Chapter 61
◎Calling for wife when having a high fever◎
There is a courtyard house in Huaiyi Lane in the east of the city. Two stone lions stand in front of the gate, and the plaque above the gate simply reads the four numbers 1918.
At first glance, it looks like a cultural relic site that is not open to the public, but it is actually a high-end club.
This courtyard house was originally built in the late Qing Dynasty. It is a five-courtyard complex with side courtyards and a garden. After more than a hundred years of weathering and changing hands several times, it finally came into the hands of Zhou Tingxu, the eldest son of the Zhou family.
Zhou Tingxu carried out sweeping renovations, transforming the traditional courtyard house into an elegant high-end clubhouse. In addition to their own circle of friends holding private gatherings, it is also open to the public, albeit on a members-only basis.
Although there was no name written on the door of the club, people in the circle called it Tingfeng Pavilion.
Today, a group of young men from Beijing's elite circles have gathered at Tingfeng Pavilion. Zhao Jinfan and He Lin are hosting this gathering to celebrate the upcoming release of their new movie.
Several of the film's main actors were invited, along with a few top-tier actresses in their early twenties, all of whom were fair-skinned and beautiful.
Zhou Tingxu, the owner of the club, did not come. He had been transferred to the Eastern Military Region and had rarely returned to Beijing in the past two years.
His club was handed over to his younger brother, Zhou Jinghong, to manage.
Of Zhao Jinfan's childhood friends, only Fu Zhenhe didn't come; Sheng Han and Huo Ci all did.
Zhou Jinghong and Zhong Qi also came. Although Zhou Jinghong did not invest, the filming location was rented from his place.
Zhongqi's Taihe Cinema started promoting this movie half a year ago and allocated all of its prime time slots during the May Day holiday to it.
If the movie becomes a hit, he'll get a share of the profits.
The other people who didn't participate, such as Huo Junhou, Zhao Yue, and He Jingyang, were also present.
Huo Junhou is Huo Ci's cousin, He Jingyang and He Lin are also cousins, and Zhao Yue and He Jingyang are childhood friends. They are all related.
In the main hall, a group of people were having a lively time, some smoking, some drinking, and some playing cards.
Zhao Jinfan and He Lin, one as the producer and the other as the producer and director, are the top figures in this film. At this moment, the two are sitting in the tea room, drinking tea and talking about capital operations.
Just as Zhao Jinfan and He Lin were having a lively conversation, Zhao Jinfan's assistant walked up to him and bowed to report: "Mr. Zhao, He Qingzhao has arrived."
Zhao Jinfan put down his teacup and said coldly, "Let him in."
He Lin realized something was wrong and turned to look at He Jingyang, only to see him playing a game with a male actor.
He Lin stood up and walked to He Jingyang's side, intending to ask him to go out and stop He Qingzhao from coming.
However, before he could give any instructions, He Qingzhao had already walked in.
He Qingzhao always loved wearing white clothes, but today he was dressed in all black: a black shirt, a black suit, and even a black tie.
He Qingzhao walked into the house with a stern expression, carrying an iron rod as thick as a child's arm.
As soon as he entered the room, everyone looked at him.
The music stopped, and so did the laughter and chatter.
Zhao Jinfan did not stand up, but remained sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
He Qingzhao didn't look at anyone, walked straight up to Zhao Jinfan, and said to Zhao Jinfan, "I'd like to trouble Fourth Brother to clear the area."
Zhao Jinfan is the fourth among the boys of his generation in the Zhao family, and is respectfully called Fourth Brother in the industry.
Upon hearing He Qingzhao's words, Zhao Jinfan coldly curled his lip and said with a forced smile, "We're all on the same side, Young Master He, please speak your mind. There's no need for us brothers to leave."
Even so, He Lin still let the actors leave, leaving only a few of them from the industry.
He Qingzhao bent down on one knee and handed the iron rod to Zhao Jinfan.
Zhao Jinfan's smile grew even colder: "What does Young Master He mean by this?"
He Qingzhao: "The wedding is canceled."
