While the doctor was stitching up Pei Hao's wounds, he kept grinning, causing the doctor to look at Mo Xi with a puzzled expression. That look undoubtedly asked, "Is your friend mentally okay?"
Mo Xi had no interest in responding to the doctor. Instead, he stared without blinking at the long and deep gash on Pei Hao's arm, filled with worry. With each pass of the needle and thread in the doctor's hands through Pei Hao's flesh, Mo Xi's brows would slightly furrow, as if he were the one in pain instead of Pei Hao. It was the typical case of the emperor not being anxious, but the eunuch being on edge.
Seeing Pei Hao's mouth almost reaching the back of his head, the doctor couldn't help but ask, "Why are you smiling?"
"Oh," Pei Hao shook his head, smiling at Mo Xi. "I just feel like he really cares about me."
The doctor's hands trembled noticeably for a moment while working. He looked up with a meaningful glance at the two of them and then continued his work.
"Stop talking," Mo Xi glanced at Pei Hao, paused for a few seconds, and then asked with concern, "Doctor, will this scar?"
"After the stitches are removed, we'll give him some scar removal cream. Of course, you could also consider going to the plastic surgery department later," the doctor's reply was succinct. In simple terms, it meant there was no guarantee that it wouldn't leave a scar.
After hearing this, Mo Xi's brow furrowed even tighter. Looking at the gruesome wound that had already been stitched up, he felt uneasy. If it weren't for their family's situation, Pei Hao wouldn't have had to suffer like this. Mo Xi didn't want to refuse Pei Hao while enjoying his kindness, but now that things had escalated to this point, he couldn't just let it go.
Pei Hao saw the worried look in Mo Xi's eyes and knew he was overthinking again. With one hand propping up his chin, he said nonchalantly, "I'm a grown man, does it really matter if there's a scar?"
"It matters," Mo Xi lowered his head, wanting to explain a few things, but the words stuck in his throat. He couldn't quite articulate why he felt it was important, so he swallowed his words.
"Alright," Pei Hao lifted his other hand to ruffle Mo Xi's hair gently, speaking softly as if soothing a child, "I'll go to that plastic surgery department if it really bothers you."
"Cough, cough, the stitching is done. He'll need a tetanus shot later," the doctor finished his work, tidied up his needle and thread, and hurriedly left the room. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he'd get absorbed into the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
Just a few steps outside the room, he stopped himself: Wait, it should be him asking those two to leave, so why was he walking away?
Chunming Mountain was located in the northern part of City X, renowned as an affluent neighborhood. Several distinctive white townhouses sat on either side of the riverbank. As autumn arrived, the leaves of the willow trees had turned yellow. With a gust of wind, the leaves fell, and the river's surface shimmered with a golden glow.
Pei Yi Xin hadn't gone to the company this afternoon. He had planned to go play a game of golf, but when he came back home and sat on the couch, he felt a bit tired. Seeing Song Wanqin engrossed in watching a Republican-era drama, he decided to sit down with her for a while.
The TV played a romantic story involving young people, and Song Wanqin watched with teary eyes. However, Pei Yi Xin was not interested at all; he rested his head on the backrest and ended up falling asleep.
"Ring, ring..." Suddenly, his phone rang.
Pei Yi Xin rubbed his face, took out his phone, and saw it was Zhang Yunsheng, the deputy director of the police station. Feeling a bit confused, he wondered why Old Zhang would call him at this time. He answered, "Hello, Old Zhang."
"Hello, Lao Pei," Zhang Yunsheng got straight to the point, "Do you know your son Pei Hao has been taken to the police station?"
"Hmph!" As soon as he heard that name, Pei Yi Xin's anger flared up, and his face turned black instantly. He couldn't help but feel irritated, and his tone was furious, "His problems are none of my business."
"Hey, I mean, what's with the grudge between you and your own son?" Zhang Yunsheng kindly tried to persuade him, "Today, he got into a fight with a few delinquents at the hospital and got slashed three times."
Pei Yi Xin's gaze briefly froze, hesitating for a moment, he still decided to distance himself from the matter, "I don't care, you shouldn't either."
Zhang Yunsheng tried to persuade a few more times, but Pei Yi Xin remained firm. Unable to do anything else, Old Zhang had no choice but to hang up the phone.
