On a cold, snowy night, Du Dawei was too frozen to sleep.
The detention center had issued blankets, but he found them not fragrant enough, not soft enough, and the color not new enough. Worried they might dirty his brand-name clothes, he tossed them aside and refused to use them.
Unable to sleep, he sat leaning against the wall, analyzing his situation. First, he considered who could get him out. He didn't want to stay there a moment longer.
Asking his parents was out of the question—he had to keep it from them. He knew his parents were utterly unreasonable, uneducated and only capable of making a scene. If they came to the police station to cause trouble, they might end up getting detained themselves. Fortunately, he often stayed overnight at internet cafes gaming, so his parents wouldn’t notice even if he didn’t come home at night.
His younger brother Du Xiaowei was no use either. Also poorly educated, Du Xiaowei worked as a taxi driver on alternating day and night shifts, with no time to meddle in his affairs. Besides, his brother was extremely selfish, always putting himself first and unlikely to help.
His only option was to ask his cousin for help. His cousin was at least a "minor official," more than capable of pulling some strings to get him out. In fact, it was his cousin who had helped him land his current job. But his cousin had a terrible temper and would surely scold him harshly if he found out Du Dawei had been detained for "assault." It was late at night, and he neither could nor dared disturb his cousin.
Du Dawei rubbed his frozen fingers repeatedly, comforting himself: first thing tomorrow morning, he’d have them call his cousin. His cousin would definitely save him! Just one more night to endure, just endure!
Meanwhile, at the time, H City Central Hospital was still located in its old campus in the city center, covering a small area with limited beds.
In the cramped three-patient room, each person had one bed, with absolutely no extra space.
After washing up, Mu's Mother planned to sit on the stool by the bed and lean over the chairback to sleep through the night.
"Mom, come up and sleep. I’m a bit cold," said Mu Yuting. She knew that without this excuse, her mother would refuse, afraid of crowding her.
After hesitating a moment, Mu's Mother replied, "Alright, Mom will warm your feet."
They slept head to toe, with Mu's Mother gently holding her daughter’s feet to her chest. Crowded together on the small hospital bed, they kept each other warm.
Snow fell silently, blanketing the world white overnight.
Waking in the morning, Mu Yuting looked down from the hospital window to a vast expanse of white.
At eight o’clock, the doctor made rounds, inquiring about Mu Yuting’s condition, examining the scalp hematoma on the back of her head, and reviewing the test results from the previous night. Ultimately, the doctor recommended she remain hospitalized for observation for 3-5 days, followed by a brain CT scan to monitor for any delayed intracranial bleeding.
Mu Yuting accepted the advice. Mu's Mother also agreed with the doctor’s recommendations.
By morning, the snow had stopped and the sun had emerged.
Mu's Mother went home to fetch some clothes and prepare soup to bring back. She had rushed to the hospital on her workplace’s shuttle bus the night before without returning home, so today was a good chance to tidy up.
Mu Yuting received a phone call. It was from Du Dawei’s cousin, Du Dazhi, who spoke with no courtesy whatsoever.
"Are you Mu Yuting? I’m Du Dazhi, Du Dawei’s cousin." Du Dazhi only wanted his cousin to follow in his footsteps by marrying the daughter of an official to advance his career, which was why he intensely disliked Mu Yuting. He had no idea that this marriage had been something Du Dawei had worked desperately to secure.
"Yes."
"Mu Yuting, are you calling off the engagement and therefore had my cousin Du Dawei sent to the police station?" Du Dazhi's tone was filled with displeasure.
What a way to phrase it—quite skillful. Linking the two matters as if they were cause and effect, trying to bait a confession? Too bad Mu Yuting wasn't falling for it.
"Your cousin ended up at the police station because he laid hands on me, and plenty of colleagues at work witnessed it," Mu Yuting retorted without backing down. "I can't possibly accept a violent liar like Du Dawei. The engagement must be called off."
After a heavy, frustrated sigh, Du Dazhi huffed, trying to salvage his pride: "Calling off the engagement is for the best—you're hardly a match for our Du family anyway!"
