Chapter 94: You Won't Be Able to Keep These Hands

"Niannian!"

Guan Ming Xu's voice cracked as he lunged forward, desperate to pull Song Qi Nian away. His bloodshot eyes reflected the horror of what was unfolding before him.

Song Qi Nian's fingers dug into Lin Lanxing's clothes as she unleashed her fury. Her teeth clenched so hard her jaw ached, tears of rage burning in her eyes as she struck Lin Lanxing with blind fury. There was no strategy in her attacks, no calculated moves – just pure, unrestrained anger driving her fists.

One slap wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. Lin Lanxing needed to feel every ounce of pain she'd caused.

Blood began seeping through Song Qi Nian's white bandages where her stitches had torn open, staining her hands crimson. She didn't feel it. Couldn't feel it. The only thing that mattered was making Lin Lanxing pay.

"Xiao Niannian, stop! You'll destroy your hands!" Guan Ming Xu wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to pull her back, his voice raw with desperation.

Song Qi Nian thrashed against his grip, beyond reason, beyond hearing. Her vision had narrowed to Lin Lanxing's face, everything else fading to shadow.

Lin Lanxing's own rage exploded. The humiliation of being struck by Song Qi Nian, this woman who'd stolen her sister's man and now dared to pursue Guan Ming Xu, was unbearable. "You dare hit me?" she snarled. "Only one of us is walking away from this, Song Qi Nian!"

She launched herself forward, striking back with vicious precision.

Guan Ming Xu found himself trapped in an impossible position – trying to protect Song Qi Nian's injured hands while simultaneously shielding her from Lin Lanxing's assault. His movements grew frantic as he tried to manage both.

From her vantage point, Lin Qiu Tong watched the scene unfold with barely concealed satisfaction. The chaos fed something dark within her – until she spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Shen Chi Yan was approaching.

He must have heard Lin Lanxing's voice - he was moving quickly toward the flower pavilion. Lin Qiu Tong's face changed as an idea struck her.

She lunged at Song Qi Nian without hesitation.

In that same instant, Song Qi Nian wrenched free from Guan Ming Xu's grip and hurled herself at Lin Lanxing, intending to tackle her to the ground. Instead, she crashed straight into Lin Qiu Tong, who seemed to appear from nowhere.

Lin Qiu Tong stumbled backward. Seeing the stone steps behind her, she closed her eyes and let herself fall, her head striking the edge with a sickening thud.

"Jiejie!"

The color drained from Lin Lanxing's face as she watched her sister's head hit the steps. She rushed forward in panic.

But someone reached Lin Qiu Tong first - a tall figure scooping her from the ground. "Qiu Tong..."

"Ah Yan..." Lin Qiu Tong's voice came out barely above a whisper, trembling with disbelief as she looked up at Shen Chi Yan. Her fingers brushed his face. "Weren't you on a business trip? Why..."

Pain shot through her forehead. When she touched it and saw blood on her fingers, what little color remained in her face vanished. She went limp in his arms.

"Qiu Tong! Qiu Tong!"

Shen Chi Yan's face darkened to something terrible. As he lifted Lin Qiu Tong to carry her to the hospital ward, he turned a single look on Song Qi Nian - cold, cutting, devoid of mercy.

He didn't speak a word. He didn't need to. That look alone told her everything.

As clarity slowly returned to Song Qi Nian, the pain in her fingers hit her like electricity, as if they were being ripped apart. But it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.

Was this what they meant by ten fingers connected to one heart?

Lin Lanxing seized her chance, her words dripping with venom. "See that? Shen Chi Yan loves my sister. You hurt her - he'll never forgive you."

"Shut up!" Guan Ming Xu shouted, watching Song Qi Nian sway on her feet.

Seeing the man she wanted defending the woman she hated most in the world, Lin Lanxing's fury boiled over. "Guan Ming Xu, she's poison! Everyone around her suffers. If you're smart, you'll stay far away from her!"

Song Qi Nian's fingers wouldn't stop bleeding. Guan Ming Xu didn't waste another second arguing with Lin Lanxing - he rushed Song Qi Nian straight to the doctor.

The doctor's face darkened with anger as he unwrapped the bandages, revealing the torn stitches. "Didn't I tell you to rest? What have you done to your hands?"

Song Qi Nian stood there, face ghostly white, staring into nothing as if she couldn't feel a thing.

Guan Ming Xu's eyes welled up at the sight of her mangled hands. "Doctor, please - you have to save her hands. She can't speak. She can't lose her hands too."

"She doesn't seem to care about them at all!"

"She does care, she does... Doctor, please, I'm begging you!"

Guan Ming Xu looked ready to drop to his knees. The doctor glanced between them - one frozen in shock, the other falling apart - and let out a heavy sigh before carefully removing the old stitches to start again.

"Go back and rest properly. Don't pull another stunt like this. Even a god won't be able to save your hands next time!"

"Yes, yes, I'll watch over her! Nothing like this will ever happen again!"

Guan Ming Xu guided Song Qi Nian back to her room. She followed like a doll, moving mechanically at his direction.

Until they passed Lin Qiu Tong's room.

She stopped dead, turning to look through the window. Inside, Shen Chi Yan was gently tucking Lin Qiu Tong's hair behind her ear.

"Niannian..."

Guan Ming Xu's worried voice didn't register. She just started walking again, heading for her room.

Half an hour later, her door flew open with a crash. Shen Chi Yan stood there, radiating cold fury.

Guan Ming Xu jumped up, placing himself between them. "What do you want?"

Shen Chi Yan's eyes cut through him. "This doesn't concern you. Get out."

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"Gao Kunlun!"

"Fifth Master..."

"Get him out of here!"

Gao Kunlun sized up the tension in the room before approaching Guan Ming Xu. "Young Master Guan, please step outside."

Guan Ming Xu knew how angry Shen Chi Yan was, but he couldn't bear leaving Song Qi Nian to face him alone. As he started to protest, Song Qi Nian touched his hand with her arm.

When he turned to her, she offered a small smile meant to ease his worry. Her eyes flicked toward the door - a clear signal for him to go.

"But..."

Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Guan Ming Xu's hands balled into fists. He hated this - hated that he wasn't important enough to her to have the right to stay.

At the door, he turned back to Shen Chi Yan, his voice hard. "Her hands are seriously injured. If you have any shred of decency left, don't hurt her again."

The moment Guan Ming Xu left, Song Qi Nian's smile vanished. She faced Shen Chi Yan silently, her expression blank.

Watching how differently she acted with Guan Ming Xu compared to him only stoked Shen Chi Yan's rage. "I really underestimated you. You've already got Guan Ming Xu wrapped around your finger."