100: "God, please, I hope Mr. Lu can always be so good to Mengyao."

The black-clad men, like tireless machines of violence, continued to brutalize Chen Yingcai for a while longer.

Their fists and feet whistled through the air, each blow landing on Chen Yingcai's already frail and hunched body with a dull thud.

Chen Yingcai's body trembled and twitched with each strike.

Finally, his eyes rolled back, and he completely fainted, collapsing stiffly onto the cold, hard ground, like withered branches and rotten leaves battered by a storm, devoid of any Life Qi.

At this moment, Chen Yingcai looked utterly disheveled.

Blood gushed from the corners of his mouth like an uncontrolled spring, appearing horrifyingly stark under the pale hospital room lights.

Bloody foam, accompanied by his faint, almost nonexistent breaths, occasionally sputtered from the corners of his mouth, speckling his dirty collar and staining it crimson.

His chest heaved violently, like a dilapidated bellows on the verge of falling apart, emitting heavy and uneven gasps, clearly exhaling more Qi than he was inhaling.

His hair was a tangled mess, damp and plastered to his forehead and the sides of his face; sweat and blood intertwined, dripping down his hair strands, some flowing into his tightly shut eyes, others sliding over his bruised and swollen cheeks, collecting on the ground in a small, dark red puddle.

His clothes were covered in deep and shallow footprints, dust, and stains, like a tattered rag doll dragged out of a mud pit, completely losing its human form.

Chen Mengyao stood by, witnessing this horrific scene, her brows tightly furrowed, her bright, intelligent eyes now filled with worry.

Of course, this worry did not stem from pity for Chen Yingcai's injuries.

Instead, she was concerned that if these people were not careful and accidentally killed Chen Yingcai, would Lu Chen then break the law and be arrested and sent to jail?

Once this terrifying thought took root in her mind, it spread like wildfire, impossible to shake off.

Her gaze was fixed on Lu Chen's back, her eyes filled with anxiety and unease.

She unconsciously clutched the corner of her clothes, her chest heaving rapidly, her heart growing increasingly flustered.

Chen Mengyao was very worried about this; she didn't want Lu Chen to break the law because of her.

Although Lu Chen might not be afraid, she still didn't want him to.

Chen Mengyao's tender cherry lips trembled slightly, parting several times as if to speak and dissuade him, but it was as if an invisible force had clutched her throat, preventing any sound from escaping.

In the past, she had always been cautious and humble to the point of insignificance in front of Lu Chen, not daring to say an extra word or show a hint of emotion.

Long-term suppression had deeply rooted this instinctive timidity in her heart, forming a reflex and an instinct.

Now, at this critical moment, it made her forcefully swallow back the words that had reached the tip of her tongue.

Just then, Lu Chen seemed to sense Chen Mengyao's inner struggle and slowly turned around.

He slightly raised his chin, his eyes as deep as the sea, unfathomably profound, calmly observing the chaos before him.

His thin lips parted, his voice low and indifferent, yet carrying an unquestionable authority: "Enough, no need to hit him anymore. Find a doctor to treat him, then lock him in prison. He won't be released for the rest of his life."

His tone was utterly nonchalant, as if he were pronouncing the fate of an insignificant person, casually and in a few words sealing Chen Yingcai's remaining life.

Chen Yingcai was still in a coma; he didn't yet know that the rest of his life would be spent behind bars.

Upon hearing the command, the black-clad men moved in unison, nodding in well-trained agreement.

Two of them quickly stepped forward; one bent down and grabbed one of Chen Yingcai's arms, his hands clamping down like pincers, completely disregarding the blood and filth on his hands.

The other raised his foot and roughly kicked Chen Yingcai's legs aside to facilitate dragging him.

Like moving a bag of trash, the two effortlessly lifted Chen Yingcai's body off the ground.

His head dangled limply, swaying from side to side with the rhythm of the dragging, leaving a winding trail of blood on the ground, looking like a discarded dead dog.

The remaining men immediately scattered, quickly and efficiently beginning to clean up the scene.

Someone grabbed a mop, pressing it hard into the pool of blood on the ground, and the crimson stains instantly soaked the mop's fabric strips.

As he vigorously wiped, the floor made a sizzling sound, and the bloodstains gradually faded under the mop's repeated scrubbing, turning into streaks of pinkish water.

Someone squatted down, carefully picking up shattered vase fragments, each piece meticulously collected, fearing to miss any evidence that could expose the crime.

Even others held a small brush, constantly brushing away footprints, fingerprints, and all other traces.

In almost the blink of an eye, the mess in the room disappeared without a trace.

Their movements were fluid, practiced, and flawless, clearly indicating their familiarity with this "cleaning up the battlefield" task.

They were practically a professional team!

Chen Mengyao stood rooted to the spot, witnessing all this, and couldn't help but turn pale with astonishment.

They were so skilled; how many acts of violence and subsequent clean-ups must have been behind this?

This scene was like a thunderbolt striking her heart, adding a few more layers of unfamiliarity and fear to her perception of Lu Chen's world.

