In the silent ward, Shen Shuangjian lay on the hospital bed. The room was empty, with only the sunlight shining on his pale and delicate profile.
The deliberately hushed voices in the corridor shouldn't have reached the soundproof ward, but the person speaking seemed hesitant, and the volume kept decreasing.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Shen, Mr. Xie, it was indeed our oversight this time." The program director stood between the benches on both sides of the corridor, bowing and explaining to the two people sitting opposite each other.
"It's just that this program isn't one you can film by simply sitting and chatting, and we didn't expect Mr. Shen Shuangjian's health to be so poor..."
When he said this, Shen Sixian was indifferent, showing neither joy nor anger, leaving the person in charge completely baffled as to what he was thinking.
But just as he uttered the last few words, Shen Sixian, who had been keeping his eyes down and silent, suddenly looked at him with a cold and sharp gaze, and spoke in a sarcastic tone.
"Then you don't have to record it."
Shen Shuangjian suddenly faint, and knowing that the show's director couldn't leave the recording studio, the only person who could solve the problem was naturally the show's person in charge.
Having spent a long time in the investment world, the person in charge naturally knew the prestige of these two individuals in Capital.
If Shen Sixian wanted to ruin the recording of his show, he would have a million ways to do it: make the subject matter too sensitive, make it too safe, or suddenly make it fail to pass censorship. In short, there were too many ways to manipulate the situation.
A bead of cold sweat instantly trickled down the person in charge's forehead. He subtly glanced at Xie Jinghui on the other side, only to find that Xie was merely lowering his eyes and turning the ring in his hand, showing no intention of speaking.
"Family members, where is Shen Shuangjian's guardian?"
The sudden arrival of the hospital nurses gave the person in charge a brief respite.
"I am, I am his brother." Shen Sixian instantly suppressed his hostility and immediately stood up to greet him. "Is there a problem?"
The Northwest is far from the Capital, and this isn't the best or biggest hospital. The nurses didn't recognize who Shen Sixian or Xie Jinghui were.
On the contrary, in front of patients' families, she was very businesslike and arrogant.
"No problem, the patient can be taken home to recuperate once they wake up. Please sign here."
The nurse's tone was nonchalant, as if even if Shen Shuangjian to die in critical condition, it would have nothing to do with her. This casual attitude clearly aroused the anger that Shen Sixian had just suppressed.
He reached out and took the pen, his brow twitching. "What do you mean 'no problem'? What do you mean 'I can take it home once I wake up'?"
His tone was unfriendly, and the nurse wasn't much more polite in return.
"What's all the noise about? This is a hospital, what are you shouting for?"
She rolled her eyes at Shen Sixian, her words as sharp as knives, always aimed at hitting where it hurt most.
"Doesn't the patient know their own physical condition? Do I need to tell you again? Severe hypoglycemia, malnutrition, and anemia caused the acute fainting!"
She sized Shen Sixian up and down, her tone even more sarcastic. "You dress so richly yourself, yet you raise your younger brother like this. How poor is your family? Don't you feed him?!"
"You--!"
Shen Sixian's eyes widened as she scolded him, but he didn't know where to begin refuting her. His defeated appearance was a far cry from his previous nonchalant and commanding demeanor.
The person in charge, who had huddled up like a turtle, even breathed less, afraid that Shen Sixian this moment and take his anger out on him again.
Seeing Shen Sixian speechless after being rebuked, Xie Jinghui finally raised his eyes, which had become gloomy at some point, and asked politely, "Excuse me, is he fit to fly right now?"
Finally, a respectable-looking person arrived, speaking politely. The nurse's expression relaxed slightly, and her tone softened.
"The hospital doesn't recommend it anyway. The patient's hypoglycemia isn't severe; it just needs to be raised. However, the malnutrition and anemia are quite serious."
"Furthermore, he is currently very weak and has a heart condition. We cannot predict whether he can withstand the stress of takeoff and landing. If you are from out of town, I personally suggest that you rest and recover before you leave."
Xie Jinghui slightly and didn't ask any more questions.
"Okay, I understand."
While they were talking, Shen Sixian, who was suppressing his anger, had already finished signing the papers. Seeing this, the nurse snatched them away and turned to leave.
Even as he left, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "I wonder who the real brother is, what a weirdo."
Shen Sixian: "?"
Who is her biological brother? Does he have to tell her who her biological brother is? Doesn't she know who her legal guardian is?
Shen Sixian was so angry he laughed. He closed his eyes and sat back on the bench, trying to calm his anger.
Xie Jinghui didn't care whether he was still angry or not. He looked at Shen Sixian and said coldly, " Shuangjian's health is not suitable for continuing to record the program."
Upon hearing this, Shen Sixian, who was already impatient, slowly raised his eyes and retorted without any politeness, "Am I the only one who knows?"
Xie Jinghui, "Then why did you let him participate, and why didn't you persuade him to withdraw?"
Shen Sixian was so angry that he laughed again.
Does he think I don't want to? Didn't I say anything, or try to persuade him?
"Easier said than done, why don't you try to persuade me?"
Seeing his expression, Xie Jinghui understood the implication with a hint of sarcasm. "It seems Mr. Shen's family affairs are indeed quite worrisome."
His gaze shifted slightly, landing on the closed hospital room door, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "You can't persuade him. You kept bringing up the breach of contract penalty..."
Xie Jinghui in an instant, her sharp wit revealed.
"He doesn't even want to owe you the penalty for breach of contract, Mr. Shen. It seems that you, his brother, don't really hold much weight in his heart."
He had been studying Shen Shuangjian's personality for a long time. He wouldn't say he was absolutely certain, but he knew a thing or two about it.
He would never voluntarily participate in a program that involves being watched by thousands of people and requires him to interact and chat with them.
Between the lines of Shen Sixian's words, Xie Jinghui knew that Shen Shuangjian dared not and did not want to withdraw because of the three million yuan penalty for breach of contract.
Xie Jinghui felt as if a scalding hot knife was churning inside him, cutting him raw and burning him.
Why is Shen Sixian such a useless person? Why does he dare to treat him like this?
Why did Shen Shuangjian have to be so driven to the point that she would rather gamble with her body than owe Shen Sixian a mere three million?
The Shen Family is incredibly wealthy, so why does Shen Shuangjian not even have three million?
"Mr. Shen, so what are you angry about?"
Xie Jinghui's dark eyes gradually turned mocking and fierce. "Was there even the slightest bit of unfairness in what that lady said?"
Xie Jinghui finally stood up, without observing Shen Sixian's reaction to his words.
He pushed open the door to the ward and walked in quietly.
P. S.: Recently, for no apparent reason, a lot of people have been arguing with me, saying why the protagonist had to risk his life to participate in the show, why the brother didn't use his money, and that he was acting like he had an emotional disorder, just pretending.
To reiterate: it's an emotional disorder, which you can understand as avoidant personality disorder. Secondly, the protagonist has already told his brother that they don't necessarily have to be family.
The protagonist originally wanted to move out and get away from the past. If his brother paid out three million, would you want him to just leave and move on, or stay here until who knows when he'll pay off the three million before leaving?
After recording, I received a sum of money and moved away, far away from everything.
The person who wanted to leave paid off three million for you, while you remain stuck here. Isn't it clear which one to choose?
The protagonist himself has a tendency to self-destruct; he's fine living, but he's also fine dying—it's that simple.