Chapter 208: Who Do You Think You Are?

Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Who Do You Think You Are?

"Where are the ones who hit my sister?"

Only then did Director Cheng notice that Yang Lei was standing there all alone, without so much as a shadow behind him.

"You came by yourself?" he asked with a frown.

Yang Lei hung his head.

"I’m here to admit I was wrong and to apologize."

Shen Rongdan scoffed. "You’re here to apologize?"

"Who do you think you are?"

Director Cheng quickly raised a hand to stop him.

"Rong Dan, calm down first. Let me—let me get the story straight."

Shen Rongdan didn’t even bother to look up.

"I’m in no rush."

He raised his hand and pointed at the hospital room door. "My own sister is lying in there, pregnant with a child. The two of them were nearly lost in there. Director Cheng, and you’re telling me not to rush?"

"Heh. Easy for you to say."

This made Director Cheng even more tense.

Every one of Shen Rongdan’s words was barbed, yet he could only nod repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, this whole thing is infuriating. Anyone who heard about it would be upset."

As he spoke, he grabbed Yang Lei’s arm.

"What on earth were you thinking?"

"You’ve made such a huge mess, and you’re still trying to cover it up?"

Yang Lei clenched his jaw, his cheeks tight and his eyes bloodshot.

"She won’t come!"

"She won’t come?"

Director Cheng was so angry he almost laughed. His lips twitched into a humorless smile, but no sound came out.

"I told her I want a divorce!"

Yang Lei’s voice was hollow, and his shoulders slumped.

Seeing him like this, Director Cheng couldn’t help but sigh.

"If she’s causing this much trouble, then just get a divorce!"

After a pause, he shot a quick glance toward Shen Rongdan, pulled Yang Lei into a corner, and lowered his voice.

"But about what happened today... your wife and your mother-in-law, they have to make a trip to the hospital. Otherwise..."

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning couldn’t have been clearer.

"That’s Mr. Shen’s daughter."

Yang Lei’s head shot up, his pupils constricting.

"Mr. Sh—"

Director Cheng waved his hand dismissively.

"With your wife acting like that, why didn’t you say something sooner?"

But Yang Lei was stuck on one thing.

"But didn’t Director Li say that the couple was from Ning City?"

"They are from Ning City."

Director Cheng nodded, his expression darkening.

"Mr. Shen’s daughter was abducted as a child and only found last year. They were separated for a full twenty years... The family just reunited, and you had to go and walk right into the line of fire."

"Sigh... I never heard them mention any of this," Yang Lei managed to choke out.

’If I’d known He Wei was just making empty promises, why would I have been foolish enough to even think about swapping houses?’

He raised a hand and—SLAP!—he struck himself across the face. The sound echoed, seeming to make the whole corridor tremble.

His palm stung, and his knuckles were slightly numb.

’That certainly cleared my head.’

’Right from the start, I had a bad feeling about this.’

’But I just frowned and didn’t stop them. If I had just grabbed her back then...’

’Maybe none of this would have happened.’

Just as the sound of the slap faded, a group of people surged in from the end of the corridor.

The first ones to rush in were Shen Zhenwu and Yang Wanqing.

Following close behind were Shen Rongjing, Shen Lixin, and Guo Shushu, who was carrying a cloth bag.

The entire family’s faces were as taut as drawn bowstrings, fire simmering in their eyes.

Yang Wanqing’s gaze landed on Shen Rongdan, and she blurted out a question.

"Where’s Song Yao?"

Shen Rongdan had already explained the whole story to her over the phone.

But hearing about it was one thing; seeing her own family member—a pregnant Song Yao, no less—bullied right under their noses was another.

Even Yang Wanqing’s breaths seemed to come out sharp.

"In here."

Shen Rongdan pushed the door to the hospital room open.

Song Yao was lounging on the hospital bed, flipping through channels on the TV.

"Song Yao! Song Yao!"

She sat up straight.

"Huh?"

’Grandma?’

’How did she get involved in this?’

’What if the stress makes her sick...?’

Before her feet even touched the ground, Song Yao started to scoot toward the edge of the bed.

The moment Yang Wanqing entered and saw her about to step on the floor barefoot, she threw up a hand.

"Shh, don’t move!"

Then she rushed to the bedside in a few quick strides.

"Lie back down! Lie flat! Don’t get up!"

