They decided to return to B City the next day, since both Su Zhan’s grandmother and He Ruize were fine.
The trip had been smooth and free of incidents.
The new year was coming soon, and they don’t have much time left to prepare for it.
Shen Peichuan volunteered to share a ride with He Ruize, and they trailed behind the group. Su Zhan and Qin Ya took the same car as Su Zhan’s grandmother, while Zong Jinghao and his family took the RV.
The scenery outside was rather underwhelming. There was no liveliness of spring, no warmth of summer, nor the calmness of autumn; all that was left was the chilling wind.
Everyone remained silent throughout. They travelled half the distance in just half a day, which was much faster than when they came.
They got off their vehicles at the rest stop to eat.
The year was ending, and the rest stop was crowded with all sorts of people and vehicles.
Lin Ruixi needed the bathroom and Lin Xinyan took her there, while Zong Jinghao took Lin Xichen to the restaurant with Su Zhan, Qin Ya and Su Zhan’s grandmother trailing behind them.
He Ruize had woken up, and someone had to watch him at all times so that he wouldn’t attempt to kill himself or run away.
Shen Peichuan assigned some bodyguards to watch over He Ruize so that he could take a toilet break and go into the restaurant. Su Zhan’s grandmother looked healthy, most probably due to happiness from seeing Su Zhan and Qin Ya as a couple.
Now that Su Zhan had gotten married, her last worry had been vanquished.
“Grandma, you’re getting younger,” Shen Peichuan said, sitting down.
“You’re so good at making me happy,” the old lady chided, though she wore a smile on her face.
“I’m just telling the truth,” Shen Peichuan said, earning a hearty laugh from the old lady.
The food at the rest stop was rather lackluster. Shen Peichuan stuffed a mouthful of food into his mouth and said, “Let’s just eat this to keep us going. We can have a feast when we get back to B City.”
Su Zhan stood up. “I’m going to get something. Qin Ya, can you take care of Grandma for me?”
Qin Ya nodded.
“Uncle Su Zhan, I saw a stall that sells jackfruit just now. Can you buy some on your way back,” Lin Xichen asked.
Su Zhan turned around to look at him. “You like it?”
Lin Xichen shook his head. “My sister likes it, but she doesn’t really care what you give her, as long as it’s yummy.”
Su Zhan nodded and walked out of the restaurant. He stole a glance at Shen Peichuan talking to Lin Xichen, and his lips seemed to form the words, “You really love your sister, don’t you?”
Shen Peichuan didn’t notice his gaze. He sighed in relief and pulled the hat of his coat over his head and walked over to the car where He Ruize was kept in.
He glanced around to make sure that no one was looking at him, before he opened the car door. There were two bodyguards tasked with watching over He Ruize by Shen Peichuan inside.
One of them turned to him and greeted him. “Mr. Su.”
Su Zhan glanced at He Ruize and laughed. “Y’all should go and eat. I’ll stay here to watch over him.”
“But Captain Shen said that he’s coming to help us out…”
“He told me to come. Are you guys doubting me?” Su Zhan asked, visibly unhappy.
The bodyguard waved his hands in denial. “No…”
“Then get out!” Su Zhan bellowed.
The two bodyguards got off the car as Su Zhan slipped into it. “Eat faster,” he told them.
“Sure.”
After they left, Su Zhan closed the door and sat down, studying the restrained He Ruize from head to toe. He gave an evil laugh and warmed up his joints. “We meet again.”
He Ruize glared at him, yet he couldn’t move at all. His limbs had been bound together and a gag was even placed in his mouth, as they didn’t want to leave any chances for him to escape or commit suicide. Shen Peichuan told him that if he wanted to die, the only place to do that would be in B City, and only after he got his sentence.
It’s not like he would have an easy way out if he didn’t die anyway.
“Why can’t you move?” Su Zhan asked teasingly.
He Ruize knew that he was completely not in control of himself. He was like a piece of meat on a cutting board meant for others to toy on him.
