Chapter 27: Broken Leg

“Weren’t you supposed to return on the twenty-first? Why are you back early?”
Inside the car, Bai Jingyan let Chen Ruowen drape herself over him as if she had no bones in her body. After several minutes of strict self-control, he had calmed down from the overwhelming surprise of their reunion.
“Didn’t you say you missed me?”
Chen Ruowen wrapped her arms around Bai Jingyan, snorting.
“And now you refuse to admit it.”
Bai Jingyan glanced up at the driver and the suited man in the front seat, his expression awkward.
“Keep your voice down.”
“What are you afraid of?”
Chen Ruowen acted as if the others didn't even exist, indifferent.
“My father knows I came to see you, so don’t worry about them tattling.”
Bai Jingyan was speechless; he hadn’t realized Chen Ruowen had become so brazen—openly ditching Old Chen to come find him, and behaving so unabashedly right under Old Chen’s people’s noses. He wondered if Old Chen would be so angry he’d cough up blood.
In fact, Old Chen already had.
Chen Liwan stared at the real-time updates sent by Assistant Pan on his phone, nearly tearing his tie apart.
“Chairman Chen, Miss hugged Bai Jingyan as soon as she got off the car, in front of everyone.”
Chen Liwan: “You should’ve stopped her! Furious shout.jpg”
“…We couldn’t stop her π__π”
Chen Liwan: “Table flip.jpg”
“Chairman Chen, Miss and Bai Jingyan got in the car and are still hugging.”
Chen Liwan: “Pull them apart! Find a way to separate them!”
Assistant Pan, wearing a forced smile, turned to follow orders.
“Miss, it’s been a long journey. Would you like something to eat?”
Chen Ruowen glanced at him.
“Shut up.”
Assistant Pan: “……”
“Turn around.”
Assistant Pan: “……”
“Pretend you don’t exist.”
Assistant Pan (pulling out his phone): “Chairman Chen, I can’t do it! Stormy crying.jpg”
Bai Jingyan cleared his throat, gently moving Chen Ruowen’s arm away from his waist, earning a glare and a stern warning.
“You’re not allowed to move either.”
“……”

Bai Jingyan sent Assistant Pan a helpless look through the rearview mirror.
You saw it—it wasn’t me who moved first. I really have no choice.
“By the way… since you’re back early, what about tomorrow’s banquet?”
“Leave it. Let Old Chen figure it out himself.”
Bai Jingyan coughed again, his gaze drifting over the sedan they were sitting in.
“So why are we in this car today? Didn’t you switch to a cheaper one before?”
Chen Ruowen nudged the suitcase beside her.
“I have too much luggage. The other car couldn’t fit it all.”
“But taking this one… it’s caused quite a stir.”
Bai Jingyan was exasperated. Even though only senior students came for evening self-study on Saturdays, plenty of people had snapped photos just now. With tomorrow being the weekend, the school forum would surely be ablaze… And come Monday, Class One would probably be swarmed by onlookers.
Chen Ruowen looked innocent.
“Is it a big deal? I always make a splash when I appear in public.”
“…This time’s different, since it’s at No. 1 High…”
“Bai Jingyan!”
Chen Ruowen suddenly snapped, cutting off his lecture.
“Can’t you say something I like to hear?”
“I can.”
Bai Jingyan paused, then nodded decisively.
“Go see a movie with me tomorrow.”
Chen Ruowen raised an eyebrow, though she didn’t look particularly pleased.
“Is ‘Super Squad’ showing again? Or ‘Blood Sword’? Maybe ‘The Mist’? ‘Jester Nation’?”
Bai Jingyan chuckled softly, ruffling her hair. “Smart girl.”
Assistant Pan, sobbing, opened his phone and sent Old Chen a “hanging” emoji.
“Chairman Chen, Miss is going on another date with Bai Jingyan tomorrow.”
“Bang—!”
This time, Chen Liwan slammed his phone down, storming out of the bedroom and shouting at Zhao Yan, who was tidying up his files outside.
“Xiao Zhao! Change my ticket for tomorrow! I’m going back to South City!”
Zhao Yan put down the rescue text just received from Assistant Pan, sighing as he cradled the banquet materials for tomorrow.
“Chairman Chen, do you really need to go? Even if you rush back, Miss won’t listen to you anyway!”
“……”
That’s true, isn’t it.

It took Chen Liwan considerable effort to calm down, pacing back and forth in the living room as he barked orders.
“Notify the President’s Office—tomorrow I want at least four drones following them! I want full, seamless surveillance! They are absolutely forbidden from entering any hotels or clubs! Call every major mall, restaurant, and entertainment venue in South City! Send people to keep an eye on them! I want real-time updates on their whereabouts!”
Zhao Yan was at a loss.
“Chairman Chen, Miss is just going to see a movie with the Young Master Bai…”
“You have no idea how dangerous watching a movie can be!!!”
Chen Liwan shouted, pacing even faster.
“It was because of a movie… ahem! Find out exactly which cinema they’re going to, and set up remote monitoring in the screening room!”
“Yes, yes, yes…”
“I’m not done!”
Chen Liwan barked again.
“Call the cinema manager—Ruowen’s surroundings must be packed with people!! And they all have to be ours!! I absolutely forbid the two of them from being alone together!!”
Zhao Yan: “……”
Why bother…
Even after all these arrangements, Chen Liwan wasn’t satisfied. He hurried back to the bedroom, retrieved his phone from where he’d thrown it under the bed, quickly scrolled through his contacts, and dialed a number.
“Beep—beep—”
The phone rang twice before a steady, elegant male voice answered.
“Chairman Chen, hello—”
“—Hello my foot!”
Chen Liwan cut him off, not giving the other a chance to react before venting his fury.
“Bai Yuqi, how many times have I told you! Watch your son! If he wants to hang around my daughter, fine, but can’t he keep his hands to himself? They’re still kids! Are you going to discipline your son or not?!”
“Hands to himself? That can’t be right.”
Bai Yuqi’s voice sounded a bit surprised.
“Chairman Chen, you know I’ve never opposed Jingyan and Ruowen dating. In fact, our whole family likes Ruowen very much. But hands-on… could there be some misunderstanding?”
“Like her, my foot! They’re only seventeen! Dating at this age is premature!”
Chen Liwan was getting angrier by the minute. His daughter was utterly bewitched by Bai Jingyan, and Bai Yuqi, that old fox, was playing innocent!
“But Chairman Chen, seventeen is old enough to marry and have children in Northland.”
“This is Huaguo! Bai Yuqi, I’m warning you—if your son touches my daughter before they’re officially married, I’ll break his legs!”
After delivering his threat, Chen Liwan slammed the phone down, tossing it under the bed again.
Ah, his liver ached from rage.