Chapter 243 - Succeeds by the Stroke of Luck (1)
Chapter 243: Succeeds by the Stroke of Luck (1)
Before Xia Zhetao finished speaking, he felt the atmosphere in the ward abruptly turned strange. His heart clenched, and he thought fearfully to himself, ‘Did I say anything wrong?’
“Did you just say you saw her once in the cemetery?”
Xia Zhetao was so cold that his entire body shivered. He nearly bit his own tongue, “Yes, President Mu. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking bad about Ms. Zhao. Err… I… I was wondering why she was at the cemetery out of nowhere. It’s…”
Mighty Secretary Xia had misunderstood that the reason for Mu Tingfeng’s sudden change was because he was unhappy with him talking bad about Zhao Youlin. So, he finished his sentences hesitantly. Then, he peeked at Mu Tingfeng from the corners of his eyes, only to find Mu Tingfeng quietly looking at him.
‘Was I wrong? The president didn’t seem to look unhappy because of this. If that’s the case, what is it? Could he misunderstand that the former Mrs. President and I…’
Xia Zhetao shuddered over his own speculation. He lunged at Mu Tingfeng’s bed, and he cried out desperately, “President Mu, don’t misunderstand me. I swear by god’s name that Ms. Zhao and I are innocent! It was purely a coincidence bumping into her at the cemetery that day! Besides, I only saw her from afar, I didn’t even greet her face to face, much less greet her. You have to trust me. Even if gods were beside me, I also dare not…”
Mu Tingfeng felt a headache forming over his annoyance. He frowned as he replied to him impatiently, “Shut up.”
Xia Zhetao’s cries like a banshee came to an abrupt end. He pouted his lips and looked aggrieved. He lowered his head sorrowfully, not daring to speak a word.
The ward returned to silence. Mu Tingfeng laid on his bed. He closed his eyes slowly, and he slowly put everything that had come to him together.
Police station, found someone to carry out an investigation, shared the same name, drastic change in her temperament, cemetery, died in the line of duty, a few months ago, divorce and so on and so forth…
When every bit and piece was puzzled together, something seemed to start making sense. He vaguely saw a breakthrough, and he identified a trend from it.
After some time, Mu Tingfeng abruptly opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling above his head. His deep eyes were expressionless. He blurted out some words, “Secretary Xia, go back and carry out an investigation about the female police officer who shared the same name with Ms. Zhao. I want to know everything about the female police officer within three days.”
Xia Zhetao froze, as if he had suddenly realized something. His expression changed, and he said solemnly, “Noted. I’ll ask someone to carry out the investigation right away.”
By the time Zhao Youlin returned to the ward, Mu Tingfeng and Xia Zhetao had already finished their conversation.
Mu Tingfeng was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, while Xia Zhetao was at the door of the ward. He was listening to the nurse about things he needed to pay attention to.
As soon as Xia Zhetao saw Zhao Youlin return, his eyes sparkled. He greeted her with enthusiasm, “Ms. Zhao, you’re back!”
Zhao Youlin felt goosebumps all over her body the moment Xia Zhetao curried favor with her. She cast a glance inside the ward, and she asked in a low voice, “Where’s Madam Mu?”
“Oh, Madam Mu is wounded, so she returned home first. Before she departed, she left a message to me, telling me that Ms. Zhao was frightened today, while the president suffered a gunshot, and he might develop a fever at midnight. She’s afraid that you couldn’t cope with him at night after rushing throughout the entire day. As such, I’ll stay here at night to take care of the president. Ms. Zhao, you may go back and take a rest first. You could come to replace me tomorrow.”
Zhao Youlin did not have any further opinions. It was good not having to stay up at night. She still had to comfort the elderly who had been terrified by the accident, as well as explain to them about her having to care for Mu Tingfeng in hospital.
After that, she had to fetch Joy from kindergarten. If she had to come back to take care of that guy, her schedule would have become a lot more tighter.
While the two were talking, no one realized when the man inside the ward had opened his eyes and was staring quietly at the person talking to Xia Zhetao in front of the ward door.
Zhao Youlin felt uncomfortable as if someone was resting his gaze upon her. It was hard to ignore it.
She frowned, and she turned back, only to meet Mu Tingfeng’s expressionless gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. She instinctively felt embarrassed.
Soon, Xia Zhetao noticed Zhao Youlin’s strange look. He cast a cursory glance around the ward. The next moment, he understood everything. He immediately shut his mouth up. He wittily took the lady nurse standing on the side along, and they left quietly.
The moment Xia Zhetao left, the ward was left with only Mu Tingfeng and Zhao Youlin. The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.
After a long silence, Zhao Youlin could not help but fake a cough. She went up to Mu Tingfeng’s bed, and she said awkwardly and with much difficulty, “How are you?”
Mu Tingfeng’s eyes sparkled as soon as he heard Zhao Youlin taking the initiative to show concern about him. Just when he wanted to look handsome by acting cool, domineering and assertive by blurting out the words “I’m fine”, he recalled his mother’s advice before she left.
His eyes sank, and he hesitated for a while before he whispered, “After the effect of anesthesia subsided, I felt some… pain.”
“Huh?” Zhao Youlin did not manage to react to it on the spot. She blinked her eyes in puzzlement.
By the time she reacted to Mu Tingfeng’s words, her eyes widened so big and she thought to herself, ‘What did that guy just say? Pain?!’
She thought a man like Mu Tingfeng, who was egocentric and high and mighty would grit his teeth, hold back his pain and tell the rest that he was fine no matter what injuries he suffered or how much pain he endured.
However, he actually told her that he felt pain? How much did it hurt?
One had to say that Su Ruixin’s trick had succeeded by the stroke of luck. If Mu Tingfeng were to maintain his usual ways by putting on a stoic face and barely spoke, Zhao Youlin would have a few words with him.
Now, he showed his vulnerability to Zhao Youlin in a weak yet stoic manner. Zhao Youlin did not know how to react to him.
“Is it really that… painful?” After finished speaking, Zhao Youlin nearly bit her own tongue. Was she talking nonsense? She had been shot before. She naturally knew how much searing pain such a wound brought.
Mu Tingfeng did not speak further. Meanwhile, Zhao Youlin thought he was trying to give way to his machismo and so, he forcibly endured the pain. A trace of guilt unwittingly sprouted from her heart.
Zhao Youlin trembled when she realized what she had been thinking. She said in a panic, “If you feel pain, I’ll ask the nurse to bring more painkiller pills to you. By the way, I still need to go back and handle something. Today, Secretary Xia will stay here with you. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Right after she spoke, she fled without giving a second thought about Mu Tingfeng’s reaction.
Beneath his stoic face, President Mu was overjoyed by Zhao Youlin’s concern about him. He laid on the bed, with his deep eyes watching Zhao Youlin’s fading silhouette.
His uninjured hand had been gripping the bed sheet tightly beneath his body for a long time.