114: Daqiang feigned illness to force money out of them; the three men's scheme ultimately backfired.

Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 PM, in a bedroom of the Su Family Old Residence, Su Daqiang lay on the bed covered with a thick quilt. He was moaning and groaning in pain, frequently touching his forehead with his hand, looking incredibly weak. Su Mingcheng and Su Mingzhe sat by the bed, their faces showing 'anxiety' as they looked at him, occasionally exchanging glances that hid their calculating intentions.

"Why hasn't Mingyu arrived yet?" Su Daqiang wheezed, his voice weak and listless. "These old bones of mine can't hold out much longer. I need to get to the hospital for a full check-up immediately, otherwise... otherwise, I'm afraid I won't make it."

"Dad, don't worry, Mingyu is definitely on her way." Su Mingzhe hurriedly handed him a glass of water, his tone 'filial.' "Once she gets here, we'll go to the best hospital. Don't worry about the money; Mingyu's got it."

Su Mingcheng chimed in as well, "Exactly! Mingyu is a director now, she has plenty of money. Treating your illness is a small matter for her, right? Dad, you have to hang in there; don't make Mingyu worry."

The two played along with each other, but both were secretly calculating—Su Mingcheng owed the casino thirty thousand yuan, and debt collectors were coming to his door every day. He had conspired with Su Daqiang to have him fake an illness to trick Su Mingyu into paying, so he could use the money to pay off his gambling debts first. Su Mingzhe, on the other hand, wanted to use 'treating Dad's illness' as an excuse to make Su Mingyu bear more of the costs so he could pay less himself while still earning a reputation for being 'filial.'

In less than ten minutes, Su Mingyu rushed in, carrying an insulated container—as soon as she received Su Mingcheng's call, she had hurriedly taken leave from the company and bought the porridge Su Daqiang loved on the way. Upon entering, she saw Su Daqiang lying on the bed 'on his last breath,' and her heart tightened: "Dad, how are you? I'll take you to the hospital!"

"Mingyu, you're finally here!" Su Daqiang's eyes brightened when he saw her, then he quickly closed them again. "I'm hurting all over. I need a full-body check-up at the hospital, and I need to stay in a VIP ward. I heard it costs a lot of money..."

"Money isn't an issue, as long as your illness can be cured." Su Mingyu was about to take out her mobile phone to book a hospital when Zhu Li and Wu Fei also walked in—they had received a message from Su Mingyu and, worried she was being plotted against by the su family men, had specifically come to help.

"Dad, where does it hurt? Let me massage it for you." Zhu Li stepped forward to help massage Su Daqiang, but Su Mingcheng stopped her: "Don't move him blindly! Dad is very weak right now. What if you hurt him? Just let Mingyu go pay the money and get Dad to the hospital."

Wu Fei also sensed something was wrong. When Su Daqiang was moaning just now, she thought she saw him secretly pop a piece of candy into his mouth, so she whispered to Su Mingyu, "Mingyu, don't rush. Let's see the situation first; don't let them trick you."

Su Mingyu was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Xie Hui's voice from the doorway: "If you want to swindle money, go ahead, but don't use faking an illness as an excuse."

Xie Hui walked in quickly, carrying a document bag. Seeing Su Daqiang lying on the bed, a cold sneer curled his lips: "Mr. Su, your illness came at a very convenient time, didn't it? Just as Su Mingcheng is being hounded for thirty thousand yuan in gambling debts, you suddenly need a full-body check-up and a VIP ward?"

Su Daqiang's body stiffened, and Su Mingcheng's face turned pale instantly: "You... what nonsense are you talking about! When did I ever owe money to a casino?"

"When?" Xie Hui pulled a debt collection notice out of the document bag, which clearly stated Su Mingcheng's name and the amount owed. "This is the debt collection notice the casino sent to Su Mingcheng yesterday, giving him three days to pay back the money, or they would come looking for him. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

He then took out his phone and played a video—it was footage Xie Hui had recorded using 'Time Stop': while Su Mingcheng and Su Mingzhe were outside answering calls, Su Daqiang had secretly pulled a fried chicken leg from under his pillow to gnaw on, and even called Su Mingcheng saying, 'When Mingyu comes later, you cry poor and make her give more money so we can pay off your gambling debts first.'

