Chapter 19
by CasualMTLIf Song Qiuguang’s previous injury was seen by everyone as a minor, insignificant accident, then the emergency rescue of Song Xiaoyu this time caused a huge stir.
Both Song Chunfeng and Song Dongbai, who were at the company, rushed over and sat silently in the waiting room, staring at the indicator light above the emergency room, smoking for a long while.
Song Qiuguang, who was downstairs getting his bandages changed, also came over and sat down cautiously beside them.
Eldest Brother seemed very agitated.
So he took the opportunity to sneak a few glances.
It wasn’t until the doctor came out, wiping his sweat and informing them that Song Xiaoyu’s life was saved and his prognosis was good, that Song Chunfeng let out a sigh of relief. Although he didn’t have much affection for his younger brothers, Song Xiaoyu was a bit different—honest, obedient, and did whatever he was told, making him very easy to use.
“You’re fine, Second Brother. Wait until tomorrow, and I’ll have the driver pick you up.”
On the other end of the phone was Song Xiaowan, one of the twins, who grumbled unhappily.
“But it’s the weekend tomorrow, and we had plans to go camping with classmates…”
Song Chunfeng shouted, “Then don’t come!”
After hanging up, he looked up and noticed both of his younger brothers were staring at him.
“What are you looking at?”
He impatiently loosened his tie, stood up, and walked out. The air conditioning in the corridor was strong, and the air seemed to be visibly cold. Song Chunfeng rubbed his eyes and pushed open the door to the ward.
Song Xiaoyu had already woken up, his face still swollen, and he weakly called out, “Brother.”
The doctors and staff had all left, and the large room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Song Chunfeng threw his coat on the sofa. “Don’t call me brother. I don’t have a brother like you.”
Still unsatisfied, he started yelling at Song Xiaoyu.
“Are you stupid, or what? You almost killed yourself!”
Song Xiaoyu’s lips were pale. “I… I…”
Song Chunfeng, frustrated and angry, pointed at him. “If you want to play around, you can find anyone you want, male or female. There are plenty of people to choose from. Why did you have to mess around at home?”
He was at the company when the butler called, saying there was trouble at home and that Little Madam had stabbed Second Young Master.
Song Chunfeng’s head immediately started to ache.
And the worst part was yet to come.
“It was Third Lord who found them and took them to the hospital.”
So now, Song Chunfeng, trying to keep his voice low, asked, “What exactly happened?”
Song Xiaoyu was silent for a long time before he spoke in a hoarse voice. “It’s my fault.”
“It’s all your fault!”
A mix of indescribable emotions, including a vague sense of panic, surged within Song Chunfeng. “You could have played around slowly, but now you’ve made things worse and involved Third Uncle. How are we going to clean this up…”
Before he could finish, there was a knock on the door.
The two brothers held their breath and looked at the door.
The knocking didn’t last long.
Because Ruan Zhen had already lowered his arm.
… His hand hurt.
The punch he threw at Song Xiaoyu’s face was with full force, so his knuckles were also injured.
He had already bandaged them with white gauze.
He waited a few seconds but heard no footsteps.
So he gave up.
Ruan Zhen didn’t intend to wait any longer. He slowly turned and walked towards the elevator. As he waited for the elevator doors to open, Song Chunfeng’s voice came from behind.
“Step Mother?”
“Don’t call me Mother,” Ruan Zhen said coolly. “I don’t have a son as old as you.”
He hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve this. To be saddled with seven big, fat sons out of nowhere was just cruel.
“Ding—”
The elevator descended, and Ruan Zhen walked out of the hospital, waiting for a car by the roadside.
He needed to go home and check on things.
“Liupo Alley, just stop at the intersection.”
The ride took a while, and Ruan Zhen, leaning his head against the car window, fell asleep. He was woken up by the driver in the front seat.
“Hey, we’re here.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Ruan Zhen yawned and got out of the car, instinctively shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight.
It had only been a few days, but coming back today felt like a surreal dream.
It was around two or three in the afternoon, and the narrow, old alley was quiet, with only the sound of cicadas. It was just like the familiar times he remembered.