Zhao Jinfan placed the teacup on the table, picked up the iron rod in his hand, and casually weighed it in his hand: "Not bad, it's solid."
He Qingzhao arched his back and squatted down in front of Zhao Jinfan.
Zhao Jinfan stood up, carrying the iron rod: "Let's go out. It'll be hard to clean up if the room gets dirty."
backyard.
With a bang—
Zhao Jinfan struck He Qingzhao on the back with a stick, causing He Qingzhao to stagger. He gritted his teeth and steadied himself.
He Jingyang, who had chased after them, shouted, "Brother! Big brother!"
He rushed forward to try to stop him, but He Lin quickly pulled him back.
He Jingyang pushed He Lin forcefully, saying, "Brother Lin, don't stop me."
Zhong Qi also pulled He Jingyang back and advised him, "If you really care about your older brother, then let him take this beating."
No one else spoke; they stood silently to the side and watched.
Zhao Jinfan raised the iron rod high and struck He Qingzhao on the back again.
He Qingzhao staggered and reached out to steady himself against a straight pine tree in the courtyard.
Zhao Jinfan raised the iron rod high again, and the third strike hit He Qingzhao in the back of the knee.
He Qingzhao finally lost his balance, his back bent, and he knelt down on one knee.
"Big brother!"
He Jingyang was heartbroken and ran to He Qingzhao's side, putting his arm around his shoulder to help him up.
He Qingzhao pressed his tongue against his teeth and pushed He Jingyang away with his hand: "Get out of the way."
Zhao Jinfan smirked and laughed, "I thought Young Master He's bones were harder than iron, but it turns out he can kneel too."
He Qingzhao stood up, this time without even leaning on a tree, standing ramrod straight.
Zhao Jinfan dropped the stick and kicked him directly in the waist.
He Qingzhao's waist and abdomen were covered with cuts from broken porcelain shards. He groaned as he was kicked, but gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
Zhao Jinfan kicked him again and again, repeatedly kicking him, and then punched him in the stomach.
He Qingzhao gritted his teeth so hard from the beating that they broke his cheek and drew blood, but he stubbornly swallowed the blood.
He Jingyang couldn't stand it any longer. He rushed over and hugged He Qingzhao, his eyes red as he said to Zhao Jinfan, "Zhao Jinfan, who do you think you are? You're more cunning than anyone else, and you have the nerve to hit me..."
He Qingzhao roared in a deep voice, "He Jingyang!" He patted He Jingyang on the shoulder, "Don't worry about my business, go back."
At that moment, He Zongxun walked over with an imposing air, dressed in military uniform. His military boots made a steady and cold sound as they stepped on the ground, which was awe-inspiring.
He Zongxun took a day off yesterday and flew to Haicheng this morning. He originally planned to stay in Haicheng for two days before returning to Beijing, but when he arrived in Haicheng, he learned from Song Wenyi that his elder brother's wedding with Zhao Qingman had been canceled.
He returned to Beijing this afternoon, and without even going home, he rushed to Tingfeng Pavilion.
"If President Zhao is still not satisfied, I'll take the blame for him." As he spoke, He Zongxun took off his military uniform, revealing his muscular physique as he stood in front of Zhao Jinfan shirtless.
Zhao Jinfan, thirty-nine years old, had long lost his muscles due to his indulgence in alcohol and women, and now had a large, loose mass of fat on his stomach. When he saw He Zongxun with his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and eight-pack abs, he was so angry that he laughed: "Are you showing off your body to me, you bastard?"
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Zhong Qi quickly stepped in to smooth things over, smiling as he pulled Zhao Jinfan aside: "Fourth Brother, don't be angry. When he gets to your age, he'll go from having eight-pack abs to one."
Zhao Jinfan laughed and cursed, "Get lost! What do you mean by 'my age'? I'm in my prime!"
Zhong Qizhi nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, a man is in his prime at forty, and Fourth Brother is at the most vibrant age."
Zhao Jinfan stopped smiling, picked up the stick and hit He Qingzhao twice more: "Qingman is my own sister. My father passed away early, and I am thirteen years older than her. As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father. My sister has been wronged here, and as her brother, I can't not stand up for her."
