Difficulties

Inside the hospital, the cold, mechanical sounds echoed continuously in the examination room, accompanied by the rustling of clothes and the quiet discussions of doctors and nurses. Incandescent lights poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the man sitting half-upright on the hospital bed with his legs bent.

"Hiss—" Qi Zui sat on the edge of the bed, his shirt wide open, revealing his muscular chest. A white silk ribbon ran down from his left shoulder, around his waist, wrapped around his body like a spider's web several times, and then hung down his neck. One of his arms was in a cast and wrapped around his abdomen.

A cotton swab dipped in iodine was placed on the wound on his cheek. The doctor carefully wiped away the dirt and dust mixed with blood. Unfortunately, no matter how gentle the movement was, it was inevitable that the wound would be aggravated from time to time.

"Hiss—" Qi Zui couldn't help but gasp again.

"Hey, doctor, could you be a little gentler? Ouch, ouch, ouch—!"

The "doctor" glanced at him coldly, then flicked the cotton swab in the air, sending the blood-stained swab flying into the medical waste bin.

After adjusting his plastic gloves, Liu Mo casually picked up a new cotton swab from the table next to him, dipped it into the iodine bottle, and said sarcastically, "Now you know pain? Why didn't you know when you were chasing the car? Why didn't you know when you were jumping out of the car with someone in your arms???"

Qi Zui grinned and said, "Wasn't it an emergency? What, are you planning to let me die without helping?"

Liu Mo pressed the cotton swab hard against his wound, and then, amidst Qi Zui's agonizing screams like a chicken being slaughtered, he cursed, "I was wondering why you came to the hospital and then suddenly left. So you went to save your lover and didn't even care about your own father."

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Liu Mo! Let go—" Qi turned his face away abruptly.

If it weren't for the fact that his hand is currently inconvenient, I would have already punched him.

Upon hearing this, Qi Zui glared at the man and asked, "How is Wen Tingyi?"

"He suffered a stroke and is still unconscious." Liu Mo tossed away the cotton swab in his hand and said while taking off his gloves, "Oh right, the person you brought in is still in critical condition and is currently undergoing emergency treatment in the operating room."

"Is Wen Xuyuan guarding outside?" Qi Zui asked.

"Mm." Liu Mo nodded.

Finally, Liu Mo raised his bare hand to look up. He glanced at Qi Zui and said indifferently, "You'd better stay away from Wen Xubai."

Qi Zui pulled up his suit jacket, knowingly asking, "Why?"

Liu Mo suddenly became furious, slamming the plastic gloves he had just taken off onto the medical table next to him and glaring at him: "Wen Xuchi! Stop playing dumb with me!"

“I’ve been treating you ever since you returned to the Wen family! You’ve come to the hospital more times lately than you have in the past three years combined! I knew something was wrong, and now I know it’s because he’s back!”

"Nothing good ever comes from getting close to him! He jumped into the sea and got injured yesterday, he broke his leg jumping from a car today, what about tomorrow?! If Wen Xubai jumps off a building, are you planning to jump off with him?!"

At the height of his agitation, Liu Mo grabbed Qi Zui by the collar and roared, "What exactly is the purpose of Wen Xubai's sudden return? You believed him when he said he didn't care about money?! Wen Xubai grew up in the treacherous environment of the Wen family; his mind is many times more complex than yours! He can play with you like a dog!"

"Don't you understand that he's using you?! Can't you see that his target is the Wen family?! Wen Xuchi, you only have one life! You'd better save it for yourself!"

"Let go!" Qi Zui frowned, used his good hands to forcefully pull Liu Mo's hands away, and said angrily, "My affairs are none of your business!"

"I don't need to worry about it?" Liu Mo sneered, the white light of the hospital reflecting off his glass lenses, making him look extremely sinister.

He spoke coldly, "Wen Xuchi, have you forgotten how you've managed all these years?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Zui paused in adjusting his collar.

Liu Mo continued his sarcasm: "While you were suffering from insomnia day and night, enduring excruciating pain from your wounds, being locked in a hospital bed, waking up countless times from nightmares, struggling to break free, and then having cold syringes pierce your veins, relying solely on medication to calm yourself down! Where was Wen Xubai then?!"

Qi swallowed hard, his voice hoarse: "He has his reasons..."

"Difficulties???" Liu Mo seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He covered his head, took a step back, and sneered, "How can there be such a big fool as you in the world..."

After saying that, Liu Mo's gaze instantly darkened. His eyes, like deep pools, stared straight at the man through his glasses, as if he could see right through the man's carefully concealed thoughts.

"From the very first moment you met, it was all part of Wen Xubai's plan! He knew your identity all along, so he deliberately approached you and flattered you, all to gain your trust! In order to get enough leverage to make a deal with Ruan Xing and Wen Tingyi!"

