Chapter 133: Sister-in-law

Chapter 133: Sister-in-Law

At this moment, Tan Yan had no doubt that Song Yuqing and Tan Shu harbored genuine animosity. The lethal standoff between them, with both aiming to kill the other, was clearly no act.

With this thought, Tan Yan continued to observe the unfolding drama, watching the two clash.

But Tan Shu abruptly pulled him forward, using him as a human shield. The bullet pierced his body, causing excruciating pain.

Yet, the very next bullet grazed his ear and lodged directly into Tan Shu's chest, slightly above the heart.

Tan Yan: "..."

Damn it, Song Yuqing's aim was so precise. Was that earlier "random" shooting actually intentional? Did he deliberately shoot me?

Tan Shu lowered his head to look at the rapidly spreading crimson stain below his shoulder, then raised his eyes to Song Yuqing.

Song Yuqing's face was icy as he stared quietly at him. Though his expression was unreadable, Tan Shu could sense Song Yuqing's displeasure.

Tan Shu offered a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Let's go." Tan Shu and his companions retreated from the lab one after another.

Song Yuqing scooped up Pei Huai and instructed those nearby, "Call an ambulance."

The assistant quickly complied. Despite heavy blood loss, Pei Huai felt surprisingly well—an Alpha wasn't so easily killed, after all.

Pei Huai: "Qingqing... I was wrong... Can you forgive me?"

As Pei Huai spoke, his words came out broken, punctuated by fresh blood seeping from his lips.

Song Yuqing, his face cold, slapped Pei Huai across the face. "Shut up, you fool."

Pei Huai: "..."

Was this the script he was supposed to follow?

Why was he being slapped by Song Yuqing even after getting injured?

Song Yuqing had an awful temper, but he liked it.

He still wanted to beg for Song Yuqing’s forgiveness. Now, while injured, seemed like the perfect time to ask, but Song Yuqing wouldn't let him speak.

Pei Huai was torn and cautiously tugged at Song Yuqing’s clothes.

His hand was promptly slapped away by Song Yuqing. Even now, Song Yuqing still considered Pei Huai a fool.

Had all his time in the military taught him nothing but how to act as a human shield for others?

Song Yuqing's original intention in separating from Pei Huai was to keep him from getting involved. Yet now, not only was Pei Huai involved, but he had also taken a bullet for him.

Song Yuqing coldly pulled his clothes back from Pei Huai’s grasp. "Let go."

Ye Siling, clutching his own wound, stared coldly at the interaction between Song Yuqing and Pei Huai.

The contrast between being loved and unloved was painfully clear. At the very least, when the bullet had pierced his shoulder, Song Yuqing hadn't been angry or shown any intent to kill Tan Shu.

From start to finish, Song Yuqing's attention had been entirely on Pei Huai, not on him.

Ye Siling watched for a while longer but couldn't bear to stay. He turned and left.

After all, if he left, no one would care that he was injured.

Perhaps if he disappeared one day, rotting away in some dark corner, his bones turning to dust, Song Yuqing wouldn't even remember him.

Ye Siling stepped out of the laboratory.

"Ye Siling, where are you going?"

A familiar voice cut through the air. Ye Siling turned around and met Song Yuqing’s displeased face. His pale cheek, wiped too harshly earlier, showed faint finger marks.

Ye Siling paused, his gaze fixed on Song Yuqing’s face.

"Come back and wait for the ambulance."

Ye Siling wanted to say that since Song Yuqing didn't like him or care about him, why bother making him wait for the ambulance?

But the words died on his lips. His feet, as if moving on their own, carried him back to Song Yuqing’s side, where he sat down.

The entire morning, Song Yuqing’s laboratory was in chaos. An ambulance took away two injured Alphas.

After arranging everything in the laboratory and posting guards, Song Yuqing went to the hospital. Now, even a fruit fly entering his lab would need a full background check and solve a genetics puzzle before being granted passage.

Tan Hongzhen, seeing the overwhelming negative news online, was thoroughly upset.

There were even comments disparaging their newly developed "Jingxi No. 10," suggesting they hand over all production lines to Song Yuqing and let him produce the new drug instead.

Tan Hongzhen was enraged.

