"Xiao Yi?"
Lucy Lu listened to Madam Han, momentarily stunned.
"That's right! It's him. That kid is just way too violent. Ryan's older brother is still lying in the hospital! His brother was going to call the police, but Ryan stopped him—he was worried it would affect Lillian since she knows that boy. If we called the police, who knows what trouble it might bring her." Madam Han nodded vigorously. "It's only because Ryan is so kind-hearted, always thinking of your Lillian!"
"Yeah, Ryan mentioned it to me too. Anyway, I plan to wait until Charles gets home, then our families can sit down and figure out how to handle this." Derek Ren, who'd been quiet, finally spoke up: "The main thing is, we can't let that kid corrupt Lillian! Kids with bad character and violent tendencies are dangerous!"
Lucy Lu felt a headache watching Madam Han and Derek Ren working together. After Lillian came home, she didn't say a word and went straight upstairs, even skipping dinner.
"I'll call Evan and ask him about it. If they need medical expenses, I'll help pay," Lucy said.
Madam Han waved her hand, her expression mysterious. "It's not about medical expenses—that's nothing. The real problem is that kid beat Ryan's cousin, whose dad works for the Zhou family, the ones who run White Crane Manor. They're pretty influential in Capitalview. If they find out, your kid could be in real danger."
"So, since our families know each other, how about this: you guarantee Lillian won't see that boy anymore, and my husband and I will go plead for mercy on your behalf. We'll smooth things over for you—how does that sound?" Madam Han proposed.
Madam Han finished speaking and exchanged a sly look with Derek Ren.
Ryan had chased after Lillian for ages with no progress, and it was obvious Lillian had no interest in him. This made Madam Han and Derek Ren anxious.
They wanted to use this opportunity to pressure Lucy Lu into agreeing that Lillian would stop seeing Evan. If her parents agreed, Ryan would have a much better chance.
Lucy Lu hesitated, worried and unsure.
Suddenly, Derek Ren's phone rang. He glanced at Lucy, then spoke with deep concern: "Lucy, look, Ryan's cousin's dad is calling right now. It's obvious he's calling to demand an explanation. He works for the Zhou family and has lots of connections. Listen for yourself!"
After speaking, Derek Ren put his phone on speaker.
Lucy Lu tensed up, while Madam Han looked pleased.
"Hey, big brother, what's up? Why are you calling me about this?" Derek Ren said loudly into the phone.
"Is Ryan with you?" Manager Ren's voice on the other end was cold.
Madam Han glanced at Lucy Lu and whispered, "See? He must be calling about that incident."
Lucy Lu grew anxious. She wasn't familiar with Capitalview, and worried Evan might really have gotten into trouble with someone dangerous.
Derek Ren took the chance to get straight to the point: "Big brother, are you calling about Ren Song getting beaten up today?"
"Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. After we finish, please pass it on to Ryan for me." Manager Ren sounded serious.
Lucy Lu grew anxious and tried to intervene, hoping to help settle Evan's issue—even if it meant paying compensation—just to avoid future trouble for him.
Derek Ren glanced at Lucy Lu and smiled, then after a moment's thought said, "I already know about this. Kids fighting is normal; as adults, we shouldn't get involved. We're all respectable people, so there's no need to stoop to the level of the kid who did the hitting."
"I know you want to protect your son, and I promise, I'll go personally to scold the kid who hit Ren Song!"
Madam Han quickly added, "That's right, Ren, we'll teach that kid a lesson for you. No need for you to get involved and make things worse."
After speaking, Derek Ren and Madam Han smiled and prepared to boast to Lucy Lu, hoping to convince her and Charles to keep Lillian away from Evan—giving Ryan a better shot.
But before they could finish, Manager Ren grew impatient on the other end: "What are you talking about? Who told you to go teach him a lesson?"
"I'm warning you, Derek and Madam Han, go home and tell Ryan: if he sees the kid who beat up his cousin today, he needs to walk the other way! Walk the other way!" Manager Ren almost growled.
Manager Ren almost growled the words.
Derek Ren and Madam Han's smiles froze, and Lucy Lu was also stunned.
"Brother, what do you mean? Are you sure? We're talking about the kid who hit Ren Song!" Madam Han protested.
"That's right. Don't say I didn't warn you. If anything happens, don't expect me to help. And if you stir up trouble yourselves, don't drag me into it!" Manager Ren said sternly.
Smack!
With that, Manager Ren hung up.
Leaving Derek Ren and Madam Han staring at each other in confusion.
"It's getting late. I'm going to make Lillian a snack. Do you want to join me?" Lucy Lu asked.
"No, no, we've got things to do. We'll be going now," Madam Han said.
Madam Han quickly shook her head and dragged Derek Ren out the door, both of them confused about what just happened. Manager Ren's connections were far above theirs, and his warning made them wary.
After they left, Lucy Lu picked up her phone and dialed Evan's number. He answered after just a few rings.
Lucy Lu asked a series of worried questions, and Evan answered smoothly, saying everything was fine. In the end, Lucy could only urge him to keep a low profile and avoid trouble before hanging up.
As soon as Lucy hung up, she saw Lillian come downstairs in pajamas, clutching a pillow, her eyes red and looking aggrieved.
"Lillian, what's wrong? Did Ryan bully you today? If so, I'll take you next door and settle it right now!" Lucy Lu was startled.
"Mom, whose phone call was that?" Lillian asked, clutching her pillow tighter.
"Evan's..." Lucy replied, but before she could finish, Lillian—who hadn't cried in years—suddenly burst into tears.