Chapter 154: Striking Without a Word

Xu An’an naturally assumed it was Teacher Gao’s children who had arrived, but when she turned around, she was surprised to see Jiang Li. To her surprise, he was dressed quite handsomely.

At first glance, she didn't quite process it. Although Jiang Li was inherently good-looking, today he seemed to have groomed himself with extra care; even his hair strands looked dazzling.

"Did he go on a date?" That was the first thought that crossed Xu An’an’s mind.

"How did you know I was here?"

Jiang Li had specifically gone out to buy dinner. He placed the meal box on the table and said, "Eat first."

Xu An’an had ordered takeout an hour ago, but it hadn’t arrived. When she checked the app, she realized she hadn't actually completed the payment. She was starving, so she had no choice but to start eating. Seeing that the meal box was filled with all her favorite dishes, her heart couldn't help but warm up.

"Thank you."

This "thank you" wasn't just for the dinner Jiang Li had brought; it encompassed so much more. Xu An’an hardly knew where to begin. Naturally, she felt burdened. For what reason was he being so good to her?

"I’ve already contacted Teacher Gao’s children; they are on their way," Jiang Li said, placing a meatball into Xu An’an’s bowl. "But you probably don't know about Teacher Gao’s situation yet."

He had learned of the circumstances after having someone track down the family once Xu An’an brought the teacher to the hospital.

Xu An’an paused and looked at the frail, sleeping teacher on the hospital bed. Her heart ached at how thin Teacher Gao had become. She had been worried about the exact reason for this, but the doctors had said they needed to wait for the family to arrive before discussing it.

Seeing that Xu An’an seemed to have guessed something, Jiang Li spoke directly: "Teacher Gao has been diagnosed with cancer. However, her children believe it’s incurable and would cost too much money. They urged her to forgo treatment and even told her to hide her condition from the school so she could keep working to earn money, hoping to leave behind a larger inheritance for them."

Upon hearing this, Xu An’an’s moral compass was shattered. A surge of fury flared within her. She gripped her chopsticks tightly, wishing she could tear those ungrateful wretches to pieces.

Seeing that Xu An’an had only taken a few bites and had lost her appetite, Jiang Li regretted not waiting until she had finished eating to break the news. He held the spoon to her lips and coaxed, "Be good, have some more."

Xu An’an opened her mouth reflexively to take a bite, only then realizing how strange it was. But since the food was already in her mouth, she couldn't exactly spit it out.

When Jiang Li moved to feed her again, Xu An’an felt too embarrassed. "No, I’m really not hungry."

But Jiang Li was persistent. He held the chopsticks with the food right in front of her lips. Several minutes passed, and his hand didn't tremble in the slightest, showing how steady he was. Left with no choice, Xu An’an had to open her mouth and eat again.

Fearing he would continue, she took the chopsticks back and managed to finish half the meal—which was about her usual portion. Jiang Li didn't push her further; he tidied up the meal box and poured her a glass of water.

Just then, Teacher Gao’s children arrived.

"Mom! Mom!"

"Mom, what happened to you!"

Watching these people burst in and start shouting, Xu An’an’s expression turned icy. "Can you please be quiet? Teacher Gao needs to rest."

Only then did the new arrivals notice Xu An’an. They were about to tell her not to meddle, but upon catching sight of the cold-faced Jiang Li standing beside her, they swallowed their words.

"Thank you for bringing my mother to the hospital."

"You can leave now."

Having learned what these animals had done to Teacher Gao, how could Xu An’an just walk away? She had to look out for her mentor; she couldn't just watch her be tortured to death by illness.

"Teacher Gao has cancer," Xu An’an said, her face expressionless. "Why didn't you let her get treated at the hospital instead of forcing her to keep working at school? Do you realize what you’re doing is against the law?"

The group looked impatient. They had assumed their mother was dying and had rushed over specifically to divide the inheritance as soon as possible. Who would have thought that not only was she still alive, but there was also a meddlesome troublemaker in the way?

"She’s my mother. What does it have to do with you?"

"Every family has its own troubles. I suggest you stop meddling."

"That’s right! You don't know the truth at all. What right do you have to point fingers at us here?" The youngest son, who was pointing a finger at Xu An’an, sneered.

The next second, a scream echoed through the hospital room.

Jiang Li had snapped the youngest son’s finger. With a sinister gaze, he said coldly, "Are you done? If not, save the rest for the police."

He then tossed the man aside like a piece of refuse as he writhed in pain. The other two were terrified. Who just resorts to violence without a word?

"We’re calling the police! We’re going to sue you for assault!"

"Don't think you’re leaving this hospital without paying us over a hundred thousand!"

At that moment, the sleeping Teacher Gao was woken by the noise. She had a splitting headache from the malignant tumor in her brain. "What is going on?"

Seeing her wake up, Xu An’an ignored the others and quickly pressed the call button for the doctor. Unexpectedly, the eldest brother had taken the younger one to treat his injury, leaving only the second daughter behind.

The daughter was terrified of Jiang Li. With a fearful glance at him, she explained what had happened to Teacher Gao, her tone filled with blame: "Mom, why are your students so reckless? He broke my younger brother’s finger!"

Teacher Gao’s head was pounding; she couldn't hear her daughter clearly. The daughter, assuming her mother was ignoring them, became enraged and lashed out: "Are you even our real mother? My brother’s finger has been snapped by this person, and you can just sit there and do nothing?"

"Have you said enough? Can't you see Teacher Gao is in pain?" Xu An’an snapped. If not for Teacher Gao’s sake, she would have slapped the woman hard across the face.

The second daughter shrank back after catching a sharp, piercing glare from Jiang Li.

The doctor arrived at that moment and administered an injection to ease the pain in Teacher Gao’s head. "The family is all here, right? Do you understand the patient’s condition? Why didn't you seek treatment earlier? Perhaps there might have been a chance then, but it’s too late now."

Boom!

Xu An’an’s mind went completely blank. It felt as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart, making it difficult to breathe. Seeing the second daughter standing there calmly, as if she had expected this all along, Xu An’an could no longer hold back. She raised her hand high!

Before the slap could land, however, Teacher Gao spoke up.

"An’an, take your friend and go home."

"I am fine."

Xu An’an’s eyes widened in disbelief, but she was eventually led away by force by Jiang Li.