At the traffic-light intersection beneath the night sky, quite a few passing pedestrians witnessed the scene.
A sedan ignored the red light and drove straight ahead, crashing into a black Maybach passing through the intersection.
The two cars collided with a deafening bang, the impact jolting them before both came to a stop.
Caught off guard by the accident, the cars behind them stopped one after another, while pedestrians along the road paused to watch.
Some helpful bystanders ran over to check. The sedan's front end was badly crushed, and the Maybach's body was dented too, with one of its doors twisted out of shape.
"Are the people inside okay? Should we call an ambulance?"
"How did they suddenly crash like that?"
"That sedan's completely at fault. Of all the cars to hit, it had to hit a Maybach. The compensation will bankrupt them!"
The onlookers chattered among themselves.
Inside the car, Jiang Huaijin took a long time to come to his senses. His laptop had fallen off his lap, but he ignored it. Anxiety and panic filled his eyes as he pushed Jiang Xun's shoulder with trembling hands.
"Jiang Xun, wake up..."
He couldn't keep his voice from trembling either.
Jiang Xun was still shielding Jiang Huaijin, his eyes tightly shut and his face deathly pale.
Behind him, the car door had been deformed by the impact, and the window had shattered.
When the person in his arms still didn't open his eyes, Jiang Huaijin panicked even more. His eyes reddened. "Jiang Xun, don't scare me. Uncle Li, call an ambulance!"
"Cough... I'm... I'm fine."
Jiang Xun hurriedly opened his eyes. He had barely any strength left, his face pale as he lay in Jiang Huaijin's arms, his voice barely a whisper.
It wasn't because he was injured anywhere. He had simply been frightened.
Jiang Huaijin instantly breathed a sigh of relief, his heart easing down from his throat. Gripping Jiang Xun's shoulders, he checked him from head to toe.
He was fine. He hadn't even lost a single hair.
"I'm really fine. You don't need to check anymore. Are you okay, bro?"
"I'm fine."
"That's good."
Jiang Xun turned to look at the slightly deformed door, then slumped against the seat as though utterly drained, patting his chest, where his heart was still pounding.
Fuck, that nearly gave me a heart attack.
Thank goodness this luxury car was sturdy enough to take a hit. Otherwise, wouldn't I be spending a month or so in the hospital?
Jiang Huaijin looked at his younger brother with complicated emotions. The instant the crash happened, Jiang Xun had lunged over and shielded him in his arms.
In an emergency like that, there was no time to hesitate. Every action came from instinct.
It was completely unexpected.
"Stay in the car for now. I'll get out and check what's happening."
A crowd of onlookers had gathered outside, and some were holding up their phones to record.
Jiang Huaijin got out with a grim expression. The sedan had suffered far worse damage, its front end badly crushed.
Its driver had struck his head against the steering wheel and lost consciousness. Some kind bystanders had carried him out of the car.
Jiang Huaijin caught a strong, lingering smell of alcohol coming from the driver.
Drunk driving, running a red light, and causing a crash.
Jiang Huaijin immediately took out his phone and called the police. He would absolutely hold the driver accountable.
The traffic police soon arrived.
Amid the commotion outside, Jiang Xun's wildly pounding heart finally began to settle a little.
He opened the undamaged door on the other side and got out, his limbs still a little weak.
He had barely stepped out when his foot slipped. He cried out, then fell hard onto the solid asphalt road.
His head hit the ground.
"Oh dear, why did he suddenly fall?"
"Young man, are you okay? Can you stand up?"
Jiang Xun lay sprawled on the ground. As sharp pain struck, his features scrunched up like a steamed bun. With a trembling hand, he covered his injured forehead, bright red, sticky liquid seeping between his fingers.
His eyes reddened as he stared fiercely at the green object nearby-the culprit that had made him slip. His pale lips trembled.
What fucking jerk has no manners? Watch the spectacle all you want, but could you stop throwing watermelon rinds everywhere!!!
Jiang Huaijin, who had been talking to the traffic police, was startled by the sight and hurried over to help Jiang Xun up.
Jiang Xun's chest heaved twice. Then his eyes closed, and he collapsed into his brother's arms.
It wasn't excessive blood loss. He had passed out from sheer anger.
Which fucking bastard threw that watermelon rind there!!!
Holding the unconscious Jiang Xun, Jiang Huaijin shouted himself hoarse, "Uncle Li, call an ambulance, now!!"
Not long afterward, Deng Shu and Jiang Shiyuan received a call from their eldest son.
The bad news: there had been a car accident.
The good news: all three of them, including the driver, were fine.
The bad news: Jiang Xun had slipped on a carelessly discarded watermelon rind, fallen and bloodied his head, then passed out. He had still ended up in the hospital.
The succession of twists almost frightened Deng Shu into fainting too.
Dinner was out of the question. The group hurried to the hospital.
In the VIP ward, Jiang Xun had yet to wake up. He lay quietly in the hospital bed, a patch of gauze covering his forehead.
The wound wasn't particularly serious. It had only needed a few stitches.
Jiang Huaijin sat beside the bed, silently watching the young man with an especially complicated look in his eyes.
After half a month, his younger brother's skin seemed a little fairer. His brows and eyes, his nose, his mouth... looking closely, he was actually quite handsome.
