Chapter 30 The wound on the lip is absolutely...
Chapter 30
Chu Xingli had just changed into her own clothes and was preparing to leave the hospital to support her cousin at his nightclub.
As soon as I closed the ward door, I could hear Bao Keming's voice coming from Sister Lu's ward next door.
And Lu Yunxin's awkward response, which sounded like she was completely drained by Bao Keming's speech.
Bao Keming almost broke down in tears: "My son kept hugging my leg this morning, saying, 'Daddy, can you take me out to play?' It took so much determination for me to leave him at home."
Lu Yunxin replied dryly, "Ah, really? Ha, ha, ha..."
Bao Keming, oblivious to the subtle differences in their expressions, said, "If my son came, Sister Lu, you would definitely adore him. You have no idea how adorable he is."
Lu Yunxin smiled and changed the subject: "I'm going to see Xingli later, do you want to come with me?"
She knew that Bao Keming was intimidated by Chu Xingli, and wanted to use this method to get rid of him.
Seeing the injustice, Chu Xingli immediately raised his hand and knocked on the ward door, taking the initiative to rescue Sister Lu.
He did this for his own sake.
Given Bao Keming's pretentious nature, once he came to the hospital, he would definitely announce it to everyone, saying that he had visited two friends who were hospitalized due to poisoning.
Chu Xingli knew that he couldn't escape his relentless bombardment no matter what.
Besides, I have to go out in a little while, so I won't have time to answer Bao Keming's call or deal with his visit.
"Come in." Lu Yunxin heard the knocking.
With permission, Chu Xingli turned the doorknob and went inside.
"Sister Lu." Chu Xingli greeted Lu Yunxin with a smile.
His gaze fell on the other people in the ward, and he nodded slightly to them.
Bao Keming and Qiao Manyun, Zhao Anyu sitting next to Qiao Manyun, and Chen Xuanqi chatting quietly with Ding Siying.
Chu Xingli didn't miss the slightly guilty look in Qiao Manyun's eyes whenever she saw him.
"Oh dear, Xingli," Lu Yunxin immediately noticed the tiny cut on Chu Xingli's lip, "How did your lip get cut?"
Chu Xingli always presented a glamorous image to the public, so any slight change on her flawless face would easily attract attention.
Moreover, it's a wound.
A wound that could appear in such a private location.
There is only one possibility.
Lu Yunxin could barely hold back her laughter.
It seems this poisoning incident has really strengthened the bond between the young couple.
Chu Xingli suddenly realized the injury on the corner of her lip and felt a little embarrassed. She hurriedly made up a lame excuse: "I accidentally bit it while I was eating breakfast."
Lu Yunxin's face was filled with an expression that said, "I don't believe it."
Chu Xingli shrugged and smiled helplessly.
Chen Xuanqi and Zhao Anyu ostensibly agreed to visit Lu Yunxin together, but in reality, they both set their sights on Chu Xingli's ward next door.
He just wanted to use the opportunity of talking to Lu Yunxin to find out what the neighbors were saying and how they were doing.
If Chu Xingli was in a good mood, the two of them planned to sneak over later and try to get closer to him.
Unexpectedly, Chu Xingli arrived directly, which surprised Chen Xuanqi and Zhao Anyu.
As soon as she entered Lu Yunxin's hospital room, Chen Xuanqi asked Lu Yunxin if she could do a live stream for her fans there.
Lu Yunxin knew that Chen Xuanqi and Zhao Anyu were young and were in dire need of traffic, so she didn't make things difficult for them and nodded in agreement.
When Chen Xuanqi saw Chu Xingli walk in, her eyes lit up.
She secretly switched the live stream to the rear camera of her phone, so that everyone could see Chu Xingli standing at the foot of the bed talking to Lu Yunxin.
[Well done! Haha, you totally understand what everyone wants to see!]
[Oh my god, my wife~ Hehe~ Hugs to my wife~]
[The person who fell asleep after watching his wife's live stream last night woke up this morning to find his wife there again, feeling incredibly happy.]
[Can anyone tell me how I got the chapped skin on my lip?]
I bet a cup of milk tea that Ranzi bit into it (doge)
[Could it be from a tongue piercing? That's so suggestive!]
[Were they this violent when they did it? (His face turned yellow)]
"Xingli, where are you going to have fun dressed up like this?" Lu Yunxin assumed that he was going on a date with Luo Xiaoran after being discharged from the hospital today, so she asked without much thought.
There was a hint of gossipy excitement in his tone.
