Shen Yuqing entered this time carrying a takeout bag.
“I figured they’d be questioning you for a while, so I went ahead and ordered you some lunch,” he said.
It was nearly noon by then. Shen Yuqing set up the table for him and laid out the meal he’d brought porridge and a few light side dishes. It was thoughtful of him.
Song Wangzhuo looked at him and asked, “Aren’t you eating?”
Shen Yuqing glanced at the spread of bland food and replied tactfully, “I’ll pass. I woke up late today and had breakfast not too long ago, so I’m not hungry yet.”
Song Wangzhuo gave it another glance but didn’t press further, picking up his spoon to eat the porridge.
With nothing else to do, Shen Yuqing pulled out his phone to play a few rounds of games. The hospital room was quiet except for the drama playing on the TV, and since Song Wangzhuo was the only patient there, the atmosphere was peaceful.
Song Wangzhuo lifted his gaze and glanced at him. “Aren’t you going to ask what they talked to me about?”
Without looking up, Shen Yuqing answered, “What else could it be? Probably just asking what happened and what those two did to you.”
He was right. Song Wangzhuo took a few more sips of porridge before deciding to cut to the chase. “How did you know I was in the storage room?”
Shen Yuqing’s fingers never stopped moving across his phone screen, his expression perfectly calm. “Like I said earlier, I saw you.”
His in-game character was killed by the boss, and Shen Yuqing pouted before finally looking up at Song Wangzhuo. “What’s wrong?”
Song Wangzhuo said, “While I was unconscious, I felt like someone came to see me.”
Shen Yuqing’s grip on his phone tightened slightly, though he feigned surprise. “Oh? Was it those two?”
“No.” Song Wangzhuo picked up his spoon again. “It was someone who called a doctor for me. A good person.”
Shen Yuqing’s heart was pounding now. Hadn’t Song Wangzhuo been unconscious? Did he actually see his face?
He forced a laugh. “Well, in that case, once you recover, you should treat them to a meal to say thanks.”
But Song Wangzhuo lowered his eyes. “I didn’t get a clear look at their face.”
He didn’t see!
That was a relief.
Shen Yuqing relaxed slightly, his tone lighter now. “No worries. If it’s meant to be, you’ll run into them again someday.”
Song Wangzhuo didn’t respond to that. Instead, he continued, “Actually, there’s something that’s always struck me as odd.”
“What is it?” Shen Yuqing’s fingers returned to the screen, controlling his character as he ran through the game. He kept his head down, making it impossible for Song Wangzhuo to read his expression.
Song Wangzhuo stared at him and said slowly, “Several times before, whenever I was in trouble, someone would appear out of nowhere to help me.”
Shen Yuqing played along. “That’s pretty amazing.”
Song Wangzhuo added, “He told me he was my friend.”
Shen Yuqing coughed lightly. “Congrats. So, you already had a good friend before me.”
“How do you know it was before you?” Song Wangzhuo asked.
Shen Yuqing froze for a second but quickly recovered. “Well, didn’t you say ‘before’? I just assumed it was before me.”
Song Wangzhuo leaned back against the bed, watching as Shen Yuqing continued playing his game, seemingly absorbed in it. But Song Wangzhuo’s mind had never been clearer.
It seems his good friend is definitely connected to Shen Yuqing.
Even if it’s not Shen himself, it could be someone Shen knows though Song Wangzhuo leans toward the former.
The police station, the auditorium, and yesterday’s assault incident…
Shen Yuqing had ample opportunities to help him, not to mention when he fell ill before.
Setting aside other logic, among everyone he knows, only Shen Yuqing possesses both the capability and resources to do so.
But why?
Why help him, yet refuse to meet him?
And how does Shen always know exactly when he’s injured?
Song Wangzhuo doesn’t suspect Shen of being the mastermind behind it all. Based on his understanding of Shen, if Shen wanted to make trouble for him, he wouldn’t bother hiding it he’d do it openly, knowing Song couldn’t do anything about it.
Suddenly, he recalls what his landlord said when he moved out of the slums that he had offended someone powerful.
Could all his hardships and suffering be tied to this so-called “powerful person”?
It felt like from that moment on, nothing went smoothly for him. Whether it was part-time jobs or other matters, it was as if an invisible hand was pulling strings behind the scenes.
One thing was certain whoever it was didn’t want to be discovered.
Song Wangzhuo lowered his gaze slightly, staring at his abdomen. The sensation of the knife piercing him was still vivid. In truth, he had already begun to suspect something before this, but he never took it seriously. Now, it seemed clear what the other party wanted was his life.
Shen Yuqing waited for a long time, but Song Wangzhuo remained silent.
Puzzled, he looked up and saw Song staring at his wound.
Shen tensed slightly. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
Song snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. “No, just thinking about something.”
“About what?” This time, it was Shen’s turn to ask.
But Song only stirred his spoon and replied, “Haven’t figured it out yet. I’ll tell you when I do.”
“Alright.” Shen raised both hands and feet in agreement.
Right now, he wasn’t eager to keep talking with Song. If the questioning continued like this, he was afraid he’d slip up.
Fortunately, Song remained quiet afterward, simply eating his meal. After accompanying him for lunch, Shen got up to leave.
“I’ll come see you again tomorrow,” he said.
Song actually wanted Shen to stay, but he knew Shen had his own responsibilities. He had no right to ask him to remain.
“Oh, by the way,” Shen added, “the school arranged a caregiver for you. They should arrive this afternoon. Let them know if you need anything.”
The school hired a caregiver? Song hadn’t heard anything from his homeroom teacher, only that the teacher would visit once free.
Shen continued, “The teacher’s busy too, so they probably won’t come often after this. If anything comes up, call me. I’ll have Xiao Zhao make you some nourishing soup.”
Triggered by something in those words, Song lifted his gaze. “Bring your textbooks tomorrow. I’ll tutor you.”
Shen, mid-yawn, instantly paled. “Seriously? You’re sick, and you’re still thinking about making money?”
Song opened his mouth, about to explain that he was only worried about Shen’s studies. After all, from the sports festival until now, four whole days had passed without any coursework. He was afraid Shen had forgotten everything.
However, Shen Yuqing seemed to just say it casually. He added, “Alright then, I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon. Mornings tend to make me drowsy anyway.”
Song Wangzhuo nodded. “Okay, got it.”
Shen Yuqing said, “I’ll be off then. If anything comes up, tell the nurse. If it’s urgent, just call me.”
Song Wangzhuo ran his fingers along the edge of his phone. Watching Shen Yuqing turn to leave, he suddenly asked, “If I call for you, will you really come?”
Shen Yuqing half-turned back. “Of course. Who else would you want besides me?”
A faint smile tugged at Song Wangzhuo’s lips as he looked at Shen Yuqing, his eyes revealing a hint of something unreadable. Softly, he murmured, “Yes, who else would come for me besides you?”
[Blackening Value: 25, Favorability: 40]
Hearing the system’s prompt, Shen Yuqing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Song Wangzhuo’s metrics were like rockets whether rising or falling, they changed at lightning speed.
He waved. “See you tomorrow.”
Song Wangzhuo watched until Shen Yuqing left the ward and his figure disappeared from view, then continued staring at the empty doorway.
After who knows how long, he finally lowered his gaze.
The warmth from earlier was gone from his expression, replaced by something much sharper.
Just who was this esteemed person so eager to see him dead?
Song Wangzhuo rested a hand lightly over his abdomen. Once discharged, he’d have business to attend to.
He would drag this so-called benefactor into the light, and settle the score payment in full.
