"Him? At most, he’ll just try to smooth things over, offending no one!" Bai Xiaoyun said, exuding an air of someone with everything under control. "Right now, we need to get that notebook back immediately, Mengmeng. That notebook is the key to your future! The police have already gone to find that bitch. Let’s hurry and follow them."
As they opened the door, the mother and daughter were both stunned.
An Zhongbo was on Lao Xiao’s back, his expression grave, his eyes simmering with a dark anger.
Bai Xiaoyun hesitated, then asked guiltily, "Why are you here?"
An Zhongbo’s face was cold. "What were you saying about a notebook just now? Were you calling Yanyan a bitch?"
Bai Xiaoyun’s mind was racing, but her expression remained calm. "You misheard. We were talking about Mengmeng’s thesis."
Bai Xiaoyun smiled. "The child finally managed to finish her thesis, but then it was somehow stolen. Honestly, what are young people thinking these days, stealing a thesis?"
An Zhongbo frowned, looking at the room behind them. "Why did you rent an apartment here for Mengmeng?"
"It’s close to her school, isn’t it? The child gets easily distracted doing homework at home, so I rented this place for her as a study room."
After a few exchanges, Bai Xiaoyun calmed down, a hint of coldness appearing on her face. "If you have any more questions, ask them all now!"
She knew An Zhongbo’s personality all too well. Once she said this, he would surely back down and stop pursuing the matter.
Sure enough, though An Zhongbo still looked puzzled, he patted Lao Xiao. "Let’s go. Home."
Lao Xiao nodded and carried An Zhongbo towards the stairs.
Bai Xiaoyun paused for a moment, then grabbed a broom standing by the door and followed them, holding it.
Just as they were going down the stairs, she thrust the broom forward, poking Lao Xiao squarely in the back of his knee.
Lao Xiao, still carrying An Zhongbo, pitched forward violently...
A vicious smile touched Bai Xiaoyun’s lips.
It would be best if he died from the fall. But even if he didn’t, it wouldn’t matter; she had plenty of ways to ensure An Zhongbo couldn’t speak, especially now that he’d started doubting her. As for An Yaoluo, she’d never considered him a threat—just an idiot with a useless brain.
Just as she was smirking, she suddenly saw Lao Xiao’s precariously swaying body being steadied by a hand.
The staircase was steep, and Lao Xiao, with An Zhongbo on his back, completely blocked Bai Xiaoyun’s line of sight. She could only see a beautiful, delicate hand, as white and translucent as jade—so exquisite it seemed meticulously painted by the finest artist. That very hand had stabilized Lao Xiao!
Lao Xiao’s lips trembled. "Thank you, thank you, Young Miss."
Bai Xiaoyun was stunned.
The internet cafe owner shouted from the bottom of the stairs, "Hey! Where are you people from? What are you doing up there? All of you, get..."
Before he could finish, a man in black placed a hand on his shoulder. The owner, overwhelmed by the man’s imposing aura, was instantly silenced.
Simultaneously, dozens of men in black filed in. Those in the internet cafe who were engrossed in their online games quickly snapped out of it. Each one scrambled to flee faster than the last. In the blink of an eye, only the BUZZING of the machines remained.
An Yaoluo stared at An Yan in shock. He had no idea she possessed such strength! The combined weight of two adult men would be at least three hundred pounds, yet she had steadied them with a single hand!
Just as he was about to step forward to help, Li Tianyao’s men moved faster, helping An Yan ease An Zhongbo off Lao Xiao’s back.
After An Yan settled An Zhongbo into a chair, she spun around and slapped Bai Xiaoyun hard across the face! The force was neither too light nor too heavy, but it was enough to send three of Bai Xiaoyun’s teeth flying! Bai Xiaoyun, completely caught off guard, was knocked to the ground.
"An Yan! How could you hit me?"
"You’re exactly who I meant to hit!"
With that slap, the Bai Wu in An Yan’s mind stirred, and she became utterly certain that Bai Xiaoyun had done something to wrong her father. Without hesitation, she slapped her again, once on each cheek—perfectly symmetrical! The second Yezi, which had been indistinct before, now showed even its tiniest veins with crystal clarity.
Bai Xiaoyun was enraged to the point of madness, but before she could even scratch An Yan, Lu Feng kicked her to the ground!
An Shimeng stood dumbfounded, watching everything unfold. She had never witnessed such direct physical violence in her life. The last time she saw An Yan slap Lin Shang at home, she had been full of disdain, thinking An Yan was just a crude country girl with no refinement. People in the city use schemes and strategies! Only barbarians resort to direct violence!
But now, up close, she felt the crushing power of An Yan’s martial prowess. She was so terrified she didn’t dare move a muscle, afraid the next slap would land on her own face.
The internet cafe had plenty of chairs. Soon, everyone was seated except for Bai Xiaoyun and her daughter.
A group of bodyguards stood with hands clasped behind their backs, surrounding the area.
The police officer who had taken An Shimeng’s statement returned with his colleagues, accompanied by a female officer of higher rank. Bai Xiaoyun recognized her; she seemed to be the one who had arrested Mrs. Lin. Her surname is He, isn’t it?
The atmosphere was heavy, charged with killing intent.
An Yaoluo’s brows were deeply knitted as he stood behind An Zhongbo. He was the only one still in the dark about what had transpired.
When An Yan had gone to get him, he was still reeling from the loss of the project. A project he had painstakingly prepared for months had been snatched away by a competitor in the final bidding stage—and they had done it by undercutting his reserve bid. Even without anyone needing to hint at it, he suspected a mole within the company. All afternoon, he had been investigating who could have leaked the reserve bid.
But his investigations yielded no suspects, until his secretary suggested that perhaps someone in his family had inadvertently let it slip. Only then did he begin to consider his family. Besides himself and his father, Bai Xiaoyun, who had attended the bidding meeting that day, also knew the reserve bid. Could it be her? An Yaoluo’s gaze fell upon Bai Xiaoyun.
Both of Bai Xiaoyun’s cheeks were swollen, her eyes welled with tears, and a few strands of hair had fallen loose, completely shattering her usual polished, elite image. "Yanyan, what on earth did I do wrong?"
"What do you think?" An Yan retorted.
"I... Lao Xiao, what happened to you? If Yanyan hadn’t been there just now, the consequences would have been unthinkable!" Bai Xiaoyun immediately tried to shift the blame.
"Madam, someone kicked the back of my knee. That’s why I lost my balance," Lao Xiao said, feeling deeply wronged. He had always been known for his steadiness and reliability. An incident like today’s could shatter the reputation he’d built over years. If his employer deemed him unreliable and fired him, where else could he find a job with such high pay and good benefits?
Bai Xiaoyun flared up. "I was walking behind you just now. Are you implying I kicked you?"
Lao Xiao didn’t dare to speak. The large man looked utterly aggrieved as he turned towards An Zhongbo.