Chapter Twenty-Seven: Unease

Although the distance was still great, Shu Yiming was suddenly seized by an uneasy premonition—could it be that the car accident from his previous life was about to replay itself here? There was no time to think; danger was imminent, and only one escape remained. He was on the bridge now. If he opened the car window and broke through the guardrail...

As the car plunged downward, Shu Yiming realized how naive he had been. He had imagined he could leap out through the open window, but the descent was too swift; he had no strength to act. After a violent impact, his mind went blank, and everything before him grew hazy.

Was he truly going to die? All his careful calculations had failed; he could not escape his fate.

Yet, at this critical moment, Shu Yiming suddenly woke with a jolt, biting down hard on his tongue. Pain spread through him, and the last remnants of consciousness and strength were summoned forth. As the car slowly sank, he fought with all his might, squeezing through the window and thrashing beneath the water.

He refused to believe it—he absolutely could not die here. If he died, the tragedies would repeat themselves, and his two sisters would surely face grim fates. He could not let that happen.

Meanwhile, Sun Qianqian, humming a tune, arrived at the company with her video. The office was in chaos, and upon learning that Shu Ji was now the boss, she smiled radiantly. She hadn’t expected that, in trying to record Shu Yiming’s private matters, she had stumbled upon an even greater scandal. Pleased with herself, she uploaded the video to the cloud before entering with the USB drive.

Shu Ji was busy with documents. Seeing Sun Qianqian, she paused and asked, “Is there something you need?”

“Of course there is! Congratulations, President Shu. I didn’t expect you’d be able to take this seat so soon after your return. But I have something here—would you like to see it?” Sun Qianqian grinned, placing the USB on the desk.

Shu Ji hesitated, picked it up, plugged it in, and played the file.

Her expression darkened immediately. She barked coldly, “What exactly are you trying to do?”

“To do? I have no money, you do. What do you think I want?” Sun Qianqian had it all figured out now—having a wealthy boyfriend was nothing compared to having wealth herself, and this was her chance.

Shu Ji sneered, “I’ve seen tricks like yours countless times. If I give you money today, is that the end of it? Ask yourself—do you really believe that?”

Sun Qianqian was stunned, taking a moment to respond. She hadn’t expected Shu Ji to say that. Thinking quickly, she replied, “What, are you not afraid? If this scandal gets out, your position as president won’t be secure. Which matters more—money or your seat? Money lost can be earned back, but once you lose your position, you’ll have nothing.”

Shu Ji laughed coldly, unfazed. She walked over, feigning fear. “You make a good point. But let me offer you some advice: money can be earned again, but once your life is lost, nothing remains.”

Before the words had faded, Shu Ji’s hands suddenly tightened around Sun Qianqian’s throat.

“Sun Qianqian, you foolish woman. Do you know? Threats like this don’t require you to be present in person. Next time you try something so clever, don’t repeat this mistake!”

With that, Shu Ji took out her phone and quickly summoned two men in black suits.

“Take her away! And grab everything!” she ordered, then scolded Sun Qianqian, “I haven’t got time to deal with you now! Wait for me!”

Only then did Shu Ji release her grip. Sun Qianqian had never imagined she would end up like this. In a panic, she pleaded, “Shu Ji, let me go. I’ll give you everything—I didn’t see anything, I don’t know anything.”

“It’s too late. Get out—I don’t have time for you now!” Shu Ji waved her hand dismissively and hurriedly turned to her computer, but did not see the scene she had expected, and her heart sank.

…

At home, Lin Peishi waited restlessly. She called Shu Yiming’s phone again and again, but there was no answer. Fear suddenly gripped her, and she ran outside, driving across the bridge just as Shu Yiming was being pulled from the water.

Her heart gave a violent jolt. She rushed toward him, pushing through the crowd and calling his name. She leaned over the unconscious Shu Yiming, her eyes reddening.

“Oh, good, you must be his friend! He’s just been pulled out—his heart is beating, but he’s not breathing. We don’t know how to give artificial respiration!” said Wei Dajiang, who had jumped in to save him when he saw the car plunge into the river.

Lin Peishi didn’t hesitate and began artificial respiration.

Shu Yiming remembered swimming until his strength failed, then being dragged out of the water. He couldn’t open his eyes, but felt a gentle breath being passed into his mouth.

He coughed violently and opened his eyes, only to see Lin Peishi’s face coming closer. His expression froze, and his face flushed red to the roots of his neck.

Lin Peishi realized something was wrong, looked closely, and saw Shu Yiming’s wide eyes. She cried out, covered her face in panic, and stammered, “I didn’t mean to! You weren’t breathing—I just wanted to save you!”

The crowd burst into laughter, teasing, “Young lady, it’s nothing to fuss about!”

Understanding what had happened, Shu Yiming felt a warmth in his heart. He tugged at Lin Peishi’s arm and said, “Peishi, thank you. But it’s dangerous here—this isn’t the place to talk. Did you drive? Let’s leave first.”

Lin Peishi nodded, embarrassed, and helped Shu Yiming toward her car.

After only a few steps, Lin Peishi paused and looked back, her brows furrowing.

“What’s wrong, Peishi?” Shu Yiming coughed.

“It’s nothing, I just remembered the person who saved you. The bridge isn’t far from my home, and I saw him pulling you out when I arrived. I haven’t thanked him yet—I was too anxious and didn’t notice.”

She stuck out her tongue playfully.

“It’s fine. Fate will bring us together again. Perhaps he didn’t expect thanks for his good deed. I’ll have someone look into it—if we can find him, we’ll send a token of appreciation,” Shu Yiming said, feeling a bit guilty for neglecting his savior.

“You—what happened just now? You told me not to come out. Did you know there was danger?” Lin Peishi’s heart was warmed and grateful.

“No, I just thought it would be better if you, as a young woman, didn’t have to run around so much.” Shu Yiming gave a bitter smile and leaned back in the passenger seat, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The ordeal had been perilous, and he was exhausted.

After changing clothes and resting, Shu Yiming carefully compared the information Lin Peishi had given him. As expected, several sums had been transferred to Shu Ji’s new company. There were also some bad accounts, many of which could be used directly as evidence.