Chapter 138 Otherwise, I wouldn't mind using torture on you.
The next day.
Lin Zaoyi was still asleep when the apartment door was knocked on. Tan Zhaojing came out of the study and looked out through the peephole. It was the property manager, and behind him stood two men, who, if he wasn't mistaken, were police officers.
He opened the door calmly.
The property manager nodded. "Mr. Tan, please excuse us. Two police officers are looking for you."
Tan Zhaojing nodded. "Please speak."
One person asked questions, and the other took a statement.
"Mr. Tan, I'd like to ask you about the incident at last night's banquet where someone was injured."
Tan Zhaojing cooperated, and after several rounds of questioning and answering, the other party changed the subject, "Is Ms. Lin Zaoyi here with you? We need to ask her some questions privately."
"Just ask me directly. Girls are easily frightened, and I'm afraid you'll start crying before you even get any answers."
The two police officers understood the unspoken meaning: such an act of violence could not possibly have happened to a young woman. At the same time, they could also sense the other party's firm attitude; the person could not be taken away unless there was a clear arrest warrant.
One of them hesitated for a moment, then asked, "May I take a look at Ms. Lin's dress?"
Lin Zaoyi had already gotten up and was quietly hiding behind the door. Upon hearing this, her pupils suddenly contracted. Not only was her skirt torn at the banquet, but it had also been ripped to shreds by Tan Zhaojing on the sofa last night.
If you handed over a tattered dress at this time, you would definitely arouse the suspicion of the police.
Just then, Tan Zhaojing said, "Wait a moment."
Through the crack in the door, she saw the man take a dress out of the laundry basket. She couldn't see the style, but the color was exactly the same...
The police took it and checked it several times. There was no tearing, not even a broken thread.
The two exchanged a glance, and then handed it back.
"We may need your cooperation with reporter Lin before the case is fully investigated."
Tan Zhaojing: "Of course, this is my responsibility as a citizen."
The door clicked shut, and Lin Zaoyi walked out of the room, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration.
She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers tugging at the sides of his shirt. "How do you know everything?"
The man's lips curled slightly. "That's called being prepared for a rainy day."
Lin Zaoyi was speechless. She tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling with countless little stars. Her boyfriend was amazing.
The man in front of her smiled slightly. "Any further ideas?"
She blinked slowly. "Hmm?"
Hearing him say, "Be my husband."
A blush crept onto her cheeks involuntarily. Lin Zaoyi pouted and muttered, "How can you be like this? Are you expecting your baby's father tomorrow?"
The shameless man nodded and said, "I'm fine with anything, I'm ready anytime."
"..."
She should just shut up.
He gently tapped the tip of her nose. "I'm going out for a bit. We'll go back to Xiyuan together when I get back."
"good."
******
After leaving the apartment, Tan Zhaojing drove straight to the hospital. Assistant Shao arrived first and, following his boss's instructions, had someone block off any bystanders.
In the hospital room, Sun Yao lay lifeless on the bed. His body wasn't in as much pain anymore, but his anger lingered. He overheard the doctor telling his mother that the area he'd been in, due to the severe blow, might be damaged in the future…
The thought of this made my blood rush to my head, and I was so agitated that I pounded the bed.
It's Lin Zaoyi!
It's definitely her!
The door opened, and Sun Yao thought his mother had returned from the doctor. But when he turned around, he saw Tan Zhaojing. The visitor was clearly hostile. He threw off the covers, got out of bed, and stood up despite the pain, trying his best to appear calm.
He tried to get closer by calling him "brother," but when he met Tan Zhaojing's cold gaze, he changed his address to "President Tan."
He asked proactively, "Are you referring to Lin Zaoyi? Don't be fooled by her, she is—ah!"
The rest of his sentence was replaced by a cry of pain. He had been kicked in the knee and was forced to his knees. His palms slammed hard on the cold floor tiles. Before he could even ask a question, a cold voice swept down from above, “Sun Yao, I came here today to tell you to stay away from Lin Zaoyi.”
You think you can just dismiss me with a warning?
