The local security police were notified by a passerby who reported that there's a group of thugs surrounding a tall and handsome man who resembled a celebrity, asking them to hurry and save the man! When they finally arrived at the scene, the whole sight was very gruesome. Blood splattered everywhere and on the ground, there's a few people strewn about; some had already fainted while others still retained a sliver bit of consciousness while groaning and moaning in pain.

The police instantly called the ambulance and hauled all of them to the hospital.

The person in charge—Officer Wen—counted with a dark expression. There were a total of six people; four were what he discerned to be the thugs while the other man was the tall and handsome guy whom he ought to rescue.

It's just that..Officer Wen sighed, the man's condition didn't seem too good.

Upon arriving at the hospital, he was directly pushed into the operation room. Officer Wen, even with years of his experience in the Public Security Division, couldn't bear to look at the man who was covered in blood from head to toe. There was even a leg strewn distance away from his body, scaring his subordinates so badly for they thought the man's leg was cut off by those gangsters. Well, knowing that the leg was an artificial leg to begin with didn't make them any better either.

Lastly, the girl who shouted for help. It was only when Officer Wen rushed into the alley did the girl's cry finally weaken and she lost consciousness with her arms still holding onto the heavily injured man, unwilling to let go. Overall, the girl didn't suffer any serious injuries but when the police found her phone and entered her data into the hospital's database, Officer Wen was shocked to find that even the director of the hospital was summoned down from his office!

Exactly who was this girl's identity?!

Sweat ran down his back. The director's relative? An influential figure's daughter? If so, then everything would turn complicated. He welcomed the director with a chagrin grin, asking politely. "What matter is so urgent to have Director Li come down here in person?"

Officer Wen had seen Director Li once before. He was a bald and fat middle aged man. Usually, Director Li would be full of himself and not even give them any glance, but now his face was ghastly pale and there's an anxious look on his face. "H—How's the girl that has just been sent here?"

"Don't worry," Officer Wen appeased. "She only has a few mild bruises and received a shock. The doctor said that she will regain consciousness soon."

"Really?" Director Li still couldn't rest assured and told him solemnly. "You should dig this matter down to its root. Don't close the case sloppily."

Officer Wen got more curious. "May I ask what is the identity of the girl inside?"

Director Li waved his hand offhandedly. "Don't ask me. I have no idea either. All I know is that she's under the police HQ's protection."

"Police HQ?!" Officer Wen's voice rose slightly. He was still immersed in shock even after Director Li nagged for more than half an hour as to how they shouldn't do anything to offend the higher-ups. Officer Wen nodded numbly and when the girl was pushed out of the ICU ward and transferred into the VVIP room, he assigned two more officers to guard her room.

The girl remained unconscious for the rest of the night and at the same time, the light in the operating room remained on with no signs of wrapping up anytime soon.

When Ru Meiqi, Xu Binchen and Qiang Fei rushed to the hospital, this was what they saw. Shi Nian, lying on the hospital bed clad in a hospital gown with an IV drip on her wrist. Her complexion was already pale to begin with but now, she looked ashen and pallid. The scene was awfully familiar to the period of time when she hadn't woken up from the coma yet. The only difference was how there were glaring bruises and finger marks on her fair arms and neck.

Upon arriving at her daughter's bedside, Qiang Fei almost collapsed. "No, no..Shi Nian, how could this happen? Please..don't scare Mama again, okay?" She turned to the attending doctor, tears streaming down her haggard face. "D—Doctor, what happened to my daughter?"

Ru Meiqi and Xu Binchen's face didn't look good either. The latter went to pat Qiang Fei's back to offer a silent comfort while the latter rushed out of the room to search for Officer Wen, his face filled with murderous intent.

The doctor checked Shi Nian's vital signs and gave them a comforting smile. "It's okay, don't worry. Your daughter has just received a shock and is currently recuperating. Just let her sleep for a while and then she will wake up by tomorrow at least."

Qiang Fei let out a sigh of relief and held Shi Nian's cold hand. "Thank you, Doctor."

"No worries." The doctor replied with a smile.

Ru Meiqi asked. "What about Mr. Jiang—I mean, the boy who was being sent together with her?"

"Ah, you mean him?" The doctor's smile faltered and she smiled in sympathy and apology. "He's still being operated on. His condition is quite severe. He has three broken ribs, deep gashes on his waist and thigh as well as multiple skin traumas. There's also signs of infection from his leg. Coupled with how he has lost quite a lot of blood, it can be said that right now is indeed a critical stage for him."

Qiang Fei covered her mouth and couldn't resist a sob escaping her lips. Today was Shi Nian's seventeenth birthday. The day when she finally stepped on the stairs of adulthood. The girl had bashfully told her about how Jiang Jinyan was going to tell her something on this day and Qiang Fei could more or less guess it.

No matter from which angle one looked at it, today was supposed to be a joyous day for both of them.

But how could everything turn out like this?

"Doctor," Ru Meiqi had a scowl on her face. "I heard there's four other people who were sent here with them?"

"Yes," The doctor replied helplessly. She couldn't count how many times she had answered this question today. After all, everyone with eyes could see that those tattooed men were nothing good either. But she was bound by her work ethic and every patient was equal in her eyes so she still tried to defend them. "They also sustain quite a lot of injuries. Miss, you should restrain your anger and—"

"Take me to their room." Ru Meiqi demanded with a cold face.historical

The doctor tried to persuade her but in the end, she relented under Ru Meiqi's convincing words who said that she only wanted to check on them and wouldn't do anything. Yet.

In the end, Ru Meiqi was escorted by a nurse down to the regular ward where the four of them were being put together.

Actually, Ru Meiqi didn't need to do anything because the police were already guarding these thugs closely and among them was a certain Yama King surnamed Xu who was ready to unleash Hell on Earth. They definitely wouldn't be able to escape any longer.

The hospital room was finally left with only Qiang Fei and Shi Nian.

Qiang Fei walked around to draw the curtain and adjusted the humidifier before pulling the blanket up to Shi Nian's neck. The series of movements were smooth and fluid as she had done this countless times before. She sniffled and caressed her daughter's cheek with a touch so light that it was almost negligible. "Niannian, hurry up and open your eyes, okay?" Her voice barely ended with a whisper, containing all of the affection, love and heartache within.

Qiang Fei spent some time looking at Shi Nian before she gradually grew drowsy and dozed off on the couch.

Amidst the dark, Shi Nian's fingers twitched imperceptibly.

She was currently engrossed in a dream.

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A/N: Jiang Jinyan QAQ he really went all out to protect her