"I'm going to a newly opened nightclub," Chu Xingli blurted out, then quickly added, "to see my brother."
Qiao Manyun suddenly felt nervous for no reason.
She knew that Chu Xingli had several older brothers, but she wondered which brother he was going to visit later.
If it were Nie Zi'an...
Qiao Manyun awkwardly tucked her hair back, pretending to casually continue listening to Chu Xingli's next words.
Lu Yunxin smiled and said, "I understand, I understand. Just be low-key when you two go, remember to bring hats and sunglasses so you don't get surrounded. Have a great time!"
“Sister Lu, I’m going by myself, Luo Xiaoran isn’t with me, and I’m not going to a nightclub, I’m going to support my brother,” Chu Xingli’s explanation sounded weak, “It’s the opening of his new store.”
After Chu Xingli finished speaking, he himself felt that his statement sounded like a cover-up to others.
[Brother Ranzi! Come quick! Your wife's going clubbing!!!]
[lhh, is it possible that Ranzi was punishing his wife by hugging her because he couldn't stop her from going to nightclubs?]
[Where did Ranzi go? Why is he here with only Hugs to see Sister Lu today?]
[I want more of this kind of punishment, I love watching it (rubbing hands)]
[It seems that Baobao is quite accepting of being Ranzi's wife; she agreed without even thinking about it, haha.]
Lu Yunxin glanced at Chen Xuanqi's screen, then turned her phone towards Chu Xingli.
"Sweetie, look for yourself, does anyone believe that?"
Chu Xingli: "..."
Bao Keming came here today because his parents told him to; otherwise, he would never have made the difficult decision to come to the hospital to see Chu Xingli and Lu Yunxin.
But since he was already there, he decided to make the most of it before he left.
Before Chu Xingli entered the house, Bao Keming had already shown everyone in the house his son's handsome photos.
Now that Chu Xingli has arrived, he won't let him off the hook as usual.
“Xingli, do you want to see how cute my son looks riding a pony?” Bao Keming asked.
"Let's not." These were the first words Qiao Manyun uttered in the hospital room.
As she spoke, she even reached out to pull Bao Keming's arm, preventing him from showing Chu Xingli the child's photos.
Bao Keming was so eager to have a son that he paid no heed to Qiao Manyun's objections.
Seeing Chu Xingli turn his head to look, he quickly and happily opened a high-definition photo of his son facing the camera.
The instant my gaze fell on the screen.
Chu Xingli was stunned for a moment.
This child looks just like Bao Keming...
"They look exactly alike! Don't they look exactly alike?!" Bao Keming laughed heartily as he asked Chu Xingli, "My son looks just like me! He perfectly inherited my good looks!"
Chu Xingli couldn't bear to discourage him, so after a long silence, she nodded with difficulty, meeting Bao Keming's expectant gaze.
"You have good taste!" Bao Keming wished he could jump up on the spot and give Chu Xingli a brotherly hug to thank him for his recognition.
"I'll share some photos of my son with you! You can look at them when you're bored!"
Just as Chu Xingli was about to say no, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
One after another.
Looks like you've sent quite a few.
Chu Xingli: "..."
Why did I see the words "hesitant to speak" on Bao Bao's face?
[Hug: It turns out that providing emotional value to others is such a difficult thing.]
[Haha, I guess it's because the child looks like the mother and not at all like Bao Keming, but I didn't want to hurt Bao Keming by hugging him, so I didn't say anything.]
But why do I feel like the expression on Bao Bao's face is saying that the child not only doesn't look like Bao Keming, but isn't even Bao Keming's at all...?
[I wouldn't dare talk nonsense, haha, this is Bao Keming's life!]
*
After chatting with Sister Lu in her hospital room for a while, Chu Xingli really didn't want to see Bao Keming's unruly child anymore, so she made an excuse to leave.
At the same time, they successfully escaped the potential entanglement of Bao Keming, Zhao Anyu, and Chen Xuanqi.
He closed the door to Sister Lu's ward and was about to turn around and walk towards the elevator when he heard someone call his name.
"Xing Li".
Chu Xingli turned around and saw a slender figure standing against the wall of the corridor, fully armed with a hat and mask.
It's Lin Ning.
"Ah, Ningning, you're here," Chu Xingli rubbed her temples in annoyance. "My memory is terrible."
He received a text message from Lin Ning yesterday, saying that she would come to the hospital to see him this morning and also to talk about the matter they had arranged to meet at the coffee shop.
As Chu Xingli opened the ward door, she took out her phone to send a message to her cousin, telling him that she might be a little late.
