A gust of wind swept past Yu Mengzhi.
By the time she reacted, Chen Jinzhao had vanished, clearly already heading towards the stage.
Anger flared in Chen Jinzhao’s eyes.
He couldn't stand by and watch Xu Nianqing be bullied. Even if they couldn't be together, Chen Jinzhao wouldn't allow such a thing to happen in front of him.
It was at this moment that Chen Jinzhao's vision suddenly went dark, and he heard a cacophony of sounds.
The lights went out.
With the blackout curtains already drawn, the wedding banquet hall was plunged into complete darkness, rendering it impossible to see one's hand in front of their face.
Chen Jinzhao paid no mind to this, leaping directly onto the stage and appearing beside Xu Nianqing. He then delivered a kick that sent Ning Fei tumbling off the platform. Although Ning Fei couldn’t see who had struck him, he could guess it was likely related to Chen Jinzhao.
"You scumbag!!!"
Sensing a familiar presence, Xu Nianqing choked out, "Chen Jinzhao, is that you?"
"It's me," a steady voice replied by her ear.
Xu Nianqing instantly burst into tears.
Chen Jinzhao patted her back, his deep, calm voice instilling confidence and courage in her. "Don't be afraid, I'll take you away."
"Okay, alright!"
Amidst the chaos.
Xu Nianqing had already come to regard Chen Jinzhao as her anchor.
Chen Jinzhao was also somewhat puzzled. Why would the Ning family's lavishly funded wedding suddenly experience a power outage? Before they could even leave the stage, the scene took a drastic turn, and the piercing sound of gunshots suddenly erupted.
Instantly.
The wedding banquet hall descended into utter pandemonium, accompanied by screams.
Acting on reflex, Chen Jinzhao crouched down to protect Xu Nianqing, shielding her from stray bullets. Feeling Xu Nianqing trembling, Chen Jinzhao said, "Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."
Xu Nianqing's heart found a measure of peace. "Okay, I'm not scared."
Seven shots rang out.
Estimating the density of the crowd, the casualties should be severe. With something on his mind, he told Xu Nianqing, "Stay right here, don't move. I'll come back for you later."
Chen Jinzhao was worried about Yu Mengzhi's safety.
After ensuring Xu Nianqing was safe, Chen Jinzhao, following his memory, returned to the table where Yu Mengzhi was.
Yu Mengzhi was squatting on the floor. Sensing someone approaching, she let out a startled cry. Chen Jinzhao quickly said, "President Yu, it's me. Are you hurt?"
Hearing Chen Jinzhao's voice, Yu Mengzhi's panicked heart gradually calmed.
"I'm fine, are you?"
Chen Jinzhao replied, "I'm fine too."
Beside them, Yu Wendong spoke faintly, "Don't you two care about an old man?"
After the seven gunshots, no more sounds of firing were heard.
Just then, the main doors of the banquet hall were opened, allowing light to stream in from outside. The police officers who had been maintaining order also arrived swiftly. Yu Mengzhi instinctively tried to look towards where the screams had originated, but Chen Jinzhao immediately covered her eyes.
"Don't look!"
The scene was too gruesome, and seeing it would leave lasting trauma.
Screams, cries of pain, moans...
These sounds echoed in Yu Mengzhi's ears, and she ultimately didn't dare to witness the bloody aftermath.
It wasn't until the police appeared that the scene began to stabilize.
Yu Mengzhi, having survived the ordeal, remembered something and asked Chen Jinzhao, "What about her?"
Chen Jinzhao was surprised that even now, Yu Mengzhi was still thinking of Xu Nianqing. He cleared his throat and said in an odd tone, "Why do I feel a sour smell in the air?"
Yu Mengzhi's eyes flickered with a momentary panic.
She mumbled, "No, don't overthink it. After all, she's your ex-girlfriend. I'm just concerned about you."
Chen Jinzhao gave a sheepish laugh. "She's fine."
Yu Mengzhi said, "Oh."
Chen Jinzhao pondered for a moment, then added, "I just couldn't stand seeing Ning Fei bully her. As for how Xu Nianqing chooses to proceed in the future, that's her business, and I won't interfere."
A barely perceptible smile touched Yu Mengzhi's lips.
Yet, she still said, "What you want to do is your own business. You don't need to tell me."
Chen Jinzhao hesitated, wanting to say more.
This was his most honest feeling at the moment. He and Xu Nianqing were in the past. Now, he needed to look towards the future. For instance, to fulfill his promise and take full responsibility for Yu Mengzhi.
After calming Yu Mengzhi's emotions, Chen Jinzhao began to ponder the bloody incident.
All signs pointed to a premeditated event.
Could it be Ning Fei's rivals?
Chen Jinzhao knew that overthinking would be futile. The police would likely uncover the truth soon. All he could do now was wait.
Meanwhile.
Before Ning Fei and the other Ning family members could even express their anger over Xu Nianqing's actions, they were thrown into a state of unease by the gunshots. Their faces were as dark as if water could be squeezed from them.
They too were wondering, who did this?
Ning Fei frowned and looked towards Chen Jinzhao in the crowd. Could he be involved?
Chen Jinzhao certainly had a motive.
Xu Nianqing was also searching for Chen Jinzhao in the crowd. When she saw him, she was about to walk over but then stopped herself.
She saw Chen Jinzhao chatting and laughing with Yu Mengzhi, looking very much like a couple.
This stunned Xu Nianqing.
It was followed by bewilderment, and finally, a sense of melancholy.
Indeed.
That youthful era was long gone. Why cling to it?
She had caused Chen Jinzhao so much misery back then. Did she expect him to love only her for the rest of his life?
That wouldn't be fair to Chen Jinzhao.
While everyone in the banquet hall was lost in their own thoughts, the police were frantically working.
Half an hour later.
The attendees of the banquet hall were lined up by the police for fingerprint checks. If everything was in order, they would be allowed to leave.
Yu Mengzhi completed her check and waited by the entrance for Chen Jinzhao.
Chen Jinzhao calmly underwent the fingerprint examination. When it was his turn, the device in the police officer's hand suddenly vibrated a few times. The surrounding detectives immediately stepped forward and handcuffed Chen Jinzhao.
There was no hesitation.
Yu Mengzhi, caught off guard by this turn of events, rushed forward to argue with the police.
Chen Jinzhao remained calm, frowning as he asked, "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
The police were also polite to Chen Jinzhao. "This shooting incident resulted in three deaths and eight injuries. During our investigation, we discovered a firearm left at the scene. After the efforts of our forensic team, a fingerprint was extracted. Your fingerprint matches the residual fingerprint on the handgun. We need you to come back with us for an investigation."
Chen Jinzhao's mind was still reeling.
Ning Fei, from the back of the line, immediately stepped forward and told the police, "Yes, this person is highly suspicious. My fiancée is his first love. He harbors hatred and decided to disrupt my wedding in this manner."
The detective captain's brow furrowed. If that were the case, Chen Jinzhao's suspicion grew even stronger.
Yu Mengzhi, who had intended to speak up for Chen Jinzhao, recalled that Chen Jinzhao had not been by her side at the time of the incident, which led her to many assumptions.
Could Chen Jinzhao truly be the perpetrator?