Chapter 82
“Yuanzi is here. She’ll help you clean up. You leave first. I’ll send you the hospital address.”
As soon as Ning Manqing finished speaking, there was a knock on the bathroom door, accompanied by Yuanzi's voice.
“Okay.”
Li Chu opened the bathroom door and stepped out the moment Yuanzi walked in, nodding at her.
She didn't look back at Ning Yuxi again. Looking at trash like him even once would dirty her eyes.
“I’ve already had someone handle the surveillance footage. Don’t worry.”
Ning Manqing always seemed to speak and act in a way that put people at ease. Li Chu took a deep breath, holding the phone, and acknowledged.
Although Li Chu hadn't finished attending the gala, she couldn't be bothered with that anymore. She switched her phone call to Bluetooth mode, put on her Bluetooth earpiece, grabbed her bag, and left the event.
“I’ve arranged for someone to pick you up in the fourth parking lot. After tonight, I’ll arrange a new bodyguard for you, okay?”
“Of course. I acted recklessly this time. I know there might be consequences, but I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold back.”
Li Chu knew that if she had held back and called Ning Manqing first, the outcome might have been the same, and she wouldn't have incurred Ning Yuxi's resentment. But at that moment, she truly couldn't restrain herself.
“No, you did very well. People like Ning Yuxi deserve to be taught a lesson. Don’t worry about him retaliating against you. I’m here for everything.”
Ning Manqing thought she should probably speed up certain matters. Ning Yuxi could commit such outrageous acts only because of the Ning family's indulgence. Once he lost the big tree that provided him shade, he would be nothing.
“You don’t need to worry about the others either. When the powers of capital clash, no one can hide the truth from everyone.”
The main parties involved in this incident weren't actually Ning Yuxi, but rather the owner of Ming Zhi's agency, Zhaoxing Entertainment, who was on the phone with Ning Yuxi, and a second-generation rich kid in the circle named Chen Min.
One was offering someone up, the other was demanding someone. In this incident, Ning Yuxi was merely a knowledgeable bystander, but that didn't mean he was innocent, because Ning Yuxi had done similar things before.
It was just that Ning Yuxi usually targeted Betas, and occasionally Alphas. The photos on Ning Yuxi's phone were the best proof.
“I believe you.”
Li Chu saw the car approaching her, matched the license plate, and opened the car door.
She could always trust Ning Manqing.
On the way to the hospital, Li Chu called Tang Congnan.
She told him that due to some matters, she had to leave midway and hoped he could make the donation on her behalf.
The male mother hen often got headaches from his rebellious daughter, but a daughter was still a daughter. Tang Congnan didn't ask many questions and immediately rushed to the scene.
When Li Chu arrived at the private hospital, Ming Zhi was still in the operating room.
Waiting outside the operating room was Mu Xiao's secretary. He greeted Li Chu when he saw her.
“How is she?”
The secretary explained: “The doctor said her gland suffered some damage and they are performing a clearing procedure. This young lady already had some aftereffects from a previous mark removal, and her gland structure wasn't stable. Tonight, affected by the drug, she didn't react like a typical Omega. Instead, her gland cells were stimulated into chaos. The surgery has no chance of failure, but the gland cells might suffer further trauma.”
In short, Ming Zhi was drugged, but unlike typical Omegas, her gland cells were already damaged. So, instead of combining with the drug to trigger a heat response, the trauma was exacerbated.
However, the fact that the surgery had no chance of failure slightly eased Li Chu's heart, and then she cursed those idiots internally.
Ming Zhi's life wasn't easy to begin with. Just when she had finally moved on and things were looking up, she encountered such a disgusting incident.
Li Chu paced back and forth outside the operating room door twice before sitting down on a chair to wait for Ming Zhi.
“You can go. I’ll keep watch here.”
“The boss asked me to wait here for the results.”
The secretary wore a professional smile, clearly indicating he wouldn't leave.
Li Chu didn't say anything more. Mu Xiao had indeed helped with this matter, but why would Teacher Ning ask him for help?
Li Chu couldn't figure it out. Just as she was about to send a message to ask, the operating room door opened.
Li Chu followed Ming Zhi to the ward. Ming Zhi was still unconscious. Li Chu saw the bruises on her exposed arm and couldn't help frowning.
Li Chu sat in the ward, wanting to contact people close to Ming Zhi, but then decided against it. It was better to wait until Ming Zhi woke up and contact someone she trusted.
Ming Zhi woke up quickly, still a bit dazed when she opened her eyes.
“Sister Zhizhi, are you okay?”
Li Chu immediately leaned closer, holding Ming Zhi's hand that wasn't connected to an IV drip, trying to warm her cold hand with her own body heat.
“Li Zi, why are you here?”
Ming Zhi remembered what had happened to her, but many details were still unclear. She was puzzled to see Li Chu before her.
Li Chu explained the whole sequence of events, patting her chest thankfully, “Luckily, we made it in time.”
“Li Zi, thank you.”
Ming Zhi thanked Li Chu earnestly, the gloom in her expression dissipating somewhat.
“Why be so polite between us? Besides, it wasn't just my effort. Teacher Ning and President Mu helped a lot too.”
“Mm, I’ll thank them in person. Did I just have surgery? My gland feels numb. I remember it hurt a lot before I passed out.”
“They performed a clearing procedure. The doctor said it might cause secondary damage to the gland. I don’t know the specifics.”
