Chapter 44: Tian Yulan: Did I Kill Someone?

"Ah..."

Tian Yulan threw her phone in a fit of rage. It struck the balcony window, and with a sharp 'crack,' the glass shattered, sending shards plummeting from the high-rise. Suddenly, cries of pain and the sound of glass crashing onto the pavement echoed from below.

"What kind of idiot’s window broke? Someone got hit!"

The screams from downstairs snapped Tian Yulan back to reality. Hearing the curses and shouts of alarm, her face turned deathly pale. She began to tremble uncontrollably, consumed by terror.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

Yan Peng was in the living room, frantically pounding on the sliding door. He had heard the commotion outside and was deeply unsettled. They lived on a high floor; if the falling glass had struck someone, the consequences would be severe. He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if someone had been killed.

Tian Yulan shakily opened the sliding door and threw her arms around Yan Peng. "Honey, I didn't mean to! I really didn't mean it! Honey, I, I..."

She was truly paralyzed with fear. The arrogance she had displayed while arguing with Zhou Chen earlier had completely vanished, replaced by cowering dread.

"I know, I know you didn't mean it. I know."

Yan Peng was actually terrified himself, but he forced himself to stay calm. If he lost his composure too, who would handle the situation?

Tian Yulan shuddered. "Honey, did you hear that? Someone was hit below. We live so high up—if the glass hit someone, could they have died? I didn't mean it, I really didn't! Honey, am I a murderer now? Will I go to prison? No, I can't go to prison! Ziyou is still young, he can't grow up without a mother. Honey, tell me what to do, please tell me what to do..."

Having known Tian Yulan for over a decade, this was the first time Yan Peng had seen her this panicked. Yet, he understood her fear; the situation was so grave that even he felt overwhelmed by dread.

"It's okay, honey, don't be afraid. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

But such comfort couldn't soothe her; she continued to tremble. With no other choice, Yan Peng led her to the sofa. Fortunately, Tian Yulan had mentioned working late, so Yan Peng had dropped their son off with his grandparents earlier. Otherwise, the situation at home would be even more chaotic.

Yan Peng held her head in his hands, looked into her eyes, and urged, "Look at me, Tian Yulan. Look at me."

Tian Yulan stared at him, her face full of terror and tension.

"Honey, listen to me. Stay calm and listen: that was an accident. I was cleaning the window, and I accidentally broke it, causing the glass to fall."

"Honey?" Tian Yulan looked at him in disbelief.

Yan Peng spoke firmly, "This is the only way to say it. If someone was hit, we have to stick to this story. Do you understand? I was cleaning the window and broke it by accident. Do you remember?"

"Honey..." Tian Yulan whimpered.

Yan Peng snapped, "Tian Yulan, this isn't like you! Find the courage you usually use to bully me and listen! I broke the window."

Tian Yulan clutched him tightly. "Honey, it wasn't you, it was me. I was just careless..."

"Shut up!" Yan Peng shouted. "Remember what I said. If something really happened, it's best if I take the fall. Ziyou can live without me, but he cannot live without you. Do you understand?"

"I... I..."

Under Yan Peng's urgent and protective gaze, Tian Yulan swallowed hard and choked out, "I understand. I understand, honey."

Yan Peng let out a breath, though his own hands were shaking. He pressed down on her arms. "Stay here. I'm going down to see what happened and how serious it is."

They didn't know the full extent of the situation, but the initial screams and curses had led them to assume the worst. In this building, with so many neighbors, there was no way to hide it. If a window broke, it would be obvious whose unit it came from.

Yan Peng didn't even bother changing his shoes before rushing out, leaving Tian Yulan trembling alone.

He arrived at the scene quickly. A crowd had already gathered; even at night, there were many pedestrians in the residential complex who had rushed over to see the commotion. Yan Peng swallowed hard. He was terrified, too—his previous calm had just been to comfort his wife. Now, at the site of the accident, his heart sank, and he walked forward with unsteady steps.

Pushing through the crowd, he saw the scene: on the concrete path amidst the greenery, there was a scattering of glass shards. They weren't numerous, but they were spread everywhere. Three young men stood within the area; two were sitting on the ground, and through the shadows, he could see them bleeding. The third man was standing and pointing angrily at the high-rise where they lived, shouting loudly.

Looking closer, he realized the two on the ground were sitting rather than lying down, and they were still moving. While they were bleeding, their heads seemed intact. It appeared they had been injured by the spray of flying shards after the glass hit the ground, rather than being struck directly by a falling pane.

This realization made the weight on Yan Peng’s chest lift significantly. His knees went weak, and he couldn't stop himself from sinking to the ground.

"Thank god... thank god..."

He muttered to himself. At that moment, he felt a sense of relief as if he had survived a catastrophe, his heart filled with a complex, indescribable mix of emotions.

...

At the Shidai Huating residential complex.

Zhou Chen hung up the phone. The rage in his heart had not dissipated; while shouting had provided a momentary release, it couldn't fully appease the anger caused by the consequences of Tian Yulan's actions.

However, as he looked up, he saw Huanhuan standing at the bedroom door, watching him cautiously. His heart skipped a beat.

"Huanhuan, did you hear what Daddy said just now?"

Huanhuan nodded, looking a bit frightened. "Yes. Daddy, you looked so scary just now."

Zhou Chen gave a dry, self-deprecating laugh. He had been so angry, and he realized that to Huanhuan, his outburst must have been truly terrifying.

"Come here, Huanhuan."

He beckoned to her. Though her expression remained timid, she obediently walked over.

Zhou Chen hugged her and said, "Alright, Daddy apologizes. Next time, I'll go far away when I'm angry so you won't have to see it."

"No, that's not good. My teacher says we shouldn't yell at people. Daddy, please don't yell anymore," Huanhuan said earnestly.

Zhou Chen smiled and stroked her hair. "Okay, Daddy understands."

Yet, deep down, he couldn't help but sigh. While yelling wasn't right, there were some people who simply left you no other choice.