Cheng Fangqiu was sleeping so soundly that she genuinely didn’t hear any movement of someone returning. She touched the tip of her nose and abruptly changed the subject, saying, “Mom and Dad brought us a lot of things. I’ve already put them all in the cabinet.”
After saying this, as if remembering something, she smugly raised her arm and raised an eyebrow, saying, “The watch that my mother-in-law and cousin specially picked out for me, isn’t it nice?”
Her lively peach-blossom eyes sparkled like stars, resembling a cat proudly flaunting its tail.
“It’s nice,” Zhou Yinghuai glanced at it and agreed. It indeed suited her well.
After chatting for a few more sentences, they walked out onto the balcony. The two of them acted as if nothing had happened, but the one suffering was Zhou Yingchen, who had never been in a relationship and was still a student. He tried his best to pretend he hadn’t seen or heard anything as he walked out of the room and greeted the couple.
“Brother, sister-in-law.”
“Hmm, change your shoes. We’re going out to eat,” Zhou Yinghuai glanced at him, his tone indifferent, without any excitement of having not seen him for a long time.
Cheng Fangqiu looked at Zhou Yinghuai, then at Zhou Yingchen, who obediently changed his shoes. She couldn’t help but feel that their relationship was somewhat subtly strange. It didn’t seem like two brothers close in age but more like an elder and a junior. Even their way of speaking had a commanding tone.
Logically, siblings of similar ages should mostly get along like friends. For example, her and Cheng Xuejun—although she often bossed him around, their conversations were always relaxed and comfortable, nothing as serious and dull as Zhou Yinghuai and Zhou Yingchen.
The strange feeling grew stronger.
She sat on the chair to change her shoes, with Zhou Yinghuai and Zhou Yingchen flanking her on either side. Their tall figures made the entranceway feel even more cramped.
“Did you pass your final exams?”
“Yes, I ranked first in my grade.”
Zhou Yinghuai and Zhou Yingchen engaged in a question-and-answer session, with the latter’s eyes slightly lowered, showing no sign of dissatisfaction or impatience. He was unusually obedient, even pausing to think carefully before answering when Zhou Yinghuai asked important questions.
Is this what they call “bloodline suppression”?
Cheng Fangqiu watched with great interest. After changing her shoes, Zhou Yinghuai took her bag and keys, opened the door first, and the three of them were about to head downstairs when they saw a young man rushing up from below.
Cheng Fangqiu recognized him as a neighbor who lived upstairs. He had helped them when they were moving furniture.
“What’s going on?” she instinctively asked.
Zhang Qingkai’s face was filled with anxiety. Hearing her question, he replied, “I just got off work and saw Old Ma’s father fainted on the stairs downstairs.”
“You should notify his family quickly.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s tone was somewhat indifferent. She had no good impression of the Ma family, and now that she heard it was someone from the Ma family in trouble, she didn’t want to get involved. After asking, she pulled Zhou Yinghuai to the side to make way for Zhang Qingkai.
“I’m about to do that,” Zhang Qingkai said with an awkward smile. Being from the same residential building, he knew there had been unpleasant incidents between the two families. Not daring to delay, he rushed forward to knock on the Ma family’s door.
By the time he knocked, Cheng Fangqiu and the others had already reached the bottom of the stairs. As they passed the spot where Ma Shugen was lying, they noticed another man standing guard. Without looking back, they left.
Zhou Yingchen glanced back. If he wasn’t mistaken, the person knocking was at the door opposite his brother’s apartment. Normally, given Zhou Yinghuai’s personality, he wouldn’t ignore such a situation, even if it involved strangers, let alone neighbors living on the same floor.
Just as he was puzzled, an old woman came running down the stairs with surprising agility, crying and wailing as she hugged the old man.
“Oh dear, old man, what’s wrong with you?”
“Was it you two who did this? Damn it, if something happens to my old man, I won’t let you off the hook!”
“What are you standing around for? Hurry, take him to the hospital! Wait, do you have money on you? Go back and get some money. You’ll have to cover the medical expenses!”
