Chapter 41: The Unpredictability of Human Affairs

Mu Lichen wisely refrained from asking questions immediately. He handed the clothes to Luo Yichen and said, "Stay calm! Put these on first, and I will get you out through the back door right away."

Luo Yichen changed quickly, his expression easing slightly. Seeing him settle down, Mu Lichen asked, "What on earth happened? When I arrived, I saw reporters swarming the room. I heard them saying Shang Qi had been taken to the hospital and that she was..."

The anger Luo Yichen had just suppressed ignited once more. His eyes darted toward Mu Lichen like flying daggers. He grabbed the desk lamp and smashed it against the floor with all his might. In an instant, fragments scattered everywhere. He turned to lash out at other objects, acting as if he had lost his mind.

Seeing Luo Yichen so out of control, Mu Lichen rushed up behind him to restrain him. However, Luo Yichen had practiced Taekwondo for years and was physically formidable; he was not easily subdued. The two men wrestled, neither willing to yield. Luo Yichen, blinded by rage, struck without mercy.

Mu Lichen was no match for Luo Yichen and was soon pinned to the ground. Luo Yichen, completely unaware of his own actions, swung his fist toward Mu Lichen.

Mu Lichen roared, "Luo Yichen! Instead of wasting your energy beating people up, you should be thinking about how to deal with the media!"

Luo Yichen’s fist froze in mid-air. Regaining his composure, he said, "I'm sorry! Let me help you up."

Mu Lichen stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, "You really don't hold back! Tell me exactly what happened. I can only help you if you tell me the truth."

"The water Shang Qi gave me was drugged," Luo Yichen said, his face devoid of emotion. "I lost control and made a grave mistake. When Shang Qi left just now, we were caught by the reporters waiting at the door."

Mu Lichen’s expression turned solemn. He had not realized the situation was this severe. Luo Yichen could face prosecution or even prison time. The Luo Group would also suffer a devastating blow. The situation could not be allowed to escalate further; the immediate priority was to get Luo Yichen out of the hotel.

"Follow me!" Mu Lichen said. "Let’s get out of here first."

Luo Yichen followed Mu Lichen through the hotel’s freight elevator to the underground parking garage. Mu Lichen motioned for him to hide for a moment. After pulling the car around, Luo Yichen said, "Give me the keys! You go and talk to the Public Relations department..."

Mu Lichen noticed reporters heading their way. "Get in the car, we'll talk later!"

Luo Yichen spotted the reporters too and scrambled into the vehicle. However, they were still seen and pursued. Mu Lichen slammed on the accelerator, weaving through the parking garage until they finally shook them off.

"Drop me off ahead," Luo Yichen said. "I can't show my face; I have to rely on you. Go and take care of it."

"Looking at the state you're in, I don't trust you to drive alone," Mu Lichen said with concern. "You can't go back to the Luo residence right now. You need to find somewhere to lay low. Where are you going?"

After a moment of contemplation, Luo Yichen said, "Go to that apartment."

Soon, they arrived at the apartment Luo Yichen had prepared for Shang Qi. It was a property invested in by the Luo Group, with fully enclosed security management that kept outsiders at bay. Naturally, the residents were all prominent figures, including many celebrities and politicians. Given the circumstances, Luo Yichen had no choice but to follow Mu Lichen’s advice and hide for a while.

After the car came to a stop, he said, "Don't tell my grandfather about this yet. Try to find a way to keep it under wraps for as long as you can."

Mu Lichen said awkwardly, "This will be headline news by tomorrow morning, if not tonight. How can we possibly keep it hidden?"

Luo Yichen realized he was right. Yet, he truly did not want his grandfather to worry about him. Unable to come up with a solution, he could only sigh.

"Don't overthink it, get some rest," Mu Lichen urged. "On the surface, it looks like Shang Qi is the victim. But I know you’ve been hurt just as much. You need to pull yourself together."

Looking through the car window, Luo Yichen saw beautiful fireworks igniting in the dark night sky. He had prepared them specifically for tonight. At this moment, his heart was a complex mix of emotions. He had intended to take Shang Qi to the hotel’s rooftop terrace after the anniversary banquet to watch the fireworks and propose. He had everything ready—the flowers, the red wine—just waiting for this moment.

But fate is unpredictable. Who could have imagined that in these few short hours, such an unspeakable incident would occur between him and Shang Qi? The distant embers falling from the sky were blindingly bright, like countless swords piercing his heart.

It was the first time Mu Lichen had seen Luo Yichen so heartbroken and helpless. In all these years, he had never seen him so defeated. A flash of guilt flickered across Mu Lichen’s face. He patted Luo Yichen on the shoulder and said, "Regardless of who orchestrated this, we must prepare ourselves. I'm going to contact the PR department now."

