Chapter 13: Sleepless Night
The hospital corridor was dimly lit, and the snow outside the window continued to fall silently. This heavy snow had been falling for a long time, and there was no sign of it stopping. Yu Hao hung up the phone and rubbed his swollen temples. He felt a little dizzy from the severe lack of sleep. The call had just been to Lu Chao. The brothers on the team had been fighting for two days and two nights straight, and it was indeed time for them to have a good rest. He put away his phone and turned to walk towards the ward. When he pushed open the door, Luo Xue was already asleep, her small body curled up on the hospital bed, her breathing even and steady. Luo Xin sat quietly in a chair beside the bed, her eyes fixed on Luo Xue. Hearing footsteps, she slowly looked up and saw Yu Hao walking towards her. A hint of tenderness and surprise came into her eyes. When Yu Hao left, she told him to go home and rest, and that she would take care of Luo Xue here. At this moment, she had not expected Yu Hao to come back. "Why didn't you listen to my advice?" Luo Xin stood up slightly, and the chair squeaked against the floor. Yu Hao waved his hand, signaling not to wake Luo Xue. He walked over to her and sat down beside her. His voice was low, "I'll keep an eye on her. You should get some sleep too. You don't have to stay here all the time." Luo Xin smiled and shook her head, gesturing to the folding bed beside her. Her gaze fell on Yu Hao's face. "I'm not sleepy. You, though. Take a nap first." "No, I'm not sleepy either." Luo Xin turned to look at her daughter, her fingertips gently brushing the strands of hair across her forehead, her movements as gentle as if she were touching a piece of precious porcelain. Luo Xue was everything to her. Looking at her, Yu Hao felt a pang of pity. A faint blue had formed under Luo Xin's eyes, but she remained stubbornly silent, refusing to close her eyes. "The doctor said it's nothing serious and she can be discharged tomorrow," he tried to reassure her. Luo Xin nodded, a forced smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, I know." They were silent for a moment. Outside, the snow gently patted the glass, making a subtle rustling sound. "Thank you for today..." Luo Xin suddenly spoke, her voice still soft. "If it weren't for you, I really don't know what I would do." Yu Hao shook his head: "Don't say that." Luo Xin's gaze fell on the side of his face, hesitant to speak. She seemed to have a lot to say, but in the end, she chose silence. Yu Hao also noticed the change in her expression. The heating in the hospital room was sufficient, but the air seemed frozen. Lately, the two of them had often fallen into this state, something that had never happened before. Yu Hao didn't know the reason. He thought back to what happened today at the Golden Coast KTV, the bright lights and feasting scenes...
The hospital corridor was dimly lit, and outside the window, snow continued to fall silently. This heavy snow had been falling for a long time, and there was no sign of it stopping.
Yu Hao hung up the phone and rubbed his swollen temples. Severe sleep deprivation had left him feeling a bit dizzy. The call had just been to Lu Chao. The brothers on the team had been working tirelessly for two days and two nights straight, and it was indeed time for them to get some rest.
He put away his phone and turned to walk towards the ward. When he opened the door, Luo Xue was already asleep, her small body curled up on the bed, her breathing even and steady.
Luo Xin sat quietly on the chair beside the bed, staring at Luo Xue motionlessly. When she heard footsteps, she slowly raised her head and saw Yu Hao walking towards her. A hint of tenderness and surprise appeared in her eyes.
When Yu Hao left, she asked him to go home and rest, and she would take care of Luo Xue. At this time, she did not expect Yu Hao to come back.
"Why don't you listen to my advice?" Luo Xin stood up slightly, and the chair squeaked as it rubbed against the floor.
Yu Hao waved his hand, signaling not to wake Luo Xue. He walked over to her and sat down. He lowered his voice and said, "I'll keep an eye on her. You should get some sleep too. You don't have to stay here all the time."
Luo Xin smiled and shook her head, pointing to the folding bed beside her, her eyes fell on Yu Hao's face: "I'm not sleepy, but you, take a nap first."
"No, I'm not sleepy either."
Luo Xin turned around and looked at his daughter, his fingertips gently brushing the loose hair on her forehead, his movements as gentle as if he was touching a precious piece of porcelain.
Luo Xue is everything to her.
