The room was quiet. Nan Qing lowered her eyes and looked at Qin Mubai's much thinner body.
He used to be taller than anyone else, more imposing than his father's back, and always strong and powerful.
He then remembered the phone album that Assistant Wang had hesitantly opened, filled with photos of all sorts of medications, printed with English he couldn't understand, scattered with psychiatric evaluation reports, and anesthetics and muscle relaxants being slowly injected into his body...
The candid photo of Qin Mubai showed him as frail and pale, the shock causing his pupils to dilate and his neck to droop, like a crane on the verge of death, heading towards a fearful and helpless end.
Nan Qing turned her head away, suppressing the tears in her eyes.
He pulled up a chair and sat down, trying to keep his voice steady and conceal his slightly trembling emotions.
" Qin Mubai, are you sick?"
"Why are you taking so many medications? Why are you undergoing electroconvulsive therapy? Is it because of career setbacks? Have I been disobedient and caused you trouble?"
" Qin Mubai, when exactly did you fall ill?"
His cold, deep-set face went blank for a moment. Qin Mubai remained stunned for quite a while before he came to his senses.
"Yes."
"The work pressure was indeed very high during that period, so I had some emotional issues, but they have been resolved."
"Don't be sad for me, Qingqing. It just sounds a little scary, but the actual treatment is just like when you have a cold. It's just injections and medicine, there's no difference."
I'm sorry I worried you.
Qin Mubai looked at him and smiled.
"When I heard from Father that you were coming, I was wondering if you and Huo Yuzhou had a fight because of what happened last night. I was also thinking about whether I could play the victim and bring you home—"
Qin Mubai raised his hand, and the transparent IV tube rose up accordingly. His tone seemed somewhat helpless.
"But it seems your relationship is still going strong, so my hopes are dashed."
His tone was vivid, but for some reason, Nan Qing couldn't feel happy.
He felt that Qin Mubai had probably lied to him about something, which was why he wanted to change the subject.
Nan Qing raised her eyes and stared intently at Qin Mubai.
" Yuzhou and I have a great relationship, we won't break up, so please stop trying to sow discord between us."
Qin Mubai seemed to smile slightly.
After a long silence, Qin Mubai suddenly spoke.
Is he outside? Can I talk to him?
Nan Qing's eyes widened.
Qin Mubai's tone was flat.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything bad about you when you were little in front of him. Besides, the two of you seem to have an unbreakable bond now, so even if I wanted to sow discord, I wouldn't have a chance."
Nan Qing glanced at him with some confusion, then got up and walked out.
The private hospital room was too quiet in the middle of the night. The sound of shoes walking on the floor faded into the distance, like two lines that had once crossed paths but gradually diverged.
Qin Mubai maintained his polite smile, but couldn't help speaking the moment the other person's fingers touched the doorknob.
" Qingqing-- "
Nan Qing turned around.
Qin Mubai suddenly smiled, his thin, narrow eyelids lifting, and his pale, hard face regained its vitality in that instant.
Do you hate me?
Without waiting for Nan Qing's reply, he spoke again.
His slightly hoarse voice echoed in the air, just like many years ago when he was held on his lap, and the stories were told from Grimm's Fairy Tales to Andersen's Fairy Tales.
"I was so good to you, the person you trusted most in the world, but I betrayed you. You should hate me."
"But at this moment, seeing how pitiful I am, you feel pity for my plight, and perhaps your hatred is dissipated, so you decide to gently forgive me a little."
"You used to think I was the best brother in the world, then you thought I was a jerk, but as my circumstances changed, you started to lose sight of my good and bad qualities, which made you feel lost yourself."
"This world is not simply a matter of good and bad, black and white, and the suffering I have endured cannot erase the harm you have suffered. Whether I was in a car accident or underwent any other treatment, it will not truly alleviate your past pain."
"Don't forgive me, Qingqing."
"You should keep moving forward, don't stop because of my calls. You can firmly love whoever you want to love, enjoy your youth and life, but you must also always remember this moment, Qingqing-- "
Never give someone who has betrayed you a second chance to hurt you.
Even though he looks pitiful.
Nan Qing's fingers tightened on the doorknob, and her eyelids drooped.
Then, without hesitation, he pressed down with his wrist, pushed open the door, and left.
-
A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Huo Yuzhou, dressed in a dark suit, glanced at the direction of the hospital bed before closing the door.
The sound of handcrafted Qingdao leather shoes clicking on the floor grew closer.
A tall shadow fell, accompanied by an invisible aura of power and intimidation; even the narrow eyes held a certain nonchalance.
You want to see me?
The man on the hospital bed looked up and met his gaze.
How much do you know?
Huo Yuzhou looked down at him, his cold, fierce eyes revealing no extra emotion.
What do you think?
Qin Mubai withdrew his gaze. "Don't let him know."
Huo Yuzhou scoffed, "You think you're disgusting too?"
Qin Mubai's arm suddenly tensed, the soft needle in his vein piercing his skin with the movement. Qin Mubai swiftly pulled it out and tossed it aside.
"Yes, I know I'm disgusting, so I'll never let him know that in my entire life."
" Bai Ruanruan has disappeared again. Did you do it?"
Huo Yuzhou raised his long eyebrows slightly, but did not answer.
"You did the previous two things too?"
After asking the question, Qin Mubai answered it himself.
" Bai Ruanruan lied to me; you didn't talk to him."
"Why? Bai Ruanruan is just a small fry who can't cause any trouble. He poses no threat to you. Why are you going to all this trouble to torment him?"
Is there something about him that interests you?
Huo Yuzhou's thin lips curved slightly.
"Mr. President Qin, I have no obligation to answer your questions based on your ignorance."
Qin Mubai nodded, "Okay."
" Qingqing is very young. He's been well protected and doesn't know the wickedness of the outside world. The entertainment industry is complex, so I hope you won't let him have too much contact with it and will take good care of him."
"Besides,"
Qin Mubai paused for a moment,
I also need you to keep my affairs confidential.
"Showing him the truth about this might be too cruel."
"At the very least, don't let him think that his former brother was a beast."
Huo Yuzhou's dark eyes stared at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Why should I agree?
Qin Mubai's pale face possessed the shrewdness of a businessman, and his tone was polite.
In exchange, I will attribute my injury today to an accident.
"We will not pursue this further; please keep quiet."
"We should have a pleasant working relationship, Mr. Huo."