I was startled and sat up from his lap.

Su Shenglin chatted with the other end of the line for a few more minutes before hanging up.

"The embassy staff asked me if I wanted to go see him. What do you think?" Su Shenglin asked me.

“No.” I shook my head without hesitation. “Just handle it the way it should be handled. There’s nothing to see here.”

Thinking about what Gu Yanqing said to me and what he did, I felt a strong sense of resistance.

Su Shenglin put his arm around my shoulder, his hand tightening slightly, offering silent reassurance: "The embassy staff meant that if the case were handled in their jurisdiction, in this situation where no substantial harm has been caused, as long as he can find a good lawyer, it should be easy for him to plead not guilty. Furthermore, if the case is tried here, you, as the plaintiff, will have to stay until the entire case review is completed before you can return to China..."

I understood before Su Shenglin finished speaking.

Actually, how Gu Yanqing is punished is a minor matter; the problem is that we can't afford to waste time abroad.

Su Shenglin's identity is special, so it's impossible for him to stay abroad for so long.

He would definitely be worried about me leaving alone.

To stay with me, he would try to extend his stay as much as possible.

But how could I let him let my affairs affect his work and future?

So before he could finish speaking, I said, "Let's not pursue this further. The local police should be able to deport him directly, right?"

“Hmm.” Su Shenglin nodded and looked at me. “Actually, that’s what I meant too. After we return to China, we’ll have more control over things on our own turf. Besides, I’ve already had the evidence of the Gu family’s illegal and criminal activities submitted today. Even if the investigators are a bit slower during the Spring Festival holiday, we should have news by the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

"Okay, I understand." I composed myself slightly and said in a daze, "Since that's the case... let's let him go and not pursue it any further."

So, it seems that another bloody storm awaits me after I return to China.

Back at the hotel, even though it was late at night, Li Yunwei, Xiao Yingtao, and my colleagues who knew the news were all waiting for me.

As soon as I got out of the car, Li Yunwei and Xiao Yingtao rushed to greet me.

"Are you alright? You scared me to death!" Li Yunwei grabbed my hand, making me gasp in pain. She quickly let go. "What happened? Are you hurt? I'm sorry, I didn't notice..."

"It's nothing..." I forced a smile, covering the injury on my wrist with Su Shenglin's coat, not wanting everyone to worry.

"It's getting late, you should all go and get some rest. You still have work to do tomorrow. Once you're done, you can finally relax. Thank you all for your hard work." A group of people gathered in the hotel lobby, which made the staff a little nervous, so I quickly dispersed them.

"I'll take care of tomorrow's arrangements. You should get some rest," Yang Qianmu said to me, his brow furrowed slightly, his expression serious.

I nodded politely: "Thank you, Mr. Yang. We'll see how things go tomorrow."

It was indeed very late, so I thanked everyone again and urged them to go back to their rooms to rest.

Su Shenglin led me back to his room.

Li Yunwei was worried, so she came over as well.

"Let me see your injury, otherwise I won't be able to sleep when I get back." Li Yunwei didn't dare to touch me casually anymore, and followed me in step by step, her face full of worry.

Now that there were no outsiders around, I stopped hiding it and revealed my hands that had been concealed in my sleeves.

"It's nothing, just a superficial injury. It'll be fine in a couple of days," I reassured her.

When Li Yunwei saw the injuries, her face contorted in pain: "How did this happen? Was the rope too tight? Did that beast Gu Yanqing tie you up?"

"Yeah. He was probably afraid I'd escape, so he drugged me and tied me up." I replied simply, not wanting to bring it up again.

Li Yunwei's expression suddenly changed. She glanced at Su Shenglin, then pulled me a couple of steps away, lowering her voice to ask, "You...you weren't with that beast..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but I understood what she meant, and I smiled to reassure her: "Don't worry, no... He tied my hands and feet, which actually made it inconvenient for him to violate me, and Su Shenglin arrived just in time."

"That's good." Li Yunwei breathed a sigh of relief, stared at me for a moment, and then frowned again. "Your face is swollen, and the injury is so obvious. You still say you're fine. You need to disinfect it properly and apply some medicine so that it doesn't leave a scar."

Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Yang brought in a first-aid kit, which Su Shenglin took.

"Miss Li, please go back and rest. I will take good care of Jiang Wan," Su Shenglin said politely, looking at us.

Although Li Yunwei was worried, she knew it wasn't appropriate for her to stay and be a third wheel, so she had no choice but to agree: "Then I'll go back. If you need anything from me, just give me a call."

"Okay, I understand."

Su Shenglin instructed Xiao Yang: "Get Miss Li back to her room safely."

After everyone had left, leaving only Su Shenglin and me in the bedroom, his brows furrowed, and he could no longer suppress the heartache in his eyes.

"Would you like to take a shower, change your clothes, and disinfect your wound?" He put down the first-aid kit, looked at my torn dress, and asked gently.

I looked down at myself. My dress was torn, and there were red marks on my body from struggling and resisting. The thought that Gu Yanqing's hand had been in close contact with me made me feel uncomfortable all over.

So it's really necessary to take a shower right away to wash away his smell and traces.

"Okay, I'll go take a shower and change my clothes first." I got up and headed to the bathroom.

He quickly caught up, saying, "Let me help you."

"Help, help me?" I turned to look at him, and was instantly stammering in fright, my cheeks burning.

How can I help you take a bath? Well, you'd have to take your clothes off...

“Your wrist is injured like this, it must hurt a lot when it gets wet. I’ll wash it for you to avoid it as much as possible,” he replied seriously, his gaze calm and deep, completely unlike what I had in mind.

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