Ruan Zhen stepped on the stone path and suddenly froze.
There was a black luxury car parked outside.
His heart raced, and his body reacted instinctively.
“Bang bang bang!”
Ruan Zhen ran over and knocked on the door hard. “Grandpa!”
It’s not too late, it can’t be too late.
He had a second chance, and this time he wouldn’t let anything happen to Grandpa and the yellow dog—
The door opened.
Ruan Zhen ran so fast that he almost collided with a tall figure.
Fortunately, the person instinctively stepped back.
So Ruan Zhen stumbled and almost fell.
“What’s the rush?”
A familiar laugh came, and the yellow dog, circling his legs, nuzzled him affectionately.
Ruan Zhen’s legs went weak, and he squatted down, hugging the yellow dog’s neck.
“Are you both okay?”
His voice was hoarse, and he looked up. The yard was clean and tidy, and Zhang Laotou was sitting on the steps shelling peanuts. The yellow dog’s body was warm, and everything was exactly as he remembered, except for the person standing nearby.
Song Shuling looked down at him, his eyes devoid of emotion.
“What could have happened?”
Zhang Laotou put the peanuts in a bowl, which was already piled high with a red mountain. “Didn’t you go to school for that competition… Hey, what happened to your head?”
Ruan Zhen touched the bandage on his forehead. “I fell off my bike.”
Zhang Laotou stopped and wiped the dust off his hands, about to come over.
“No need!”
Ruan Zhen quickly explained, “I didn’t even need stitches, just a little scratch. It’s almost healed.”
Facing Zhang Laotou’s skeptical gaze, he quickly changed the subject and looked at the man beside him. “Why are you here?”
The man was completely at ease, sitting in a rattan chair as if he were at home, sipping tea and casually skimming the foam.
He glanced at Ruan Zhen.
The warmth in his eyes was gone, replaced by caution.
Song Shuling’s tone was calm. “I just came to say a few words.”
“Why didn’t you tell me your acceptance letter was damaged?” Zhang Laotou was still rambling. “Luckily, Teacher Song was attentive and came to help you with the procedures. Otherwise, it would have affected your schooling.”
After a moment of silence, Song Shuling cleared his throat.
To say this man was shameless, even after being caught lying, he could still elegantly drink tea, exuding the air of a university professor.
Ruan Zhen understood.
He smiled and stood up. “Thank you, Teacher Song. Did you find everything?”
Song Shuling nodded. “Yes.”
“It’s getting late. Why don’t I drive you back?”
Zhang Laotou frowned. “That’s not right. I said I’d treat Teacher Song to dinner tonight!”
“Teacher Song is very busy,”
Ruan Zhen waved at Zhang Laotou. “I’m going back to school tonight, so I won’t be eating at home. Goodbye, Grandpa!”
With that, he grabbed Song Shuling’s arm and pulled him away.
Zhang Laotou followed behind. “Why are you in such a hurry, eh…”
“The tea was very good.”
As they stepped out, Song Shuling turned and smiled. “Thank you for the hospitality.”
Before the smile faded, Ruan Zhen slammed the door shut.
He pulled Song Shuling a few steps to the corner and demanded, “What are you doing here?”
“Just a few words,”
Song Shuling almost leaned against the wall, making a surrendering gesture. “Could you let go of my collar first?”
Ruan Zhen realized he was gripping the man’s collar.
“If I had known you were coming, I wouldn’t have taken a taxi,” he said coldly. “I could have saved the fare.”
“Is that so? What a coincidence.”
Song Shuling smiled warmly. “Next time, I’ll remember to call you.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
Ruan Zhen said firmly. “My grudges with you are my own. Does Third Master Song, at his age, not know the saying ‘misfortune should not extend to the family’?”
The usually calm and composed amber eyes finally showed a hint of emotion.
Song Shuling was speechless, not knowing how to respond.
“I don’t want there to be a next time.”
Ruan Zhen’s tone was cold. “Otherwise, it will be a fight to the death.”
With that, he released his grip as if he didn’t want to touch the man anymore.
