Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Faced with Li Wenguang's provocation, even an outsider like Song Nian couldn't tolerate it, let alone Li Yanchuan.

He had expected Li Yanchuan to make a move, but when he saw the man's restrained expression, he realized Li Yanchuan was merely afraid to show any turmoil.

Because once someone latched onto that weakness, those people who stop at nothing would use his deceased mother as leverage, attacking Li Yanchuan from all sides.

Not only would it hurt him personally, but it would also disrespect the deceased.

But every heart is made of flesh; even someone as cold as Li Yanchuan couldn't remain truly unmoved by his mother's mementos.

Since it wasn't convenient for him to act, Song Nian decided to do it himself.

Watching the man's tightly pressed lips and clenched fists, Song Nian took a deep breath and resolved to teach the arrogant brat a lesson.

So, just as Li Yanchuan lowered his gaze in distraction, a gust of wind suddenly rushed past him.

When he looked up, he only caught sight of Song Nian's back as he strode forward past him.

And a powerful fist swung forward.

That heavy punch, thrown with all of Song Nian's might, landed squarely on the face, hitting the unsuspecting Li Wenguang so hard that stars spun before his eyes, and he immediately collapsed to the ground with a bloody nose.

The world spun around him; Li Wenguang lay on the ground, his eyes unfocused, disoriented, and it took a long moment for him to come back to his senses.

This familiar feeling...

He suddenly recalled that at the wedding, he had taken a similar punch before.

Sure enough, when his vision refocused, he saw Song Nian standing before him with clenched fists.

The only two times the pampered second young master of the Li family had ever been beaten in his life—both from the same person.

"Song... Nian, you again!"

Humiliated twice by the same person, he was so angry he could have ground his teeth to dust, his hand trembling as he pointed at the man, even forgetting to wipe away his nosebleed.

"That's what you get!"

Song Nian, utterly unfazed by the threat, straddled the man as he tried to roll over and sit up, pressing him down and throwing another punch at his face.

"Since you don't know how to act like a decent person, let me teach you!"

The first punch was for the original host, for the exploitation and being treated as a pawn;

The second punch was for Li Yanchuan, for the deliberate humiliation and long-term injustice;

The third punch was for himself, for all the private grudges he had accumulated since transmigrating and encountering this man.

Punches fell like rain, each one delivered with fury, venting his anger, pounding into Li Wenguang's body, bruising his face beyond recognition, leaving him utterly powerless to fight back.

Such a commotion naturally alarmed those inside the house; everyone came running out, and upon seeing the scene before them, they all froze in place.

Especially Li Yi and Qiu Shi, who nearly fainted at the sight of their youngest son being pinned to the ground and beaten beyond recognition.

Not far away, Li Yanchuan simply sat silently in his wheelchair, watching it all, but did not intervene.

He had once stopped Song Nian out of fear he might get hurt, only to be met with the reply, "Honey, don't worry, he can't beat me; I'll definitely beat him up and get revenge for you."

"Li Yanchuan! How can you let someone do this?"

Assuming Song Nian was acting on his orders, Li Yi pointed a trembling finger at him, so angry he could barely speak.

Before Li Yanchuan could respond, Song Nian, still gripping the other's collar, shouted:

"It has nothing to do with Yanchuan! I'm the one who beat him!"

"Since you don't know how to raise a son, let me teach him manners myself—otherwise he'll grow up with no sense of decency!"

"You—!"

Once again rendered speechless by the defiance, and with Qiu Shi crying and making a scene beside him, Li Yi was so fuming with rage that he stamped his foot and ordered the security guards to go teach Song Nian a lesson.

"Who dares to touch him!"

Just as the security guards were about to step forward, Li Yanchuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

His icy voice suddenly rose in pitch, each word forceful and decisive, like a thunderclap exploding in the air, startling the security guards into freezing in place, afraid to move.

Though they were not under Li Yanchuan's orders, they instinctively felt intimidated by him and hesitated.

"Song Nian, come here."

Hearing his name called, Song Nian immediately stopped, stood up, brushed off his shirt, and obediently scurried over.

Even after returning to Li Yanchuan's side, he still glared with fierce eyes, the whites of his eyes showing, like a watchful little guard dog on alert.

"You son of a bitch, how dare you hit me—"

Li Wenguang, his face covered in bruises, scrambled up from the ground, limping and staggering to hide behind his father.

"You started it! I'll hit you a third time, don't test me!"

Song Nian, standing behind Li Yanchuan, stuck his neck out and shouted back without backing down.

Having been provoked and then beaten up, Li Wenguang was losing face and yelled at the security guards:

"Go! Teach him a lesson!"

The guards looked at each other hesitantly, hesitantly took a step forward, but were immediately frozen by a piercing glare from Li Yanchuan, pulling back their feet and standing still.

For a moment, the air grew silent. The two sides faced off, neither making a move.

Finally, Li Yi spoke first, and his words made Li Wenguang's jaw drop in shock:

"Forget it, Wenguang, you were the one in the wrong first. Let's each take a step back and let's call it even."

"Dad! He beat me like this, how can we just let it slide!"

Holding his swollen, pig-like face, Li Wenguang tried to argue further, but was silenced by his father's glare, swallowing his bitterness.

Qiu Shi, heartbroken at the sight of her son, tearfully examined his injuries, setting aside her ladylike demeanor and crying out, demanding that her husband defend them.

"Enough! All of you, shut up!"

She was met only with Li Yi's unsparing rebuke.