He decided to close his eyes in the end so that he didn’t need to look at Su Zhan.
“Huh,” Su Zhan scoffed, taking out his phone and opening the camera app. “Why don’t you let me take a couple of nudes and make it into a poster? Maybe I can put them in front of the He family’s office doors and villa…won’t that be exciting?”
He Ruize’s eyes opened immediately and he glared at Su Zhan. If he could move, he would have gone all out in a fight with Su Zhan. If he died and his family gets dragged into this mess, then it would just be another crime of his.
“Haha,” Su Zhan laughed and looked down upon him. “You’re scared? Did you not see this coming when you threatened me the other day? Hm?”
He Ruize’s hands balled into fists and his eyes twitched. One could tell at a glance that he was going to explode from anger.
Su Zhan pinched his cheeks and gave them a few light slaps. “Tsk. Why is your face as rough as a dog’s ass?”
He Ruize’s face scrunched together into an ugly scowl.
Su Zhan felt satisfied seeing him like this. He bent down even further. “So you beat up my grandma?”
Piak!
The glass window of the car shook, and He Ruize’s face swelled up. A drop of blood hung at the corner of his lips.
Su Zhan shook the numbness out of his hand. “Man, it hurt so much to slap you! You don’t deserve to have dignity after all.”
He Ruize’s body began to tremble with anger.
“Doesn’t it feel amazing to be someone else’s ragdoll?” Su Zhan said while pinching his swollen cheek.
He Ruize hissed in pain.
Thump! Thump!
Someone knocked on the window of the car.
He turned around but he couldn’t see who it was. The window of the car had a black film over it that blocked out light completely.
He wound down the window and saw Shen Peichuan standing there, leaning against the car. “I think he’s had enough. Why don’t you go and eat?”
Shen Peichuan knew what Su Zhan wanted to do the moment he said that he was going shopping. However, he didn’t try to stop him.
If he didn’t let off some steam, he would brood over it forever.
Su Zhan pushed the door open and coughed to hide his embarrassment. “You’re done?”
Shen Peichuan pouted. “Yeah. I came to check in case you accidently beat him to death. I would have a hard time reporting to my higher-ups if you did.”
He would have to face the consequences if he didn’t bring He Ruize back, since chasing after He Ruize was his excuse to be absent for such a long period of time.
Su Zhan huffed. “He won’t die,” he said, before shuffling back to the restaurant. He bought a whole jackfruit from a nearby fruit stall before he went in.
Lin Xichen’s mouth fell open the moment he saw the jackfruit Su Zhan was holding. Didn’t he ask for just one box of it? Why did he buy a whole jackfruit?
How were they going to cut it open?
Su Zhan smiled. “It’s fresher like this.”
Lin Xichen blinked. “You’re going to cut it open?”
The fruit was delicious, though there was a huge seed in the middle that got in the way. However, the biggest challenge was cutting the skin of the fruit.
Su Zhan managed to take out his anger on He Ruize, leaving him in a good mood.
“Yeah, I’ll do it. By the way, where’s your dad?” Su Zhan asked as he left the jackfruit onto the floor and pulled a chair for himself.
“He went to look for my mommy.”
Lin Xinyan had taken Lin Ruixi to the bathroom and had yet to return. Zong Jinghao decided to go look for them.
Considering the crowd at the rest stop, they might have to queue for a while.
Zong Jinghao had been frowning ever since they got off the car. He was not used to being in a crowded place. As he stood at the other side of the road waiting, Lin Xinyan emerged from the bathroom with her daughter.
Lin Ruixi saw Zong Jinghao and let go of Lin Xinyan’s hand immediately. “Daddy!”
She started running but ended up crashing into a woman eating instant noodles by the side of the road. The noodles she was holding flew out of her hand and splashed onto her coat.
It was a white woolen coat, and the bright red soup formed a huge stain immediately. The woman’s face darkened immediately. “Are you blind or something?”
Lin Xinyan ran over to apologize.
Lin Ruixi began to regret her actions. “I’m sorry…”
Piak!
