"Bang, bang, bang...!"
"Let me out quickly...!"
Seeing the door open, Murong Yanran was overjoyed and immediately fled.
Murong Hongyan grabbed Murong Yanran's arm and roughly dragged her inside.
"Dad, Dad, what are you doing? Let go, let go of me!"
"Hmph, what am I doing? Don't you know what you've done? You've utterly disgraced me. If you dare to contact that bumpkin again, I'll break your legs. You two, keep a tight hold on her. If she escapes, I won't forgive you, understand?"
"Yes, Boss!"
Murong Hongyan's anger had not subsided. Without even glancing at Murong Yanran, he turned and left.
"Dad, you, let me go...!"
...
"How is that brat?"
"Madam, the eldest miss hasn't eaten anything all day. If this continues...!"
"Hmph, she brought it upon herself. Ignore her. If she doesn't eat, let her starve. Wouldn't it be good to marry well and become a young madam?" Liu Shuhui looked resentfully towards Murong Yanran's room and left with a somber expression.
The two bodyguards exchanged glances. Though they felt some pity, they dared not risk losing their jobs.
Perhaps exhausted from crying, Murong Yanran, with swollen eyes and a dazed spirit, looked at the distant sky through the window. "Mom, this home has completely changed. It's become strange, terrifying. I can't escape. What should I do...?"
"Creak~~"
Murong Yanran's eyes flickered, but she didn't turn around.
"You will get engaged to Shaoyang next month and marry by the end of the year. We have already made the arrangements." The voice was forceful, brooking no argument.
Murong Yanran's face turned pale, and her body trembled. "For so many years, have you ever once considered me your daughter?"
The weak words struck Murong Hongyan's heart like a roaring divine punishment, making his breathing slightly difficult. Seeing the somewhat desolate Murong Yanran, the sliver of softness within him seemed to stir, but it was quickly consumed by the hatred he harbored.
Murong Hongyan had always hidden the secret that Murong Yanran was not his biological daughter. He was merely a successor, taking over for money, willing to be that successor. Much of his success was attributed to Murong Yanran's mother, Li Sisi.
Within the upper circles of Binhai, he had never been truly accepted as one of them, which was the reason for his hatred towards Li Sisi and Murong Yanran.
As for who Murong Yanran's biological father was, no one knew, as Li Sisi never revealed it even on her deathbed.
"If you don't want him thrown into the Atlantic to feed the sharks, you'd best not have any other ideas." Murong Hongyan tossed a stack of photos at her.
"You~ You devils, why, why would you lay hands on him!" Murong Yanran crushed the photos, her hands contorting them, and lunged towards Murong Hongyan, roaring with anger.
"Hmph, this is the consequence of his not knowing his place. Trash should have the awareness of trash."
Murong Yanran frenziedly grabbed Murong Hongyan's arms. "Ah, is he alright? Is he...?"
"Slap~!"
"Ah~"
Murong Yanran touched her stinging cheek, tears streaming down like a broken dam. That one slap shattered the last remnants of her cherished hope for familial affection.
"Hahaha, if I had made a move, would he still be alive? Mu Shaoyang is still a bit too green. Don't worry, he's not dead yet, but next time he won't be so lucky."
Murong Yanran looked at the father in front of her, now a terrifying stranger, feeling as if the last vestiges of their blood relation had been incinerated.
"My shares for my freedom."
"What shares?" Murong Hongyan's heart skipped a beat. He felt a premonition of ill omen.
Murong Yanran looked at him indifferently. "A while ago, I found a will inside the necklace Mom gave me..."
Murong Yanran knew that even with the shares, it would be useless. They had plenty of ways to dilute her shares, even render them worthless. Of course, the cost of doing so would be considerable.
"You..." Murong Hongyan glared at her, clenching his fists, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "Damn Li Sisi, dead is dead, but she still managed to scheme against me."
"I don't want to say more. Cancel my engagement, I will leave the Murong family, and I will give you my shares. In this life... our father-daughter bond is severed. Meeting each other... will be like strangers!"
Murong Yanran's heart ached as if cut by a knife. Suppressing boundless grief, she walked out of this prison.
"Boss, this..."
So, when Murong Yanran offered her shares in exchange for freedom, how could Murong Hongyan refuse? This was worth billions, and with these shares from Murong Yanran, he would truly become the undisputed head.
"Let... let her go!"
"Hey, what are you guys doing? Go catch her!" Liu Shuhui, who had just arrived, came in angrily and started scolding the moment she saw Murong Yanran had gone far.
"I let her go."
"Hongyan, you...?"
"She's leaving the Murong family, trading her shares for freedom."
Liu Shuhui was stunned, then, "She knows?"
"Yes."
"Then the Mu family...?"
Murong Hongyan was silent for a moment. "I'll go talk to Mu Zhengtao. It shouldn't be a problem to share a larger portion of the cooperation profits with him."
"As long as you have a plan." Liu Shuhui was now overjoyed. "This way, the Murong family will completely fall into the son's hands."
...
"Haochen, how are you feeling?" Chen He and the other two had been discharged from the hospital. Although there were still some bruises on their faces, they were no longer in serious condition.
Li Haochen grinned, looking rather comical. "I'm alright, not going to die!"
"Hey, your voice is so strong, it's obvious you're fine, hehe!"
"The school's disciplinary action has come down." Chen He seemed reluctant to look at Li Haochen, both angry and helpless.
"Qing Long received a major demerit, the others from the Taekwondo club received minor demerits, and Mu Shaoyang... a warning!"
"Oh!"
"Haochen, you..."
Li Haochen gave a bleak smile. He knew he couldn't seek revenge now and could only hide this hatred in his heart. "I had already expected this outcome, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Society is truly cruel and realistic."
"They compensated us 30,000 each, and you 100,000. This money?"
"Take it with peace of mind. If you don't take the money, aren't you a fool? Hehe!" The three of them actually knew that Li Haochen said this to make them accept this blood-stained compensation without guilt.
"Creak~"
The hospital room door was pushed open. Murong Yanran, seeing Li Haochen covered in bandages, could no longer hold back her tears.
"Yanran!"
"Haochen!"
Seeing this scene, Chen He and the other two understandingly left the room.
"Don't cry, I'm fine."
Murong Yanran painedly stroked Li Haochen's still swollen cheek. "Does it still hurt?"
"If you keep stroking it, it might get better, hehe!"
"At that time... it must have hurt a lot?"
"It hurt, but I don't regret it!" The simple answer carried the weight of ten thousand pounds. Murong Yanran looked at Li Haochen's calm yet determined eyes. "No regret..."
A beautiful smile bloomed, and a vow was silently made. "If you never abandon me in this life, through all eternity, my devotion will be unwavering."
"Haochen, I'm free!" Murong Yanran held back her tears, forcing a bitter smile.
"Free...?"
"I've left the Murong family. I'm like a rootless duckweed now." Murong Yanran turned her face, no longer suppressing her tears, letting them flow freely.
Li Haochen painfully extended his left hand and took Murong Yanran's. "You have roots!"
"Yanran, if you never abandon me in this life, through all eternity, my devotion will be unwavering." Li Haochen said with firm eyes and unwavering resolve.
Murong Yanran pursed her lips, looking at Li Haochen. "The same promise...?"
"Are you confessing?"
Li Haochen grinned, his lips still hurting, and gave an awkward smile. "Yes, it's the first time!"
Murong Yanran laughed, a bright, radiant laugh. "From now on, you farm, and I'll weave!"