Chapter 39: Injured

Lin Yiwei walked into the private room, with more than ten minutes apart from when Xie Bo had entered.

Chi Xiyu hadn’t returned yet, and there was a hint of indescribable emotion in Chu Ang’s eyes.

Xie Bo casually leaned on the sofa, his poisonous eyes no longer fixed on him and Lin Yiwei.

The calmness emanating from him made Chu Ang unable to stop his wild thoughts.

During the time they left one after the other, something must have happened. In his mind echoed Xie Bo’s words—

“She’s my lover, we’ve slept together.”

He began to scrutinize her carefully.

When she went out, she was only wearing a white strap dress, but when she returned, she had a racing jacket on, which belonged to Li Du.

Even so, the faint strawberry marks on her fair neck couldn’t be hidden, like an allergic reaction.

He comforted himself that it was indeed an allergy, whether it was an alcohol allergy or something else…

In any case, the venomous snake of jealousy spat its venom, coiling in Chu Ang’s heart, causing agony and pain.

Lin Yiwei no longer pretended to be intimate with him, but she wasn’t distant either. She reminded him to drink less and kept her head down, playing a game on her phone.

Chu Ang asked her, “Do you want to go back? I’ll accompany you.”

Lin Yiwei glanced around the room and said, “Xixi hasn’t returned yet. I’ll say goodbye to her when she comes back before leaving.”

“Okay, then I’ll wait with you.”

Chu Ang suddenly felt anxious, afraid of losing her and afraid that she might not be interested in him anymore like she was just now.

He used to think of himself as a decisive person, but when he met a girl he truly liked, he behaved like a coward in denial.

Very attentive, he ordered her a cup of hot milk and selected a song for her.

Lin Yiwei didn’t refuse either, and sang a song by Karen Mok, “Cloudy Day.”

Her voice was faintly hoarse, very unique, with her own style of singing, just like this cloudy day, with a sense of decadence amidst the haze, complementing her overall temperament.

Xie Bo was playing dice with a few boys, his movements decisive and sharp. Only when he glanced at her from time to time did his gaze become sticky.

She was like his spiritual opium, addictive, craving, suffering from withdrawal symptoms, failing, and then falling into deeper addiction…

Clearly, he had just decided not to, yet he thought again.

As Lin Yiwei sang, she knew Xie Bo was watching her, and she also knew that Chu Ang would glance at her and then at Xie Bo.

She felt it was meaningless.

….

Soon, the strange atmosphere was shattered.With a loud bang, the door was kicked open, and several men entered the compartment menacingly.

Yun Hui led the way, followed by the young master of the Chi family—Chi Xicheng.

“Oh, everyone’s here, and our young master Bo is here too.” Chi Xicheng swaggered in, “Perfect, let’s settle the score today together.”

Outside the club, Chi Xiyu had a confrontation with Chi Xicheng, knowing he was looking for trouble. Despite her efforts to persuade him, she couldn’t stop this stubborn and vengeful older brother.

“Brother, please don’t cause trouble, your injury has nothing to do with Xie Bo! It’s not him, how many times do you want me to say it?”

Chi Xicheng pushed Chi Xiyu away, “Shut up.”

His left hand still wrapped in bandages, the broken bones not completely healed, his anger, fueled by resentment, couldn’t be contained and needed an outlet.

Xie Bo didn’t get up, leaning against the sofa, playing with a steel lighter in his hand, his gaze cold.

Cold, yet oppressive.

“Chi Xicheng, your injuries haven’t healed yet, and you’re out causing trouble again, you really have a lot of energy.”

Chi Xicheng was convinced that it was Xie Bo who had attacked him in the town, each punch meant to hurt him badly.

Who else could it be besides him?!

Yun Hui brought a chair, and Chi Xicheng sat opposite Xie Bo, “Xie Bo, give us a straight answer, was it you in the alley that night?”

Lin Yiwei looked at Xie Bo, hoping he wouldn’t admit it.

However, Xie Bo had no reservations, and if he admitted it, he did, as light as a snowflake falling to the ground, “It was me, so what.”

“You son of a b*tch!”

Chi Xicheng grabbed an empty bottle from the table and smashed it over his head.

Li Du immediately stepped forward, standing in front of Xie Bo.

“Li Du, move aside.”