Song Shuling was stung by that look.
“I don’t owe you anything,” Ruan Zhen said, lowering his lashes and shaking his head lightly. “I haven’t done anything wrong in front of you.”
He turned and walked away, step by step, out of the familiar alley.
Song Shuling didn’t follow.
How ironic, with the vast world, Ruan Zhen suddenly didn’t know where to go.
To protect Grandpa and the yellow dog, he couldn’t go home. Should he go to the Song family’s gloomy villa? He had almost been violated there. The sun was so bright, and Ruan Zhen, standing there, felt a sudden weariness.
He was so tired.
The struggle with those perverted young masters had just begun, and he was already feeling weary. Ruan Zhen didn’t dare think about the next three years, how he would live and cope to return to his normal life.
He had thought he could rely on Song Shuling.
But now, it seemed this man wasn’t much better, coming to his home with some ulterior motive.
Ruan Zhen sat down in a pavilion by the roadside, where a small shade provided some coolness.
He wanted to set everything on fire.
Ruan Zhen stared at the wound on his hand, and for a moment, he actually considered the feasibility.
His thoughts were interrupted.
A luxury car stopped in front of him, and the window slowly rolled down, revealing Song Chunfeng’s face.
“Hey, Step Mother,”
He adjusted his sunglasses and drawled, “I’m here to take you home.”
A string in Ruan Zhen’s mind snapped.
Why should his life be disrupted like this?
If not for this person, he would be preparing for the start of school.
Ruan Zhen stood up and looked around.
On the sidewalk behind him, an old man was laying newspapers on the ground, and a golden retriever was pacing anxiously.
Ruan Zhen turned to Song Chunfeng and smiled. “Wait, I’ll get something.”
With that, he strode towards the sidewalk.
Song Chunfeng, with his elbow on the window, snorted. He knew Ruan Zhen would try to escape and had already arranged for bodyguards to follow. He would wait until Ruan Zhen thought he was safe and then surprise him.
He loved that feeling.
Giving hope and then slowly crushing it.
Just as he was about to enjoy the show, a car behind him honked, annoying him. Song Chunfeng leaned out. “Why are you honking? What’s wrong with you?”
His mood was already bad, with his brother in the hospital, financial issues at the company, and his complex feelings towards Ruan Zhen.
Song Chunfeng couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to achieve his goal tonight.
The inheritance of his father’s legacy was rightfully his.
Behind the car, the driver angrily got out. “You’re blocking the road, and you think you’re in the right? Didn’t you see I was following… Ah!”
Before he could finish, a burly bodyguard hit him several times in the head.
Song Chunfeng chuckled, took a cigarette from the pack, and said, “That’s enough. Just teach him a lesson.”
The bodyguard immediately stopped and respectfully stepped back.
The driver, lying on the hood, was dazed for a moment. Bystanders began to whisper and try to mediate.
“Let it go, he’s the First Young Master of the Song family…”
“We shouldn’t pick a fight. Let’s back off and everything will be fine.”
Song Chunfeng, used to being domineering, had a bit of restraint when his father was alive. Now, as the eldest son, all the power and connections were his.
Including the beautiful Step Mother.
She wouldn’t escape his grasp.
In the smoky air, Song Chunfeng smoked contentedly, looking out.
Ruan Zhen should be caught by now.
Unexpectedly, instead of seeing him cornered, he saw—
Ruan Zhen walking confidently towards him.
The windshield was fully down, and Song Chunfeng, with a mocking smile, blew a smoke ring and said, “Oh, Step Mother, you’re in such a hurry…”
Ruan Zhen raised his arm high and, without hesitation, threw the object in his hand with all his might.
The windshield was fully down, and the “gift” hit its mark.
The plastic bag opened in the air, and the newspaper-wrapped excrement hit Song Chunfeng’s face directly.
His mouth was still open, and he was speechless.
Equally stunned were the driver, the bodyguard, the old man on the sidewalk, and the onlookers who covered their noses.
Except for the golden retriever, whose shiny coat indicated it was well-fed.
It wagged its tail.
What a relief.
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