Chapter 21 No Power or Influence

Chapter 21: Powerless

Du Yanlan's mother looked grim, her tone full of accusation as if her daughter had done something utterly shameful:

"Yanlan, you're being completely unreasonable! To go this far over something like this, even threatening to jump off the building, and making the firefighters come out here for nothing—how disgraceful!

We've told you Li Lanxiao has good prospects and cares for you, what exactly is your objection? You insist on causing trouble for everyone!"

Du Yanlan's brother shot a glance at Cheng Feng, a look of curiosity and flippancy in his eyes.

"Sis, who is this guy? Could he be a boyfriend you've been hiding? He's quite handsome, a lot easier on the eyes than Brother Lanxiao."

No sooner had he spoken than Li Lanxiao lunged forward, grabbed Du Yanlan by the hair, and yanked her head back, forcing her to look up. His eyes blazed with violence.

A slap landed on the other side of her face.

The force was heavier than her father's blow, knocking the wind out of her. A trace of blood instantly seeped from the corner of her mouth.

"Slut! You're about to marry me, yet you dare to find some pretty boy on the side!"

Li Lanxiao's voice held a stream of venomous curses, his gaze fierce enough to devour someone.

"No wonder you've been so disobedient, so unwilling to get married. So you've already hooked up with someone else! Looks like you just need to be taught a lesson!"

It all happened in a flash.

With her hair in his grip, her cheek burning with pain, Du Yanlan couldn't stop the tears from falling. Her whole body trembled, yet she didn't even have the strength to resist.

Cheng Feng watched the cold, vicious demeanor of these two families and Du Yanlan being brutally beaten by Li Lanxiao. His nails dug deep into his palms until they went numb, his fists clenched so tight they creaked.

Rage nearly overrode his reason, but rationality told him he couldn't strike.

If he hit someone, this group would surely seize the chance to extort him. He had no power, no influence, no savings—he couldn't withstand their harassment.

At this moment, he hated being powerless more than ever. Taking a deep breath, he reined in his rage, strode forward, reached out to grab Du Yanlan's wrist, and tried to pull her away from Li Lanxiao's grip, to stop him from hurting her further.

Just then, several firefighters ran up the stairs. Taking in the chaotic scene, they immediately stepped forward to inquire:

"What's happening here? Is anyone injured?"

Their eyes landed on Li Lanxiao, who was still holding Du Yanlan's hair and about to hit her again.

The firefighters immediately frowned, quickly stepped forward, grabbed Li Lanxiao's wrist, and wrenched him away, shouting sternly:

"Stop! No hitting!"

Li Lanxiao was stopped.

But Du Yanlan's parents continued their incessant stream of curses from the side, their words sharp and venomous, each one stabbing straight at Du Yanlan's heart.

The firefighters stepped in to dissuade them.

They didn't stop at all.

Instead, they cursed even more fiercely, their emotions so agitated they almost charged forward to hit Du Yanlan again.

The situation spiraled out of control.

The firefighters were no match for these parents.

Just then, several police officers in uniform walked up quickly, holding up their badges, their voices serious.

"We are the police! Someone is suspected of attempted murder. You are now under arrest according to the law. Come with us!"

With that, the officers stepped forward, separately restraining Du Yanlan's parents, her brother, Li Lanxiao, and Li Lanxiao's mother. They were handcuffed and forcibly led away.

Du Yanlan stood in place, watching the group being escorted by the police, still struggling and cursing incessantly. Her eyes went blank for a moment before she slowly turned her head to look at Cheng Feng beside her. Her eyes instantly reddened, tears tracing down her cheeks. Her voice, thick with a nasal tone, choked as she asked:

"Thank you... thank you for saving me just now. They... did you call the police to have them arrested?"

Cheng Feng shook his head. He thought it was probably someone else who couldn't stand it anymore and reported it.

His gaze fell on Du Yanlan's swollen, reddened cheek, then swept over the faint bruises visible on her arm.

"It wasn't me who called. Don't think about that now. Go to the hospital quickly to have your face and injuries checked, don't let there be any lasting effects."

He paused.

"Never think about suicide again. Your life is your own, the only thing in this world that completely belongs to you, that you can control. Don't waste it on people who aren't worth it.

They are inherently bad. From now on, cut all ties with them completely, stay far away."

Du Yanlan's nose stung with emotion. She bowed deeply to Cheng Feng, tears welling in her eyes, her voice choked.

"Thank you... but I have no idea how to sever ties with them. My parents already accepted the bride price from Li Lanxiao's family. I..."

Before she could finish, a surge of bitterness overwhelmed her, the rest of the words stuck in her throat, impossible to voice.

Cheng Feng frowned, about to speak up and help her figure out a way, to help her completely escape that vampire-like family.

A steady set of footsteps suddenly approached from behind them.

Both turned around simultaneously.

They saw a tall man, roughly in his fifties, walking over slowly. He wore a well-tailored dark suit, his demeanor elegant, his temperament steady, exuding an aura of capable formality.