Zhou Yingchen frowned tightly. All his confusion was resolved after hearing the old woman’s series of ungrateful and accusatory words.
People like this don’t deserve to live.
Zhou Yingchen then turned his gaze to Zhou Yinghuai’s face. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that his brother was in a very bad mood, even seeming somewhat dark and brooding. He rarely saw such overt emotions from him and couldn’t help but glance a few more times.
The next second, their eyes met in mid-air, and Zhou Yingchen suddenly shivered, quickly looking away.
“I really don’t know what the Ma family is up to this time. Are they trying to extort money?” Cheng Fangqiu hadn’t planned to pay attention to this matter, but Zhang Guixiang’s loud voice made it impossible to ignore. Even from a distance, her wailing could be heard.
Because of this, many people nearby didn’t even bother finishing their meals and rushed straight to the scene of the drama.
“Was the old man beaten up?” Cheng Fangqiu continued, her tone tinged with excitement when she mentioned the possibility of him being beaten. “Or did he faint from an illness?”
She was still speculating when she heard Zhou Yinghuai say calmly, “I hit him.”
“What?”
“What?”
Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yingchen almost simultaneously widened their eyes and looked at Zhou Yinghuai. Compared to their shock, he, the person involved, appeared exceptionally calm.
“What did he do?” After the initial surprise, Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes also turned cold. She might not know Ma Shugen well, but she knew Zhou Yinghuai. He wasn’t the type to casually resort to violence, especially against an old man.
There must be more to this.
But what could have happened to make Zhou Yinghuai lose his composure? Cheng Fangqiu looked at Zhou Yinghuai’s handsome face, her heart pounding faster. She had a feeling this matter was related to her.
Especially since Ma Shugen had come to their house to look for her at noon. These two incidents must be connected.
“Brother?” Seeing Zhou Yinghuai remain silent, Zhou Yingchen also grew anxious.
Cheng Fangqiu was even less patient. She didn’t care that they were outside anymore and stepped forward to grab Zhou Yinghuai’s hand, urging, “Just say it already.”
Zhou Yinghuai squeezed Cheng Fangqiu’s palm, signaling her to calm down. He hadn’t planned to tell her and Zhou Yingchen about this matter because it was too disgusting and absurd, especially the things Ma Shugen had said…
So he had planned to go to the logistics department after dinner to speed up the process of kicking that family out of the machinery factory, so he wouldn’t have to see them again.
But he hadn’t expected Ma Shugen to be so easily frightened that he fainted on the spot, complicating the matter.
Rather than letting them hear an exaggerated version of the story from others later, it was better for him to tell the truth himself.
Zhou Yinghuai paused for a moment, then slowly explained the whole story, omitting the vulgar language. But even without him saying it, Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yingchen could guess that Ma Shugen must have been spewing filth!
How could anyone expect a dog’s mouth to produce ivory?
After hearing the story, Cheng Fangqiu was so angry that her hands were trembling. Her eyes, usually filled with laughter, were now clouded with anger. She clenched her fists tightly, her chest heaving.
“Damn it, he got off too lightly,” Zhou Yingchen said with a dark expression, turning to head back. He was determined to make that bastard beg for mercy on his knees!
But Cheng Fangqiu stopped him. “Don’t go.”
“Sister-in-law?” Zhou Yingchen’s eyes showed confusion, but seeing Cheng Fangqiu’s determined gaze, he stopped in his tracks.
“What does this have to do with us?” Cheng Fangqiu tilted her head and smiled at the two, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Let’s go eat. Don’t let this nonsense ruin our mood.”
Hearing this, Zhou Yingchen and Zhou Yinghuai exchanged a glance and quickly caught on. They followed Cheng Fangqiu toward the state-run restaurant, though the meal was destined to be eaten with distracted minds.
After finishing their meal, the three of them strolled around the area for a while before returning to the machinery factory. They had just arrived home and hadn’t even settled in when there was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, they found the secretary, a mediator, and Ma Changjun standing outside.
