Chapter 123: The Feigned Injury Stratagem

Guan Wei picked up the phone, and even before it connected, her expression had already softened. Qiao Jiu glanced aside, her thoughts involuntarily drifting to Lu Fengzhou. When Lu Fengzhou used to call her, she must have had the same reaction.

Guan Wei answered the call, but after a few seconds, her tone suddenly changed. "What?" startled Qiao Jiu, who quickly turned to look. The gentle warmth on Guan Wei's face was gone, replaced by an anxious tension.

After hearing something from the other end, Guan Wei abruptly stood up. "Where are you now? I’m coming over immediately." Within seconds, she hung up and headed toward the door, her voice trembling slightly. "Qiao Jiu, I can’t drink tonight. Something’s happened with A-Jin, I have to go."

Qiao Jiu rose as well. "What’s wrong?"

"It seems there was a car accident. I have to go check it out."

A car accident was serious. Qiao Jiu hurriedly asked, "Is it bad?"

"It’s okay, it’s okay," Guan Wei said as she walked, "A-Jin isn’t hurt."

Though she said that, the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

They reached the elevator, but before it arrived, Guan Wei stopped, breathing heavily. "Tonight A-Cheng had a blind date at their place. I don’t know if A-Jin drank and drove..."

Qiao Jiu comforted her, patting her back. "It’s alright. If he could call you, it probably isn’t too serious. He’s a careful thinker. If it were really bad, he wouldn’t be telling you all this so late at night."

Guan Wei turned to look at Qiao Jiu, nodding after a moment. "You’re right."

Together they took the elevator down. Qiao Jiu took the car keys from Guan Wei. "I’ll drive. You’re too nervous. Don’t let anything happen to you while A-Jin’s situation isn’t settled."

Guan Wei hesitated briefly. "Good idea."

On the call, Liang Xiujin had said he was uninjured. Whether it was to reassure her or not, Guan Wei was trembling all over.

Once in the car, Guan Wei instructed, "Take me to the hospital. People’s Hospital."

Qiao Jiu started the car and drove off. The roads were quiet late at night, and she drove swiftly, arriving in no time.

They rushed straight to the emergency building. As soon as they entered, they saw Liang Xiujin. He looked fine and strong; Guan Wei immediately rushed to him. Liang Xiujin saw her and quickly reached out to catch her. "I told you I’m fine. Why are you so worried?"

Guan Wei looked him over from head to toe, then turned him around, feeling along his body. "What happened? How did you get into an accident?"

She leaned in to smell him—there was no trace of alcohol.

Liang Xiujin frowned. "It’s like this..."

Before he could finish, someone burst in, shouting, "Xiao Yi? Xiao Yi?"

Qiao Jiu turned to look. It was a woman in casual home clothes, clearly from a well-off family.

The woman obviously recognized Liang Xiujin and, like Guan Wei, rushed over to him.

Liang Xiujin steadied the woman. "Auntie, she’s still inside. She’s a bit hurt, but it’s not serious."

Hearing that, the woman hurried toward the emergency room.

Qiao Jiu’s curiosity was piqued, and she followed.

Inside the first emergency room, a person lay on the middle bed, the curtain half-drawn. A nurse was attending to their wounds.

The person was softly crying in pain.

It was Xu Yi.

Guan Wei caught up and naturally recognized the person on the bed.

Xu Yi appeared to have only superficial injuries. The nurse told her not to move to avoid infection while cleaning the wounds.

Mrs. Xu rushed to the bedside, crying louder than Xu Yi. "Xiao Yi, how did this happen? How did this happen?"

Qiao Jiu glanced at Liang Xiujin, as did Guan Wei. They all wanted to know what had happened.

Liang Xiujin sighed and pulled Guan Wei aside. Qiao Jiu stepped near the door, listening to his explanation.

He said Xu Yi had called him several times tonight, but he didn’t have his phone with him. Liang Cheng was at a blind date, and they were all at the dinner table.

Xu Yi’s calls were frequent, and he didn’t answer. She might have imagined many things.

After the dinner ended, Liang Xiujin hadn’t drunk and drove the other party’s family home.

Unexpectedly, Xu Yi was waiting at an intersection. As he drove past, her car suddenly rushed toward him.

Guan Wei was shocked. "Was she trying to hit you?"

Liang Xiujin said, "No. She was aiming for the roadside utility pole."

Qiao Jiu paused, then looked toward him. "Trying to die in front of you?"

Liang Xiujin said nothing. Qiao Jiu couldn’t help but mutter, "Crazy."

Perhaps the noise was loud; those inside the emergency room heard it.

Mrs. Xu stopped crying and turned to look. She seemed to recognize Qiao Jiu and glared at her for a moment, but did not scold her.

Guan Wei smirked, lowering her voice. "Isn’t that right? She’s crazy. What a stunt—some kind of martyr act?"

Liang Xiujin shook his head, unsure how to respond.

After a while, the treatment inside was still ongoing when more footsteps sounded outside.

The sharp clicking of high heels echoed crisply through the noisy emergency hall.

Qiao Jiu peered outside and saw Mrs. Liang.

She was elegantly dressed, wearing high heels, her expression unreadable.

She glanced at Liang Xiujin indifferently.

Qiao Jiu almost smiled. With Mrs. Liang’s attitude, Xu Yi had no chance of entering the Liang family.

At a crucial moment, Mrs. Liang might even disown her own son.

Mrs. Liang then noticed Guan Wei and said coolly, "Bringing you here so late at night."

Guan Wei said nothing, standing properly.

Her gaze then landed on Qiao Jiu. "She’s quite influential, causing such a scene here."

She clicked her heels as she walked to Qiao Jiu’s side, looking toward the emergency room.

Mrs. Xu was wiping tears but heard the noise and turned to look.

Qiao Jiu saw her visibly shudder, the sorrowful expression instantly clouded with guilt.

Of course—her daughter had done something shameful, and in front of Mrs. Liang, she couldn’t hold her head high.

Mrs. Liang leisurely approached the bedside, glanced at the person lying there. "So this is all you’re capable of."

The formerly sobbing Xu Yi fell silent immediately.

The nurse glanced at Mrs. Liang, probably about to reprimand her for disrupting their work.

But seeing Mrs. Liang’s commanding presence, the nurse lowered her head and resumed her duties.

Xu Yi stopped crying, and the quiet in the emergency room grew almost eerie.

Guan Wei came over and stood beside Qiao Jiu. "See? Her mother clearly dislikes Xu Yi."

That was obvious.

Guan Wei seemed relieved. "That makes me feel better."

Qiao Jiu cast a sidelong glance at her. "Ambitious."

After the wounds were cleaned and stitched, Xu Yi needed to stay in the hospital for observation.

Mrs. Xu still wiped tears, holding Xu Yi’s hand. "Why do you have such dark thoughts? You—"

Mrs. Liang snorted mockingly nearby.

Mrs. Xu shivered, swallowing the rest of her lament.