Chapter 31.1

Pei Yu was always the center of attention at these events, with countless people vying to speak with him and forge connections.

Standing beside him, Yun Yin grew bored and decided to fetch the juice she’d been eyeing from a corner.

Seeing her restlessness, Pei Yu let her go.

After grabbing a glass of juice and briefly examining the auction items on display, Yun Yin turned to rejoin Pei Yu.

Then she looked up, and her gaze froze.

The crystal chandelier hanging not far above seemed loose, swaying precariously.

Yun Yin stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed by fear.

The next moment, she saw someone standing directly beneath the chandelier: Cheng Wenwen.

Yun Yin’s pupils constricted sharply. “Cheng Wenwen, move!” she shouted.

Cheng Wenwen turned, looking down at her with confusion, and remained motionless.

In this critical moment, Yun Yin had no time to think. Instinctively, she charged forward, shoved Cheng Wenwen aside, and both tumbled to the ground.

Yun Yin had barely exhaled in relief when a deafening crash shattered the air.

With a deafening crash, the crystal chandelier above Cheng Wenwen’s head slammed onto the marble floor, sending countless shards of crystal flying in all directions.

Even though Yun Yin had mentally prepared herself, she froze in shock at that moment.

She collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath, her chest heaving violently. She could clearly feel her heart pounding rapidly, as if it were about to burst from her chest.

Stunned into silence, Cheng Wenwen stared at the fallen chandelier, unable to process what had just happened.

This terrifying scene lasted only a few dozen seconds.

The surrounding guests cried out in alarm, frozen in place by the sudden spectacle.

“Oh my god, what’s happening!”

“What was that?”

“…”

Pei Yu, who had been conversing nearby, heard the thunderous crash and his heart lurched with dread.

Where’s Yun Yin?

An ominous premonition grew stronger in his mind.

He strode toward the gathering crowd and saw Yun Yin slumped on the floor, surrounded by shattered glass.

At that moment, Yun Yin also noticed Pei Yu.

She tried to stand, but a piercing pain shot through her ankle.

Realizing she had twisted her ankle, she remembered she was wearing high heels. In her haste earlier, she hadn’t noticed the misstep. Now, even the slightest movement sent agony through her.

“Pei Yu,” she called out, looking up at him, tears welling in her eyes from the pain.

Seeing him only intensified her pain, making it unbearable. She desperately wanted him to hold her.

Pei Yu strode toward her. He had barely bent down, words unsaid, when she threw herself into his arms.

He paused briefly, then wrapped his large hands around her. He didn’t know if Yun Yin was injured, but he could feel her body trembling violently in his embrace, her slender arms clinging tightly to his chest.

His entire body tensed, his dark eyes frosted with coldness. His already severe features now carried a menacing, sinister edge.

“Are you hurt?” Pei Yu asked, his voice calm but betraying unmistakable anxiety.

Before Yun Yin could answer, an urgent voice cut through the air.

“Wenwen, are you alright?” A man in a black suit rushed to Cheng Wenwen’s side.

Cheng Wenwen finally snapped out of her daze, stammering, “Brother, I’m okay.”

Yun Yin took a deep breath, waiting for her heart to stop pounding so violently. “I think I twisted my ankle,” she said slowly.

Cheng Zheng’s voice came over the line again. “What happened?”

“Yun Yin ran over and pushed me… and then the chandelier suddenly crashed down…” Cheng Wenwen’s voice trailed off as the reality of the situation sank in.

A wave of terror washed over her. If Yun Yin hadn’t pushed her aside, the chandelier would have crushed her.

As Cheng Wenwen recalled the near-death experience, her face drained of color.

She had almost died just now.

Seeing the two women sprawled on the floor, Pei Yu and Cheng Zheng instantly understood.

Cheng Zheng turned to look at Yun Yin, who was still huddled in Pei Yu’s arms.

She had saved Cheng Wenwen. Without her, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

His eyes lowered, his voice sincere and earnest. “Thank you for saving my sister.”

Pei Yu lifted Yun Yin into his arms without a word, his expression growing colder and more menacing. He carried her toward the lobby entrance.

Yun Yin was in immense pain and hadn’t fully registered what Cheng Zheng had said.

Cheng Zheng helped Cheng Wenwen to her feet and led her to a nearby seat to rest.

Soon, hotel staff in uniform arrived at the scene.

Watching the group leave, many felt a wave of unprecedented fear. If luck had been against them tonight, they could have been the ones struck by the falling debris.

Yun Yin was unaware of the aftermath, her mind consumed by her own discomfort. Her foot throbbed, and her heart ached.

