Chapter 578 A Calm Mind Keeps One Cool âHave you lodged a police report, then? Did you get the police involved in this matter?â Nan Zhengde asked. âNo. I was worried that the reputation of the Nan family would be affected if the matter were to blow up, so I advised Qing against lodging a police report,â Ouyang Duo answered.
âOh, then Iâll certainly get to the bottom of this matter. Ms. Qing must have suffered a fright,â Nan Zhengde remarked.
âMy daughter isnât that fragile, actually. Sheâs just been worried about Nan Xing. Conversely, Nan Xing wasnât even willing to answer her calls. That was indeed callous of him,â Ouyang Duo groused.
âHmm, I think thereâs something odd about this.â Nan Xing abruptly pinned his gaze on Ouyang Duo.
âWhatâs odd?â
âPreviously, you kept demanding to know what happened, but you now claim that you advised Ouyang Qing against lodging a police report. So, you actually know everything that had transpired? Since youâre aware of it all, why are you feigning ignorance? Itâs clear as day that youâre deliberately putting on a show in front of my grandfather. What is your motive, then? Or are you involved in this matter in the first place?â Nan Xing demanded.
Ouyang Duo was stunned for a moment, for he didnât expect the man to retaliate.
I only knew that Nan Chen was extremely capable, but it turned out that heâs also on par with his brother!
âI was referring to the fact that I didnât lodge a police report about my daughterâs injuries. As for the rest, I donât know anything. Thatâs why Iâm here to clarify things.â
However, he was a cunning old fox, so he managed to recover swiftly and respond reasonably.
At once, Nan Xing was left without a retort, and words eluded him.
âBut why didnât you lodge a police report, Mr. Ouyang? Since Ms. Ouyang is injured, you shouldâve lodged a police report no matter the reason.â
A voice chimed in, heralding Nan Chenâs arrival.
The moment Ouyang Qing spotted the man, mixed feelings brewed within her.
She knew that it was no longer possible for her to be together with him, but she was still very much emotional at the sight of him.
She couldnât quite tell whether it was love or hatred, or maybe it was a mixture of both.
âYouâre here, Chen? Or have you been eavesdropping outside all this time?â Ouyang Duo drawled.
âThis is my house, so thereâs no need for me to eavesdrop. I just arrived,â Nan Chen replied placidly.
âItâs good that youâre here. Youâre now the head of Nanshi Corporation, so you can help to judge this issue. My daughter sustained injuries while protecting Nan Xing. However, he didnât even bother to thank her. That aside, his attitude is exceedingly indifferent. He wasnât even willing to pick up her calls.
As an elder, I admonished him, but he even talked back. Donât you think heâs being too arrogant?â
Ouyang Duo questioned.
âIâd like to know how Ms. Ouyang protected Nan Xing that she allowed him to be thrown into the river.
He almost died after taking a swim in the river, so he naturally had to go to the hospital for treatment first. Donât tell me he was supposed to seek her out and thank her first while disregarding his life? The victim hasnât even said a single word, yet the perpetrator comes knocking on the door to point fingers.
Thatâs arrogant!â Nan Chen declared in a frigid voice.
âWhat are you trying to say, Nan Chen? Whoâs the perpetrator?â Ouyang Duo started panicking.
âWhy are you so worked up, Mr. Ouyang? Are you perchance the perpetrator?â Nan Chen countered calmly.
At that, Ouyang Duo grew even more agitated. âYour words are suggestive, Nan Chen. My daughter is injured, but Iâve become the perpetrator instead? Please donât make baseless accusations!â
âI was merely saying that. Anyway, Iâve already lodged a police report on this matter. The police are currently investigating and hunting down the few ruffians who got physical in the restaurant. When theyâre arrested, the truth of the matter will then surface,â Nan Chen sneered.
Ouyang Duo felt a shiver running down his spine as sweat beaded on his forehead.
He has actually lodged a police report, and the police have already determined that it was the doing of Zhang Sheng and the others? If thatâs the case, Iâve got to shut Zhang Sheng up as soon as possible. I canât allow him to expose me!