Nie Zian quickly replied to him, saying that everything was fine and there was still plenty of time.
"Ningning, please sit down first, I'll get you some water."
Chu Xingli has been well taken care of by Luo Xiaoran these past few days.
He even had to walk around in circles before he finally found the kettle, thanks to Lin Ning's reminder.
"Zhu Ji and I are most likely getting a divorce," Lin Ning said bluntly after drinking a glass of warm water.
Chu Xingli peeled an apple for Lin Ning, just like Luo Xiaoran had been doing the past two days, and asked, "Why? I feel that although there are some frictions between you two, they're not major issues. Did he commit some fundamental mistake?"
Lin Ning took the apple core that Chu Xingli had peeled, picked out the parts with flesh that still remained, and took two bites. She said bitterly, "Actually, it's because of his father."
Chu Xingli wiped his hands, sat up straight, and listened attentively.
“According to Zhu Ji’s father, Zhu Ji’s mother betrayed him and chose to run back to her own country, never to see him again,” Lin Ning said with a faint sneer. “But based on my observations and Zhu Ji’s few memories of his mother, his father is lying.”
Chu Xingli believed Lin Ning's judgment: "Zhu Ji's father is very abnormal?"
“Yes, like most men, he can’t see his own problems and always tends to shift the blame to his weaker partner, while he naturally hides from the gossip and criticism of his partner,” Lin Ning said calmly.
Chu Xingli couldn't help but ask curiously, "What does Zhu Ji's father do?"
Lin Ning replied, "His father is a businessman."
"Before I met Zhu Ji, I had never heard of any businessmen in the industry with the same surname?" Chu Xingli tried to recall, but still couldn't find any useful information in her mind. "What's his name?"
Lin Ning explained to Chu Xingli: "Zhu Junzhong's net worth is probably in the tens of billions, so as a big boss, he is quite arrogant."
"How can a small business owner with a net worth of tens of billions be so confident?" Chu Xingli expressed his genuine doubt.
Lin Ning: "..."
"For ordinary people, this is probably quite a lot of wealth?" Lin Ning was both amused and exasperated by her friend, whose strength was unknown but who seemed to grow stronger when facing stronger opponents.
“Xingli, you might not believe it,” Lin Ning said, her hands trembling slightly, “Zhu Junzhong even threatened me with Zhu Ji’s hand in order to make me leave his son.”
Chu Xingli was somewhat bewildered.
If Zhu Junzhong wanted to harm Lin Ning, he should have threatened her with Lin Ning's safety, not with Zhu Ji's hand.
Could he be a pervert?
Lin Ning knew that Chu Xingli didn't distrust her, but rather that her description of Zhu Junzhong was too outrageous.
If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't have believed that a biological father could do such a thing.
“Zhu Junzhong said that with my family background, there is no way I can help Zhu Ji’s future,” Lin Ning said calmly, as if she were describing someone else’s situation, “and I would only hold Zhu Ji back.”
Chu Xingli immediately thought of those melodramatic romance novels about wealthy families she had read: "He gives you money to leave his son?"
“He didn’t give me any money,” Lin Ning said with pride. “I don’t care about his money either. All I want is for Zhu Ji to be healthy and safe with me. We’ve known each other since we were seventeen. Back then, he wasn’t like he is now. He never argued with me.”
People change. Chu Xingli thought to herself.
“We had just finished picking mushrooms that day when Zhu Junzhong called me and gave me an ultimatum,” Lin Ning said.
Chu Xingli remembers.
Lin Ning walked away with the phone, her face pale. It must have been around that time that she received the threatening call from Zhu Junzhong.
“If I don’t separate from Zhu Ji, he can pretend he never raised this son,” Lin Ning reached out and took off the little pom-pom from her sleeve. “He will have someone destroy both of our hands, so we can forget about playing the piano and painting, or anything.”
Protecting your own life, health, and safety is the most important thing.
Chu Xingli already had a general idea of how to persuade Lin Ning.
"Besides his father interfering, is there also some conflict between you and Zhu Ji?" Chu Xingli considered Lin Ning a good friend and spoke her mind freely. "He seems to argue with you often?"
Arguing is bad for your health. A man who doesn't care about his partner's health and only cares about winning the argument is not worth having.
“Yes, he’s been brainwashed by Zhu Junzhong,” Lin Ning said. “So sometimes when Zhu Junzhong is playing the victim, he feels sorry for his father and sometimes actually believes the evidence Zhu Junzhong presents of his mother’s betrayal. Then he worries that I might end up like his mother and abandon him.”