With a "if I can't have it, I'll destroy it" mentality, Sun Yao gritted his teeth, a metallic taste rising in his throat. "President Tan, you've probably fallen for the wrong person. You might not know, but Lin Zaoyi was—"
“Shut up,” Tan Zhaojing interrupted him crisply, his voice as cold as ice. “I might as well tell you that Lin Zaoyi ran into me that night.”
"What did you say?" Sun Yao was suddenly agitated. This agitation aggravated his wound, causing him to contort his face in pain. He then felt as if something was blocking his chest, and he couldn't catch his breath for a long time.
His eyes widened, and he gasped for breath, "That night... it was you..."
Before he could recover, he heard Tan Zhaojing say, "From now on, you should disappear from any place where Lin Zaoyi is. Otherwise, I don't mind using torture on you."
His pronunciation was slow and nonchalant, yet it intimidated him so much that he couldn't help but tremble.
Tan Zhaojing didn't give him another second glance. After speaking, he left the ward.
At the elevator entrance, Tan Zhaojing ran into the Sun family.
Tan's mother was initially surprised, but when she saw her son treating her like a stranger, she became angry and grabbed his arm without thinking, "Tan Zhaojing, where is your manners!"
The other members of the Sun family also stopped, their expressions varying.
Tan Zhaojing slightly raised his eyelids and calmly retorted, "Then let me ask you, Ms. Qin, where is your upbringing?"
Tan's mother's anger intensified. For the sake of another woman, she had actually severed ties with her. "I think you've really gone mad!"
Pointing his finger towards the ward, he demanded sternly, "Look at how badly Sun Yao is injured, don't you feel even a little bit guilty???"
Tan Zhaojing gave a curt, unsmiling remark. "What do I have to feel guilty about? It's you, on the other hand, who feels guilty?"
Tan's mother said coldly, "What? You want to talk about your childhood? I already said, I was—"
“I’m talking about Jiani,” Tan Zhaojing said calmly. “Before you scold your daughter without even knowing the facts, can you at least do some research first?”
After saying that, he glanced at the Sun family members standing to one side and said, "I said before that if they are not properly disciplined, it will not be as simple as just giving them a beating."
Mr. Sun's tone was one of suppressed calm: "So, you were the one who did it to my son, who was injured like that?"
Tan Zhaojing simply said, "I will cooperate with the police in the whole process. Of course, I will also actively provide clues to the police. As for what to provide, you should know."
It was a light touch, yet it felt like a thousand troops trampling over him; the color drained instantly from Sun's father's face.
Looks like that little bastard has done something again!
To protect his son, he had to force himself to soften his tone, "Mr. Tan, I think there might be a misunderstanding. The police are just doing their job. Everyone in the banquet hall last night is a suspect. I will clarify this with the police later."
"What are you doing!" Sun's mother became agitated upon hearing this. She was wary of Tan Zhaojing and directed her anger at her husband. "Didn't you see how badly our son is injured?! Let things be as they are, nobody else will get away with this!"
"Quiet down!" Sun's father gave his wife a look, then turned to Tan Zhaojing with a forced smile, "Mr. Tan, I'll go check on my son first."
After saying that, he pulled his wife and quickly left the place.
Tan's mother frowned more and more deeply, not because of her son's attitude, but because of Sun Yao. She wondered if she had misjudged Sun Yao.
His gaze briefly followed the eldest brother's eldest daughter-in-law, who had been struggling violently. He didn't know what his eldest brother had said in her ear, but she suddenly quieted down, turned her head timidly, and looked at Zhao Jing with hatred, fear, and helplessness.
She couldn't help but combine this with Zhaojing's previous statements, and realized that Sun Yao must have done something outside.
The elevator doors opened, and her son stepped inside. She quickly pressed the elevator button, saying, "Zhaojing, wait a minute."
Tan Zhaojing stood in the elevator, hands in his pockets. "Is there anything else?"
Tan's mother wanted to ask her daughter, but didn't know how to start, "It's just...is it that...is Jiani...?"
He hesitated several times, but still couldn't get a complete sentence out.
