Persuade With Reason

Shi Xuezhen's hand trembled slightly as she poured the tea, causing it to spill onto the table.

"Miss Jin, you really know how to joke," Shi Xuezhen said, pulling another bank card from her bag. "My apologies, I handed you the wrong card earlier. This is the one I meant to give you as a token of my gratitude for your help with our Li Su."

Jin Fei raised an eyebrow slightly. Regardless of anything else, Mrs. Shi's tea-making skills were quite impressive.

"I heard Miss Jin's family owns several supermarkets?" Shi Xuezhen said with a faint smile. "Business is tough these days, wouldn't you agree, Miss Jin?"

When Jin Fei didn’t respond, Shi Xuezhen continued, "I’ve long heard that Miss Jin is an extraordinary individual, praised by everyone during her time at university. Even before graduating, you received offers from several renowned companies. Li Su is rather unruly and hardly a suitable match for someone like you..."

"Auntie, you have one more virtue than Xie Li Su—you speak the truth."

Xie Li Su was indeed quite unimpressive.

Jin Fei twirled the gold card Shi Xuezhen had handed her earlier and let out a soft laugh. "I can understand a mother’s love for her child, but I hope Auntie won’t just spoil him and forget to teach him proper manners."

Shi Xuezhen looked at Jin Fei, unsure of what she meant by this.

"Your son is... quite spirited. Having a fiancée is a good thing, but I hope Auntie will teach him how a man should properly behave and stop harassing me." She smiled and placed the gold card back in front of Shi Xuezhen. "Consider this a contribution to his education. Please don’t be shy about it."

Shi Xuezhen felt a surge of anger, but she knew better than to offend Jin Fei.

Imperial Capital University produced countless talents for various industries every year. Jin Fei was a prominent figure there, highly respected among her peers and deeply admired by the professors.

Talents recognize talents, and offending Jin Fei could mean offending many elites from Imperial Capital University.

With fierce competition in every industry and talent being hard to come by, neither she nor the entire Xie family could afford to take such a risk.

"My lack of discipline in raising my son has made you laugh, Miss Jin," Shi Xuezhen said, her smile unwavering. "If Li Su dares to bother you again, please let me know. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson."

At just twenty-three, Jin Fei carried such an imposing presence. It was clear she was destined for greatness.

For a moment, Shi Xuezhen couldn’t help but question her son’s taste. How could he not cherish such an exceptional girlfriend and instead get engaged to some young girl? Had he lost his mind?

"Thank you for your hospitality, Auntie. Goodbye." Having said what needed to be said, there was no need for further pleasantries. Jin Fei stood up to leave.

"Take care, Miss Jin," Shi Xuezhen said, rising to see her out.

"No need to see me off, Auntie. I can find my way." Jin Fei pulled open the wooden door and looked up to see a tangerine tree in the courtyard, heavy with fruit.

Under the tree, a man in a light-colored suit was reaching up to pluck a tangerine from a branch.

"Miss Jin..." Shi Xuezhen’s voice trailed off as she looked at the man in the courtyard. Her expression was a mix of fear, evasion, and something indescribable. "Yi Bai..."

The man let go of the tangerine and turned his head. The sunlight bathed him, making it seem as though he was enveloped in a radiant glow.

Squinting against the light, Jin Fei got a clear look at his face.

He looked familiar.

The man’s gaze shifted to Jin Fei, then back to Shi Xuezhen behind her. Without a word, he plucked the tangerine and walked away.

"Yi Bai," Shi Xuezhen called after him, taking a few steps forward before remembering Jin Fei was still there. She stopped and smiled at Jin Fei. "Take care, Miss Jin. I won’t keep you any longer."

"Goodbye." Jin Fei nodded at Shi Xuezhen and turned to walk toward the courtyard gate.

The air was filled with the faint scent of tangerines, making the place feel fresh and elegant. As she crossed the courtyard and stepped through the gate, the stone lions standing guard on either side stood silently, weathered by years of wind and rain.

It was said that this courtyard had once been the residence of a high-ranking official, but now it was a place for tea lovers.

