Chapter 42

Chapter 42

"042"

The voice on the other end repeated—

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off..."

Xiao Lancui had dialed Xiao Anfeng's number.

Xiao Lancui's voice lowered as he walked away, until Xiao Anfeng could no longer hear him. Then he hung up.

At the same time, Xiao Anfeng turned and left. Not long after he departed, an unremarkable-looking man chewing gum casually fell into step behind him.

The man kept his right hand in his down jacket pocket, texting without looking at his phone. After a moment, he tapped send.

Xiao Lancui's phone buzzed once, and a message popped up.

"Boss, I'm tailing him. I'll keep you updated."

Xiao Lancui pocketed his phone. He was bluffing Xiao Anfeng, trying to confirm whether Xiao Anfeng would actually go to Lu Siye.

In the original story, Lu Siye had used the original body to provoke Xiao Anfeng early on, and it had been extremely effective.

After discovering that Xiao Anfeng and Lu Siye had slept together earlier than in the original timeline, Xiao Lancui realized that Lu Siye was driven by his dick—no surprise there—but Xiao Anfeng was different.

So the reason for the early hookup basically came down to the foot of Panling Mountain. The bet Lu Siye had proposed—

"If you lose, you sleep with me."

Lu Siye's wild sex life was no secret, and Xiao Anfeng knew it all too well. As the two male leads of the original novel, they often ran into each other in various places.

Lu Siye made out with and slept with all kinds of men and women. In the school bathrooms alone, the library, the pool... Xiao Anfeng had walked in on him countless times.

Xiao Anfeng wasn't the type to lose his mind over Lu Siye's everyday bullshit.

With that reason ruled out, the object of Xiao Anfeng's obsession had to be him.

Most likely, Xiao Anfeng thought he had thrown that night's race on purpose to get what he wanted from Lu Siye.

To teach him a lesson, Xiao Anfeng would stop at nothing to take Lu Siye away from him.

But this was all just Xiao Lancui's guesswork. If Xiao Anfeng's call tonight actually reached Lu Siye, that would confirm it.

A taxi pulled up. Xiao Lancui put his phone in his pocket, got in, and gave the driver the address of the Xiao villa.

Half an hour later, just as the car reached the entrance to the neighborhood, a motorcycle roared past, headlights blazing. Xiao Lancui looked out and saw Xiao Mian's figure in full riding gear racing away.

At the same time, Xiao Lancui's phone buzzed twice in his pocket.

He fished it out—a message from Lu Ao.

A selfie of him in loungewear, with a toothbrush in his mouth, along with four words:

"Good night, bro!"

Going to bed at ten—a very healthy habit.

Xiao Lancui looked at Lu Ao's bright smile, briefly lost in thought, then typed two words: "Good night."

When Xiao Lancui reached the villa, the door swung open before he could even knock. Yungu was supporting Xie Jingfang, and they both did a double take at the sight of him.

Xie Jingfang had also just pulled up from the garage and stopped at the entrance.

Xie Jingfang and Xiao Mian had both gone out late at night, in quick succession. Had they found Xiao Anfeng?

As the thought crossed his mind, Xiao Lancui smiled and stepped aside. "It's this late, and you're heading out?"

The moment she saw Xiao Lancui, Xie Jingfang couldn't help but study his face. The anxiety and worry in her heart actually settled the instant she saw him.

How strange.

Xie Jingfang tightened her hold on Yungu's arm, quickly averted her gaze, and said, "Let's go." But her feet didn't move.

Yungu had served Xie Jingfang for years and knew her temper inside out. She knew this was a cue for her to speak up. Yungu nodded to Xiao Lancui and said, "Young Master Lan, something has happened to the eldest young master!"

In front of Xie Jingfang, she always called him "Young Master Lan"—a young master, yes, but not one of the Xiao family's three sons.

Xiao Lancui's long lashes fluttered. Had Xiao Liqin been seriously injured earlier this afternoon? Lu Ao was skin and bones, and only his left hand worked properly—that didn't warrant the word "incident."

He said, "I'm coming too."

Xie Jingfang didn't object. Once in the car, Xiao Lancui took the passenger seat on his own. He actually preferred the passenger seat—it was separate.

Xie Jingfang sat in the back, quietly studying Xiao Lancui's profile.

Maybe it was all in her head, but the more she looked, the more she thought Xiao Lancui looked like her. She'd never noticed before—Xiao Lancui also had a pointed chin.

So did she.

