While everyone was busy running in circles around the Empress, Third Young Master Li, who had been seriously injured by a single slap from her due to his sharp tongue, found himself utterly neglected; his hospital room was as deserted as if tumbleweed was rolling past its door. Tsk, tsk, tsk, the difference in treatment compared to the Empress was truly like heaven and earth.
The news of Li Mufan's three broken ribs, after being attacked by a young girl, spread like wildfire. After all, the Little Overlord of Demon City had always swaggered around, never taking such a big loss before, especially not at the hands of a girl under the age of eighteen. Every time Third Young Master thought about this incident, he was so upset he didn't want to live.
Of course, the person Third Young Master currently hated most was not the peerless master Shangguan Linlang. Who could blame Li Mufan for being unable to resist stunning beauties? Instead, he was gnashing his teeth with frustration at his own brother Xuanyuan Wuji. That guy, clearly visiting First Hospital every day, deliberately never stepped foot past his room—it was a level of heartless indifference that, compared to the legendary Da Yu who controlled floods, was even more excessive and outrageous.
Xuanyuan Wuji knew full well that Li Mufan didn't want the news of his injury to reach home, to avoid being beaten up again by Old Master Li. If his grandfather found out that he had been beaten half to death for flirting with a woman, he would be looked down upon in every possible way, regardless of whether or not he was the favorite grandson. Known for his hot temper and strong patriarchal views, with a bit of disdain for women, finding out that his precious grandson had been bested by a young girl might cause him to cut off his financial support in a fit of anger.
The mere thought of such a possibility made Li Mufan's head hurt, and, with no solution in sight, his only option was to beg Xuanyuan Wuji to use his influence to temporarily block the news. It was a desperate measure, akin to a dead horse being treated as if alive; to stall for as much time as possible. At least it would give him some time to recover, so that if Old Master Li found out and tried to punish him, he'd at least have a chance to escape.
It was widely rumored that Old Master Li was very fond of his grandson Li Mufan, but Mufan knew from personal experience that when the old man's temper flared up, he was no less inclined to beat him senseless. His fragile build simply couldn't withstand the old man's repeated beatings.
"Ah, is there anyone there? Can someone at least bring me a cup of water?"
Although the doctor had repeatedly assured Third Young Master that he was recovering well and that his injuries were not serious, he felt inexplicably sore all over. The doctor secretly conjectured that Third Young Master might be suffering from significant psychological stress, possibly with an element of shock involved. Of course, no one would dare say this outright in front of Third Young Master unless they were tired of living. As long as Third Young Master felt pain, then he would just continue to stay in the hospital; after all, they weren't short of beds, and the Li Family wouldn't miss a few silver coins.
However, given Third Young Master Li's reputation, the chaste young nurses were all too scared to attend to him, knowing he might be struck by lustful impulses and attempt to take liberties. And since Third Young Master Li refused to have male nurses care for him, and because the Li Family was still unaware of his injury, no one was on hand to tend to him. Additionally, Xuanyuan Wuji and Nalan Fusui had long since forgotten about their injured brother, leaving poor Third Young Master Li thirsty in bed with no one to bring him water. The scene was especially desolate.
"Haha, Mufan, so you've finally come to this, eh? The rumors are flying around outside, saying you were knocked down by a teenage beauty; at first, I didn't believe a word of it. But when you missed today's shareholders' meeting, I realized the rumors must be true. As a good brother, I came to give you a heads-up. Your Old Master has been throwing quite the tantrum, and I bet he'll be storming over here soon. You'd better pray for good luck. You can't say I'm not loyal, I specifically ditched your Old Master to come and give you a warning. Eh? Where are Wuji and Fusu? I called them just now, and they definitely told me they were at the hospital. Maybe they've gone to get something for you to eat? Look at that, we brothers always have you in our hearts."
Han Ziyue, one of the Fourth Young Masters of Demon City, walked into Li Mufan's hospital room with his arms full of expensive tonics, a smile on his face. As he handed a cup of tea to the sulking young master in bed, he delivered the bad news, signaling him to quickly think of a plan.
"Ziyue, you're not messing with me, are you? My grandfather has found out so soon? That shouldn't be possible; I've only been in the hospital for a couple of days. If Wuji was trying to cover for me, we should have been able to keep it under wraps for at least a week before everything came out," Li Mufan said, alarmed by what Han Ziyue had just told him. He tried to sit up hastily, ignoring his injuries, and ended up wincing in pain.
"I haven't heard anything about Wuji getting involved in this. Right after you were admitted to the hospital, the news spread like wildfire. If Wuji was helping you, how could your Old Master have found out so quickly? Don't joke around," Han Ziyue added another blow to Third Young Master Li.
"Xuanyuan Wuji, I'm going to fight you to the death; you unfeeling scoundrel, how could you forget what I entrusted you with? Argh, argh!" Upon hearing Han Ziyue's words, Li Mufan completely lost his cool and started cursing furiously.
"Your words have piqued my curiosity; there seems to be a story here. Our eternal iron tree has fallen for someone, huh? He could neglect a brother's life and death for that person? Out with it; tell me the story," Han Ziyue, who loved stirring up trouble, pressed Third Young Master Li to spill the details. However, at that moment, Third Young Master Li had no interest in talking to anyone and simply sulked.