Chapter 169: A Beautiful She-Tiger

Xiao Xiaofeng’s surgery was a complete success, and he was transferred to the observation room afterward precisely to prevent any post-operative complications. Unable to enter her younger brother’s sterile ward, Xiao Rou could only keep watch outside, which left her lonely mind to wander and fret endlessly.

What on earth had happened to Chu Dong? Was he injured that night? Did he really come just for a blind date? Did he have feelings for that wealthy young lady? An inexplicable panic washed over her, accompanied by a vague and heavy sorrow...

Qian Feng had been shooed out of the hospital by the security guards. No one dared to show him any deference, but he threw a massive tantrum in the hospital lobby, kicking over the waiting area chairs and even threatening to smash the registration desk’s glass. He made a huge, non-stop scene, completely past the point of caring about his own dignity. Yet, for all his rowdiness, he still retained enough sense not to disrupt Xiao Xiaofeng’s surgery.

Once outside the gates of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Qian Feng felt he should call Director Liang at the detention center to find out how things had gone, or he would burst from sheer frustration. Pulling out his phone, he remembered he had turned it off upon entering the hospital to avoid disturbing the surgery. He powered it on, found the number, and dialed. Before he could even utter a word, Director Liang started interrogating him first.

"My dear ancestor, you've finally turned your phone on!" Director Liang’s voice practically carried a sob. "Just who on earth did you ask me to deal with? Even Big Fool Hui fell completely into his hands. A perfectly fine man is still unconscious right now. Is that guy a bodyguard from Zhongnanhai or something?"

"What are you talking about? You mean you didn't pull it off?" Qian Feng’s temper flared instantly. "You promised me the earth just yesterday, and now you have the nerve to ask me?"

"Second Young Master, that's not how you frame it. You have to understand, I really gave it my all this time. Even Big Fool Hui couldn't handle him; I am completely out of options." Director Liang sounded somewhat displeased, yet he forced himself to hold back as he spoke with extreme grievance.

He was actually telling the truth. Director Liang had abused his authority to reassign unfamiliar rookie guards and unlawfully placed violent felons and criminal suspects in the same cell. If anything went wrong, he would never be able to shirk the blame.

"What exactly happened? Why wasn't it done by last night?" Qian Feng forcibly suppressed his anger and asked Old Liang in a low voice.

"In the middle of the night, I had people move Big Fool Hui into that kid's cell. You know Big Fool Hui, right? He was the one who helped take care of Sha Kui a few years back. But it wasn't long before a fight broke out inside. I thought Big Fool Hui taking down a sick cat would be as easy as reaching out and grabbing it. But nobody expected that after tossing about for less half an hour, Big Fool Hui got knocked out cold. Cleaning up this mess has been a nightmare for me," Director Liang sighed heavily. He had wanted to pocket some quick cash, never imagining it would lead to this state.

"Fine. I'll still pay you, so wipe that mourning face of yours. I refuse to believe he's made of cast iron. Just handle the matter with Big Fool Hui first, and don't worry about the rest." After hanging up, Qian Feng felt as though the entire world was conspiring against him. With a sweep of his arm, he smashed his ten-thousand-yuan phone into tiny pieces right at the hospital entrance.

Tan Xue had also roughly figured out the ins and outs of Chu Dong's incident over the past couple of days. She was well aware of Xiao Rou's situation; little Yu'er had a loose tongue, and with a little coaxing, she would spill everything—especially since what Chu Dong had done was entirely an honorable and righteous deed. Upon hearing that such arrogant young masters actually existed in the capital, Tan Xue grew so furious that her sharp tongue spared no one.

"Uncle Li, you knew full well what kind of person Liu'an is, yet you still invited him to participate in the competition to select a husband for Lanlan. Have you forgotten to take your medicine today?"

Li Tianming was left speechless by the barrage. Though he felt somewhat uncomfortable being so harshly rebuked by Tan Xue, she was speaking the hard truth, and he could only lower his head in resignation, admitting that his previous thinking had been rather naive.

"I figured if Lanlan could bring someone home herself, the family wouldn't have to worry. But the old man insisted on holding a selection, so I had no choice but to bring a couple of candidates back. It's not like I forced Lanlan to choose them," the old man mumbled, barely able to maintain his composure under Tan Xue's scolding.

Hearing this, Tan Xue stuck out her tongue. "I'm sorry, Uncle Li. I wronged you. Then why didn't you say so earlier? You had us all on edge for nothing!"

"Actually, this was out of my hands. The Li family's reputation and enterprise are this big only because everyone chipped in to support us. Without that collective effort, Tianhai couldn't have grown to where it is today. There are old favors and past ties; every single aspect has to be considered. People say it's just the Li family marrying off a daughter, but in reality, it's more like coming to the Li family early to divide up the family assets," Li Tianming said with lingering resentment before suddenly deflating. "Yet, what other choice do I have?"

"Uncle Li, if you ask me, you're smart for a lifetime but foolish for a moment," Tan Xue pouted as she 'lectured' Li Tianming.

"How so? This truly wasn't my voluntary choice!" Li Tianming still felt he hadn't made any grave mistakes and tried to defend himself.

"Hehe, don't you go unconvinced, Uncle Li." Acting as if she were in her own home, Tan Xue kicked off her slippers, tucked her legs wearing white cotton socks under her, and sat cross-legged on the sofa. "Look, what did you build this family fortune for? Wasn't it so you could live a better life, and so Lanlan could live comfortably in the future without suffering anymore? Right, and of course for some kind of family honor—that's what Big Brother Dong says, anyway. But in my view, all of that is just illusory nonsense. Only men take those things seriously."

