My Little Brother Seems About to Die

He lowered his eyes. "I was the one who lost my footing while carrying the suitcase and fell. It had nothing to do with you. There's no need to apologize."

"No, I have to apologize. Dear little brother, can you forgive me?"

"..."

Zhao Jie's expression darkened. "Is that how you apologize? The young master can't even say sorry?"

"A-Jie." Xia Lang frowned. "This is between the brothers. Let them settle it themselves."

"But... Qingqing is so soft-hearted..."

"Mom." Xia Wanqing tugged at her clothes and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Brother didn't do it on purpose. I forgive him."

Zhao Jie felt wronged on his behalf. "My Qingqing..."

Xia Lang also knew that the way he had handled things had wronged the mother and son, but he truly had no way to sternly demand that Xia Yu lower himself and apologize.

"Little brother forgave me, right?" Xia Yu pulled out a nearby chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "Dad, Third Aunt, go to work. I'll stay and take care of my little brother."

"Third Aunt?" Zhao Jie was confused for two seconds before realizing what he meant. Her eyes reddened with anger. "You!"

Xia Lang quickly held her back. "A-Jie, there's an important meeting at the company. Let's go first. Qingqing has Xiaoyu looking after him. Let the brothers have a talk."

"How can I let him stay alone with Qingqing? He's the one who harmed Qingqing like this!"

Xia Wanqing clutched the bedsheet beneath his hand. "Mom, I'm fine. You and Dad should go to the company. Brother Lan will be here soon."

"With Chu Lan here, don't worry. This meeting concerns several major projects."

Zhao Jie bit her lip. "Qingqing, call Mom immediately if anything happens."

He smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen."

Before leaving, Xia Lang gave one more instruction. "Xiaoyu, take good care of Qingqing."

Xia Yu smiled faintly. "All right."

Once the two of them left, the hospital room fell quiet.

Xia Wanqing wiped the smile from his face and looked expressionlessly at the person sitting beside him. "You should leave too. I don't want to see you right now."

"Hm?" Xia Yu's brows lifted slightly. "Little brother, are you addicted to acting now? Are you really blaming me for falling down the stairs?"

"I was only returning the favor."

"You're much more ruthless than I am. I only splashed you with a glass of milk, but you gambled with your life. Still, your dancing foundation is quite impressive. You fell while carrying a guitar and only ended up with a few bruises."

Xia Wanqing bared his teeth in a smile. "I won't let you bully me."

"Tsk... You have such an innocent, pitiful face. How could you do something so black-hearted?"

"Heh, are you talking about yourself?" He scoffed. "I've never coveted the Xia Household's property. I only want my mother to be happy. If you keep humiliating and targeting us, I won't keep swallowing it."

Clap, clap, clap! Xia Yu applauded. "Xiao Si, you really have backbone. I like that."

"Hmph. Leave. I don't need you to take care of me."

"No, I said I'd take good care of you." He rose leisurely to his feet.

Xia Wanqing dodged the hand reaching toward him, his face full of vigilance. "What are you doing?"

"Tsk. You've been lying down for so long. I'm helping you sit up for a while."

"Get away!"

Xia Yu turned a deaf ear to his resistance. He bent over, slipped one hand beneath his neck, and lifted him up. With his other hand, he propped the pillow upright so Xia Wanqing could lean against it more comfortably.

Xia Wanqing frowned tightly and reached out to push him away.

The next second, that cool hand clamped tightly around his neck. With a burst of force, Xia Yu slammed him viciously against the wall behind the bed, producing a muffled thud.

"Ah!"

Even with the soft pillow between them, Xia Wanqing's vision went black from the impact, and he let out a sharp cry of pain.

Xia Yu's eyes brimmed with amusement as he said gently, "I apologized, didn't I? You should at least live up to my apology."

"Xia Yu!" Xia Wanqing screamed as he tried to push him away. "Let go of me! You lunatic!"

Bang! Another merciless collision, even harder than the last.

