Before Yi Shaoqing's mouth had a chance to recover, Yi Lingfei was already walking briskly toward Yi Weiyang, prompting Yi Shaoqing to hastily follow suit.
The two siblings called out with grinning faces, "Second Uncle."
Yi Weiyang glanced at the brother and sister pair and gently responded, "Hmm. Luowa, let's go."
"Second Uncle, let me push you," Yi Lingfei stepped up to Yi Luowa and reached out to grab the wheelchair's handles.
With a faint upward curl of her lips, Yi Luowa gently pressed down with her right hand, just barely relinquishing the wheelchair to Yi Lingfei.
Yi Lingfei raised an eyebrow triumphantly and was about to push the wheelchair forward. Yet, it didn't budge an inch, as though rooted to the ground.
Yi Weiyang turned to glance at Yi Luowa, who obediently stood nearby with a playful smirk. He chuckled, "Naughty!"
Yi Luowa blinked her sparkling eyes and scrunched her nose lightly at Second Uncle.
"Girl, this wheelchair refuses strangers. You'd better let Luowa handle it," Yi Weiyang remarked deeply.
It was obvious at a glance that Second Uncle treated Yi Luowa much more warmly than Yi Lingfei. Pouting in frustration, Yi Lingfei stormed off.
Yi Luowa chuckled, slowly pushing the wheelchair ahead.
Yi Shaoqing cheerfully caught up, "Sis, I'm your brother Shaoqing."
Yi Luowa shot him a sidelong glance, "I'm the sweeping star. Brother, you'd better keep your distance to avoid catching bad luck."
"Ah!" Yi Shaoqing's face instantly flushed deep red. Even though they stood far apart and spoke quietly, how did she still manage to hear?
Yi Lingfei, already inside the car, saw that Yi Shaoqing was still lagging behind and yelled, "Shaoqing, quit dawdling and get over here! Mom's waiting for us at home."
Yi Shaoqing hesitated for a moment and then shouted back to Yi Lingfei, "If you're in such a hurry, you can go first. I'll ride with Second Uncle and Sis."
"You!" Yi Lingfei's face turned beet red with anger. She slammed the car door shut and shouted, "Fine! Go ahead and ride with the sweeping star if you're not afraid of dying!"
Yi Luowa gave Yi Shaoqing a hearty pat on the shoulder, "Go on, you're the only boy in the Yi family. Spare me from adding another charge to my record."
"Sis..."
"Go on."
Yi Luowa offered a faint smile, pushed Second Uncle's wheelchair straight into the second car, and only after ensuring he was seated did she attempt to disembark. However, Yi Weiyang grabbed her wrist firmly.
"Second Uncle, I already asked Ao Lie to call me a taxi," Yi Luowa lowered her gaze, peeling Second Uncle's fingers off one by one.
"Luowa, sit down!" Yi Weiyang commanded in a displeased tone.
Yi Luowa pouted, "You may not be scared, but I am."
Yi Weiyang pressed Yi Luowa down into the seat, firmly instructing, "Driver, start the car!"
The car glided smoothly onto the road. Yi Luowa held tightly onto Second Uncle's hand, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
"Relax!" said Second Uncle, who had been resting with his eyes closed, now opening them with a calm gaze.
Yi Luowa glanced at him defiantly, "I'm not nervous!"
"If you're not nervous, why is your palm sweaty?" Yi Weiyang teased as he looked at her tense expression with amusement.
Yi Luowa released his hand, glanced at her own palm, and snorted, "Obviously that's your sweat."
Yi Weiyang chuckled and lightly tapped her forehead, "When we get home, regardless of how everyone treats you, you should treat them well. After all, they're your family."
Yi Luowa yanked the blanket off his knees and vigorously rubbed it.
Yi Weiyang's expression darkened—this girl always treated his blanket like a towel. "Luowa! I'm talking to you!"
Yi Luowa tilted her head to inspect her palm, grinning slyly, "Hehe, Second Uncle, I wiped off your sweat for you."
"Yi Luowa!" Yi Weiyang's face turned thunderous.
"Present!" Yi Luowa immediately straightened her posture, but it didn't even last 0.3 seconds before she mischievously leaned her face into Second Uncle's chest, "Second Uncle, we should hurry back. I don't like this place one bit."
"The two of them are still kids. Don't take their words to heart." Yi Weiyang's heart stung slightly. If he'd known today would come, he wouldn't have taught Luowa lip reading.
"They're almost eighteen!" Yi Luowa pouted in dissatisfaction.
Yi Weiyang chuckled, "And you're almost twenty! Yet you're no less childish."
Yi Luowa abruptly sat up straight. Pointing to her own nose, she enunciated word by word, "I am nineteen years and four months old! I..."
At that moment, the car suddenly jolted, causing Yi Luowa's eyes to widen in alarm, "What's going on?"
"Sorry, the road's a bit uneven," the driver explained apologetically, glancing back at her.
"Pull over!" Yi Luowa slightly furrowed her brow.
Once the car stopped, Yi Luowa jumped out, rounded the car's front, and pulled the driver from his seat, "Sit over there and act as my navigator."
"Miss?" The driver looked at her helplessly.
"Then you can stand here!" Yi Luowa slammed the car door shut.
When the driver saw she truly started the engine, he hurried to the other door.
Yi Weiyang sighed helplessly, "Luowa, this is a business car!"
"Relax, I won't treat this like a racetrack," Yi Luowa smiled and smoothly drove back onto the road. "Second Uncle, I've come to realize something. It's better to hold your life in your own hands than entrust it to someone else."
"Hm, well said!"
...
Far away on Laiwang Island, Tong Airui glanced at Yuan Hang, who stood by the bedside holding a file folder, and asked, "Did you find anything?"
"Yes."
"Show me." Tong Airui slowly extended his hand toward Yuan Hang.
"You're already this injured. Let me read it to you instead," Yuan Hang carefully placed Tong Airui's hand back under the blanket.
Tong Airui clenched his fists tightly as he waited. That damned girl—once I find her, her death is certain!
"Yi Luowa, female, nineteen years old, sophomore majoring in Automotive Manufacturing at F-country's Wenhudun University," Yuan Hang glanced at the report and frowned slightly. "This girl—apart from getting straight As in her major-related courses, her other grades are just barely passing. Some were even salvaged through chess tournament credits..."
"Focus on the key details!" Tong Airui impatiently interrupted.
"She holds F citizenship with Z heritage. Her uncle, Yi Weiyang, is the largest automobile manufacturer in F-country. Not bad—also found her phone number, QQ, and WeChat."
Tong Airui curved his lips into a sinister smile, "Save her number in my phone."
Yuan Hang complied, picking up Tong Airui's phone and pressing the power button, "Fourth Master, you have dozens of text messages."
"Don't reply! Don't let them know I'm here, and definitely don't let them know I'm injured."
"Not even your aunt?"
Tong Airui hesitated briefly before shaking his head, "No reply—I'll let her assume I'm out on a mission, so she won't worry."
Yuan Hang quickly saved Yi Luowa's number and powered off the phone, "Fourth Master, let me tell you something unexpected."
Tong Airui eyed Yuan Hang's feigned mystery, smirking dryly, "Old Five, you lost this round of chess, didn't you?"
Yuan Hang looked disheartened, "Do you know who he lost to?"