Chapter 245: Heartbreak

Chapter 245 Sorrow

Lei Biao saw Cheng Ge sitting in the wheelchair in that state, and seeing him take the initiative to come and participate in the discussion, his heart stirred.

He felt that this brother truly had the stronghold’s interests at heart, but then he subconsciously glanced at White Brow.

White Brow stepped forward with a calm expression, his gaze swept coolly over Cheng Ge, his tone gentle but brooking no argument.

"So it's Fourth Brother. It's nice of you to care, but your body hasn't fully recovered yet. The doctor said you need to rest and shouldn't strain yourself.

We can handle these trivial stronghold matters. Your top priority right now is to get well."

These words sounded sanctimonious, dripping with concern.

But the subtext was clear: you're not ready for core secrets—step aside.

On hearing this, Cheng Ge immediately hung his head, his eyes downcast, lips pressed tight.

His whole body was enveloped in an impenetrable cloud of disappointment and gloom. His fingers gripping the wheelchair armrests tightened slightly, the knuckles turning white.

He lifted his eyes, his gaze passing over White Brow, carrying a barely perceptible flicker of hope towards Lei Biao and Xiong Meng.

Seeing him look like an abandoned puppy, Xiong Meng really felt a bit sorry for him.

He opened his mouth, wanting to speak in a rumbling voice: "Big Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother..."

"Third Brother." White Brow glanced calmly at Xiong Meng, saying no more, but it made Xiong Meng swallow the rest of his words.

Lei Biao looked at Cheng Ge's disappointed expression, and thinking of the debt he owed for him taking an arrow, guilt flooded his heart.

But he and White Brow had been brothers who’d been through thick and thin, and he knew White Brow was cautious and shrewd, and his reasoning made sense.

After all, Cheng Ge had only been at the stronghold for a short time, and though his background seemed clean, when it came to the core secrets of the stronghold, he needed to be tested over time.

He couldn't soften now, which would undermine White Brow and break the stronghold's rules.

Steeling himself, Lei Biao echoed White Brow and said, "Second Brother is right. Fourth Brother, just rest and recover.

We'll handle the stronghold's affairs. When you're fully recovered, there will be plenty of chances to help out.

Go back and rest for now." His tone was caring, but his stance was firm.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ge said nothing more, just shot Lei Biao a deep look.

That look was full of mixed feelings—disappointment, understanding, and a trace of indescribable pain.

He didn't say anything more, but murmured to Wufeng, "Let's go."

Wufeng turned the wheelchair, and sunlight stretched his shadow long behind them.

His silent departure reeked of exclusion, loneliness, and despair.

As if a just-ignited flame of enthusiasm had been doused with ice water.

Lei Biao watched the receding figure, which looked especially thin and sorrowful, and his guilt grew even heavier, nearly making him blurt out to stop him.

But in the end, he said nothing, just irritably rubbed his nose, turned and went back into the secret room with White Brow and Xiong Meng.

Meanwhile, once Cheng Ge, being pushed away, confirmed no one could see him, he instantly wiped the heartbroken look off his face.

Cheng Ge reached into his sleeve, pulled out a piece of crunchy candy, and took a bite with a crunch. Then he beckoned Wufeng and whispered a few instructions.

Wufeng nodded, spun the wheelchair, and slipped away silently.

About thirty minutes later, Lei Biao, White Brow, and Xiong Meng finished discussing important matters and came out of the secret room.

They hadn't gone far when they saw Wufeng, carrying a bowl of black medicinal broth, walking with his head down along another path, seemingly lost in thought. He collided head-on with Lei Biao.

"Oof!" Wufeng reacted quickly, twisting his body sharply, causing the bowl to shake violently. He narrowly dodged Lei Biao, but a few drops of hot medicine splashed onto his clothes.

Lei Biao was startled, his thick brows furrowing in anger, but when he saw it was Cheng Ge's quiet attendant Wufeng, and suddenly remembered Cheng Ge's hurt look earlier, his heart softened. He swallowed the curse words that were about to come out and instead frowned and asked, "What's the hurry? Is this medicine for Fourth Brother?"

Wufeng steadied the bowl, a trace of panic flickering across his face. He seemed to want to speak but held back, finally lowering his voice: "Reporting to the Chief... it's medicine for the Fourth Chief, but... but..."

"But what?" Lei Biao pressed, seeing him hesitate.

Wufeng seemed to steel himself, lowering his voice even more: "The medicine has already been reheated once... but the Fourth Chief refuses to drink it. He told me to find a place to pour it out quietly, and told me not to let the Chief know."

Lei Biao's heart skipped a beat, his brows knitting into a scowl: "Refuses to drink the medicine? Why?"

Wufeng looked troubled: "I don't know either. After the Fourth Chief came back from there, he didn't say a word. He just leaned by the window, looking out. When I brought the medicine, he didn't even look at it.

He just said... 'Good health or bad doesn't matter much, why waste these herbs...' Sigh..." He let out a heavy sigh, his tone full of worry.

Lei Biao's heart clenched, a wave of guilt washed over him.

He immediately concluded that it was his tacit approval of White Brow excluding Cheng Ge that left his brother so disheartened, even refusing to take medicine! This can't go on!

"Ridiculous!" Lei Biao said, both anxious and angry. Waving his hand, he said, "Let's go! I'm going to see him!"

With that, he strode off toward Cheng Ge's quarters.

In the attic, Cheng Ge had already received the signal. He quickly lay back on the bed, regulating his breath to look weak and dispirited.

Lei Biao hurriedly pushed open the door to Cheng Ge's quarters, and a faint medicinal smell mixed with a cool, desolate air hit him.

The room was a bit dim, with the window half-open. A gentle breeze stirred the bed curtains.

His gaze immediately fell on the bed, where a figure lay with its back to the door, curled up under a tiger-skin blanket.

Only a dark back of his head, which seemed to have the word 'sorrow' written on it, was visible, and even his hair radiated a lifeless dejection.

That thin figure lay motionless, as if it had lost all reaction to any external movement.

Lei Biao softened his steps as he approached, speaking in a rough voice, but his tone involuntarily became much gentler: "Fourth Brother?"

The figure on the bed trembled almost imperceptibly but didn't turn around. Instead, it seemed to want to bury itself even deeper under the blanket.

Lei Biao walked to the bedside, looking at that uncommunicative back of the head, and saw the untouched bowl of medicine on the small table by the headboard. His guilt grew even stronger.

He rubbed his big hands together, somewhat clumsily sat down on a stool nearby.

"Fourth Brother," Lei Biao sighed, his tone unusually patient, "I know you're feeling upset. What happened today... It was my oversight, I made you suffer."

The back of the head remained silent—

Lei Biao continued: "But you need to understand, Second Brother... he was also thinking about the stability of the stronghold."

You've only been here a short while; some things can't be rushed.

But I always remember your kindness, brother. The crew will never mistreat a loyal brother!

Seeing that Cheng Ge still wasn't responding, his tone grew even more earnest: "But no matter how angry you are, you can't take it out on yourself!

If you don't take this medicine, how will your wound heal? If you end up with a lingering ailment, how can I be at ease?"

With these words, he reached out to pat Cheng Ge's shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

Just as his large hand was about to touch that seemingly fragile shoulder, Cheng Ge finally moved.

He suddenly shrank back, avoiding his touch.

At the same time, a muffled sob and sniffle escaped him, and his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

Though he still didn't turn around, these subtle signs of resistance and that sob conveyed his "heartbreak" more than any words could.

"Tap to show some love, ooh—"