Shadow Heir II: Dark Glory - Chapter 5
By the time Mu Qianyu woke up from her nap, it was nearly noon.
She took her time—showered slowly, ate a leisurely meal—and only then headed to Jiangnan Orthopedic Hospital.
Maybe it was because of Su Wuji’s interference, but for some reason, she felt lighter. Like a weight had been lifted.
Jiangnan Orthopedic Hospital’s largest shareholder was the Mu Group. So by the time Qianyu arrived, more than a dozen Mu family relatives were already gathered there—most of them younger generation members close to Mu Zhihui.
His surgery had already ended.
But the moment she stepped up to the door of his hospital room and peeked through the crack, Mu Qianyu froze.
And then—
She nearly burst out laughing.
Mu Zhihui’s face was a swollen mess of purples and blues, battered so badly he looked like a pig’s head.
Even more ridiculous—his head of bubblegum-pink hair had been yanked out in chunks, leaving behind patches of bare scalp like some tragic case of advanced alopecia.
Mu Qianyu pressed her lips together to keep from laughing outright. She reached over, grabbed her cousin Mu Huanrui by the arm, and pulled him aside.
“Huanrui, what happened to Zhihui? He looks like he got run over by a bus.”
Mu Huanrui was only nineteen and had always gotten along well with his older cousin. He lowered his voice and leaned in.
“Qianyu-jie, his ankle, shinbone, knee, and thigh were all shattered. The whole leg was almost ruined.”
So that’s what Su Wuji meant by “breaking a leg”—he didn’t just snap it. He disassembled the whole thing.
Mu Huanrui glanced around and whispered again, “And from what I heard… he got stripped completely naked at the scene. Talk about humiliating…”
Pfft.
Mu Qianyu couldn’t hold it in anymore.
That bastard really never played by the rules—even when he was beating someone up!
And to think, this lunatic was the guy her dad had tried to set her up with? She raised a hand and pressed it to her forehead in despair.
Just then, a shrill voice rang out from the room:
“Mu Qianyu! You’ve got the nerve to laugh after what you did to your cousin?!”
It was her fifth aunt, Qiao Yueru.
She’d been crying and yelling in that room all morning. Now, hearing her scream again, the crowd instinctively parted, and all eyes turned to Mu Qianyu.
She smiled faintly.
“Fifth Aunt, what makes you so sure this was my doing?”
“Mu Qianyu, Su Wuji went on a blind date with you, and the very next moment, Zhihui ends up like this! Don’t tell me you didn’t put him up to it, you shameless pair!”
Even as the insults flew, Mu Qianyu’s smile didn’t waver.
“Fifth Aunt, if I’d known Zhihui was doing drugs in a VIP room at the Queen’s Bar during my date, I would’ve called the cops myself. You know… turning him in for the greater good.” (Ink Hub: Queen’s Bar and Empress Bar are the same, so I may use the names interchangeably).
Drugs?
The moment the word dropped, the whole room stirred.
Everyone knew Mu Zhihui had gotten into it with Su Wuji, but they’d all assumed it was just some typical young master turf war. No one had expected the spark that lit the fire to be drugs.
The few family members who had been hovering by Zhihui’s bedside instantly pulled away a little.
Qiao Yueru screeched, “I don’t care what he did—he’s still just a child!”
Mu Qianyu’s smile took on a mocking edge.
“He’s a month away from turning eighteen, and you’re still calling him a child?”
Just then, a lazy voice drifted in from the hallway.
“If he’s just a kid… then all the more reason to discipline him properly.”
Mu Qianyu turned around.
There, leaning against the corridor wall, stood a man in a flaming pink suit, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. Beside him towered a bodyguard built like a tank.
Su Wuji.
And his loyal enforcer—Little Pang.
So much for waiting for the Mu family to retaliate. This guy had waltzed in himself!
Inside the room, Mu Zhihui was just regaining consciousness from the anesthesia.
The moment his bleary eyes landed on Su Wuji, he snapped wide awake and roared, “Su Wuji! Mu Qianyu! You bastards—look what you’ve done to me! I’ll kill you!”
The memory of last night’s humiliation—being stripped naked in front of a crowd, slapped across the face, yanked by the hair—was seared into his soul. He would never forget it.