He overturned a table in fury, wanting to confront those idiots Tan Shu and Tan Yan. Why had they provoked Song Yuqing and made such a mess of things?

But both fools were in the hospital and hadn't returned.

During the bullet removal, Tan Shu forewent anesthesia. The wound was in a complex area, requiring careful, gradual extraction.

Amid the spreading pain, Tan Shu closed his eyes and recalled Song Yuqing’s final gaze—cold and indifferent.

This bullet, in this location, was Song Yuqing’s punishment for him.

He and Song Yuqing had drifted apart too much. Somehow, Song Yuqing had developed feelings for that fool Pei Huai.

But he had no regrets. If Pei Huai loved Song Yuqing, then Pei Huai should have been the one to take the bullet, to bleed for him.

Even dying for Song Yuqing would be a reward for Pei Huai.

Tan Yan spoke with Tan Hongzhen over the phone. "Father, I saw it with my own eyes—Tan Shu was aiming to kill Song Yuqing."

"Song Yuqing was also intent on taking Tan Shu down. Otherwise, Tan Shu wouldn’t still be in surgery."

"But his people are too weak."

Tan Shu’s subordinates couldn’t even withstand Pei Huai’s psychic energy, offering no support whatsoever.

Tan Hongzhen was still weighing his options. At the very least, they had gained nothing from provoking Song Yuqing this time. It might still be possible to withdraw without further losses.

But...

The thought of Song Yuqing made it impossible for Tan Hongzhen to swallow the humiliation he had suffered.

Tan Hongzhen personally visited the hospital to see Tan Shu. The surgeon operating on Tan Shu frankly reported his condition.

"The location of the injury is extremely perilous; it nearly struck the heart... After this, he'll need to properly—"

Tan Hongzhen couldn’t bear to listen to the rest. As long as Tan Shu wasn’t dead, how he recovered wasn't his concern as a father.

Tan Hongzhen entered Tan Shu’s hospital room.

"Song Yuqing, relying on the military’s backing and his own abilities, dares to be so arrogant and domineering, treating our Tan family as nothing."

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a mesmerizing, almost persuasive tone. "If he dared to shoot you today, tomorrow he’ll dare to attack anyone in our Tan family. The things he’s developing are clearly aimed at uprooting the very foundation of our Tan family."

"Father knows you’re angry and resentful," Tan Hongzhen said with a feigned sympathy. "You hold grudges against how I handled things back then, but I had no choice. If you were in my position, you’d understand my intentions."

Tan Hongzhen’s tone suddenly turned stern. "Now is not the time for impulsive actions or going it alone. You’ve seen it yourself—the people under you..."

He paused, his voice dripping with undisguised contempt. "They can’t even withstand the mental force of a brute like Pei Huai. They’re utterly useless, absolutely worthless."

Tan Hongzhen’s hand pressed down on Tan Shu’s injured shoulder with almost oppressive force.

"Alone, no matter how ruthless or unhinged you are, you can’t defeat them."

"You need the power of the family. Your father needs you."

Tan Hongzhen looked directly at Tan Shu’s tightly closed eyes.

"Forget those meaningless romantic entanglements. You must kill Song Yuqing—for the future of the Tan family, for the bullet you took today, and to... avenge the humiliation we father and son have suffered."

Tan Shu didn’t respond immediately, keeping his eyes shut the entire time.

Tan Hongzhen’s gaze fell once again on Tan Shu’s eyes. Every time he looked into them, he felt disgust and rage.

He had been deceived for so many years by the heir he thought he could trust and the person by his side. Just thinking about it made Tan Hongzhen’s anger boil over.

But now, he needed a mad dog who would relentlessly seek revenge against Song Yuqing.

If Tan Shu could kill Song Yuqing, he would remain under Tan Hongzhen’s control, and he could erase this stain completely.

As Tan Hongzhen was about to leave, Tan Shu finally spoke. "Okay."

Lab operations resumed normally. Song Yuqing took several calls, all inquiring about the incident that morning.

Only Zhou Yongnian hadn't called. Not only was Zhou Yongnian responsible for managing the Border Military Region, but he also oversaw security in various special zones.

Song Yuqing dialed Zhou Yongnian’s number. "Zhou Yongnian, do you not want your job anymore?"