He instantly lost the strength to struggle. His eyes gradually lost focus, and though he opened his mouth to call for help, only faint, breathy sounds came out.

"Xia Yu! What are you doing?!" Chu Lan pushed open the door and saw the scene before him. His heart clenched as he shouted angrily.

Xia Yu released his hand and stepped back two paces. Turning to look at him, his beautiful peach-blossom eyes were filled with innocence. "Brother, you're here."

Chu Lan hurried forward and gathered the barely conscious Xia Wanqing into his arms. "Qingqing, Qingqing, how are you? Are you all right?"

"Brother, what should we do?" Xia Yu crossed his arms and looked at them worriedly. "Little brother seems about to die. Should we call a doctor for him?"

Only then did Chu Lan come back to his senses and frantically press the call bell by the bed.

Before long, the doctors and nurses rushed in.

"Doctor! Hurry! Save him!"

The doctor quickly stepped forward and checked Xia Wanqing's eyelids. "Quick! Send him to the emergency room!"

After a flurry of chaos, Xia Wanqing was taken to the emergency room, while Chu Lan anxiously paced back and forth outside.

The culprit sat on a stool, waiting in boredom.

Half an hour later, Xia Wanqing was wheeled out.

"Doctor, how is he?"

The doctor took off his mask, looking half serious and half confused. "A mild concussion..."

"He'll be all right, won't he?"

"Fortunately, there's no bleeding. He needs to stay in bed and rest properly for a few days. He was perfectly fine during this morning's examination. How did he get a concussion after only a short while? Did he fall again?"

Chu Lan pressed his lips together and looked at the innocent-faced Xia Yu.

[Ding! Chu Lan's anger value +20.]

Xia Yu raised his brows slightly, got to his feet, and walked over. "Doctor, is my little brother all right? He wanted to sit up just now and accidentally hit his head."

Though the doctor had doubts, seeing the worried look on his face, he still comforted him softly. "He's fine, but he needs to remain hospitalized for observation for two days."

"It's good that he's all right. My little brother is always so careless. He just fell down the stairs yesterday, and today he hit his head again. He scared me to death."

"He's already grown up. He should be more careful while walking."

"Exactly. When he wakes up, I need to give him a good talking-to."

Watching him worry over his little brother's health like a real older brother, Chu Lan's face turned green and then purple. What a lunatic, he cursed inwardly.

Xia Wanqing was pushed back into the hospital room. Not long after, he slowly woke up. The first thing he saw was Xia Yu sitting there peeling an apple, and his pupils contracted.

[Ding! Xia Wanqing's fear value +5.]

Hearing the system prompt, Xia Yu lifted his eyes and smiled. "You're awake. Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"

"Qingqing!" Chu Lan crossed the room in a few strides and sat beside the bed, tenderly touching his pale face. "Are you dizzy?"

His tears immediately fell. "Brother Lan... It hurts..."

"Is your head hurting? I'll call the doctor..."

Xia Wanqing grabbed the hand he was about to use to press the bell. Tears streaming down his face, he shook his head, looking utterly pitiful.

"It's all right. I'm here."

Crunch. Xia Yu noisily bit into the peeled apple and said indistinctly, "Little brother, don't play this kind of game with me again, understand?"

He trembled slightly, bit his lip, and cried silently.

Chu Lan's heart ached even more. He glared at Xia Yu. "He's already moving out. Why did you still hit him so hard?! He's also a victim of the previous generation's grievances."

Crunch! "Brother, don't be so fierce. I accidentally pushed him down the stairs, and he got a concussion. I already apologized to him. Little brother, isn't that right?"

Xia Wanqing clenched his other hand hidden beneath the blanket into a tight fist. In a muffled, tearful voice, he said to Chu Lan, "Brother Lan, I don't want to see him right now. I'm scared..."

"Xia Yu, go home first."

Xia Yu tossed the half-eaten apple into the trash can in the corner and stood up. "All right, then. I won't disturb you two. Bye-bye, little brother. Get well soon."

Watching his unhurried retreating figure, Xia Wanqing gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, concealing the resentment in their depths.