Chapter 8#

Actually, I’m someone who’s really afraid of pain.

I don’t know if it’s due to my physical constitution or a psychological shadow from childhood. To explain this, I first have to talk about my mom. She was definitely a firm believer in “spare the rod, spoil the child.” Although she never went so far as to actually pick up a stick and beat me, I’ve been on the receiving end of belt straps and rattan whips more times than I can count.

To be honest, my mom used to be a very gentle woman. If I had to describe her, she was the kind of girl you’d call “delicate” or “the clingy type.” She only really started hitting me after my dad died in that plane crash. She’d usually be crying as she whipped me, muttering my dad’s name under her breath.

At first, I’d scream and cry so loudly that the whole house could hear it, which only seemed to accelerate my mom’s violent tendencies. Later on, I realized that if I clenched my teeth and bore it, she’d come to her senses faster.

Come to think of it, this is all my late father’s fault for being careless. My mom has a hereditary mental illness—so, this lesson tells us that premarital checkups are really important.

I’ve been going off-topic way too often lately. Maybe I’m just getting old.

Even though I’m afraid of pain, I’m especially good at enduring it.

Whether it’s physical pain or emotional pain.

So, when I gradually came to, unable to see anything but pitch-black darkness, I still managed to stay calm.

But my surroundings were much quieter than I’d imagined. I could faintly hear some footsteps and voices. It felt like I’d been lying there for a long time. When I tried to move, my body wouldn’t obey me. It seemed like quite a while passed before I got used to the darkness.

That feeling wasn’t pleasant.

The voice in my ear sounded unfamiliar: “Don’t worry, the eyes only sustained mild corneal damage. Surgery was performed promptly. To avoid infection, both eyes need to be temporarily bandaged.”

“The rest are superficial injuries. The wound on the thigh has also been treated. There’s no major concern now.”

I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

My mind was in a mess. Come to think of it, it seemed like I’d been whipped with a chain a few times, and the last one hurt like hell. So it had hit my eye.

I figured half my face must be a wreck, too. But scars are medals of a man’s struggle… I admit, I’m just comforting myself.

“Bang—!”

Suddenly, there was a huge noise, like someone had smashed the door open. Then things got chaotic, but the clearest sound was that one cry—“Quack!”

“Young Master Biao, how did you barge in? Ah, look at this state. Young Master Ren is fine now, just relax, relax…” That was Aunt Zhang’s voice.

“What do you mean, fine?! How could he possibly be fine?! If he were fine, why hasn’t he woken up yet?! What are you quacks playing at? Didn’t you say it was just a minor injury? Since when do minor injuries require surgery?!”

“Uh, Master Wang, please listen to me. Young Master Ren might still be under the effects of the anesthesia, which is why he hasn’t woken up yet. It really is a minor injury, and the surgery was a minor procedure, and it was very successful…” The doctor’s voice grew softer and softer.

“That’s right, Young Master Biao. Doctor Qi did his best. Come, come, let Aunt Zhang have a look… You haven’t slept well for days. Aunt Zhang knows you’re a warm-hearted child and you’re worried about Young Master Ren, but who told him to get into trouble with those bad kids…”

Bad kids…

Speaking of which, I wonder what’s happened to those kids. Right, I think I heard Du Yijie’s voice back then.

Wang Zheng must be furious now, probably because I got hurt right under his nose. His overinflated pride must be taking a hit. Come to think of it, in my past life when I studied abroad, maybe because I looked pathetic, I got messed with a lot. There was one actual conflict where a senior from the International Economics department slapped the back of my head pretty hard.

Scuffles between boys aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

But that time, Wang Zheng had a huge fight with that senior. That was when I realized that Wang Zheng, despite looking as delicate as a doll, was actually a human weapon. No wonder, even in such an open place abroad, plenty of people had ideas about Wang Zheng, but very few actually acted on them…

Wang Zheng had his own social circle, and they joked about that incident for a long time. Back then, Wang Zheng swirled his glass and said with a smile, ‘If your dog gets bullied, wouldn’t you help it?’

Aunt Zhang pulled Wang Zheng aside and said a few soothing words. Wang Zheng was actually incredibly stubborn. No wonder Guai Zai had that bull-headed temper—he took after him.