"Even the name he told you was fake! What true feelings can there be in a relationship that's been a deception from the very beginning, mixed with self-interest? Wen Xubai... he never loved you! You only loved himself!"

"Wen Xuchi, don't forget, you are who you are today, all thanks to him!"

The man's eerie voice, like a demon from the abyss, kept reminding Qi Zui:

"Wen Xuchi, wake up! He abandoned you a long time ago! Wen Xubai doesn't want you anymore!!!"

"Qi Zui, between you and me, there is only exploitation... there is no love."

"Enough!" Wen Xuchi snapped out of his nightmarish memories and overturned all the medicines on the medical table, making a clattering sound that echoed the noise from three years ago.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the man's terrified gaze.

Liu Mo was also startled and quickly retreated, bumping into the cabinet behind him. The medicine spilled all over the floor and landed at his feet.

The curtain that had been separating them was suddenly pulled open, and the moonlight revealed the surprised face of a third person—Wen Xubai.

Wen Xubai's pale pupils trembled. Standing at the door, his pale lips parted slightly. The two were clearly close at hand, but at this moment it was as if a huge crack stretched between them, with a bottomless abyss below. Anyone who took another step forward would be smashed to pieces.

Qi was completely taken aback to find Wen Xubai outside the door. His pupils contracted sharply, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Wen Xubai gazed at him from afar, his light-colored eyes reflecting a calm after a storm.

After hesitating for a while, Wen Xubai bit his lip, turned around and strode out of the ward.

He only wanted to visit Qi Zui, to check on his injuries and his condition, but he never expected to hear such words...

Wen Xubai wasn't sure what he was feeling; a mix of bitterness and pain lingered. His footsteps quickened in the corridor, a sharp pain piercing his heart, making even breathing difficult…

Why are you sad? Isn't this all within your expectations?

Wen Xubai couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

"Ah Che!" Qi Zui was shocked the moment he saw him run away. He immediately jumped off the hospital bed, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and stumbled after him!

"Wen Xuchi!" Liu Mo shouted from behind, but in the end, he could not call back the person who had left in a hurry.

In the brightly lit corridor, Wen Xubai walked with his head down. Outside the corridor were dark green plants, which looked particularly eerie and terrifying in the night. They swayed in the evening breeze and made a noisy "rustling" sound, as if mocking Wen Xubai's disheveled appearance.

Why be sad?

A sudden pang of pain shot through my heart, and tears fell before I could even finish.

It wasn't until his fingertips lightly touched the warmth on his cheek that Wen Xubai suddenly realized what was happening.

Isn't all of this your own fault?

A draft swept through the corridor, hitting the person standing at the entrance with a chilling, bone-deep cold.

The next second, the man was grabbed by the arm by a pair of large hands, and a huge force turned him around. What he saw was Qi Zui's face, which was breathing heavily.

In that instant, Qi Zui's eyes widened suddenly, and in his enlarged pupils, he saw Wen Xubai's tear-streaked face and red eyes.

That was the first time he saw Wen Xubai cry.

Whether it's "Chen Che" from three years ago or "Wen Xubai" standing in front of him now, it seems that no matter which one it is, every move, every smile, still touches Qi Zui's heart.

Qi Zui's heart skipped a beat, and his large hand was already touching Wen Xubai's slightly cool cheek. He frowned and asked, "Why are you crying?"

With calloused fingertips, she gently brushed away the tears from his eyes, the ticklish sensation causing Wen Xubai's eyelashes to tremble slightly.

Unable to bear watching any longer, Wen Xubai felt as if his mind was no longer his own.

He slowly took a step back, and Qi Zui's hand froze in mid-air, his eyes showing some surprise.

Wen Xubai wiped away his tears, regained his composure, and said expressionlessly, "I'm here today to thank Third Young Master Wen, and to thank Mr. Wen... for saving me."

Having said that, seemingly unable to hold back any longer, Wen Xubai turned and left: "The night is deep and the dew is heavy, the wind is cool, and Young Master Wen is still injured. Go back and rest quickly, don't catch a cold..."

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and a man's trembling voice sounded from behind her, hesitantly asking, "Third Young Master Wen?"

"You know, I never wanted to be this 'Third Young Master Wen'..."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xubaihu's body trembled.

In this world, some people will do anything for money, while others will flock to status, even risking their lives, just to gamble on a chance to succeed.

Even so, the vast majority of them are nothing more than moths drawn to a flame, perhaps experiencing a moment of brilliance, but ultimately ending up "vanished into thin air".

Some people, however, are born with everything; with a snap of their fingers, all the world's resources will flock to them, effortlessly...

But all of this... comes at a price...