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After Song Lang arrived at the hospital, he first assessed the situation and, upon learning that everything was fine, squatted down with an exasperated look at Jiang BeiBei.
“BeiBei, was it really necessary? Your reaction made me think Second Brother had passed away young.”
In reality, Tang Xizhou was alive and well, and once awake, he would surely be full of energy and vitality.
“Shut up! Don’t say that!” A bubble of snot emerged from Jiang BeiBei’s nose, burst, and she wiped it with her sleeve, glaring fiercely at Song Lang.
After the police officers briefly explained the situation, they left. Song Lang pulled Jiang BeiBei up, seated her firmly, and took the prescription slip to pay the fees downstairs.
“Who covered the costs earlier?”
“Officer Xiao Lin.”
Song Lang chuckled. “Not bad—you didn’t just cry your eyes out like a fool.”
When Chu Yao arrived, both Yan Qingming and Song Lang were already there. The knife had been removed, and Tang Xizhou had been transferred to a ward, where he was now conscious.
The hospital room was small, with all the beds occupied and each patient accompanied by family members. Among them, Song Lang especially stood out due to his imposing presence.
Chu Yao quietly observed from the doorway.
Tang Xizhou seemed to be in decent condition, cursing as he recounted how he had gotten injured. After some investigation, it turned out his injury wasn’t caused by the suspect resisting arrest but rather by a young thug from the internet café who had stepped in to defend his “brother.” The thug, only around fourteen or fifteen years old, was hot-headed and simple-minded, having dropped out of school to spend his days gaming at the café. After befriending the suspect, he saw people coming to “cause trouble” and immediately grabbed a chair to attack Tang Xizhou, the leader of the group.
At that age, without proper education or constraints, kids often act without considering the consequences. Even after the officers identified themselves as police, the teenager showed no fear; instead, hearing the word “police” only fueled his rebellious instincts. He threw down the chair, grabbed a nearby fruit knife, and stabbed.
Of course, both were eventually apprehended—one for assaulting a police officer, the other for being a fugitive murderer who had slaughtered a family of four.
It remained to be seen how the young thug would react upon learning that his newfound “brother” was the main perpetrator of a mass murder case.
Tang Xizhou shuddered at the memory. “Thankfully, that punk didn’t pull the knife back out—it was sheer luck...”
If the knife had been removed, the bleeding wouldn’t have stopped, and Tang Xizhou’s life might have ended right then and there.
After finishing his story, Tang Xizhou noticed Jiang BeiBei standing there, her nose pink and her eyes swollen like peaches, looking pitiful. He smiled and said, “Come here, little one. Let Second Brother give you a hug. Why are you crying? I only heard your wailing—sounding like Da Miao. Second Brother is fine; it’s just a work-related injury. My life’s still intact, and I haven’t lost any limbs. Stop crying, smile a little, and don’t frown so much. Come here, let me give you a hug—this arm of mine can still move.”
Jiang BeiBei rushed over, causing Tang Xizhou to groan and moan for a while as he gently patted her with one hand. Sniffling, Jiang BeiBei scolded him half-heartedly, “Second Brother, you stink...”
“Ugh!” Tang Xizhou replied. “This is bad—I won’t be able to shower for a while. I’m going to ferment and smell sour.”
He lightly patted Jiang BeiBei’s head with his uninjured hand and then looked at Song Lang. “Fourth Brother, come here. Let Big Brother rub your head too.”
“Forget it,” Song Lang waved dismissively. “Are you treating me like a kid?”
“Come on...” Tang Xizhou stretched out his hand, but his eyes shifted toward Yan Qingming, who was quietly standing nearby.
Jiang BeiBei stood up, grabbed Song Lang, and pushed him toward Tang Xizhou. Tang Xizhou laughed heartily as he rubbed Song Lang’s head. Then, looking at Yan Qingming, he said, “Big Brother, your turn.”
Yan Qingming hesitated, replying, “You’re perfectly fine. What are you doing with your free hand?”
Jiang BeiBei understood Tang Xizhou’s intention, clicked her tongue, and pushed Yan Qingming forward. “Let Second Brother touch you! It’ll bring you good luck for the whole year! Everyone gets a share!”
“The girl’s right,” Tang Xizhou said cheerfully. “Getting injured early in the year means my luck’s overflowing. Being touched by this golden left hand of mine is like getting blessed. You’ll have good fortune for a whole year.”
