Chapter Twenty: Worries for the Future of the Ji Family

Su Zhihan had not expected things to go so smoothly. It seemed that even after turning villainous, Lin Pingting’s brain remained rather dim.

Lin Pingting was pinned to the ground by Ji Han, unable to move, and could only let out angry roars. By this time, the rest of the personnel had arrived, and the police took custody of Lin Pingting. Once released, Song Miaoke burst into tears and threw herself into Ji Han’s arms. Ji Han held her gently, his face filled with heartache.

"I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been stubborn with you this morning. If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened," Ji Han said, looking at Song Miaoke’s red, swollen face with genuine regret. The person he held so dear had been beaten like this; if not for the police, he truly would not have let Lin Pingting off.

Standing nearby watching them exchange heartfelt words of affection, Su Zhihan felt as if she were going blind. The surrounding police officers felt a bit awkward as well, wondering if they had accidentally wandered onto the set of a soap opera. Seeing the embarrassed expressions on the officers' faces, Su Zhihan couldn't help but cough twice to interrupt their display.

"Ahem! You two can save the romantic exchanges for later. Can we focus on the business at hand now?" she interjected. "And I don't mean to be harsh, but to make such a scene over a bodyguard? You two are truly one of a kind when it comes to creating trouble out of nothing!"

Su Zhihan never pulled punches when criticizing others; she said exactly what was on her mind. Ji Han and Song Miaoke felt quite embarrassed, though they were accustomed to her bluntness. Moreover, this really was their fault—Su Zhihan had warned them, yet they had still fallen into the trap.

Song Yu, standing on the sidelines as a mere spectator, accidentally locked eyes with Lin Pingting. Good grief! The vicious look in the young Miss Lin’s eyes was truly terrifying, not to mention her distorted expression. Looking at her now, he could barely remember what the original Lin Pingting had looked like.

"Don't look at me like that," Song Yu said. "I have no grudge against you; I’m just here to fill the numbers."

Lin Pingting remained silent. The police officers did the same.

This time, Lin Pingting was truly finished. Although the incident didn't become a massive public scandal, Chairman Ji and Madam Ji were still informed.

After learning the sequence of events, Madam Ji once again felt that her son’s judgment was questionable. Watching Chairman Ji, who was busy fishing, she asked skeptically, "Who on earth do you think our son gets his poor judgment from?"

Chairman Ji reflexively replied, "From me, it must be from me." He figured that any negative trait must naturally be inherited from him. He expected this answer to satisfy his wife, but in the next second, he was under fire.

Madam Ji’s fists rained down on him as she retorted, "So you mean I’m no good? You have bad judgment, so you chose me, is that it?"

"..." Chairman Ji realized he had made a tactical error.

In truth, the couple could not understand why anyone would have a falling out over a bodyguard, let alone escalate it to a kidnapping. If it hadn't been their own son involved, they would have thought the people involved had feces for brains. Was it so bad to have bodyguards follow you? It added to the prestige! If they didn't like it, they could have just had them wear plain clothes and follow from a distance. Was Song Miaoke not bright, or had their son’s brain short-circuited too?

It was possible he had been "infected" by spending too much time with someone not very sharp. If their son really intended to stay with Song Miaoke, would the IQ of their future grandchildren be in jeopardy? The elderly couple began to ponder this seriously; it concerned the future of the Ji family!

Because Song Miaoke was traumatized, she remained in the hospital, with Ji Han keeping an unblinking vigil by her side. Su Zhihan and Song Yu felt it would be rude to just leave, so they stayed to keep them company. Watching Ji Han stare longingly at Song Miaoke, Su Zhihan ate a banana and remarked, "Big brother, she’s lying right there and isn't going to disappear. Are you planning to stare a hole through her?"

It wasn't like they were filming a drama—even if this was a romance-themed world, it was still enough to give her goosebumps! Song Miaoke, embarrassed by Su Zhihan’s comment, gently nudged Ji Han, signaling him to tone it down.

"I'm sorry. It’s all because I was too willful, which led to this happening and wasted your time," Song Miaoke said, realizing that her behavior from the previous night and that morning had been unreasonable. She had seen Su Zhihan’s entourage earlier—three male and three female bodyguards, all dressed in casual clothes. She had been too hot-headed the day before, and her mind hadn't been clear.

Ji Han was about to say it wasn't her fault, but Su Zhihan cut him off.

"It’s good that you realize you were wrong. Honestly, most of the arguments between you two are unnecessary. You’re always bickering over petty things, yet every time you fight, you turn it into an earth-shattering ordeal."

Song Miaoke lowered her head further, and Ji Han’s expression grew increasingly dark. Song Yu nudged Su Zhihan, trying to get her to show some restraint and spare their feelings. Su Zhihan, noticing their reactions, didn't back down.

"Old Ji, what’s with that look? Want to hit me?" she challenged. "Do you know that honest advice is hard to swallow? But since you don't like hearing it, I won't be an eyesore here any longer. Bye!"

Su Zhihan tossed her hair and walked out. Song Yu looked back and forth before deciding to side with Su Zhihan. Seeing them leave, Song Miaoke wanted Ji Han to bring them back; she didn't want to become a wedge between their friends.

Ji Han said coldly, "I’m not going. They’re angry, and I’m angry too." Even though he knew Su Zhihan was right, her words had been stinging, and they had implicated Song Miaoke.

The fallout didn't affect Su Zhihan’s mood at all; she had simply left because she didn't want to stay there anymore. "Finally out! The air outside is so much better!"

Su Zhihan went to the roadside and bought two *jianbing guozi* (savory crepes) with a relaxed expression, leaving Song Yu puzzled. "Are you not angry? Ji Han gave you the cold shoulder, and you're not even mad?" He even glanced at the sky, wondering if the sun had risen in the west.

Su Zhihan rolled her eyes at him, handed him a crepe, and said, "Do I really have such a bad temper?"

Song Yu looked at her, took a bite of the crepe, and said nothing—but his silence spoke volumes. Su Zhihan didn't want to argue with him. She truly wasn't angry. If someone had spoken about her own girlfriend that way, even if they were right, she would have been furious—it was only human nature, after all.