He Qingzhao: "Of course."
Zhao Jinfan slammed the iron rod down on He Qingzhao's body, shouting angrily, "He Qingzhao, this beating is for your shamelessness, get out!"
He Qingzhao nodded to Zhao Jinfan: "Thank you for showing mercy, Fourth Brother."
As soon as He Qingzhao stepped out of Tingfeng Pavilion, he could no longer hold on and knelt down, supporting himself on the stone lion with one hand.
His knee slammed into the blue brick floor, making a crisp sound of bones colliding.
He Zongxun and He Jingyang, the two brothers, ran out one after the other.
The two men supported He Qingzhao on either side. He Zongxun was both angry and worried, and he shouted angrily, "He Qingzhao, have you lost your mind? You were the one who promised to marry Zhao Qingman, and now you're the one who broke the promise. Do you think this matter is over just because you got beaten up by Zhao Jinfan?"
He Jingyang had tears in his eyes and his voice was nasal: "Second brother, don't say anything more. Help eldest brother into the car first and take him to the hospital quickly."
He Qingzhao: "Send me back to Nanyuan."
He Jingyang asked, "Is his name Dr. Gu?"
Gu Xiwen is He Qingzhao's private physician and a surgical expert at Mingde Hospital, commonly known as a surgical master.
He Qingzhao didn't speak, but closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
He Zongxun drove, while He Jingyang sat in the back seat taking care of He Qingzhao.
Back at Nanyuan, He Qingzhao didn't call Gu Xiwen or any other doctors. Instead, she went inside and changed her clothes, still all in black.
He came out of the bedroom and said calmly, "Take me to Secretary He's place."
He Zongxun looked at him coldly: "He Qingzhao, are you just being stubborn, or do you really not want to live anymore?"
He Qingzhao lifted his eyelids and said in a nonchalant tone, "This is my own business, you don't need to worry about it."
He Zongxun grabbed his collar and pulled him outwards with force, causing the black buttons to scatter all over the ground with a clatter.
He Qingzhao's black shirt was open, revealing his strong and muscular chest. There were no wounds on his chest, but his waist and abdomen below his chest were torn open and covered in blood.
He Jingyang burst into tears: "Big brother, what happened to the injury on your waist and abdomen?"
He Qingzhao pulled his shirt over his shoulder to cover himself: "It's nothing."
He Jingyang wanted to pull down his shirt to see his back, but He Qingzhao pushed him away: "You two go back."
He Zongxun instructed He Jingyang: "Keep a close eye on him."
He walked to the side and called Gu Xiwen, asking Gu Xiwen to come over.
An hour later, Gu Xiwen arrived. After seeing He Qingzhao's condition, he was so angry that he scolded him and forcibly took him to the hospital for treatment.
At midnight, He Qingzhao developed a high fever. His brows were furrowed, and his blood-red lips opened and closed, calling out "Baby" one moment and "Momo" the next. Suddenly, he shouted "Wife!"
He Zongxun called Gu Xiwen to give him fever-reducing medicine, then stood up and walked out.
He called Zhong Qi: "Do you know that girl's phone number?"
Zhong Qi had just fallen asleep and wasn't quite settled when the phone rang, waking him up. Annoyed, he asked, "Who is it?"
He Zongxun: "Do you have the phone number of the girl my older brother likes?"
Zhong Qi sat up, regaining his senses: "I definitely don't have it. You know what kind of person your brother is. If I had his woman's phone number, he would kill me."
After saying that, Zhong Qi asked again, "Is Lao He in the hospital?"
He Zongxun: "He had a fever and kept calling out to that girl."
Zhong Qi rubbed his eyes: "He Qingzhao must have her contact information on his phone. You can just use his phone to search for it."
He Zongxun: "I looked, but I couldn't find it."
Zhong Qi suggested, "I remember he hasn't been staying at Nanyuan or the group's apartments lately. It seems he's been staying at an apartment near the girls' school. You can ask his private housekeeper for details."