Chu Xingli could vaguely understand Zhu Ji's feelings after being immersed in distorted values for a long time, and the fact that Zhu Ji had not completely turned to evil was a sign that there was still hope for him.
All of this stems from the fact that his life has always been controlled by his father, without anyone with the right values to guide him.
Chu Xingli sorted out her thoughts.
"After being purified by Xiao Ran that day," Lin Ning said, still unable to suppress a smile, "I really changed a lot when I got home. Xiao Ran is really amazing."
Hearing Lin Ning praising Luo Xiaoran, Chu Xingli inexplicably felt her mood suddenly improve.
Coming to my senses, I was surprised by my own reaction.
...People are praising Luo Xiaoran, why is he so happy?
Lin Ning's tone remained gentle and soft. Seeing Chu Xingli's dazed expression, she smiled again: "Xingli, what is it that made you and Xiao Ran want to break up? You and Xiao Ran both have such good personalities, you shouldn't have the same kind of conflict as Zhu Ji and me."
Chu Xingli choked for a moment, unsure how to answer Lin Ning.
Seeing his predicament, Lin Ning took the initiative to change the subject, no longer waiting for Chu Xingli to answer her question.
"Zhu Junzhong ordered us to get a divorce when this show ends." Lin Ning was extremely reluctant, but he didn't dare to gamble with Zhu Ji's hand and career.
"Does he really dare to ruin his son's hand?" Chu Xingli was skeptical of Zhu Junzhong's words.
Lin Ning nodded: "At first, he might have just been bluffing, but later I found that he seemed to have become a real mental patient, and there was a high probability that he would do something to harm his own child just to satisfy his own desires."
“Compared to Zhu Junzhong,” Lin Ning said firmly, “I love Zhu Ji more.”
Zhu Junzhong only cared about the halo and prestige that Zhu Ji brought him; whether his son was happy or not was not a concern for him.
He only wanted Zhu Ji to obey, as if doing so could make up for the trauma he imagined Zhu Ji's mother had caused him.
“So this show was my way of saying goodbye to Zhu Ji, but…” Lin Ning placed her hand on her stomach, her voice soft and low, “I’m pregnant.”
***
When Chu Xingli arrived at Oxygen Club, Nie Zian had already drunk quite a bit, perhaps because he was reminded of something sad.
As soon as Chu Xingli pushed open the door to the private room, she was hit by a strong smell of alcohol.
"Hey? Xingli, you're here~" When Nie Zian saw Chu Xingli come in, he immediately struggled to get up from the sofa and staggered over to greet her.
"You should sit down," Chu Xingli helped her cousin steady himself, pressed him back onto the sofa to continue reclining, and gestured to the waiter with her chin, "Warm water."
The waiter hurried to prepare.
Chu Xingli would still occasionally recall Lin Ning's hand pressed against her stomach, her face blank with shock.
What he didn't expect was that Zhu Ji would grow up in such an environment.
It's already quite rare for someone to have such a cocky and friendly personality.
As Lin Ning's friend, he was determined to help her through this difficult time.
Nie Zian naturally had no idea what Chu Xingli was thinking.
After drinking some warm water, he finally became a little more sober.
He got up again and patted Chu Xingli on the shoulder: "Then...then from now on, you help your brother check things out carefully. If there's anything you're not satisfied with or don't like, just say it."
Chu Xingli asked, puzzled, "What are you checking?"
“I told you before that I wanted to invest in Luo Xiaoran’s movie, but then I realized I didn’t need it, so I decided to use the money to do something else,” Nie Zian pointed outside the private room, “so I set up an entertainment company to support some fresh blood to venture into the domestic entertainment industry.”
Chu Xingli glanced towards the door after him, but saw nothing: "Fresh blood?"
“They’re male models. These are real male models, the kind who walk the runway regularly. They’re quite professional,” Nie Zian said confidently to Chu Xingli, patting his chest. “My brother personally interviewed them when they came to apply.”
Chu Xingli dared not touch the alcohol. She picked up a glass of juice, took a sip, and smiled at Nie Zi'an: "Brother, if you're so confident, why did you ask me to come and check things out?"
Nie Zian drank another glass of wine and laughed, "You have a great sense of fashion. I'll just be a stray dog who pays for things."
As the two were talking, the waiter opened the door, and a group of young men with an average height of 185cm or more walked in.
They all have broad shoulders, narrow waists, and nine-head proportions, making them incredibly well-proportioned.
"Hello, Mr. Nie! Hello, Mr. Chu!"