Xiao Liqin, Xiao Anfeng, Xiao Mian—none of her three sons had it. Xiao Liqin and Xiao Mian had square jaws, while Xiao Anfeng's was rounder.

She had always been disappointed that none of her three sons took after her.

Xie Jingfang was staring intently when Xiao Lancui suddenly turned around. "Have you been eating properly lately?"

In the shifting light, passing headlights swept across Xiao Lancui's face. For a moment, Xie Jingfang thought no wonder some people mistook Xiao Lancui for her son—their features were strikingly similar at first glance.

Caught staring, Xie Jingfang couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She averted her gaze, her tone less cold than before. "Mm." Then she added another question, "You haven't been back these past few days—have you been busy with something out there?"

Even Yungu was taken aback.

Yungu could tell that Xie Jingfang and Xiao Lancui's relationship had warmed up, but she never expected it to reach the point of concern.

Perhaps it wasn't quite concern yet, but the fact that Xie Jingfang had taken the initiative to ask Xiao Lancui was already a huge surprise to Yungu.

Xiao Lancui replied earnestly, "Mm, I have some things to handle. I won't be coming back for meals recently."

Xie Jingfang gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgment, and the car fell silent again. When Xiao Lancui turned back around, she couldn't help stealing another glance.

Yungu noticed, then heard Xiao Lancui suddenly ask, "What happened to the eldest young master?"

Xie Jingfang gave Yungu a look, and Yungu said, "The eldest young master collapsed and was rushed to the hospital unconscious."

Xie Jingfang's heart, which had just steadied a little, sank again. She was panicked, urging the driver, "Drive faster!"

The driver stepped on the gas, speeding toward Xingkang Hospital.

It was the estate manager that Xiao Liqin had instructed on his deathbed—they couldn't go to a public hospital, lest reporters run with the story.

Upon arriving at the emergency room, Xiao Lancui confirmed that this had nothing to do with the afternoon's events.

Lu Ao's half-assed fighting skills couldn't have done damage this bad. According to Xiao Mian, there was a chance he might not make it.

Hearing that, Xie Jingfang nearly buckled from the shock, and Xiao Lancui caught her just in time so she didn't hit the floor.

Xie Jingfang, forgetting she usually couldn't stand him, latched onto Xiao Lancui's arm for support, tears brimming as she stared at the operating room door.

Xiao Lancui's face was grim too.

Half of it was an act; the other half was genuine confusion.

Why the hell was Xiao Liqin in the ER?

He noticed a guy in his thirties had been standing off to the left since they got there. From the way he was dressed, he was probably Xiao Liqin's assistant or some kind of property manager.

He called to Xiao Mian, "Come hold Mom."

Xiao Mian looked at Xiao Lancui, eyes red, and came over quietly without a word.

The last time he'd been through something this life-or-death was when Xiao Lancui was pulled from the ocean and rushed to the ER.

Back then, he'd wished Xiao Lancui would just die, and he'd been out partying with his friends like an asshole.

Now, with Xiao Liqin in the ER, Xiao Mian finally understood how terrifying death really was.

His eyes followed Xiao Lancui as he walked over to the property manager, and he said in his head, "I'm sorry."

Xiao Lancui confirmed the guy was the property manager and asked, "How did Xiao Liqin get hurt?"

The property manager, about to cry, quickly told him how he'd found Xiao Liqin.

The whole neighborhood had suddenly lost power that night, and every security camera was down. He was out with an electrician fixing the lines when he got a call for help.

He and the security guard rushed over to Xiao Liqin's place. The door was wide open, the place was pitch black, and all they saw was a motionless figure lying in a pool of blood.

"I... I thought someone had been killed and I was about to call the cops," the property manager said, legs shaking. "But Mr. Xiao suddenly moved and told me not to call the police. He had me contact Xingkang Hospital. Once the ambulance showed up, he passed out again."

Xiao Lancui nodded. Just then, the ER door opened. Xie Jingfang and Xiao Mian both rushed over, but neither could get a word out. It was Xiao Lancui who went to talk to the doctor. The doctor pulled off his mask and said, "Don't worry, the surgery went well. He'll wake up tomorrow morning. Nothing serious—just a few days of rest and he'll be fine."

The doctor was confused too. "The real problem is a fractured jaw, severe cuts to the lips, and he lost five and a half teeth."