As the video played, Su Daqiang's face instantly turned a deep purple. He hurriedly pulled the quilt up to cover his face. Su Mingcheng tried to snatch the phone, but Xie Hui stepped aside and easily dodged him, simultaneously grabbing his wrist and giving it a light twist. Su Mingcheng let out a pained yelp: "Let go of me! This is our family matter, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Nothing to do with me?" Xie Hui applied a bit more pressure, making Su Mingcheng's eyes nearly well up with tears. "You tricking Mingyu's money to pay gambling debts has something to do with me; Su Daqiang faking an illness to swindle money has something to do with me; and Su Mingzhe wanting Mingyu to pay more so he can avoid responsibility also has something to do with me!"

He turned to look at Su Mingzhe and pulled out a bank statement: "Su Mingzhe, you said you were under a lot of pressure in America and had no money for Dad's treatment? This is the statement for your American account. You just bought a laptop for over twelve thousand dollars last week—why didn't you mention pressure then? You just want Mingyu to pay so you can keep a good reputation!"

The 'Computer Purchase: $12,000' on the statement was exceptionally glaring. Su Mingzhe's face was as white as paper, his mouth agape for a long time without a word—he thought no one knew about the laptop purchase and hadn't expected Xie Hui to find even that.

Looking at the evidence before her, Su Mingyu felt both angry and helpless—she truly hadn't expected her father and two brothers to conspire to swindle her money, disregarding family ties for the sake of cash. She walked to Su Daqiang's bedside, her tone turning cold: "Dad, if you were truly sick, I would definitely take you to the hospital. But if you're faking it to swindle money for Su Mingcheng's gambling debts, I won't give you a single cent."

Wu Fei followed up, "Su Mingzhe, as the eldest brother, you should also bear a portion of Dad's medical expenses; you can't let Mingyu pay for everything. You have over twenty thousand dollars in your American account, which is enough to cover half."

Zhu Li looked at Su Mingcheng, her eyes full of disappointment: "Su Mingcheng, you're already divorced, yet you still want to trick Mingyu's money to pay gambling debts. Can't you have some backbone?"

The three men of the Su Family were left speechless and ashamed. Su Daqiang could no longer keep up the act; he threw off the quilt and sat up, muttering, "I... I just wanted a physical exam, I didn't mean anything else..."

Su Mingcheng didn't dare to struggle anymore, grimacing in pain: "I... I know I was wrong. I won't gamble anymore, and I won't swindle money..."

Su Mingzhe hung his head: "I... I will bear a portion of the medical expenses, I won't let Mingyu pay for it all..."

Xie Hui released Su Mingcheng's wrist. Looking at their pathetic state, he said to the three female protagonists, "Let's go. Don't waste time here. General Manager Meng is still waiting to talk to us about the new energy project."

After leaving the Su Family Old Residence, Su Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief and said to Xie Hui, "Thank you, Mr. Xie. If it weren't for you, I would have definitely been tricked today. How did you know their plan? And you even recorded a video?"

"I saw Su Mingcheng acting suspiciously going to the casino this morning, so I used Time Stop to follow him and recorded his conversation with the debt collectors. Later, I went to the old residence and happened to see Su Daqiang faking his illness, so I recorded the video." Xie Hui reached into his inner universe and pulled out three small porcelain bottles, handing them to Su Mingyu, Zhu Li, and Wu Fei respectively. "This is the nine flower jade dew pill. You've been quite upset today; take one to regulate your body so you don't wear yourselves out."

Zhu Li took the porcelain bottle, her fingertips brushing Xie Hui's hand, making her heart feel warm. "Thank you, Mr. Xie. You help us every time; I really don't know how to repay you."

"Don't be so polite with me." Xie Hui helped them open the car doors. "I'll take you to Company Name first. After finishing the project discussion with General Manager Meng, I'll treat you all to dinner tonight so you can relax properly."

