After the Online Romance with the Campus Beauty Roommate Went Wrong - Chapter 29

When Sang Shiyue received the call from the police station, he initially thought it was a scam.

Seven or eight years ago, he had been no stranger to the brawls and reckless driving that were typical of second-generation heirs.

But since taking over the family company, Sang Shiyue’s temperament had gradually settled. Such incidents now seemed distant. When dealing with difficult business partners, he could maintain a facade of cordiality over dinner, and even when deeply dissatisfied, he always found opportunities to gain the upper hand in the marketplace.

He never imagined he would one day be summoned to the police station as a parent—especially for his usually well-behaved and obedient younger sister, Sang Shi’an.

The police call came just as Sang Shiyue had been persuaded to drink several glasses of wine at a reception. The officer mentioned terms like “brawling” and “vandalizing public property.” Fearing Sang Shi’an might be injured, Sang Shiyue hastily excused himself without even saying goodbye, rushing out with his assistant.

During the drive, the chauffeur kept the car right at the speed limit. By the time they arrived at the police station, the lawyer Sang Shiyue had contacted had already arrived. As they entered the station, the officer in charge of their case approached to negotiate. Sang Shiyue delegated the matter to the lawyer and went inside to check on Sang Shi’an.

Sang Shi’an was left alone in a small room. When Sang Shiyue arrived, a female police officer was keeping her company. At first glance, she appeared unharmed, and Sang Shiyue’s heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally began to settle.

The female officer had been arranged by Sang Shiyue through connections he’d pulled on his way here. Seeing him arrive, she excused herself and left the room.

The small room was less than ten square meters. Sang Shiyue, standing at 1.85 meters tall, filled the space with his imposing presence. He circled Sang Shi’an twice, noticing she avoided his gaze, then sat in the chair the officer had vacated and pulled out a cigarette.

The red ember glowed steadily. After a long silence, he asked, “What happened?”

Sang Shi’an’s heart leaped heavily. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“Speak, Sang Shi’an,” Sang Shiyue’s voice was both deep and gentle. He tossed the cigarette, barely two puffs taken, into the ashtray and crushed it out ruthlessly. When he looked at her again, his eyes held an undeniable command.

“…I ran into some people while I was out, and we got into an argument,” Sang Shi’an said, avoiding the real issue.

“It wasn’t a minor disagreement,” Sang Shiyue said. “I already had someone investigate on the way here.”

“…Then why are you asking me?” Sang Shi’an lowered her head even further, her voice lacking its usual confidence.

Sang Shiyue stared at her for a moment, then smiled and reached out to smooth her drooping hair behind her ears. He sighed. “I haven’t even seen the guy yet. I heard you smashed his head open, and the sofa was covered in bl00d. How did you manage that? I’m starting to think I underestimated you. Maybe you can teach your brother a thing or two someday?”

Sang Shi’an’s nose suddenly stung with tears. She finally lifted her gaze to meet Sang Shiyue’s smiling eyes. “Brother,” she whispered.

“Hey, I’m here.” Sang Shiyue couldn’t bear to see her teary-eyed. He moved his chair closer and softened his tone. “My dear, you probably don’t want to spend the night at the police station, do you? Come on, tell me about tonight’s ‘victory’.”

“My friend invited me out. When I got there, I ran into Ji Cheng-gege, and he took me to their private room for a while.”

Ji Cheng was one of Sang Shiyue’s childhood friends and the man who had greeted Sang Shi’an at Ye Wenwen’s birthday party a few days earlier. Roughly the same age as Jian Zhenyang, they occasionally socialized together. In fact, Sang Shi’an had received advance notice of Ji Cheng’s whereabouts and had deliberately sought him out.

“I never expected to run into Jian Zhenyang there,” Sang Shi’an explained. “He kept pestering me, slandering Sister Chenyu and bringing up your business. He even tried to get me to collaborate with him to sow discord between us siblings. I couldn’t stand it and ended up arguing with him.”

Sang Shi’an cautiously glanced at Sang Shiyue. “That’s… that’s all that happened.”

