Song Zhi curled her lips. It was hard to believe that she—emerging from the police station with a messy head of hair after giving her statement—had rushed straight to the hospital at the very first opportunity just to see Su Mianmian. And yet, this woman actually had the audacity to complain that she was too noisy?
She let out a huff. "Fine, I'm going. But listen here, Su Mianmian: you'd better get some proper rest. If I come back tomorrow and your head is *still* spinning, you're going to be in for it!"
Song Zhi's words were fierce, but before leaving, she unobtrusively pulled Su Mianmian's blanket up higher; she even deliberately slowed her footsteps as she exited the room. However, the moment she pulled open the door, she caught sight of the "pretty boy" loitering outside—and the shock nearly sent her heart rate into arrhythmia.
Clutching her wildly pounding chest, she shut the door behind her before finally turning to give a certain someone a frosty glare. "What are *you* doing here?" Cheng Yuli had actually been waiting outside the room for a while; hearing Song Zhi and Su Mianmian talking inside, he hadn't felt it appropriate to just walk right in.
Now, seeing Song Zhi, his worried eyes scanned her up and down. "Zhizhi—I heard Lin Can gave you some trouble today. You didn't get hurt anywhere, did you?" Song Zhi frowned. "Cheng Yuli, how many times have I told you? Don't call me 'Zhizhi.' We aren't nearly close enough for that."
"Furthermore—thanks to *you*—I nearly had my skull cracked open by a beer bottle courtesy of your girlfriend. But at the critical moment, Su Mianmian stepped in to shield me. As a result, she's now hospitalized with a concussion."
Cheng Yuli's face flushed slightly. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea she would do something like that. Please rest assured: I bear an undeniable responsibility for what happened today. I will personally cover all of Su Mianmian's medical expenses going forward." "That's good to know."
Song Zhi delivered her response in a strictly businesslike tone—just as the elevator doors slid open. She walked in without glancing to the side, then turned and—with an air of cool detachment—spoke to Cheng Yuli, who was standing outside the elevator: "We had an agreement: I'd help you deal with your girlfriend, and in return, we'd wipe the slate clean regarding everything that came before. So, do me a favor—don't come looking for me again, for any reason or under any pretext."
No sooner had Song Zhi finished speaking than the elevator doors began to slide shut. Just as they were on the verge of closing completely, a fair, well-proportioned hand suddenly shot out to block them. The elevator sensors detected the obstruction and the doors slid back open; Song Zhi's brow twitched as she watched Cheng Yuli stride briskly inside.
He grabbed her arm abruptly. Startled, Song Zhi recoiled instantly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—what is this? If you have something to say, just say it; keep your hands to yourself!"
In a rare display of dominance, Cheng Yuli tightened his grip on Song Zhi's hand, refusing to let her pull away. He shoved the cuff of her sweater sleeve up her arm and exclaimed, "You're hurt!" His brows were knitted together in deep concern.
Song Zhi followed his gaze and was startled to see three bloody scratches—clearly inflicted by fingernails—marring her skin. "Damn it! Who landed that cheap shot? How did I not even notice it until now?"
Only then—belatedly—did she begin to feel a twinge of pain. She inwardly regretted that she hadn't performed better during the brawl in the private room earlier. If she'd known this would happen, she would have at least yanked out a few more handfuls of their hair while she had the chance. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became; she snapped at Cheng Yuli in a fit of ill temper: "So what if I'm hurt?
Are *you* going to foot the medical bill?" Cheng Yuli's ears turned bright red with agitation. "I will! I'll pay for it right now! I'm taking you straight to a doctor." As the elevator descended to the ground floor, Cheng Yuli dragged Song Zhi by the hand directly toward the registration counter. Song Zhi could only stare in bewilderment:
"...Hey! Wait—I was just kidding! It's such a minor scratch; it's practically scabbing over already. What's the point of seeing a doctor for *this*?" ...After Song Zhi had left, Su Mianmian drifted off to sleep for a while. When she woke up, she felt groggy and disoriented, momentarily unsure of where she was.
Then, she faintly heard the sound of Gu Yizhou's low, hushed voice drifting toward her. "No settlement. I will not accept any form of compensation." "That guy named Cen—and the security guard who laid hands on her—I don't want to see either of them walk out of prison for at least ten years."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Yizhou noticed a slight movement beneath the small mound of blankets on the hospital bed. He rose, walked over, and met Su Mianmian's hazy gaze. "You're awake?" Su Mianmian nodded; her head felt a little better—not quite as dizzy as before.
"Who were you just talking to on the phone?" "Gao Ze." Su Mianmian murmured, "Oh." "Is he still handling what happened today?" Gu Yizhou gently stroked her cheek. "Don't you worry about that anymore. Tell me—are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I can go get you something."
Su Mianmian shook her head. "I don't feel like eating; my stomach feels queasy." Gu Yizhou gazed with tender concern at the frail, pitiable figure before him. "You can't go without eating. I'll go get some porridge—just have a little bit, if only to keep me company."
Su Mianmian suddenly had a realization. "You haven't eaten anything yet, have you? I'm so sorry! I promised I'd bring you lunch, but then... well..." Gu Yizhou gave a low hum of acknowledgment. "It certainly seems you don't have me on your mind at all." Su Mianmian:
...That tone of voice sounded strangely aggrieved. While Gu Yizhou was out getting the porridge, an unexpected visitor suddenly arrived in the hospital room. Tang Yunzheng stood there dressed in a white dress shirt and black trousers, a suit jacket draped over his arm.