At the Zhongcheng Group, General Manager Meng was already waiting in the conference room. Seeing Xie Hui and Su Mingyu, he greeted them with a smile: "Mr. Xie, Mingyu, you're finally here! The partner for the new energy project just called to ask about progress. With you here, I feel much more at ease."

During the meeting, Xie Hui proposed several suggestions for project promotion, such as cooperating with 4S stores in third- and fourth-tier cities to reduce operating costs. He also proactively suggested that he could provide additional investment to ensure the project proceeded smoothly. Hearing this, General Manager Meng admired Xie Hui even more: "Mr. Xie, not only do you have vision, but you're also so supportive of the project. In the future, I will definitely prioritize cooperating with you on Company Name projects!"

Su Mingyu sat to the side, watching Xie Hui speak with such eloquence, her eyes full of admiration—Xie Hui not only helped her solve her family troubles but also gave her such great support in her work, giving her more confidence at the company.

After the meeting, Xie Hui accompanied Su Mingyu to a cafe downstairs from the company. Su Mingyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mr. Xie, I... I want to treat you to dinner to thank you for taking care of me during this time."

"Dinner is fine, but it has to be my treat." Xie Hui took out his mobile phone. "Zhu Li and Wu Fei are still waiting for us. Let's go to that private restaurant from last time; the food there really suits your tastes."

Su Mingyu nodded, her lips curling up unconsciously—she found that when she was with Xie Hui, she was always very relaxed and didn't have to pretend to be strong. It was a very comfortable feeling.

In the private restaurant that evening, warm yellow light spilled over the dining table. Xiao Mi sat next to Xie Hui, playing happily with a clockwork frog he had given her. Su Mingyu placed a piece of braised pork into Xie Hui's bowl: "Thanks to you today, otherwise I would have been tricked by Dad and my brothers. Eat more of this meat."

Zhu Li ladled a bowl of soup for Xie Hui: "This soup is for nourishing blood and Qi. You've been running around all day; you must be tired."

Wu Fei looked at the scene before her and said with a smile, "Xiao Mi told me today that she wants Uncle to come play at home often. She said Uncle is better than Daddy and will protect Mommy and her."

Looking at the gentle gazes of the three women, Xie Hui felt a surge of satisfaction—the joint scheme of the three su family men had once again been thoroughly crushed, with not a single success. He raised his glass: "Come, let's toast! Here's to us never being bothered by those troublesome Su Family matters again, and to our lives getting better and better!"

"Cheers!" Four glasses clinked together, and Xiao Mi also raised her juice cup, shouting in her milky voice: "Cheers! I want to live a good life with Uncle, Mommy, and the Aunts!"

Laughter echoed in the private room, and the night outside seemed to turn gentle. When it was time to leave, Xie Hui dropped them off at their homes individually. When he dropped Su Mingyu off downstairs, she took a handmade key pouch from her bag, with a small 'Xie' character embroidered on it: "Mr. Xie, this is for you. You have nowhere to put your car keys; this will come in handy."

Xie Hui took the key pouch; the fabric was soft, and he could see the effort she had put into it. "I like it very much, thank you."

Su Mingyu's face turned red instantly. She turned and walked quickly into the apartment building, then turned back after a few steps to wave at Xie Hui. Watching her back, Xie Hui thought of the red on Zhu Li's earlobes when she thanked him and the trusting gaze in Wu Fei's eyes. He knew clearly—these three women who had been hurt by the Su Family had slowly come to see him as their most solid reliance, and he would always protect them, never letting them suffer the slightest grievance again.

On the way home, Xie Hui touched the inner universe in his chest—inside were today's debt collection notice, bank statements, video evidence, and the small gifts from The female protagonists, each one witnessing his protection. He knew the three men of the Su Family wouldn't give up easily, but as long as he was there, no one could bully these three women who deserved to be treated well. As the night deepened, the car drove steadily under the streetlights, and a smile remained on Xie Hui's lips—the satisfying journey in the all is well world continued. He had already begun to look forward to the next moment he would shut down the su family men, and even more so to seeing The female protagonists completely escape the shadows and bloom with their most brilliant smiles.