“So, it was a chance encounter?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Jian Zhenyang had been frantic lately, scrambling to secure funding for his company’s IPO. His visits to the office had been unusually solicitous. If it had truly been a chance encounter and he was trying to solicit Sang Shi’an’s cooperation, he wouldn’t have dared to resort to violence.

Sang Shi’an had mentioned Jian Zhenyang again yesterday when she visited the office. Even if Sang Shiyue had initially worried she hadn’t considered this angle, he should have realized the truth by now.

It was highly likely Sang Shi’an had deliberately provoked Jian Zhenyang.

Sang Shiyue pulled out his cigarette case and was about to light one when Sang Shi’an snapped the lighter shut with a click.

He glanced at her, and Sang Shi’an guiltily shrank her shoulders. “Brother, you should smoke less. It’s bad for your health.”

Sang Shiyue put the cigarette back and mentally reviewed the situation. He hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Sang Shi’an’s behavior yesterday, still believing she was unaware of the Jian Family’s affairs.

Sang Shi’an tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “I know I was wrong.”

He shot her a sidelong glance, and she seized the opportunity to press her advantage. “But Jian Zhenyang was even worse! Do you know what he did to our school’s laboratory building? Sister Chenyu and several seniors were injured, and two are still in the ICU.”

Sang Shiyue knew this was the reason for her actions. “That’s just your speculation. You weren’t hurt this time because you’re a Sang. What if others don’t show our family respect next time?”

“I have proof.” Sang Shi’an pulled up a recording on her phone. “He just confessed.”

Sang Shiyue: ……

Sang Shiyue nearly laughed in exasperation, his patience gone. He stood up and snapped at Sang Shi’an, “Has Jian Chenyu brainwashed you? The Jian Family hasn’t even done anything yet, and you’re already rushing to defend them based on rumors?”

Sang Shi’an shrank back again. “…Then let the police lock me up. Go away. I don’t want your help. Mom and Dad will definitely come get me.”

“Give me the recording,” Sang Shiyue said, pulling her to her feet. “At least you’re good for something. When we leave, stick close behind me and don’t say a word. Understand?”

Hearing there might be a chance, Sang Shi’an immediately sent the recording to Sang Shiyue, obediently replying, “Okay.”

“Does this mean he’ll go to jail?”

Sang Shiyue listened to the recording, then shook his head. “This requires cooperation from Yanjing University. The Jian Family sponsored the Laboratory Building, so they probably won’t agree.”

Sang Shi’an’s spirits sank.

Sang Shiyue pocketed his phone and led her out. “How was this a waste of time? You smashed his head open with that bottle! Besides, even if we can’t send him to jail, having this leverage could prove invaluable in the future.”

When Sang Shiyue arrived with Sang Shi’an, the lawyer had already handled most of the situation. The police station had been prepped in advance, and the matter could have been resolved privately without any official record. However, at the last minute, Jian Zhenyang’s side insisted on filing a formal case.

Jian Zhenyang’s head was wrapped in multiple layers of white gauze, making him look terrifying. Members of the Jian Family had also arrived, including Jian Zhenyang’s parents and younger brother, their voices rising in a cacophony of accusations. The lawyer approached Sang Shiyue to report, “They refuse to settle and insist President Sang negotiate personally.”

“President Sang, your sister beat my brother this badly. You can’t just brush this off. If it weren’t for the long-standing relationship between our families, my brother could have gotten a medical report and filed charges for intentional assault. Your sister would be facing years in prison.” Jian Zhenming, Jian Zhenyang’s younger brother, spoke agitatedly, pointing at Sang Shi’an. Sang Shiyue calmly blocked his gesture.

“Miss Sang is a young woman. It’s inappropriate for her to retaliate so violently, especially considering her appearance. You should offer some compensation. My brother is Old Master Jian’s most favored grandson and likely heir to the company. What if this head injury causes long-term complications?”

Sang Shiyue: “What do you want?”

“My brother has been working himself to the bone on the Huaxing project lately. His injury will inevitably delay the project’s progress,” Jian Zhenming said, his tone pointed.

Fearing Sang Shiyue might agree on her behalf, Sang Shi’an cut in sharply, “You’re asking for the moon! Don’t even think about it!”

Jian Zhenming seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He raised his hands, chuckled dismissively, and said, “Miss Sang, please don’t rush to conclusions. Let me finish.”

