He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

Jianghai City, Nan District Police Station.

Although it was late at night, the mediation hall was bustling with activity, filled with cries of anguish.

"Officer! You have to help us! Look at my hand! It's broken!"

"And my teeth! Those were my front teeth! They're all gone!"

Huang Mao and Hong Jie's gang were lying on chairs or squatting on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen, crying like children who had suffered a great injustice. Huang Mao's wrists were bent in an unnatural way, and his knees were so swollen that he could only lie face down.

The young police officer in charge of taking the statements looked at the group of troublemakers who usually caused trouble on the streets, and then at the man sitting calmly on the bench opposite, who was even fixing the hair of the girl next to him. His lips twitched involuntarily.

This scene... is so jarring.

The man named Jiang Che was dressed casually, wearing a pair of cotton slippers that were clearly for home wear, and even had an apron with a bear pattern on it.

He looks like a good homemaker who just finished cooking.

But this "stay-at-home dad" single-handedly beat four thugs wielding knives and sticks, sending them to the hospital? And according to surveillance footage, the whole thing took less than a minute?

"Mr. Jiang, although they provoked us first, the way you acted..." The police officer was a bit troubled. "It will be hard to clear your name of excessive self-defense."

"They extorted money at knifepoint and even tried to rob minors."

Jiang Che spoke calmly, wiping the blood from Su Xiaoruan's face with a wet tissue, without looking up:

"I call this an act of heroism. As for their injuries, they got hurt themselves."

"Could a fall really break your wrist?" The police officer was speechless.

Just then.

"Bang!"

The police station door was suddenly pushed open.

A rapid, crisp sound of high heels, accompanied by a powerful low pressure, instantly swept through the entire hall.

"Who dares to say my husband acted excessively in self-defense?"

A cold female voice rang out.

Everyone instinctively turned around.

At the entrance, Shen Qingge stood dressed in a black haute couture business suit with a camel-colored trench coat over it. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and her face was expressionless, yet she exuded a suffocating queenly aura.

Behind her followed four men in suits, each carrying a briefcase.

That was the top-notch legal team in the Shen Group's legal department, known as the "Invincible Warriors of the River and Sea".

"Ms. Shen...?" The police officer clearly recognized the female entrepreneur who frequently appeared in financial news and immediately stood up.

Hongjie and Huangmao, who were lying on the ground, were also dumbfounded.

Who is this deity?

Shen Qingge ignored the gazes of others and immediately fixed her eyes on Jiang Che, who was sitting on the bench.

She looked Jiang Che up and down and saw that there was no obvious blood on his body, only a little mud on his apron. The huge weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

But then her gaze fell on Su Xiaoruan, who was huddled in Jiang Che's arms with one side of her face swollen.

Shen Qingge's pupils suddenly contracted.

"What happened?"

Shen Qingge walked up to Jiang Che, her voice still cold, but with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "I got a call saying you were in a fight? Are you hurt?"

Jiang Che felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at his wife, who had rushed over covered in dust.

He originally intended to handle it himself, but unexpectedly the police contacted the car owner directly (the car was registered under Shen Qingge's name) and brought this big shot to the scene.

"I'm fine." Jiang Che shook his head, pointed at Su Xiaoruan, "It's this girl who got bullied."

"Bully?"

Shen Qingge turned around, her gaze sweeping like a knife over the group of thugs who were still wailing.

"Is it them?"

The lead lawyer immediately handed over a business card, stepped in front of Shen Qingge, adjusted his glasses at the police and the group of thugs, and gave a professional smile.

"Hello, I am Ms. Shen's lawyer. Regarding the 'assault' incident mentioned earlier, we have applied to retrieve all the surveillance footage from the vicinity."

"The surveillance footage clearly shows that these were the individuals who first surrounded, extorted, and assaulted my client (Su Xiaoruan) with knives. My other client (Jiang Che) was forced to fight back when his life was threatened."

"A counterattack?" the blond-haired man cried out. "He broke my hand! And you call that being forced?!"

The lawyer's smile remained unchanged as he took a document out of his bag:

"According to the injury assessment, this young lady (Su Xiaoruan) suffered soft tissue contusions to her face, a laceration at the corner of her mouth, multiple abrasions on her body, and severe psychological trauma. And you…"

The lawyer paused, his tone turning icy:

"Extortion of minors, armed robbery, intentional assault. Each of these charges is enough to get you in jail for several years."

"Furthermore, the Shen Group will file a civil lawsuit against you for 'intentional injury' and 'compensation for emotional distress.' The amount sought is only two million."

"Two...two million?!"

Sister Hong and Huang Mao were terrified, their faces turning green. How much was a lighter they'd stolen worth?

"Can't afford to pay?"

Shen Qingge spoke coldly, looking down at them:

"Then you'll rot in jail."

"Anyone who messes with the Shen family will pay the price."

At this moment, Shen Qingge exuded an aura of dominance. She was no longer the timid woman who bickered with Jiang Che at home, but a decisive and ruthless female CEO.

She's protective of her own.

Extremely protective of their own.

Even if she didn't like Su Xiaoruan, Su Xiaoruan was now living in her house, so she was her person. Hitting Su Xiaoruan was tantamount to slapping Shen Qingge in the face. What's more, these scumbags almost got her husband involved.

Sister Hong and Huang Mao collapsed to the ground, realizing they had truly bitten off more than they could chew.

……

Half an hour later.

The formalities are complete.

The three walked out of the police station.

It was completely dark outside, and the air was cool after the rain.

Shen Qingge didn't bring her lawyer or call a driver. She took the car keys from Jiang Che (the Bugatti only had two seats, too small for everyone), and pointed to the Mercedes van that had accompanied the lawyer.

"Get in the car. I'll drive."

inside the car.