“Master Wang, please rest assured. The hospital will notify you as soon as Young Master Ren wakes up…”

The doctor’s speech was cut short mid-sentence, and the room suddenly fell silent.

I suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for this doctor who had been caught in the crossfire. So I weakly moved my fingers, slightly parted my lips, and tried to make a sound. But I must have been asleep for too long, and I couldn’t produce any noise at first.

“Young… Young Master Ren… he’s awake.”

It was a pity my eyes were still bandaged, or I might have seen the look of tears of joy on that doctor’s face.

I’m really such a kind-hearted person.

But instead of the lively scene I expected, my surroundings grew even more silent. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. I turned my head slightly and moved my hand.

Something touched it.

Something cold.

Then, it entwined with my hand. I could feel those fingers gently brushing over my palm—very lightly, very slowly.

I tried to pull away, but the hand held on tightly. Every time I tried to pull, it gripped tighter. I moved my lips, tried a few times, and finally managed to utter a syllable: “…Water…”

My throat was terribly dry. Someone supported my shoulder, and I felt a cold touch at my lips. I parted my lips slightly. Some water spilled out. I pressed my lips together and instinctively stuck out my tongue. As a fingertip brushed across the corner of my mouth, my tongue lightly grazed it.

The palm that was pressed against my hand seemed to tremble.

“W-We’d like to conduct an examination on the young master.”

The doctor sounded a bit nervous. I remembered that most of the Wang family’s assets were in the pharmaceutical industry, so this hospital was probably under their ownership.

The cold feeling against my palm slowly receded, as if reluctant to let go. Those fingers lingered on mine for a moment.

After that, my senses were a bit fuzzy. I felt several people surrounding me, taking my blood pressure and whatnot. Soon, I felt drowsy, and my eyes stung a bit.

I basically alternated between waking and sleeping. Occasionally, I could hear a few voices, but my consciousness was quickly buried by drowsiness.

Maybe because I was so groggy, I suddenly dreamed of things from a long time ago.

Things so long ago that I thought I had completely forgotten them.

My recovery was going well, but I lacked energy. Aunt Zhang came every day with nourishing soups.

Wang Zheng also came a few times.

Perhaps the sick get some special treatment. Wang Zheng wasn’t as cold and harsh with me as before; he spoke softly. Old He stayed with me in the hospital almost around the clock, chatting to keep me entertained. But since my eyes were injured, I couldn’t get them wet, and I had no normal pastimes. Even basic needs had to be handled by Old He.

I felt a kind of helplessness I couldn’t put into words.

One day, Old He had some family matters to attend to, so the hospital arranged a nurse to look after me. From her voice, she sounded like a young girl. I didn’t ask Old He to notify the Ren family’s steward specifically—it was only half a day, a trivial matter. The nurse mostly stayed outside, and I could just ring the bell if I needed anything.

Still, she was a girl.

The bathroom was just a few steps from the bed, so there was no need to trouble her. My leg injury healed quickly. Apart from not being able to see, I could move around freely. I fumbled to get out of bed, flinching slightly when my toes touched the cold floor. It took me a while to put on my slippers.

I held onto the surrounding objects and took a few steps when suddenly a loud roar came from behind me.

“Ren Qiri—!”

Heavens!

I was startled. Before I could calm down, someone suddenly grabbed me in a hug. I heard something clatter to the floor with a loud “clang!”

“You—What are you doing!” I never knew Wang Zheng’s voice could be so loud. I was dazed from his shouting. Before I could explain, he pulled me back onto the bed. “You! You want to infuriate me, don’t you?! Why are you alone?! Where’s Xiao He?”

“You… This is a hospital. Don’t shout so loudly. Xiao He’s mother is celebrating her birthday, so he took half a day off.” Without my eyes, I could guess that Wang Zheng’s brow was probably furrowed deeply. “Hmph! Then why didn’t he inform Aunt Zhang? He just left you like this—”

“I told him not to say anything. It’s just… just half a day. It’s nothing—”

I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. “Nothing, nothing! You only know how to say ‘nothing’! Ren Qiri, you… you…”

I sighed lightly, raised my hand, and patted Wang Zheng. “I know you’re worried about me.” Wang Zheng suddenly fell silent. I was so used to his sarcasm that I had expected him to push me away coldly and say I was being sentimental.