“If it were anyone else, of course they’d have to compensate my brother for the project’s losses. But given the close ties between the Sang and Jian Families, how could I make such a demand? After all, my brother suffered a head injury, and the long-term effects are uncertain. To avoid any future disputes, I propose that Miss Sang personally care for my brother during his hospitalization. Once he recovers, we’ll consider the matter settled, and we won’t trouble you further. What do you say?”

“An’an has school. I’ll arrange for the best nurses to care for your brother,” Sang Shiyue said, taking charge of the situation.

Jian Zhenming smiled, stepped closer, and lowered his voice. “We heard from Old Master Jian the other day that the Sang-Jian Families are considering a marriage alliance. I know you’re not keen on the idea, but it’s not like our families lack other options. This incident today might just be fate—a chance encounter that could bring us closer, don’t you think?”

Sang Shiyue’s face remained expressionless as he turned to Sang Shi’an and asked, “Did Jian Zhenyang say something like that to you today too?”

Sang Shi’an nodded. “He did.”

Sang Shiyue cursed under his breath, roughly loosened his tie, and lunged at Jian Zhenyang’s head, which was wrapped like a dumpling.

By the time the Jian Family reacted, Jian Zhenyang was already pinned to the ground, screaming and begging for mercy. Jian Zhenming was blocked by Ji Cheng, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines. In the entire police station, not a single officer who had heard Jian Zhenyang’s earlier remarks stepped forward to intervene.

It wasn’t until Sang Shiyue had been beating Jian Zhenyang for half a minute that the police finally seemed to realize there was a disturbance and moved to surround them.

“Let go! This is a police station!”

Sang Shiyue allowed himself to be pulled up by the officers. Jian Zhenyang’s face was so swollen his eyes were barely visible, and bl00d gushed from his mouth, where several teeth appeared to have been broken.

“Everyone saw it—I’m the one who beat him this time,” Sang Shiyue declared, pulling Sang Shi’an toward the police station entrance. He shoved her toward his assistant. “Take her to the car first. I’ll join you after I’ve dealt with this.”

Sang Shi’an was completely stunned. “Brother—”

Sang Shiyue: “Go. Be good.”

Ten minutes later, the Maybach’s door swung open. As Sang Shiyue settled into the car, Sang Shi’an grabbed his arm tightly. “Brother, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. The Jian Family has a long history of betraying their own siblings for profit. They probably thought I’d sell you out for money too. I asked Ji Cheng about it earlier—I never imagined Jian Zhenyang could be so despicable, daring to target you.” Seeing how shaken Sang Shi’an was, Sang Shiyue explained further, “Don’t worry, they won’t dare escalate this. If it reaches Old Master Jian, what would become of the Jian Family’s reputation?”

Sang Shi’an hesitated. “…Are you really okay?”

“They wouldn’t dare cross me because I’m in charge of the company now.” Sang Shiyue spoke bluntly. “Once you start working at the company, you’ll see these kinds of incidents become commonplace.”

Sang Shi’an seemed to understand, nodding twice. “So, they’re worried you’ll sabotage their other deals?”

Sang Shiyue instructed the driver to start the car and continued speaking to Sang Shi’an, “The Jian Family’s various businesses are now divided into several divisions. Among the projects Jian Zhenyang is overseeing, some involve collaborations with us.”

Sang Shi’an tentatively asked, “Then, Brother, should we reconsider our partners?”

Sang Shiyue replied, “It’s not as simple as you young ones think. We can’t just halt everything immediately; it would harm many people’s interests. But I’ll carefully consider future collaborations.”

A smile finally appeared on Sang Shi’an’s face as she watched the car pull away from the police station. “Brother, this doesn’t seem like the way to Yanjing University. Are you taking me home to stay? I have class tomorrow morning.”

“Not home,” Sang Shiyue said. “After your brave act of standing up for someone tonight, such a heroic feat shouldn’t remain our little secret, right?”

An ominous premonition suddenly flashed through Sang Shi’an’s mind.

Sang Shiyue paused deliberately, his smile turning roguish. “As the person you defended, I’m sure Jian Chenyu will be so moved by your actions, she’ll cry.”