“It’s fine. I don’t care if this thing is ruined. Being a Beta isn't bad either. At least I won't be targeted by trash anymore. I really didn't expect something like this to happen to me.”
Ming Zhi's expression tensed as she recalled the events before losing consciousness.
From Ming Zhi, Li Chu learned the full story.
Ming Zhi hadn't been wary of her boss, partly because she didn't think she was worth targeting, and partly because she thought her boss would think twice before doing something like this, considering her current commercial value was arguably the highest in the company.
But she had underestimated how disgusting people could be. She hadn't expected the orange juice she drank to be drugged. The drug took effect slowly. When she saw the Alpha who arrived later, Ming Zhi wanted to leave but found herself getting a headache.
Her gland also started to burn, causing sharp pain. When the Alpha's pheromones reached her, she didn't enter a state of heat. Instead, the pain in her gland made her agitated.
“These injuries are from fighting him. I probably have some on my back too. Strangely, I’m kind of grateful to my ex-husband. This hair color might be my lucky charm.”
Ming Zhi pointed to the bruises on her arm, a smile appearing on her face.
Li Chu felt relieved seeing that she could still joke, finding the cause and effect in the world quite peculiar.
If not for the divorce, Ming Zhi wouldn't have entered the entertainment industry under this name and signed with Zhaoxing Entertainment, and thus wouldn't have encountered today's incident.
But if not for the divorce, Ming Zhi's gland wouldn't have been damaged, and she wouldn't have gained that crucial delay.
She didn't know if Ming Zhi had experienced something similar in the original book. In her memory, there seemed to be no such character in the original story. Perhaps there was, but the story was told from Ning Manqing's perspective, and Ming Zhi wasn't part of her story.
“Alright, don’t look so down. You should be happy.”
Ming Zhi pinched Li Chu's cheek, telling her to smile.
“Can you get my phone for me? I want to make some calls and prepare for contract termination.”
Ming Zhi couldn't stand being in this company for another second. She wished she could pay the termination fee and leave right now.
“Hello, Miss Ming Zhi. If you’re willing, Tiange can handle this matter for you.”
The secretary standing in the corner suddenly spoke up, startling Ming Zhi.
“He’s President Mu’s secretary.”
Li Chu introduced him to Ming Zhi. She had almost forgotten there was another person in the room. Her attention had been entirely focused on Ming Zhi, and since he hadn't made a sound, it was easy to overlook him.
Ming Zhi seemed to understand his meaning and asked tentatively, “You mean?”
Just as the secretary was about to answer, there were two knocks on the door, and someone pushed it open and walked in.
Li Chu greeted him, “President Mu.”
“Hello, Miss Li. Hello, Miss Ming Zhi. I am Mu Xiao.”
“President Mu, thank you so much for your help.”
“You’re welcome. I was entrusted by someone, so I fulfilled the task. Besides, I also have something I’d like to discuss with you. Are you interested in switching companies?”
Mu Xiao got straight to the point, taking a file out of his briefcase and placing it in front of Ming Zhi.
It was clearly a contract. Li Chu glanced at the words on it and finally fully grasped the male lead's businessman nature described in the original novel.
In the original novel, Mu Xiao's persona was a cold, ruthless workaholic. Except for being warm as a spring breeze towards the female lead, a doting husband, he was ruthless like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves towards others.
This kind of persona was quite cool, admittedly. The problem was, as someone being swept away by his autumn wind, she was still a bit shocked by his profit-driven nature. But it wasn't really a big deal. After all, from an employee's perspective, Mu Xiao was actually a relatively good boss.
“As long as you nod, Tiange will pay your termination fee. Your current development is limited by your company's resources. If you come to our company, better opportunities will be readily available. More importantly, I dislike unorthodox methods. Here, ability is paramount.”
When Mu Xiao first learned about the rescue, he was actually quite anxious. Firstly, due to basic human decency, and secondly, because Ming Zhi was a singer in the entertainment industry whom he regarded highly. If developed well, she could potentially reach great heights. If her spirit was crushed and ruined, Mu Xiao would find it a pity.
After sending her to the operating room, Mu Xiao started drafting the contract. He thought Zhaoxing's boss was an absolute idiot for wasting such talent.
So, after planning to poach Ming Zhi, Mu Xiao took another look at Zhaoxing to see if there was anyone else worth poaching.
Ming Zhi was taken aback by Mu Xiao's swift and direct offer. Moreover, she owed Mu Xiao a favor, so she was naturally very tempted.
“Thank you, President Mu. I’m very interested, but I need to review the contract carefully before making a decision. Is that alright?”
“Of course. If you have any objections to specific clauses, you can contact my secretary. I wish you a speedy recovery. I have another meeting, so I’ll leave first.”
Mu Xiao nodded. He checked his watch and gestured goodbye to Li Chu and Ming Zhi.
“Here’s my business card. I’ve already paid the hospital fees. This hospital is also under Tiange's name. The doctors and nurses have signed confidentiality agreements, so don’t worry about this getting out. Goodbye.”
The secretary handed Ming Zhi his card and followed his boss.
Li Chu watched the door close, a sudden sense of crisis rising within her.
So, when did Teacher Ning become acquainted with Mu Xiao?
Don't tell me Mu Xiao is going to stick to his character setting and pursue Teacher Ning?
No way!!!!
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