At a villa on the outskirts of the city, Bai Shangmo was sipping tea, with two men standing before him, brows furrowed.

Bai Shangmo spoke calmly, “Didn’t I say to shoot He Ju as soon as he appeared? Why didn’t you fire when he stood outside for over ten minutes?”

Though his tone was even, Bai Shangmo had set down his teacup and was quietly regarding Zheng You.

Zheng You glanced at Qiu Shaoze, who sat silently to the side, and replied with composure, “Boss Bai, you should be asking your son.”

At the time, Zheng You had the opportunity, but Qiu Shaoze insisted they wait until there were more guests before taking action. Zheng You had even asked if they should move then, but Qiu Shaoze wanted to teach the Bai family a lesson by striking in public.

Zheng You didn’t mind; he wouldn’t get caught and could escape easily, but…

Suddenly, Bai Shangmo turned his gaze to Qiu Shaoze: “What did you do?”

Qiu Shaoze slid off the sofa, knelt on the floor, and recounted the events. He only wanted to vent for Bai Shangmo, so he delayed, hoping to instill fear of Bai Shangmo in the Bai family.

The result was the opposite of what was intended.

Not only were He Ju and Si Hua unharmed, but they had also caught the attention of Bai Yao.

Bai Shangmo had hired a hitman from overseas to avoid detection, but now, they had inadvertently alerted their prey, and Qiu Shaoze had even been spotted at the scene?

Bai Shangmo was livid.

In the ensuing silence, Bai Shangmo spoke, “Zheng You, you’ve been exposed. You can’t stay in the country anymore.”

After speaking, he turned to the man beside Zheng You, “Xu Le, give Zheng You the remaining half a million in cash and see him off on a boat.”

Xu Le nodded, “Yes, boss. Everything’s ready; Mr. Zheng can leave now.”

Zheng You said, “Thank you, Boss Bai, for keeping your word.”

After speaking, Zheng You left with his guitar case. It was then that Bai Shangmo gave Xu Le a look, and Xu Le, understanding, left as well.

Qiu Shaoze then trembled out, “Dad…”

Bai Shangmo’s gaze turned icy as he grabbed a teacup and smashed it on Qiu Shaoze’s head, blood mingling with tea leaves as it ran down his head.

Qiu Shaoze didn’t utter a sound.

Bai Shangmo scoffed, “If you weren’t my son, you’d face more than just shedding some blood today, you fool!”

Head bowed, Qiu Shaoze was unreadable, “I was wrong, Dad.”

Bai Shangmo commanded, “From today, stay at home and don’t go anywhere. Do you hear me?!”

Qiu Shaoze replied, “I hear you.”

Bai Shangmo’s anger subsided slightly, “Who’s that girl you mentioned?”

Qiu Shaoze said, “Liu Jia, her family’s business isn’t that big.”

He then took out his phone, found Liu Jia’s photo, and handed it to Bai Shangmo.

Bai Shangmo glanced at it, “Send this photo to my phone. This girl can’t be left alone.”

Qiu Shaoze looked up, puzzled, “Dad, Liu Jia is just a student, she’s not a threat. There’s no need for such drastic measures…”

Bai Shangmo looked at him coolly, “Getting soft?”

Qiu Shaoze was silent for two seconds, “It’s nothing. I just think Liu Jia is innocent and shouldn’t be dragged into this.”

Bai Shangmo replied, “Since she was at the scene and disrupted our plans, she’s not innocent. Leave this to me.”

With that, Bai Shangmo stood and left, “A doctor will come soon to dress your wound.”

Qiu Shaoze then clutched at his injury, wincing.

He also thought of Liu Jia.

In his eyes, Liu Jia was a fragile girl, yet she had dared to confront Zheng You for He Ju’s sake, a man known for his ruthlessness.

Qiu Shaoze had always looked down on Su Ran, but he never underestimated Liu Jia beside her.

She seemed delicate, but her spirit was stronger than anyone’s.

That brat He Ju, not only had he won Si Hua’s heart and body, but also Liu Jia’s admiration. What did he have to deserve this?

Qiu Shaoze returned to his room and sent a simple text to Liu Jia from another phone: “If you want to live, leave City A tonight.”

After sending it, he deleted the message, destroyed the SIM card, and threw the phone into the sea from his window.

He didn’t like Liu Jia, but he believed in directing his hatred appropriately. He despised He Ju, but there was no need to involve Liu Jia, who had no quarrel with him.

After the family doctor had dressed his wound and half an hour had passed, Qiu Shaoze finally sent the photo to Bai Shangmo.

That was all he could do.

Whether Liu Jia survived depended on how she viewed the message.

Meanwhile, Liu Jia, having slept much during the day, was still awake near dawn when she saw the message.

She hesitated only a moment before calling Bai Yan.

The Bai family had shares in the domestic airports.

Unable to judge the authenticity of the text, Liu Jia trusted her instincts. Staying would only burden her friends; leaving quickly was the right choice.

Her family’s roots in the country were nearly gone, and booking a flight late at night was difficult for her. After Bai Yan answered the call, she explained the situation.

Bai Yan wanted to tell her she could stay, that he could send protection, but…

Liu Jia had made up her mind, and there were too many uncertainties in the country.

So Bai Yan said, “Alright, Jia Jia, pack your bags now. Have the bodyguard at the door take you to the airport. I’ll figure something out.”

After hanging up, Liu Jia rushed to the airport.

Bai Yan called the airport, only to learn that the 2:30 a.m. flight was fully booked, even in first class.

Bai Yan then said, “Ask around, I’ll pay ten times the price for someone willing to wait for the next flight.”

In Bai Yan’s view, money could solve any problem.

Liu Jia was in this predicament because of He Ju and his sister Si Hua. Both publicly and privately, he felt obliged to fulfill her request and find a way to protect her.

No one would find Liu Jia’s flight information. He hoped that once she left, she would meet someone she truly loved and have a good family.

Tempted by Bai Yan’s money, a first-class passenger agreed to wait for the next flight.

Bai Yan planned to personally see Liu Jia off at the airport, so he got up, only to have his girlfriend emerge from the covers, rubbing her sleepy eyes and cooing, “I’ll go with you.”

Bai Yan leaned in to kiss Song Nian Nian’s round cheeks, “Be good, Nian Nian, sleep. I’m going to the airport to see off Jia Jia.”

Now awake, Song Nian Nian hugged Bai Yan, gave him a peck, slipped on her slippers, and scurried to the kitchen, “Hurry and change, I’ll pack some food for Jia Jia to eat on the way. I’m coming with you!”