Although he too wanted to defend his younger son, after all, being beaten into such a state was too shameful, from the content of the quarrel, it was indeed his side that was in the wrong.

Besides, just now at dinner, he had already ordered the Li family's seat to be vacated. If he continued to force Li Yanchuan's side to submit further, he might push them into a corner.

Although he was confident he could still set his younger son straight in a confrontation, since there was an easier way, why cause a rift over a small matter?

So he planned to temporarily put Li Wenguang at a disadvantage to avoid escalating the situation.

Behind him, the mother and son both froze. Before they could object, Song Nian spoke up first:

"We can't just let it go like that. Since you admit he was wrong, shouldn't he apologize?"

"Dream on!"

Li Wenguang gritted his teeth in rage, while Qiu Shi, distressed, held him close to comfort him.

Li Yi was silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. Then he turned to look at Li Wenguang:

"He's right, Wenguang. Apologize to your big brother."

"Dad! Why should I?"

"Hurry up!"

If he sacrificed the greater goal for a small matter, it wouldn't be worth it, so his attitude was especially firm, insisting that his younger son apologize.

Realizing that his father absolutely wouldn't side with him this time, a humiliated look appeared on Li Wenguang's face. He hesitated for a long moment, as if engaged in a mental struggle, and finally, under his father's pressure, muttered reluctantly:

"I'm sorry."

The words were fast and slurred, as if scorching his mouth.

Across from him, Li Yanchuan merely lifted his eyes and swept a glance indifferently, then quickly withdrew his gaze, offering no response to the apology.

As if he didn't even consider him worth noticing.

"A verbal apology isn't enough—you need to actually do something. Go find what you threw away."

Song Nian gave the man the finger, unwilling to let it go.

"Don't be so demanding!"

As a dignified young master, Li Wenguang certainly didn't want to bend over and search the flowerbeds for the trinket he had thrown away. This time, he absolutely refused to go along.

If this continued, the other side would only become more brazen, and his younger son refused to agree. To quickly move past it, Li Yi changed the subject:

"Alright, it's just a small accessory. We'll just buy a new one. Yan Chuan, go back inside and sit for a while."

"No need, we'll leave soon."

Li Yanchuan refused point-blank, not sparing any face.

In this atmosphere of hidden agendas, Li Yi insincerely chatted some hollow words for a few minutes before hastily leading the other two out of the garden, and the security guards also dispersed.

Relying on not being seen, Song Nian rolled his eyes and flipped off their retreating backs, which seemed to be fleeing in defeat.

Even staying here one more second felt suffocating. Li Yanchuan had his driver come to pick them up and then pushed his wheelchair alone toward the garden exit.

"Um, about the necklace..."

If we leave now, don't you want to look for it? Song Nian, looking back every few steps, caught up and asked tentatively.

But all he received was silence.

Li Yanchuan tilted his head back slightly, his vacant eyes fixed on the sunset, his thoughts unknown.

After a long time, he gently shook his head.

It wasn't that he didn't want to retrieve the necklace, but under these circumstances—on the grounds of the Li family estate—it was truly not suitable to go searching through the yard.

Anyway, it had been missing for so many years; perhaps he should just accept that he couldn't have it.

His thoughts were in utter chaos, especially remembering the disgusting faces of those people. His temples ached as if stabbed with needles, and he just wanted to leave this place of trouble as fast as possible.

Watching his rushing back that seemed to be escaping, Song Nian pursed his lips, his thoughts complex.

That broad and sturdy back, when merged with the sunset, somehow looked so thin, so solitary.

Without thinking, he made up his mind.

Then he ran back without turning his head, leaving just one sentence behind:

"I've got something to do—I'll be right back!"

————

The driver arrived quickly. They could have asked one of the Li family's drivers, but now Li Yanchuan only trusted his own people.

The car had been waiting at the gate for over ten minutes, yet it hadn't moved.

Because Song Nian still hadn't returned.

"Mr. Li, should we keep waiting?"

The driver asked.

"Yeah."

Li Yanchuan frowned, rubbing his temples.

He had drunk too much at the dinner table, and now the alcohol was going to his head, mixing with his tangled thoughts, leaving his head throbbing with a dull ache, as heavy as lead.

What was Song Nian doing? Why was he taking so long?

Was there really anything at the Li residence worth his time?

Just as he was pondering this, a familiar voice came from behind:

"I'm back—"

The voice was warm and clear, carrying a hint of anticipation and excitement, like wings cutting through a storm, bringing a ray of light into a gray world.

Hearing this, Li Yanchuan turned his head instinctively.

The boundless sunset and the figure rushing toward him entered his view at once.

The setting sun melted into gold, painting the sky with brilliant hues of orange, red, and pinkish purple. The blue sky seemed to have spilled a bucket of paint, now dyed in warm tones of twilight.

The afterglow of the sunset gilded the entire world in soft colors, turning heaven and earth into a beautiful canvas.

And Song Nian was the finishing touch in that painting.

He was bathed in the gentle glow of the sunset, striding determinedly toward him, his figure growing larger with each step. The sunset sprinkled flecks of golden light, shimmering and colorful, resting on the tips of his hair, his shoulders, and between his brows.

So beautiful it was almost unreal.

Then, Song Nian ran up breathlessly, his hand clenched into a fist, extending it before Li Yanchuan's eyes.

As he slowly opened his palm, lying within it was the necklace they thought they had lost.

The gemstone shimmered brilliantly in the sunset light, yet at that moment, a pair of eyes shone even brighter.

"See, I found it."

As the wind rustled past his ears, Li Yanchuan heard him say softly, still breathless.