Perhaps because he had rushed over in such haste, his hair was slightly disheveled, and his breathing was a bit unsteady. This was the first time Su Mianmian had ever seen Tang Yunzheng dressed so formally. Since he had started his corporate internship, they hadn't seen each other for a while, and it felt as though Tang Yunzheng had changed quite a bit.
Although his facial features remained as sharp and handsome as ever, the wild, rebellious air of a youth had vanished, replaced by a newfound sense of composure. However, the moment he opened his mouth, he instantly betrayed his true nature as a spoiled young master. "Su Mianmian, are you out of your mind? Why on earth would you go sticking your nose into the middle of a fight that had nothing to do with you?"
Su Mianmian felt a sense of *déjà vu* at those words, recalling how, just a few hours earlier, Gu Yizhou had lectured her in much the same way. Compared to Tang Yunzheng's tone, however, Gu Yizhou's had been far more pleasant to listen to. Su Mianmian furrowed her brows. "You certainly got the news fast. Who told you?"
Tang Yunzheng pulled up a chair and sat down beside Su Mianmian's hospital bed. "Lin Jiaojiao, of course. She called me, blubbering that your husband intends to sue her." Su Mianmian's frown deepened. "So, what exactly are you getting at? Are you here to plead her case—to ask me not to press charges against them?"
Tang Yunzheng reached out, intending to flick Su Mianmian on the forehead; however, his gaze fell upon the gauze bandage wrapped around her head, and he sheepishly lowered his hand. "Do you really think so little of me? Do you believe I'm the kind of person who can't tell right from wrong?" Su Mianmian scoffed but offered no verbal reply.
Tang Yunzheng scratched the back of his head. Recalling the sound of Lin Jiaojiao's sobbing—so intense she could barely catch her breath—he found it somewhat difficult to voice his request. "The main thing is, Lin Jiaojiao is still just a student. If she were actually detained, it would leave a permanent criminal record."
Su Mianmian gave a cold snort; it all boiled down to him coming to plead on Lin Jiaojiao's behalf after all. "Tang Yunzheng, that photograph—the one that led you to mistakenly believe Gu Yizhou and I were having an affair—Lin Jiaojiao was the one who sent it to you, wasn't she?" Tang Yunzheng frowned. "Why are you suddenly asking about that?"
Su Mianmian gave a light laugh, realizing she had guessed correctly. "Even though she's still a student, she's an adult now. Spreading baseless rumors is slander and defamation—it's of the exact same nature as those photos Tan Huilin posted on the campus forum back in the day!"
"Exactly," Tang Yunzheng said, raising an eyebrow. "That's why I've worked out a deal with Lin Jiaojiao: she'll come here to apologize to you in person, and then we can just let the whole thing go. How does that sound?" "Absolutely not." Su Mianmian frowned, her voice turning noticeably colder. "Why not?
Back when that woman—Tan—was involved, didn't she end up writing an apology statement to you on the school forum? So why is it suddenly a no-go when it comes to Lin Jiaojiao?"
Su Mianmian took a deep breath. "She is far worse than Tan Huilin. Not only did she spread rumors, but she also colluded with that gang of girls led by Lin Can to beat up Zhizhi. If Zhizhi hadn't called me beforehand, something far more unpredictable and terrible could very well have happened!"
Tang Yunzheng let out a *tsk*. "You said it yourself—'if.' But it didn't actually happen, did it?"
Su Mianmian felt as though Tang Yunzheng was truly missing a few screws. "What do you mean, 'nothing happened'? Do you think the injury on my head is fake? Or do you think my concussion diagnosis is fake?"
Tang Yunzheng was momentarily rendered speechless. After a long pause, he said, "Little Mianmian, I feel like you've changed. You used to be so kind, so innocent; why are you being so unfeeling now?" Tang Yunzheng's brows knitted together tightly. "Is this Gu Yizhou's influence?"
Su Mianmian was dumbfounded. "Oh, so if someone bullies me and I don't forgive them easily, that makes me 'unfeeling'? Tang Yunzheng, don't you think that sounds ridiculous? Besides, what does any of this have to do with Gu Yizhou?"
"What do you mean, 'what does it have to do with him'?"
The mere mention of that subject filled Tang Yunzheng with simmering rage. "Why do you think I was suddenly pulled out of school and shoved into the family business by my dad?"
"Why do you think our family company—which was running perfectly fine—has suddenly been plagued by one problem after another lately? When you get right down to it, isn't it all thanks to that guy—Gu—and his special 'attention'?"
Su Mianmian's face flushed red with anger. "What does your company's troubles have to do with Gu Yizhou?
Don't go falsely accusing people without a shred of evidence!"
Tang Yunzheng gave a cold scoff. "I'm falsely accusing him? Su Mianmian, he's nothing but a scheming 'Big Bad Wolf' in disguise. Don't let his refined exterior fool you."
Su Mianmian grabbed the nearest pillow and started whacking Tang Yunzheng with it. "Who's the Big Bad Wolf?
*You're* the Big Bad Wolf!"
Tang Yunzheng let Su Mianmian pummel him a few times, but he was worried she might accidentally hurt herself in the process. He quickly snatched the pillow out of her hands and tucked it behind her back. "You've got a concussion—try not to get too worked up, or you'll end up scrambling your brains."
No sooner had the words left his lips than Su Mianmian heard the sound of the ward door being pushed open. Both of them turned their heads simultaneously, only to see Gu Yizhou walking in, carrying two thermal flasks. At that moment, Tang Yunzheng was still holding the exact same pose: one hand cupping the back of Su Mianmian's head, the other pressing down on the pillow behind her.
Gu Yizhou's gaze swept over the pair, and behind his glasses, his narrow eyes narrowed dangerously.