The arm holding my shoulder tightened.

Sigh.

After all, no matter how twisted he would become later, for now, Wang Zheng was just a big kid.

But my eyelid twitched again.

I hesitated for a moment, gathered my courage, and pushed at Wang Zheng.

Wang Zheng hugged me even tighter. I felt like crying but had no tears.

I… I…

I needed to use the bathroom…

After using the toilet, I breathed a sigh of relief, but there was more noise outside.

The room’s soundproofing should have been decent, but perhaps because I couldn’t see, I was especially sensitive to any disturbances.

When the door opened, Wang Zheng seemed to stand up and walk out.

The sounds outside became clearer.

“Wang Zheng,” I called out to him. “Outside…” A warmth touched my hand. Wang Zheng said, “I’ll handle it. You’re tired; get some rest.”

Come to think of it, in my past life, after I inherited the Ren Corporation, Wang Zheng rarely spoke to me calmly, let alone with that suddenly softened tone.

It felt unusual to me.

Especially the way Wang Zheng’s hand would brush past my face, seemingly intentionally or not. Honestly, if this had been in my past life, I’d probably have been overjoyed. Now, I just felt uncomfortable.

Maybe it was because I’d been bitten too many times, making me jumpy.

The noise outside grew louder. Finally, I heard a shout: “Let me see Young Master Ren! Don’t hold me back!”

That voice—

Wang Zheng’s tone rose with anger. “Throw that woman out!”

“Wait!”

That voice… My memory was always good.

“Let her in.”

My hand suddenly hurt. I heard Wang Zheng raise his voice: “Ren Qiri, you…” Before he could finish, the security guards blocking the door seemed to let her in. I only heard a few hurried footsteps. Wang Zheng snorted coldly and let go of my hand, but without much force.

I sighed lightly, forced a faint smile, and called out softly, “Are you… Miss Du…?”

I had heard that voice twice before.

The first time was at that underground entertainment venue, with Cheng Chen beside me. The voice was sweet with a hint of charm. The second time was in that dark room, filled with urgency and concern for a family member.

But what I remembered most were the eyebrows—the siblings had very similar eyebrows.

“Young… Young Master Ren, your injuries…” Her voice seemed unsettled, laced with exhaustion. She had probably come many times, only to be turned away at the door. Wang Zheng didn’t wait for me to answer; he cut in, “Thanks to your brother, he’s not blind.”

She paused. I quickly tried to smooth things over: “Miss Du, you…”

“I know my brother is involved in this, but please hear me out. My brother really didn’t mean to hurt Young Master Ren—” She tried to sound calm, but her voice was anxious and on the verge of tears.

“My brother, although he is… but he really sees Young Master Ren as a friend. He used to talk about him all the time. On his birthday, he asked me to cook a lot, saying he wanted to bring a friend home—”

She grew more frantic, her words becoming jumbled. “My brother is very loyal to his friends. He was always happy whenever he talked about Xiao Qi. Even if they argued, I believe he wouldn’t have instigated anyone to…”

“Shut up!” Wang Zheng sneered. “Then what about Qi Ri’s eye injury? Do you know that Qi Ri almost went blind!”

I frowned. My eyes seemed to ache slightly again.

Xin Jie was so anxious she seemed to cry. “I understand, I understand. But my brother really can’t go to a reformatory, he can’t go to jail. The lawyer hired by Master Han said this time the sentence will be severe. Young Master Ren, Xiao, Xiao Qi, please help just this once. I swear A Jie didn’t know about any of this. He was the one who brought you to the hospital; he’s very remorseful! Xiao Qi! Please help A Jie!”

Xin Jie rushed forward and grabbed my hand urgently. Wang Zheng was about to explode, but I quickly said, “Wang Zheng, don’t.”

Although I was confused, I managed to piece together the situation.

It seemed that Du Yijie had no idea that A De was coming after me, but he got dragged into it. Xin Jie probably had nowhere else to turn, so she came to me. Honestly, finding out that my injuries weren’t orchestrated by Du Yijie made me feel… relieved somehow. It was like a cloud that had been pressing down on me for days suddenly cleared, and everything became bright.