-
Cheng Jiamo looked at the long string of congealed blood spots in front of her. They were red, round spots the size of a fingernail, one after another, stretching from the dining room all the way to the entrance hall and disappearing only at the door.
Looking at the bloodstains for a long time, a red light appeared before her eyes. In the red light, she saw the scene of her father's burial when she was seven years old. It was a hot summer day, a mourning hall with a red and blue plastic canopy, a black and white photo of her father, incense and candles that stung her eyes, and the noisy crying and suona playing. She knelt down and kowtowed amidst the crying and suona playing.
On a rainy evening, she left Lucheng with her mother and took a train to her maternal grandmother's house in Qucheng. Everyone from her grandmother's side of the village surrounded her, men, women, and children, scrutinizing her like they were watching monkeys in a zoo.
Then came the rain in Taekyong. It was a heavy rain, so heavy that it destroyed the banana leaves on both sides of the road.
She fell in the rain and knelt before him.
He appeared before her in a white suit, like a deity, and extended his powerful hand towards her.
He was still wearing a white suit, with a woman in a wedding dress standing close beside him.
As the red light faded, Cheng Jiamo slowly came to her senses.
She slowly stood up, went to the bathroom to get a rag, wiped the bloodstains off the floor, and then cleaned up the broken pieces of porcelain in the kitchen.
After finishing all that, she quickly washed up and went back to her bedroom to sleep. She didn't know if she could fall asleep, but she wanted to sleep, she had to sleep.
Just as Cheng Jiamo was about to fall asleep, she received a call from Ding Qiaoqiao, who asked her where she was.
Cheng Jiamo said calmly, "I'm at my apartment."
Ding Qiaoqiao: "Around 3 a.m., your boyfriend called me and asked if I was in the dorm."
Cheng Jiamo: "I'm fine. I was out with friends and accidentally put my phone on silent, so I didn't answer the call."
Ding Qiaoqiao didn't ask any more questions and said, "I'm glad you're alright, then I'll hang up."
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Jiamo went back to sleep, but she woke up after only a little over an hour and couldn't fall back asleep.
She got up and went out to eat. After eating, she came back and cleaned the house, cleaning the entire place. She was so tired that she lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.
On Monday, after Cheng Jiamo finished her first class, she was about to go to the restroom when she received a call from an unknown number, located in Beijing.
She didn't try to avoid it; she took her phone and went to a secluded corner outside the classroom to answer it: "Hello."
Zhong Qi: "Hello, I'm Zhong Qi, a friend of He Qingzhao. Do you remember me?"
Cheng Jiamo smiled and replied, "Sorry, I don't remember."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Qi knew that the girl still remembered him, and he sighed heavily: "Alas, I'm afraid Old He is no longer able to make it."
Cheng Jiamo was immune to the lies these people told without batting an eye. She didn't even frown and was about to hang up when she heard another deep, resonant male voice: "Don't listen to his nonsense. He Qingzhao is fine, just badly injured. He had a high fever last night. He kept calling your name while he had the fever."
He Zongxun snatched Zhong Qi's phone and explained succinctly, "He went to Zhao Qingman's brother to propose breaking off the engagement and canceling the wedding. He was beaten with an iron rod by her brother and was covered in injuries."
Cheng Jiamo: "That's his business. You don't need to tell me. We've already broken up."
After saying that, she hung up the phone.
He Zongxun returned the phone to Zhong Qi and was about to return to the ward when he turned around and saw Zhong Jin coming out of the ward.
Zhong Jin wiped away her tears and said to He Zongxun, "Please take good care of your older brother for the next few days."
He Zongxun: "Auntie, you're too kind. It's nothing. Don't worry too much. Dr. Gu said that my brother only has minor external injuries and will recover quickly."
"It's all my fault, if it weren't for me..." Zhong Jin covered her mouth and tears streamed down her face.
He Zongxun advised, "Auntie, don't blame yourself. It has nothing to do with you. It was your brother who made a mistake."