Yu Hao looked at her, a wave of pity welling up in his heart. Luo Xin's eyes were already slightly blue, but she still stubbornly kept her eyes open, refusing to close them.
"The doctor said it's nothing serious and you can be discharged tomorrow." He tried to comfort her.
Luo Xin nodded, forcing a smile: "Yeah, I know."
The two were silent for a while, and the snow outside the window gently hit the glass, making a slight rustling sound.
"Thank you for today." Luo Xin suddenly spoke, his voice still very soft, "If it weren't for you, I really don't know what I would do."
Yu Hao shook his head: "Don't talk about this."
Luo Xin's eyes fell on his profile, hesitant to speak. She seemed to have a lot to say, but in the end, she chose to remain silent.
Yu Hao also noticed the change in her facial expression.
The ward was well heated, but the air seemed frozen.
Recently, the two have often fallen into this situation, which has never happened before.
Yu Hao didn't know why. He thought back to what happened today at the Golden Coast KTV, the bright lights and revelry, the scantily clad hostesses... His fingers unconsciously tightened, then slowly loosened.
He wanted to persuade Luo Xin to leave there and tell her that such a place was not suitable for her, but he swallowed the words back when they came to his lips.
He knew that Luo Xin knew what he was doing better than anyone else.
She chose this job simply to give Luo Xue a better life. If he spoke rashly, it would only embarrass her.
"Today..." He hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject. "Sun Lei is a very special kid."
Mentioning Sun Lei, Luo Xin's eyes softened a little: "Yes, he ran all the way to the hospital just to make sure Xiaoxue was okay."
"Does he usually have much contact with Xiaoxue at school?" Yu Hao sat on the edge of the bed and tucked the corner of the quilt for Luo Xue.
Luo Xin shook her head: "Not much. Xiaoxue said that Sun Yong always likes to be alone and rarely talks to others."
Yu Hao thought of Sun Lei’s obsidian eyes and the look on his face when he said, “She is my only friend,” and his heart tightened slightly.
"This child...it's not easy," he whispered. Actually, he was referring to the fact that Sun Yong had Asperger's syndrome, but Luo Xin didn't know that.
Luo Xin hummed softly, turned his gaze to his daughter, said nothing more, and a gloomy expression appeared on his face again.
The two fell silent again.
*
Late at night, the hospital corridor was particularly long and dark, and the pale light made the walls look bluish.
Yu Hao pushed open the door of the emergency passage, took out a cigarette box from his pocket, and flicked his fingertips lightly, and a cigarette jumped out.
He held the cigarette between his lips, the flame from the lighter dancing in the darkness, illuminating the deep wrinkles between his brows. The smoke swirled in his lungs before slowly exhaling.
Things have been a mess lately—Wang Shun's murder, Luo Xin's attitude towards him, Luo Xue's fainting, the thefts in the village, the rampant thugs...
Everything weighed heavily on his mind.
Yu Hao sat on the steps, letting the smoke envelop him and blend into the darkness. Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the top of the stairs. Yu Hao looked up and saw a familiar figure walking towards him.
Liu Feng.
Yu Hao thought to himself, how strange it is that I met this person twice in one day.
At this time, Liu Feng was holding a thermos in his hand and walking hurriedly.
At that moment, Liu Feng also saw Yu Hao staring at him.
His body visibly stiffened, his eyes flickered, and he even subconsciously took half a step back.
"Liu Feng?" Yu Hao suddenly spoke, his voice particularly clear in the empty stairwell.
Liu Feng paused.
He slowly turned around and forced a smile on his face: "Captain Yu... Captain Yu."
This title made Yu Hao raise his eyebrows.
"Do you know me?" He put out his cigarette on the trash can.
"Zhang Li often mentioned it." Liu Feng's fingers unconsciously stroked the handle of the thermos. "She said that one of your friends who grew up with you became a big police officer." He paused. "I saw you at the crime scene that day."
Liu Feng took the initiative to mention the murder case the day before yesterday. Yu Hao noticed that his eyes were wandering when he spoke.
A faint smell of Chinese medicine wafted out of the thermos, mixed with the unique smell of hospital disinfectant, and permeated between the two people.
"Why are you in the hospital too?" Yu Hao asked casually.
Liu Feng's shoulders tensed slightly. "Ah, it's... it's my mother." His voice trailed off. "She's in the hospital."