Xie Bo spoke, slowly standing up and walking towards Chi Xicheng.

As he stood up, the pressure intensified, and Chi Xicheng sitting on the chair instantly seemed diminished.

“Xie Bo, tonight we must settle this!”

“Alright.” Xie Bo, with the lighter in his hand, opened and closed it before turning back, “Chu Ang, take the unrelated people out.”

His gaze fixed on Lin Yiwei.

Chu Ang looked at him worriedly, “Xie Bo, what’s going on?”

“It’s none of your business.” Xie Bo said decisively, “Get out.”

Although Chu Ang was concerned for him, he was more afraid of Lin Yiwei being harmed in the crossfire. He said, “Let’s go.”

Lin Yiwei hesitated for a moment and hurriedly left the compartment with Chu Ang.

Chi Xicheng didn’t stop them; after all, tonight he was dealing with Xie Bo and had no time to care about others.

“No need, no need to stay.” A voice in Lin Yiwei’s mind kept warning her, “You won’t be of any help, you’ll just be a burden.”

One, she could be accidentally hurt, and two… she was afraid that Chi Xicheng might say something in anger, with Chi Xiyu there, it would be a disaster.

She decisively followed Chu Ang out of the Bai Yin Club.

Xie Bo withdrew his gaze, feeling a bit disheartened.

She really left without looking back. She hadn’t thought about who he was being chased by Chi Xicheng for.

Forget it.

It’s better this way.

…

At eight o’clock in the evening on the bustling street, with people and cars, the nightlife was just beginning.

“Weiwei, I’ll take you home first, then I have to go back to check, I’m really worried, that guy Xie Bo is…”

Lin Yiwei had already called a ride through the taxi app and turned to Chu Ang, “By the time you take me back, it’ll be cold, you should go back now, I think with you there, Chi Xicheng shouldn’t dare do anything.”

“You think highly of me.”

“I don’t know, after all, you’re a student at the police academy.”

“But I’m not a real cop…”

“Take care of yourself, don’t force yourself. With Chi Xiyu there, they’re still family after all.”

While waiting for the car with Lin Yiwei, Chu Ang hesitated for a long time and finally asked, “What’s the relationship between you and Xie Bo?”

“He already told you, didn’t he?”

“I want to hear it from you.” His deep gaze held her tightly, “Tell me yourself.”

Lin Yiwei paused and replied, “I was once his lover.”

“And now?”

“Now… I’m not sure. He mentioned breaking up with me, but doesn’t want me to develop a new relationship with someone else. In simple terms, he treats me like his personal possession, it’s unreasonable.”

“Why?! Why did you choose him? Did he force you?”

Lin Yiwei calmly said, “No, it was my choice.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

“I’m just that kind of person.” She ruthlessly shattered his illusion of her, “I’m not a pure maiden, I’m not a girl who will be delighted to see dew on flowers in the morning and post it on social media, it’s all an act.”

Anyway, she didn’t plan to continue with him.

Lin Yiwei punctured this layer of romantic colored bubble, “I use all available resources around me, Xie Bo’s power and status, his little bit of affection. And you, I agreed to date you because you’re from the police academy, I thought maybe you could help me in the future. If it wasn’t you who asked for my number that day, but one of your classmates, I would have given it.”

As she spoke, the ride-hailing car had stopped at the roadside.

Lin Yiwei got in the car.

Through the black window, she looked at the almost broken-hearted Chu Ang and calmly said, “Thank you for liking me, it’s precious and I’ll always remember it. Go find a girl who suits you.”

…

Lin Yiwei didn’t return to the dormitory.

Last time, she went to resign from the convenience store, not wanting to work at this convenience store where she had to wear a maid outfit.

Because of her, the business in the store had increased several times. In order to keep her for the long term, the owner even agreed to tidy up a warehouse upstairs to serve as an employee dormitory for her.

It was quite tempting.

Lin Yiwei never liked living in school dormitories. She was someone who needed independent space to soothe her tired soul, so she decided to stay.

For this employee dormitory, she had to continue to “work like a horse” at the maid convenience store. The warehouse was very rudimentary, filled with clutter and merchandise. Beside a small square window, there was a single bed where Lin Yiwei could rest temporarily.

