12: Chapter 12 The Insignificant Character in a Pampered Novel 12

Things were developing much faster than in her previous life.

Perhaps it was because in her last life, she and Gu Yunjing were strangers who had only met a few times. He had felt some sympathy and stood up for her, but he hadn't dug deep. In this life, she had been a tutor for the trio for two months, building a 'revolutionary friendship.' Gu Yunjing was clearly more invested in this matter than before.

While the Xu Family was still feeling smug because Xu Jiao had been invited to the Li Family's banquet last night and danced the opening dance with Li Yan, the police arrived at their door.

They said they suspected them of illegal detention and were there to investigate.

Originally, this would have been easy to resolve; the Xu Family was wealthy enough that the local precinct usually gave them some face. However, the two officers who arrived today were from the branch office and wouldn't give anyone face. Even when Father Xu brought up the Xu Corporation, they remained unmoved.

Xu Congxuan asked with an unfriendly expression who had called the police.

The tall officer's face darkened. "Citizens reporting criminal behavior is something we must protect."

They tried to explain that no such thing had happened.

The tall officer demanded to see the victim, Xu Zhao, immediately.

They claimed Xu Zhao was sick and hospitalized.

The other officer directly asked which hospital and what the bed number was.

One question followed another, pressing them hard and leaving no room for maneuver.

Xu Jiao wanted to sneak upstairs to call Li Yan, but the police from the branch's criminal investigation team weren't easily fooled. Especially since this young girl's face turned pale the moment they walked in and stated their purpose; her intention to go upstairs was too obvious.

They didn't believe for a second that there wasn't something fishy going on.

Just then, Nanny Xu came downstairs carrying untouched food. Not noticing the situation in the hall, she fretted to herself, "She hasn't eaten for five days now. Even an iron man couldn't hold out like this."

The two officers exchanged a look. One went straight up the stairs while the other stayed to block the people below.

"No! You can't go up! Do you have a search warrant? This is trespassing on private property!" Mother Xu hurriedly tried to stop them.

The tall officer directly had Nanny Xu lead the way to the door of Xu Zhao's room on the second floor.

The tall officer knocked on the door, but there was no movement inside.

He turned the handle; the door was locked from the inside.

Clang—a loud crash suddenly came from inside the room.

The tall officer kicked the door open.

The scene that met his eyes made him pause slightly, his expression turning solemn. He then strode forward quickly and picked up the girl slumped by the bed.

Her sheets and pillowcase were originally white and pristine, but now the pillow area was stained red with a large patch of blood.

To be precise, it was dried blood; it looked like it had been there for several days.

The wound on the girl's forehead was shocking—a five-centimeter-long gash. The flesh there was a mangled mess, looking truly gruesome. It had clearly never been treated.

"Save... save me..." A cold, pale little hand tightly gripped the dark blue uniform, the veins on the back of her hand clearly visible.

The bedside lamp had been knocked to the floor. The girl must have heard the commotion outside and taken action to save herself by letting them in, but she lost her balance and rolled off the bed. Her partially scabbed wound had torn open again, and blood was seeping from her forehead.

Touching her forehead, it was burning! Her consciousness was already blurred.

"Damn, she's still running a fever." The tall officer frowned deeply. Without a word, he picked the girl up, bypassed Nanny Xu, and headed downstairs.

"This... this..." Nanny Xu was also in a panic. She really hadn't known the young miss was so seriously injured and had a fever. She stood there in a daze, forgetting to move.

Downstairs, the other officer was almost at his limit being pulled at by the Xu Family members when he saw his partner rushing out with a young girl in his arms.

"Found her. Quick, to the hospital! Her wound is infected, and she has a high fever." Without another word, the two carried her toward the door.

Just as they stepped out of the Xu Family villa's gate, Gu Yunjing and his two friends, who had been waiting nearby, surrounded them. Seeing the girl whose eyes always held a spark now tightly shut, her arm hanging limply in the air, Gu Yunjing felt a pang in his heart, which then transformed into infinite rage.

