"Doctor, how is my friend doing now?" Chu Yuxuan asked the doctor as he looked at Chen Qiang, who was extremely weak, with only a slit of his eyes open.
The attending physician, wearing a mask, showed no visible expression, but his eyes conveyed a hint of surprise. "His condition is quite miraculous, to be honest. We didn't expect him to wake up. At the moment, his consciousness is still unclear—he can't speak or move, and his brain only has basic cognitive functions. He needs to rest for the next couple of days without too much disturbance. We'll need to observe further before drawing any conclusions."
"Thank you," Chu Yuxuan replied, thanking the doctor before greeting Li Ping briefly and then sitting on the sofa, lost in thought.
Not long after, Chen Ting arrived at the hospital, accompanied by an elderly man who walked with difficulty.
Li Ping initially smiled at Chen Ting, but upon seeing the elderly man, her face immediately turned stern. "Tingting, why did you bring Grandpa here? This is ridiculous!"
Chen Ting pouted, "When you called me, I got too excited and accidentally let it slip. Grandpa insisted on coming once he found out, so…"
This girl had a simple mind and a loose tongue, unable to keep secrets. Chu Yuxuan had previously tried to subtly probe her to see if she knew anything about Chen Hong's whereabouts. The girl had revealed everything she knew about Chen Hong from childhood until now. She honestly believed her cousin must have met with some accident long ago, which was why he hadn't contacted her or Chen Qiang.
The elderly man who came with Chen Ting was over eighty years old, and Chu Yuxuan had already investigated his background thoroughly. His name was Wang Kejiu, and he had no blood relation to the three Chen siblings; he was their neighbor.
In his early years, this lonely old man had made a living by collecting scraps. Seeing that the three children were helpless, he often provided them with food and clothing. Over time, he grew attached to them, eventually supporting them through school and treating them as his own children until they were grown.
Such kindness was like giving them a new life. The three Chen siblings were also grateful and took on the responsibility of caring for the elderly man.
"Pingping, such a big thing happened... Why didn't you tell me!" The old man, tears streaming down his face, shook his heavily calloused, dark hands, trembling with age. His body, bent with years of hardship, was so thin and small that it was heart-wrenching to see.
Li Ping also started crying, "Grandpa, I didn't want to worry you. Your health isn't good as it is…"
It must be said that while Chen Qiang had a tough life, he was fortunate in his wife. She was beautiful and hardworking, caring not only for Chen Ting but also for the elderly man with great devotion.
Chu Yuxuan still remembered when Chen Qiang got married a little over a year ago. He had jokingly told him that he must have accumulated great virtue in his past life to marry such a good wife.
Chen Qiang had only laughed heartily back then, but after drinking too much, he confided in Chu Yuxuan: "Actually, her family was very poor, and she started working at a young age. She was exploited and involved in some shady dealings for a few years before coming to Jiangcheng alone, hoping to start anew. By chance, we met, developed feelings for each other, and eventually got married."
The sorrows of different people are not the same.
By the time Chu Yuxuan left the hospital, it was already noon.
Lao San, holding a roujiamo in one hand and steering the wheel with the other, spoke while eating, "Big Brother, Chen Qiang is really tough… But do you think he'll tell you where Chen Hong is? I think we should use both carrot and stick. If he doesn't talk, we should go after his sister."
Chu Yuxuan's expression turned serious, "He's someone who responds to kindness, not force. He's stubborn as hell, so we can't be too rough."
"Ah…" Lao San sighed, "Then we just have to keep waiting. Big Brother, are we heading to your new house or back to Jade Lake?"
Chu Yuxuan was silent for a moment before abruptly asking, "What has Xiaoqing been up to lately?"
"Just cleaning, cooking, watering the plants… That's about it," Lao San replied. "Why? Are you thinking of bringing her to your new place? Can you bear to?"
Lao San's face flushed, "What... What is there to bear? Big Brother, don't get the wrong idea!"
Chu Yuxuan chuckled, his tone slightly cryptic, "One more reminder, never discuss any of our business at home."
"Oh..."
Just then, Zhao Yanan called.
A faint smile appeared on Chu Yuxuan's lips as he answered the phone softly, "Miss me?"
Zhao Yanan took a breath, her tone indifferent, "Gao Ning is treating me to dinner. He wants to discuss Xia Zhu's matter. I just arrived, and Mr. Jin is also here."
"Gao Ning's treating you?" Chu Yuxuan frowned slightly, "Which Mr. Jin?"
After a pause, as if recalling who it was, he asked with some surprise, "Is it the Mr. Jin from that advertising company?"
Zhao Yanan replied, "Yes, he was already here when I arrived. He seems to be very familiar with Gao Ning and claims to want to mediate."
"Interesting..." Chu Yuxuan stroked his chin, "What's Mr. Jin up to?"
"Not sure."
After a moment of silence, Chu Yuxuan asked, "Do you want me to come over?"
Zhao Yanan remained silent.
Isn't that obvious? Do you even need to ask?
"Nannan, you're getting smarter. You knew I'd ask you to beg me, so you stayed quiet?"
Zhao Yanan replied coolly, "Don't want to come? Xia Zhu is here too."
"Jealous?"
"Maybe in the next life!"
With that, the call ended. Moments later, Zhao Yanan sent the location to Chu Yuxuan's WeChat.
It seemed she had become completely indifferent to the word "jealous" and had figured out Chu Yuxuan's pattern. As long as he didn't outright say he wasn't coming, he would definitely show up.