Xu Mingji's expression turned ugly in that instant.
But he reacted quickly.
So quickly it was as though he had long grown used to handling scenes like this.
His eyes reddened, and his voice trembled. "Brother, how could you say that about me? I know you hate me, but I really am sick. You saw me in the hospital when we were little."
Xu Zhihan looked at him without a word.
Xu Mingji was clever.
He neither directly denied the powder on his cuff nor explained why he had hidden his hand. First, he steered the conversation back to his "poor health," then cast himself as the victim.
The original Xu Zhihan must have lost to him countless times.
Because Xu Mingji knew exactly how to cry.
Sure enough, Xu Chengyuan was led astray.
He looked at Xu Zhihan coldly. "Mingji has been sickly since childhood. You know that. Do you have to upset him at a time like this?"
The doctor stood to one side, looking somewhat awkward.
He had read Xu Zhihan's medical records and knew the patient in the bed had just come out of emergency resuscitation. But now another person in the room looked ready to faint at any moment, while the family was arguing. For a moment, he had no idea whom to calm down first.
Xu Zhihan ignored Xu Chengyuan and looked only at the doctor.
"Check his hand."
The doctor froze. "What?"
Xu Zhihan repeated, "Check his right cuff and his fingernails."
Xu Mingji's tears fell faster. "Brother, do you have to humiliate me like this?"
Xu Zhihan frowned.
"Cry more quietly."
Xu Mingji choked.
Xu Zhihan added, "You're giving me a headache."
The doctor almost failed to keep a straight face.
"Xu Zhihan!" Xu Chengyuan snapped.
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You too. Keep it down."
Xu Chengyuan's face went livid with rage.
Nurses and several patients' relatives were already peering through the doorway. Xu Chengyuan cared about his reputation above all else. However angry he was, he couldn't lose his temper in front of so many people.
Xu Mingji also realized they had drawn a crowd.
He bit his lip and said quietly, "Doctor, since my brother suspects me, go ahead and check. I haven't done anything anyway."
With that, he slowly extended his right hand.
His fingers were pale and his nails neatly trimmed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But Xu Zhihan saw it.
A faint layer of powder lay between Xu Mingji's fingers, impossible for an ordinary person to spot without looking closely. A trace of gray energy clung to it, connected to the sin line beside Xu Zhihan's IV bag.
Xu Zhihan had seen it yesterday.
The sin line on Xu Mingji's hand was connected to his medication.
But Xu Zhihan had only just woken up then. His body couldn't take the strain, and he couldn't be bothered to deal with it on the spot.
Now the man had delivered himself right to his door.
Good.
The doctor brought cotton swabs and disposable gloves, then took samples from Xu Mingji's cuff and the edges of his fingernails. Xu Mingji kept his head lowered, his shoulders trembling slightly, looking utterly wronged.
Xu Chengyuan stood to one side with an ugly expression, but made no further attempt to stop them.
Because Xu Mingji's earlier attempt to hide his hand had indeed been suspicious.
The sampling was soon finished.
The doctor handed the swabs to a nurse and instructed her quietly, "Take these for a rapid test."
The nurse nodded and left.
A flicker of panic crossed Xu Mingji's eyes.
Xu Zhihan saw it.
He suddenly felt bored.
Xu Mingji's tricks worked well enough on the Xu family, but against him, they were far too crude.
Xu Mingji forced a smile. "Brother, are we done now?"
Xu Zhihan said flatly, "What's the hurry?"
Xu Mingji's fingers clenched.
Xu Chengyuan finally lost his temper. "Xu Zhihan, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"Get to the bottom of this."
"The bottom of what?"
Xu Zhihan looked up at him. "Whether he's really sick or faking it. And who exactly tampered with my medication."
The room fell silent again.
Xu Chengyuan's pupils contracted slightly. "Your medication?"
Xu Zhihan looked at the IV bag beside his bed.
"When I woke up last night, the sin line on his hand was connected to this."
Xu Chengyuan had no idea what a sin line was, but he understood "tampered with my medication."
Instinctively, he looked at Xu Mingji.
Xu Mingji paled and hastily shook his head. "Dad, I didn't! How could I possibly tamper with my brother's medication?"
Xu Zhihan said unhurriedly, "I'd like to know that too."
Tears spilled from Xu Mingji's eyes. "Brother, you really have misunderstood me. I admit I took some medicine just now. My chest felt uncomfortable, and I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to worry. But I never touched your medication."
After hearing him out, Xu Zhihan suddenly asked, "What did you take?"
Xu Mingji faltered.
"Just my usual medicine."
"The name."
Xu Mingji's lips moved.
He couldn't answer.
Xu Chengyuan's expression had already changed.
Xu Mingji had been frail since childhood, and Zhou Man had always said he couldn't handle any stress. But Xu Chengyuan rarely asked exactly what medication he took or which doctor had prescribed it.