"F*ck! Are the Xu Family members all animals?" Zhou Chi couldn't help but swear, spitting in disgust.

Cheng Yi couldn't say anything. Seeing the 'Study God' in this state, his eyes as a grown man turned a bit red.

"Hospital first."

Suddenly, Gu Yunjing felt a force tugging at his sleeve. The girl's eyes remained closed, her parched lips murmuring something so softly it seemed it would scatter with a breeze.

Gu Yunjing leaned in to listen closely before turning to the two officers. "Give her to me. I'll take her to the hospital. You two go and get the surveillance footage from the Xu Family's main hall."

Hearing this, the two officers immediately knew it was evidence. Without hesitation, they carefully handed the girl over and turned back into the Xu Family villa.

Gu Yunjing held the person in his arms; she was small, soft, and so light she felt weightless.

The moment he saw her, he felt numb. Someone who was so vibrant just two days ago was now lying quietly in his arms, her breathing so weak it made his heart race with anxiety.

Gu Yunjing tightened his arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Don't worry. No one can take what belongs to you."

After the two officers went back, they immediately secured the surveillance footage from the Xu Family hall. They then called the branch for reinforcements to take the Xu Family members back for questioning one by one, giving them no chance to fight back.

By the time the Xu Family reacted, the video evidence was secured, the servant's testimony was taken, and Teacher Chen had stepped forward to point out the school's inaction and the Xu parents' usual attitude toward their two daughters. With all this corroboration, it didn't matter if the Xu Family denied it.

The hospital's medical report came out quickly: the victim had not eaten for a long time, had a mild concussion, and required five stitches on her forehead. Because the forehead injury wasn't treated in time, it caused an infection and a persistent high fever, constituting a minor injury.

This fell under a category of cases handled upon complaint; Father Xu's actions constituted the crime of abuse.

At the same time, the Xu Family members also committed the crime of illegal detention.

The Xu Family's lawyer arrived at the station immediately. Father Xu was temporarily detained, while Mother Xu and the Xu siblings were released after giving their statements.

As soon as Xu Jiao left the station, she called Li Yan, but no one answered despite her repeated attempts.

She had no idea that Li Yan's home was currently in a state of chaos as well.

This matter blew up too suddenly. Just as the Xu Family was being taken to the station, mainstream media already knew that the Li Family was using its influence to bully a classmate into giving up a competition slot for the Li Family's young master.

Consequently, that day's mainstream media was filled with criticisms of the plutocracy's dominance and oppression of the people, with strong demands for the government to impose severe punishment.

Especially since the victim was no ordinary girl; the Xu Family she was born into was also wealthy, and she herself was a first-prize winner of last year's National High School Mathematics League. If such a talent could be oppressed like this, it was terrifying to think about—what hope was there for ordinary people?

At the same time, the Xu Family was being cursed into oblivion.

To curry favor with the Li Family, they had actually illegally detained their own biological daughter and beaten her into a concussion. They refused to feed her if she didn't agree. While the Xu Family was actually framed regarding the girl not eating for five days, under the public's rage, that crime was also pinned on them.

In the hospital ward, Xu Zhao lay quietly on the bed. The wound on her forehead had been treated and wrapped in white gauze. Likely due to excessive blood loss, her lips were pale.

In her mind, system 1105 was chatting with Zhao Yan.

1105: [Waaaah... it's a total human tragedy. This report by XX Daily is so well-written, it really hits home!]

Zhao Yan took a big sip of milk tea. Life was bitter; only milk tea could keep her going.

After 1105 finished reading all the articles and comments related to the matter, it saw that although everyone's thoughts and opinions differed, they were surprisingly unanimous on this issue—everyone was speaking up for Zhao Zhao. The occasional one or two attention-seeking voices were crushed by the crowd and buried in the comments.

