The servant glanced nervously at Yue Linying and scurried away. The others, seeing his temper, quickly dispersed, leaving only the three men.

Another crash came from the restroom, followed by Zhou Yanran's cry. Yue Linying's brow furrowed. He stepped forward to kick the door, but the housekeeper spoke softly, "Mr. Linying, Mr. Gu is resting. Kicking the door will wake him."

Just as he finished, another cry echoed from within. Yue Linying paused and started knocking. "Yanran, are you alright? Open the door! Now! Or I'll kick it down!"

It was clear who his last words were directed at. The room fell silent for a moment, then Tao Yu cried out, as if she had been struck.

Yue Linying relaxed and, glancing at Yue Linze's calm face, smiled. "The housekeeper is right. Father is resting. I wouldn't want to disturb him."

As soon as he finished, the door clicked open. The housekeeper stood there, retracting a key. 

"It's always wise to carry a key," he said smoothly. "One can open doors without resorting to violence." He then quickly pushed Yue Linze into the restroom. Their Dr. Tao couldn't be left to be bullied.

Realizing he'd been played, Yue Linying's face darkened. He composed himself and followed them inside.

The restroom was a disaster. Everything was strewn across the floor, the faucets were running, and water puddled everywhere. Tao Yu and Zhou Yanran stood in opposite corners, both looking disheveled. Zhou Yanran's face was swollen, a clear handprint on her cheek.

The housekeeper, seeing that Tao Yu was only wet and otherwise unharmed, was satisfied.

Both women froze when Yue Linze entered. Tao Yu quickly rushed to his side. "This woman insulted me!"

Yue Linze glanced at Tao Yu. Her wet dress clung to her, outlining her figure. His brow furrowed as he took off his jacket and tossed it at her as if it were trash.

Tao Yu blinked, then quickly put it on with a grateful smile. Zhou Yanran watched, her already bruised ego smarting.

As Tao Yu buttoned the jacket, Yue Linying entered. Her smile vanished, and she stood beside Yue Linze, the picture of innocence.

"What happened here?" Yue Linying's face hardened at the sight of Zhou Yanran's disheveled state.

Tears streamed down Zhou Yanran's face as she rushed to Yue Linying's side. "Linying, you have to avenge me! I just wanted to talk to Miss Tao, but she's so vicious! Look what she did to me!"

She was naturally delicate and played the victim convincingly. Tao Yu, realizing she couldn't compete, dropped the innocent act and scoffed, showing her disdain.

"Miss Tao, you are a guest, and I don't wish to be harsh, but I expect an explanation. Why did you attack Yanran? Or would you prefer to explain yourself to Father?" Yue Linying asked, his brow furrowed.

Zhou Yanran glanced at Tao Yu, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. She had never been so humiliated and was determined to make Tao Yu pay.

Tao Yu remained silent. The housekeeper quickly intervened. "Judging by the state of this room, it doesn't seem like Miss Tao was the only one involved. We also heard Miss Tao cry out as if she were being attacked. We shouldn't rely solely on Miss Zhou's account."

His blatant favoritism made both Yue Linying and Zhou Yanran scowl. "She only screamed because she heard someone outside!" Zhou Yanran insisted. "I never touched her!"

The housekeeper looked at Tao Yu, who gave a sheepish smile. "That's right," she admitted. "I attacked her. And I screamed because I thought her screams were funny, so I imitated them."

The housekeeper was speechless. Dr. Tao was wonderful, but her untimely honesty was problematic.

"The housekeeper heard it too. There's no denying it now," Yue Linying said coldly.

The housekeeper gave Tao Yu a reproachful look, and she smiled apologetically. She had intended to scream to make it seem like a fight, but then she remembered Zhou Yanran's injuries and her own lack thereof. Any lie would be easily exposed.

"Miss Tao, I'll ask you one last time. Why did you hurt Yanran?" Yue Linying pressed, stepping closer. "If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, I won't allow someone who assaulted my fiancée to remain here."

Tao Yu gave him a sideways glance. "Mr. Gu is the head of this household. You might not have the authority to make me leave."

"Father isn't well. I won't bother him with this. Miss Tao, please leave," Yue Linying said coldly.

The housekeeper frowned. "Mr. Linying, Sir is here. Miss Tao's presence is his decision."

"Fine, Linze, you decide. Should she stay?" Yue Linying turned to Yue Linze.

All eyes turned to Yue Linze. He glanced at the slightly nervous Tao Yu, then calmly said, "Tao Yu is more seriously injured. If anyone should leave, it's Zhou Yanran."

Tao Yu, who had just confessed to the assault: "...."

The housekeeper, who thought his employer was blindly protective: "..."

Yue Linying laughed in disbelief. "She just admitted to attacking Yanran. How is she suddenly the one who's more injured? Don't be ridiculous, Linze."

Yue Linze gave him a cold look and calmly uttered two words: "Internal injuries." Then he looked at Tao Yu.

In that instant, Tao Yu understood. She closed her eyes and "fainted," falling neatly into Yue Linze's arms. He steadied her, settling her gently in his wheelchair.

Zhou Yanran was speechless. The audacity!