Although heartbroken, Luo Yichen remained highly vigilant. He caught the strange look on Mu Lichen’s face and wondered: Could this be related to him? He had no reason to do this! Harming the interests of the Luo Group would gain him nothing. However, the person who set this trap understood his situation perfectly and knew every detail of the anniversary arrangements. Who could it be? This must be investigated thoroughly.

"Wait," Luo Yichen said. "Go and investigate the entire incident for me. No matter the cost, I need to know if Shang Qi was involved."

Mu Lichen looked at him worriedly. "Can you be rational? Whether she was involved or not is no longer the point. The point is to stop the situation from spiraling. Given the current circumstances, we might have to sacrifice Shang Qi."

Luo Yichen pondered for a long time. "Don't make any rash moves yet! As long as Shang Qi doesn't call the police, it's better to settle this quietly."

"Stop lying to yourself!" Mu Lichen snapped. "You've been with her for so long, don't you know who she is? If you hadn't been caught by the media, there might have been room to maneuver. But now, even if she loved you enough to throw away her pride, her parents won't let you off. Besides, can you be sure she truly loves you?"

Luo Yichen was left speechless. He knew Mu Lichen’s analysis was logical. In a crisis, one truly could not be soft-hearted out of sentimentality. Yet, he still could not bring himself to make that decision.

Not wanting to pressure him further, Mu Lichen said, "You should hide for a while. I will handle things." With that, he left.

After being taken to the First Hospital, Shang Qi slowly regained consciousness. Recalling everything that had happened, she was in agony. She could not understand why Luo Yichen would do such a thing to her. She lay weakly on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Tears welled in her eyes, trickling down her cheeks and dampening the pillowcase.

The doctor who examined her was a woman named Lin Jingyan, about 35 years old. Seeing Shang Qi weeping, she offered, "Don't cry! You have injuries, you need to rest."

Shang Qi continued to stare at the ceiling, silent. She thought: Was Luo Yichen really controlled by drugs to act so crazily? In all the years she had known him, she believed he was not a frivolous man. If he had been driven by lust, he had plenty of opportunities before. He had no reason to cause such a scene on such an important day.

And why were there so many reporters outside the room? Had someone intentionally led them there? The motive was clear: to expose the event. No, she could not let them succeed.

Seeing Shang Qi lost in thought, Dr. Lin added, "From a medical standpoint, I recommend you take the morning-after pill to prevent any further complications."

Shang Qi nodded. "Doctor, please, do not call the police yet."

Dr. Lin looked at her strangely. "Someone among those who brought you to the hospital has already called the police. They are waiting outside the ward. Given your mental state, I have kept them out for now."

Shang Qi’s eyes darkened, sensing that the situation was already spiraling out of control. "I don't want to see anyone! Please, tell them that."

Dr. Lin nodded in understanding and left the ward.

Yu Xiufen was anxious that Shang Qi had not returned all night. She had a heart condition, and having not slept all night, her lips were turning a faint blue. Shang Wende had also been awake all night; he had called Shang Qi countless times, but none of the calls went through.

Yu Xiufen walked into the living room and was met with the thick smell of cigarettes, causing her to cough violently. Shang Wende sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the front door. The ashtray on the coffee table in front of him was overflowing with cigarette butts. Hearing the coughing, he turned to see Yu Xiufen’s sallow complexion.

"You're not well!" he said. "Why are you up so early?"

"Hasn't Qi'qi come back yet?" she asked anxiously.

"Maybe she was working late and forgot to call. It's happened before!"

"I have a sinking feeling that something bad is going to happen. The child has been preoccupied lately. When I asked her what was wrong, she wouldn't tell me."

Just then, the phone rang. It was the hospital, notifying the family to come and complete the admission paperwork for Shang Qi. The couple vaguely understood the reason for their daughter's hospitalization and were filled with panic.

When they arrived at the hospital and saw Shang Qi lying on the bed with a vacant stare, they were devastated. Yu Xiufen walked to the bedside and took Shang Qi's hand. "Qi'qi, how could this happen?"

Seeing that Shang Qi remained silent, she blamed herself, "I really didn't see the true colors behind that face! Why didn't I see through Luo Yichen sooner?"

"Did Luo Yichen do this to you?" Shang Wende asked furiously.

Shang Qi still said nothing. Tears welled up in her eyes until, finally, large drops rolled down and hit her mother’s hand. She simply closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely.

At that moment, she did not know how to face her parents. Her father had explicitly warned her not to associate with Luo Yichen. If she had listened to him then, none of this would have happened, and they wouldn't be so worried now.