Geng Ying tugged at the corners of her mouth, said nothing, but a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
"It's late, go to sleep." Geng Ying said softly, her head down, and walked straight into the room.
She used to always drag Song Shang back to the bedroom before bed, but now she seemed to have forgotten this routine.
The moment the bedroom door closed, the atmosphere became so eerie that even Wangcai sensed something was wrong.
Song Shang stared at the closed bedroom door, its front paws stomping heavily on the refrigerator.
Knock knock knock!
Wangcai cautiously looked up, met Song Shang's sharp eyes, whimpered, and scurried under the sofa.
Song Shang sat upright at the bedroom door, staring at the doorknob, and jumped up easily.
It's locked!!!
Song Shang stared wide-eyed at his pink and tender paws in disbelief.
Geng Ying lay on the bed, her mind blank.
She wasn't unaware that Song Shang had opened the door; in the past, she would have opened it herself to welcome him in.
But she isn't making any moves right now.
A series of loud thuds came from the doorway, like heavy objects hitting the ground.
Geng Ying closed her eyes and shouted, "Song Shang! Don't play the kitten! Don't deliberately break things in the living room!"
The noise outside the door stopped for a moment, then started again.
Geng Ying pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Sweet Bean!"
It was quiet outside the door.
The night fell silent.
*
"Cough cough cough..."
In the dimly lit basement, a damp and putrid smell permeated every corner.
A hunched-over man lay prostrate on the cold ground, empty bottles scattered around him, muttering, "Give it back! Mine!"
Squeak.
The basement door opened, and Fang Ming stood in the doorway, staring at his dejected father with an inscrutable expression.
"Dad, the debt collectors are gone, come out now."
Mr. Fang's murmuring paused for a moment. He swayed as he got up, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his hazy eyes.
Since the Fang Group went bankrupt, those who used to fawn over the Fang family have all changed overnight. They wish they could stay far away from the family and would be considered kind if they didn't kick them while they were down.
Some people who had long disliked the Fang family even took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, making the Fang family's situation even more difficult.
"Dad, how long are you going to stay like this?" Fang Ming clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "The mental hospital just called and said Fang Ling's hospital fees are due, and Mom's too..."
"Enough!" Mr. Fang interrupted impatiently. "We're bankrupt! Do you know that?! The Fang family is bankrupt! There are countless debts! Where will we get the money to pay Fang Ling's hospital fees? She's not really crazy, why would she need to go to the hospital?"
"Furthermore, she has been pretending to be innocent and filial in the Fang family for so many years, and has already received enough benefits. Why should we cover for her?"
Fang Ming's expression darkened, his lips tightened into a straight line, and he changed the subject, "Dad, the people who plotted to bankrupt our Fang family haven't been punished yet. You shouldn't continue like this."
Mr. Fang sneered, "Do you know who did it? It was the Li family! The Li family that controls 80% of the business overseas and even gets involved in the shady industry!!"
"What can we do?" Fang's father leaned against the wall, looking at Fang Ming in the backlight.
“It’s not the Li family, it’s Tang Song,” Fang Ming said expressionlessly.
Mr. Fang suddenly looked up, his dark eyes fixed on him. "What do you mean?"
Fang Ming: "It was Tang Song who ordered the Li family to attack us."
"Tang Song..." Fang's father gritted his teeth, "That bastard must want to wipe us out because we know he's a wolf!"
Fang Ming remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Mr. Fang, panting heavily, scratched his disheveled hair in frustration and wiped his face. "Tang Song... he's fucking disgusting!"
Fang Ming lowered his eyes and asked casually, "Could Tang Song's actions also be a way of wishing us well?"
Mr. Fang was stunned for a moment, then raised his voice, "The Fang family is also her family, how dare she!?"
Fang Ming lowered his eyes. "Zhu Hao knows Tang Song's identity, doesn't she? But she still stays by Tang Song's side and even protects him. We have asked her to return to the Fang family many times, but she has never come back. In fact, after we arrived in Beicheng, we have never been able to sit down and have a meal peacefully."
Upon hearing this, even Mr. Fang was uncertain.
An eerie silence fell over the basement.
Meanwhile, the mental hospital was in complete chaos.
Fang Ling squatted in a corner outside the building, her hospital gown covered in mud and dust, one foot bare and the other wearing a disposable hospital slipper.
Several irritated voices came from not far away.
"Quick, quick! Go check over there, see if they've run to the garden."
"This is so annoying! Isn't this person a celebrity? He earns so much money every day, how come he still owes hospital bills? And now he's running around, adding to the workload!"
"Stop complaining, hurry up and go look for him. The hospital director said to send him back to the Fang family, but he got lost before he even left the hospital. This is definitely a medical malpractice case!"
"Tsk, I got it."
Fang Ling shrank even smaller, pressed herself tightly against the wall, and dared not breathe too loudly.
The walls were cold and hard in the winter, and she was only wearing a thin hospital gown, which made her scalp tingle from the cold.
The chaotic footsteps faded into the distance, and Fang Ling, unable to wait to get up, hurriedly ran towards the back door.
She knew that the Fang family had abandoned her.
She can only save herself.
She didn't know what Tang Song had done to her. Her memories were in a mess. Whenever she tried to sort out those memories, she felt excruciating pain, as if she were being torn apart.
She cannot control her body or the words she speaks; she acts like a madwoman, behaving in ways that are incomprehensible to ordinary people, and modern medicine cannot cure her.
This feeling is terrifying.
The fear of the unknown made it impossible for her to stay in the mental hospital with peace of mind; she had to find a way to make herself normal.
Fang Ling had just managed to climb over the back wall of the hospital when she suddenly felt a burning force on her waist.
She trembled with fear and resisted with all her might.
A familiar voice rang in her ear, "Don't be afraid, it's me."
Fang Ling was stunned for a moment, then slowly turned her head and met Fang Ming's dark gaze. Her eyes immediately reddened.
She opened her lips, but no sound came out.
Fang Ming's expression was calm, firm, and reliable. "I'll take you home."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Ling's eyes welled up with tears.
Fighting the pain in her head, she spoke in a hoarse voice, "Brother..."
Fang Ming's eyes darkened, and he didn't respond, but tightened his grip on her waist.
He glanced at Fang Ling's feet, which were red from the cold, took off his coat, and wrapped it around her.
Fang Ming took her back to the apartment he rented outside.
After the Fang Group went bankrupt, all of the Fang family's assets were forcibly confiscated to pay off debts. He even had to shamelessly borrow money from his former friends to pay for the rent.
Fang Ling looked at the simple room and then shifted her gaze to Fang Ming.
Fang Ming briefly explained what had happened outside during her time in the hospital.
After listening, Fang Ling nodded quietly, took the cheap towel Fang Ming gave her, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
The room, which had an unobstructed view, contained only a bed.
The two spent the night in the same bed, with two separate blankets, clearly distinct from each other.
Fang Ling felt awkward, but she still tried to convince herself that the current situation was not good and that she should just bear with it.
After Fang Ling fell asleep, Fang Ming turned to his side, his dark eyes fixed on her face.
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