Lin Sui responded with an “Ah,” saying, “Of course he was here. He even sat for quite a while before leaving.”
Shen Yuqing’s brows instantly furrowed. On the other end, Lin Sui asked, “What’s wrong? You’re not saying anything again.”
“Just asking casually. Bye.” Without waiting for Lin Sui’s reaction, Shen Yuqing hung up the phone.
He remembered clearly yesterday when Xiao Zhao and Wu Yi came to pick him up, he had asked Lin Sui if he needed a ride home. But Song Lejin had said the guest room was available for Lin Sui to stay the night, so he had left without worry.
Now, Shen Yuqing had a sinking feeling. He turned to look at the inpatient building, where Song Lejin had just emerged.
His heart pounded a few times as a thought struck him, and he quickly strode toward the inpatient building.
Shen Yuqing forcibly activated the system and commanded, Check the surveillance footage from this building in the last half hour. See which floor Song Lejin came from.
The system wasn’t yet aware of the situation, but upon hearing Shen Yuqing’s request, it immediately began investigating.
Reviewing half an hour of surveillance was child’s play for the system, and it soon pinpointed the location: Host, it’s the fifth floor.
Shen Yuqing stepped into the elevator, glancing up at the indicator for the fifth floor mostly occupied by patients with fractures and external injuries.
The elevator swiftly carried him up. Shen Yuqing said, Check again is Song Wangzhuo on this floor?
The system scanned briefly: Host, no. Song Lejin isn’t here either.
Shen Yuqing steadied himself, softening his expression. He approached the nurse’s station with quick steps and smiled politely at the on-duty nurse. “Hello, I’d like to check if a patient named Song Wangzhuo was staying on this floor?”
The nurse tapped on her computer before replying, “This patient was discharged early this morning. Didn’t he tell you?”
Shen Yuqing feigned surprise. “I just heard he was injured and rushed over without asking anything else. If he’s been discharged, he must be fine, right?”
The nurse explained, “He sprained his ankle and had some minor abrasions. Nothing too serious, but he should rest for a while. Make sure he takes it easy.”
Shen Yuqing nodded earnestly. “Got it. Thank you.”
After finishing his inquiry, he turned and left the hospital.
The system asked, What’s going on?
No idea. Shen Yuqing rubbed his temples in frustration. He had assumed everything was settled by that point he never expected Song Lejin would still leave the house.
Not only had Song Lejin gone out, but Song Wangzhuo had too.
He had drunk himself into a stupor and slept through the night how had the world turned upside down by the time he woke up?
Frowning, Shen Yuqing exited the inpatient building when his communicator buzzed. He glanced down it was Xiao Zhao contacting him.
Ignoring the call, he walked back to his earlier spot and, sure enough, found his family’s car with Xiao Zhao waiting by the door.
Xiao Zhao exhaled in relief upon seeing him. “Young Master, let’s go home.”
Shen Yuqing gave a noncommittal hum. He got into the car but spoke up just as they were about to depart. “Take me to Song Wangzhuo’s place first. I need to ask for leave from him.”
Xiao Zhao glanced at him through the rearview mirror. He wanted to suggest Shen Yuqing could just call Teacher Song, but seeing his dark expression, he swallowed his words.
A good butler only needed to follow orders.
“Understood,” he replied.
The return trip took only about twenty minutes. Shen Yuqing had Xiao Zhao stop at the community entrance, telling him to go home first before entering the neighborhood himself.
He went straight to Song Wangzhuo’s door, rang the bell, and waited for a while. When no one came to answer, he used his iris scan to open the door.
Song Wangzhuo wasn’t in the living room, but his bedroom door was slightly ajar.
Shen Yuqing quickly walked over, calling out as he went, “Song Wangzhuo, are you here?” There was no response.
Could something has happened?
Pushing the door open, he found the room empty too. Where was he?
Just as Shen Yuqing stood at the bedroom door wondering whether to enter, he heard movement from the guest bathroom.
He turned to look just as the bathroom door opened, revealing Song Wangzhuo wrapped in a towel. Meeting Shen Yuqing’s gaze, he said, “I need to change.”
Blinking, Shen Yuqing turned away. “Oh.”
