Lin Yao's eyes darted around, and she immediately had an idea. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground with movements as fast as if she had rehearsed them.
Pointing at Zhou Qiqi, her voice instantly became delicate and coquettish, even tinged with tears, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"Brother Xu Shu, she...she pushed me!"
Xu Shu immediately strode over, helped Lin Yao up, and then walked quickly to Zhou Qiqi, his tone full of anger.
"Zhou Qiqi, what are you doing? You've gone too far! What did Yao Yao do to you? Why did you push her for no reason!"
Xu Zao'er also came out of the house, helped Lin Yao walk to Zhou Qiqi, and said aggressively.
"Zhou Qiqi, now that you have another man, you think you're all grown up! You even dared to push someone! Apologize to my sister-in-law right now!"
Zhou Qiqi was too lazy to pay attention to the brother and sister; it would be a waste of breath to say another word to them.
Moreover, she's all alone; if she really makes a scene, she'll definitely come out worse off.
She took half a step back and tried to walk away.
Xu Shu and Xu Zao were looking at the remittance slip together in the room. Right now, they both cherish Lin Yao dearly and won't allow anyone to bully her. They blocked her from leaving, one on each side.
Xu Shu took two steps forward and shoved Zhou Qiqi on the shoulder. "I told you to apologize to Yao Yao! Did you hear me?!"
Zhou Qiqi was pushed so hard that she staggered back two steps, her lower back almost hitting the wall.
Lin Yao secretly curled the corners of her mouth behind Xu Zao'er's back. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she swept her toe against the wall, and the broom with the red ribbon tied to it fell to the ground with a "whoosh".
Zhou Qiqi was backing away to regain her balance when her foot hit the broom handle, causing her to lean back uncontrollably!
"ah--!"
In that instant, the world spun around her, and Zhou Qiqi only had time to let out a short shout.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
A hint of schadenfreude flashed across Xu Zao and Lin Yao's faces.
Xu Shu subconsciously wanted to take a step forward, but then stopped.
Zhou Qiqi closed her eyes tightly, her heart pounding in her throat. If the back of her head hit the concrete, it would definitely hurt a lot.
At that critical moment, a tall, swift, cheetah-like black shadow suddenly appeared behind her.
The dark figure swept Zhou Qiqi into its firm embrace.
Zhou Qiqi was still in shock when she felt the world spinning around her before she bumped into a familiar chest that instantly put her at ease.
The unique scent, a blend of sweat, earth, grass, and a faint fragrance of soapberry, forcefully entered her nostrils, instantly dispelling all her unease.
She slowly raised her head and met a pair of unfathomable eyes.
Those eyes were sharp as knives at that moment, and as they swept over her pale face, the anger surging within them was almost bursting out.
But the moment he met her gaze, he forced himself to suppress it, leaving only his tightly pursed lips and the unconcealed heartache in his eyes.
"Huai...Huai River?"
Zhou Qiqi's voice was a little unsteady, with a trembling tone of disbelief.
Shen Huaichuan didn't say anything, but he tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer to his chest, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
Zhou Qiqi was surrounded by the Xu family and felt resentful, but she didn't feel anything was wrong.
After all these years, she had long been used to facing all the bad things alone, and she had overcome even the most difficult hurdles on her own.
But now that Shen Huaichuan has suddenly appeared, her tense nerves seem to have been gently tugged, and she inexplicably feels a sense of relief. Her nose tingles and her eyes redden.
It was as if she could finally take a break and find a safe haven from the wind and rain.
The two gazed at each other, their eyes filled with an intense longing that seemed impossible to dispel.
"Qiqi, are you alright?"
A hurried shout came from the side, and Zhou Qiqi came back to her senses. She turned her head and saw Zhu Yingying limping towards her.
Shen Huaichuan looked down at the person in his arms, his Adam's apple bobbed, and then slowly loosened his arms, his voice low.
"You go ahead, I'll handle things here."
Zhou Qiqi nodded. With Shen Huaichuan around, she felt very at ease and turned to run towards Zhu Yingying.
He didn't forget to turn back and remind her, "Don't do anything."
She could clearly see the suppressed anger in Shen Huaichuan's eyes; it looked like he wanted to devour someone. If they really started fighting, it would be bad if something serious happened.
Shen Huaichuan didn't respond, but his eyes slowly turned and landed on Xu Shu, Xu Zao'er, and Lin Yao.
His gaze was cold and calm, yet it carried a suffocating sense of oppression forged on the battlefield.
When Lin Yao was looked at like that, her arrogance vanished instantly, as if doused with cold water, and she quickly shrank behind Xu Shu.
Xu Shu swallowed hard, forced a smile, and rubbed his hands together as he explained.
"Um... Qiqi tripped and fell while standing on the broom, and we were just about to help her up..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Huaichuan's calf muscles tensed instantly. He hooked his foot around the broom on the ground, flicked his toes slightly, and with a sudden upward flick of his ankle, casually twisted and kicked—
The broom handle with the red ribbon attached seemed to have eyes, and with a "whoosh," it flew towards Xu Shu.
The whole process was as fast as lightning. From the moment the toes touched the broom, it shot out in the blink of an eye, so smooth that there wasn't a single unnecessary movement.
Xu Shu's fawning smile hadn't even completely faded yet, and his mouth was still comically half-open.
Suddenly, I was hit by the broom handle. It didn't look like a big hit, but it hit the softest spot right below my sternum, right on my heart.
He let out a muffled groan, staggered back several steps, and fell to the ground with a thud. He clutched his chest, wincing in pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He couldn't get up for a long time, still groaning incoherently.
After kicking him, Shen Huaichuan didn't even look at the person on the ground before turning around and leaving.
Even his back view exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.
Lin Yao was so frightened that she stood there motionless for a long time.
Only after Shen Huaichuan's figure disappeared around the corner did she take a deep breath and quickly move to Xu Shu's side, who had been humming and moaning.
"Brother Xu Shu, are you alright?"
Xu Shu clutched his chest, his face pale with pain: "I can't take it anymore, it hurts so much, it feels like my heart is broken."
He took a breath and quickly added, "It's not just heartbreak, it's really broken! Please help me take a look."
"oh..."
Lin Yao panicked and tried to help Xu Shu to the nearby clinic, but she was too weak to lift him.
Xu Shu's legs were weak and he couldn't muster any strength, so the two of them struggled on the ground for a long time.
"Xu Zao! Come and help your sister-in-law! What are you standing there for!"
Xu Shu gasped in pain and called out to the side several times.
Xu Zao'er was still staring blankly in the direction Shen Huaichuan had left, her eyes unfocused, a silly smile on her lips, and drool almost dripping from her mouth.
Xu Shu called her several times, but she didn't respond.
Lin Yao rushed over and tugged at her arm, snapping her out of her daze. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Hurry over and lend a hand.
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