The Art of Teasing - Chapter 145

Chapter 145

At this moment, Qi Wei did not want to exchange half a word with Cen Lang.

When any family hosts a banquet or gathering, security is the absolute first priority—it must be arranged flawlessly, without room for the slightest error. Servers are trained and retrained, constantly worried about bumping into guests while carrying trays. When arranging a banquet, guests with conflicts or grudges are seated apart. These are all basic common sense. Even if guests with issues do encounter each other, at most they exchange a few sarcastic remarks. They absolutely would not run to someone else's banquet to cause a scene and wreck the host's event. Anyone who stirs up trouble at another family's banquet can forget about any future dealings—at best, it sours relations; at worst, it breeds a blood feud. Qi Wei had lived for over twenty years and attended countless banquets, but this was the first time she had ever seen the host herself jump out and knock a guest unconscious.

Cen Lang was the head of the family. She was hosting the party. If her younger cousin was unhinged, she should not have let her out. Cen Lang had actually arranged for Cen Xun to receive the guests. Qi Wei did not even know whose brain had a crater in it. She had actually believed Cen Xun would not dare to act recklessly at Cen Lang's birthday banquet—she had seized the opportunity to resolve that trivial, chicken-feather matter, saving herself the trouble of Cen Xun causing private grief later.

She had brought Wen Zhengyu along, originally wanting to help Wen Zhengyu expand her social circle among peers to facilitate future collaborations and connections. And what happened instead? In the Cen family home, she was knocked unconscious by a member of the Cen family.

She was still simmering with fury when suddenly her cell phone rang. The caller ID showed Wen Zhengyu. She was startled, pausing in surprise, instinctively assuming it was Wen Zhengyu's bodyguard calling. Then she realized immediately—Wen Zhengyu's bodyguard could not possibly use her phone. She hastily answered the call, and then she heard Wen Zhengyu's weak voice coming through the receiver.

Wen Zhengyu had woken up shortly after Zhuo Yao carried her into the car. But her head hurt terribly—it was muddled and heavy, as if filled with lead. Her forehead felt even worse, as if someone was hammering it relentlessly with a small mallet, pounding and pounding.

A long while passed before she could sort out what had happened. When she saw Zhuo Yao beside her, she asked, "What happened?"

Zhuo Yao gave Wen Zhengyu a brief, concise account of the incident.

When Wen Zhengyu heard Zhuo Yao mention Ye Ling, she recalled her maternal grandmother saying that if she got hurt again, she would strike Ye Ling. Thinking further about the past relationship between Ye Ling and Cen Xun, she knew this matter absolutely could not reach the old lady's ears. It was not just for Ye Ling's sake—the old lady was advanced in years; she could not be allowed to endlessly worry about her. She had only fainted for a moment. She was awake now. There was nothing seriously wrong. She asked, "Where is Qi Wei?"

Zhuo Yao glanced back at the car following closely behind them and said, "In the car behind us."

Wen Zhengyu said, "My phone."

Zhuo Yao quickly handed Wen Zhengyu her cell phone.

Wen Zhengyu called Qi Wei. The call connected almost immediately. She greeted, "Sister Weiwei," then said, "I'm fine now. Don't let Grandma know about this. Just say I had a bit to drink and accidentally bumped into the toilet." Silence answered from the other end of the line. She called again, "Sister Weiwei?"

Qi Wei responded, "Go to the hospital for a check-up first. I won't tell Grandmother for now."

Wen Zhengyu said, "Thank you." She hung up the phone, then instructed Wen Jing and Zhuo Yao not to let her maternal grandparents know about the incident.

Wen Jing acknowledged the order. This was not her place to gossip anyway.

Zhuo Yao, on the other hand, breathed a secret sigh of relief. He had been assigned to protect Wen Zhengyu. If Wen Zhengyu came to harm, and an investigation followed, he would have no way to account for himself.

Wen Zhengyu then called Ye Ling.

The call had barely rung before it connected. Ye Ling's voice came through the receiver: "Who is this? Is that Zhengyu?" Her voice was urgent.

Wen Zhengyu said, "I'm fine." She added, "Zhuo Yao and Wen Jing are right beside me. We're heading to the hospital now."

Ye Ling let out a long sigh of relief. Softening her tone, she said, "Good girl. Don't speak anymore. Go to the hospital first. Don't think about anything else. We're handling it."

Wen Zhengyu gave a soft "Mm," and said, "I'll hang up now."

Ye Ling answered gently, "Okay."