Some of her shift colleagues were initially a bit jealous, but after “visiting” this cramped room and bed, they abandoned the idea of applying for a “dormitory” from the boss.

Could anyone live in such a place? The small space, crammed with goods, the bed so small you couldn’t even stretch your feet, it was uncomfortable.

But Lin Yiwei needed this small space, she needed solitude.

After she returned, she turned on the LED night light next to the bed, glanced at the IELTS practice set for a while, felt her mind was in chaos, and then picked up a pencil to draw some meaningless patterns on a blank piece of paper…

She couldn’t calm down.

In the ancient town, she had lost her temper, forcing Xie Bo to go settle the score with Chi Xicheng.

If something happened to Xie Bo tonight, she would have no connection to it.

She had used too much force, the pencil was crushed by her nails, and her hands were stained black.

Lin Yiwei took a deep breath to calm herself.

In the end, the Chi family and the Xie family were in the same boat, Chi Xiyu was still there, Chu Ang had gone to help him, nothing major would happen.

Why was she worrying so much?

Lin Yiwei threw away the drawing board, lay on the bed, and forced herself to fall asleep.

In a daze, without consciousness, she didn’t know how long it had been when her phone vibrated under the pillow.

Startled awake, Lin Yiwei swore to get a new phone when she had the money!

This darn phone was so loud, buzzing like an earthquake. Every morning, the alarm accompanied by the deafening buzz could spike her heart rate.

The phone displayed a few English letters—

“Thin.”

It was now 12:32 AM.

Lin Yiwei hesitated, unsure whether to answer the call.

Afraid that something had really happened, or even that she would hear Chi Xicheng’s frantic voice on the other end, saying Xie Bo had been killed…

The phone kept vibrating, and finally, with trepidation, Lin Yiwei pressed the answer button.

Fortunately, the voice on the other end of the phone was not Chi Xicheng’s, but the main person—”Yiyi.”

“Yeah, what’s up, it’s so late.”

“Just now… you left decisively.” The man almost spoke to her in a breathy tone, very light, with a teasing tone, “Truly deserving of you.”

“Staying wouldn’t have made a difference.” Lin Yiwei said rationally, “It would only drag you down and make Chi Xicheng angrier.”

“You don’t care at all about my life and death?”

“How could you die, Xie Bo?”

Lin Yiwei wanted to say that evil people live a thousand years, but it seemed too harsh. Ultimately, in the matter of Lin Yiwei getting beaten by Chi Xicheng, she was the one who started it all.

“You won’t, you are strong, you can protect yourself.”

She tried to be a bit flattering, “Master Bo is great!”

Of course, Xie Bo didn’t fall for it, and said in a deep voice, “Master Bo is injured.”

“Oh?”

“I’m bleeding, come treat my wound, at Ramons Apartment, wait for you at the end of time.”

After that, he hung up the phone.

Lin Yiwei sat on the bed with disheveled hair. After a few seconds of emptying her mind, she immediately messaged him—

“Breeze: Go to the hospital if you’re injured!”

“Breeze: If I’m not there at the end of time, don’t wait.”

“Breeze: Go to the hospital, or call your personal doctor Yi to come over.”

“Breeze: I won’t come, you can bleed to death waiting.”

“Breeze: I really won’t come.”

…

Lin Yiwei threw her phone, tugged at her hair, and squatted on the bed.

He didn’t call her again to disturb her, nor did he reply to her messages.

Annoyed, truly annoyed, Lin Yiwei had never encountered such an irritating guy. Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, she sat up restlessly, changed her clothes hastily, and walked out.

To see if he had really died.

She extravagantly hailed a cab and arrived at Ramons Apartment in less than half an hour. The night duty butler opened the door for her, no need to ask who she was looking for, the butler personally escorted her to the elevator, swiped the card, and pressed the button.

It must have been Xie Bo’s instructions. Was he so sure she would come?

The naturally rebellious Lin Yiwei thought of turning back, but with a ding, the elevator door opened.

Xie Bo was sitting on a high chair facing the elevator door, gazing at her from a distance.

His arm was haphazardly wrapped in gauze, the floor was littered with bloody tissues and gauze, he had done it all himself, making a mess.

Seeing Lin Yiwei, the man’s superior jawline lifted slightly, as if he knew she was feeling uncomfortable, and said naturally, “Come help me, damn it hurts.”

