Qin Fei wasn't trying to kill Qin Xi—he wanted to take her hostage to escape.
Only by getting away could he find stronger experts to deal with Yang Chen.
**"Sister, watch out!"**
Qin Yi, from her angle, saw everything clearly and screamed in warning.
Yang Chen hadn't expected Qin Fei to dare pull a knife. In a flash, he wrapped his arms around Qin Xi, shielding her.
**"Thud!"**
The blade plunged straight into Yang Chen's chest. Blood bloomed like a crimson rose, staining his clothes in an instant.
Time seemed to freeze. Everyone stood stunned.
Even Qin Fei was shocked. He *had* wanted Yang Chen dead but knew he was no match for him. Yet by sheer accident, he'd managed to stab him.
**"Yang Chen!"**
**"Brother-in-law!"**
Qin Xi and Qin Yi screamed simultaneously. Qin Yi rushed over like a whirlwind.
Qin Fei snapped out of his daze and burst into maniacal laughter. **"Yang Chen, you never saw *this* coming! Hahahaha—"**
A chilling glint flashed in Yang Chen's eyes. **"You brought this on yourself."**
With that, he delivered a kick. Like the bodyguard Qin Fei had hired, Qin Fei was sent flying—straight into another coffin.
The force of the blow knocked Qin Fei unconscious before he even hit the wood.
Yang Chen casually yanked the dagger from his chest and tossed it aside.
An injury like this was child's play to him. During his years on the northern border, he'd brushed shoulders with death countless times. His body was a canvas of scars from battles past.
**"Yang Chen, I'm taking you to the hospital *now*."** Qin Xi's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face at the sight of his blood-soaked shirt.
Qin Yi, equally tearful, didn't wait for Yang Chen to protest. **"Sis, I'll get the car started. You help him over."**
She sprinted off to rev the engine.
While fury toward the Qin family burned in Yang Chen's chest, warmth spread through him at Qin Xi and Qin Yi's palpable distress. Their panic was more potent than any painkiller.
**"Xiao Xi, it's just a scratch. No need to worry."** He tried to reassure her.
**"Shut up!"** Qin Xi sobbed, cutting him off. **"Save your strength for the hospital."**
Yang Chen knew arguing was futile. His heart swelled with gratitude.
Just then, Ma Chao arrived. A single glance at Yang Chen's complexion told him the injury was trivial.
**"Handle the cleanup. I'll meet you at the Qin family later."** Yang Chen instructed before letting Qin Xi carefully guide him to the car.
Qin Yi drove like a bat out of hell, reaching the hospital in record time.
With a woman on each arm supporting him, Yang Chen became the envy of every man in the ER.
When the doctor examined the stab wound, he looked almost bored. **"Superficial laceration. You're overreacting."**
**"Superficial?! He was *stabbed*! His shirt was drenched in blood!"** Qin Xi and Qin Yi erupted in unison, convinced the doctor was incompetent.
Few things irked physicians more than having their expertise questioned. The doctor's tone turned frosty. **"If you doubt me, find another doctor. Don't waste my time."**
As the sisters prepared to argue, Yang Chen intervened. **"Really, I'm fine. Qin Fei barely grazed me. The blood made it look worse."**
He showed them the bandaged wound—now just a faint red line.
The women stared, dumbfounded.
**"How? I *saw* the knife go all the way in!"** Qin Xi insisted.
Yang Chen chuckled. **"Must've been the angle. The blade only caught my clothes."**
Their skeptical expressions said they weren't buying it. Something felt off.
By the time they returned home, the demolition crew and coffin bearers had vanished, leaving only wreckage.
One corner of their house had been demolished. While still habitable, the structural damage was concerning.
**"You two head back to work. I'm paying the Qin family a visit."** Yang Chen announced after stepping out of the car.
**"Yang Chen…"** Qin Xi hesitated. **"Can you let them go?"**
Though the Qin family had shattered her heart, a sliver of sentiment remained for the place she'd grown up.
**"Sis! After everything they've done?!"** Qin Yi exploded. **"Last night, Xiao Xiao nearly disappeared! Today, Yang Chen almost died! How can you still care about them?!"**
In her fury, Qin Yi didn't realize she'd slipped up.
Qin Xi paled. Suddenly, last night's oddities clicked into place—Xiao Xiao's late return, the unexplained woman, Qin Yi's frantic excuses.
**"Xiao Yi, what happened to Xiao Xiao last night? Tell me the truth."** Qin Xi's gaze pinned her sister down.
Realizing her blunder, Qin Yi panicked. **"What? I didn't say anything about Xiao Xiao! You must've misheard!"**
**"You've never been able to lie."** Qin Xi's eyes reddened. **"Your eyes always give you away. What *happened*?"**
Before Qin Yi could fabricate further, Yang Chen stepped in. **"She should know."**
With a resigned sigh, Qin Yi recounted the previous night's horrors—how Fang Yue had lured Xiao Xiao from kindergarten, the humiliating strip-down demand…
Qin Xi's fists clenched until her knuckles whitened.
**"And after that?"** She forced the question through gritted teeth.
Qin Yi glanced at Yang Chen, who took over, detailing how he'd tracked Xiao Xiao to Guan Xuefeng's villa and rescued both her and Xia He.
(He omitted Fang Yue's subsequent abduction.)
The full picture left Qin Xi reeling. All this had happened while she'd foolishly suspected Yang Chen of infidelity. Guilt crashed over her.
**"Now you understand why Yang Chen was so set on killing Qin Fei today."** Qin Yi said gravely. **"He can't risk this happening again."**
She turned pleading eyes to Yang Chen. **"I know you're capable, but murder is irreversible. For Xiao Xiao and Sis's sake, spare his life. As for the Qin family—do whatever you must. I'll stand by you."**
Qin Xi's expression hardened with resolve. **"I was blind before. The family stole everything from us, cast us out, yet I clung to false loyalty. No more."**
She met Yang Chen's gaze squarely. **"Handle it your way. Just… no killing. Whatever you decide, you have my support."**