As he stepped back, he automatically closed the door behind him only to suddenly remember his original purpose: to check Song Wangzhuo’s injuries!
He flung the door open again just as Song Wangzhuo was halfway out of his robe, revealing his toned upper body and, more importantly, the scrapes on his arm.
Hearing the noise, Song Wangzhuo hastily pulled his robe back up, gripping the collar tightly with slightly reddened ears. “Shen Yuqing!”
Blinking again, Shen Yuqing instinctively replied, “We’re both guys.”
But he quickly shut his mouth, clearing his throat. “I just wanted to ask if we could move today’s tutoring session to the afternoon. What happened to your injuries?”
“Close the door!” Song Wangzhuo snapped.
Shen Yuqing shut it but added, “It’s just the two of us. Why bother closing the door?”
Song Wangzhuo seemed infuriated by this remark, his voice rising several pitches. “Get out!”
Shen Yuqing gave a dry laugh and left, closing the door behind him.
Five minutes later, Song Wangzhuo emerged from the bedroom.
Shen Yuqing was sitting at the desk reviewing test papers when he heard movement and looked up. Song Wangzhuo was now dressed in long sleeves and pants, covering all his injuries.
Meeting his gaze, Song Wangzhuo limped slightly as he approached. “We’ll move the tutoring to the afternoon.”
Shen Yuqing nodded. “How did you get hurt? And what’s wrong with your foot?”
“Minor injuries. It’s nothing.”
“I told you working in the rain was dangerous. You could’ve just charged me extra for tutoring instead,” Shen Yuqing said, propping his chin on his hand. “You’re really stubborn, you know that? Like a mule.”
Song Wangzhuo sat down across from him, responding calmly, “I didn’t go after coming back.”
Yesterday’s rain had indeed been heavy, and he’d debated for a long time before finally convincing himself to rest at home he hadn’t properly relaxed in a long time.
This only confused Shen Yuqing more. If he hadn’t gone to work, how had he gotten hurt?
“Did you trip at home or something?”
“Someone called me down to move a car yesterday, but I got hit by another car coming in,” Song Wangzhuo said casually, though the implications were anything but minor. Move what car?
Song Wangzhuo’s scooter could be easily pushed aside.
And how fast had that other car been going to hit someone in an underground garage?
“Did they pay your medical bills? If not, I can have the Shen family lawyers help you sue.”
Song Wangzhuo seemed to recall something, his expression softening slightly as he said, “I gave it.”
After a moment’s thought, he added, “It was Song Lejin’s car.”
Although he had mentally prepared himself, hearing that name still made him frown involuntarily. What was going on?
Even though they weren’t at that location anymore, it still happened.
The force of plot supplementation?
But that didn’t make sense either he’d avoided all the previous plot points without them recurring afterward.
Why was this time different?
Shen Yuqing couldn’t figure it out. Noticing his deep contemplation, Song Wangzhuo asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Shen Yuqing snapped out of it and shook his head. “Nothing, just wondering how someone could hit your car in an underground garage. Aren’t there speed limits there?”
Song Wangzhuo seemed stumped by the question too. After some thought, he said, “Probably didn’t brake properly.”
He didn’t dwell on it. “It looks worse than it is just minor injuries really.”
“Did you get checked?” Shen Yuqing asked.
He naturally knew Song Wangzhuo had just returned from the hospital, but couldn’t reveal that.
Song Wangzhuo nodded. “Spent last night at the hospital for a full checkup. Nothing serious just need a few days’ rest.”
“That’s good,” Shen Yuqing said with a nod. “Let me see your injuries.”
This time Song Wangzhuo didn’t hesitate, rolling up his sleeve. “Already starting to scab over.”
Shen Yuqing stood up, carefully examining his wrist before remarking, “True, though the shower must’ve soaked it white again.”
“Mm,” Song Wangzhuo replied uncomfortably. “I’ll bandage it properly later.”
As he tried to withdraw his arm, Shen Yuqing noticed something. “Why’s your elbow all bruised like this?”
Song Wangzhuo pulled his hand back. “Blood draw two tubes. It’ll fade in a couple days.”
Blood tests were standard for checkups nothing unusual.
Shen Yuqing simply nodded. While the blood draw itself wasn’t strange, he couldn’t shake an indescribable feeling about it.