Lin Yiwei approached and removed the haphazard bandages, revealing the cut on his left arm.

“I’m not a doctor, I can’t handle this.”

Startled by the wound, she accidentally got blood on her hands and clothes, “Call your doctor, Yi Shiqi, what’s his number, I’ll call him.”

After that, Lin Yiwei picked up Xie Bo’s phone left on the entrance table, trembling unlocking the screen.

Xie Bo squinted, enjoying seeing her in such a panic, “Do you want everyone to know about this embarrassing situation?”

“At a time like this, you care about your reputation, your hand is still bleeding!”

Lin Yiwei didn’t care about saving face anymore, she was genuinely concerned, she didn’t pretend anymore, “You don’t have to call him, but you have to go to the hospital!”

After hastily cutting the gauze with scissors to wrap his wound, she tightened the bandage, pulled him out—

“You must go to the hospital! I’ll take you.”

This time, Xie Bo didn’t resist, as they left, he opened the row of car key cabinets by the door, “You drive.”

“You forgot I don’t have a driver’s license.”

With that, she dragged Xie Bo into the elevator.

Inside the elevator, he tried to hold her hand, but after she shook it off, he let out a cry of pain, “Ouch.”

Lin Yiwei could only let him hold her hand, and she said disapprovingly, “Why can’t you go to the hospital yourself? It’s so late, and you call me. Are you a ten-level disabled or directionally challenged person who can’t find the way to the hospital? It’s really inconsiderate to disturb others at this hour. If I wasn’t afraid of the legal risks if something happened to you, I really wouldn’t have come.”

Indeed, it had been a while since they last met, but even in her grumbling state, Xie Bo found her extra cute, “Yes, yes, yes.”

“Aren’t you the awesome Third Young Master of the Xie family! You let Chi Xicheng make you bleed. I overestimated you. I thought in that kind of situation, you could handle it with a snap of your fingers, like shooting an arrow through the clouds, facing a legion of enemies. If I knew you couldn’t handle it, I would have called the police for you, Third Young Master Xie.” She sneered, “Don’t pretend in front of me anymore. I won’t filter you anymore. You’re not that awesome.”

“Alright.” Xie Bo weakly leaned on her shoulder, “I’ve lost too much blood, please take care of it…”

“…”

Lin Yiwei hailed a ride-sharing car on the street, helped Xie Bo into it, and urgently said, “Driver, go to the nearest hospital, please drive fast.”

“Okay.”

The driver accelerated the car and drove off. Leaning on her slender shoulder, Xie Bo closed his eyes, and amidst his breath was her unique body scent, a mixture of the lemon fragrance from her hair and the cheap fruity scent she usually used, a sweet fragrance that didn’t quite match her sharp personality.

He turned to her, cupped her face, sniffed her neck like a puppy, kissing as he sniffed.

Lin Yiwei didn’t want to touch his hand, fearing the blood would flow, so she tolerated his not-too-intrusive actions…

Xie Bo left gentle kisses on her neck, “I’ve missed you so much during this time.”

Disdainfully, Lin Yiwei said, “You’ve lost so much blood, how haven’t you passed out yet? And you still have the energy to touch me.”

“If I pass out, can you carry me back?”

“I’ll throw you on the main road.”

Xie Bo’s head drooped, and he accurately positioned it under the “surging” area of the girl’s neck, “So dizzy.”

“…”

In a quarter of an hour, the driver arrived at the hospital. Lin Yiwei had a nurse assist him with his wound while she went to the registration counter to pay.

Li Du called Xie Bo, “Master Bo, the hospital contact said Chi Xicheng’s spleen ruptured. Get ready for your dad to have a ‘business talk’ with you.”

Xie Bo, no longer the playful puppy from earlier, responded with a cold gaze, “Understood.”

“Where are you now?”

“At the hospital?”

“How did you end up in the hospital if you weren’t injured?”

“I am injured, didn’t you see?”

“With the force of your punches, who would dare injure you?” Li Du expressed doubt, “What really happened?”

Xie Bo looked at Lin Yiwei running to the registration counter to get medication, and said in a solemn tone,

“He attacked first with a knife, and I got cut by him. I almost severed an artery and almost lost my hand. I’m telling everyone the same thing…”