Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 145 Call the Police
In the gloomy sky, thick, dark clouds hung like a giant lead plate, pressing heavily over the city as if they might collapse at any moment.

Shi An and Shi Ning searched for Chen Yu's house with difficulty along a narrow and dimly lit alley.

The surrounding walls were covered with mottled water stains, exuding a damp and decaying smell.

When they finally stood at Chen Yu's door, the old wooden door was half-closed, and the sound of arguing coming from inside broke the deathly silence of the alley.

Chen Yu's voice, filled with anger and helplessness, echoed in the small space.

Shi An and Shi Ning exchanged a glance, a hint of worry flashing in their eyes. Just as they were about to knock on the door, they heard a muffled thud from inside. Immediately afterward, Chen Yu's body was violently thrown out by a great force, crashing heavily onto the dusty ground.

Chen Yu struggled to get up from the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His once neat clothes were now disheveled, and his hair was soaked with sweat and dust, sticking to his face in strands.

When he looked up and saw Shi An and Shi Ning, his expression changed drastically, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, as if someone had seen his most shameful secret.

He shouted urgently, "Get out of here! Don't meddle in other people's business!"

His voice became hoarse with anger and anxiety.

However, before he could finish speaking, a tall figure staggered out of the room.

Chen Yu's father, a burly man with a face full of drunkenness, staggered and his smell of alcohol filled the air, making people want to vomit.

He muttered under his breath, "You little brat, where's the money? Hand it over right now! I've lost everything today, and I'm counting on this little bit of money from you to win it all back!"

When he caught sight of Shi An and Shi Ning standing to the side, his eyes lit up instantly, and the greed in his eyes was chilling.

He grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth, and said menacingly, "You two aren't getting away either, pay up! Enough talk, or you'll regret it!"

As he spoke, he waved his thick arm, making a gesture as if he was about to hit someone.

Seeing this, Shi An immediately stepped forward, blocking Shi Ning's path. His eyes were firm and angry as he said righteously, "Uncle, what are you doing? Let's talk this out! What kind of father beats his son? Look at Chen Yu, look what you've done to him!"

Shi Ning chimed in, her voice trembling slightly but full of courage: "Yes, please don't be like this. We just came to see Chen Yu. He's our friend, and we care about him."

Chen Yu's father, however, refused to listen to any advice. His face was flushed red from alcohol and anger, like an enraged bull.

Instead of stopping, he cursed even more fiercely, with foul language constantly escaping his lips.

His emotions grew increasingly agitated, and his body began to sway uncontrollably. Suddenly, he grabbed a stool from the side, raised it high, and slammed it down hard on Shi Ning.

At that moment, time seemed to freeze, the air seemed to be sucked out, and the whole world fell into a deathly silence, with only the howling wind foreshadowing the impending danger.

Shi Ning stared wide-eyed in terror. Her body instinctively wanted to dodge, but she was paralyzed with fear.

Her mind went blank; all she could see was the heavy stool getting closer and closer. At that critical moment, a resolute glint flashed in Chen Yu's eyes.

He suddenly stood up, ignoring his own injuries, and rushed over to shield Shi Ning with his own body.

The stool slammed heavily onto Chen Yu's back with a dull thud. He groaned, his body swayed violently, and his knees buckled slightly from the impact.

But his arms were tightly wrapped around Shi Ning, like a solid barrier, unwilling to let her suffer any harm. Shi Ning looked at the scene before her in horror, her eyes instantly reddening, and tears uncontrollably streaming down her face.

She felt Chen Yu's trembling body and his rapid breathing due to pain, and her heart was filled with gratitude and guilt. "Chen Yu, how are you?"

She cried out, her voice filled with worry and concern. Shi An, on the other hand, was furious, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He looked at Chen Yu's father, his anger burning like a raging fire.

He could no longer tolerate the man's violence and was ready to rush up and confront him.

"You've gone too far! How could you treat your own son and innocent people like this? You must give us an explanation today!"

Shi An roared, his voice echoing through the alley.

Chen Yu's father seemed startled by his own actions. He slowly put down the stool in his hand, and the drunkenness on his face seemed to fade a bit.

He looked at Chen Yu lying on the ground and Shi An, whose face was full of anger, and a hint of panic and helplessness flashed in his eyes.

But soon, he reverted to his fierce demeanor, muttering to himself, "This is my family matter, mind your own business!"

At this moment, the surrounding neighbors were also attracted by the loud arguments and fighting.

They stood on either side of the alley, watching the scene unfold before them, their faces showing helplessness and sympathy. But out of fear of Chen Yu's father's tyranny, no one dared to step forward to intervene.

Shi An took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

He knew that anger wouldn't solve anything; he had to find a way to protect Chen Yu and Shi Ning. He took out his phone from his pocket, ready to call the police.

"You wait, your actions today will be punished by law!"

Shi An said coldly, his eyes revealing an undeniable determination.

When Chen Yu's father heard the words "call the police," his face turned pale instantly.

His body began to tremble slightly, as if he realized the seriousness of the situation.

He wanted to run away, but his legs seemed to be nailed to the ground and he couldn't move.

Shi Ning squatted down and carefully helped Chen Yu up. She gently wiped the blood from the corner of Chen Yu's mouth, her eyes full of heartache: "Chen Yu, don't speak, we'll take you to the hospital right away."

Chen Yu shook his head weakly, a hint of gratitude in his eyes: "Thank you, Shi Ning, you shouldn't have come."

Just as everyone was at a stalemate, Chen Yu's father's face turned pale and then red, and he wanted to run but couldn't move, the sound of police sirens came from afar.

It turned out that one of the neighbors had secretly called the police, and the police arrived in time.

Two policemen strode into the alley, their serious expressions scrutinizing the scene.

Seeing that Chen Yu's mouth was bleeding and his clothes were disheveled as Shi Ning helped him up, and then looking at Chen Yu's father, who was holding a stool and looked drunk and panicked, Shi Ning immediately understood the situation.

One of the policemen stepped forward, snatched the stool from Chen Yu's father's hands, and shouted sternly, "Don't move! What's going on?"