A dozen or so men in their prime, full of energy, shouted at the same time, and the volume was quite loud.
Chu Xingli was so shocked that she tilted her head to the side, her head buzzing.
Nie Zi'an leaned close to his younger brother's ear and whispered, pointing to a few people as he did so: "I think these five are better. What do you think? We can let them showcase their talents before deciding whether the company should promote them."
Chu Xingli disliked the dazzling lights in the private room, so she had the lights adjusted to a fixed setting so she could clearly see the faces of the row of men standing in front of her.
None of them can compare to Luo Xiaoran. Chu Xingli thought to herself.
Realizing what he was thinking, he was so startled that he coughed and quickly picked up his water glass to take a sip to cover his embarrassment.
……etc.
Chu Xingli's gaze fell on the face of the third-to-last man in the line.
His expression turned slightly stern.
Could it really be such a coincidence?
Chu Xingli raised his hand and pointed:
"you."
The male model was flattered when Chu Xingli called him out.
After looking around, he still pointed to himself with one finger with some uncertainty, and tentatively looked at Chu Xingli: "...President Chu, me, me?"
Chu Xingli has a lot of patience.
While the male model next to him was secretly resenting his lucky colleague for not appreciating the opportunity, Chu Xingli didn't urge him. Instead, she simply placed her slender hands on her knees and quietly watched him.
"right."
Chu Xingli spoke softly, but everyone in the private room held their breath, waiting for his every instruction.
Therefore, everyone could hear every sound Chu Xingli made clearly.
"You may all leave."
The group of male models glared resentfully at the lucky one who remained, and reluctantly but without daring to disobey, replied, "Yes, Mr. Chu."
Nie Zian was drunk again after that glass of wine. He grabbed Chu Xingli's arm and struggled to sit up from the sofa.
Seeing that Chu Xingli had only kept one person and had kicked the rest out, he couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Eh? Xingli, why... why did you all..."
He didn't finish his sentence because he noticed that Chu Xingli was looking down and fiddling with his phone.
We must not disturb Chu Xingli's work.
After a moment, Chu Xingli looked up again and asked, "What's your name?"
The male model squatted down beside the sofa, waiting for Chu Xingli to give instructions.
Upon hearing his boss ask him a question, he quickly replied, "President Chu, my name is Zhao Changwei, and I am twenty-four years old."
They're quite sensible; they know to state their age.
Chu Xingli narrowed his eyes.
When did you start in this line of work?
Zhao Changwei quickly replied, "President Chu, I stopped studying a long time ago. I started working at the age of eighteen to earn money to support my family. My parents are seriously ill, and I also have a younger sister who is still in school. I really need this job."
Chu Xingli: "..."
"Have you ever thought about quitting this line of work?" Chu Xingli asked.
Nie Zi'an felt that the questions his younger brother was asking were a bit dangerous.
It looked like they were about to save Feng Chen.
He shook his head, trying to shake off the effects of the alcohol.
Then, grasping Chu Xingli's hand, she earnestly advised, "Xingli, you mustn't go astray."
Although his club is as legitimate as it gets, there's a fear that it might not be able to prevent unscrupulous people from trying to climb the social ladder by currying favor with the powerful.
Chu Xingli is married. Even though he's facing divorce, he and Luo Xiaoran haven't received their divorce certificate yet. But please, don't...
“Brother, you’re overthinking it,” Chu Xingli said, speechless at his cousin’s wild imagination. “I would never do anything to betray Luo Xiaoran.”
After speaking, Chu Xingli fell silent again.
In the past two days, many people around him have been telling him how well-matched he and Luo Xiaoran are, and how they shouldn't have divorced, which has subtly distorted Chu Xingli's thinking.
Occasionally, the thought of the two of them going their separate ways after receiving the divorce certificate makes her feel a little uneasy.
Putting aside the images of Luo Xiaoran, Chu Xingli sorted out her thoughts.
I found a photo in my phone's album.
He is the son of Bao Keming.
"Have you seen him?" Chu Xingli asked Zhao Changwei.
Zhao Changwei shook his head, but hesitated for a moment: "...Looks very familiar."
Chu Xingli examined Zhao Changwei's features again.
He thought to himself, "Doesn't this look familiar?"
“Brother,” Chu Xingli pointed her phone screen toward Nie Zian, “don’t you think…”
He slowly moved his phone, bringing the photo on the screen close to Zhao Changwei's face, and looked at Nie Zi'an, seeking his opinion:
"This child looks more like him?"
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