1105 nodded with satisfaction: [The Xu Family's image is beyond salvation.]

Turning to look at the person lying on the sofa, 1105 asked: [Zhao Zhao, when do you plan to wake up? Little Jing has been with you for a day and a night; he's very worried about you.]

Zhao Yan raised an eyebrow: "Little Jing? Since when did you become so close to him?"

1105 wiggled its round body: [Ever since I realized Little Jing is a warm-hearted boy despite his cold exterior.]

Zhao Yan nodded in agreement. Whether his grades were good or his exterior seemed 'bad' didn't matter; what mattered was character. In her previous life, he could speak up for her as a stranger. In this life, his involvement had saved her a lot of effort.

Zhao Yan thought for a moment and replied, "I'll lie here for another day." Let the storm rage even more fiercely.

In the Li Family's ancestral home, Li Yan was kneeling in the main hall.

The man facing him had a high nose bridge with a perfect curve and thin lips that clearly rarely smiled. His current expression was chillingly cold.

"Heh... Didn't Big Brother say Li Yan was very capable, the new generation of the Li Family? What's this? Having to steal a little girl's competition slot?" The man sitting in the center was the current head of the Li Family, Li Shaoheng.

"We were also deceived by the Xu Family! The Xu Family clearly said their daughter was in poor health and couldn't compete. Who would have thought!" The eldest Li brother, Li Zhangyuan, looked gloomy.

"Don't give me that nonsense. Big Brother was riding high at the banquet last night, telling so many people about Li Yan representing Yinghua in the competition. So, how do we handle the current situation?" Li Shaoheng had no intention of letting it slide.

"Ahem..." The old patriarch on the side couldn't listen anymore; after all, the one kneeling on the floor was his most beloved eldest grandson. "How can A-Yan be blamed for this? Who knew the Xu Family would be so cunning, even laying heavy hands on their own daughter just to curry favor with the Li Family."

"Big Brother is, after all, the head of Zongheng Group's medical sector. The Xu Family is just a third-rate little family; could they really deceive you? If you lack even this much judgment, how can I trust you to manage the company?"

"Third Uncle, this is all my fault. It has nothing to do with my father. I am willing to take responsibility myself." Li Yan's eyes were dark. He knew the conflict between his father and Third Uncle was irreconcilable; clearly, Third Uncle intended to use this matter to manipulate his father.

"What will you use to take responsibility? Everything you eat and use belongs to the Li Family. Instead of thinking about sharing the Li Family's burdens, you're ruining Zongheng's reputation. Li Yan, you've really grown capable! Did I send you to Yinghua just so you could use the Li Family's name to act like a bully?" Li Shaoheng grabbed a stack of papers from the table and threw them at Li Yan's head.

"Young Master Li, Young Master Li—does that sound particularly good to your ears? Everyone fawning over you made you forget your own worth."

"Hide those little schemes of yours well! You said last year's league defeat was just a slip-up. What, have you lost the courage to even challenge others this year? Did you think that by kicking that Xu girl out of the game, you'd be able to win a prize?"

"How did the Li Family produce such a useless piece of trash like you!"

Li Yan knelt on the floor without moving, his hands at his sides clenched into fists. He would definitely return today's humiliation in full!

"Old Third, this has already happened. I will handle it as quickly as possible to prevent it from fermenting further."

“By yourself?” Li Shaoheng laughed in anger. Truly, what kind of fool gives birth to what kind of trash.

He didn't even know who his opponent was. "What do you plan to do?"

"This matter was the Xu Family's wishful thinking. They hurt their own daughter to get a project from our Li Family; A-Yan was unaware."

"Big Brother still wants to protect him?"

Li Shaoheng's cold gaze made one's scalp tingle.

"Shaoheng, no matter how bad A-Yan is, he's still your nephew, and Big Brother is still your brother. Blood is thicker than water."

"Have him go explain that to the Gu Family then. As long as the Gu Family believes that nonsense, I have no objection."