In reality, Pei Hao was fine. The testimony of eyewitnesses and the footage from the hospital's security cameras were in his favor. It was just that a while ago, Zhang Yunsheng had visited Old Pei's house and heard Song Wanqin sadly mention that the father and son had fallen out. Zhang Yunsheng had thought of using this opportunity to try and mediate. He had known Old Pei since their time in the military, and they had a deep bond. He had watched Pei Hao grow up, so, in essence, he was like Pei Hao's uncle. He couldn't bear to see him estranged from his family. However, Old Pei was too stubborn; he couldn't persuade him before, and he still couldn't persuade him now.
Zhang Yunsheng sat at his desk, shaking his head. There was nothing he could do; he would just have to let it go.
After hanging up the phone, Pei Yi Xin saw Song Wanqin approaching, squinting her eyes. She asked, "What happened to our son?"
"I don't know," Pei Yi Xin turned his head slightly, displaying a high and mighty attitude as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Alright," Song Wanqin's eyes, just clear a moment ago, brimmed with tears instantly. She took out her phone, sounding a bit pitiful as she said, "I'm going to call and ask. After all, he's the flesh that fell off my body, so I'm the one who's heartbroken."
"It's not..." Pei Yi Xin was a soft-hearted person, and he couldn't bear to see Song Wanqin looking so wronged. As soon as he saw her like that, he felt sympathetic. He clenched his fist, his mouth twitching, "He got into a fight with someone and ended up at the police station."
"Is he hurt?" Song Wanqin was immediately anxious upon hearing this.
Pei Yi Xin rubbed his forehead, "He got slashed a few times."
Hearing this, Song Wanqin couldn't help but shiver. She immediately stood up
from the couch, changed into a different outfit, and within minutes, was seated in the car headed to the police station.
As the car pulled out of the courtyard, Pei Yi Xin stood on the second-floor balcony and saw everything clearly. Song Wanqin didn't ask him to join, and he didn't want to lower his head and force himself to follow. Feeling a bit irritated, he lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. He ended up coughing and spitting it out before it even reached his lungs. After contemplating for a bit, he decided to call Zhang Yunsheng.
The southern district has been restless lately. Last week, there was a murder case, and it's suspected to be related to a similar incident from a few years ago. The whole police station went into a frenzy. Then, yesterday, there was a case of a school staff member sexually assaulting a student in our jurisdiction. The media caught wind of it, and it's been making quite a stir... Officer Wu had just finished his morning shift and returned home for only a few minutes when the team leader called him into the office. They informed him about a brawl at the hospital and asked him to look into it.
The whole situation had a simple trigger. The guy who pushed Mo Zi at the obstetrics and gynecology department last time was the brother of the bald guy. Neither of them had much education, claiming to be following a certain big brother, essentially a couple of low-level street thugs. The last time the brother of the bald guy caused trouble in the hospital with a few companions, he and his buddies were detained by the police. He hadn't been released yet. The bald guy somehow got wind of the possibility of settling a medical dispute privately. He found out the female doctor's hospital address through someone and came with a few followers to negotiate. The guy in black was a legal consultant they brought along.
The bald guy's plan was simple: either the other party paid money to settle, or they would make such a fuss that the other side would agree to settle.
Who would have thought that the other party was so stubborn, willing to make a huge scene rather than agree to a settlement, and it ended up with everyone being taken to the police station.
Damn it, they were all crazy!
The bald guy lost several teeth, and the guy with the marks had a broken hand. He glared at Xiao Jun whenever he saw him and gritted his teeth, threatening to sue him.
"With someone like you, who brings a knife to the hospital to attack people, consider yourself lucky they didn't sue you. You're dreaming if you think you can sue anyone," Officer Wu summarized the situation, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently and giving the bald guy a disdainful look. "Suing? What nonsense... dreaming in broad daylight..."
The bald guy shot a resentful glance at the guy in black, who confirmed with a nod. Then he suppressed his anger.
Mo Xi was the first to complete the testimony. He paced anxiously back and forth in the corridor of the police station, feeling restless. He knew nothing about the law and had no idea whether Pei Hao would bear legal responsibility for the fight, affecting his future life and work.
Just as he was contemplating whether to find a lawyer, the sound of high heels clicking against the corridor floor reached his ears. Two figures were approaching him. Mo Xi looked up and was surprised. The person in front with a face that resembled Pei Hao's by about 60 to 70 percent was undoubtedly Pei Hao's mother!
Song Wanqin had changed into a dignified outfit, stepping gracefully in her high heels. Behind her was a man in his forties dressed in a suit, holding a briefcase. Based on his appearance, he seemed to be the lawyer she had brought.
