Chapter 50

The crew quickly brought over the nearest vehicle to take Xi Tang to the hospital.

A staff member from the crew was assigned to drive, with Xiao Ning sitting in the passenger seat, sobbing as she called Ni Kailun on the phone.

Zhao Pingjin sat in the backseat, holding Xi Tang’s arm, pressing a handkerchief tightly against her wound. The bleeding hadn’t stopped, and blood kept flowing out. Xiao Ning handed him a towel. Earlier, when Xi Tang had been pulled out of the river, the crew had performed emergency first aid. Several men with strong hands had roughly flipped her body over and placed her across their knees, slapping her back hard in an attempt to help her expel water. They were so panicked that their methods lacked any coordination. The way they handled her frail frame looked as if it might snap her in half. After much effort, she coughed out a few mouthfuls of water, and her breathing through her nose and mouth resumed. Xiao Ning had turned away in fear but then saw Zhao Pingjin kneeling on the ground, holding her hand. Although his expression was calm, his face was deathly pale, his lips nearly white as frost. He looked as though he’d just been fished out of the freezing river, just like Xi Tang.

For a moment, Xiao Ning forgot her fear. When she was working as an assistant to Wu Zhenzhen, she’d seen Zhao Pingjin several times. He was cold and aloof—a wealthy man who, no matter how much Wu Zhenzhen flirted or acted coquettish, maintained a detached demeanor, barely sparing her a glance. But now, months later, she found that this distant and untouchable young master from the clouds was, after all, just human.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, jolting her back to her senses. Ni Kailun was returning her call.

Zhao Pingjin wiped off the water dripping from Xi Tang’s body again and again. His mind wandered. Years ago, on a similarly frigid day, Fang Langming had carried her out, covered in blood.

A wave of panic surged in his chest.

Despite his anxiety, Zhao Pingjin still had matters to handle. With one hand, he pulled out his phone, his palm sticky with blood, and called Shen Min. “Submit the bid I decided on last night. I’ve run into something and won’t be able to make it to the scene. Have Li Ming go with you. You’ll present on my behalf. Everything has been arranged, so we’re just there for formality. Remember, make it look like we’re just accompanying and don’t let anyone see through it.”

Shen Min, busy at the office, replied briefly, “Understood.”

Zhao Pingjin’s tone grew steadier: “Xiao Min, make sure it’s done properly.”

Shen Min paused for a moment. “You can count on me.”

Xi Tang was rushed to the nearest clinic. After treatment and a preliminary examination by the emergency doctor, it was confirmed that, apart from the injury on her arm, she had no other visible external injuries. They managed to stop the bleeding and bandage the wound. Xi Tang regained consciousness in the emergency room.

Her head was heavy, and her responses were slow. There was broken ice on the river’s surface and jagged rocks at its bottom. The doctor was concerned about potential internal injuries or brain trauma, so an ambulance was called to transfer her to a hospital in the city. Zhao Pingjin arranged for her to be taken to Peking Union Medical College Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan after being admitted to the emergency department. Holding a stack of her test results, Zhao Pingjin paced anxiously in the corridor, unable to sit down, his mind racing with worry.

When Xi Tang woke up in her hospital room, she saw Zhao Pingjin standing by her bedside.

As soon as she opened her eyes, he simply stared at her silently. After a moment, Zhao Pingjin frowned slightly and said, “Say something. Did you hit your head and go dumb?”

Xi Tang moved her lips and asked weakly, “You didn’t go back to the city first?”

Zhao Pingjin replied curtly, “Who told you to go flailing into the river?”

Xi Tang dared not say anything further.

Zhao Pingjin leaned down slightly, studying her face with concern. “Feeling dizzy?”

Xi Tang whispered, “Not too bad.”

His tone softened slightly. “I’ve asked your assistant to go back to the hotel and pack a few things for you. Don’t worry about anything else. Just rest properly.”

Looking at Zhao Pingjin’s clothes, she noticed that half of his body was soaked, likely from carrying her. His down jacket sleeves were dirty, and the collar of his sweater was stained with blood. “I got your clothes dirty,” she murmured.

Zhao Pingjin shook his head and said bluntly, “What nonsense.”

He glanced at the clock in the hospital corridor. It was already past five. He reached out and gently touched her hair. “I’m stepping out to make a call.”

Zhao Pingjin pulled out his phone, its screen still smeared with Xi Tang’s blood. As he walked out, he dialed a number.

From inside the room, Xi Tang could faintly hear his slightly anxious voice outside. “Is the bidding process over yet?”

On the other end, Li Ming sounded confused. “The Jian Energy Group representative left looking displeased. Are we signing this deal or not?”

Zhao Pingjin’s tone turned sharp. “Sign what? I went through all this trouble to edge out the competition, only to hand them the deal on a silver platter? That guy from Jian Construction is the brother-in-law of Lu Buqin!”

Li Ming said, puzzled, “But we won the bid.”

Zhao Pingjin froze for a moment. “What did you just say?”

Li Ming replied, “I’ve already signed the contract. I just dropped the investors off at their hotel. Didn’t your secretary keep calling you urgently about this? They’re waiting for you to come over.”

Zhao Pingjin’s heart skipped a beat. He roared into the phone, “What the hell made you act on your own?”

A nurse poked her head out of a nearby room and scolded, “Family members, please keep quiet.”

Outside, Zhao Pingjin’s agitated voice gradually faded down the hallway.

Lying in the hospital bed, Xi Tang stared at the white ceiling and slowly closed her eyes. She had a faint idea of who had sent her that earlier message.

Zhao Pingjin strode down the hospital corridor, trying to lower his voice but unable to suppress the fury boiling within him.

