Chapter 4: Pacification  

Song Family Manor  

Yu Zhi lifted the hem of her haute couture gown as she gracefully ascended to the third floor, guided by an attendant. The dress was a bold, ostentatious red, yet on her, it exuded an alluring charm, perfectly accentuating her exquisite figure—especially making her skin appear even fairer.  

The attendant, barely in his twenties, had never encountered such a dazzling and striking beauty like Yu Zhi before. His face remained flushed the entire time.  

“Y-young lady, Mr. Song is right inside.”  

Yu Zhi swept aside the curls obscuring her vision, flashed a smile, and thanked him before striding into the lounge in her high heels.  

The first thing she noticed upon entering were the bodyguards stationed in every corner, and only then did her gaze land on the man seated on the sofa.  

The man had light gray eyes, a tall, straight nose, fair skin, and wore gold-rimmed glasses, giving him an air of refined elegance.  

Yu Zhi knew this was Song Chuhe.  

When Song Chuhe took in Yu Zhi’s appearance today, he was visibly taken aback—likely because it starkly contrasted her usual style, deepening the intensity in his eyes.  

Yet, he remained composed, rising with a smile to greet her. “You’re here. Did you see the sea of flowers downstairs?”  

Yu Zhi had no patience for small talk and cut straight to the point. “I’m not here to celebrate your birthday. I’m here to deal with you.”  

Song Chuhe assumed she was joking and responded gently, “But we’re friends.”  

“Oh? Then consider us no longer friends.”  

Her eyes icy, Yu Zhi advanced toward him step by step. The bodyguards were the first to sense something amiss, but the moment one lunged at her, she swiftly knocked him to the ground.  

The crisp chime of bells blended seamlessly with the sounds of fists and kicks, barely standing out in the room.  

Realizing she was serious, Song Chuhe’s smile faded, and the scattered bodyguards swarmed toward her.  

As Yu Zhi held her own effortlessly against the burly men, a flicker of something unreadable passed through Song Chuhe’s eyes.  

Not wanting to drag it out, Yu Zhi mercilessly incapacitated them one by one.  

Song Chuhe’s composure shattered. His hand slipped into a hidden compartment behind the sofa, fingers slowly curling around the grip of a gun.  

Yu Zhi flexed her wrist out of habit, inadvertently revealing the distinctive silver bell bracelet.  

Song Chuhe’s pupils constricted violently, his grip loosening involuntarily.  

With every step she took, the bells at her wrist jingled. Though her lips curved into a smile, her gaze remained frigid.  

Gradually, the sight overlapped with his fading memories…  

That brief hesitation cost Song Chuhe his best opportunity. By the time his head hit the floor, he was still dazed, staring up at her.  

Yu Zhi looked down at his disheveled state with disdain. “Young Master Song, this birthday party of yours isn’t going to continue.”  

…  

Before long, the radiant woman strode away in her high heels, leaving chaos in her wake. The once-vibrant sea of flowers was now engulfed in thick smoke, the crowd in uproar.  

Meanwhile, the entire manor’s central control system had been infiltrated by an unknown virus, rendering all surveillance useless.  

Song Yanan of the Song Family’s second branch had long held grievances against Song Chuhe. Now, with the event descending into utter disarray, his irritation only grew.  

Song Yanan immediately moved to lock down the manor and initiate a manhunt, only to be stopped by Song Chuhe. The latter’s lips and nose bridge were scraped, and a stab wound in his abdomen had stained his white shirt crimson with blood.

“No need to arrest anyone, it’s a misunderstanding. Second Uncle, please suppress the matter for now.”

Song Yanan frowned: “Causing such an incident on the Song Family’s turf is a blatant slap to our face! Have you lost your mind trying to shield the other party?”

Song Chuhe stood up from the couch, clutching his wound. Though displeased, he maintained his usual gentle and refined demeanor, yet his words carried no warmth: “The Song Family’s face?”

Step by step, he approached Song Yanan. Despite the smile on his face, there was an inexplicable pressure emanating from him.

Song Chuhe enunciated each word clearly: “Before I took over the Song Family, hadn’t Second Uncle already ruined most of our reputation? One more small incident wouldn’t make much difference.”

“You!” Song Yanan trembled with rage like a dog whose tail had been stepped on.  

But with Song Chuhe now holding the reins of power, he could only swallow his indignation. Shooting a venomous glare, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.  

Meanwhile, Yu Zhi came to a halt under the streetlight.  

[Master Host, I have a bad feeling about this.]  

Yu Zhi lifted her gaze to the long line of Pei family vehicles parked in the distance and the tall yet slightly frail figure standing in the night.  

A Yue… is awake?  

Her heart swelled with both joy and complexity.  

[Damn it, I thought we could handle this quietly. Now that our plans are disrupted, misunderstandings are bound to arise.]  

Yu Zhi frowned slightly. There were things she couldn’t explain—their perspectives were fundamentally misaligned.  

How could she possibly clarify this?  

The man noticed her troubled expression, and the air around him grew even more dangerous.  

Yet he restrained the violent impulses surging within him, his thin lips parting slightly: “Come here.”  

Sensing his foul mood but driven by concern, Yu Zhi hurried over.  

“A Yue, you—”  

Before she could scold him, the man seized her wrist and forcefully pulled her into the nearest car with unyielding authority.  

The occupants inside immediately unbuckled their seatbelts and exited, retreating five meters away.  

In the cramped space, Yu Zhi was pinned against the seat. Though capable of breaking free, she held back, wary of aggravating Pei Yuezhou’s injuries, and only shifted slightly to avoid pressure.  

But her resistance only provoked the man further. He kissed her fiercely, his muscular arms wrapping tightly around her waist.  

His urgency and roughness weren’t driven by lust but rather resembled a prisoner starved of security, wary even in the light.  

As they tangled together, Yu Zhi couldn’t suppress her heartache.  

What had he endured all these years?  

Pei Yuezhou’s lips trailed downward, sinking his teeth into the delicate hollow of her collarbone. Unexpectedly, she responded by pulling him closer, her soft hands soothingly stroking his back.  

“A Yue, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”  

His body stiffened. His eyes, filled with complexity and subtle scrutiny, locked onto hers.  

Tears shimmered in her gaze, waves of heartache silently breaking through his defenses.  

Pei Yuezhou’s originally pale lips now bore traces of her lipstick, adding a flush of color. But his increasingly ragged breathing betrayed just how terrible his condition truly was.

His large hand reached Yu Zhi’s neck, his words filled with a morbid obsession: “I won’t give you another chance to see Song Chuhe. Your side can only have me…”

That suffocating possessiveness slowly enveloped her.

“Alright, I’ll definitely never have anything to do with him again.” Yu Zhi knew the priority now was to calm him down first.

The next second, the man’s head slumped against her collarbone as he completely lost consciousness. Yu Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. She reached down to check and found her hand covered in blood.

“Assistant Xu! Assistant Xu! Quick, get help! His wound has reopened!”

Her shout alerted people over five meters away, who rushed to the car with lightning speed.

Without a word, they stepped on the gas and sped off.

Yu Zhi noticed the road outside the window looked unfamiliar and couldn’t help asking: “Aren’t we going to the hospital?”

Assistant Xu remained relatively calm and turned to explain gently to Yu Zhi: “Don’t worry, Madam. The medical team is already waiting at home.”

Everything was perfectly prepared, as if they had anticipated this outcome long ago.