Yan Qingming cleared his throat softly but reached out and gently touched Tang Xizhou’s head, his palm resting lightly against his forehead. “Here, the golden left hand blesses you. Get well soon.”
“Wow, Old Yan, this is truly precious,” Tang Xizhou murmured, lowering his gaze and smiling faintly, though his voice trembled slightly.
The room was crowded, and there were things they wanted to say but couldn’t. Words of comfort could only be conveyed indirectly through soothing Jiang BeiBei.
That was enough.
Three seconds later, Tang Xizhou reverted to his usual playful demeanor and pointed at Jiang BeiBei. “Boss, flick her forehead! This brat wiped her snot on my sweater!”
There was a shiny wet mark on his chest. Tang Xizhou bared his teeth. “Not showering doesn’t mean you can ruin your Second Brother like this.”
Yan Qingming turned, curled his fingers, and Jiang BeiBei let out two quick laughs before darting off like a monkey, running straight into Chu Yao’s arms.
Tang Xizhou clapped his uninjured hand against the bedsheet, applauding. “Good collision! You came in silently and were peeking from the doorframe. What were you looking at?”
Chu Yao embraced Jiang BeiBei, his laughter as light as a feather brushing against the ear.
“Yao Ge...” For some reason, smelling his scent and feeling his warmth made Jiang BeiBei’s nose sting, and she immediately felt like crying again.
Song Lang rolled his small eyes and brayed, “Crybaby, save it! How many times have you cried today?”
Tang Xizhou chimed in, “I’ve shed more blood than you’ve shed tears.”
Their banter effectively stifled Jiang BeiBei’s urge to cry, leaving her hiccupping indignantly. “I just want to cry! Mind your own business!”
Chu Yao released her, patted her head, and led her into the crowded room by the hand. With limited space, Song Lang stepped outside, saying he’d go downstairs to buy drinks to replenish Jiang BeiBei’s fluids.
As Chu Yao entered the ward, he asked, “Is Second Brother alright?”
“Glowing with vitality!” Tang Xizhou forced a pale smile.
Holding onto Chu Yao’s sleeve, Jiang BeiBei, emboldened by having backup, whispered softly, “Don’t lie. I heard you crying earlier. It must hurt.”
Tang Xizhou stumbled over his words for a moment, then gestured exaggeratedly. “Alright, alright, you’re right. It hurts like crazy, okay? And you even called everyone back... Sigh. Yao Er, did you take leave? Won’t it affect your work? Big Brother, do you have to work this afternoon?”
Yan Qingming nodded.
He hadn’t taken leave, but the department was short-staffed, and there was no one available to cover for him.
“We’ll stay and take care of him,” Chu Yao said. “Big Brother, you go to work.”
“It’s really not a big deal,” Tang Xizhou said. “This whole commotion is embarrassing. If the rookies from the team come to visit, they’ll probably think I’m a prince from the UAE—getting so much attention for just a little scratch. It’s unnecessary... Yao Er, isn’t this your second time taking leave this week? Work is important, don’t neglect it! What about you, BeiBei? Are you working?”
Jiang BeiBei replied, “Second Brother is more important. That job can’t compare to Second Brother.”
“Hahahaha...” Tang Xizhou laughed heartily. “Though it’s not right to say that... hearing you say it makes me feel good!”
Suddenly, Yan Qingming said, “Stop laughing. Save your strength... recovery will be tough.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you,” Tang Xizhou chuckled in agreement.
When Qin Yuan arrived, only Chu Yao was in the room with Tang Xizhou, who had been given a sedative and was already asleep.
Chu Yao sat in the corner of the ward, leisurely peeling an apple. Qin Yuan asked, “How’s he doing?”
“Not bad,” Chu Yao replied. After finishing the apple, he handed it to the elderly woman in the neighboring bed along with a smile.
Qin Yuan unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a deep breath. “Good to hear he’s fine... I rushed back from the neighboring city—I was scared out of my wits. Where’s BeiBei?”
“She went home to get some clothes.”
“Did you take leave? And where’s Fourth Brother?”
“The parents are back,” Chu Yao said. “He went to pick them up at the airport.”
“Grandma’s back?”
“Mhm.”
