Jiang Quyan felt like this was the worst possible day to say something like that. “Try to do some good deeds for once. Even if you think it, don’t say it out loud right now.”

“Even a sixteen-year-old like me can see the truth. Why can’t Dad?” Guan Xuexin was still fuming about Guan Zhanhong’s behavior. “My brother is obviously not cut out to run a company. No amount of training will change that.”

What if your dad already knows that?  

Jiang Quyan didn’t expose the truth right away. “How should I know what your dad is thinking?”  

Guan Xuexin sighed and quietly reached for his hand. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”  

She had been brought into the Guan family as a baby and endured a difficult childhood under Lin Zhifang’s scrutiny. The hardships of being an outsider in a powerful family were something Guan Zhanhong, as the rightful heir, could never truly understand. When she started school, at just six years old, she volunteered to attend a boarding school to escape. Guan Zhengying, uneasy about sending his daughter away, assigned Jiang Quyan to watch over her, and that’s when things began to improve.  

So, saying that Jiang Quyan raised her wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Naturally, she was closest to him.  

“I may be just a daughter, not as valuable as a son, but I’m making the company a lot of money now. Who knows? One day, I might have a say in things. And when that happens, I’ll make sure to protect you.”  

She definitely inherited some of her father’s street smarts.  

Jiang Quyan felt warmth in his heart and held her hand as they slowly walked out of the crematorium, listening to the rhythmic patter of rain against their umbrellas.  

Once in the car, they headed toward Causeway Bay to drop Guan Xuexin off.  

She was glued to her BlackBerry, furiously texting her boyfriend, occasionally grumbling, “Must be nice for you—two whole months off to do whatever you want. I wish I could take a break too. James wants to take me to Hokkaido for hot springs and cherry blossoms.”  

“You should focus a little on your studies,” Jiang Quyan advised. “You barely touched your books all winter break. When school starts, you’ll be behind again. At least your brother managed to get a degree from some random overseas college. You don’t want to end up dropping out of high school. Your dad would kill me.”  

Guan Xuexin flashed him a sheepish smile. “If you don’t tell him about my grades, he won’t know.”  

“Your teachers will call him. He’s not an idiot.”  

“Ugh, just thinking about studying gives me a headache… Ah!”  

Her voice suddenly shot up into a scream!  

The car jolted to an abrupt stop, tires screeching against the wet pavement. But the rain-slicked road couldn’t hold them—the vehicle kept skidding forward at high speed. Guan Xuexin was thrown from her seat, slamming into the back of the driver’s seat. She stared ahead, eyes wide with terror.  

Jiang Quyan hadn’t buckled his seatbelt either, but his instincts kicked in—he grabbed the girl and shielded her in his arms. “What’s going on?”  

The driver, visibly shaken, answered with a trembling voice, “We’re being followed.”  

Jiang Quyan snapped his head toward the rearview mirror. Two black Jaguars tailed them closely, one on each side, like a pair of enforcers. The cars had no plates. Their worn-down bumpers and scratched-up bodies made it clear they were frequently used for this kind of pursuit.  

Familiar street signs flashed past outside. They were still in Wan Chai. That’s when he remembered—Guan Zhengying had warned him that this area wasn’t safe lately.  

Did these people really have no patience? They couldn’t even wait until the mourning period was over? A funeral day hit? Or had Guan Zhengying angered someone else entirely?  

He had no time to think. Suddenly, the car lurched again—a violent impact rocked the vehicle. His entire body lifted off the seat for a moment, his feet leaving the floor.  

Guan Xuexin let out a terrified scream.  

“What now?! What’s happening now?!” The young girl clung to him, her voice trembling with fear.  

The driver gritted his teeth. “Motherf—! They shot out a tire!”  

Jiang Quyan didn’t even need to look to know it was true. His hands fumbled for his seatbelt. The moment his back hit the seat again, he yanked the strap over himself and Guan Xuexin, securing them both tightly. The pressure of the belt against his waist barely kept his rising panic in check. His heart pounded so violently it felt like it would burst from his throat. For a brief moment, his mind went completely blank.  

Thankfully, the driver kept his cool. He floored the gas pedal, pushing the car forward even with a blown tire. One hand remained on the wheel while the other grabbed the radio, calling for backup from Guan Zhengying’s right-hand man, Mai Xuwen.  

“Wen Ge! Wen Ge! We’re on Kennedy Road, about to hit Queen’s Road! Two Jaguars, unmarked, armed! Miss Xuexin and Vincent are in the car!”  