âWhy are you so nervous that youâre even sweating, Mr. Ouyang?â Nan Chen queried, his eyes fixated on Ouyang Duo.
âHaha, why would I be nervous? Itâs a good thing if the culprits are arrested. Iâm just a touch hot. Itâs baking in here.â Ouyang Duo loosened his tie.
âA calm mind keeps one cool. Thereâs no need to get apprehensive, Mr. Ouyang. When you dare do something, you must have anticipated the consequences.â Nan Chen chuckled coldly.
âWhat on earth are you talking about, Nan Chen? Why did you latch on to my father as soon as you arrived, acting as though youâre interrogating him?â Ouyang Qing snapped at long last.
Ever since Nan Chen appeared, not only had her father been completely suppressed by the man, but he even almost lost his composure.
For that reason, she felt that she should do something to help alleviate the pressure on her fatherâs shoulders.
âYouâre right. Youâre one of the parties involved, so I shouldnât be asking Mr. Ouyang about the incident.
Instead, I should be directing my questions at you. Ms. Ouyang, can you please tell us precisely what happened that day?â Nan Chen turned to Ouyang Qing.
âWhat are you trying to say, Nan Chen?â
Meanwhile, Nan Zhengde discovered a critical issue.
In the past, she used to address him as Chen in an affectionate tone, but sheâs no longer addressing him in the same manner today. Instead, sheâs calling him by his full name directly. This change in address signifies that their relationship has also changed! So, what exactly happened between the few of them?
âI believe Iâve made myself very clear. Iâm just asking you what happened that day,â Nan Chen enunciated impassionately.
âI was dining with Nan Xing when a few ruffians barged in and wanted to get physical with him, I stepped forward to protect him, but they hit me. I was even injured,â Ouyang Qing asserted.
âThen, Iâd have to thank you first, Ms. Ouyang, for protecting my brother though you failed miserably.
Okay, then. Did they not do anything to you after throwing my brother into the river? Or did they sit down and dine with you?â Nan Chen inquired.
âWhat utter nonsense! I donât know them, so why would I dine with them?â Ouyang Qing promptly realized that the man was trying to trap her.
âThatâs true. Youâre not acquainted with them, so it makes no sense that youâd dine with them. So, they left right after tossing my brother out of the window?â Nan Chen continued questioning.
Ouyang Qing didnât quite dare answer further, for she had no idea what he was trying to ask.
She was afraid that she would say something wrong, placing her in a passive position.
Therefore, she had to mull it over first before answering cautiously.
In order to conceal the fact that she was thinking, she picked up the cup of tea on the table and took a sip.
Nan Chen could naturally tell that she was hesitating. Thus, he immediately added, âDonât tell me you have forgotten what happened last night, Ms. Ouyang?â
âOf course not. The ruffians beat me up again after tossing Nan Xing out of the window before they left.â
âDid they knock you out?â Nan Chen pressed on.
âN-No. Iâm just a weak woman, so they didnât think there was a need to knock me out since I was no threat to them.â
âThen, were your phone and valuables taken from you?â Nan Chen probed.
âWhat exactly are you trying to imply?â
âI just want to know whether their motive was to rob.â Nan Chenâs tone was calm, making Ouyang Qing lower her guard.
âThey didnât take my belongings,â Ouyang Qing replied.
âIn that case, your phone was still with you then. Why didnât you lodge a police report after they had left? Nan Xing was thrown into the river, so his fate hung in the balance. You went out with him, yet you didnât call the police when something happened to him? Donât claim that youâre worried about affecting the Nan familyâs reputation, Ms. Ouyang. Under the circumstances at that time, why would you even consider that when his life was at stake? Or did you know that the river was deep enough and was convinced that he was fine, so you phoned your dad to discuss whether to lodge a police report? And in the end, the two of you decided not to do so?â
In a flash, Ouyang Duo shot to his feet. âYouâre slandering me again, Nan Chen! Youâre going overboard!â
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