Wen Zhengyu then ended the call. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the seat, dizzy and half-conscious, to rest.

Her head hurt intensely. Upon arriving at the hospital, Wen Jing and Zhuo Yao helped her into a wheelchair and took her for examinations. The doctor recommended observation in the hospital for two days.

Wen Zhengyu very much did not want to be hospitalized. Supporting her head, which felt too heavy to lift, she asked the doctor, "Can I not stay in the hospital?"

The doctor said, "You can, provided a family member signs the consent form."

Wen Zhengyu said, "There are no family members here." She was insistent on being discharged.

Qi Wei said to Wen Zhengyu, "If you stay like this at my place, I won't feel at ease. If you go home, not only will you frighten Grandmother, but she'll send you right back to the hospital. Just rest peacefully. I've already contacted Ye Ling—she's bought a plane ticket and is rushing back. Leave the rest to us."

Cen Lang also urged Wen Zhengyu that her health was the most important thing. If the old lady found out afterward and assigned blame, she would personally come to apologize. She said to Wen Zhengyu, "You came to my home as a guest and this happened because I failed to be a proper host. If blame must be placed, place it on me. As long as you are all right, nothing else matters. Don't be stubborn. Stay here first. Let the doctors observe you for a few more days. Only be discharged once we are certain there's nothing wrong. That way, we can all be at ease. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, none of us will be able to answer for it."

Wen Zhengyu was currently muddled and groggy, her consciousness in a semi-lucid state. But unless she nodded her agreement, no one dared to make the decision for her—they could only persuade.

Wen Zhengyu had always been meticulous about her physical well-being. She truly did have a headache and dizziness now and did not dare to force the issue. She had Wen Jing handle the hospitalization procedures.

Wen Jing, Zhuo Yao, Qi Wei, and the others all let out long sighs of relief.

Ma Lu arrived in a hurry. First, he paid his respects to Wen Zhengyu, then assessed her condition. He told Wen Zhengyu that Ye Ling had already been notified and was currently on her way.

Wen Zhengyu said to Ma Lu, "Don't let my grandfather and grandmother know. Keep it from them for now. Follow Ye Ling's arrangements."

Ma Lu nodded repeatedly. He personally led his men, guarding Wen Zhengyu without leaving her side for an inch. The old matriarch had reassigned them back and entrusted Wen Zhengyu's safety to them. Wen Zhengyu provided money when they needed money and manpower when they needed men—she had directly put him in charge. And now, not a few days later, Wen Zhengyu had an accident right under their noses. If this matter was investigated, the chances for his brothers to rise again would be slim. They would probably have to pack their bags and roll right back to the Middle East, continuing to escort cargo through hails of bullets and gunfire.

Mindful of the difference between men and women, Ma Lu did not dare to stand guard inside the hospital room watching Wen Zhengyu rest. He left Wen Jing inside. He brought his men to stand guard outside instead and asked Zhuo Yao, "What happened? Weren't you ordered to guard her without leaving her side?"

Zhuo Yao didn't dare raise his head. He honestly explained the situation, not daring to offer any excuse.

Ma Lu said nothing further, only stating, "Wait until Miss Ye arrives to decide your punishment." Wen Zhengyu was now dizzy and groggy. The fourth branch of the family consisted only of the two of them. If his brothers were punished by Miss Ye, they could receive the lightest sentence. He was too ashamed to even face Wen Zhengyu. She trusted them. This was how they handled matters.

Zhuo Yao nodded, not daring to make a sound.

Ma Lu asked, "Who is the person who committed the assault? Have you detained her?"

Zhuo Yao gestured with his eyes toward Cen Lang. "This is the host. The person is from her family. At the time, only I had infiltrated the residence to keep watch over Miss Zhengyu. The brothers were all positioned outside. Worried about Miss Zhengyu's condition, we got her to the hospital first. Fox and Dog, and the others, are staked out there keeping watch. She can't get away."

Cen Lang was sitting on the bench in the corridor outside the hospital room, less than two meters from Zhuo Yao. She heard their conversation clearly. Her eyes widened, and she turned to look at Qi Wei, thinking: Where did these people come from?

Qi Wei sat beside her, head resting against the back of the chair, resting with her eyes closed. She did not even lift an eyelid.

It was already past midnight when Ye Ling reached the hospital.

Zhuo Yao and Ma Lu, upon seeing Ye Ling arrive, immediately straightened up and greeted, "Miss Ye."

