"Don't chase after her next time."

"Mom!"

This time, Long Yejue called out to her with a hint of warning.

Tang Miannian quickly shook her head at him, signaling him to stay silent.

At this moment, the more they spoke, the worse the situation would become.

She didn't want to be the one causing misunderstandings between them.

"Auntie, I know you must find it hard to accept me right now, especially since my background isn't exactly something to be proud of. As for the unpleasantness at the mall last time, I can explain."

"Explain?" Zhu Wenyi sneered, her cold, sharp expression making Tang Miannian's heart race with unease. "Do you think I'll believe my longtime friend, or do you think I should believe you, the woman who is superficially virtuous but is actually shameless and trying to ruin a family?"

These words were so harsh that Tang Miannian couldn't respond immediately.

She bit her lip, silent.

She was still too young, lacking experience in handling situations like this.

She had always believed that as long as she was sincere, the other person would eventually be touched.

Just like how Grandfather Long had accepted her.

Long Yejue, with a cold face, pulled Tang Miannian into his embrace, his voice icy and devoid of warmth, "Mom, if you came here to say such hurtful things to Miannian, then this is not a place for you."

Zhu Wenyi widened her eyes in disbelief. "You… you're kicking me out?"

"No, I just want you to calm down."

"You're doing this for this woman!" Zhu Wenyi's voice raised in agitation, her delicate makeup twisting with her fury. "Fine, fine, I understand now. I've completely lost face today! Alright, from now on, I won't care about you anymore, because you're no longer my son!"

With that, she stormed off.

Tang Miannian's heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked at the gloomy man beside her, but seeing that he didn't seem intent on chasing after her, she began to panic. "Long Yejue, hurry and go after her!"

But he remained unmoved.

This really made Tang Miannian anxious. She pushed Long Yejue away and rushed after Zhu Wenyi, shouting, "Auntie, Auntie..."

But Zhu Wenyi was already walking too fast. She reached the door, got into her car, and drove off.

Tang Miannian chased after her for a long time, waving her arms, but the car refused to stop.

The driver, Old Zhang, looked in the rearview mirror at the woman chasing the car and cautiously asked, "Madam, the woman is chasing the car, should we stop?"

"Don't stop! Drive faster! I don't want to see her for another second!" Zhu Wenyi coldly commanded, not even glancing at the person behind her.

Old Zhang had no choice but to speed up and quickly drive away.

Tang Miannian ran until she was out of breath, but in her haste, she tripped and fell to the ground.

Though the asphalt was softer than concrete, her knees still hurt from the fall.

It was early autumn, and her thin stockings provided little protection.

She felt a sharp pain in her knee, almost bringing her to tears, as she clutched her knee, sitting on the ground and groaning in pain.

She couldn't help but blame herself for being so useless, tripping and falling like this.

Suddenly, a car's headlights flashed, dazzling her eyes. Before she could react, she saw a sleek Aston Martin sports car speeding toward her.

Oh no...

She was so terrified that she tried to move out of the way, but with that speed, there was no way to escape.

Was she really going to meet her end like this?

Tang Miannian closed her eyes, tears brimming as she thought.

The screeching sound of the car's brakes pierced the air, and a gust of dust blew toward her like a hot wave, choking her and making her cough uncontrollably.

The car came to a sudden halt right in front of her, stopping just in time.

She patted her chest, still coughing, thinking that she had almost become a ghost—what a terrifying experience.

A man stepped out of the car, his mischievous eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced down at the woman sitting on the ground. His cold voice rang out, "Are you trying to stage a scam in the middle of the night? Don't you think that's a bit too risky?"

Scam?

Tang Miannian was confused, her mind in a blur. What was this man saying? Why couldn't she understand him?

Seeing that she didn't respond, the man crouched down, his body lowering to her level. His dark eyes locked onto hers, his thin lips curling into a smirk. "What's the matter? Are you thinking about how to demand compensation from me? Sorry, I don't pay for things, but I can call the police for you."

Tang Miannian: "…"

She was a little disoriented but still raised her hand to interrupt his rambling. "Can I say something?"

The man raised an eyebrow, looking amused, as if to say, "Let's see what nonsense you can come up with."

Tang Miannian got up, feeling the pain in her knee. She knew her skin must have been scraped, but she forced a smile, acting as if nothing had happened. "Sir, I think you misunderstood. I'm not trying to scam anyone. Do you really think a girl would be out here trying to fake an accident in the middle of the night?"

The man seemed to consider her words for a moment, but before he could reply, she continued, "And while your car didn't hit me, it certainly scared me. You should be apologizing, don't you think?"

Apologize?

He sneered coldly. In his world, the word "apology" didn't exist.

His lips pressed into a thin, indifferent line as he stood up, casting a cool glance at her.