Most of Xiao Liqin's blood loss had come from his mouth. The doctor said, "We put 16 stitches in his upper and lower lips. The stitches can't come out for at least a month, and for the first two months he'll have to eat liquid food with his jaw wired shut. After he heals, he'll need dental work. It'll affect how he eats and laughs from now on."

The doctor left. Either way, his life wasn't in danger. Xiao Mian let out a huge sigh of relief. The next second, his arm went heavy—Xie Jingfang, who'd been wound so tight, suddenly let go and passed out in his arms. He yelled, "Mom!"

*

When Xie Jingfang woke up, a faint, soft fragrance hung in the air around her.

It was so subtle, it calmed her nerves.

For a second, she was disoriented, not sure where she was. She turned her head and suddenly snapped awake, staring hard at the face asleep on the sofa nearby.

Xiao Lancui was a light sleeper. The second Xie Jingfang looked at him, he was awake. He opened his eyes, sat up, and the blanket slipped off him onto the sofa. He pushed it aside, checked the time, and walked over to Xie Jingfang. "It's only seven," he said. "Get some more sleep. I'll go grab breakfast."

Xie Jingfang looked around the room, clearly a hospital room, then sat up fast and asked, "How's Liqin?"

Xiao Lancui stopped and said, "He's in the next room. He'll wake up at nine. The doctor said it's best to wait until he's awake before going in."

Xie Jingfang felt totally relieved, then thought of something. "Where's Mian?" She didn't see him in the room.

Xiao Lancui paused for a beat. "He went to find Second Brother."

Xie Jingfang's eyes went dark, and she gripped the bedsheet. Xiao Lancui didn't stick around—he left, closing the door behind him.

Downstairs, Xiao Lancui stopped at a convenience store to grab a matcha milk pudding ice bread and a carton of plain milk. He wasn't in any rush to bring Xie Jingfang her breakfast.

She'd probably need a minute to cry, and she wouldn't want him seeing her like that.

It was early, and the store only had one cashier. Xiao Lancui paid, grabbed his stuff, and sat down at a random table. He pulled out the straw, poked it into the carton, and took a sip.

It tasted faintly of milk, almost like water.

Xiao Lancui was used to it. He unwrapped the ice bread and slowly chewed his breakfast.

Last night, after Xie Jingfang was checked out and settled into a room to rest, Xiao Mian had left the hospital to find Xiao Anfeng.

Xiao Liqin cared about Xiao Anfeng more than anyone and had given him the most. The more Xiao Mian thought about it, the angrier he got. He was dead set on finding Xiao Anfeng and dragging him to Xiao Liqin's bedside. "Throwing a fit over something this stupid? You know your brother almost died and you'd never see him again?!"

But he couldn't find him anywhere.

Xiao Mian searched all night, and even when dawn broke, he still couldn't track Xiao Anfeng down.

The alleys were too narrow for a car, so he was on a motorcycle. In temps around minus ten, even fully bundled up, his face was frozen solid.

His hands were numb too, so he had to stop and find somewhere to get some hot water.

He'd just finished drinking when Xiao Lancui called.

His hands still numb, he fumbled to answer. "Bro!"

The unexpected "bro" caught even Xiao Mian off guard, but Xiao Lancui didn't react. Through the phone, his voice was as steady and reassuring as always.

"I just sent you Xiao Anfeng's address."

Xiao Mian was surprised. "You know where he is?" He pulled the phone away for a second and saw a text with an address. He brought it back and hurried out of the store to hop on his bike and go find him, when Xiao Lancui added, "One thing first. Hear me out before you decide whether to go."

Xiao Mian had already started the engine and didn't take it seriously. Even if it were raining knives or missiles, he was going to get Xiao Anfeng. "Go ahead!"

Then Xiao Lancui said three words, and the motorcycle died.

"Lu Siye."

Xiao Mian frowned. "What do you mean?"

Xiao Lancui said, "He's at Lu Siye's place."

Xiao Lancui swiped through the photos the PI had just sent—about a dozen of them.

There was one of Xiao Anfeng showing up at Lu Siye's suburban villa in the early hours, the door opening, and Xiao Anfeng immediately pulling Lu Siye into a passionate kiss.

There were also shots from the big second-floor bedroom, curtains wide open, of Xiao Anfeng pressed against the glass by Lu Siye all night.

With one bite of ice bread left, Xiao Lancui closed the photos, hesitated for a second, then shoved the bread back into its wrapper, folded it tight, grabbed the empty milk carton, and tossed them both in the trash.

Yeah, that killed his appetite.