Shen Qingge sat in the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel, but did not start the car immediately.

Jiang Che and Su Xiaoruan sat in the back row.

Because of the fright and the pain from her wound, Su Xiaoruan huddled in Jiang Che's arms like a frightened kitten, clutching the black lighter she had just recovered tightly in her hand, and drifted off to sleep.

The carriage was very quiet.

Shen Qingge looked at Jiang Che in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Jiang Che was carefully adjusting Su Xiaoruan's position to make her more comfortable. His profile looked particularly resolute in the streetlight's glow.

Shen Qingge's mind kept replaying the surveillance footage she had just seen at the police station.

In the video, the man in the apron did not flinch when facing the knife-wielding assailant.

That vicious twist, that sharp knee strike, that merciless slap.

Every movement is filled with a violent beauty and absolute control.

Is this really the same Jiang Che who cooks for her at home, gives her massages, and is gentle and mild-mannered?

Shen Qingge suddenly realized that she seemed to have never really understood the person next to her in bed.

It turns out that his docility was only because he was willing to sheathe his claws.

But when his bottom line is crossed, he becomes the most dangerous beast.

This stark contrast made Shen Qingge's heart race involuntarily. It was an instinctive admiration for the strong, and also a feeling of "security" growing wildly within her.

"What are you looking at?"

Jiang Che looked up and his eyes met Shen Qingge's in the rearview mirror.

Shen Qingge hurriedly looked away and started the car.

"It's nothing."

She cleared her throat as if to cover up her embarrassment, but her voice was much softer than usual:

"Does your hand... hurt?"

Jiang Che paused for a moment, then looked at his right hand. He had indeed used too much force when beating those thugs; his knuckles were a little red.

"It doesn't hurt," Jiang Che said with a faint smile.

"Don't do it yourself next time."

Shen Qingge stared straight ahead, her fingers tightening slightly on the steering wheel, and said in an awkward tone:

"Are all those bodyguards we hire just sitting around doing nothing? From now on, let them do the dirty work."

"Your hand..."

She paused, then glanced again at Jiang Che's long, slender fingers through the rearview mirror:

"It's for writing novels (and giving me massages), not for smashing garbage."

Hearing this awkward concern, Jiang Che's smile deepened.

"Okay, I'll listen to my wife."

Hearing the obedient "I'll listen to my wife," Shen Qingge couldn't help but smile slightly.

Although tonight was a turbulent night, she felt inexplicably at ease.

……

It was already late at night when I returned to Tomson Riviera.

Su Xiaoruan fell into a deep sleep on the way and was carried upstairs by Jiang Che.

The living room was brightly lit.

Jiang Che settled Su Xiaoruan in the guest room to sleep, treated her wounds again, and after confirming that she was alright, he quietly withdrew.

As soon as I entered the living room, I saw Shen Qingge sitting on the sofa, with a white first-aid kit on the coffee table.

"come over."

Shen Qingge patted the spot next to her.

Jiang Che walked over and sat down: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell too?"

"Stretch out your hand."

Shen Qingge did not answer, but instead pulled Jiang Che's right hand directly.

Under the bright lights, Jiang Che's knuckles were indeed red and swollen with some broken skin—these were abrasions left from when he hit someone.

Shen Qingge didn't say anything, but silently opened the first-aid kit and took out cotton swabs and iodine.

She lowered her head, focusing intently on wiping Jiang Che's wound. Her movements were incredibly gentle, as if afraid of hurting him.

Jiang Che looked at her drooping eyelashes and her delicate yet no longer cold face.

"Qingge".

"Um?"

"That lighter..." Jiang Che wanted to explain what had happened today.

"I know."

Shen Qingge interrupted him, her hands still moving, "The lawyer told me. That girl was beaten up because she was protecting the gift she bought for you."

She looked up and glanced at the black Zippo lighter Jiang Che had placed on the coffee table.

Something worth over two thousand yuan.

For Shen Qingge, it's not even a fraction of the total.

But as she looked at the lighter, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

"She is truly sincere towards you."

Shen Qingge's tone carried a hint of bitterness, but more than anything, it conveyed a sense of relief.

If you're not sincere, who would risk their life for a lighter?

"Be nicer to her from now on."

Shen Qingge applied the last bandage, put away the first-aid kit, and sighed.

"Since you've adopted her, you have to be responsible to the end. Don't let her be bullied by this kind of trash anymore."

"This is the face of our Shen family."

Jiang Che looked at Shen Qingge at this moment.

Gone was the arrogance of the past, and the previous confrontation was gone.

At this moment, she was like a lady of the house who had truly accepted her family members. Although she was still tough on the outside, her heart had softened into a puddle of water.

"Yes, my dear wife."

Jiang Che smiled and grasped her hand in return.

Shen Qingge blushed and wanted to pull back, but she couldn't bear to use too much force.

She looked at the band-aid on Jiang Che's hand, then at the closed door of the guest room.

That night was thrilling.

But this home, which was originally as deserted as a show flat, seems to have finally gained the warmth that can withstand the wind and rain from the outside world.

"Alright, go to sleep early."

Shen Qingge stood up and awkwardly tidied her hair:

"The door wasn't locked tonight."

After saying that, she walked quickly toward the master bedroom, her back view showing a hint of panic.

Jiang Che watched her retreating figure, then touched the lighter in his pocket.

【Ding! 】

[Host detected displaying "guardian" side; Shen Qingge's admiration level increased by 30%, and Su Xiaoruan's loyalty was locked at MAX.]

[Family cohesion has significantly improved.]

[The current phase of the mission has been successfully completed. The next phase begins: a team-wide development plan.]

Jiang Che leaned back on the sofa and let out a long sigh.

This gigolo is getting better and better.