“Comrade Zhou, what grudge do you have against our family? Why did you beat my father like that?” As soon as the door opened, Ma Changjun lunged forward, crying and sniffling. Fortunately, the mediator stopped him, or he would have thrown himself at Zhou Yinghuai.
Zhou Yinghuai took a step back in disgust, but before he could say anything, Cheng Fangqiu pulled him behind her. “Words carry legal responsibility. You yourself said we have no grudge against each other, so why would my husband hit anyone? Besides, what evidence do you have that it was my husband who did it?”
Standing among the men, she was slightly shorter in stature, but her presence was no less commanding.
Seeing her shield him, Zhou Yinghuai felt a warm surge in his heart. He was about to step forward when Cheng Fangqiu gestured behind her back, signaling him to stay silent. He obediently closed his mouth.
“What more evidence do we need? My father said it himself—how could that be false?” Ma Changjun’s eyes were wide with rage, his voice rising sharply.
Cheng Fangqiu ignored him and turned directly to the secretary and the mediator. “Secretary Qian, Mediator Zhang, if I said he hit me this afternoon, would you believe me just because I said so? But the truth is, he didn’t lay a finger on me. How can you trust one-sided claims?”
Secretary Qian and Mediator Zhang exchanged a glance, their expressions hesitant. “It’s true that we can’t fully believe one-sided statements.”
Hearing this, Ma Changjun panicked. “This is ridiculous!”
Then, as if remembering something, he added, “But it’s not just my father saying this. Someone saw Zhou Yinghuai and my father going up the stairs together during that time.”
Ma Changjun was determined to tear off all pretense of cordiality, no longer addressing Zhou Yinghuai as “Comrade Zhou” but by his full name instead.
Cheng Fangqiu suddenly recalled the obsequious expression this man had worn not long ago. The contrast was almost laughable. She curled her lips in a mocking smile. “Did anyone see my husband actually hit your father?”
“Well…” Ma Changjun faltered. No one had actually seen that.
Cheng Fangqiu shrugged. “Then that settles it. It’s getting late, and we’re about to wash up and sleep. We won’t disturb your investigation any further.”
She emphasized the word “investigation” heavily and moved to close the door, but Secretary Qian stopped her.
“Comrade Cheng, Comrade Zhou, I’m afraid we’ll need to trouble you to come with us. Comrade Ma’s father insists that it was Comrade Zhou who hit him. According to procedure, both parties need to confront each other face-to-face.”
Secretary Qian was actually inclined to believe Zhou Yinghuai. He had interacted with the young man a few times and had a good impression of him. He found it hard to believe that Zhou would resort to violence. However, recalling what Ma Shugen had said, he felt a flicker of doubt.
This was the first time he had met Zhou Yinghuai’s new wife. She was indeed as stunningly beautiful as the rumors said, but her beauty was almost too striking. Combined with Ma Shugen’s accusations, it was easy to jump to conclusions. At first glance, he had been misled into thinking she might be the type to stray.
But after interacting with her, he realized she was sharp-minded and articulate—far from being just a pretty face. Even if she were having an affair, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to bring another man home in broad daylight.
So Ma Shugen’s claims didn’t hold much water.
But if Ma Shugen had misunderstood and then passed on that misunderstanding to Zhou Yinghuai, it was possible that Zhou, in a fit of anger, might have lashed out.
The truth still needed to be investigated, but for now, they at least needed to bring the parties to the hospital.
“Fine, we’ll go with you,” Cheng Fangqiu agreed readily, her demeanor open and unflinching, showing no trace of guilt. Secretary Qian couldn’t help but give her an extra glance.
Soon, the group arrived at the hospital—or rather, the factory’s medical clinic, which served employees and their families. It could handle common illnesses, but for serious conditions, patients had to go to a larger hospital. The clinic was four stories tall, with the third and fourth floors dedicated to inpatient care.
Normally, the place wasn’t crowded, but tonight the entire building was brightly lit.
When they reached Ma Shugen’s hospital room, they found it packed with people, both inside and outside.