Zhou Yongnian: "..."

Zhou Yongnian replied cautiously, "I’m off duty today. What did I do wrong this time?"

His tone was meek, but everyone knew Zhou Yongnian was a scheming bastard at heart.

With the incident causing such an uproar, how could Zhou Yongnian not know?

He had probably been hoping Song Yuqing would be killed by Tan Shu, so he could step in to handle the aftermath and deal with Tan Shu.

Who would have thought Song Yuqing wouldn't even have a scratch, while Pei Huai, Ye Siling, and Tan Shu were all injured?

Pei Huai and Ye Siling were close to Song Yuqing, and Song Yuqing was known for protecting his own.

Rumor had it that Song Yuqing had initially only asked Tan Shu to leave. It was only after Pei Huai took a bullet for him that Song Yuqing shot Tan Shu.

Now, Zhou Yongnian felt doomed. Song Yuqing was surely going to make trouble for him. He absolutely couldn’t admit he knew about the incident.

"Mr. Song, I truly had no idea. If I’d known, I would've come immediately. The Council can’t afford to lose you, no matter what."

"I’ll investigate this matter right now and give you a full report. You won’t find anyone more suitable than me at the moment."

Zhou Yongnian rambled on, but Song Yuqing never indicated whether he agreed or not. Every second of waiting was torture for Zhou Yongnian.

Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yongnian added, "The Tan family has grown increasingly arrogant over the years, posing serious social risks. I want to thoroughly investigate the disappearances of researchers all these years. I’m certain the Tan family is behind it."

"Mr. Song, please let me make up for it with results."

The matter of dereliction of duty could be major or minor, depending on whether Mr. Song wanted to pursue it.

"Don't screw this up," Song Yuqing said lazily. "If you can’t clean up the Tan family, I’ll have to take you out instead."

Zhou Yongnian wanting to redeem himself by taking down the Tan family was exactly what Song Yuqing intended. The Tan family was deeply entrenched; mere public opinion couldn't shake them. Tan Hongzhen had committed countless evils, and the Tan family’s downfall was deserved.

As for himself, it wasn't about kindness or a desire to seek justice for the dead researchers. He simply wanted the Tan family gone from the market, replaced entirely by his own Prometheus-1.

Times change, power shifts. The era of the Tan family should be over.

But in all things, actions matter more than intentions. As long as the outcome benefits everyone, what he did wasn’t wrong—it could even be called the right thing.

Song Yuqing’s tone brooked no argument. "I’ll have Gu Ling assist you with your work."

His phone buzzed. Song Yuqing glanced down and saw a bunch of messages. This number had been messaging him since the day before yesterday, but he hadn't read them.

Good Samaritan: "Mrs., Pei Huai is really no good. He’s married, yet he’s hitting on the person we're protecting! This shitty Alpha falls in love with classmates at school, other men’s wives when visiting homes, and work colleagues on the job—he needs to be reined in!"

Good Samaritan: "Even sucking fingers turns him on."

Good Samaritan: "Mrs., he even cried outside after arguing with the protection target. Look at him! Mrs., you really need to get him under control properly."

Accompanying these messages were photos. Though the face was covered, it was easy to recognize Pei Huai and him in the corridor.

T-T: "Did Pei Huai tell you this contact number belongs to his wife?"

Good Samaritan: "Mrs., you finally answered! Yes, when Pei Huai was drunk, he secretly showed us his phone while hugging it. Today, Pei Huai even got injured protecting the target. Mrs., you have to keep Pei Huai on a short leash. Are you bringing the kids to see Pei Huai? Oh, and Mrs., did you have the baby yet?"

Good Samaritan: "You should have by now. The kid probably misses his dad. Bring the kids to see Pei Huai."

Having a child and a wife would ideally keep Pei Huai firmly tied down.

They couldn’t let Song Yuqing and Pei Huai get back together. That shitty Alpha Pei Huai was not good enough for Teacher Song.

Song Yuqing: "...?"

Pei Huai, that dog, was telling everyone these lies about him.

T-T: "Alright, I’ll come see him soon."

Author’s Note:

Song Qingqing: Pei Dog keeps spreading rumors about me.

Pei Dog looked away guiltily.