Tan Zhaojing took over, "I have something to ask you about Jia Ni."
Although it was said to be a request, Tan's mother didn't detect any pleading in it at all. She swallowed hard and said, "Go ahead."
Then, her son's extremely cold voice came from the elevator: "If you can, don't look for Jia Ni again."
Her expression hardened. "Why?"
Overwhelmed with emotion, she exclaimed, "Jiani is my daughter!"
"Daughter?" Tan Zhaojing's lips curved into a forced smile, his gaze icy cold. "Now she's your daughter? Where were you when she needed you? What were you doing? What did you do?"
When asked this question, Mrs. Tan took several steps back, her fingers slipping from the elevator. She opened her lips as if to speak, but her son interrupted her, saying, "Ms. Qin, please save some face for yourself."
Bloodshot lines appeared at the corners of her eyes, and the disbelief that had reached its peak collapsed. She never imagined that her son could be so heartless!
However, before she could hysterically question him, the stairwell doors closed automatically. She rushed up, but it was too late. She only had time to glance at him. Her son's eyes were as cold as autumn frost, devoid of any warmth.
This son truly doesn't want his mother anymore.
...
As the clock struck 11, Lin Zaoyi waited for Tan Zhaojing. Before he even got close, she scurried over in her slippers, stared at his face for a few seconds, and without saying a word, gave him a hug.
Tan Zhaojing's heart softened at this gesture, and he subconsciously kissed her forehead. "Let's go back to Xiyuan."
"good."
Halfway there, Tan Zhaojing received a call from his father, saying that the old man had arrived and asked him to come back now.
After hanging up the phone, he turned to look at the girl beside him, who was drawing dots on the frosted glass, seemingly making a smiley face. He called out to her, "Zaoyi, Grandpa is at Xiyuan."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zaoyi's smile, which had been tucked behind her finger on the car window, involuntarily drooped, turning into a gloomy face, perfectly reflecting her current mood.
At this moment, the living room was shrouded in a dark cloud, making it hard to breathe. Tan Jiani couldn't leave, but staying was also unbearable.
About fifteen minutes later, a car drove into the courtyard. Ignoring her grandfather's gloomy face, she ran out.
Not only her brother, but Lin Zaoyi also came back with him.
He stopped the two of them, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, Grandpa came here to break you up."
As he spoke, he pushed them toward the door, saying, "Hurry up and run away, run as far away as you can."
Tan Zhaojing turned around and glanced at this naive and innocent girl, "Where do you think you're going?"
Tan Jiani took it seriously and gave a serious suggestion: "Go to Haicheng and become a live-in son-in-law for Lin Zaoyi's family."
He was very loyal. "Don't worry about Dad, I'll take care of him in his old age."
He then nodded to Lin Zaoyi, "Take care of your mother while you're at it."
Lin Zaoyi: "..."
Before she could remain silent, someone glanced at her and said, "I think it's feasible."
She couldn't help but chuckle, "Hurry up and go inside."
The living room was bright and airy, but the atmosphere was oppressive. Hearing the noise, Mingxian turned her head and said, "Zaoyi, come here."
Lin Zaoyi immediately noticed the old man sitting on the single sofa. He was backlit, and the sunlight blurred his aged features, making it impossible to see his expression. However, she could sense that his cloudy pupils were shrouded in frost when he looked at her.
Nevertheless, before taking her seat, Lin Zaoyi still greeted the old man who didn't seem to like her.
The old man remained silent, his eyelids slightly lifted, but before he could meet the cold, sharp gaze of the other man, a figure blocked his view.
An action to shield from the wind and rain.
Tan Zhaojing asked softly, "Grandpa, why did you call us back?"
The old man didn't waste any more words. He stood up, leaning on his cane, and said, "Eldest daughter-in-law, come to the study with Zhaojing."
Tan Jiani immediately objected, "Why are you saying things behind our backs?"
Grandpa ignored her, so she could only look at Butler Zhao, who had come with him.
Butler Zhao shook his head. He really didn't know. This time, the old man hadn't revealed any plans to him.
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