Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Bai Hongwen was already depressed because of the business failure, but the moment he heard that his beloved only son had an accident, all his frustration was instantly replaced by extreme panic.

Bai Haochen is the only male heir and sole successor of the Bai family, the apple of his parents' eye, whom they have nurtured with all their heart and resources. For this son, they did not hesitate to use the luck they had stolen from their own daughter, sparing no effort to pave the way and protect him.

Bai Hongwen's son was his only bottom line and Achilles' heel.

He could no longer concern himself with work matters, immediately halted all other affairs, and urged his secretary to drive to the hospital in a great hurry.

The couple arrived at the hospital one after the other just as the surgery was finished, and Bai Haochen was slowly wheeled out of the operating room by medical staff. His homeroom teacher, who had accompanied him, and several classmates who had brought him to the hospital, all waited anxiously in the corridor, their expressions filled with unease.

Seeing the attending physician emerge from the operating room, Bai Hongwen immediately strode forward, grabbed the doctor's arm, and urgently asked, "Doctor! How is my son? What happened?!"

The doctor removed his mask, his expression grave, his brows furrowed, his tone full of confusion and helplessness: "Family member, please calm down, the patient's condition is very serious."

"At first, we thought it was just a common fall that caused external injuries, but after a comprehensive examination, we found that the patient only had minor abrasions on his body surface and no serious injuries, but his physical functions were rapidly declining and deteriorating without warning."

"We've conducted a full range of advanced tests, including MRI, blood tests, and internal organ screening, but we couldn't find any cause, any organic lesions, or any external injury. Therefore, we have no way to treat the symptoms. Currently, we can only keep him in the hospital for continuous observation and close monitoring of his vital signs."

Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Bai froze, their faces turning deathly pale.

A vague sense of panic rose in their hearts, and they vaguely sensed that this sudden misfortune and the inexplicable illness might be related to the previous incident.

After all the doctors, nurses, teachers, and accompanying students had left, the noisy ward finally became completely quiet.

The large ward was now empty except for Bai Haochen, who was pale and weak, and the Bai family couple, who were restless.

The air was heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Looking at her pale, unconscious son on the hospital bed, Bai's mother's eyes were filled with panic and lingering fear, and a terrible thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

She abruptly turned to look at Bai Hongwen beside her, her voice trembling with deep fear:

"Honey... do you think we should find a master to take a look right away?"

"Haohao has always been very healthy and rarely gets sick since he became an adult. He just had a minor fall today, so how could his functions suddenly decline and no cause be found?"

Bai's mother was in a state of panic, increasingly fearful as she thought about it. Her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Haohao's health has always been excellent since he turned eighteen. He rarely even catches a cold. How could his physical functions suddenly decline after just a light fall, and even the hospital can't find any cause?"

Her inner panic intensified, and a suspicion she dared not delve into surfaced: "The more I think about it, the more something seems wrong. Hao Hao's current symptoms are almost identical to what the master described when Bai Zhi was being afflicted by the draining of luck... Could this really be related to Bai Zhi? Or to the luck-changing formation we set up back then?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Hongwen shuddered, snapping back to his senses. His face instantly turned ashen, and he shouted sharply, "Quick! Look at the jade pendant around Hao Hao's neck! Where's his protective jade pendant?!"

Startled, Bai's mother rushed to the bedside and frantically searched Bai Haochen's neck. It was empty; the jade pendant he always wore close to his body, never leaving his side, was nowhere to be found.

"It's gone! How could it be gone?!" Mother Bai panicked instantly. "He wore this jade pendant for two whole years, always with it on his body, never taking it off even when bathing or sleeping. How could it just vanish into thin air?"

In a panic, Bai Hongwen immediately pressed the call button to summon medical staff, repeatedly questioning Bai Haochen about his belongings when he was admitted to the hospital. All the doctors and nurses unanimously confirmed that they had not seen any jade pendant from the time of admission to the time he was wheeled into the operating room.

Undeterred, he immediately called the school's teachers and students one by one to inquire. Finally, a friend who played basketball with Bai Haochen revealed the key: Bai Haochen hadn't worn the jade pendant at all that day. Before the match, he had even joked about it, and Bai Haochen casually said he thought he'd forgotten it at home and would wear it when he got back. Little did he know that the accident would happen so soon after he finished speaking.

"It must be Bai Zhi! She must have discovered it!" Bai's mother's face turned deathly pale, her body chilled to the bone. She instantly became certain of her suspicions. "The formation malfunctioned, Hao Hao was in trouble—it's all because of her!"

"No matter what, we must find that jade tablet first!"

Anxious and distraught, Bai's mother immediately drove back to the Bai family villa and searched Bai Haochen's room from top to bottom, but still couldn't find any trace of the jade pendant. In desperation, she took out her phone and, with trembling hands, dialed Bai Zhi's number.

Meanwhile, the matter has been completely resolved.

After the formation was broken, the shackles that had been weighing on Bai Zhi for two years were completely dispelled.

The weariness, dullness, and powerlessness that had lingered over the years vanished, leaving me feeling light and refreshed. The luck, fortune, and opportunities that had been forcibly taken away were gradually returning to their rightful place, and my complexion was completely renewed.

Bai Zhi was deeply grateful and insisted on hosting a banquet for Shen Jingshu and Ye Shuang. The two could not refuse, so they went to a nearby restaurant and sat down for a meal, where the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

Just as the three were chatting, Bai Zhi's phone suddenly started vibrating continuously.

The word "Mom" was displayed on the screen.

Having gone through the computer swap incident, Bai Zhi was already extremely disillusioned with her parents and didn't want to answer the phone. But the other party seemed determined, calling again and again, so persistent it was irritating.

Left with no other choice, Bai Zhi could only give Shen Jingshu and Ye Shuang an apologetic look, get up, walk to a secluded spot, and press the answer button.

The moment the call connected, Bai's mother unleashed a torrent of sharp and irritable accusations, filled with resentment and impatience: "Bai Zhi! Where are you right now?"

"I'm outside, is there something you need, Mom?" Bai Zhi's tone was flat, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Your brother is in the hospital, his life hanging in the balance, and you still have the mind to wander around outside? How can you be so heartless!" Without even asking what happened, Bai's mother launched into a tirade of reprimands.

Bai Zhi frowned slightly and asked in a cool tone, "How is having a normal meal with friends considered fooling around? You said Bai Haochen had an accident, but no one informed me from beginning to end."

On the other end of the phone, Bai's mother was furious, her tone hurried and anxious: "It's too late to tell you now! Come to the First Municipal Hospital immediately! Your father has been waiting here! By the way, have you seen Hao Hao's jade pendant?"

"What jade pendant?" Bai Zhi asked, feigning confusion.

"These are the jade amulets your father and I gave you each for your 18th birthday! Hao Hao lost them today. Have you seen them?"

Bai Zhi replied indifferently, without any emotion: "Never seen it, I don't know."

"You really don't know?" Bai's mother was still persistent, questioning him repeatedly with deep suspicion.

"I really don't know."