He was busy.
And he was used to leaving these things to Zhou Man.
Only now, when Xu Zhihan asked, did he realize that even Xu Mingji couldn't answer.
Xu Mingji quickly tried to recover. "I'm so nervous that I can't remember right now."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You've been sick for all these years, and you can't remember the name of your regular medication?"
Xu Mingji's eyes grew redder. "Brother, do you have to push me like this?"
Xu Zhihan fell silent for a moment.
Then he said, "Yes."
Xu Mingji went completely rigid.
Most people would have spared him at least a little dignity after hearing that plea. Xu Zhihan didn't.
He intended to push him.
Until Xu Mingji could no longer cry.
The doctor stood to one side, his expression now serious. He looked at Xu Mingji. "Mr. Xu, if you took medication just now, you should tell us the name and dosage. It matters for any further examinations."
Xu Mingji lowered his head, his voice faint. "I really can't remember."
Xu Zhihan suddenly gave a short laugh.
"Then I'll remind you."
Xu Mingji jerked his head up.
Xu Zhihan looked at him, his voice level. "What you crushed just now wasn't heart medication. It temporarily disrupts your heartbeat and makes your breathing rapid, so it looks like you're having an episode. The dose was small. You'll recover on your own in a while."
The doctor frowned. "How do you know?"
Xu Zhihan didn't answer.
Of course he knew.
In his eyes, something like this barely qualified as medicine. The moment its medicinal energy seeped out of Xu Mingji's body, he had seen it clearly.
Xu Mingji's voice shook. "Brother, don't make things up. Why would I do that?"
Xu Zhihan glanced at him.
"Because I refused to give you my engagement."
At those words, everyone watching from the doorway fell silent.
Xu Mingji's face went deathly pale.
Xu Chengyuan could no longer hide his embarrassment either.
He had brought Xu Mingji here to force Xu Zhihan to agree. Instead, before they could settle the engagement, Xu Mingji had been exposed for faking an illness.
If word got out, the Xu family would only look worse.
Xu Chengyuan said heavily, "Everyone, get out."
The nurse ushered the onlookers away, and the door closed.
Xu Chengyuan stared at Xu Zhihan. "This ends here."
Xu Zhihan looked up. "Why should it?"
"Haven't you caused enough embarrassment?"
Xu Zhihan countered, "Am I the one who should be embarrassed?"
Xu Chengyuan's face turned ashen, unable to answer.
Xu Mingji braced himself against the bedside, his voice weak. "Dad, stop arguing. It's my fault. I shouldn't have disturbed my brother, or forced myself to come when I wasn't feeling well."
Once again, he was trying to steer the matter back to his "frail health."
But this time, Xu Chengyuan didn't immediately take the bait.
There was a knock at the door.
The nurse entered with the rapid test results, an odd look on her face.
The doctor took the report, and his frown deepened as he read it.
"The samples did contain traces of a drug that causes temporary heart rate abnormalities. Mr. Xu, you'd better explain where this drug came from."
All the color drained from Xu Mingji's face.
Xu Chengyuan whipped his head toward him.
"Mingji?"
Xu Mingji opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Xu Zhihan leaned against the headboard, not a trace of surprise in his eyes.
He even felt a little sleepy.
Xu Mingji was far too inexperienced. Even his downfall was utterly unoriginal.
But for Xu Mingji, this was already devastating enough.
Because for the first time in his life, the tricks he excelled at had failed in front of Xu Chengyuan.
Xu Mingji's tears fell. This time, his crying was far more genuine.
"Dad, I... I was just so scared."
Xu Chengyuan's voice turned cold. "Scared of what?"
Xu Mingji glanced at Xu Zhihan, as though making a momentous decision.
"I was afraid that once my brother woke up, the Gu Family wouldn't want me anymore."
After he spoke, the room fell utterly silent.
That was as good as an admission.
He really had been coveting the engagement.
And he really had faked his illness.
Calling Xu Chengyuan's expression ugly no longer did it justice.
Xu Zhihan looked at Xu Mingji and suddenly spoke. "Wouldn't it have saved us all some trouble if you'd said that from the start?"
Xu Mingji froze.
Xu Zhihan's tone was cold. "If you want to steal it, just say so. Keep pretending for too long, and you might actually become useless."
Xu Mingji's face alternated between livid and pale.
At last, he couldn't hold back. He looked up at Xu Zhihan, no longer able to hide the venom in his eyes.
"You never used to act like this."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
"The old Xu Zhihan is dead."
Xu Mingji's pupils contracted.
Xu Chengyuan also jerked his head up.
But Xu Zhihan offered no further explanation. He simply leaned back against his pillow, his voice very soft.
"So don't bother me with those old tricks."