Jin Fei had a deep connection to this land. Its map was identical to that of the Great Phoenix Dynasty. Sometimes, she even felt that although the Great Phoenix had vanished, the land she had once protected still remained.

But alas... she hadn’t even passed the physical exam to join the military.

Her dream of defending her homeland had been shattered before it even began, reduced to nothing.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Jin Fei turned to see the man she had encountered in the courtyard earlier.

"Miss Jin," the man said as he passed by, pausing to nod slightly in her direction.

Jin Fei remembered hearing his voice before. On that rainy night, he had spoken to her from inside a car without showing his face. "Hello," she replied.

The man seemed about to say something when a young man in a suit hurried over. "Boss, you have a call."

He glanced at Jin Fei, took the phone from his assistant, and walked away.

"Goodbye." Jin Fei gave a small wave and walked to her car, opening the door and sliding inside.

Before starting the engine, she glanced out the window once more. That man was truly good-looking.

Retracting her gaze, Jin Fei noticed a car ahead that seemed off—almost as if it intended to crash into the man standing beside the stone lion.

She pressed the accelerator, positioning her car in front of the man.

"Bang!" The tremendous impact sent Jin Fei's car flipping onto its side. The airbag slammed into her face with such force that she felt her features flatten.

"Boss?!" The assistant noticed the boss's hand was cut by flying debris, blood streaming down, and rushed over.

The man pushed him aside and strode toward the overturned silver-gray sports car. "Call the police and an ambulance."

The car's window was shattered, and the door, crushed and deformed, was hard to open. The man knelt on the ground, gripping the door tightly and forcing it open with sheer strength.

"Are you okay?"

"My body's fine," Jin Fei coughed twice, though her nose seemed to have lost all sensation.

"Don't move." The man pressed her hand down and leaned in to unbuckle her seatbelt. "I don't know if you've injured any internal organs, but your fuel tank is leaking. It's not safe for you to stay inside."

"Huh?" Jin Fei looked at the man in confusion. So what?

Then she felt herself being lifted into the air—carried out.

Carried?

Out?!

She, the mighty Jin Fei, was carried by a man?

"It's okay now." The man's voice was soothing, and pressed against his chest, Jin Fei could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

The driver of the other car had already been restrained. Blood dripped from his forehead, and his eyes burned with hatred as he glared at the man.

"Shi Yibai, you deserve to die!" he struggled furiously. "I'll kill you! Kill you!"

Jin Fei tried to turn her head to look at the raging man, but Shi Yibai shifted her in his arms. "Don't look. He's ugly."

The would-be murderer continued to scream and curse, but Shi Yibai remained unfazed, his expression utterly calm.

"Boss, the stretcher is here." The assistant, accompanied by staff from the tea garden, hurried over with a stretcher.

Shi Yibai gently placed Jin Fei onto the stretcher, then took off his coat and draped it over her. "Don't be afraid. The ambulance will be here soon."

Jin Fei: "I'm not afraid..."

But if you don't give the attempted murderer even a glance, he might just die of rage on his own.

If she hadn't noticed something was wrong earlier, given the speed of the other car, not only Shi Yibai but even the stone lion at the entrance might have been knocked over.

The failed murderer was still ranting and raving. Jin Fei glanced at the concerned faces around her and silently pulled the suit jacket over her face.

"Boss, your hand..."

"It's fine." Shi Yibai glanced at the young woman burying her face in his jacket, then turned to look at the middle-aged man still cursing. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly.

"Um..." Jin Fei peeked out from under the jacket, looking at Shi Yibai. "Your hand... it's bleeding."

Shi Yibai raised his hand, blood already staining the strap of his watch.

The skin on the back of his hand quivered faintly.

"It's nothing," he said, lowering his gaze. "Just a minor injury."

"How is it minor? That's a huge gash. It looks painful," Jin Fei insisted. "You shouldn't act tough. Get it disinfected right away."

It wouldn't be good for a boy to have a scar on his hand.

Shi Yibai looked at her, pausing for a moment before pressing her hand down through the jacket. "Don't move around."

"Also," he added, shifting his gaze away, "I'm six or seven years older than you. I shouldn't be called a boy."