Su Shan clearly knew the Land Rover was coming for her, but she had no strength to escape.
At that moment, countless regrets flashed through her mind—she hadn't gotten married yet, hadn't had children, hadn't properly cared for her parents, and there were so many things she hadn't done.
Just as she felt utterly hopeless, even sensing the rush of wind from the speeding Land Rover and believing she was about to die, a pair of strong arms suddenly pulled her into a warm embrace.
The next second, she felt her feet leave the ground as if she were flying, the wind whistling past her ears.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a chiseled face before her—one that had always annoyed her before but now seemed irresistibly attractive. For a moment, she was mesmerized.
But as soon as they reached safety, Yang Chen released her, his eyes fixed on the speeding Land Rover as it roared away.
"Shan Shan, are you okay?"
Qin Xi rushed over, frantically checking Su Shan for injuries.
Su Shan's heart pounded violently. She tried hard to suppress her fear but could only manage a strained smile. "I'm fine!"
This was the first time she'd experienced something like this. That car had clearly been aiming to kill her—an outright assassination attempt.
Yang Chen didn't chase after the Land Rover. With Qin Xi still here, he couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be another attempt on Su Shan's life, which would put Qin Xi in danger too.
Su Shan was far tougher than Yang Chen had expected. She quickly composed herself and pulled out her phone to make a call. "Dad, I was just targeted—right outside our home. A black Land Rover, license plate Jiang A53J11, heading west from the east gate."
Her words were concise but conveyed all the crucial details to Su Chengwu.
In that moment, Su Shan seemed like a completely different person—no longer the delicate woman she appeared to be but a calm and collected powerhouse.
Yang Chen narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied her. This woman wasn't as fragile as she seemed.
"Xiao Xi, I won't keep you any longer. Let's meet another day!"
Su Shan quickly said her goodbyes. Qin Xi nodded, her face filled with worry. "You should ask Uncle Su to assign you a bodyguard from now on!"
Su Shan gave a small nod, then turned her gaze to Yang Chen. "Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and left.
"Let's go too."
Qin Xi watched with concern as Su Shan disappeared through the gates of the Su family estate before getting back into the car.
The incident had left Qin Xi feeling heavy-hearted, her mind consumed with worry for Su Shan.
"Xiao Xi, has Su Shan been abroad all this time?"
On the drive back, Yang Chen suddenly asked.
Qin Xi finally spoke up. "She went overseas for college right after high school and only returned to Jiangzhou last month."
"We were very close in high school. Back then, she was incredibly low-key—her lifestyle was so down-to-earth that no one would've guessed she came from a powerful family."
"After she left, we kept in touch, messaging each other almost every month. She'd tell me about her life abroad, and I'd share mine with her."
"Over time, we grew even closer. It wasn't until she came back last month that I found out she was from the Su family."
There was nothing particularly dramatic about their friendship—just an ordinary bond between sisters.
The fact that Su Shan, a daughter of a prominent family, had lived like an ordinary girl for three years in high school spoke volumes about how well Su Chengwu had protected her. Keeping her out of the public eye had been for her own safety.
Yang Chen wasn't suspicious of Su Shan, but after what had just happened, most women would've been in tears. Though Su Shan had been frightened, she'd hidden it well.
The way she'd immediately reported the incident to Su Chengwu without panic suggested she wasn't as simple as she appeared.
One thing Yang Chen was certain of, though: Su Shan harbored no ill will toward Qin Xi.
As they talked, Qin Xi gradually calmed down. Suddenly, she asked, "By the way, I've been meaning to ask—how did you manage to have a slightly better hand than Liu Kai every single time at King's City?"
Yang Chen kept his eyes on the road and smiled. "What if I told you it was just luck? Would you believe me?"
"Huh?"
Qin Xi was stunned, then immediately shook her head. "No way! Four rounds in a row—your cards were 4-5-6 while his were 3-4-5 in the first three, and in the fourth, he had the Little Joker while you had the Big Joker. How could that be a coincidence?"
Yang Chen chuckled. "The dealer was their guy. Even if I wanted to cheat, I couldn't have. Maybe his people messed up and gave me the cards meant for Liu Kai."
Qin Xi thought about it and realized that was the only plausible explanation.
"That must be it! You never even touched the cards, so there's no way you could've rigged it. Their dealer must've made a mistake," Qin Xi said, laughing.
As they reminisced about King's City, she suddenly remembered Qin Da Yong and asked, "What are you going to do about my dad?"
"To be honest, when he actually agreed to use you as a bet, I wanted to kill him."
Yang Chen's voice was eerily calm. "But when he lost you to me and then begged me to let you go, I couldn't help but pity him. Still, the pitiful are often hateful—he was just another victim of gambling addiction."
"From today onward, he'll lose you, his family, everything. There won't be a place for him in all of Jiangzhou. Even if he tries to find a job, no one will hire him."
"For a while, he'll experience the lowest depths of life—the hardships of scraping by at the bottom. He might not be able to take it and choose death, but don't worry. I'll have people watching him. Even dying won't be an option."
"This is what happens when a gambler hits rock bottom. Only then can he truly change."
"He might go to Sanhe Group to look for you or Xiao Yi, but you must harden your hearts and refuse to see him. Otherwise, all this will have been for nothing."
By the time he finished speaking, they had already arrived at the Peak of Clouds.
Qin Xi stared at Yang Chen in astonishment, as if seeing him for the first time.
After a long silence, her eyes reddened. "I understand. This is the only way he'll truly change. I'll explain everything to Xiao Yi. If Dad looks for her, she can't see him either."
Meanwhile, at the Su residence.
Su Shan lay submerged in the warm bathwater, her eyes lightly closed, but her mind replayed the moment Yang Chen had saved her.
*Splash!*
After a while, she stepped out of the tub and stood before the full-length mirror, admiring her flawless figure. A confident smile curled her lips.
"Xiao Xi, your man... is mine."