Chapter 417 Retribution

Chapter 417: Karma

Jiang Nan had no idea why Hao Yanyan was back at the company entrance, but she was clearly up to no good.

He knew damn well Ye Changning didn’t want to see her, so he kept a close eye on Hao Yanyan’s movements, ready to kick her out the second she stepped out of line.

Since Ye Changning had previously given orders to immediately have security remove Hao Yanyan if she appeared near the company, she was now standing across the street, on the other side of the street.

Hao Yanyan hesitated where she stood, but just as she finally made up her mind to cross the street—

A figure suddenly rushed out from behind her, and under the sunlight, a blade glinted.

"Hao Yanyan, die, bitch!"

The blade plunged into her body, gushing blood.

Time seemed to freeze in Hao Yanyan’s eyes. She didn’t even have time to react before losing consciousness.

The last thing she saw was He Jingxuan’s deranged, contorted face.

Jiang Nan witnessed everything, but he was too far away. By the time he rushed over, it was already too late.

Bystanders on both sides of the street bolted in terror.

In the bustling commercial district of the capital, home to several state-owned corporations, jumpers were a yearly thing, but it had been years since such a premeditated attack had taken place.

He Jingxuan’s hair was disheveled, and the exposed skin on her arms bore mottled bruises.

Her face was still beautiful, but her expression was so ferocious that everyone kept their distance.

"She’s crazy! Somebody help!"

Passersby mistook her for a mentally ill attacker and took off screaming.

By the time Jiang Nan arrived with his men, he first pinned down the raving He Jingxuan before sending the severely injured and unconscious Hao Yanyan to the nearest hospital.

He called the cops and alerted the family…

When Hao Chengbing rushed in at the hospital, he saw the police in the hallway and two young men.

The strikingly handsome man turned his head at the sound of footsteps and glanced at him.

Hao Chengbing oddly felt that the man looked familiar.

"I’m Hao Yanyan’s father. Officers, how’s my girl?"

Hao Chengbing asked, his voice trembling.

After all, she was his only child. Though he hadn’t watched her grow up, she was all he had left.

"She’s still in surgery. According to our investigation, the attacker was her own cousin, He Jingxuan. Was there bad blood between them?"

Hao Chengbing shook his head. "I’m not sure about their relationship, but… my daughter’s previous miscarriage was her aunt’s doing. Officers, you must arrest the perpetrator and throw the book at her."

The two officers exchanged glances. "He Jingxuan has already been detained. We’ll conduct further investigations once the victim is out of danger."

Ye Changning had rushed over as soon as he heard the news and even covered the surgery fees.

Now that Hao Chengbing had arrived, he made to leave.

Ye Changning: "Officer, we’ll take our leave now."

The officer then introduced to Hao Chengbing, "These two were brave citizens and were the ones who called the police."

Hao Chengbing immediately thanked them.

However, Ye Changning had no intention of staying any longer. With a brief nod, he left with Jiang Nan.

As an eyewitness, Jiang Nan would need to cooperate further, but for now, he was free to go after giving his statement.

Hao Chengbing remembered the surgery fees. "Sir, may I know your name—"

Ye Changning raised his hand slightly, cutting him off. "I’ve already taken care of the medical bills. There's no need for concern, Mr. Hao. Think of it as my good deed."

Given the Hao family’s current troubles, Ye Changning assumed they couldn’t afford the expenses.

He couldn’t just let Hao Yanyan die, so this was the least he could do.

Hao Chengbing paused, taken aback. The young man had an aristocratic bearing—if they had met before, he surely would have recognized him.

But he had no recollection… Could this truly be an act of goodwill?

Now wasn’t the moment to overthink it. Hao Chengbing had to focus on Hao Yanyan’s situation.

In the past, matters like this would have been handled by He Qiaoxiang. She was ruthless—whether the mistake was big or small, she’d always squeeze reparations out of them.

Though she relied on his military influence, she never left him to worry.

Now, Hao Chengbing had to clean up the mess alone. Was He Jingxuan still the daughter-in-law of the Zhai family?

If the Zhai family still acknowledged her, things would be complicated. To avoid embarrassment, they’d likely get her off the hook.

Meanwhile, the Hao family had already been frozen out of the inner circle, leaving them no means to oppose the Zhai family.

Hao Chengbing sank into a chair in the hospital corridor, scowling as he weighed his options.

……

At the hospital entrance, Ye Changning frowned slightly and told Jiang Nan to dig into the underlying details.

"Find out what Hao Yanyan did to drive someone to try killing her in broad daylight."

If not for Jiang Nan’s quick reflexes and if the attacker hadn’t been experienced, Hao Yanyan would already be dead instead of just critically wounded.

"Are we getting involved in this matter?"

"No!" Ye Changning shook his head. "I just want a clearer picture of Hao Yanyan."

Jiang Nan: "Understood. I’ll look into it right away."

Hao Yanyan hadn’t exactly been subtle, so Jiang Nan didn’t take long to uncover the truth.

However, though the paper trail was clear, there was one incident he couldn’t confirm was linked to Hao Yanyan.

Jiang Nan turned over everything he’d found to Ye Changning.

At last, Ye Changning understood why Hao Yanyan’s relationship with the He family was so strained.

He Jinghong, Li Deshu, Hao Yanyan… and Ye Xiaoxiao—when these names were connected, Ye Changning, aware of their shared history, put the pieces together in a flash.

If the investigation didn't get it wrong, Hao Yanyan had actually tried to take Xiao Xiao's life.

Ye Changning had always thought Hao Yanyan was just after money and luxury, which was why she cut all ties with the Ye family without looking back.

After all, she was going to find her biological parents—no big deal.

But today, he truly saw the brutal truth.

What a disgrace—the Ye family actually raised such a vicious child.

...

Ye Xiaoxiao and Lu Hanchuan had just gotten to the capital when they received a call from Ye Changning.

"I was just about to go with Lu Hanchuan to our master's house to pick up the dog," Ye Xiaoxiao said, holding the phone and picking up something strange in Ye Changning's tone. "Third Brother, are you okay? You've been in the capital all this time?"

"Yeah, I enrolled in a continuing education program and have classes every week."

Ye Changning's emotions had cooled off by now, but he just wanted to call Xiao Xiao or apologize to her in person.

"Third Brother, you’ve finally decided to start studying."

Ye Changning was definitely not a fool—it was just that back when the family was poor, he voluntarily left high school to work.

Now that he was willing to learn, he'd do just fine.

"Yeah, I even hired a foreign language teacher and have been learning recently."

Starting to work hard at almost thirty, Ye Changning truly regretted not having studied harder when he was younger.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Then come over if you have time. We might miss each other in the next couple of days."