Chapter 21 No Negotiation

“It’s okay,” Lian Nanshu said. It was the first time she had cried in front of others—she truly felt wronged beyond words. When Lan Luobai walked in, she quickly wiped her tears away. After all, her roommates were still around.

“Sister-in-law, I’ll wait outside with the others for the police. If you need anything, just call me, okay?”

Lian Nanshu nodded and looked up at Lan Luobai but didn’t say anything.

As she left, Lian Nanshu looked at Lan Xubai with teary eyes and asked, “Reporting this to the police… will it affect your job?”

Lan Xubai shook his head. “No.”

“You believe me?”

“I do.”

Lian Nanshu’s tears welled up again. Just as she was about to cry, someone walked in. It was Lan Xubai’s father, Lan Xiong’an.

“Uncle?” Lian Nanshu instinctively greeted him.

Lan Xubai immediately stood up with a stern expression, ready to speak. But when he saw it was his father, his expression softened slightly.

“Dad?”

Seeing his son’s sudden change in attitude, Lan Xiong’an couldn’t help but mock, “What, do I owe you something?”

Lan Xubai didn’t speak, but his expression said it all.

Lan Xiong’an looked helpless. He hadn’t hit Lian Nanshu, so why was his son giving him attitude?

Though he didn’t like his son’s temper, his daughter-in-law had clearly been wronged, and that deserved concern.

He took a few steps forward to show his care, but Lan Xubai blocked him.

The two stood face to face.

“Move.”

Reluctantly, Lan Xubai stepped aside a bit.

Lan Xiong’an walked up and gently asked, “Child, you’ve suffered. How’s your face?”

Lian Nanshu shook her head. “Uncle, I’m okay now.”

Lan Xiong’an glanced at his son, then back at her. “Good. That’s good. As for your Uncle Liao…”

“Dad,” Lan Xubai interrupted coldly, “don’t say another word. I will not drop the charges against Liao Meimei.”

Lian Nanshu was a little surprised. She looked up and saw that he was truly angry. But when he looked back down at her, his stern, cold gaze softened with affection.

Lan Xiong’an looked at his son, his expression full of meaning.

If it weren’t for Lian Nanshu being present, he might have smacked his son right then and there.

Sensing the awkward tension, Lian Nanshu tugged Lan Xubai’s hand and gave it a shake. “Don’t talk to your father like that.”

Chastised by his wife, Lan Xubai’s expression eased slightly. He glanced at his father but didn’t speak.

Lan Xiong’an realized then—his son really wouldn’t let this go.

Fine. He wouldn’t press it anymore. He had only come to check on Lian Nanshu anyway.

“I’m not going to interfere in your matters anymore. But don’t forget, come home for dinner this weekend. I’m heading off now.”

He saw clearly now—whatever friendship existed between the two families, it was over. And truthfully, the Liao family had clearly been in the wrong.

“Take care, Uncle!”

Hearing her call him that at the door, Lan Xiong’an’s heart gave a little jolt. He pulled Lan Xubai outside with him.

“Dad, what are you doing?” Lan Xubai looked back at his wife, clearly frustrated.

Being dragged out while her emotions were still fragile—it really bothered him. He shook off his father’s hand, staring at him impatiently.

“You brat!” Lan Xiong’an finally understood—his son thought he was useless.

“Take care of your wife.”

“Do I need you to tell me that?” Lan Xubai shot back sarcastically.

Lan Xiong’an gritted his teeth and asked, still unwilling to give up, “About your Uncle Liao—”

But one look at Lan Xubai’s expression, and the rest of the sentence died on his lips.

This was his only son. And his protectiveness toward his wife reminded him of himself.

“Fine, I won’t say any more. Handle it yourselves. Your future is your own—I won’t interfere.”

He had only been worried that his son’s career might suffer from this situation. But since Lan Xubai didn’t care, neither would he.

And truthfully, when he saw Liao Si slap Lian Nanshu earlier, he had been shocked too.

Suddenly he remembered that Lian Nanshu had no parents anymore and had endured so much over the years. What Liao Si did really was too much.

“Xubai, take good care of Nanshu. If you’ve chosen her, don’t let anything like this happen again. As her husband, you can’t just watch her be bullied. When I saw that slap land today, even I was startled.”

