By the end of the week, Fan Qentian's leg wound was mostly healed; it was no longer a gaping hole but a large scab.
The tissue around the muscle was tender and he still couldn't walk without pain, but he could stand and walk a little distance from his bed.
His abdomen was also healing nicely because the bullets had cleanly exited. Huan Mao entered twice a day to clean everything and apply ointment.
Huan Mao came for her second visit as Fan Qentian sat gently at the edge of his cot. They had never really spoken for the tension that thickly choked the words from Fan Qentian's throat.
He could tell by the rough way she treated him that she was only taking care of him for Xin Tuyong's sake. She never looked him in the eyes, but he could see the disdain that sparked in them.
Huan Mao carefully refilled his water before speaking. "Today is your last day," she told him.
"Thank you for your kindness, doctor. I think I might head home right now." He winced as he struggled to stand.
Huan Mao said nothing as she turned and left the room, where Di Gaohun greeted her just outside the doors.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded in response. It was time to make a move.
Fan Qentian was still a threat regardless of what Xin Tuyong thought. The fact that her location was known made it all the more dangerous for her to stay.
If Fan Qentian could track her, so could the other groups. She had packed everything and was ready to evacuate.
Yun Bao was coming with her -- the housekeeper had been notified two weeks prior that this would be his last week, and he was the only one unrelated to the business.
She knocked lightly on Yun Bao's door within the employees' quarter where he had been staying since the incident. Normally, he would stay at his personal home, but on occasion he would stay here.
A rough "just a moment" sounded and minutes later the door opened. Yun Bao's frame filled the doorway, but beyond him she could see his luggage resting at the foot of the bed.
"Will you be ready to go in ten minutes?" she asked.
"Yes. Should I take my bags out now?"
"Please."
...
Xin Tuyong was the last one out of the house, bringing his few belongings with him in a single bag. He sat timidly in the back seat between Yun Bao and Di Gaohun, while the driver was in the front with Huan Mao beside him.
Although Yun Bao was just a cook, his presence was stern and commanding. With his aggressive and short style of speaking, anyone would believe that he was a triad member.
Xin Tuyong still maintained his fresh naïve air, despite trying to be more gruff. He sat up straight and practiced looking intimidating but gave up immediately knowing that he couldn't compete with the men on either side of him.
Xin Tuyong was still not on normal speaking terms with Huan Mao, and he felt the sting of withdrawn affection as she sat coolly just an arm's length away.
They drove to the airport and left in pairs as they were dropped off at different areas. Di Gaohun went with Huan Mao directly at the terminal, attracting envious gazes from onlookers who saw the stunning pair.
Dejected Xin Tuyong left with Yun Bao a little ways away. Even their seats on the plane were paired that way, but Xin Tuyong experienced a new luxury of being in first class and almost forgot to be intimidated by Yun Bao.
The airplane was public, but Huan Mao was the owner and had privileges that allowed them on without having to go through the lengthy process of security checks.
They had been in the airport for no longer than the time it took to walk to the front desk, then get escorted to the boarding gate before entering the plane.
He watched in awe with his face nearly pressed against the glass of the tiny airplane windows as they took off and set out for the southern district of China, the centre of Huan Mao's empire.