Guan Xuexin was shaking uncontrollably, sobbing as she curled up against Jiang Quyan.  

Jiang Quyan held her close, pressing her head against his chest. “I’m here, Ah Xue. I’m here.”  

His fingers fumbled as he reached for his phone, intending to call Guan Zhengying.  

That’s when the gunfire caught up to them.  

Bang! Bang!  

Bullets struck the trunk, the impact rattling the entire car. Jiang Quyan’s phone slipped from his grip, tumbling to the floor.  

He bent down to retrieve it, but before he could get a firm hold, the driver swerved—hard. The car skidded, its rear swinging out in a perfect 90-degree arc.

The seatbelt saved Jiang Quyan from being thrown out, but the force yanked violently at his torso, leaving him dry-heaving from the pressure.

Behind him, Guan Xuexin let out a wailing sob.

“Hold on! Get down!” The driver anxiously watched as the two Jaguars flanked them from both sides.

Jiang Quyan felt dizzy and nauseous, gripping his phone tightly, using all his strength to avoid vomiting on the young lady.

Just then, his phone vibrated on its own. Startled, he pressed the answer button.

Guan Zhengying’s steady, authoritative voice sounded as if it were right next to him. “Hold on. I’m on my way.”

Jiang Quyan actually wanted to lash out, but his teeth and tongue seemed to be fighting each other, and the only thing he could get out was a name: “Guan… Guan Zhengying…” He had no control over what he was saying anymore; all his reactions bypassed his brain, driven purely by instinct. “I… I’m scared…”

The man’s restrained yet gentle reassurance wrapped around him like a protective embrace. “Don’t be afraid.”

Gunfire erupted from behind them again.

They had no protection at all, and the car wasn’t bulletproof. A shot pierced straight through the door, the bullet whizzing past Jiang Quyan’s feet, entering from the left and exiting through the right. The air filled with the acrid stench of gunpowder, and waves of hot air scorched his ankles as if his skin were burning. He didn’t even dare put his legs under the seat, instead curling up and shielding Guan Xuexin beneath him.

From this position, he couldn’t see anything outside the window and had no idea where they were now.

But he remembered—Kennedy Road’s entrance to Queen’s Road was narrow, only two lanes. Beside it stood a church and an elementary school. Moreover, the road was on a slope, with the northern hillside lined with shabby old buildings. Only trees covered the area; there were no guardrails. At their current speed, if they veered off course even slightly, they could crash down the slope, flip over, and explode—three lives lost in an instant.

There were usually few cars on this road. Wan Chai was undergoing a major renovation, with construction on Bauhinia Road, piling work for new buildings, and poor road conditions. The area was also surrounded by mountains and forests, making it isolated. If an “accident” happened here, it wouldn’t attract immediate attention. As long as their pursuers killed them before they reached Queen’s Road, they could easily stage the crash as a rain-related accident. By the time the police arrived, gathering evidence would be nearly impossible.

At this point, the car was going so fast it was nearly out of control.

The two Jaguars couldn’t create a third lane, so one flanked them on the left, forcing them closer to the slope, while the other rammed their rear, shattering their taillights with a loud crash that echoed through the wooded road.

No matter how skilled the driver was, he couldn’t hold out against an attack from both sides—especially with a blown-out tire. His grip on the steering wheel was slipping. Then, the Jaguar on the left slammed into them hard, shattering the window. The sound of breaking glass was sharp and sudden. Glass shards flew everywhere, embedding into the driver’s face and scalp. Blood sprayed across the steering wheel and windshield!

He screamed in agony, yet somehow, through sheer willpower, he kept his hands firmly on the wheel, preventing the car from spinning out. His last bit of rationality made him ease off the gas and tap the brakes, praying that he could stop the car before it veered off the road completely.

Jiang Quyan caught only a glimpse of the windshield, now drenched in blood—deep, crimson liquid staining the glass. The entire car reeked of blood, churning his stomach.

And yet, he had no way to escape. The Jaguar on the left completely blocked the door. There was no way to open it, let alone jump out. Behind them were more enemies, and on the right was a steep drop. Jumping out that way was as good as jumping to his death.

Their pursuers had planned everything meticulously, ensuring that all their escape routes were sealed. The only thing he could do was press the little girl further into the seat beneath him. He braced himself for when the car inevitably tumbled down the slope. At the very least, he could shield Guan Xuexin with his body, lessening her injuries. If she was lucky enough to survive, maybe she’d remember to burn him some paper money during festivals. That way, his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.