"What's wrong? Is it serious?"
Liu Feng's Adam's apple rolled, and he seemed reluctant to continue the topic. But in the end, he murmured, "Stomach cancer, fortunately it's in the early stages."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Yu Hao said sincerely, "Medical technology is advanced now, and the cure rate in the early stages is very high."
"Yeah, that's what the doctor said." Liu Feng forced a smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
He moved as if to leave.
Yu Hao studied his expression, a question lingering in his mind. "Why does he look so strangely nervous? This is clearly different from the relaxed and effortless manner he displayed at the KTV during the day."
Liu Feng looked down at his watch and said, "Well... I have to go give my mother some medicine."
Yu Hao nodded and stepped aside to make way. Liu Feng hurried past him, the scent of Chinese medicine wafting in the air as he moved.
"Liu Feng." Yu Hao suddenly called him.
Liu Feng's back stiffened noticeably, and he turned around slowly: "Anything else?"
"Have you been staying at Uncle Zhang's house recently?"
"Yes." Liu Feng's eyes flickered. "After my mother was hospitalized, I temporarily lived with my father-in-law to make it easier to take care of her."
Yu Hao noticed that when he said this, his left hand unconsciously touched his right wrist, where there was a faint bruise.
"If you need any help, you can contact me." Yu Hao handed over a business card.
Liu Feng hesitated for a moment, but finally took it, his fingertips trembling slightly: "Thank you."
The moment he stretched out his hand, Yu Hao saw the bruise on his wrist, which looked very fresh.
Looking at Liu Feng's hurriedly leaving back, Yu Hao seemed to be thinking about something.
This once shy and honest man now has too many indescribable things hidden in his eyes.
The smell of Chinese medicine, the bruises on my wrists, the evasive attitude...
Each detail is like a puzzle piece, but the resulting picture is blurry.
Yu Hao lit a cigarette again and took a deep breath.
At the end of the hospital corridor, Liu Feng's figure had long disappeared. But the feeling of disobedience lingered in Hao's heart.
*
This night was not peaceful.
In the meeting room of Coast Construction Company, a man was forced to kneel on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. The blood on his forehead had dried and solidified into a dark red scab.
Wang Kun sat at the head seat at the conference table, slowly peeling an orange. The juice from the peel splashed onto his gold ring, giving off a strange luster.
"Tell me again." He bit off a slice of orange, the juice dripping down the corner of his mouth, but he was completely unaware. "What did you tell the police about the fifty thousand yuan?"
The man kneeling on the ground was trembling all over, his voice hoarse: "Wang, Mr. Wang... I really didn't say anything. When the police come, the brothers in the office can testify for me!"
"Oh?" Wang Kun raised his eyebrows, threw the remaining oranges on the table, and clapped his hands. "Do you have any private experience?"
The man looked up in horror, his lips trembling. "I, I... How is it possible?... Wang Shun must have let the cat out of the bag..."
"Wang Shun?" Wang Kun sneered, "A dead man, can still speak?"
He stood up, his leather shoes making crisp sounds on the marble floor.
He walked up to the man and looked down at him, his eyes as cold as if he was looking at an ant.
"I'll ask you one last time." He slowly crouched down, grabbed the man's hair, and forced him to look up. "Who leaked the news?"
The man's pupils contracted violently, tears and snot mixed together, and he looked utterly miserable: "Boss Wang... I really don't know... Please..."
Wang Kun stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly let go of his hand, stood up, and waved to the younger brother beside him: "Continue."
"Yes!" Two strong men immediately stepped forward, picked up the man and dragged him out.
"Mr. Wang! Mr. Wang, please spare me! I really don't know anything--" The man's wailing echoed in the corridor, followed by a scream.
Wang Kun walked back to the window and looked at the snowflakes falling outside with a sinister look in his eyes.
"Investigate." He said to his younger brother behind him without turning around, "Find out who is behind this."
"Yes!" The younger brother responded respectfully and quickly retreated.
Wang Kun took out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
"Hey, Lao Ma." His voice suddenly became amiable, as if the violence just now had never existed. "Someone doesn't want brothers to live a good life..."
…
After finishing the call, he sneered. "If someone wants to play, we'll play with them to the end."
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