Zhong Jin: "No, it's my fault, it's all my fault. I failed to take good care of him when he was young, and I didn't fulfill my responsibilities as a mother. His personality has become like this, and it's all my fault."
He Zongxun didn't say anything more.
Zhong Jin: "I went to see your uncle and found out that He Rong'an used the child to force him to marry Zhao Qingman."
"A child?" He Zongxun frowned. "What do you mean? Does that mean Zhao Qingman is pregnant with my elder brother's child?"
Zhong Jin quickly explained, "No, it's He Rong'an's current wife, Luo Xin, who is pregnant."
"Qingzhao saw the pregnancy test results. You know, Qingzhao has always hated us. He believes that he never received parental love growing up, so he has never allowed He Rong'an to have any more children with me. Once he finds out that Luo Xin is pregnant, Qingzhao will definitely make a scene with He Rong'an."
"As for He Rong'an, I know him very well. He only cares about power and has little affection for his children. I'm sure he deliberately let Qing Zhao see that pregnancy test report. Otherwise, with his meticulous mind, if he wanted to hide it, Qing Zhao would never have known."
"As expected, he admitted it himself. He deliberately put the pregnancy test result on the coffee table and then called Qingzhao to his place under some pretext. He then offered to make Qingzhao marry Zhao Qingman on the condition that she abort the child and get a tubal ligation."
He Zongxun frowned: "My brother is really something, he's punishing himself like this."
Zhong Jin looked miserable: "Yes, he has been torturing himself. He Rong'an has been remarried for more than ten years, and I have let go, but he is the only one who has not gotten over it."
Zhong Qi, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected: "The book says that an unhappy childhood requires a lifetime to heal."
Zhong Jin felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. She turned her face away to wipe her tears, then turned back to ask, "Do you know who the girl he likes is?"
Just as He Zongxun was about to speak, He Qingzhao came out of the ward and said with a stern face, "None of you are allowed to disturb her."
Zhong Jin turned around, tears welling in her eyes: "Qingzhao, Mom wants to..."
He Qingzhao said coldly, "Go back. You don't need to worry about my affairs."
Zhong Jin covered her mouth and turned to leave.
He Qingzhao glanced at He Zongxun: "You should all go back too. Nobody should go looking for her."
He Zongxun turned and left.
Zhong Qi didn't leave immediately. After He Zongxun left, he said, "Old He, if I may not like to say it, it's good that you broke up with that girl. You two weren't a good match."
He Qingzhao's eyes narrowed: "What, you've even learned how to predict marriage?"
Zhong Qi laughed: "I don't have that ability. If I really did, I'd do a divination for myself first. I'm telling you the truth, you two aren't a good match. Someone as aloof, proud, sensitive, and conflicted as you needs a thoughtful yet persistent little sun. But that girl is clearly not like that. She's like the rain in Jiangnan and the snow in the north, a breeze that accidentally drifted into your heart. By forcibly keeping her, you hurt her and you hurt yourself."
He Qingzhao lowered his eyes and remained silent. His already sharp jawline was taut, making him appear even more piercing, like a sharp blade flashing with edge.
He knew, he knew all of this, even if Zhong Qi didn't say it.
But what could he do? He simply loved this girl, as gentle as the misty rain of Jiangnan, and her melancholy eyes that always seemed to carry a hint of sorrow.
No matter how warm other people's kindness is, it can't stir even the slightest ripple in his heart.
Only she, only Cheng Jiamo, could stir up a tsunami in his heart.
He didn't want to think about those inspirational platitudes about whether they complemented each other or not; all he knew was that he liked her, wanted her, and would stop at nothing to get her.
He had told her to wait half a month, but now he didn't want to wait even a second longer. He wanted to see her now, hold her in his arms, kiss her, and have her.
Whether she hates him or is angry, he just wants to truly feel her presence.
He had never wanted anything so desperately, never desired it so intensely. Even a pet he couldn't have as a child—he would have been sad or angry when he lost it, but never wanted it so desperately, so intensely, so painfully.
Cheng Jiamo has now become an obsession for him, so he can't possibly break up with her.
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