Chapter 3: It's Not a Big Problem, Just a Fracture

Lin Yi walked out of the classroom and picked up the watch he had placed on the desk by the door. Electronic devices were strictly prohibited in the exam hall during the college entrance examination. Consequently, he had to take off his watch and leave it in the designated area outside.

He had been taking his exam on the second floor of the Yixian Building. As he descended to the first floor, he spotted a medical staff member waiting in the designated area with a medical kit in hand. Upon seeing Lin Yi come down, Cheng Ziyi hurried over, took him by the arms, and helped him sit down on a bench.

Seeing that her presence was no longer required, Wu Qing quickly headed back upstairs. She still had to collect the exam papers later, and since Teacher Chen might be overwhelmed on her own, she needed to go up and assist.

Cheng Ziyi took antiseptic solution and cotton swabs from her kit, bent over, and carefully began to clean Lin Yi's wound. Seeing the shocking gash on his thigh, she frowned and asked instinctively, "Doesn't it hurt? How did you manage to hold on for so long? This wound should have been treated immediately; if left unattended, you could even end up paralyzed."

Cheng Ziyi had been at the waiting area because a school official had informed her that an examinee had been injured and asked her to attend to him.

Lin Yi, feeling as though he were under a barrage of heavy artillery, wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to keep his mouth shut. Five thousand years of Chinese history had proven that in arguments between men and women, the woman usually held the upper hand. Especially in the modern era, with a growing number of bachelors and an widening gender ratio, women were even more... empowered to do as they pleased. Whether you were right or wrong, the man was always the one at fault. This sentiment was magnified infinitely during a relationship. If a girlfriend couldn't win an argument, she would just say, "You're being mean to me! You don't love me anymore! You jerk!" The man would be left speechless. If she did win, she would simply ask, "Do you know you were wrong?" And again, the man would be left with nothing to say.

"Go to the hospital for a check-up," Cheng Ziyi said, stopping her work and tilting her fair neck upwards. She was only a school medic, and the school's medical facilities were not comprehensive. Hospitals were different; their staff and equipment were far superior. Although he didn't want to admit it, it was the truth.

"No..." Lin Yi started to say he didn't need to, but seeing Cheng Ziyi's face darken, he swallowed his words and replied, "Okay."

"The exam time is up. Please stop writing."

The chubby student looked at his paper and let out a sigh of relief. He had written enough words!

As soon as Lin Yi exited the school gate, he was greeted by a dense crowd of people, mostly parents of the examinees. Amidst the crowd, a beautiful figure came jogging toward him.

"Is it her? Why is she still here?" The person was none other than Zhao Xin.

"Why haven't you left yet?" Lin Yi asked, looking puzzled. Was she staying to compensate him? How much would she pay? At least one hundred thousand, he figured.

Hearing Lin Yi's question, Zhao Xin was dumbfounded. "For heaven's sake," she thought, "I didn't leave, and instead of being secretly happy, you're asking me why?"

"I'm taking you to the hospital!" Zhao Xin rolled her eyes and said, sounding annoyed.

"Uh..." Lin Yi noticed Cheng Ziyi standing to the side.

"I'll take him; it's the right thing to do since I caused this," Zhao Xin added.

"All right," Cheng Ziyi nodded. Every debt has its debtor; since she was the one who hit him, she was responsible. Besides, she had other things to attend to, including a brief meeting later.

As Lin Yi caught the scent of roses in the car, he felt a sudden jolt. He looked at Zhao Xin suspiciously, thinking to himself, "I never would have guessed!"

At Chenxi Hospital, the elderly doctor remarked, "It's not a major issue, just a fracture. It will heal after a period of rest."

Both Lin Yi and Zhao Xin were left speechless. They wondered what the old doctor considered a "major issue."

After going through the various procedures—injections, picking up medicine, and so on—Lin Yi, supported by a crutch, slowly made his way down the stairs with Zhao Xin by his side.

"Dad, Mom, why are you here?" Lin Yi stopped upon seeing his parents rushing up the stairs looking anxious.

"This... this..." Lin Yi's mother, Wang Xin, nearly fainted at the sight of her son's condition.

Lin Yi's father, Lin Chen, locked eyes with his son for a moment. "What happened?" he asked, his emotions complex, his gaze shifting to Zhao Xin.

Lin Yi's homeroom teacher had called to say that Lin Yi had been in a car accident on his way to the exam, and that the driver had taken him to the hospital afterward. Having received this news, Lin Chen had immediately asked for leave and rushed with his wife to search for him, starting with the hospital closest to the school. And there he was.

"A car accident," Lin Yi replied calmly. Thinking his answer was too brief, he added, "It's not a big deal, I just need to rest for a while."

Communication between him and his father was rarely deep. His father's words were always the same: "How did the exam go?" "Do you have enough money to spend?" "You need to work hard at your studies; don't end up like your father, destined to be a laborer your whole life."

"I see," Lin Chen said after staring at him for a while, his voice heavy.

"Let's go downstairs to talk," Lin Yi suggested, noticing that standing on the stairs was blocking others.

"Fine," Lin Chen nodded solemnly.

The four of them sat on a bench on the ground floor. Seeing Lin Yi's family, Zhao Xin was incredibly nervous, her palms sweating. She had hit their son. Would they forgive her?

Summoning her courage, she walked up to them, bowed her head, and apologized with a look of guilt. "Uncle, Auntie, I'm so sorry! It's my fault your son ended up like this. I will take full responsibility for this accident." She pulled a card from her bag. "There is five hundred thousand in this card as compensation for Lin Yi. Furthermore, I will cover all of his subsequent medical expenses. I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

She kept her head down, not daring to look at them. She had hit their son—and during his college entrance examination, no less. How could she look them in the eye?

Lin Chen looked at the young woman in silence. Judging by her attire, she was clearly from a wealthy or prominent background. He believed that five hundred thousand was not a large sum for her. But would Lin Yi's medical expenses really cost that much? Still, this money would be enough to help his son get married in the future.

Many thoughts raced through Lin Chen's mind, almost all of them concerning Lin Yi.

"Lin Yi, you decide," Lin Chen finally said, turning to his son.

"I decide?" Lin Yi was taken aback by his father's uncharacteristic behavior. In their family, his father made the big decisions, his mother made the small ones, and when there were no issues, he did as he pleased. This was clearly not a small issue, nor was it a non-issue.