The Billionaire's Hidden Affection

Chapter 686 - 683: The Barefooted Brawny Man Appears 9_1

He threw himself in front of her.

The sharp knife, unable to halt its momentum, plunged into his body...

A spray of hot blood nearly splattered on her face.

Yan Xixi’s eyes flew open. Staring in disbelief, she instinctively rushed toward him, her voice trembling violently, "Xiaojue... Xiaojue..."

Countless people rushed forward.

The music stopped, all the lights flashed on, and countless people screamed. Zhou Ting stared, her face deathly pale. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

"Help... someone, quickly!"

Blood gushed from Huang Xiaojue’s left chest, soaking his white shirt. He swayed, on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, several security guards had already firmly subdued Wang Xiaohao, the knife-wielder.

An ambulance arrived, sirens wailing.

Yan Xixi had no idea how she had made it to the hospital.

The doors to the emergency room opened and closed, then opened and closed again...

Countless people rushed over upon hearing the news. This included Huang Xiaojue’s mother and father, numerous relatives from the Huang Family, and even Li Zhen. Zhou Ting was also there, taking charge of the situation. She was remarkably composed, not at all flustered. In that moment, Zhou Ting displayed the distinct poise and leadership characteristic of someone from a prominent family.

Yan Xixi remained in the nearby corridor, dazed and not daring to approach.

Only Xu Xiaoya remained with her.

「From midnight till dawn.」

She didn’t dare get any closer. Even from a distance, she could feel Mother Huang’s thunderous fury. One step nearer, and she felt she would be torn to shreds.

She didn’t feel sadness or fear. Deep down, she understood: Huang Xiaojue had always been trying. Whether it was Yang Wei or someone else... he was at the heart of the storm and had long sensed the inevitable crisis.

It was just as Li Zhen had said, "Cousin Huang definitely knew something. It was no coincidence I came so early yesterday morning. A week ago, he specifically sought me out and asked if I could try to visit the shop every day if it was convenient. The night before last, he even called me, insisting I go and keep you company early..."

In this world, there are never truly absolute coincidences. Behind every event lies its logic and connection to others. Just like Li Zhen, whom Huang Xiaojue had repeatedly asked to go—he had known about the danger all along. He had always been watching over her. Feeling guilty for Mother Huang’s various actions, guilty for Yang Wei’s harassment... he had always wanted to make amends. Even when she tore the notebook in half right in front of him, even when she repeatedly spoke harshly to him, he still never gave up on trying to make amends—he was willing to do so even at the risk of offending Zhou Ting.

And Yan Xixi thought: What was I doing? For the sake of providing Wan Donglin with the slightest hint or clue, I willingly threw myself into danger, and yet, in the end, Huang Xiaojue was the one who paid the price. The truth was, Wan Donglin didn’t need these clues at all. A family like his, with ample manpower—why would they need my insignificant attempts to play the hero? Was it to show the Empress Dowager? To make her look up to me?

Xu Xiaoya said, "Yang Wei, Wang Xiaohao... I always feel there’s more to this than meets the eye. Yan Xixi, don’t blame yourself too much. Even if you hadn’t appeared in a public place like this, they would still have come looking for trouble with you..."

Yan Xixi remained silent.

Of course, she knew there had long been a puppet master pulling the strings. It didn’t matter if she appeared in public. Even if she stayed at home with the door double-locked, they would still find a way to break in. All of this was to force Wan Donglin to show himself completely.