I didn’t know where this sudden joy came from.

I patted Xin Jie’s hand to comfort her and said, “Du… Xin Jie, I understand. Tell me, how can I help?”

Xin Jie, probably reassured by my promise, managed to stifle her sobs. Through choked tears, she said urgently, “Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi, can you… can you please ask… Master Ren San to drop the lawsuit? Ask Master Ren San to spare A Jie and the others—?”

Ren…

Master Ren San…

Third… Uncle…?

I suddenly remembered a dream I’d been having frequently lately.

In my past life, Li Ling and those girls were really into things like past lives, fortune-telling, and astrology for a while. I remember she said something like this—sometimes people have dreams that feel very real, déjà vu-like, which are actually the deepest memories from past lives.

Li Ling had the planning department girls utterly captivated. At the end, she’d say dreamily, ‘President! I’ve been having this dream a lot lately—it’s set in the Middle Ages, in a place full of birds and flowers, where I meet my destined prince!’

I had no idea how true that was.

The image was very clear: a small cosmos flower bed. I could almost smell their faint fragrance.

Right across from the flower bed was the room of Third Master Ren, who had just returned from New Zealand.

He came back for my father’s funeral.

At that time, I had no impression of him. Who could blame me? At the funeral, my mother was wailing so pitifully, and the coffin only contained my father’s clothes. He had died in a plane crash in the middle of the ocean; nothing was ever found.

The flower bed had always been tended by my father. After he was gone, I took over.

When I looked up at that window, I could vaguely see a silhouette. Sometimes, the sound of piano playing would drift out. I was young then, but even I could tell that the player’s skill would still need another eight to ten years of practice to be considered average.

Back then, he seemed to be seriously ill.

Later, he had some kind of tracheotomy, and the house was constantly filled with people in white coats.

The cosmos flowers were originally planted by my father to cheer up my mother. But after he was gone, whenever my mother saw them, she’d go even crazier. In my naivety, I picked a big bunch of them and went to his door. I knocked several times but got no answer, so I carefully opened the door.

I think that was the first time I met him.

His room was spacious, even with a black grand piano in it. It was very clean and very plain.

He was sitting by the window, next to a white easel.

He had a blanket over him, his hair was a bit long, and he wore a light blue cotton robe that matched the softness of his features. There seemed to be something attached to his throat, but I couldn’t see clearly.

He was asleep.

I placed the flowers on the bedside table. There was also an IV stand by the bed, which startled me a bit. The room was filled with a faint medicinal smell.

It was an uncomfortable place.

That night, I was severely punished by the Old Madam Ren.

Third Master Ren had asthma and was allergic to pollen.

I almost killed him.

My mother beat me nearly to death, screaming—‘Mind your own business! Who do you think that is?! He’s your third uncle! The mistress’s treasure! You’ll have to rely on him in the future! Always meddling! Acting clever!’

When you’re young, it’s easy to develop a shadow from something like that.

The second time I saw him, he was lying weakly in bed, his face as pale as a corpse.

The Old Madam Ren made me apologize to him. He didn’t say anything. When he opened his eyes, he just looked at me quietly. There’s a strange kind of person whose lips always seem to be curved into a gentle, harmless smile.

Later, the flower bed was filled in.

Later, I met Wang Zheng.

Later, I almost forgot what he looked like.

Even though, that face often left a strong impression and favorable feelings.

I felt a cool sensation on my cheek.

Actually, almost every night, when I was half-conscious and drifting in and out of sleep, I could vaguely feel it.

But that day, I couldn’t fall asleep. The sudden stillness and solemnity made me acutely aware of that discomfort. It was only because the hospital was full of medicinal smells that I hadn’t noticed it before.

When the door closed, my heart was racing.

My breathing was hard to steady.

For a long moment, the coolness left my face.

My nerves felt like they were about to snap.

Then, after a long while, his footsteps—very light.

I held my breath.

Slowly, I sat up from the bed.

After a long pause, I finally forced out from between my teeth that one address—

“Third Uncle…”