In the bedside cabinet of Auntie Zhen's hospital bed, they found the scar-removal ointment prescribed by the doctor.
Lin Mo held it in her slender, pale fingers but hadn’t even reached the sofa when the door to the ward was pushed open from the outside.
"Sis, I'm back," Shen Ji'an said, gripping the straps of his backpack with both hands, his gaze flickering toward the man sitting on the sofa.
"Fairy sister! I see you again!!"
Huang Mao was visibly excited at the sight of Lin Mo, grinning from ear to ear.
Lin Mo hadn’t expected Shen Ji'an to bring Huang Mao along. She smiled. "Looks like neither of you are attending evening self-study?"
Huang Mao pouted. "Don’t bring up studying at such a happy moment!"
Ding you ding bu dong, xie you xie bu fei!
Shen Ji'an noticed the ointment in Lin Mo’s hand and asked, "Sis, why are you holding that ointment?"
Lin Mo pointed at Xie Guanyan. "He has two small scars on his hand. Didn’t we buy two tubes? I’m giving him one to try."
Shen Ji'an pressed his lips together and took the ointment from Lin Mo’s hand. "This was bought for me. If he needs it, he can buy his own!"
He turned his head and finally got a clear look at the man’s face.
For some reason, he looked familiar, but Shen Ji'an couldn’t immediately recall where he’d seen him before.
One thing was obvious, though—this man looked much older, at least significantly older than his sister.
Xie Guanyan stood up at that moment, his long legs carrying him forward as he spoke in a refined, gentle voice, "Hello, I—"
"Hello, Uncle!" Shen Ji'an cut in.
He nudged Huang Mao with his elbow.
Huang Mao grinned too. "Hello, Uncle!"
Xie Guanyan: "..."
A shadow flickered in Xie Guanyan’s eyes, but his face remained warm and polite. "Do I really look that old?"
Shen Ji'an nodded.
He didn’t like this boyfriend of his sister’s anyway.
Huang Mao, acting on his conscience, shook his head at first—but seeing his boss nod, he quickly changed to nodding as well.
Lin Mo frowned and corrected Shen Ji'an. "That’s too much. He’s not even thirty yet. You should call him brother."
Xie Guanyan’s gaze lingered on the girl’s delicate, radiant face.
No comparison, no harm.
When Lin Mo stood next to her 17-year-old brother and Huang Mao, it was clear they were peers.
And he stuck out like a sore thumb.
His fingers tightened slightly as he adjusted his glasses. "It’s fine. Just a form of address."
But Lin Mo shook her head. "No, it has to be brother."
She and Xie Guanyan were clearly of the same generation—she couldn’t let him be elevated a whole tier above her.
Absolutely not!
Shen Ji'an lowered his eyes and stayed silent.
Her rival was already more accomplished and better than her in every way. If his seniority also got boosted, Lin Mo really couldn’t take it.
She fixed Shen Ji'an with a look. "Say it again. Call him brother."
Shen Ji'an lifted his head reluctantly and muttered toward Xie Guanyan, "Brother."
Lin Mo then turned to Huang Mao. "You too."
Huang Mao, who was naturally sociable, had already started eating some fruit and looked confused. "Call him what?"
Lin Mo tilted her chin toward Xie Guanyan. "Brother."
Xie Guanyan’s gentle gaze clung to the girl’s face, his earlier displeasure completely vanishing.
All he could think about was how she had just looked at him and said brother.
Shanshan calling me "brother" sounds so nice.
Huang Mao obediently repeated the address, then took a few bites of watermelon before offering some to Shen Ji'an.
Shen Ji'an wasn’t in the mood and glared at him. "All you ever think about is eating!"
Huang Mao: "..."
Who pissed him off?
Shen Ji'an planned to stay at the hospital the entire time Auntie Zhen was admitted. Once she was discharged, they’d move together into Shen Yihan’s villa.
Seeing that it was getting late, Huang Mao hailed a cab and left.
Lin Mo said to Shen Ji'an, "I’m heading out now. You and Auntie Zhen should rest early."
Xie Guanyan picked up his suit jacket from the sofa and stood as well.
The two walked side by side out of the ward.
Shen Ji'an’s lips were practically curled up to the sky, looking like they could hang an oil jug.
He pulled out his phone and texted Shen Yihan:
[Second Brother, is Sis really dating this guy?]
Shen Yihan hadn’t expected his youngest brother’s method of handling the situation to be so blunt, but truthfully, he’d long wanted to beat up that scumbag Gu Jingchuan.
Fourth Brother had assured him nothing would go wrong, but even if it did, Shen Yihan wasn’t afraid.
Seeing the message, he replied:
[Sis and Mr. Xie aren’t dating. Some things are hard to explain over text. I’ll tell you everything in detail once you’re home.]
Mr. Xie?
Suddenly, a figure in Shen Ji'an’s mind overlapped with the man from earlier.
The philanthropist who’d set up a foundation to help underprivileged children in the slums go to school!
The reason he and Auntie Zhen had survived in the slums was because they could apply for living expenses through his foundation.
He’d always been deeply grateful to this man and had even looked up his information online.
A wave of intense regret surged through Shen Ji'an.
That was his benefactor, and he’d just deliberately called him old!
Not to mention, he wasn’t even dating his sister.
Shen Ji'an grabbed his hair, his eyes beneath his long brim filled with remorse.
---
Gu Jingchuan was suffering in silence. At this late hour, only the emergency department still had doctors on duty.
But if he went to register, he’d definitely run into fans.
Left with no choice, he went to find the head nurse to examine his injuries.
The head nurse was about to clock out when she saw Gu Jingchuan approaching. Her scalp prickled, her expression turning as grim as if she were attending a funeral.
What fresh madness is he about to unleash now?
But when she realized he was here for medical treatment, her mood instantly lifted!
Who’s out here delivering divine justice?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
After checking him over, the head nurse concluded that whoever had beaten Gu Jingchuan was a true expert.
Despite the strikes to his face, there were no visible marks—just pain.
His tongue was cut, but it wasn’t a serious issue.
"Nothing major. Your tongue will heal in a few days. Just spray some medicine on it."
The head nurse hurried to the pharmacy to fetch the medication while Gu Jingchuan waited at the nursing station.
Once the medicine was in hand, Gu Jingchuan sprayed it a few times—and tears streamed down his face like a waterfall from the sheer agony.
The head nurse was delighted!
She’d deliberately picked the most potent formula.
Wiping his tears, Gu Jingchuan prepared to return to Ward 1005.
But just as he stepped out of the nursing station, he saw Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan walking side by side toward him.
At the sight of Gu Jingchuan, Lin Mo’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat.
Back in high school, Gu Jingchuan had been a campus heartthrob—a rich, handsome second-generation heir.
Now he was a big celebrity.
Xie Guanyan had to recognize him!
But… did he know about her past relationship with Gu Jingchuan?
Her footsteps faltered slightly, her gaze involuntarily darting to Xie Guanyan.
The next second, she felt her hand enveloped in a warm, firm grasp.
