Chapter 32: The Flatulent Son-in-Law

Lin Xingfan glanced at his phone and muttered, "It's getting late. You should get to sleep, and I need to do the same; I have to squeeze onto the subway tomorrow morning."

"Agreed."

After speaking with him, I turned off the lights, drew the curtains, and lay down in bed, facing a thick, impenetrable darkness. Suddenly, I realized I hadn't charged my phone. Too lazy to call for the voice assistant to turn on the lights, I fumbled around on the nightstand.

I must have hit some switch, because with a soft *click*, a beam of light projected from the nightstand onto the ceiling. Above me was a brilliant expanse of stars; the nightstand actually had a built-in star projector. The effect was more realistic than any I had seen on the market, and it was dynamic—the stars flickered on and off as if I were truly adrift in the vast universe.

I lay back down, crossing my hands behind my head. The room's ecological air conditioning hummed, blowing a cool, natural breeze. For a fleeting moment, I felt as if I had returned to the roof of our house in the village from my childhood—poor, yet peaceful and carefree. My eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Ji Leqing knocked on my door half an hour early. I groggily opened my eyes and checked my phone; it was already seven.

"Give me a minute! I just woke up, I'll be right out!"

After a rushed wash and change, I stepped out of the room, and Ji Leqing jingled her car keys at me.

"What about Lin Xingfan? Isn't he going to the hospital with us?"

"He was worried about the morning rush hour traffic, so he left early to take the subway. Let’s go. We need to hurry with your check-up; your stomach shouldn't be empty for too long."

"Right."

I noticed Ji Leqing pick up a canvas tote bag with a daisy pattern from the table. I felt like I had seen it somewhere, though I didn't know what was inside.

Luck was on our side, and traffic wasn't bad. Once at the hospital, Ji Leqing took me straight to the medical examination department to register. After we received the list of required tests, she led me from department to department, waiting in line for each one. There were quite a few people there today, both adults and students.

After the blood draw, I pressed a cotton swab against the puncture site in the crook of my arm and sat on a bench in the hallway. They had taken ten vials of blood in total, and whether it was psychological or not, I felt instantly drained.

"Is that the last of it?"

"Yes. Some results won't be ready until this afternoon. I'll have Lin Xingfan pick them up and bring them back later."

"So, can I eat and drink now?"

Ji Leqing sat beside me, placing the tote bag on her knees. "I’ve already prepared something for you."

I watched as she pulled a small, palm-sized thermos from the bag, unscrewed the cap, and held it to my lips.

"It's inconvenient for you to use your hands. There's warm honey water inside. Drink a little to settle your stomach, then we can get something to eat once we're back in the car."

"Thank you..."

Because the blood draw was in the crook of my arm, it was difficult to use either hand, so I had to drink from the cup she held. My gaze remained fixed on the rim of the cup; I didn't dare look at her. I felt an indescribable sense of intimacy in the gesture—an intimacy that was entirely inappropriate between us. My own guilt and withdrawal only made Ji Leqing’s calm and composure stand out more.

Once I pulled away, she simply closed the lid and tucked the thermos back into the bag as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Let's go."

"Oh, right."

Just as I was about to discard the cotton swab in the trash, Ji Leqing stopped me. "Don't throw it away yet. Keep pressing on it; your blood clotting might be weakened given your current health."

"Right."

Her car was parked in the lot in front of the outpatient department. As we made our way through the main lobby, we ran into an "old acquaintance."

"Hold it right there! I was wondering how I’d find you, but it seems luck is on my side!"

It was the blond-haired punk I had beaten up. I still didn't know his name, nor did I care to. A large patch of his hair had been shaved off for stitches, making him look like a mangy, yellow-feathered chicken. His wound was bandaged and covered with a hairnet. The swelling on his face had gone down, but the marks from the fight were still visible. I had assumed he’d be in the hospital for a few more days, but it looked like he was being discharged.

"What do you want? Didn't get enough of a beating? Are you a masochist?"

"Bullshit! I'm here for compensation. Look at what you did to me!"

He kept his voice low, likely planning to return to his "work" once his hair grew back and not wanting to draw attention to his current state. Xu Zhixia had surely paid his medical bills and then some; his greed was bottomless, and he wanted to squeeze more out of me. He must be crazy if he thought my money was that easy to get.

Ji Leqing looked at us, confused.

"He's the one who did this to you?"

"Yeah. He’s one of the gigolos Xu Zhixia used to play with. The day I got burned, he was the loudest one barking, trying to act tough, so I taught him a lesson."

"I see. In that case, he had it coming."

Hearing that he was a gigolo, Ji Leqing subtly stepped away from me, likely worried about him carrying some kind of disease. The blond punk glanced at her. Having served plenty of wealthy women besides Xu Zhixia, he could tell at a glance that while her outfit looked simple, everything she wore was high-end—even the humble-looking daisy tote bag was a designer piece worth thousands.

His eyes darted between us, and he suddenly pulled out his phone and snapped a flurry of photos.

"You call me a gigolo, but what are you? A kept man, fooling around with a rich woman behind President Xu's back."

"If you don't pay up, I'm sending these photos to President Xu."

I laughed, too speechless to even argue. I only managed two words:

"Go ahead."

Ji Leqing frowned slightly. "It seems you hit him really hard; you've damaged his brain."

"I didn't. He was a moron even before I beat him up. It’s got nothing to do with me."

We walked right past him. Trying to blackmail me with something like that was beyond stupid. Even though Xu Zhixia liked male models, those toys of hers could never reach her directly. Anyone who could reach her assistant, Xiao Zhu, was considered someone she favored. To me, this punk's provocation was nothing but the act of a clown.

Seeing me unmoved, the punk gritted his teeth and chased after us.

"You think I won't post this online? You're just a son-in-law discarded by President Xu; wait until she finishes you off once this scandal breaks!"

"Who the hell told you I'm a live-in son-in-law for Xu Zhixia?!"

Ignoring the puncture wound on my arm, I grabbed his shirt collar, my eyes burning with rage.

"I've been married to Xu Zhixia for years, and I haven't spent a single cent of her money. Who the hell dares to call me a live-in son-in-law?!"

Ji Leqing quickly pulled me back. "This is a hospital. Don't cause a scene."

"Hmph. Listen here, kid—I'm giving you a piece of advice out of the kindness of my heart: don't post anything about Xu Zhixia online. The Xu Group is not a force to be trifled with."