Soon, the room returned to its original state, so tidy as if nothing had ever happened.

Chen Mengyao recovered from her shock, walking forward with light, almost dreamlike steps, her face still bearing an unvanished trace of worry.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Lu Chen, her lips quivering a few times, and softly asked, "Is this really okay? Will it not implicate you?"

Her voice was as soft as willow catkins drifting in the spring breeze, carrying a barely noticeable tremor.

Lu Chen looked down at her, the corners of his mouth curving into a beautiful arc, and he reassured her:

"Don't worry, I am a law-abiding citizen. I never do anything illegal, so how could it implicate me?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mengyao's lips unconsciously twitched slightly, and a complex, hard-to-define ripple of emotion spread through her heart.

Watching Lu Chen's calm and composed demeanor, she thought to herself: A law-abiding citizen wouldn't bring dozens of burly men to beat someone, would he? How could he so easily control the fate of others?

However, she, of course, only dared to silently ponder these words in her heart, and they were quickly submerged by the surge of joy that welled up within her.

In the past, Lu Chen had been cold and distant towards her, treating her like a stranger, but now he was willing to stand up for her, this feeling of being protected and cherished.

It was like the warm spring sun shining into her long-gloomy heart, bringing a long-lost sense of security.

Chen Mengyao's cheeks flushed slightly, like peach blossoms blooming in spring, her eyes sparkling as if holding brilliant stars, filled with joy and a hint of shyness.

"Mr. Lu, thank you so much this time..."

After speaking, she lowered her head, gently biting her lower lip, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of hair, as if this could hide the joy in her heart and prevent others from seeing her current embarrassment.

Lu Chen's deep eyes lowered slightly, his gaze sweeping over her with a hint of nonchalance, his voice low and indifferent:

"You are a maid of my Lu family. To bully you, wouldn't that be hitting me, Lu Chen, in the face?"

Chen Mengyao's figure was slightly petite. Standing beside Lu Chen, she heard this, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards, revealing a slightly shy smile, and she gently nodded.

Her cheeks were faintly red, like peach blossoms just opening on a spring branch, and her eyes sparkled with gratitude and a hint of joy. Her previous apprehension and unease were somewhat dispelled by these soft words.

She had not yet realized that the identity of a Lu family maid, which she had once scoffed at, had now become one that she deeply cherished in her heart.

At this moment, Li Yunxia walked over with slightly hesitant steps. Her figure was thin, her face showed a hint of weariness, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes became more pronounced as they were moistened by tears.

She first raised her hand and gently wiped away the still-wet tears from the corners of her eyes with her somewhat rough fingers.

Then, she slightly tilted her head to look at Lu Chen, and the moment their gazes met, she hurriedly lowered her eyes, her voice filled with fear and respect, stammering, "Thank you, Mr. Lu."

Lu Chen, however, seemed not to have heard Li Yunxia's thanks, his gaze passing directly over her to fall on Chen Xuening, who was cowering to the side.

Chen Xuening's figure was slender, like a startled little rabbit, standing timidly, her hands anxiously clutching the corner of her clothes.

Seeing Lu Chen look at her, she slightly raised the corners of her mouth, forcing a weak smile, trying to appear friendly, but her eyes still held an unvanished fear.

Lu Chen softly said, "Don't be scared. How about I take you out to eat something delicious?"

Chen Xuening instinctively cast a furtive glance at her sister, Chen Mengyao, her eyes filled with a plea for help and apprehension, as if silently asking, "What should I do?"

Chen Mengyao understood immediately and quickly stepped forward, gently nodding to her sister, her eyes full of encouragement and reassurance, signaling her to agree without worry.

Receiving her sister's affirmation, Chen Xuening finally mustered her courage and weakly replied, "Okay."

Lu Chen nodded slightly, then turned gracefully and strode forward, merely dropping a faint, "Let's go."

Chen Mengyao dared not slack off in the slightest, hurriedly following behind him, not forgetting to reach out and firmly grasp her sister Chen Xuening's hand.

Before leaving the room, Chen Mengyao paused, turning to look back at her mother, Li Yunxia. As their eyes met, she blinked hard, giving her mother a reassuring look.

Li Yunxia stood alone in the empty room, the surrounding silence seeming to swallow her.

The pristine white walls appeared somewhat stark under the lights.

She slowly moved to the bedside and gently sat down.

Her gaze was vacant as she stared ahead, her heart a tangled mess of emotions.

On one hand, she was grateful to Lu Chen for supporting her daughter and resolving the immediate crisis.

On the other hand, faced with Lu Chen's dominance and disregard, she felt deeply her own insignificance and powerlessness.

Years of guilt towards her daughters now surged into her heart like a tide, making her let out a long sigh.

Li Yunxia clasped her hands together, facing the cold wall.

A faint but firm prayer slowly echoed in the empty room.

"Heaven, I beg you, I hope... I hope Mr. Lu can always be so good to Mengyao..."