Mu Yuting knew this was nonsense. He wasn't Du Dawei's parent, nor was he Du Dawei himself—he had no say in the family's decisions. So she just snorted coldly, not bothering to respond.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Du Dazhi grew even angrier and pressed her: "Hurry up and settle this. Go to the police station now and withdraw the report! Otherwise—"
"Otherwise what? Is that a threat?" Mu Yuting emphasized the word "threat." Anyone could read between the lines: if you dare threaten me, I’ll dare report you!
Realizing he’d misspoken, Du Dazhi fumed, breathing heavily, but had no choice but to soften his tone. Through gritted teeth, he said, "It’s not a threat. Du Dawei’s elderly parents are waiting for their son to come home. They’re old—it’s not easy for them."
Mu Yuting sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Well, I’m an only child. After my father passed, it’s just been my mother and me relying on each other. Yesterday, Du Dawei injured me, and I’m stuck in the hospital. My mother has to take care of me and had to put a lot of work on hold—it hasn’t been easy for her either."
Du Dazhi was so angry he felt like smashing his phone. Out in the world, who didn’t show him some respect? Only this Mu Yuting remained stubborn and unyielding, daring to stand up to him. "What injury? It was just a light push!"
"The doctor said the impact caused subcutaneous hematoma and a concussion. The hematoma is one thing, but concussions can be minor or severe—they might even lead to intracranial bleeding. Then it becomes a criminal case..."
Du Dazhi took several deep breaths, accompanied by the sound of his dress shoes stomping, before finally calming down. "State your conditions. As long as you drop the matter from yesterday and let Du Dawei go home soon."
"What conditions could I possibly have? Everything should be handled according to the law. I’m a law-abiding citizen using legal means to protect my rights," Mu Yuting said calmly.
"You!!!" In that short phone call, the short-tempered Du Dazhi was nearly driven to a heart attack.
Initially, Du Dazhi had thought this was a trivial matter—one phone call would be enough to pressure a young girl into withdrawing the report and getting his cousin out. He never expected Mu Yuting to be so difficult. She didn’t act like an inexperienced young woman but more like a seasoned veteran.
Now, what worried him was whether his cousin Du Dawei’s involvement in a criminal case might affect his own career. So now, he had no choice but to plead with her to quickly resolve this and withdraw the report.
When asking for a favor, one must have the right attitude and offer something to persuade the other party. How could he not know that? He just didn’t want to lower himself before Mu Yuting.
Circumstances forced his hand, and he now had no choice but to yield.
"I'll help you smoothly break off the engagement and guarantee... that the entire Du family will behave and never trouble your family again!" Du Dazhi felt he was taking a huge loss. The most troublesome members of the Du family were the elderly couple—they would stir up trouble over nothing and cause an uproar over the slightest issue. Keeping them from harassing Mu Yuting was no easy task. As for Du Dawei, after this incident, he would surely see Mu Yuting’s true colors and no longer be infatuated with her.
Mu Yuting didn’t respond, letting out a scornful laugh. It wasn’t enough. Even without this, she had her own ways to dissolve the engagement. What kind of concession was this?
Du Dazhi understood—this condition wasn’t sufficient. He thought for a moment, then it dawned on him: "And medical fees, compensation for lost work, emotional distress—name your price. I’ll make Du Dawei pay you."
Mu Yuting remained silent.
"Five thousand, is that enough?" Du Dazhi grew impatient. "What about ten thousand? Twenty thousand at most—any more and his family can’t afford it." He knew even these twenty thousand would inevitably lead the elderly Dus to borrow from him. There was no helping it—they were truly poor!
Mu Yuting finally spoke. Her tone was calm: "Fine. Draft an agreement."
Du Dazhi breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly cursing Du Dawei’s entire family to hell.
After hanging up, Mu Yuting toyed with her phone, recalling a phrase that had been popular online in her past life: Some people tear off half their face and stick it on the other half—one side shameless, the other thick-skinned. The entire Du family were exactly that type.
What did people like them care about most? Not any kind of emotion, only prospects and future—in other words, money and benefits.
For such people, Mu Yuting would show no mercy. Whenever they bared their claws, she would strike back, making them lose what they cherished most.
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