Qin Yuan walked over and examined Tang Xizhou’s injuries. “Where exactly is he hurt?”
“The knife pierced his arm—three stitches. There’s also a cut on his head—one stitch.”
Qin Yuan frowned and tried calling Tang Xizhou’s name twice, but there was no response.
“Smells like smoke in here,” Qin Yuan fanned the air, complaining. “Older Brother, you should really quit smoking—it’s suffocating...”
Tang Xizhou was fast asleep, oblivious to everything.
After finishing the apple, the elderly woman in the neighboring bed couldn’t stop talking. “Young man, are all of you brothers?”
“Yes,” Qin Yuan turned around and gave her an impeccable smile, polite and charming. He gestured toward Tang Xizhou lying on the bed. “This is our second brother.”
He placed a hand on Chu Yao’s shoulder. “And this is our youngest brother.”
“Is this young man a police officer? Poor thing,” the old woman muttered. “...There sure are a lot of bad people these days.”
“Right?” Qin Yuan nodded.
“Are all of you police officers?”
“Yes,” Qin Yuan didn’t bother elaborating further about their professions.
“How hard you all work...” The old woman was ready to launch into a long-winded speech, but at that moment, Qin Yuan finally understood why Chu Yao had given her the apple to eat. He smiled faintly and interrupted her. “Auntie, how did you hurt your leg?”
Chu Yao’s eyes widened slightly as he shook his head and sighed softly.
Sure enough, the old woman’s eyes lit up, and she quickly picked up on Qin Yuan’s question. “I fell while hanging laundry. Bones get brittle when you’re old...”
She spoke at length, rambling slowly. Qin Yuan took a deep breath, forcing a smile as he patiently listened.
The elderly woman was quite talkative. Perhaps it was because the TV on the wall had no sound and kept glitching, leaving her with nothing to do all day. Now, she seized the opportunity to chat with Qin Yuan.
Earlier, when Chu Yao was there, despite his cold demeanor and somewhat intimidating presence, the old woman, having been silent for so long, would have chatted even if an icicle were standing in front of her. Unable to endure it, Chu Yao peeled an apple to offer her, hoping she’d rest her mouth for a bit.
Thankfully, Qin Yuan arrived. Qin Yuan was far more charming than Chu Yao—after all, Qin Yuan prided himself on being adored by middle-aged and elderly women.
“Are you married, young man? How old are you this year? My granddaughter just graduated from university...”
Qin Yuan’s smile faltered.
Chu Yao lightly patted Qin Yuan on the shoulder, winked at him, and left the ward to wash his hands.
Qin Yuan wished he could turn back time and strangle himself. Why did he have to open his big mouth and start a conversation?!
________________________________________
In the evening, Jiang BeiBei arrived with food prepared by Chu’s mother and clean clothes for Tang Xizhou to relieve the others. She had originally planned to give Chu Yao a hug, but seeing Qin Yuan there, her idea of sneaking in a little extra affection during the embrace immediately shattered.
“Third Brother, eat,” Jiang BeiBei divided the food among them. As they ate, the three discussed how to give Tang Xizhou a bath.
Qin Yuan suggested, “Let’s hire a caregiver. Otherwise, we’ll have to ask Fourth Brother to close his shop again.”
“Alright, sounds good.”
Qin Yuan pulled out his card. “BeiBei, find an experienced caregiver. By the way, who covered the medical expenses?”
Chu Yao pressed down Qin Yuan’s hand holding the card with his chopsticks. “No need to be so eager to pull out money. Does flashing your card make you feel powerful?”
Qin Yuan shot back, “Do you feel uncomfortable if I don’t provoke you?”
Jiang BeiBei sat nearby, happily eating her meal. Suddenly, she looked up and saw Tang Xizhou awake, watching them.
“Second Brother’s awake,” Jiang BeiBei asked the two beside her. “Who’s going to feed him?”
Tang Xizhou drawled, “What do you think?”
Jiang BeiBei sighed, pinching her nose. “You’ve gone sour, Second Brother.”
“We’ll decide by rock-paper-scissors!” Chu Yao and Qin Yuan both agreed.
Tang Xizhou feigned surprise. “Feeding me—a task this delightful—requires rock-paper-scissors? Shouldn’t you two be fighting over who gets to do it?”
Jiang BeiBei sighed dramatically. “Second Brother, you stink.”
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