Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Accidental Injury

“Mai Sui!”

Zhang Cui screamed, throwing her arms out to recklessly catch the falling child. The immense force of the impact sent her stumbling backward, falling to the ground with the girl in her arms.

She clutched Mai Sui tightly, shielding her with her entire body as if to block out all the harm in the world.

Only after seeing that Mai Sui was unharmed did Zhang Cui break down into heart-wrenching sobs. “My Mai Sui! My child! Don’t be afraid, Mama’s here! Mama’s here!”

Having landed a successful blow, Li Haixin didn’t hesitate for a second.

He twisted his body with the momentum, his other fist smashing into Wang Jianfeng’s stomach with devastating force.

“URGH!” Wang Jianfeng’s eyes bulged. The sharp pain made him instantly double over like a shrimp.

All the madness and strength were knocked out of him by that single punch, and he crumpled to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.

“Hold him down!”

Li Haixin panted heavily, his bloodshot eyes scanning the young men in the crowd who were already itching to jump in.

“Go!”

The crowd, who had been fuming with suppressed anger, swarmed forward. They all scrambled to pin the boneless heap that was Wang Jianfeng firmly to the ground.

Someone picked up the fruit knife from the ground and tossed it far away.

The tent fell silent for a moment before erupting into a massive uproar.

“That was a good hit!”

“Bastard! He deserves to be beaten to death!”

“Is the child okay? Quick, check on the child!”

“Doctor Su! Quick, check on Mai Sui!”

Su Tang had already rushed to Zhang Cui’s side.

She paid no mind to the cut on her own body, even though the stinging pain made it hard for her to stay steady.

Zhang Cui sat on the ground holding Mai Sui, her whole body trembling. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

Nestled tightly in her mother’s arms, Mai Sui seemed to have exhausted all her energy, leaving only quiet sobs. The faint, bloody line on her neck was especially jarring to see.

“Sister-in-law, let go. Let me see Mai Sui!”

Su Tang knelt beside Zhang Cui, her voice carrying a soothing power as she gently pried open Zhang Cui’s arms, whose knuckles had turned white from gripping too tightly.

Li Haixin strode over as well, his face still etched with unfaded rage and savagery.

But when he saw his wife and daughter huddled together on the ground, that savagery instantly melted into heartache and lingering fear.

He squatted down, carefully placing a hand on Zhang Cui’s violently trembling back.

Li Haixin wanted to touch Mai Sui’s little face, but his hand stopped midway, afraid that he might accidentally hurt the child with his own strength. It hovered, frozen in mid-air.

“It’s okay… It’s okay now… Cui’er, Mai Sui… It’s all over…”

Su Tang quickly examined the wound on Mai Sui’s neck and let out a sigh of relief.

“It’s fine. The cut is very shallow, just a flesh wound. It just needs to be disinfected and bandaged. She’s mostly just suffering from extreme shock.”

She looked up at Li Haixin and Zhang Cui. “Take them back to the house first. I’ll handle things here.”

Li Haixin nodded heavily, his gaze falling on Mai Sui in Zhang Cui’s arms.

Then he glanced at Wang Jianfeng, who was pinned to the ground like a dead dog, able to do nothing but groan in pain. Undisguised killing intent and coldness filled his eyes.

He took off his brand-new blue cloth jacket and carefully wrapped it around Mai Sui, who was only wearing a thin undergarment.

Li Haixin gently took the child from Zhang Cui’s arms, holding her tightly in his own broad, sturdy embrace.

With his other arm, he helped the limp Zhang Cui up from the ground, half-carrying and half-supporting her at his side.

Wang Jianfeng lay like a pile of sludge, pinned to the cold ground. The excruciating pain in his stomach left him capable of nothing but pained groans and twitches.

The crowd’s furious curses and pointed fingers rained down on him like hail.

“Worse than an animal!”

“How could he lay a hand on his own daughter!”

“Send him to the Public Security Bureau! He must be dealt with severely!”

A few strong young men used hemp rope meant for tying firewood to bind Wang Jianfeng in just a few rough, merciless moves.

The rope dug deep into his flesh, making him howl in pain, which only earned him more kicks and punches.

“Stay still!”

Someone kicked him hard.

“You can explain to the comrades at the Public Security Bureau just what kind of ’father’ you are!”

Wang Jianfeng was dragged away. As he passed through the crowd, he was met with countless scornful, furious gazes and several mouthfuls of spit that landed on his face.

The last thing he saw was Li Haixin, as if protecting a priceless treasure.

He was carrying Mai Sui, who was wrapped in his new jacket, and half-embracing the weakened Zhang Cui as he walked step by step toward their new home.

That receding figure represented a stability and support that Wang Jianfeng had never provided in Zhang Cui’s life, and could now never hope to match.

The madness in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only endless despair and fear.

’He knew he was finished.’

The crowd’s uproar gradually subsided, replaced by the hushed discussions of those still shaken by the event.

Su Tang pushed through her own pain to manage the scene, comforting a few frightened elders and asking for help to clean up the ruined ceremony platform.

Only after confirming that Li Haixin didn’t need any more help for the time being did she drag her exhausted body home, enduring the waves of stinging pain in her side.

Just as she reached the entrance to the family residential compound, she saw a dust-covered jeep parked in front of her own courtyard.

The car door opened, and a tall, upright figure leaped out crisply.

It was Lu Xiao, returned from his mission.

He was in his military uniform, road-worn and weary, his face showing the fatigue of a long journey.

But the moment his deep, sharp eyes landed on Su Tang, they immediately caught her unusual pallor and the way she was walking.

“Tangtang?”

Lu Xiao strode toward her, his brow instantly furrowing.

His hawk-like gaze swept over his wife, and he immediately noticed the dirt and blood scraped on her elbow.

He also saw how she was subconsciously holding a hand over her left side, just above her hip.

There, a small, dark stain was spreading on her light-colored clothes.

“What happened?”

Lu Xiao’s voice dropped, carrying an oppressive weight like the calm before a storm.

He reached out to support her, but his movements were exceptionally careful.

When Su Tang saw him, her taut nerves finally relaxed. The pain and exhaustion washed over her in an instant, and she stumbled.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Lu Xiao caught and steadied her, his arm firm and strong.

“I’m fine, it’s just… Sister-in-law Zhang Cui and Master Li were getting married today, and there was a bit of an accident…”

Su Tang tried to downplay it, not wanting to worry him too much.

“An accident?”

Lu Xiao’s gaze locked onto the dark stain on her side, his tone colder and harder than she had ever heard it.

“This injury… was that an accident too?”

Without another word, he half-supported, half-carried her, practically lifting her into the house. His actions were forceful yet gentle as he carefully sat her down on the edge of the bed.

“It’s really nothing. Someone just bumped into me during the chaos, I probably grazed the corner of a table…”

Su Tang tried to explain further.

“Don’t move.”

Lu Xiao cut her off. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a firm, commanding tone.

He turned and took out some clean gauze, disinfectant, and a small bottle of military-issue trauma powder from his satchel.

He knelt on one knee beside the bed and, with extreme gentleness, lifted the fabric of her clothing at her side.

An inch-long gash was revealed. Its edges were red and swollen, slightly peeled back, and still slowly oozing beads of blood.

The wound wasn’t particularly deep, but against her fair, delicate skin, it looked especially vicious.

Lu Xiao’s gaze instantly turned bone-chillingly cold, his jawline tightening like a block of stone.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep