"Then... Principal Zhang, you'd better keep your word."
She deliberately dragged out her tone, watching Zhang Haiyang's eyes gradually brighten as she moved.
When the dress slipped to the ground again, Zhang Haiyang pounced on her like a hungry wolf.
This time he was more impatient and more violent than before.
Li Jinhua gritted her teeth, enduring the disgusting sensation of those fat hands roaming over her body.
"Jin Hua...you're so beautiful..."
Zhang Haiyang was panting heavily, and his movements became increasingly unrestrained.
"Principal Zhang..."
Li Jinhua suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a deliberate hint of surprise.
"Are you... alright?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Zhang Haiyang's head.
He abruptly stopped what he was doing.
"What do you mean?"
His voice suddenly rose, filled with offended anger.
Li Jinhua pretended to be panicked.
"I...I didn't mean that...I was just worried you were too tired..."
These words completely ignited Zhang Haiyang's pride.
He shoved Li Jinhua onto the bed, his fat face trembling with rage.
"Let me show you whether I'm 'capable' or not!"
...
When it was all over, Zhang Haiyang collapsed on the bed, panting heavily, a satisfied smile on his face.
Li Jinhua quietly got up, walked to the mirror again, and began to tidy her messy hair and clothes.
"How about it?"
Zhang Haiyang asked smugly.
Are you satisfied now?
Li Jinhua looked at him in the mirror, a perfect smile curving her lips.
"Principal Zhang is really amazing."
Her voice was sweet.
"Then...about my parents..."
Zhang Haiyang waved his hand.
"Don't worry, I'll make the call right away."
He reached for the phone on the bedside table and dialed a number.
Li Jinhua pricked up her ears and listened carefully to the contents of the phone call.
But Zhang Haiyang only mumbled a few words like "Old Liu," "that family," and "release them tomorrow" before hanging up the phone.
"nailed it!"
Zhang Haiyang announced triumphantly.
"You'll meet your parents tomorrow!"
Li Jinhua suppressed her doubts and put on a look of surprise.
"Really? Thank you so much, Principal Zhang!"
She quickly walked back to the bedside and kissed Zhang Haiyang's greasy face, but felt nauseous.
Zhang Haiyang was pleased by the kiss, and he put his arm around Li Jinhua's waist.
"Come visit me often from now on, okay? I'll take good 'care' of you."
When Li Jinhua finally walked out of the hotel, the sun had already set.
She stood by the roadside and took a deep breath.
Thinking of Su Mingqiang, who was now a cripple in the family, and Su Jianguo, as well as the old man of the Su family, she gritted her teeth and said fiercely.
"I'll settle accounts with you once my parents are released."
...
On the other side.
Outside the hospital's intensive care unit.
Su Jianguo sat on a plastic chair, his hands clenched into fists and placed on his knees.
His gaze pierced through the glass window and landed on the figure inside, whose body was covered in tubes.
Wu Er lay quietly on the hospital bed, his head wrapped in bandages, revealing only his bruised and swollen face.
The ventilator hissed rhythmically, forcibly delivering oxygen into his lungs.
The green lines on the electrocardiogram monitor were the only sign that life was still alive in this broken body.
"Second Brother..."
He stood up, pressed his forehead against the cold glass, and stared intently at the person inside.
Memories flooded back like a tide.
When he was a child in Sujiatun, five-year-old Wu Ermaitai was bullied by all the children in the village because he was mentally challenged, but he was the only one who stood up to protect him.
In the summer, the two would sneak off to the river to catch fish, and Wu Er would always leave the biggest one for him.
In winter, the two would huddle together in a haystack for warmth, and Wu Er would share half of his tattered cotton-padded coat with him to cover his legs...
"It's all my fault..."
Su Jianguo slammed his fist against the wall with a dull thud.
The nurse at the nurses' station looked up for a moment, then looked down again.
She had seen far too many families like this.
If he hadn't sent Wu Er to handle the housing issue, if he hadn't underestimated Old Madam Zhang's ruthlessness, if he hadn't...
Su Jianguo's temples throbbed.
He slid back into the chair, leaning against the wall, and ran his hands through his hair, pulling hard on his hair.
"I shouldn't have fucking let you get involved in this!"
Su Jianguo squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
He remembered Wu Er's silly grin yesterday, wearing those round-framed sunglasses; he remembered him patting his chest, promising to complete the task; he remembered the trust in his eyes when he said, "Brother Jianguo, don't worry..."
Now, those sunglasses are shattered, just like Wu Er's tattered body.
"The head of the household."
A familiar voice came from behind.
Su Jianguo turned around abruptly and saw Wang Xiulan standing there with a cloth bag in her hand, her eyes red-rimmed.
What brings you here?
Su Jianguo stood up.
Wang Xiulan didn't say anything, but walked to his side and looked through the glass window at Wu Ermaitai inside.
Her lips trembled slightly, and she quickly turned her face away.
"I...I brought some food."
She opened the cloth bag and took out an aluminum lunchbox.
"You haven't eaten anything this morning and haven't eaten anything since."
Su Jianguo shook his head, his gaze returning to Wu Ermaitai.
"I can't eat."
Wang Xiulan sighed and put the lunchbox aside.
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