He hadn't noticed before, but the changes lately really were considerable.
He bore some resemblance to him.
They were brothers by blood, after all, Jiang Huaijin thought, an unfamiliar feeling spreading through his heart.
Jiang Father, Jiang Mother, and Jiang Zixing soon arrived, accompanied by those relatives.
Jiang Xun still hadn't woken, but his injuries didn't look serious. The relatives stayed in the ward for a while, offered a few concerned words, then left.
Jiang Shiyuan stood beside the bed, concern showing in his expression. However unlikable Jiang Xun might be, he was still his son.
Deng Shu stroked Jiang Xun's face with heartache. "What exactly happened? How did he end up like this?"
"It happened just as I said on the phone," Jiang Huaijin said. "The doctor said it's nothing serious. Don't worry, Mom."
He really hadn't expected Jiang Xun to escape one disaster only to accidentally step on a watermelon rind and fall.
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Jiang Zixing pressed his lips together and cast several worried looks at Jiang Xun before asking Jiang Huaijin with concern, "Are you okay, big brother?"
Jiang Huaijin gave him a faint smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
He looked back at the unconscious Jiang Xun, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the joint of his index finger. Only after a moment did he speak, with slight difficulty:
"The instant that car hit us, Jiang Xun threw himself over to protect me."
Jiang Huaijin told his parents exactly what had happened, and the ward fell briefly silent.
Although the crash hadn't injured them, who could have known that when it happened? Jiang Xun had risked his life to protect him.
Jiang Huaijin thought that, if he had been the first to notice something wrong, he couldn't guarantee he would have rushed to save his family without hesitation.
It was human nature to seek safety and avoid danger. There was nothing wrong with that.
After hearing this, Deng Shu froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened.
She stroked her son's head tenderly. "I can feel it. Xun really has changed a lot lately. He's grown more mature."
Jiang Shiyuan was naturally surprised too. Mixed emotions filled his heart, leaving him at a loss for words.
Could staying with Fu Yanli for a while really have helped?
He had seen for himself how selfish and willful Jiang Xun used to be. He had been utterly hopeless, beyond saving.
But he had seen the changes during this time too.
Jiang Shiyuan sighed silently, hoping he truly had changed.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zixing silently watched his parents' and brother's expressions. His throat felt blocked, and he couldn't get a single word out.
His lowered eyelids concealed the emotions shifting in his eyes. He picked at his fingers unconsciously, as though he couldn't feel the pain.
Only after a long while did Jiang Zixing murmur, "Second brother really has changed a lot."
If I'd been the one sitting beside big brother, I would have done the same. I definitely could have.
His brother had always treated him so well, both before and now. No one could compare to the bond they shared.
He comforted himself inwardly. Jiang Zixing, you're no worse than him.
His fall hadn't been serious, and all the examinations had found nothing wrong. Jiang Xun should have woken up long ago, yet he still hadn't opened his eyes.
Seeing how late it was getting, Jiang Huaijin told his parents and younger brother to head home. He could stay here himself.
Jiang Zixing wanted to stay, however, saying he would help look after his second brother.
"Don't you have classes early tomorrow morning? I can handle things here."
"But..."
"Be good. Go home with Mom and Dad. I'll call you when Jiang Xun wakes up."
Jiang Zixing bit his lip lightly and said in a subdued voice, "Then... okay."
Once the three of them had left, Jiang Xun's lashes fluttered. Supposedly still unconscious, he tentatively opened his eyes a sliver to survey his surroundings.
A moment later, Jiang Huaijin's chilly voice sounded beside him. "So you were pretending to be asleep."
Jiang Xun stopped pretending. He had only been afraid of embarrassing himself. Slipping on a watermelon rind and falling hard enough to bloody his head was far too humiliating.
He propped himself up and touched the gauze on his forehead with his fingertips, his brows knitting tightly. It hurt.
It won't leave another scar, will it?
Jiang Huaijin poured a cup of warm water and handed it over. "Are you dizzy? Do you feel like throwing up?"
"I'm not dizzy," Jiang Xun said. "I'm hungry. I want fried chicken, burgers, cola, and fries."
Jiang Huaijin was speechless.
He shouldn't have bothered worrying.
There was no fried chicken or burgers, only mild pork liver and lean meat porridge to help replenish his blood.
With a long face and a bitter expression, Jiang Xun spooned the porridge into his mouth. The pork liver tasted awful.
Jiang Huaijin sat beside him and watched, urging him on. "Eat faster. You're not leaving a single bite."
After dragging it out for half an hour, Jiang Xun finally finished the bowl of porridge.
Jiang Huaijin cleared away the food containers, then started wiping the table. His hands never stopped moving, though it was hard to tell what kept him so busy.
People always became very busy when they found themselves in an awkward situation.
Jiang Xun propped up his head and watched him. "Can you stop fussing for a minute?"
Jiang Huaijin stopped. He sat back down beside the bed, looking at the drowsy, relaxed young man before him.
After a long while, he finally asked, "Why did you do that back then?"
Jiang Xun had his eyes lowered listlessly. At the question, he lifted his eyelids to glance at him, then yawned lazily and answered in a casual tone:
"Why else? Because you're my brother."