Returning - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Retaliation

Although hospitals required quiet, there were always some family members in the ward area who spoke loudly without any regard, and children who played and made noise. All the chaotic sounds reached Xue Zi'ang's ears, making his already tangled heart even more irritable.

The phone in his palm was open to the text message interface. The most recent message was one he had sent last night, containing only two words: Goodbye. That was his final farewell to Xu Miao.

That single word "Goodbye" had completely severed all the entanglements between them.

But, was it too late?

Yesterday, after he had rushed out of the restaurant without even having time to greet Xu Miao and raced to the hospital, Xu Miao had sent him a text message:

Seeing how nervous you were, I knew you must love her very much. I wish you both happiness.

He paused, his gaze locked tightly onto that word "love." It was a long time before he lifted his head and stared fixedly through the observation room window at Zhao Yu inside.

Did he love her?

He had always thought he couldn't forget Xu Miao, that she was the one he cared about most. He had even allowed this belief to become an obsession that lingered in his heart for a long time.

So that day, when he heard Xu Miao had canceled the wedding and disappeared, he had run out to search for her.

So that day, when Xu Miao's good friend told him that Xu Miao had never forgotten him after their breakup, and only couldn't be with him because of the gap in their realities, he had been agitated and depressed, and had gotten dead drunk.

Yet the next day, when he learned Zhao Yu had left crying in the middle of the night, when he realized he had repeated past mistakes and hurt her while drunk, his panic and fear, his remorse and regret, were already enough to tell him the answer.

He cared about Zhao Yu. Cared very much.

Receiving Xu Miao's call, knowing she was on a flight leaving Donghai that night, he had hesitated and then chosen to go see her, just to put a perfect full stop on that breakup three years ago which had ended on bad terms.

He thought everything was within his plan, that he still had a chance to explain to Zhao Yu, still had a chance to earn her forgiveness. Who knew that just a short while after he left, she would have an accident.

That phone call from Xia Nan, the unprecedented fear and unease in his heart, had told him the answer even more clearly. Just as Xu Miao said, he loved her. He loved Zhao Yu.

It was a pity he understood too late.

After sitting on the corridor chair with his head lowered and eyes closed in contemplation for a long time, he rubbed his brow and finally stood up slowly, walking back towards the ward.

She had just begged him to let her go, but he had also said he wouldn't let go.

He had just realized how much he cared about her. How could he let go?

Even if she hated him, resented him, he couldn't let her resign. Once she left, he would truly never find her again.

The door to the ward was tightly shut. He reached out, slightly turned the handle, and opened it. But at the very moment he pushed the door open, at the very moment he stepped forward to continue walking inside, another thunderbolt struck violently.

The person inside, the woman on the hospital bed still receiving an IV, was hooking her arms around a man's neck, kissing that man's lips.

And that man, sitting on the edge of the bed leaning down, was his own biological younger uncle.

For a moment, he felt his mind go completely blank, a "buzzing" sound ringing incessantly in his ears. It felt as if all his internal organs had been suddenly pierced by some sharp weapon, the pain suffocating.

By the time he reacted and should have strode forward to pull that man away, Xue Zhan had already straightened up and turned his head, looking at him expressionlessly.

All reason was completely lost the moment his eyes met Xue Zhan's. Xue Zi'ang clenched his fist and crossed the distance in a few steps, aiming a punch at Xue Zhan's face.

But his fist ultimately did not land.

Because Zhao Yu on the bed said to him: "If you want to hit him, you have to hit me first."

Then, as he stood there trembling in disbelief, she added another line: "I initiated it."

His fingernails dug into his palms, stabbing so hard it deepened the pain in his chest. His unthrown fist frozen, he asked in a trembling voice: "Why? What are you doing?"

Zhao Yu smiled, her expression utterly light as clouds and gentle as breezes: "I've fallen in love with him. Is that not allowed?"

Xue Zi'ang was first stunned, then burst into unrestrained, low laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He laughed more and more, unable to stop, his voice hoarse: "Are you doing this to get back at me?"

Zhao Yu, however, looked at him seriously: "When I was most afraid and helpless, when I needed you most and you refused to show up, he was by my side the entire time. Isn't that reason enough to love him?"

"What on earth are you saying?" Xue Zi'ang's eyes were bloodshot, his pupils seemed about to drip blood. "Zhao Yu, be angry, hate me, retaliate against me however you want, but you… how could you… he is my uncle, my biological uncle, do you understand?"

"So what?" Zhao Yu still wore a completely calm expression. "I'm nothing more than a stand-in, a tool for venting desires. Who I like, who I fall in love with—what business is it of yours?"

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Xue Zi'ang suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. "Zhao Yu, don't use this method to retaliate against me…"

Zhao Yu's hand was still receiving an IV. With his grab, the IV tube was violently yanked, the needle inserted into the back of her hand nearly pulled out. With sharp eyes and quick hands, Xue Zhan grabbed Xue Zi'ang's hand: "Let go."

Xue Zi'ang's gaze turned cold, staring fixedly at him, his eyes filled entirely with anger and incomprehension.

Xue Zhan didn't say much, only stating flatly: "Go back and get some rest first."

"Go back?" Xue Zi'ang laughed scornfully. "Go back so the two of you can continue being intimate here?"

"Not going back is also fine. You can stay here and watch us continue being intimate." Zhao Yu wore a faint smile on her face, her gaze at him full of provocation and sarcasm. "President Xue, can you handle it?"

His fists clenched with a cracking sound. Xue Zi'ang breathed rapidly, his chest heaving. His blood-red eyes lingered over both their faces for a long time before he finally spun around abruptly and rushed out.

Once the ward fell quiet again, Zhao Yu finally put away her smile and said quietly: "I'm sorry."

Indeed, she had initiated it.

The reason Xue Zhan had stayed in the ward was because of her tearful accusations, which had nearly pushed both her and Xue Zi'ang to the brink of collapse. Xue Zi'ang had gone out for air, confused and in pain. Xue Zhan had stayed, waiting to change her IV.

But when she saw Xue Zi'ang's figure approaching the door, she had suddenly sat up straight, hooked her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

At that moment, his mind had indeed gone blank.

By the time he reacted and straightened up, seeing Xue Zi'ang's expression, he also understood Zhao Yu's intention.

If she truly wanted to provoke Xue Zi'ang this way, force Xue Zi'ang to give up on her, then he was willing to help her.

It was just that she perhaps didn't understand his nephew's temperament well enough. Doing this was useless.

"This bottle has a small volume; it will finish soon. When it's done, ring the bell yourself to call the doctor."

Having said this calmly, Xue Zhan turned and left the ward.

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