He hadn’t expected Liao Si to hit his daughter-in-law right in front of him.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Lan Xubai said, surprised that his father hadn’t come to blame him for the conflict with the Liao family. “I’ll protect Nanshu.”

Lan Xiong’an sighed and patted his son’s shoulder. “You’re the only one who can protect her now.”

With that, he gave him a long, meaningful look and left.

Lan Xubai watched his father leave, his feelings mixed and heavy.

Inside, Lian Nanshu had heard everything. Her father-in-law had come to see her, not to plead for Liao Meimei.

“Let’s go. The police should be here by now. Once we speak with them, we’ll head home. I promised to cook for you, remember?”

Lan Xubai came in and took her hand, ready to face the rest.

At the door of the ward, they saw the police had arrived and were speaking with Lan Luobai and the others.

Liao Meimei had regained consciousness. She insisted it was Lian Nanshu who had pushed her. Even faced with so many witnesses, she still refused to tell the truth.

“Big Brother Bai…” she muttered during questioning, her face contorted in pain, but she said nothing else.

Seeing Lan Xubai standing at the door, her voice trembled with a sob as she called out. When she saw Lan Xubai holding Lian Nanshu’s hand, she couldn’t believe it.
“Big Brother Bai…?”

Looking up at Lan Xubai’s cold and indifferent eyes, she was startled. Her face turned pale, and tears welled in her eyes. She had never expected such an outcome.

“Ms. Liao! We already have the evidence. If you don’t answer truthfully, it will be considered as refusing to confess!” The police didn’t give her a chance and directly stated the seriousness of the matter.

“Officer, it was her who pushed me into the water! My father’s driver can testify to that!” Liao Meimei pointed at Lian Nanshu, accusing her of being the one who pushed her into the water.

The two officers exchanged a look.
“We have already obtained evidence proving that you deliberately framed Ms. Lian Nanshu! And we also have evidence that you instigated Mr. Wang Jinming to sabotage the marriage between Ms. Lian Nanshu and Ms. Lan Xubai. Wang Jinming has now been arrested! According to his ex-wife’s testimony—do you still have anything to say?”

Upon hearing all this evidence, Liao Meimei’s face turned even paler. Guilt-stricken, she couldn’t look anyone in the eye. She gripped the blanket, trembling with anxiety.

Liao Si was completely stunned. Looking at the police, he couldn’t even react at first and asked,
“Officer, what are you saying?”

“Ms. Liao Meimei has committed the crimes of incitement, false accusation, and intentional framing. She instigated her classmate Wang Jinming to attempt to ruin another person’s marriage.”

Liao Si finally gave up, staggering two steps back in disbelief. Looking at his daughter, his mind buzzed in shock.
“This… this is a sin…”

He didn’t even know how to react anymore. His daughter had become someone he no longer recognized.

Lan Luobai poked her head in and, seeing the disgraceful scene Liao Meimei was in, secretly laughed to herself.

Liu Yuanxiao closed his eyes helplessly, turned to face the wall, and tried hard to hide his pain and sorrow.

“Big Brother Bai, everything I did was for you…” Liao Meimei still refused to give up. She pointed at Lian Nanshu and grabbed her father’s hand, crying,
“Dad, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have done all this. I love Big Brother Bai too much…”

“Enough!” Liao Si shook off Liao Meimei’s hand.

With the forceful motion, Liao Meimei’s wound reopened.
“Ah—!”

A sharp pain came from her abdomen, and the blanket was instantly stained red with blood.

Seeing this, Liao Si felt both heartache and anger. He turned to the police and said,
“Officer, my daughter is injured now. Can she be treated first before being sentenced? I will personally take her to the station to surrender when she’s recovered.”

“Don’t worry, sir. We will assign guards to take turns watching her. She has the right to receive medical treatment, but given the current circumstances, it cannot be considered voluntary surrender.”

Liao Si had nothing more to say. Shamefully, he closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

In this life, he had let down his family. He failed to raise his daughter properly—that was his sin.

The police, after confirming the situation, left and took the driver with them. The group was about to go to the police station to file statements.

“Wait!”