Seeing Li Tianming nod, Tan Xue began counting on her fingers as she continued her analysis. "Actually, you guys have no idea what we really want. For instance, when it comes to clothing, you think the best is always designer brands, and you'd even love to pack up the world's finest hand-crafted workshops and move them into the house for custom tailoring. But we don't think like that at all! We feel that wandering around the streets and wearing something that costs a few dozen yuan is just as much fun! Money? Sure, you can't live without it, but what's the use of having too much? Are you going to stack it up like building blocks? As the old saying goes, children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. By worrying too much, you just pile endless pressure onto us. Did you know that?"

Probably only someone like Tan Xue, born with a golden spoon in her mouth, could ever think and speak in such a manner. Yet her words felt like a window had been thrown open in Li Tianming's heart. He began to wonder if the love and care he had shown his daughter all these years was even correct. The path he had painstakingly arranged for her might not be the best or the most suitable; instead of loving her, he might have been harming her.

Noticing the look of sudden realization on Li Tianming's power, Tan Xue felt immensely proud of her own wisdom. She lowered her head to slip her feet back into her little slippers, walked over to the elderly man, and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him with an air of seasoned maturity and pride: "Uncle Li, I've been through a lot to figure this out, so you don't need to feel so down!"

"Hey! You little brat, trying to lecture me with your grand theories, are you?" Li Tianming was both exasperated and amused. He picked up a book from the table and raised his hand playfully, prompting Tan Xue to scamper away, turning back to make a funny face at him.

Before long, Li Youlan and Tan Xue came back down from upstairs, announcing to Li Tianming that they were going out shopping. Li Tianming figured that because of the incident involving Chu Dong, the two girls hadn't been happy these past couple of days; letting them go out for a stroll would be a good way to clear their heads. However, shortly after, the drivers and security guards he had assigned to accompany them returned, saying they had been chased away. The moment Li Tianming heard this, he knew trouble was brewing—there was no telling what kind of chaos these two girls were about to cause.

In truth, Tan Xue and Li Youlan had no specific destination in mind as they hailed a cab and headed straight for the place where Chu Dong had met with trouble.

Arriving at the entrance of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the two of them stepped out and looked at the bustling crowd. There was not a single trace left of the fierce and brutal conflict that had taken place here. Fortunately, Tan Xue was quick-witted; she figured that if outsiders didn't know, the local police station definitely would. Without missing a beat, the two girls rushed over to the Dongdan Police Station, marching in with full momentum to demand answers.

Standing before the police station gates, Li Youlan felt a twinge of timidity, having never set foot in such a place before. Tan Xue, however, showed not an ounce of fear. Back in Dalian, she had once turned a municipal police branch upside down—would she be scared of a tiny local station?

"Follow me, it's fine," Tan Xue grabbed Li Youlan's hand and marched right inside.

"Hello, please wait a moment," a duty officer called out, blocking their path as he noticed their somewhat furtive demeanor. He looked them up and down, momentarily dazed; it was rare to see girls this stunning enter a police station, let alone two at once.

"How may I help you two young ladies?" the duty officer asked cautiously.

"We're here to see your boss," Tan Xue declared, lifting her chin slightly and tossing her ponytail with an air of utmost authority.

"You need to see our supervisor? What about?" The duty officer couldn't figure out their intentions and certainly couldn't just point them down the hall.

"Actually, seeing your supervisor isn't strictly necessary," Tan Xue said, her large eyes rolling as she changed her mind. "Why don't you just tell me instead?"

"Tell you what?" The duty officer felt a sudden surge of nervousness as the delicate and exceptionally pretty beauty suddenly leaned in close.

"Didn't you guys arrest a guy named Chu Dong? Where is he?" Tan Xue's voice turned exceptionally sweet, its sugar content easily exceeding the maximum limit.

"Him? He..." The duty officer caught himself just in time. The station chief had strictly ordered that nothing was to be leaked, and for a split second, he had almost spilled the beans. He quickly scrambled to cover himself, "I have no idea where he is."

"You don't know? Fine, then I'll go find your boss myself." Tan Xue grabbed Li Youlan and headed straight for the side corridor, scanning the nameplates on the doors as they walked while muttering under her breath, "Duty Room, Logistics, Captain's Office..."

"Stop, stop right there... Don't just barge inside! Hey, what are you two doing? Wait a second, hey..." The duty officer hurried after them, protesting loudly. When words failed to stop them, he reached out to grab Tan Xue's arm.

Did Tan Xue care about that? She glared with her large eyes and snapped, "Let go! Take your hands off me!" Seeing the duty officer hesitate, Tan Xue raised her foot to kick him. Had the officer not retracted his hand quickly, she would have left two rows of little teeth marks right on him. "How dare you lay a hand on me? You're asking for trouble..."

Frightening the officer back several paces, Tan Xue proudly flicked her ponytail, curled her lips in disdain, and pulled the silent Li Youlan along to continue their search. Failing to find anything downstairs, they headed upstairs, treating the place with less formality than their own homes. Finally, losing what little patience she had left, Tan Xue raised her voice and shouted, "Who's in charge here? Is anyone in charge? If someone's in charge, get out here right now, or I'm going to smash this door down!"

The duty officer wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. Just a moment ago, he had thought these young ladies possessed faces and figures that were top-tier, speaking with such gentle and polite tones. How had they turned into roaring lionesses in the blink of an eye? The only difference was that this particular lioness happened to be exceptionally beautiful...