She reached out to support Song Yao’s lower back.

Song Yao grabbed her grandmother’s wrist.

"Grandma, why did you come all the way here?"

Her voice softened, taking on a slightly nasal tone.

"I’m fine, it’s just..."

Afraid of worrying her family, she was about to say it was nothing, but Yang Wanqing immediately pressed a finger to her lips.

"Shh, your second brother told me everything on the phone. Lie down now, be good."

Hearing that Shen Rongdan had already reported everything...

Song Yao’s shoulders relaxed, and she obediently snuggled back under the covers, resting her head neatly on the pillow.

Only then did Yang Wanqing pull over a chair, sit down, and fix her gaze on her.

"They’ve been bullying you all this time, so why didn’t you tell Grandma sooner? Were you afraid I wouldn’t do anything, or that I don’t have enough pull to make a difference?"

Song Yao’s face grew a little warm.

"Well... they never got physical before. It was just that He Wei who was always pestering me. Who would’ve thought... that her mom and dad would dare to use their own elderly parent as a human shield?"

Yang Wanqing’s brows knitted together.

"Hmph, playing the part of a senile old person? Fine. I’ll have a good long ’chat’ with her later."

Just then, Guo Shushu leaned in, hugging the cloth bag to her chest, and winked at the grandmother and granddaughter.

"If a real argument breaks out later, Grandma, you just stand in the back. Don’t push your way to the front. It’s not worth it if you get bumped or hurt."

Song Yao: "..."

Huh?

’Is this the same sister-in-law who usually covers her mouth even when she coughs?’

Outside the hospital room.

Shen Zhenwu was surrounded by Director Cheng and the others at the doorway, physically blocked from entering.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Director Cheng first introduced himself, then recounted the events, his every sentence laced with apology.

Shen Zhenwu just stood there, unmoving.

Yang Lei stood beside him with his head hung low and his shoulders hunched, looking just like a schoolboy being scolded.

But Shen Zhenwu’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest.

He didn’t yell, but simply asked in a flat tone,

"Has Liang Youwen arrived yet?"

"Le-Leader Liang..."

Yang Lei looked up just in time to see another group of people flooding in from the end of the hall.

The man in the lead, who had a buzz cut and shoulders broad enough to carry two sacks of rice, was none other than the Liang Youwen whom Shen Zhenwu had specifically summoned.

"Mr. Shen!"

Liang Youwen was breathing heavily, his forehead shiny with sweat from running. He stopped before them and snapped to a salute.

Shen Zhenwu gave a slight nod and gestured with his hand toward Director Cheng.

"You handle things here as you see fit. I need to go in and see my daughter."

Of course, someone had to take charge of the situation.

But for someone of Shen Zhenwu’s status to stand around arguing about right and wrong with these people?

It wouldn’t just be stooping to their level; it would be devaluing himself.

Having a cadre of appropriate rank step in both demonstrated the gravity of the situation and preserved his own dignity.

Liang Youwen immediately straightened his back.

"Understood! Please, go on in. Don’t let us delay you!"

Only then did Shen Zhenwu lead Shen Rongjing and the others into the room, pulling Li Hanchen inside with them as he went.

As soon as the door closed, Shen Zhenwu patted Li Hanchen’s shoulder.

"Don’t get worked up. They’ll definitely give us an answer on the spot today."

The moment Shen Zhenwu stepped inside...

Liang Youwen beckoned to Director Cheng and Yang Lei.

The three of them quickly retreated to the wall diagonally opposite the hospital room and stood in a line.

"Cheng Haiwei, how do you normally manage your team?"

"Can you even handle your own affairs?"

"If you can’t, we’ll find someone who can."

His scolding was loud, but also precisely calculated.

Director Cheng’s eyelid twitched at the questions, and he didn’t dare lift his head.

Yang Lei’s face burned with shame. He took a half step forward, his toes nearly touching the base of the wall.

"Leader, this is my fault. It really has nothing to do with Director Cheng."

"Who said you’re not at fault?"

Liang Youwen glared.

"Hah?"

"You can’t even control one woman? She was entrusted to you. Are you raising a wife, or are you worshiping a goddess?"

Yang Lei’s throat tightened, and the back of his neck turned red.

Just then, He Wei arrived, unwillingly dragged and pushed along by her mother, Wu Xin.