But the expected crash never came.

Somehow, at the last moment, the car actually came to a stop! 

The front tire had also been shot out, preventing the vehicle from completely losing control. The car slammed into a large tree on the slope, wrecking the engine. A muffled groan came from under the hood, followed by thick, rolling smoke. The car shuddered violently, then went still—reduced to nothing more than a hunk of scrap metal.

They were now less than a hundred meters from Queen’s Road. 

The two Jaguars didn’t attack again. Instead, they swiftly retreated from the scene. Not long after, other vehicles started passing by.

Guan Zhengying arrived just ten minutes late.

Ignoring his secretary’s protests, he rushed forward and yanked the car door open.

The people inside hadn’t reacted yet, too terrified to move. Afraid their enemies had returned to finish them off, they shrank deeper into the seat. The girl clung desperately to Jiang Quyan, fingers gripping his collar like a lifeline.

“Ah Xue.” 

Hearing her father’s voice, Guan Xuexin finally dared to lift her head. Trembling, she weakly crawled toward him.

“Dad—!” The girl completely broke down in tears.

Her father wrapped her in his arms, his face pale with anger, but his voice was impossibly gentle. “It’s okay now. Daddy’s here.”

Jiang Quyan, meanwhile, felt disoriented and weak. He couldn’t even move, as if his sense of balance had been ripped away from him.

When the car crashed into the tree, he had instinctively shielded Guan Xuexin. In the process, his head had slammed hard against the door. The impact was severe—he might have blacked out for a moment, or maybe he didn’t. He couldn’t tell anymore. He only knew he felt unbearably sick, desperate to let it out. The moment the girl left his arms, he could no longer hold back and vomited on the spot.

But his stomach was empty—he hadn’t eaten anything all day due to the funeral. He could only retch up a thin stream of bile and water. Still, the dizziness only worsened, making him vomit even more.

He tried to take a deep breath, vaguely aware of someone urgently calling his name.

But his head was too heavy. He couldn’t lift it.

The last breath he exhaled before losing consciousness was warm.

When he woke up, he was in a hospital.

He recognized this hospital room—a private room at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. The cost of a single night here was enough to cover his rent for a month.  

“You’re awake!” Guan Xuexin had been keeping watch at his bedside, her eyes red from exhaustion. “Thank goodness! Buddha blessed us! If you hadn’t woken up, I wouldn’t want to live either!”  

“Pfft.” He opened his mouth, realizing his voice was weak, unable to muster much strength. “Don’t say things like that. It’s bad luck.”

The girl, teary-eyed yet smiling, ignored the IV in his hand and the doctor’s warning that he needed to rest his head. She lunged forward, hugging him tightly. “You’ve saved me twice! Even Dad says you’re my great benefactor. I have to be good to you from now on!”  

The first time had been before she was even born—Jiang Quyan had ensured her safe birth. The second time, they had gone through life and death together.  

The clean, fragrant scent of her hair lingered at the tip of Jiang Quyan’s nose, making his own nose sting with emotion.  

Just as he turned his head to discreetly wipe the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of Guan Zhengying standing by the doorframe, watching him with deep, complicated eyes. His heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t even realized Guan Zhengying was here. He had no idea how much the man had seen or heard.  

“Ah Xue,” the older man finally spoke, “don’t hug him so tightly. The doctor said his head can’t handle too much stimulation.”  

Guan Xuexin reluctantly sat up. “I was just too excited…”  

“How many times have I told you? Stay put in your room and rest properly. What are you running around for?” Her father sighed in exasperation. “Go back and lie down! You still need to get checked later.”  

Guan Xuexin didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to be away from Jiang Quyan’s side. The hospital room was so big and empty—it made her anxious. She was afraid that bad people would come after her again. Only by staying next to Jiang Quyan did she feel safe.  

Jiang Quyan understood her thoughts. He leaned in and whispered, “Listen, go do your checkup like a good girl. When your dad leaves, I’ll have the nurse move my bed to your room, okay?”  

With that promise, Guan Xuexin finally let go, hooking her pinky with his. “You promise?”  

“Lying is for puppies .” Jiang Quyan knew how to coax her. “Go on now.”  

The girl left, but her father did not.  

Guan Zhengying only stepped fully into the room after hearing the door of the adjacent ward close.  

Jiang Quyan watched as he turned his back and gently shut the door. Click.