Shen Chi Yan was furious to the extreme, but seeing Song Qi Nian's stubborn and pale little face, he couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on her.
Guan Ming Xu rushed into the ward and saw Shen Chi Yan about to hit Song Qi Nian.
"Stop!"
He barged in and shielded Song Qi Nian in his arms, noticing the bandage around her fingers stained red with blood.
Seeing Song Qi Nian's ashen face, her brows furrowed in pain, and beads of sweat glistening on her smooth, fair forehead, he turned and glared at Shen Chi Yan, his eyes red as he cursed.
"Are you blind? Can't you see her fingers are bleeding? Would you be happy only when her hands are ruined!?"
Shen Chi Yan then noticed the blood dripping from Song Qi Nian's fingertips. His heart gave a violent lurch, and his expression turned even uglier than before.
Wasn't it just a minor injury? How could it bleed so much?
Seeing Guan Ming Xu protecting Song Qi Nian again and again, Lin Lan Xing, consumed by jealousy, blurted out without thinking, "Guan Ming Xu, Song Qi Nian is Brother Chi Yan's wife. Are you showing Brother Chi Yan too much disrespect by protecting her in front of him?"
Lin Lan Xing's words successfully shifted Shen Chi Yan's attention to Guan Ming Xu's hand on Song Qi Nian's arm.
Seeing Guan Ming Xu affectionately holding Song Qi Nian, and Song Qi Nian leaning against him obediently without any pretense of avoiding impropriety, a towering rage, more intense than when he saw Lin Qiu Tong injured, surged within him.
He stared coldly at Song Qi Nian, his voice as icy as possible, "Come here."
Song Qi Nian didn't move. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she couldn't.
After a whole day of injury and emotional turmoil, she hadn't eaten lunch and was completely lacking in strength.
If she hadn't been leaning on Guan Ming Xu, she would have already collapsed.
In Shen Chi Yan's eyes, however, this was interpreted as Song Qi Nian deliberately defying him.
He even felt that Song Qi Nian and Guan Ming Xu's intimacy meant she was already planning to divorce him!
"I'm giving you one more chance. Get over here!"
Lin Qiu Tong and Lin Lan Xing felt the chill emanating from Shen Chi Yan. Lin Lan Xing was too scared to say anything more.
Lin Qiu Tong, however, frowned uneasily.
If he didn't care, how could Shen Chi Yan be so angry?
Guan Ming Xu glared warily at Shen Chi Yan, a hint of tension in his voice, "What are you going to do?"
The atmosphere in the private room became instantly tense, like a bomb about to explode.
"Brother, sister-in-law!"
Shen Ke Qin's voice suddenly rang out, "Grandma, please slow down."
No one had expected the Shen family's old madam to come to the hospital.
Guan Ming Xu hadn't expected it either. He had only made one call to Shen Ke Qin, and she had managed to summon the old madam.
As soon as the old madam entered the ward, she saw Song Qi Nian, her face ashen and extremely weak.
She glanced at Shen Ke Qin, who immediately understood and rushed to support Song Qi Nian. "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Song Qi Nian shook her head.
"Let's go, we're leaving."
Shen Ke Qin quickly gave Guan Ming Xu a meaningful look. Understanding her, the two of them helped Song Qi Nian out of the ward.
As they left, Song Qi Nian didn't look back at Shen Chi Yan.
Seeing that Song Qi Nian hadn't even spared him a glance, Shen Chi Yan felt extremely displeased.
Seeing that the old madam was still there, he spoke calmly, "Grandma..."
"Slap..."
The old madam reached out and slapped Shen Chi Yan. She stared at him coldly, her imposing presence radiating displeasure. "You've disappointed me too much."
Seeing this, Lin Lan Xing was greatly startled and hid behind Lin Qiu Tong, not daring to make a sound.
Old Madam Shen was the head of the Shen family, and Lin Qiu Tong had been afraid of her since childhood.
She knew that being with Shen Chi Yan required Old Madam Shen's approval, and she had planned to visit her after recovering and being discharged from the hospital.
Unexpectedly, the old madam had appeared in her ward so suddenly.
Lin Qiu Tong clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her fear of the old madam, and spoke, "Old Madam, Ah Yan isn't to blame for what happened today, it was..."
Before she could finish, she was calmly interrupted by the old madam, "Lin family girl, you've finally woken up, you should be resting more."
Lin Qiu Tong respectfully replied, "Thank you for your concern, Old Madam."
"I know you and Chi Yan grew up together and have a deep affection for each other, but Chi Yan is already married now. You should know how to maintain proper distance, shouldn't you?"
Meeting the old madam's shrewd, sharp, and heavily threatening gaze, Lin Qiu Tong's face turned pale and ugly.
She hadn't expected the old madam to warn her so directly.
"Grandma..."
Shen Chi Yan tried to speak, but was sharply interrupted by the old madam, "You shut up!"
Just then, Shen Ke Qin ran in again, linking her arm with the old madam's. "Grandma, let's go."
The old madam nodded. As she reached the doorway, she paused. Without turning around, she spoke with undeniable authority, "Nian Nian is my granddaughter-in-law. If I find out anyone is bullying her, I will not let them off lightly."
At the hospital entrance, Guan Ming Xu helped Song Qi Nian into the car. He was about to get in with her when Shen Ke Qin and the old madam arrived.
"Ming Xu, thank you for taking care of Nian Nian. She can't speak and her hand is injured. I, an old woman, will thank you on her behalf."
Guan Ming Xu waved his hands in a panic, "No, no, it's all my duty."
The old madam smiled slightly, "Nian Nian is fortunate to have a friend like you. If you need any help in the future, don't hesitate to ask me."
Guan Ming Xu's heart sank. The old madam's words had a double meaning, warning him not to overstep his boundaries.
Shen Ke Qin had been sharp and perceptive since childhood. Seeing the situation was getting out of hand, she immediately nudged Guan Ming Xu. "Guan Ming Xu, thank you for your hard work today. I'll treat you to a meal another day, goodbye!"
Shen Ke Qin kept giving Guan Ming Xu meaningful glances, urging him to leave quickly.
However, Guan Ming Xu, usually quite astute, seemed oblivious to Shen Ke Qin's hints today. He spoke with a serious tone, "Old Madam, Nian Nian is a good girl. She deserves to be cherished and held in the palm of someone's hand. If President Shen doesn't know how to cherish her, there are plenty of others who can take his place."
After speaking neither servile nor overbearing, Guan Ming Xu bowed deeply to the old madam and turned to leave.
Shen Ke Qin was mortified. Seeing the old madam staring at Guan Ming Xu's receding figure, she quickly said, "Grandma, sister-in-law's hand seems quite serious. Let's go home quickly."
This hospital was a place of sadness for Song Qi Nian. The old madam didn't want her to stay, so she took her directly back to the old residence.
She also called the Shen family's doctor to their home.
Song Qi Nian's finger was infected, and coupled with her fever, she fainted as soon as she arrived at the Shen family's old residence.
While the doctor was bandaging Song Qi Nian's wounds, the old madam sighed repeatedly.
Shen Ke Qin, on the other hand, was so heartbroken that tears streamed down her face.
Even looking at her bloody finger was painful.
She had been accompanying the old madam at a painting exhibition when she received Guan Ming Xu's call.
Knowing the gravity of the situation, she couldn't handle it alone and had to bring her grandmother along.
Growing increasingly angry, Shen Ke Qin took out her phone, took a few pictures of the wounds on Song Qi Nian's finger, and sent them to Shen Chi Yan.
"Shen Chi Yan, I just have to ask, does your conscience hurt at all!!!"