Su Man’s spirits had plummeted as though she’d fallen into the depths of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon.

She felt like the most unlucky person alive!

So. Incredibly. Unlucky!

She’d seen injustice and stepped in to do something about it. She wasn’t hoping for a commendation — but now she had to face interrogation and possible punishment?! She’d already held back her strength!

And she hadn’t even thrown a punch! Hadn’t thrown one! Hadn’t — he’d gone down on his own!

All she could do now was hope the surveillance cameras had captured what happened.

But… there were several trees near that spot. If they happened to be blocking the angle, then she… she would really and truly have terrible luck.

Su Man’s frustration and remorse doubled the moment Su Ma and Li Li and his parents rushed to the hospital!

The instant Su Ma saw her, she rushed over — equal parts furious and heartbroken — and launched into a scolding: “How many times have I told you — don’t be impulsive, don’t be impulsive! You were getting into fights back in school, and now you’ve graduated and you’re still getting into fights? If I had known things would come to this, I wouldn’t have agreed to let you learn all those martial arts and combat techniques no matter what you said! What’s the point of a girl learning all that? What use is it?! Is it so you can drive me to an early grave?! Your father arranged for you to be a traffic officer — wasn’t that perfectly fine? Why did you have to go and stir up trouble?! If anything happens to that man, what then?! Say something! What are you going to do?!”

Su Man stood there with her head lowered, silent.

Her heart ached.

This matter could go either way. In the wrong hands, it could be spun into a story about a privileged official’s daughter running wild in the streets — not only would she face disciplinary action, her father might be called in for questioning too.

In ancient times, she would have been the sinner who brought disgrace upon the family name.

Li Li’s mother pulled Su Ma aside to console her: “Let’s all stay calm, speak calmly — don’t get worked up…”

Su Ma said tearfully, “How can I not be worked up? She’s already this old, and she still has no sense of proportion!”

Li Li’s father stepped forward and asked Su Man: “What’s the situation right now? What are the doctors saying?”

Su Man answered quietly: “The doctors say they can’t determine the cause of the unconsciousness yet. They need to run further tests. A neurosurgery specialist has been called in.”

Li Li’s father glanced over at the young woman in the distance, head bowed and sobbing, then said to Su Man: “Don’t panic. Wait for the test results to come back before thinking about how to handle this. For now, don’t tell your father — he’s still in the hospital himself. Let’s not add to his worries.”

“Understood. Thank you, Uncle.” Su Man gave a small nod. Her whole bearing looked utterly deflated.

With the extent of the injuries still uncertain, any plan of action was equally uncertain. The Li family couple didn’t want to pile more pressure on Su Man, so they gathered around Su Ma and continued to offer comfort and reassurance.

Only Li Li sidled up to Su Man, looking faintly pleased by her misfortune, and said under his breath: “Serves you right, doesn’t it? You thought I was talking nonsense when I called you an idiot — well, did it cross your mind to think about the consequences before you acted?”

Su Man continued to keep her head low, saying nothing.

That was unusual. Su Man had a fiery temper — in the past, she would absolutely have fired back. The fact that she wasn’t saying a word now meant she was probably genuinely hurting.

Li Li looked at her expression and felt himself soften a little. His words came out less cutting than usual.

“Alright, stop looking like a wilted quail. Relax — whatever happens, your parents will sort it out,” Li Li said lightly. “And besides, my parents are here too. They’ve watched over you since you were little. They wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

This time, Su Man finally reacted.

She pressed her lips together in a small movement, and the furrow between her brows eased slightly — then creased even tighter.

Li Li asked her: “You’re not seriously rattled by this little thing, are you?”

Su Man genuinely didn’t want to talk to him. Her mood was already bad enough.

“Manman!…”

From further down the corridor, a man came running — wearing the dress shirt and slacks of a business professional, his expression urgent. It was Lu Yuwen.

The moment Su Man saw him, her eyes went red.

—