CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 143; DON’T TRY ANYTHING WITH ZHOU YUXI

His next words, however, were addressed to the guards: "Escort Miss Xu and Mr. Xu back to the general wing. Make sure they don’t stray again for tonight as bullets and blades don’t have eyes, I don’t want them to blame someone and regret their life decisions. If they have questions, they can leave a note at the reception, and we will get their message; they better not disturb Third Master Mu. He’s very busy tonight."

"Yes, Master Su!"

MingZhu opened her mouth, fury blazing behind her eyes, but Chenxi gripped her wrist and practically dragged her back down the corridor before she could humiliate them any further. Since there was no entrance, then there was nothing to do about it.

When their retreating figures turned the corner, Su Feng’s polite smile faded, replaced by an expression as cold and sharp as a glinting drawn blade that could blind anyone.

He turned to one of the guards.

"Double the security rotations tonight. If she tries anything reckless again, inform me immediately. I don’t care whose daughter she is or the family she comes from. Watch every one of their moves.."

The guard bowed their heads respectfully... "Yes, sir."

Su Feng glanced once in the direction of Zhou Yuxi’s wardroom door, there was calm before another storm brewed. He felt like the night would be too intense and he was waiting for them to come knocking at their doors.

He turned around and strode back inside, his steps echoing down the silent corridor, a silent promise that no one would touch what he had sworn to protect.

— — — — —

"Chenxi how can you be a coward like this?" Xu MingZhu was infuriated as the elevator took them to the general wing floor. The doors opened as they exited.

"What else did you want? Week? Don’t you see he has a blade and stains of blood? So you want his blade to fall in you!" Xu Chenxi was mad that she wasn’t noticing their situation.

The private elevator hummed softly as it carried Xu MingZhu and Xu Chenxi down from the high-security ward floor to the general wing of the hospital.

The gleaming walls reflected MingZhu’s stormy expression as she stood rigid, arms crossed tight over her chest, eyes narrowed at the numbers blinking above the doors.

"You...! Xu Chenxi dragged her away.

The hallway lights illuminated on MingZhu’s contorted face, cheeks flushed with fury, eyes burning with hatred so intense it made Chenxi’s skin crawl.

She finally hissed through clenched teeth withdrawing her hand away from him, her voice trembling with rage, "Coward! You are nothing but a spineless dog wagging its tail for scraps! How dare you drag me away like that?!"

Chenxi slammed his hand against the wall, snapping her mouth shut for a heartbeat. "Wake up, MingZhu! Are you blind? Did you not see Su Feng’s eyes? He would have gouged yours out without blinking, and then what? You think Mu Yunchen would spare you even for a gaze? Hah! You would be dead before dawn, and no one would care apart from our parents, who would be saddened."

MingZhu turned away, her chest heaving, nails digging so deep into her palms that tiny crescents of blood oozed out. Her eyes glowed with madness under the passing streetlights.

"You should know that Zhou Yuxi is Third Master Mu’s bottom line; don’t you dare cross it! You will die a painful death!" He strongly cautioned her.

"I hate her... I really hate her!" she spat out, her voice raw and openly exposing her emotions, "She’s nothing! A nameless bastard from the countryside! And yet... look at them, Mu Yunchen, and Su Feng, all of them are kneeling at her feet like loyal dogs. She should have died long ago. She has no right to stand so high above me!"

Chenxi exhaled sharply, exhaustion etched into his face. He raked a hand through his hair. "And what do you plan to do? Walk back in there and kill her yourself? You’re crazy, MingZhu. You’re going to drag the entire Xu family down if you keep poking that hornet’s nest. Third Master Mu isn’t just a rich man; he’s a monster; you should have known that by now. And Su Feng? Don’t even dream about surviving his wrath."

MingZhu’s lips curled into a twisted smile. "Then what do you suggest, dear brother? Should I kneel before that wench and beg for scraps like you do? If I like it I will fight for it! Mu Yunchen is my man, my man!"

Chenxi’s fists were tightly clenched, left speechless; what word wasn’t she understanding, "Listen to me carefully, from tonight onward, forget about Mu Yunchen; he doesn’t exist, and so does Zhou Yuxi. They are not within your reach. Stay away from them."

She only laughed, a brittle, hollow sound that bounced around the confines of the walls as they walked back to the wardroom. "You are right, brother. I should forget... for today. But mark my words, Xu MingZhu never forgets, I will come up with a plan! Mu Yunchen is my man and no one... Absolutely no one should dream of having him.

Chenxi turned to look at her, his jaw tight, eyes wary. "Don’t do anything foolish."

They walked over and got close to other family members.

"How is she? Did you see her?" Qin Zhilin was worried about her situation even though they had some misunderstandings.

"How is her condition?" Qin Wenhao worriedly queried. They had a fight, but still, Mu Yunchen was their friend, and Zhou Yuxi assisted them in completing some missions that the government recognized their work and even promoted them to higher military ranks.

"How is she?" Xu Tianyu, Old Master Xu, the patriarch also inquired worriedly.

Xu Chenxi’s body stiffened when they approached the waiting room where the rest of the Xu family had gathered.

It was quieter here, a low hum of worried murmurs, the smell of antiseptic, and the dull beep of a monitor drifting from the adjoining room where an elderly relative dozed fitfully on a cot.

Qin Zhilin’s sharp eyes flicked from MingZhu’s flushed, furious face to Chenxi’s strained expression.

"Well?" Zhilin demanded, his voice low but heavy with command. "Did you get in? Did you see her condition? How was it? What happened?"

Qin Wenhao stepped closer, face drawn with concern. "Yuxi, how bad is her condition? Yunchen hasn’t answered any of our calls. We need to have a follow-up meeting with Zhou Yuxi."

Xu Tianyu, the Old Master Xu himself, leaned forward from the padded bench where a junior cousin was massaging his shoulders exhausted.

Though age had bent him, the glint in his eyes was still cold and calculating. "Speak, Chenxi. How is Zhou Yuxi? Did you see Third Master Mu? How are things with them?"

Chenxi hesitated for a split second, then bowed low, choosing his words carefully. "Father, Miss Zhou is stable for now but heavily guarded. Third Master Mu has locked down the entire ward and no visitors, or any information leaks. Su Feng confronted us directly. We... we were warned not to cross the threshold again tonight."

MingZhu scoffed, voice dripping with acid. "Warned? Hah! We were threatened at a knifepoint, more like it! That dog, Su Feng, nearly took my eyes out for merely asking after her health condition. And that wretch inside pretends to be some fragile fairy, she’s nothing but trouble for Mu Yunchen!"

Her harsh voice drew a few nervous glances from other relatives lingering in the hallway.

Qin Wenhao shot her a subtle glare to keep her volume down but the Old Master just waved him off, fixing his sharp gaze on MingZhu.

"Enough with your tantrums. Chenxi did the right thing to drag you back. Don’t go around provoking Third Master Mu," Tianyu rasped, his tone as unyielding as ever. "This is not the countryside anymore, MingZhu. You think Mu Yunchen cares for your petty jealousy? He will slit your throat before dawn if you try to touch that girl again."

MingZhu’s chest heaved but she bit back a retort, eyes blazing with quiet hatred instead.

Qin Zhilin loudly sighed while he rubbed his brow. "Don’t try anything with Zhou Yuxi... Don’t think she is a country girl, and you can mess with her anyway! You don’t want to receive her wrath!" Zhou Yuxi could look gentle and distant, but she was a lethal poison.