It was Butler Liu.

Cheng Feng's pupils contracted slightly in shock. He instinctively spoke:

"Butler Liu? What are you doing here?"

Butler Liu walked to Cheng Feng's side, reached out, and patted his shoulder, his eyes carrying a hint of approval.

"Good lad, you've got real guts. When you were saving her just now, half your body was practically leaning out. So dangerous."

Cheng Feng's cheeks warmed. He hadn't expected his rescue attempt to have been witnessed by Butler Liu, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Butler Liu turned to look at the bewildered and helpless Du Yanlan beside them.

"Young lady, don't be afraid. Our young master will help you resolve all matters with your family.

If you wish to sever ties with your family and they disagree, we can help you find the best lawyer to take the case to court.

Now that group has been taken to the police station. Whether they are released or detained depends entirely on your word. Don't have any reservations."

Du Yanlan was utterly stunned.

She stared in shock at Butler Liu before her—she didn't know this person at all.

But they were willing to help her without holding back.

There was no need to think; it was definitely because of Cheng Feng.

She quickly bowed again to both of them, tears falling uncontrollably, saying over and over:

"Thank you, really, thank you so much..."

Butler Liu nodded slightly, then took out his phone and made a call. He quickly arranged for someone to take Du Yanlan immediately to the best nearby hospital for examination and treatment, with them covering all the expenses.

After watching Du Yanlan being properly escorted away,

Butler Liu turned to Cheng Feng.

"How did you end up over here?"

Cheng Feng scratched the back of his head and answered truthfully:

"I was here delivering a takeout order and saw someone about to jump from the building upstairs, so I came up to see. How did you..."

[He wanted to ask how such an important person could help ordinary folks like them.]

"I came out with the young master to handle some business. The traffic here was terrible, so we pulled over to wait for a bit. I saw you rush upstairs and followed you."

Butler Liu shook his head helplessly.

"You've really got no fear of death, kid. In a situation like that, if they'd been slow to help and you hadn't let go, you could've been pulled down with her. It would've been a disaster."

"I didn't really think at the time. I just felt I couldn't watch someone get hurt—I had to reach out and help."

Cheng Feng's eyes were clear, his tone sincere.

Seeing him like this, Butler Liu liked him even more.

He'd served in the military when he was young, and justice was in his bones. He couldn't stand such things—these two families were so disgusting it made him want to step in and help.

He also admired Cheng Feng the most—a kind-hearted kid who stepped up to do the right thing.

Fortunately, the young master was also here today.

Given the young master's influence,

Du Yanlan's situation could be resolved quickly and properly, so she wouldn't have to suffer any more.

"It's good to save someone, and it shows you're responsible, but don't be so impulsive in the future—it's too risky. You were almost pulled down. If something had happened, it would've been terrible." Butler Liu said earnestly.

Cheng Feng nodded quickly and said seriously:

"Yes, I understand, Butler Liu. I'll be more careful in the future."

Seeing how obedient he was, Butler Liu nodded, satisfied, and casually asked:

"Have you had lunch yet? If not, come back with me. The meal is already prepared at home."

Cheng Feng shook his head, waving his hand to say no:

"No, no, that's okay, Butler Liu. I'll ride back—my bike is still downstairs."

Hearing this, Butler Liu remembered that Cheng Feng had mentioned he was still working part-time delivering takeout, so he didn't say more.

The two walked downstairs side by side.

Just as they reached the entrance on the first floor,

Cheng Feng saw an extremely luxurious black car parked by the roadside. Its body lines were sleek, and its presence was powerful—it was clearly worth a fortune.

At that moment, the car window slowly rolled down, and a young man looked over.

He revealed an exceptionally handsome face.

The young man's features were deep and three-dimensional, with sharp contours. Though he looked quite young, he carried an imposing sense of pressure. His gaze was cold, as if he could see right through people.

Cheng Feng's eyes met the young man's, and his heart skipped a beat.

He felt an invisible pressure rushing toward him and instinctively lowered his head, not daring to meet the other's gaze again.

He didn't know why, but facing this young master always made him inexplicably nervous. The other's presence was simply too strong, making him unable to look directly at him.

Butler Liu waved at Cheng Feng, indicating he was about to leave.

Cheng Feng quickly nodded and respectfully bid farewell to Butler Liu.

Watching Butler Liu open the car door

and get into the young master's car, Cheng Feng felt a slight surprise.

He hadn't expected Butler Liu to be so valued by the young master that he could ride in the same car as the young master of the Shang family.

Only after the black car slowly drove out of sight

did Cheng Feng withdraw his gaze. He turned and walked across the street to his motorcycle parked by the roadside.

Just as he was about to swing his leg over and ride away, he caught sight of several people nearby holding up their phones, pointing them at him and filming, their lenses aimed at him. He didn't know what they were recording.

Cheng Feng felt puzzled but didn't dwell on it.

He quickly put on his helmet and mask,

covering his face completely, started the electric bike, stepped on the accelerator, and swiftly left the area.