Ye Ling nodded lightly. First, she quietly pushed open the door to the hospital room to check on Wen Zhengyu.

Wen Zhengyu was sleeping soundly. Ye Ling was deeply worried that she might, like last time, fall into a sleep from which she could not be woken. She bent down and called softly, "Zhengyu… Zhengyu…"

She called several times in succession. Wen Zhengyu opened her eyes. Her gaze was misty, tinged with confusion. After adjusting for two seconds, she gave Ye Ling a faint smile.

Seeing that Wen Zhengyu's expression still carried traces of drowsiness, Ye Ling was not sure if Wen Zhengyu was fully awake or not. She said, "I'm back."

Wen Zhengyu blinked and asked softly, "Is this a dream? I dreamed of you just now."

Ye Ling asked, "What did you dream?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "I dreamed you turned into a phoenix bird."

Ye Ling breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'll watch over you. Keep on dreaming."

Wen Zhengyu said, "If Grandmother asks, just tell her I hit my head on the toilet myself."

Ye Ling: "…"

When Wen Zhengyu saw Ye Ling did not respond, she said, "The old lady can be unreasonable sometimes."

Ye Ling understood that Wen Zhengyu was doing this to protect her. She was both moved and heartbroken. She said, "Rest well."

Wen Zhengyu answered with a soft "Mm," then closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.

Holding back the ache in her nose, Ye Ling heaved a deep sigh before turning and leaving the hospital room, closing the door behind her. Worried that the sound of conversation might disturb Wen Zhengyu's rest, she led the group a short distance away.

Ma Lu stood ramrod straight, head lowered. First, he apologized to Ye Ling and begged for punishment, then reported on Cen Xun's situation, saying, "Our brothers are watching her. We can grab her at any moment."

Both Qi Wei and Cen Lang had already called Ye Ling. With Cen Lang present here, Cen Xun could not escape. What concerned Ye Ling more was whether Ma Lu and his men could actually protect Wen Zhengyu's safety. She asked, "Where was your lapse? How did you let Zhengyu get hurt? Cen Xun may have a habit of throwing hands, but she knows neither martial arts nor combat skills. You actually allowed her to knock Zhengyu unconscious. Where were you when this happened?"

Zhuo Yao said, "Miss Zhengyu attended the party. The host family's security was very tight—they did not allow bodyguards inside. The brothers were all stationed outside. I secretly infiltrated to follow Miss Zhengyu. At the time, she had entered a piano room. I didn't dare let her find out I hadn't followed her instructions to wait outside. Fearing discovery, I didn't dare follow her into the piano room, so I hid in the adjacent room listening for sounds. The piano room was soundproofed. I couldn't hear the conversation inside, and no noise came out."

Ye Ling asked Ma Lu, "This is what you call 'eyes never leaving her'?"

Ma Lu said, "It was our dereliction of duty."

Ye Ling's gaze swept over Ma Lu and Zhuo Yao. She said to Ma Lu, "For now, find someone more reliable to replace Zhuo Yao. As for whether to replace the people around Zhengyu, that decision will wait until she is clear-headed." Her gaze bore into Ma Lu as she emphasized, "There will absolutely be no next time!"

Ma Lu replied, "Understood."

Ye Ling asked, "What about the Zhao Si matter?"

Ma Lu stepped forward two paces and whispered close to Ye Ling's ear, "Zhao Si is currently in custody. Moving directly against him now holds little significance. The loan shark boss is in Laos. Pockmark has already taken men there and has currently locked down his movements—we can grab him at any time. But he's holding the loan shark company's transaction ledgers. Right now, it's not just us looking for him. The old matriarch's people, Master Xin's people, individuals connected to the loan shark company, and Interpol are all after him. If Miss Ye wants the man, I can call Pockmark immediately and order the arrest. However, I believe it would be best to secure the ledgers." Ye Ling had also dispatched people to capture the loan shark boss. The issue now was who would strike faster, harder, and more decisively—and who would get both the man and the ledgers first. The most important thing was to get the ledgers first. This mission had permitted no failure from the start. With Miss Zhengyu coming to harm today, even if they had to fight tooth and nail, they must get this done properly. Now, if the old matriarch's people demanded the ledgers, he would have to bite them back and refuse—unless the old matriarch personally asked him for the ledgers. Otherwise, the ledgers absolutely must be delivered to Miss Ye here.

Ye Ling nodded. "Go take care of it." With that, she gave Ma Lu a look of exasperated irritation, then turned and walked back to the door of the hospital room.

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