Scarred Hearts — A Girls' Love Tale - Chapter 36

After spending over two months in the hospital, Yan Shuangfei had mostly recovered. Her body, once thin and frail, had begun to fill out, and now when Luo Qinghan held her, she didn’t have to worry about her bony frame poking him.

“We’re home!” Yan Shuangfei cheered as she bounced into Luo Qinghan’s house. In the kitchen, Ying Sha was cooking, looking quite domestic, while the doctor helped her out.

“Smells so good!” Yan Shuangfei sniffed around like a little puppy. “Did you make this?” she asked, poking Ying Sha curiously.

“Yes.” Ying Sha answered grumpily. All she’d done was tease Shuangfei a little last time, but the girl retaliated so hard that she couldn’t even get out of bed afterward!

Mean, mean, mean! That’s what you get for playing innocent!

Annoyed, Ying Sha gritted her teeth and chopped vegetables fiercely, lips pressed tight, completely ignoring Yan Shuangfei. Shuangfei, used to Luo Qinghan’s gentle voice and tender care, felt especially hurt by Ying Sha’s cold attitude.

An awkward silence filled the room.

The doctor walked over to Ying Sha, noticed her sour expression, and chuckled. He gently lifted her chin with a finger and asked, “What’s wrong? In a bad mood?”

Ying Sha turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

The doctor, still in good humor, turned her head back and said, “If you’re upset, just tell me.”

With red eyes and a bitten lip, Ying Sha finally whispered, “Shuangfei was hurt so badly. I understand why you were all taking care of her… but I’m the one who should be looking after her the most.”

The doctor couldn’t help but laugh. So that’s what this was about—she was sulking because she was jealous.

“Alright, alright. Finish cooking,” the doctor said with a smile. “I’ll spend the whole afternoon with you.” His tone was full of affection.

Ying Sha instantly softened. She glanced at the clueless Shuangfei and gave a small smile, which made Shuangfei grin back like a fool—just as expected.

After dropping Shuangfei off at home, Luo Qinghan rushed back to the office. She had delayed so much work while caring for Shuangfei that a mountain of documents was now waiting for her.

Two hours into signing papers, Luo Qinghan felt like her signature was about to fly off the page. She shook her sore hand, tapped her toe against the ground, spun her chair around in a full circle, and came to a stop.

“Come in,” she said, sitting up straight and adjusting her clothes.

“Uncle Luo, Uncle Li,” she greeted with a slight bow as two elderly men entered the room.

These two had worked under her parents and were considered senior aides. In terms of seniority, this small gesture was nothing to lose. Besides, it was thanks to their support that Luo Qinghan had taken over the Luo family business so smoothly. She was a person who remembered kindness. Because of that, she usually turned a blind eye when they made small moves behind her back—as long as it didn’t go too far.

Uncle Li coughed and said, “You’ve been away from the company for quite a while. Spending so much time with that girl from the Yan family doesn’t look good. You’re not getting any younger, and since Chang Zheyun is out of the picture, maybe it’s time to consider someone new. The head of the Han family is still single—how about meeting him?”

Luo Qinghan’s hand gripped her pen so tightly it nearly snapped. She held back her anger and didn’t respond immediately.

Uncle Luo, sitting beside them, chimed in, “The Han family’s head is capable and good-looking. He’s never been married, so you wouldn’t be settling. And if the two of you get together, both families’ power would grow. Business cooperation would be easier, and supply chains could be shared.”

Luo Qinghan’s expression turned even colder, her body slightly trembling from suppressed rage. But the two old men, used to her usual tolerance and unaware of the storm brewing, kept talking.

Until—

“Enough,” Luo Qinghan said in a low, chilling voice. She stood up and walked over to them.

“Uncles,” she said coldly, “I don’t recall giving you permission to speak to me so casually.”

Having grown used to praise and flattery, this blunt and forceful tone was jarring to her ears.

“I didn’t know you two had so much free time that you could start meddling in my personal life,” she continued. From the way they kept praising the Han family, it was clear there were dirty deals going on behind the scenes. She could tolerate a lot, but not when someone tried to manipulate her directly.

Without discipline, the chain of command breaks down. Without authority, people won’t follow.

If they dared test her boundaries today, who knew what they’d try tomorrow? If there was even a hint of rebellion, it had to be dealt with immediately.

She had always known why these elders were so willing to support her—because they expected a reward. But the truth was, she was always meant to inherit the Luo family business. As the only direct heir, her position was guaranteed. No matter how the extended family schemed, they were never going to change that.

“This company belongs to the Luo family. Not the Li family, not the Luo family—certainly not the Han family,” she said sharply. “I haven’t forgotten what you’ve done for me. But don’t forget who you are, either.”

Now she understood why Yan Shuangfei was always so strict with her people, why she never allowed anyone to break the rules, and why everyone in the Yan family treated her with absolute respect. No one ever dared disobey her.

No rules, no order.

It was because she had let these men get too comfortable that they were now acting so brazenly.

If putting them in their place meant learning from Shuangfei, she didn’t mind becoming the so-called “tyrant” everyone whispered about. Better that than a powerless puppet.

The two elders stood silently, heads bowed, just like they had once done in front of her father.

Luo Qinghan took a deep breath and opened the door. “If there’s nothing else, please leave. I’ll pretend today never happened.”

After sending off those two headaches, Luo Qinghan felt even more troubled. From what they said, it was clear the Han family was already making moves—and Han Yu’s ambitions weren’t small. Trying to partner with her was just a shortcut for him to rise faster.

Things are getting messy, she thought, sighing.

But she couldn’t pretend this hadn’t happened. It was time to stay alert. Reining in these elder figures was now key to restructuring the internal power of the Luo family.

As for the Yan family—Yan Huaiyuan was still alive, and with his capabilities, no one dared make a move against him. Plus, Yan Shuangfei had already forced Yan Qi to his death. As long as Yan Huaiyuan was around, the Yan family would remain stable.

Luo Qinghan kept her hand on her phone, hesitating. The screen lit up and went dark repeatedly. She was clearly struggling with a decision. Her brows furrowed for a long time, and even though she massaged them with her other hand, her tension didn’t ease.

She slowly opened her contacts list and scrolled through it, not because she was looking for someone specific, but just to give herself a little more time to think. Finally, she stopped on a number and tapped it.

The other end of the line was silent for a long time. Yan Shaoqiu almost thought she had hung up—or maybe dialed by accident. Just as he was about to end the call, he heard Luo Qinghan’s tired but firm voice:

“Yan Shaoqiu, I need the Yan family to do something for me.”

Before he could ask what it was, she continued, “I need you to kill a few people.”

…

Luo Qinghan slumped into her chair. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, as much as it pained her, she had no choice but to take the same path that countless powerful people had taken throughout history.

When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is boiled.

When the birds are gone, the bow is put away.

To eliminate future threats, assassination was the easiest solution. It wouldn’t upset the public, and reclaiming control would look justified.

She felt guilty, yes—but that wouldn’t stop her. Now that Shuangfei was vulnerable and had no one else, she had to be strong, ruthless even, to protect her.

As for those who would die—Luo Qinghan could only shrug and forget them.

After all, once you step into this world, death is always lurking. And honestly, there were far worse ways to go.