As soon as Song Wanqin took a few steps, she recognized the person right in front of her as the one who was causing her son so much concern. She scrutinized Mo Xi thoughtfully and found that he didn't quite match her expectations. She had thought Pei Hao had spent a lot of money on him, but now that she saw him in person, he looked quite simply dressed and unassuming. Moreover, his demeanor and behavior were completely different from what she had imagined. She had assumed he would have a feminine air, but seeing him in person, he appeared to be a normal university student.
"Miss Song?" the man behind her called her, not understanding why she suddenly stopped.
"Oh," Song Wanqin snapped out of her thoughts. Her foot had just taken a step forward, but she turned her head abruptly, fixing a cold gaze on Mo Xi as she asked, "Where's Pei Hao?"
"Over there... in that room at the end," Mo Xi said, pointing ahead shakily. His heart was pounding, and his hand trembled a bit as he lowered it.
Pei Hao's mother actually recognized him?! It couldn't be true!
Mo Xi rubbed his forehead in a daze and astonishment. He had never greeted Pei Hao's parents face-to-face before. In any situation, he would only glance from afar. Pei Hao probably hadn't mentioned him to his family either. So why would his mother know about his existence?
The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He decided to stop thinking about it. After all, he and Pei Hao didn't have any relationship anymore, so why should he care about Pei Hao's mother's opinion of him?
Mo Xi muttered to himself internally: It's all just unnecessary self-disturbance, unnecessary self-disturbance.
The bald guy and the guy with the marks were both detained. Xiao Jun and the other doctors finished their statements and had already
returned to the hospital. After Song Wanqin brought the lawyer inside, she also quickly returned to her car. As she passed by Mo Xi, she didn't even spare him a glance.
The sky was gradually darkening, and the city's streets lit up with flickering lights. Mo Xi sat on a chair in the police station corridor, feeling restless. He had finished making his statement in less than an hour, but Pei Hao had been inside for almost three hours and still hadn't come out.
Mo Xi still had painkillers prescribed by the doctor in his hand. They were meant to be given to Pei Hao once the anesthesia wore off. Since the time was up, he wondered if he should go inside and give him the medication.
Fortunately, before he could ponder on it for too long, Pei Hao walked out with the lawyer. A few dark red bloodstains were stark against his white clothes. Mo Xi stood up reluctantly from the chair, and as Pei Hao came closer from the other end of the corridor, he waved and greeted Mo Xi cheerfully. Mo Xi suddenly felt a mix of irritation and amusement. He had worried for so long, yet Pei Hao was completely carefree and had no signs of distress.
"You're okay," Pei Hao hurriedly walked up to Mo Xi, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him towards the exit. "Let's go home."
"Is the wound painful?" Mo Xi looked at him with concern.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten..." Pei Hao clicked his tongue, using his other hand to touch his abdomen. "Right now, I'm more hungry than in pain."
"How about ordering takeout later?" Mo Xi suggested. He glanced at Pei Hao's clothes, which had several torn gashes, and figured they probably couldn't go to a restaurant in that condition.
"Sure."
...
Rows of dim streetlights illuminated the sides of the road. People came and went, and through the car window, Song Wanqin gazed outside. Seeing the vivid bloodstains on Pei Hao's body, she furrowed her brows. Every time she heard the name Mo Xi associated with her son, he would end up in trouble—either he'd fall ill or get into a fight. She wasn't too pleased about it. Even if this Mo Xi was a girl, she wouldn't like them.
However, at this moment, Pei Hao was hanging on her arm, his eyes full of joy as he spoke. Despite the distance between them, she could still sense the happiness in his heart. She couldn't even recall the last time she had seen him with such a joyful expression.
It was rush hour when everyone was getting off work, and the streets were filling up with cars. Soon, Pei Hao and the young man got into a taxi and disappeared from view.
Song Wanqin's driver in the car yawned. He didn't know how long Song Wanqin would stay there, and he didn't want to ask. He just hoped he could get back home soon. Unexpectedly, Song Wanqin suddenly asked him, "Xiao Li, what do you think is the most important thing in life?"
"Huh?" The driver couldn't fathom why she would ask this, but after thinking for a moment, he gave a heartfelt reply, "Responsibility? Family? They're both important. But for an individual, it's happiness, right? Happiness is most important."
"Okay," Song Wanqin sighed, closed the car window, and said expressionlessly, "Let's go, head home."