The scene immediately descended into chaos, with everyone startled. Shen's father and mother rushed to protect Jun Jiuli, and Shen's mother breathed a sigh of relief after checking her daughter thoroughly, finding her unharmed.
Nangong Han, lying on the ground, crackled with electricity all over his body. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the entire hotel lobby, and those nearby even saw rendered fat bubbling out.
Someone, perhaps the first to react, shouted, "Quick, call an ambulance! Nangong Han was struck by lightning."
Nangong Qiangwei, who had been stunned, snapped back to reality, "Dad, Dad, don't scare me, don't die."
Bai Zhi cried, "A'han, A'han, why did this happen? If you're gone, how can our mother and daughter live?"
Xie Wanrou stumbled over then, pushing aside the mother and daughter blocking her path. She leaned forward to check his breathing and... he was still alive. "Amitabha, truly my ancestors' blessing."
The strength that had been supporting her moments ago vanished, and she slumped to the ground weakly. Butler Lin rushed over to assist her. Soon, the doctor arrived.
Nangong Han was carried onto the ambulance on a stretcher, accompanied by Xie Wanrou and Butler Lin. Bai Zhi and her daughter tried to follow but were stopped by Nangong family bodyguards. Xie Wanrou glared fiercely at them.
"You two are jinxes. If anything happens to my son, I won't let you get away with it."
As the ambulance drove away, Bai Zhi and her daughter deflated like pricked balloons.
Nangong Qiangwei, in Bai Zhi's embrace, murmured in disbelief, "Why did this happen? Why was Dad hurt? It shouldn't be like this. Wrong, wrong, all wrong."
Still young, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Wuwuwu, Mommy, I didn't mean to. Dad will be okay, right?"
She lifted her face, tear-streaked like a little kitten, to look at Bai Zhi. Bai Zhi gently put her down and stroked her head, comforting her.
"This has nothing to do with Wei Wei. Everything Wei Wei did was not wrong. You just wanted to protect Mommy too much. You are the best child."
Nangong Qiangwei stopped crying, rubbed her eyes, and said, "Mommy, Wei Wei won't cry anymore. Let's hurry to the hospital to see Dad."
"But I don't know which hospital your father went to. Your grandmother dislikes us so much, she definitely won't tell us."
"I saw it just now, it was the First People's Hospital. I'll take a taxi there, and when we arrive, we can ask around and find out where Dad is."
"My Wei Wei is truly the smartest child in the world."
"Hehe, Mommy is also the best mom in the world."
After the lightning incident, the accompanying nurse had long since vanished. The mother and daughter hailed a taxi, asking the driver to help lift Bai Zhi into the car.
Since the Shen and Nangong families were old acquaintances, and such a major incident had occurred, Shen's father and mother couldn't simply abandon their responsibilities. They had to maintain appearances.
They cooperated with the Nangong family's assistant to politely see off the guests and reporters.
Nangong Han underwent surgery for a day and a night, ultimately managing to cling to life. However, he became a vegetative state.
There wasn't a single patch of good skin on his body, and his facial features were all corroded and required removal. He no longer resembled a person, merely a living entity.
Everyone who saw him for the first time was terrified, and Bai Zhi even vomited.
Yet, Nangong Han could clearly perceive everything happening in the outside world. But he couldn't move or speak, his mind and body enduring torment day and night.
The day after the wedding, the media was ablaze with news. The headline "Heaven's Punishment" sparked widespread discussion.
"Scumbag, even heaven can't stand it. It personally delivered punishment."
"There are so many cheating men, why did it strike only him?"
"The person upstairs, he must have done more than just cheat. Perhaps he did other bad things. Let's dig into it."
"Yes, yes, he must have done something that angered heaven and earth."
The Nangong family's reputation plummeted, their stock price crashed, and shareholders demanded the CEO be replaced.
The hotels under the Nangong family could no longer operate. The hotel where the wedding was held became a famous influencer check-in spot, with many people wanting to see if it was true.
Seeing the extent of the damage to the rooftop, everyone marveled. Upon learning that Nangong Han had actually survived, everyone couldn't help but exclaim how resilient he was.
Once Nangong Han's vital signs stabilized, Xie Wanrou immediately held a press conference. She apologized for Nangong Han's use of public resources and for causing heated discussions.
She also sincerely apologized to the Shen family. With Nangong Han in a vegetative state, Jun Jiuli filed a lawsuit for divorce. According to the prenuptial agreement, half of his shares and assets would be transferred to Jun Jiuli.
Xie Wanrou executed everything, although she was unaware of this agreement. However, Xia Xia was a good child and wouldn't lie to her, and her son had indeed done wrong.
After the press conference, Xie Wanrou, despite her weakened state, convened a shareholders' meeting.
She held 10% of the Nangong family's shares, and her son held another twenty percent. Since her son was now a vegetable, she could temporarily manage his affairs.
When she attended the shareholders' meeting, she supported her nephew, Nangong Hao, to take over as president of the Nangong family. With the shares held by her and her son, the dividends alone would be enough for them to live comfortably for generations.
After everything was handled, she appeared to have aged ten years.
Xie Wanrou's attitude and her way of handling the situation garnered public favor. Coupled with Nangong Han's tragic fate, everyone's attention shifted to Bai Zhi.
"Hilarious. Wasn't it true love? Now that he's lying in the hospital, the love is gone."
"How do you know that?"
"I have inside information. That mistress only visited once, on the first day he was out of the intensive care unit, and she even threw up then. After that, she never went again."
"When he had money and good looks, of course, she was madly in love. Now he's a dark, shapeless mass lying in a hospital bed. That mistress isn't stupid, why would she still cling to him desperately?"