Invincible Dad

Xu Yiyi nodded, though she didn't fully understand.

"Why the sudden lecture on profound truths?" Ruan Tang asked, holding her daughter's hand.

Xu Lai, holding Yiyi's other hand, replied with a serious expression, "Because one day she will become the Empress of the Immortal Domain, ruling over tens of billions of star systems. She must know who needs help and who should be ignored."

"Dad of the Empress, if you're so powerful, why didn't you save that old man with cancer?"

"There are fates at play beyond our control."

"Can you stop bluffing?"

"Alright, alright. The night is getting chilly, let's head home."

Under the streetlight, the shadows of the family of three stretched out, growing longer as they walked away. Fleeting shadows, just like the different paths people's lives take. Some long, some short. Some bright, some extinguished.

***

Meanwhile, in Yanjing, at the Jiang Family estate.

Although the Jiang Family was not among the top wealthy families in Yanjing, their ability to establish a firm foothold so near the center of power was a testament to their strength and cunning. The Jiang Family estate was not lavish; on the contrary, it was simple and antiquated, carrying the weight of years.

A wicker chair in the courtyard swayed back and forth. A scholarly man wearing glasses lay in it, gazing at the bright, clear moon in the sky. Behind him stood a beautiful maid, offering a cup of tea.

The man lifted the teacup, blew on the leaves, and asked methodically, "Have you found the murderer?"

"Well..." a figure standing in the shadows hesitated. But, knowing the young master's capricious nature, he braced himself and said, "Young Master, the guests who attended the Ye Family's grand banquet are all remaining tight-lipped. However, based on the traces of battle, I've preliminarily concluded that both Ye Wuxuan and Miss Ye Wanqing have likely met with misfortune."

"I asked if you have found the murderer."

"No..."

BANG!

The man smashed the teacup on the ground. A smile that didn't reach his eyes played on his lips. "What did you say?"

"Five days! Give me five more days, and I will not only pry open those people's mouths, but I will also bring you the murderer's head!" the subordinate stammered, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he dropped to his knees in fright.

"Three days. I want him alive," the man said indifferently.

"Yes!" The subordinate breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had been spared, for now.

"Also, there's a jade exhibition in Hangcheng soon. Find a piece of supreme jade. I want it as a gift for Grandfather's seventieth birthday feast," the young man said with a wave of his hand. "Don't disappoint me. You may go."

"Yes!" The subordinate faded back into the darkness.

"Young Master, you never liked your fiancée, Ye Wanqing, anyway. Her death is a good thing, so why bother investigating the cause?" the beautiful maid asked in a flirtatious voice.

"In just five short years, Ye Wuxuan went from a talentless nobody who couldn't practice the Martial Dao to a peak Sixth Grade Martial Artist, on the verge of becoming a Quasi Martial Ancestor. Such talent is seen only once a century. What do you think that implies? It means the rumors about the Ye Family are true. My genius little brother-in-law was feasting on the blood of an infant every day to make such rapid progress!"

A strange light gleamed in the man's eyes. "If that infant were in my hands, what could stop the Jiang Family from soaring to greatness? And I, Jiang Tengyun, will be the next Family Head of the Jiang Family!"

"The Young Master is wise. It's a pity about Ye Wanqing, though; she was quite pretty."

"A country bumpkin. How could she compare to your beauty?"

The maid giggled.

***

「Wednesday.」

The weather was clear and the sky was cloudless. This made Qian Xiao, who was waiting at the gate and refusing to enter Galaxy Kindergarten, very sad.

Because he knew—

No cloud candy to eat today!

But when Qian Xiao saw Xu Yiyi, he still excitedly trotted over to her, trying to take her schoolbag. "Sister Yiyi, let me carry that for you."

"No, thank you. I can carry it myself."

"I'll do it, I'll do it."

"No need, ah... Don't grab my schoolbag!"

The security guards at Galaxy Kindergarten looked at each other, baffled. Recently, rumors had spread that the headmaster's son, Qian Xiao, had turned over a new leaf, transforming from a little tyrant into a fawning lackey. They hadn't believed it at first, but now they were utterly convinced. He had been waiting from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 a.m., arriving as early as they did!

But upon seeing the beautiful and adorable Xu Yiyi, the security guards all understood. They smiled. It was good to be young.

In the end, Qian Xiao managed to snatch Xu Yiyi's schoolbag and sling it over his own back.

Xu Lai scolded him, "If you're going to arrive this early, go inside the school and read a book. Don't waste time waiting out here."

"Alright, I'll bring a book tomorrow and read while I wait for Sister Yiyi."

Xu Lai was at a loss for words. You clever little rascal.

After watching his daughter enter the school, Xu Lai got back into the BMW 3-Series and Ruan Tang drove him to Dongli School.

Zhou Feng had finally arrived. His face was stormy as he swept a cold gaze over Xu Lai. "You have some solid connections, huh."

The day before, he had gotten drunk and asked many people for help, but none could persuade the principal to revoke Xu Lai's director position. Instead, Zhou Feng was the one who got a thorough lecture.

"They're alright," Xu Lai responded nonchalantly.

"I've waited five years for the director position. There's no way I'm letting you have it!"

"Oh."

Xu Lai's dismissive attitude made Zhou Feng feel as though he were punching cotton, completely unable to exert any force. He understood that Xu Lai simply didn't take him seriously at all. But Zhou Feng also knew that he couldn't clash head-on with Xu Lai; he had to outsmart him.

Just wait. I'll find the right opportunity to kick you out, Zhou Feng muttered to himself, shifting his gaze away.

Liu Nanwei didn't appear during the day, only showing up just before the shift change. No sooner had she sat down than the infirmary door was flung open by a tall boy in a basketball jersey, his face wrought with panic.

"Teacher, my friend suddenly fainted on the court! He has a history of heart disease!"

"Heart disease?" Zhou Feng's expression changed. "And you still let him engage in strenuous exercise? Are you out of your minds!"

"He said he hadn't had an attack in a long time and was itching to play," the boy said, full of self-reproach. He slapped himself hard across the face. "It's all my fault, all my fault!"

"Cut the nonsense. Saving him is what matters now," Liu Nanwei said, grabbing the first-aid kit and rushing out the door.

Fortunately, the infirmary was very close to the court, only a minute's run away. The court was surrounded by a dense wall of onlookers, with many students gathered to watch the commotion.

"Make way!" Liu Nanwei shouted, her face stern.

The crowd parted, creating a path for them to walk through.

On the court, a boy lay flat on the ground. Lack of oxygen had turned his lips purple, and his pupils were dilated and losing focus.

"The patient has no pulse and has stopped breathing!" Liu Nanwei's expression was grim as she unbuttoned the collar of the boy's shirt. "Zhou Feng, clear his mouth and nose of any foreign objects and start CPR immediately. Director Xu, you call 120."

"120 has already been called! The ambulance is on its way," a student shouted.

"Everyone back off! Keep the airway clear!" Zhou Feng bellowed. Although he was a psychologist, he was very proficient in first aid.

Neither of them let Xu Lai intervene. They both knew he was just a 'connection hire,' and letting him help might only make things worse.