[It's just clothes.]
[I won't die from this.]
[As long as Jia Shu is safe, nothing else matters.]
But despite these desperate attempts at self-comfort, Song Qi Nian's hands wouldn't stop shaking. Tears fell onto her trembling fingers.
Shen Chi Yan watched her with a face like stone, his expression growing darker by the second.
She'd smile at Director Liang for Song Guanliang.
She'd strip naked for Song Jia Shu.
Was there anything she wouldn't do for her family?
No limits. No self-respect.
"No!" Song Jia Shu's voice cracked with despair and fury, his face wet with tears. "Sis... if you take off those clothes, I swear I'll crack my skull open on this wall!"
Song Qi Nian wept silently. The pain in her chest spread until she felt numb all over.
Gong Yuqi couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Shen Chi Yan's arm. "Chi Yan, stop this!"
But Shen Chi Yan was too far gone. Anyone defending Song Qi Nian or her brother now was just another enemy.
"What? Going to play hero for her?"
"She's your wife, damn it. I don't care how jealous or angry you are—this isn't right."
Shen Chi Yan jerked away from Gong Yuqi's grip. "How I handle my business isn't your concern! Don't like it? There's the door!"
"You—"
Years of friendship, and Gong Yuqi barely recognized the man standing before him.
Shen Chi Yan claimed to despise Song Qi Nian, yet when she had fainted, raw panic had crossed his face.
But what kind of man who truly cared would force his wife to strip in front of others?
"Shen Chi Yan, let me go!" Song Jia Shu's voice cracked with rage and grief as tears streamed down his face. "Face me like a man!"
A cold smile twisted Shen Chi Yan's lips. "How pathetic."
He flicked his wrist, and his bodyguards released their grip on Song Jia Shu.
Song Jia Shu scrubbed the tears from his face, rushed to Song Qi Nian's side, and frantically fixed her disheveled clothing. Then with a roar of fury, he hurled himself at Shen Chi Yan.
"No—"
Gong Yuqi leapt up to stop them, but Shen Chi Yan was faster. His fist connected with Song Jia Shu's face with brutal force.
Blood sprayed from Song Jia Shu's mouth, but he charged again, blind with rage and ready to fight to his last breath.
Terror gripped Song Qi Nian as she watched her brother spit blood. She tried to run to him, but Gong Yuqi seized her arm. "Don't! They're both out of control—you'll get seriously hurt if you get between them!"
But Song Qi Nian couldn't stand by. Jia Shu was just a student whose fighting experience came from schoolyard brawls.
Shen Chi Yan was military-trained. This wasn't a fight—it was a slaughter.
Overwhelmed, Song Jia Shu grabbed a wine bottle from the table and swung it wildly at Shen Chi Yan.
Something dangerous flickered in Shen Chi Yan's eyes. He pivoted and lashed out with a savage kick.
As the violence escalated toward something deadly, Song Qi Nian wrenched free from Gong Yuqi and threw herself between them, shielding her brother.
Shen Chi Yan's kick slammed into her lower back.
The impact sent both Song Qi Nian and Song Jia Shu crashing to the floor.
Song Jia Shu's face drained of color when he realized his sister had taken the blow meant for him. He scrambled to help her up, hands shaking.
"Sis... are you alright?"
The pain in Song Qi Nian's lower back was unbearable, like her spine might snap. Not wanting to worry her brother, she forced a weak smile and shook her head.
When she tried to stand, searing pain shot through her back, and she collapsed against Song Jia Shu.
"Sis! What's wrong? Please, you're scaring me!"
Song Jia Shu broke down, his tears mixing with the blood on his face.
Gong Yuqi watched in horror. Seeing Shen Chi Yan standing there paralyzed, he shoved him hard. "What are you doing just standing there? The spine is delicate! Look what happened to Lin Qiu Tong—are you trying to paralyze her too?"
The word 'paralyze' hit Shen Chi Yan like a physical blow, snapping him out of his daze.
He rushed to grab Song Qi Nian, but Song Jia Shu blocked him. "Stay back! Don't you dare touch my sister!"
"Get him out of here!"
The bodyguards yanked Song Jia Shu away as he screamed, "Let go of her! Shen Chi Yan! Give me back my sister!"
Shen Chi Yan stared at Song Qi Nian. Her face had gone sheet-white, her forehead damp with sweat as she squeezed her eyes shut in agony. Fear gripped his chest.
...
When Song Qi Nian regained consciousness, the pain in her back was excruciating. The slightest movement made her feel like she'd lost all control below her waist.
"Young Madam..."
Zhang Ma had dozed off in the hospital chair. Seeing Song Qi Nian stir, she jumped up and rushed to the bedside.
"Young Madam, how do you feel?"
Song Qi Nian tried to push herself up, but the pain in her back stopped her cold.
"Please don't move! Your lower back is injured. The doctor says you need complete bed rest for at least three days."
The memory of what happened in the private room came flooding back. She gestured frantically, [My brother—where is he?]
"Don't worry, Young Madam. He's in the next room. Just some minor injuries, nothing serious."
Song Qi Nian breathed out in relief. She wanted to see Song Jia Shu, but knowing her condition would only distress him more, she decided against it.
[What about Grandma?]
"Don't worry, Young Madam. The old lady knows nothing about last night."
Song Qi Nian just nodded, not asking anything else. She didn't mention Shen Chi Yan.
At least this time was better than her last hospital stay - with Zhang Ma here, she didn't have to rely on nurses bringing meals from the cafeteria.
Song Jia Shu and Liu Xiaohan came to visit that afternoon.
The moment Song Jia Shu saw his sister's ghostly pale face, saw her struggling just to sit up, tears started rolling down his face.
He wrapped his arms around her, his voice breaking with guilt. "Sis... this is all my fault. I lost control. You got hurt because of me."
Song Qi Nian rubbed his back softly before gently pushing him away, gesturing to calm him. [Stop blaming yourself. None of this is your fault.]
Song Jia Shu had just learned the truth after being kept in the dark all this time. The shock had driven him to confront Shen Chi Yan.
His heart ached for his sister - he'd wanted to defend her, but he'd underestimated just how powerful Shen Chi Yan really was.
If Shen Chi Yan truly wanted to destroy him, it wouldn't take any effort at all.
Liu Xiaohan stood there seething - not because her daughter was hurt, not even because she'd discovered Shen Chi Yan only saw Song Qi Nian as a backup blood donor for Lin Qiutong. No, she was livid that Song Jia Shu had dared to challenge Shen Chi Yan.
"Oh, so now you understand what you did wrong? Fat lot of good that does now! If Shen Chi Yan divorces your sister over this, it'll be your fault!"
Song Jia Shu turned on Liu Xiaohan with a fierce look. "Then let them divorce! He doesn't love her at all. All she does is suffer with him!"
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