On the other end, Li Ming kept explaining, “I didn’t know! The amount was astronomical—equivalent to nearly a whole quarter of revenue for us. It shocked me when I glanced at it while signing. Isn’t this project something you and Xiao Min were handling? I was just there to keep things running smoothly, and suddenly everything was finalized.”

Zhao Pingjin finally caught on to the key issue. “What price did Shen Min submit?”

Standing by a hospital window, phone in hand, his face grew darker with every passing moment. “Li Ming, we’re in deep trouble.”

Zhao Pingjin felt the throbbing in his temples intensify, an oppressive sensation welling up in his chest.

“Where is he?”  

“Tell him to come meet me.”

Zhao Pingjin hung up the phone and turned to call Gao Jiyi, but the call didn’t go through.

Driver Liu came over to pick him up. When he saw that Zhao Pingjin’s clothes were drenched and stained with clotted blood, he was startled. “Mr. Zhao!”

Zhao Pingjin raised an eyebrow. “I’m fine.”

The driver took him home to change into a new set of clothes and then drove him to the International Hotel, where Li Ming was already waiting in the lobby.

As soon as Li Ming saw him, he grinned widely. “Misappropriating orders—this is a capital offense.”

Zhao Pingjin was burning with anger, his insides seething with rage. “Where’s Shen Min?”

Li Ming pointed upstairs. “She’s inside, acting all calm and collected, handling the investors.”

Zhao Pingjin strode toward the elevator.

Li Ming followed closely behind, then suddenly asked, “Hey, I’m curious. Since this thing is such a big deal and you didn’t even let me get involved, why didn’t you go oversee it yourself?”

Zhao Pingjin stopped in his tracks, a violent jolt of realization running through his chest.

He halted in front of the gilded elevator doors and replayed everything from start to finish in his mind. His breathing became hurried, and his body, still drenched in blood, seemed to chill even further. He couldn’t help but smile, his expression bitter. In that moment, he wanted to laugh out loud at his own blindness, at his own utter foolishness. But instead, his throat trembled, and he choked on a brief, harsh cough. Zhao Pingjin turned his head, clenched his fist to his lips, and despite his coughing fit, he laughed, almost manically. “Li Ming, damn, I only just realized... it’s all part of a well-coordinated play.”

Li Ming, who had been a step behind, didn’t quite catch his words. He turned to look at Zhao Pingjin but only saw a strange, almost tragic smile on his face. “What’s going on?”

Zhao Pingjin, his face pale, shook his head.

At that moment, the elevator arrived. Li Ming pushed him lightly. “Why are you standing there like that?”

Inside the private room, business discussions resumed. Zhao Pingjin kept a calm exterior, chatting and drinking with several company executives, but Shen Min didn’t dare look at him all evening. Zhao Pingjin felt a cold chill in his heart. Shen Min had been with him for almost ten years, never making a mistake, always his right-hand person. Yet, now he realized even his closest allies—his most trusted brothers, even the woman at his side—were unreliable.

By the time the dinner ended, it was already ten o’clock. After sending the guests off, Zhao Pingjin waved his hand, signaling for Li Ming and the assistants to leave first. He headed toward his car, and Shen Min silently followed him.

Zhao Pingjin glanced at him and said, without much emotion, “What’s going on?”

Shen Min kept his head down, not daring to look at him. “I did it. You can deal with me as you see fit.”

Zhao Pingjin coldly asked, “What benefit did Gao Jiyi’s downfall bring you?”

Shen Min’s tone remained respectful, but he showed no remorse. “It didn’t bring any benefit. Some things, you don’t ask about the benefits.”

Zhao Pingjin sneered and said in a mocking tone, “Xiao Min, you’ve really matured.”

Shen Min lifted his head and looked at him. Zhao Pingjin’s face was deathly pale. He had been drinking all evening, his eyes bloodshot, and his face had taken on a sickly hue.

Shen Min, worried, called out, “Ge...”

Zhao Pingjin had been tense and anxious all day, unable to find peace from noon to night. Now, with the alcohol hitting him, he felt a sharp headache and a dizziness settling in. He opened the car door, his voice weak. “You should go.”

Shen Min hesitated by the car, not daring to speak or leave.

Zhao Pingjin, still suffering from his headache, impatiently said, “Why aren’t you leaving? Or do you want to come with me to the hospital? Your revolutionary comrade is still lying there.”

Shen Min lowered his eyes and hesitated before replying, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Suddenly, Zhao Pingjin kicked the car door with all his strength. The black car let out a loud crash. He angrily shouted, “Aren’t you afraid she’ll jump into the river and die?”

Shen Min’s eyes turned red. “What happened to her?”

Zhao Pingjin, furious to the point of hoarseness, shouted, “Xiao Min, I didn’t see it before, but now I can tell— you two are really capable of doing every foolish thing under the sun.”

Shen Min pleaded, “Don’t blame her. She didn’t know anything.”

It would have been better if Shen Min hadn’t said that, because by saying it, he was tacitly admitting it. Zhao Pingjin looked at Shen Min, standing there with a pitiful expression, and thought of the other person who was now lying in the hospital in a similarly pitiful state. Both of them had been spoiled like pampered masters, untouchable and unaccountable. Feeling disheartened, Zhao Pingjin waved his hand dismissively. “I can’t control you. Go back.”

Zhao Pingjin took two steps back, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his stomach, causing his vision to darken. He staggered and leaned against the car for support. Shen Min saw that he could barely stand and rushed to support his arm.

Zhao Pingjin kicked at Shen Min, but he was too weak to put any strength into it. Through gritted teeth, he muttered, “You’re all a bunch of damned ingrates.”

Shen Min quickly waved over to the distance, and Zhao Pingjin’s driver ran over. Liu, the driver, quickly opened the car door and held it for him. Zhao Pingjin sat down in the car.