Chapter 27: Go Die!

Chapter 27: Go Die!

Shen Ci's tone was calm, but it contained not a hint of a joke.

"Miss Shen, there really is no need to call the police." Seeing this, Lu Jinzhao hurriedly pressed down on Shen Ci's hand. In his haste, he accidentally pulled the muscles in his cheek, causing him to gasp in pain.

Although Xiao Man felt heartache for her husband, she knew that the bigger picture should take precedence at a time like this. She shook her head slightly, signaling Shen Ci to let it go.

Just then, someone seemed to recognize Li Xiao. They walked quickly to Lu Jinzhao's side and whispered a few words in his ear.

Lu Jinzhao's expression changed instantly, and he instinctively looked toward Li Xiao.

The young master of the Li Group?

He couldn't afford to offend him, let alone blame him!

A waiter brought over an ice pack, and Lu Jinzhao took the opportunity to address the crowd: "It's fine now, everyone, please head back inside. I need to apply some ice quickly as well."

As he spoke, he looked at Shen Ci and sighed softly, "Miss Shen, please handle your friend."

Shen Ci naturally felt apologetic. It was clearly because of her that Mr. Lu had taken such an inexplicable punch. They were both successful individuals with social standing, and in an occasion like today, such an incident would, to some extent, cause him to lose face.

"Um... I'm sorry, sir. I was impulsive. I am willing to compensate you."

Li Xiao's rationality seemed to have finally returned. Seeing that Lu Jinzhao was about to leave, he rushed forward to apologize, attempting to make amends.

However, Lu Jinzhao merely looked at him and shook his head. Without saying much more, he allowed Xiao Man to support him back into the banquet hall.

Seeing this, the others also pretended nothing had happened and returned to the banquet; at least at this moment, no one would stay behind to watch Lu Jinzhao's drama unfold.

Soon, the doors to the banquet hall were closed again. Aside from two security guards at the entrance, only Shen Ci, Li Xiao, and Lin Biqi—who was glaring at Shen Ci with a look of indignation—remained.

Shen Ci took a deep breath and turned to face Li Xiao.

Her gaze was bone-chilling, making Li Xiao feel a cold shiver run down his spine.

"Shen Ci... I..."

Li Xiao hesitated, his handsome face filled with panic and guilt. His mouth twitched for a long while before he finally managed to say, "I'm sorry."

"Brother Li Xiao, you don't need to apologize to her. Even if that man's wife was present, it doesn't prove that she and that man are actually innocent."

Even at a time like this, Lin Biqi still fantasized about seizing the opportunity to smear mud on Shen Ci.

"Get out!"

Li Xiao let out an immediate roar. Lin Biqi's small mouth puckered in fright, her face twisting into an expression of grievance and terror as large tears began to fall one after another.

"Brother Li Xiao..."

"I told you to get out!"

Lin Biqi began to cry even harder, but she didn't dare continue to provoke Li Xiao. Instead, she shot a vicious glare at Shen Ci before turning to leave, her eyes full of resentment.

Shen Ci watched the two of them perform, only letting out a cold laugh after Lin Biqi had exited.

The loathing she felt for Li Xiao overflowed in her eyes; she didn't want to say another word to him. But Li Xiao clearly wasn't going to let her walk away so easily.

He stepped to the side to block her path and, before Shen Ci could react, he pulled her into his arms without a word.

His embrace was broad, accompanied by a powerful heartbeat and a pleasant woody fragrance, but the scent entering Shen Ci's nose only made her feel nauseous.

"Li Xiao! Let me go!"

Shen Ci struggled indignantly, but she was no match for the sheer disparity in strength. His two arms acted like pincers, pinning her firmly in place.

"I won't. I will absolutely never let you go." Li Xiao felt that his "boyfriend energy" was at its peak right now; sometimes, girls liked this kind of violent, coercive love.

He didn't forget to spout some self-indulgent romantic lines: "Shen Ci, please come back to me, okay? I really can't live without you. I've been going crazy these past few days. I must have gone mad today to do something so absurd. Please, save me!"

*Save your ass. Go die!*

In the next second, Shen Ci summoned all her strength and ferocity, gathering every ounce of power in her hand to strike directly at Li Xiao's most vulnerable weakness.

She used so much force that she instinctively clenched her molars, and Li Xiao clearly felt the "empty space" of the contact.

In the September heat, Li Xiao was only wearing thin athletic pants. Caught completely off guard by this strike, Li Xiao never imagined that Shen Ci would actually do such a thing.

A wail echoed through the empty corridor, and the strength instantly drained from Li Xiao's body.

The two security guards behind them, who had been hesitating over whether to step forward to help Shen Ci, instinctively clamped their legs together, frozen in shock.

This was too brutal!

Clutching his "little brother," Li Xiao stumbled backward repeatedly. His forehead broke out in a thin sweat from the pain, and his 185cm frame hunched over like a cooked shrimp.

"Shen..."

Seeing him in so much pain that he couldn't even speak, Shen Ci expressionlessly tidied her hair, which had been disheveled during the struggle, before saying, "You haven't seen an andrologist yet, have you? You might as well get a full check-up while you're at it, so you don't have to make another trip."

With that, she walked past Li Xiao without looking back.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from Li Xiao's eyes. The pain in his heart and the pain in his body brought him to the brink of collapse, before he suddenly let out a venting, explosive roar: "AAAAAAAH—!"

On her way back, Shen Ci sent a message to Lu Jinzhao: [Mr. Lu, I am truly sorry about today. Regardless of the circumstances, it was because of me that you suffered such unprovoked misfortune.]

Lu Jinzhao replied quickly: [Miss Shen, please do not blame yourself. It was all a misunderstanding.]

Shen Ci typed out a long response, but after a moment of hesitation, she deleted it. She knew there was only one thing that could truly comfort him.

[Mr. Lu, you can send the contract to me tonight. I will transfer the investment funds within three days.]

Sure enough, Lu Jinzhao replied: [Miss Shen is so decisive. My face stops hurting immediately.]

Shen Ci looked at the message and smiled helplessly.

***

The next day, Shen Li, who was undergoing military training under the scorching sun on the playground, was suddenly called away by her teacher.

"Teacher Yang, you were looking for me?"

In a shaded area of the playground, Teacher Yang looked at Shen Li. Thin strands of hair, dampened by sweat, clung to her pretty face, but even a casual sweep of her hand could not hide the girl's vivacity.

No wonder the film crew had chosen her, and after several twists and turns, had given her a key supporting role.

"Shen Li, the film crew contacted me suddenly last night. They said your qualities are very good and that you aren't suited to play a maidservant, so they have decided to let you play the fourth female lead, 'Hua Xixi'."

That was Feng Shan's exact wording.

Shen Li froze instantly, forgetting to react for a long while.

Seeing this, Teacher Yang smiled and patted her shoulder. "It is rare for a freshman to get such a good opportunity. You must make the most of it."

"Teacher Yang, I'm playing 'Hua Xixi'?" Shen Li realized it belatedly, confirming in disbelief, "The second young lady, 'Hua Xixi'?"

"That's right, it's you," Teacher Yang affirmed emphatically.

In an instant, tears burst from Shen Li's eyes. They were tears of joy—tears of something lost being found, and of a sudden stroke of incredible luck.

She remembered her sister's words: *Don't be too quick to feel wronged. Perhaps before you even have time to wipe away the tears of grievance, a better opportunity will find you.*