Chapter 1034: Fear from the Depths of the Soul

As the smell of disinfectant drifted into her nostrils, Bai Qian Shuang was biting her lower lip, allowing the orthopedic doctor to gently reset her dislocated right wrist.

The piercing pain spread along the joints of her bones, a fine cold sweat beaded on her forehead, yet she didn't utter a sound; only her beautiful almond eyes stared wide, her depths roiling with lingering hostility.

The humiliation of being slapped in public in the shop just now intertwined with the pain in her wrist, like a poisoned thorn lodged in her heart—she could neither pull it out nor swallow it down.

All right, keep it immobilized for three weeks, don't exert yourself, and come back for a follow‑up on time.

The doctor loosened his grip, gave the advice in a flat tone, then turned to write the medical record.

Bai Qian Shuang jerked her hand back, the bandaged wrist stiffly hanging at her side; she rose to her feet, ignored the nurse's offered painkiller, and fled the hospital in her high heels, clacking clack clack.

The street scenery outside the car window flew backward.

In her mind she kept replaying the moment the slap landed—swift and fierce, carrying an unquestionable pressure that left her no chance to dodge.

Damn it!

I'll ruin you sooner or later!

Half an hour later, Bai Qian Shuang, filled to the brim, pushed open the villa gate.

Wang Qigang was sitting on the sofa reading documents; seeing her enter, his gaze fell on her bandaged wrist, his brows slightly furrowed: "What happened?"

What else could it be? I got hit!

Bai Qian Shuang slammed her bag hard onto the coffee table.

Her voice brimming with resentment and fury: "Today in the shop, some clueless jerk came up and slapped me, even dislocating my wrist! Are you going to deal with this or not?"

Wang Qigang set down the documents.

He rose, walked to her front, reached out to touch her wrist, but she jerked away.

"Take charge? How do you intend to take charge?" Wang Qigang's voice gave away no emotion: "Do you know who hit you?"

"How would I know! No matter who it is, I'll ruin him sooner or later!"

Bai Qian Shuang gritted her teeth, a flicker of confusion flashing in her eyes, then instantly replaced by rage: "Just some thug throwing his weight around because he's got a bit of strength—I'll make him pay!"

"A price?" Wang Qigang gave a light laugh, his tone tinged with mockery and helplessness: "You can't afford to provoke him."

"I can't afford to provoke him?"

Bai Qian Shuang sounded as if she'd heard the funniest joke, raising her voice: "In this Wuzhou, is there anyone I, Bai Qian Shuang, can't afford to provoke? Come on, tell me who it is!"

Wang Qigang fell silent for a moment, as if making up his mind about something, then slowly uttered three words: "Lin Dongfan."

"Lin Dongfan?!"

The smile on Bai Qian Shuang's face froze instantly, her pupils contracting, filled with incredulous shock.

In her impression, Lin Dongfan was a man in Wuzhou who could turn clouds and rain with a flip of his hand, his methods ruthless, his background unfathomable, always the object everyone sought to curry favor with.

Back when Wang Qigang fell from power, she had even fantasized about finding a chance to curry favor with Lin Dongfan.

She never imagined that, before she even had a chance to climb up, this man had already publicly slapped several people hard, leaving no room for mercy.

Seeing Bai Qian Shuang listless and dispirited, Wang Qigang sighed and added: "Besides, that car accident you thought happened never actually occurred."

"It didn't happen?" Bai Qian Shuang snapped her head up to look at him, her eyes full of confusion: "What do you mean? Are you lying to me?"

Wang Qigang remained silent.

"Are you afraid of him? That's why you dare not show yourself?"

Bai Qian Shuang went on speaking, and like a lit firecracker she exploded: "You went to the Pearl Jade Pavilion, yet stood by and watched me get beaten up! Wang Qigang, are you even a man?!"

She trembled with rage, her chest heaving, and a curse burst from her lips: "What a spineless coward! How could I, Bai Qian Shuang, have known such a useless wretch!"

!!!

Wang Qigang's scalp went numb from being scolded.

He grabbed Bai Qian Shuang's hand, speaking patiently: "Now isn't the time to vent your emotions. Qian Qian, listen to me—pack up quickly and leave the country at once."

"Leave the country?" Bai Qian Shuang stopped cursing, eyeing him suspiciously: "Why should I leave the country?"

"You know it in your heart—why force me to spell it out?"

Wang Qigang wore a look of helplessness, thinking: You previously registered a shell company to reap benefits, leaving a mess for the Mortal Group to clean up.

This will eventually be exposed.

Moreover, Meng Qinghe has already been taken in hand by the Commission for Discipline Inspection; once his testimony is broken, you won't be able to leave even if you wanted to.

Seeing Bai Qian Shuang angry but silent, Wang Qigang urged again: "Let's go, the sooner the better. Listen to me—first go abroad to lay low, then after a while, when things have cooled down, we'll make other plans."

"I get it—you're afraid that if I stay here I'll drag you down!"

Bai Qian Shuang coldly fixed Wang Qigang with a stare, her eyes full of anger and disappointment.

She furiously rebuked Wang Qigang: "I've been with you since I was eighteen, giving you all my youth! When you were demoted four ranks, did I ever leave you? I treated you as a man, yet you fucking treat me like a toy—something to play with and toss aside! Wang, I really was blind to have misjudged you!"

!!!

Wang Dian Gang wore a black line of gloom on his head.

After Along silence he finally spoke: "I told you to go abroad to protect you, because I don't want to see you in jail. How did I end up treating you like a toy? If I really saw you as a toy, you'd already be in the trash."

"Heh heh, Wang Qigang, you've finally spoken what's really on your mind, right? You want to silence me! You want to dispose of me like trash?!" Bai Qian Shuang's smile turned cold, her eyes brimming with endless hatred.

Wang Qigang just couldn't fathom why this woman's train of thought was so abnormal.

I told you to leave, but you won't!

Say a couple more words, and you'll twist them to claim I'm trying to silence you!

Why must you insist on staying in the country?

By now, do you still think I can turn the tide and suppress everything? How naïve!

If I had that ability, how could I have been demoted four ranks in the first place?

Wang Qigang grew more and more vexed, feeling that any explanation was superfluous; he might as well cut it off, turn, and walk to the study: "I've already booked your ticket for tomorrow morning at ten. If you're willing to go, that's best. If you truly don't want to go, then I can only accompany you to die in Wuzhou. I'm utterly powerless."

"Wang Qigang, you bastard!"

Wang Qigang's final remark of utter powerlessness completely shattered Bai Qian Shuang's last shred of fantasy; her emotions collapsed in an instant, she grabbed a cushion from the sofa and hurled it at him.

A pillow won't hurt anyone if you hit them with it.

But Bai Qian Shuang was truly desperate; tears welled in her eyes, ready to fall.

She never liked going abroad; it wasn't that she didn't yearn for life overseas, but she was afraid. There are dozens of languages in the world; besides Chinese, she doesn't understand any of them.

Once she enters an unfamiliar environment, living a life of talking past each other like chickens and ducks, how will she get by from then on?

Whenever she thinks of these things.

She then hesitates and backs away.

Even though someone once told her that modern instant translation tools are very convenient and can already enable barrier-free communication, she still fears.