Su Wuji spoke in his usual drawl.
“Little Pang, I think this ‘kid’ still needs a bit more education.”
“Yes, boss.”
Bang!
Little Pang muscled his way through the crowd, grabbed the stainless steel IV stand next to the bed—and brought it crashing down on Mu Zhihui’s skull.
Blood splattered. Mu Zhihui collapsed back onto the bed, unconscious once again.
Little Pang calmly set the bloody IV stand back in place and turned around.
“Boss, he’s been thoroughly educated.”
Su Wuji waved a hand, annoyed. “You trying to kill him? Forget it—he’s trash anyway. If he dies, he dies.”
The entire Mu family was stunned.
Mouths open. Minds blank.
Mu Qianyu couldn’t help it—her lips curved into a smile. And somehow, that smile made the entire ward feel brighter.
“Su Wuji!”
Qiao Yueru’s eyes burned with hatred.
She had never imagined that even with the Mu family’s influence in Linzhou, this man would still dare to barge in and beat her son again! In broad daylight!
Did the Mu family have no dignity left?!
“Su Wuji! Mu Qianyu! You despicable pair!” she shrieked, pointing at them with trembling hands. “Get them! Arrest them both!”
Her voice had barely faded when a group of bodyguards in black appeared at the far end of the hall, striding toward them.
Su Wuji stepped forward and spread his arms wide, shielding Mu Qianyu behind him like the lead in some over-the-top romance drama.
“If you’ve got a problem, come at me! She’s innocent!”
Mu Qianyu’s eyelid twitched. She reached out and poked him in the lower back.
“Hey, Young Master Su, don’t go overboard. We’re not that close yet. Ease up on the hero routine.”
Su Wuji glanced back and grinned. “Come on, I’m trying to set the mood here. First time doing this kind of thing—I’m still figuring it out.”
Little Pang chimed in, “Boss, this isn’t your first—”
“Shut up!” Su Wuji snapped.
Mu Qianyu chuckled softly, eyes glinting.
Seeing herself ignored, Qiao Yueru flew into a rage.
“Su Wuji! You think you’re invincible? From this day on, your precious Queen’s Bar won’t be allowed to open again! My husband will ruin you in Linzhou!”
Except for Mu Qianyu, not a single Mu family member thought she was bluffing.
But the next second, Su Wuji calmly turned to Little Pang.
“She’s still yelling. Why haven’t you shut her up yet?”
Bang!
Little Pang’s fist—rough as a cast-iron skillet—slammed straight into Qiao Yueru’s face.
There was a sharp crack as her nose broke, and blood sprayed across her cheeks.
She flew backward, falling head-first to the ground with a hard bang.
One punch. One fall.
At the very least, she had a solid concussion.
Well, at least she was quiet now.
The rest of the Mu family was frozen in place, too stunned to speak.
Was this still the elite world of aristocratic feuds, where power plays and manipulation reigned supreme?
What the hell happened to all the veiled threats and social maneuvering?
Why did this feel more like a street brawl than a family power struggle?
Just then, the remaining bodyguards by Qiao Yueru’s side finally rushed forward.
But before they could move, Mu Qianyu spoke—quietly, almost lazily.
“I’d like to see which of you dares.”
Just eight words.
But in that moment, the weight of her presence pressed down like a mountain. Her tone was light, her figure delicate—but the force behind those words made the bodyguards hesitate.
She followed it with a second command.
“Stand down.”
The men wavered.
Then, one by one, they backed off, retreating to the far end of the hallway.
The rest of the Mu family watched, dumbfounded. They had no idea how Mu Qianyu had suddenly managed to seize control of their men.
Su Wuji was clearly delighted.
He clapped loudly, addressing the stunned crowd.
“Tsk, tsk. Just a heads-up for all of you—if I find out anyone so much as thinks about bullying Qianyu again… I’ll carve you into pieces. Got it?”
Little Pang nodded gravely. “Into eight pieces.”
Su Wuji stomped his foot. “Not talking to you!”
Mu Qianyu bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
But among the dozens of young Mu family members in the ward… not a single one dared to smile.
They stood there in silence, fear thick in the air.