Her small face, flushed with either the cold wind or perhaps natural charm, was a stunning sight with her delicate features.

However, he wasn't about to apologize. He simply said, "I won't apologize."

Tang Miannian had never encountered someone so rude before. She coldly huffed, "Whatever."

With that, she turned and limped away.

This caught him by surprise.

Was this woman really not trying to scam him?

He watched as she entered a luxurious villa, and it left him stunned.

The "Haitian Yixian" area was the most exclusive and wealthy district in Jiang City. Only the rich or powerful could afford to live there.

And this was the first phase of development, which was larger and more luxurious than the second and third phases.

Only a handful of people could afford to buy in the first phase.

Was she the daughter of a wealthy family?

But why didn't he recognize her? Jiang City's upper class wasn't that big, it didn't make sense that he hadn't heard of her.

Perhaps she was a nanny or a young aunt...

With this thought, the man shook his head and got back into his sports car, speeding off and leaving the incident behind him.

Tang Miannian returned to the house. Before she could say anything, she saw the man furrow his brows and walk toward her, his voice low, "What happened? Did you get hurt?"

"I accidentally fell, but I'm fine," Tang Miannian explained, trying to hold back the pain. "I'm sorry, I couldn't catch up with your mom."

"Don't chase her next time, that's just how Mom is," Long Yejue said, his gaze icy. "Sit down."

He practically pushed her onto the sofa, and when she looked up again, he was already rushing upstairs.

She wondered—was he angry?

Was he angry at the argument with his mother, or angry because she hadn't caught up with her? Or maybe angry that she had gotten hurt?

Unfortunately, her mind was too small to figure it out.

Long Yejue returned downstairs with a first-aid kit. He crouched in front of her, his sharp brows furrowing as his thin lips pressed together, exuding a cold aura.

She nervously said, "It's nothing, just a small wound. I can take care of it myself."

But he didn't listen. He simply pressed down on her injured leg and took a pair of scissors, cutting away the fabric of her stockings.

Tang Miannian jumped in shock, instinctively trying to pull away.

"Stay still!" Long Yejue's voice was firm, commanding.

She froze at his sharp tone.

For the first time, she truly felt how powerful his presence was.

Long Yejue held her leg firmly, carefully cutting the stocking with precise, gentle movements to avoid hurting her further.

As he exposed the wound, which was bleeding heavily, his cold eyes darkened. "It'll hurt when I clean it, bear with it."

Tang Miannian bit her lip and nodded. Though she was terrified of the pain, she couldn't possibly tell him to stop just because she was scared.

He held her leg down and sprayed antiseptic on the wound...

"Ah!"

She couldn't help it—she was genuinely scared of pain.

Her leg twitched uncontrollably.

Was her reaction embarrassing?

But at this point, she couldn't care about embarrassment. She grabbed the couch cushion and bit her lip, trying her hardest to endure as sweat began to bead on her forehead.

Long Yejue looked up, a trace of sympathy flickering in his eyes, but his voice remained cold, "Just a little longer, it'll be over soon."

Her voice trembled, "It… hurts…"

He let out an almost imperceptible sigh. His movements became incredibly gentle, as if handling a rare treasure, slow and careful.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he finished bandaging her leg. Only then did Tang Miannian dare to open her eyes and glance at her knee.

When she saw it, she felt a bit awkward.

The wound was large, but did he really need to make such a big deal out of it?

The bandaging was so thorough, it almost looked like her leg had been broken...

She couldn't help but curse inwardly, then said with a grateful smile, "Thank you for bandaging me."

"Thank you?" Long Yejue's eyes darkened, a chilly aura swirling around him.

Tang Miannian quickly shook her head, "No, no, I didn't mean that..."

Nothing she said seemed right anymore.

"Let's go upstairs," Long Yejue said, extending his hand in front of her.

Tang Miannian stared at his hand, confused.

If he just wanted to help her up, one hand would suffice, so why did he offer both?

Before she could figure it out, the man pulled her up with one swift motion, bending down and lifting her into his arms in a princess carry.

The sudden shift in weight made her nervous, and she instinctively clung to his neck, her face pressing against his shoulder. Her round eyes were filled with panic. "I can walk on my own, really."

"If you walk on your own, it'll pull at the wound and hurt more," he replied coldly.

Tang Miannian could easily imagine the pain and chose to remain silent, biting her lip.

But wasn't he injured as well?

She suddenly became anxious again. "Your hand..."

"It's fine."

"..."

It's fine?

Then why... why did it look so serious last night?

He had even let her bathe him...

Thinking about it, her cheeks flushed, and she couldn't control herself. The scent of his mature masculinity filled the air, making her heart race with a strange, ambiguous sensation.