Chapter 313
Holding Lin Mengyao by the waist, Xu Ke spoke with a hint of guilt in his voice: “This matter was my oversight. I initially thought that we were still young, that we could enjoy a few more years of just the two of us before having children. But I never understood the dangers of childbirth, nor did I ask for your opinion. I hope you won’t blame me for this.” Towards the end, Xu Ke’s voice had become somewhat cautious.
Lin Mengyao was only preoccupied with feeling distressed, not thinking of anything else, and words of comfort and persuasion came out almost without thinking.
“Back then, I felt the same way as you, so there’s no need for you to feel guilty. Besides, having children is something for two people. If I wanted to have one and told you, you wouldn’t refuse, would you? So don’t overthink it. After all, we’re still young. We can wait a few more years, and it’s not as scary as Sister Zhou said.”
Lin Mengyao reached out to tug Xu Ke’s arm to comfort him, but accidentally touched Xu Ke’s wound. Caught off guard, Xu Ke’s expression didn’t change at all, as if it wasn’t his wound that was touched.
But even though Xu Ke’s facial expression was perfectly hidden, the bandage on his wound still got detected by Lin Mengyao. She looked at Xu Ke, while her right hand carefully traced the arm hidden under his clothes. Her expression turned from initial distress to one of somberness.
“What’s wrong, suddenly upset?” Xu Ke withdrew his left arm from her hand, trying to pinch her now puffed-up cheeks, but was surprised when Lin Mengyao stepped back to avoid him.
It was the first time Lin Mengyao had avoided his touch in so long. How could Xu Ke not be shocked?
Just as Xu Ke was still in surprise, Lin Mengyao directly grabbed his left arm, carefully avoiding the wound she had just felt. In his silent gaze, she unfolded the cuff of his sleeve, rolling it up to reveal the wound that had only been treated not too long ago.
“Explain to me what you went downstairs for just now and how you injured your arm.” Lin Mengyao looked up at Xu Ke, her eyes filled with a somber look, slowly covered in red veins and glistening tears. Even the curve of her lips turned downwards. Despite the tears, they couldn’t hide the distress and anger Xu Ke saw in her eyes. She was upset that Xu Ke hadn’t taken good care of himself and had gotten hurt.
“How old are you now? How can you still get hurt like this? Can’t you take better care of yourself? And why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? Don’t you trust me enough? What if I had accidentally pulled on your wound just now? Tell me!” Lin Mengyao’s voice had unknowingly taken on a sobbing tone, and crystalline tears slipped from her eyes, each drop seemingly landing on Xu Ke’s heart, burning him with both pain and warmth.
Xu Ke sighed, stepped forward, and embraced Lin Mengyao. This time, she didn’t avoid him.
“I promise this is the last time. I didn’t want to tell you because I was afraid you’d worry and feel bad for me. I didn’t expect that I’d still end up making you upset. Please don’t cry, okay? When you cry, my heart breaks.” Xu Ke said in a soft voice.
“Then you promise not to get hurt again in the future. Even if you do, you must tell me right away.” Lin Mengyao said, her head buried in his chest, her voice muffled.
“Okay, I promise you. Let’s not cry anymore, alright?” Xu Ke softly comforted.
As if sensing Xu Ke’s gaze, the man abruptly turned his head, meeting Xu Ke’s eyes. Eventually, it was Xu Ke who averted his gaze first, turning back to carefully comfort the woman in his arms.
“Second-in-command, what’s wrong? Is there something wrong with them? Should I go grab them?” The man standing by the second-in-command noticed his gaze. Seeing the second-in-command looking at Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao, he made a gesture to grab them but was stopped by the second-in-command’s hand.
“No need to bother; they’re just passersby. We don’t need to concern ourselves with them. Protecting the boss’s safety is what matters now.” The second-in-command said, his tone flat, giving Xu Ke one last look.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about Xu Ke, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, so he decided to drop it.
Very soon, the subordinate sent to gather information returned with news.
“Let’s go to the operating room.” The second-in-command instructed. However, from behind his sunglasses, he once again looked toward where Xu Ke had just stood, only to find the spot now empty, with no sign of the person who had been there.
“Second-in-command?” The man standing next to him followed his gaze but only saw the hospital’s white walls and green chairs.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Suppressing his doubt, the second-in-command returned to his earlier indifferent demeanor.
The middle-aged man’s surgery was swift, but due to excessive blood loss and anesthesia, waking up took longer than expected.
“Boss, you’re awake. Want some water?” The previously imposing second-in-command removed his sunglasses, revealing eyes as innocent and pure as a child’s, slightly reducing his aura of hostility.
The man addressed as the boss nodded slightly, and immediately, a plush cotton swab soaked in warm water was gently dabbed on his dry lips.
“The doctor said you can’t drink water for a few days. If you’re thirsty, you can only moisten your lips with a damp cotton swab.” The second-in-command said while wetting the boss’s lips with a cotton swab, gradually turning his dry lips moist.
“What about the young guy who helped me?” The boss coughed lightly, his voice raspy.
“What young guy helped you?” The second-in-command paused his actions, his large eyes full of confusion. “There was no one else at the hospital when we arrived.”
“Boss, shall I ask our men to look for him?” The second-in-command asked softly.
Upon hearing there was no one to be seen, the boss furrowed his brows but quickly relaxed. “No need, my condition isn’t fit for looking for him now. Once I deal with the traitors, I’ll find him to repay his kindness. By the way, was the body in the backyard handled?” The boss asked softly.
“It’s all taken care of, don’t worry.”
“Hmm, be thorough and leave no traces.”
The boss gave one last instruction before slowly closing his eyes and slipping back into sleep.