Xu Zhengyang pulled Lin Yourong behind him, calmly smiling as he looked at the others.
In the dim hallway, Mu Sheng recognized Xu Zhengyang.
"It's you?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Why are you following me?"
Mu Sheng asked, somewhat displeased.
"Just curious."
Xu Zhengyang smiled, not denying it.
Seeing the confusion on the faces of the others, Mu Sheng explained:
"We had some trouble at the restaurant earlier today. A rich kid tried to poke me with a cigarette, and he saved me."
The others looked at Xu Zhengyang with curiosity. Their leader's skills were well-known, and anyone who could provoke a rich kid would either be wealthy or influential. They wondered why Xu Zhengyang was tracking their leader to such a rundown place. Moreover, he was accompanied by Lin Yourong, a stunning woman who seemed out of place in this setting.
"May I ask for a cup of hot water?"
Xu Zhengyang, seeing that the group was surrounding him without saying much, shrugged and asked if he could sit down in their home.
The group exchanged glances, clearly troubled.
"We don't have hot water, but there's plenty of alcohol. However, it's not a good time today. Why don't you leave your contact information? We'll discuss things further…"
Mu Sheng said as he reached out for Xu Zhengyang's business card.
Before he could finish, a call came from the hallway.
"Shengzi? I thought you guys should be back by now. What are you doing here? I've prepared dinner."
A middle-aged woman in her fifties stepped out from the darkness of the hallway.
As she approached and saw them surrounding someone, she looked surprised and smiled.
"Do we have a guest?"
"Hello, Auntie!"
Lin Yourong greeted the woman cheerfully.
A woman like her, beautiful and graceful, quickly won the middle-aged woman's favor. The woman, delighted, praised Lin Yourong's looks and voice.
"Come in, come in! You should have told me you were bringing a friend. The house isn't tidied up!"
She greeted Xu Zhengyang and Lin Yourong into the house while chiding Mu Sheng and quickly headed upstairs to tidy up.
Xu Zhengyang gave Mu Sheng and the others a helpless smile, and Mu Sheng exchanged glances with his companions.
"Let's go upstairs. The house is small and dirty. Please excuse the inconvenience."
The narrow staircase, its edges worn smooth, led up to a corridor on the second floor lined with clutter and a layer of dust several centimeters thick.
At the end of the corridor, a small room was being tidied up by the middle-aged woman, who quickly welcomed them in.
Inside, the room was much brighter.
The house had three rooms—one kitchen and two bedrooms—barely enough space for everyone. With Mu Sheng, his five brothers, Xu Zhengyang, Lin Yourong, and the woman, it was crowded even while standing.
Fortunately, the other four brothers went straight into the bedrooms.
From the bedrooms, a faint, unpleasant odor mixed with disinfectant and food smells wafted out.
Xu Zhengyang glanced at the figures in the bedroom and was startled.
On a large white hospital bed lay a thin girl with tubes attached to her, looking around seventeen or eighteen years old.
The four brothers were helping the girl shift and change her urine bag.
The girl's eyes were still somewhat lively, but she was clearly paralyzed and unable to move. When she saw Xu Zhengyang looking at her, she turned away, visibly embarrassed.
"Are you also comrades in arms?"
The middle-aged woman noticed Xu Zhengyang's attention to the girl but was not bothered. She smiled and asked Xu Zhengyang.
"No, just a newly acquainted friend."
Xu Zhengyang answered honestly.
The woman nodded, smiling shyly, and then warmly offered two clean cups of hot water to Xu Zhengyang and Lin Yourong.
Mu Sheng then spoke plainly:
"Thanks for what you did earlier today."
"It's nothing."
"Um… people like you, who have everything, don't need anything from me in return. If you ever need anything from us, just let us know!"
Mu Sheng said bluntly, implying that he knew Xu Zhengyang must have a purpose in following him.
Xu Zhengyang appreciated Mu Sheng's straightforwardness and, with a chuckle, took the hot water, raised his eyebrows at Mu Sheng, and said:
"Not in a hurry, not in a hurry."
The middle-aged woman found the only two chairs in the house and gave them to Xu Zhengyang and Lin Yourong to sit.
"Auntie, are these all your sons?"
Xu Zhengyang asked half-jokingly.
"Ha, yes, they are…"
The woman smiled affectionately, patting Mu Sheng's broad shoulder, and sighed:
"Sigh, they consider me their mother. My son died protecting them, so in gratitude, they came to stay with me, calling me their mother, and taking care of us. None of them have parents, silly kids!"
The woman glanced reproachfully at Mu Sheng, her eyes red.
"Mom, stop it! We're not going back!"
Mu Sheng pulled out a small stool and sat down, his tone impatient. It was clear the woman had repeatedly urged them to return to their own homes.
The woman shook her head with a bitter smile.
"Their sister's condition has dragged them down. They are capable but don't dare to seek decent jobs, so they only take on quick-cash jobs."
"Your daughter, what illness does she have?"
Xu Zhengyang asked after a moment of thought.
"Muscle atrophy, which started suddenly when she was sixteen," the woman wiped her eyes and said.
Xu Zhengyang sighed inwardly.
It was also muscle atrophy, an acquired condition that could be treated.
When he bought the shop, Brother Zhao's two children were receiving treatment at the hospital.
Yet, this family had been living in such a dark and damp small building for the past two or three years.
"Our country has developed a special medicine for this condition, up to four doses, which can cure it."
Xu Zhengyang pointed out.
"I know, but that medicine…"
The woman smiled faintly, looking down and not continuing the conversation.
"This medicine is not expensive for me. If you don't mind, I'd like to help you out, as a gesture of friendship with Mu Sheng. I truly admire their character."
Xu Zhengyang was aware that offering help might seem presumptuous, so he spoke carefully.
However, the woman frowned slightly.
She glanced at Mu Sheng, then suddenly stood up and said to Xu Zhengyang:
"Please leave! We don't need your help."
Xu Zhengyang and Mu Sheng both stood up, puzzled about why the woman reacted so strongly.
"Mom!"
Mu Sheng hurriedly asked the woman, expressing confusion as Xu Zhengyang had just offered significant help.
Why did she react with such anger and even directly ask them to leave? It was very impolite.
"Auntie, did I say something wrong?"
Xu Zhengyang was not angry; he understood there must be a reason for her reaction.
"You're not wrong; you're a good person with money, but that's your own business. I won't allow Mu Sheng to have friends like you. I won't let my children become the second Tian Qilang! Mu Sheng, see them out!"