The driver slammed on the accelerator, the black Maybach speeding down the highway.

In the back seat, Yun Yin was cradled in Pei Yu’s arms, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face.

“Pei Yu, I feel so awful…”

Pei Yu’s thin lips were pressed into a tight line as he held her even closer, his eyes dark with concern. “Where does it hurt?”

Yun Yin whispered, “My foot hurts so much, and my chest feels tight.”

Pei Yu’s face darkened ominously. He gently massaged the back of her neck, his voice surprisingly gentle despite his grim expression. “Hang in there, sweetheart. We’ll be at the hospital soon.”

The driver glanced at Pei Yu’s stormy gaze in the rearview mirror, startled, and pressed harder on the gas pedal.

Yun Yin buried her face against his chest, sniffled, and gave a muffled “Mmm.”

Hearing her faint sobs, Pei Yu felt a sharp, aching pain in his chest, as if someone were squeezing his heart. The violent anger churning inside him had nowhere to go but to tighten his grip on her.

***

At the hospital, after a preliminary examination, the doctor diagnosed a mild sprain. He prescribed topical medication and advised rest for recovery.

Pei Yu insisted on an X-ray to rule out any bone fractures. Only after confirming there were none did he finally relax.

Yun Yin’s heart discomfort was attributed to the emotional turmoil she had experienced earlier, which had caused her heart rate to spike. The chest tightness and difficulty breathing were secondary reactions.

After an hour of oxygen therapy, her condition improved significantly, and her heart finally felt less distressed.

The doctor emphasized that her condition was particularly sensitive to stimulation and intense emotional fluctuations, urging her family to be extra vigilant.

Yun Yin lay on the hospital bed, her feet dangling over the edge. Her long skirt was slightly lifted, revealing slender, pale calves, except for a vivid red patch on her knee.

When she had fallen, her knee had struck the ground hard. There was no bleeding, only a bright red mark.

Pei Yu leaned down, his gaze darkening as he examined her swollen ankle and reddened knee.

He picked up the medicinal oil to apply it, but before he could move, Yun Yin flinched and withdrew her foot in fright.

Pei Yu’s large hand firmly grasped her foot. “Don’t move,” he said in a low voice.

Pei Yu rubbed medicinal oil into his palms until they warmed, then pressed one hand firmly on Yun Yin’s ankle to keep her still while massaging her foot with the other.

The moment he began, a piercing pain shot through her ankle again.

Seconds later, Yun Yin couldn’t bear it any longer. She curled her leg, trying to pull it away, but Pei Yu gripped her ankle tightly and pressed it firmly against his knee.

“…It hurts so much.”

Yun Yin’s fingers clenched the bedsheet beneath her. She couldn’t hold back any longer; tears, which she had just managed to stop, began to fall again, one by one.

Yun Yin was terrified of pain. Her eyelashes trembled violently, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, “Can you… can you stop?”

“Almost done,” Pei Yu said, his movements growing quicker. His large hand completely enveloped her ankle, preventing her from struggling.

If the medicinal oil wasn’t fully absorbed, her ankle would take much longer to heal, not to mention her swollen, reddened knee.

Her ankle throbbed with heat and pain, but as Pei Yu had promised, it quickly subsided.

Next, Pei Yu took out a bottle of red antiseptic and began applying it to her knee. Fortunately, it didn’t sting as much as the medicinal oil.

Once everything was treated, Pei Yu finally released her.

After a while, Pei Yu washed his hands, pulled her into his arms, and used a wet wipe to gently wipe away her tears.

Yun Yin lay listlessly against his chest, letting him wipe her face.

After a long while, he asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Yun Yin tilted her head to look at him, her eyes still red-rimmed. Her curled eyelashes, damp with tears, lay softly against her eyelids, making her look utterly pitiful.

She bit her lip and mumbled, “It hurts…”

Her voice was muffled, like a kitten’s whimper.

Perhaps the medicated oil had finally been fully absorbed. The throbbing pain had subsided into a warm, tingling sensation, but for Yun Yin, it still hurt.

They rested at the hospital for a long time, until Pei Yu was certain she wouldn’t have any adverse reactions. Otherwise, they would have had to spend the night there. Yun Yin, who loathed hospitals, had insisted on returning to Cloud-Veiled Lake.

When they arrived home, Pei Yu carried her back to her room without saying a word, as if desperately suppressing an emotion about to explode.

His silence made Yun Yin feel inexplicably guilty.

“Pei Yu,” she whispered, gently tugging at his sleeve.

He turned to look at her, his expression no longer gentle but cold and distant. His gaze could even be described as indifferent.

The moment she saw his face, Yun Yin knew he was angry.