowing into her clothes.

When she returned to the Shen residence, she was soaked to the bone.

"Oh, Miss Xiang!" The maid saw Xiang Zhilan walk in, soaking wet and looking disheveled, and immediately wrapped a large towel around her, then called out to Butler Chen.

Butler Chen was startled when he saw Zhi Lan's swollen cheeks, blood at the corner of her mouth, and her soaking wet clothes. He recalled seeing Mr. Shen's face in the study earlier, which seemed to have...