Assassination

"Yes." Li Yan stopped smiling and sat by the bed obediently.

"Do you like her?" Grandma Li asked, her age not diminishing her sharpness.

Do I like her? Li Yan wondered. He didn't know for sure, but recently, he had been feeling miserable without Ning Zhi by his side. When he saw her laughing and talking with someone else, jealousy consumed him. Maybe it was love.

Seeing that he remained silent, Grandma Li had her answer.

"Sigh, Ningning is a good girl. If you can't commit to her, don't string her along. You can go home now," Grandma Li said, slowly lying down.

Although she liked Ning Zhi very much, Grandma Li believed that everyone has their destiny. Besides, she was getting old and did not want to interfere in the affairs of the younger generation.

On the other side, while Li Yan was talking to Grandma Li in the ward, the caregiver quietly left the room and made a phone call in the corner.

"Madam, it's me. Today, CEO Li and Ning Zhi came to see Old Madam."

"…"

"Yes, Old Madam has been in better spirits recently, and her periods of lucidity have been longer."

"…"

"Alright, I'll contact you if anything happens."

After hanging up, the caregiver looked around cautiously, afraid of being discovered. Then, she returned to the ward inconspicuously.

Upon realizing that Li Yan had already left and that Old Madam Li had fallen asleep, the nurse heaved a sigh of relief. She could not let Li Yan find out that she had secretly reported to Madam Li.

On Monday morning, Ning Zhi walked into the Li Corporation humming a tune. After all, she was one week away from resigning, so she was naturally happy.

However, as the old saying goes, "Too much joy brings sorrow."

Ning Zhi was buying breakfast in the Li Corporation's cafeteria when suddenly, a person next to her in the queue pulled out a small knife and lunged at her.

Although Ning Zhi's reaction was swift enough, her arm was still cut by the sharp blade. The skin was instantly sliced open, and blood flowed.

Ning Zhi's face promptly turned pale. She tried her best to cover the bleeding wound and dodged the continuous stabbing attempts.

The man continued his attack while cursing, "You b*tch, why don't you die! Die already!"

He seemed deranged, relentless in his attempts to stab her to death.

Despite her best efforts to evade, she was still cut in several places.

The sudden act of violence caused panic among the people. They screamed and rushed out of the cafeteria—some calling the police, others seeking help from security. They were all desperately trying to escape the canteen, fearing for their safety.

Ning Zhi kept retreating, trying to search for a safe escape route while dodging the assailant's strikes. Her attention was stretched thin.

Whether it was due to exhaustion or being tripped by something, Ning Zhi suddenly fell to the ground. As she saw the knife tip about to descend upon her, Ning Zhi resigned herself to fate and closed her eyes. Her hand instinctively covered her stomach.

"I'm sorry, baby…" These were Ning Zhi's final thoughts.

Instead of the expected pain, she heard the sound of the knife hitting the ground, followed by a muffled groan from the assailant. Ning Zhi felt a shadow standing before her.

"Sister Ningning!" Secretary Huang cried as she ran to hug Ning Zhi. Only then did Ning Zhi open her eyes.

To her surprise, she found Li Yan standing in front of her, and the assailant lying on the ground not far away.

The security guards who were waiting nearby rushed over and subdued the assailant. However, the assailant did not give up, cursing even as he was being taken away.

Just before the incident, Li Yan brought his fiancée, Lin Sha, to the company for a visit. He saw Secretary Huang rushing to the cafeteria with a cup of coffee and heard that Ning Zhi was also in the cafeteria.

Perhaps because he wanted to see Ning Zhi, Li Yan also made his way to the cafeteria, using the excuse of showing Lin Sha around.

However, before he could enter, he saw the people frantically running out. Amidst the chaos, he only caught snippets of phrases like "murder", "Ning Zhi", and "call the police".

Li Yan's mind exploded. He abandoned Lin Sha and rushed into the cafeteria. He saw her sitting paralyzed on the ground, covered in wounds, on the verge of passing out. The knife was dangerously close to piercing her.

Li Yan did not have time to think. He quickly ran over, knocking the penknife out of the assailant's hand, and then kicked the assailant away.

However, when he turned back to Ning Zhi, she was already struggling to hold on. Her clothes were stained with blood, and she collapsed like a paper doll into Secretary Huang's arms.