Spoiler-containing Warning Tags
Please refer to No.1 on ToC page.
Shen Heng never expected that the warm-hearted citizen who had taken his grandpa to the police station, as mentioned by the police, would turn out to be Zhai Yao.
Shen Heng’s tall and straight figure stood rooted in the corridor of the police station, and the glasses he hadn’t had time to take off reflected the white light above his head.
Looking like a damn psycho killer, Zhai Yao thought.
The police officer who went to get water returned and, upon seeing Shen Heng, asked, “Are you the gramps’ family?”
Only then did Shen Heng retract his gaze from Zhai Yao and nod slightly to the police officer. “I’m his grandson.”
“No, it’s him who’s my grandson!” Shen Ziyao said, linking his arm with Zhai Yao’s and pushing him forward, introducing his ‘grandson’ to the police officer, “Police comrade, this is my grandson, the only heir of the old Shen family.” He then curled his lips downward at Shen Heng and said, “This lad is quite wicked. He forced me to take bitter medicine before, but I’m not even sick, so why should I take medicine?!”
“Shen Ziyao, stop fooling around,” Shen Heng interrupted in a low voice. Seeing the police officer scrutinizing him with suspicion, he took out the household registration booklet from the envelope he had brought with him.
The police officer took the book, checked carefully, confirming that Shen Heng was indeed Shen Ziyao’s grandson, and asked, “What did the gramps mean by taking medicine…”
Shen Heng looked at Shen Ziyao and Zhai Yao, then pulled the police officer aside.
“My grandpa has coronary heart disease, and he had an episode today. I returned home from the hospital to get something for him, and he managed to run out on his own while the nurse wasn’t paying attention,” Shen Heng explained, handing over the hospital admission procedure forms and medical prescription to the police officer.
After thorough verification, the police officer said to Shen Heng, “Alright, I understand. You can take him home after signing here. It seems his mental clarity isn’t that great, so be sure to keep an eye on him; make sure he doesn’t wander off again.”
Shen Heng expressed his gratitude to the police officer and left the station with Shen Ziyao. Zhai Yao donned his hood and, without bothering to waste time sparing a word for Shen Heng, turned and walked in the opposite direction.
Not long after taking a few steps, Zhai Yao heard Shen Ziyao shout from behind, “Grandson, where are you going?” He tried to break free from Shen Heng to chase after Zhai Yao.
“Shen Ziyao, haven’t you had enough?!” Shen Heng finally lost his temper. However, seeing the old man looking like he was about to make a noble sacrifice, Shen Heng sighed, softened his tone, and said, “I’ve discussed it with the doctor. We’ll stay in the hospital for a few more days. As soon as your condition stabilizes, I’ll take you home immediately.”
The old man pouted, casting a gaze at Shen Heng before shifting to Zhai Yao. Finally, he pointed at Zhai Yao and said, “Then my grandson has to accompany me, or there’s no deal!”
After searching for Shen Ziyao all night, Shen Heng felt physically and mentally exhausted. If it had been someone else, he would have asked for their cooperation without hesitation.
Unfortunately, in an ironic twist of fate, it was Zhai Yao whom he met.
Seeing that Shen Heng didn’t agree, Shen Ziyao tried to break free again. Shen Heng pursed his lips, looked at Zhai Yao, and his Adam’s apple rolled. “Can you accompany me to take this old man back to the hospital?”
Zhai Yao sneered. “Why should I?”
Shen Heng hesitated. “Consider it a favour I owe you.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
…
Returning to the hospital, Shen Ziyao remained steadfast in his refusal to take the prescribed medicine. However, when Zhai Yao brought him a glass of water, a subtle shift occurred, and he obediently complied.
Not long after taking the medicine, Shen Ziyao gradually fell asleep amidst his incessant talking. Even in the depths of slumber, he maintained a tight grip on Zhai Yao’s thumb.
Zhai Yao carefully pulled out his hand. Shen Heng covered Shen Ziyao with a blanket, drew the curtains, and left the ward with Zhai Yao while carrying a water kettle.
As midnight passed, the weather showed no signs of cooling down; instead, it became more stifling hot.
The air clung thickly, resembling the atmosphere before an imminent downpour.
Throughout the night, Zhai Yao resisted the temptation to smoke. Now, just as he was about to savour the long-awaited moment of lighting a cigarette, the scent of tobacco wafted from the nearby surroundings even before he could ignite the flame.
Shen Heng leaned against a tree outside the hospital with the flame dancing between his fingers. In the dim glow, Zhai Yao noticed a light stain on his white shirt—the residue of instant noodle soup that he had splattered on him earlier that day.
Zhai Yao felt no remorse about it, cursing in his heart: Serve him right. The two stood under the tree, finishing their cigarettes without exchanging a single word.
In the end, Zhai Yao lifted his foot to leave the hospital without a backward glance. Addressing Shen Heng, he remarked, “Take better care of your grandpa, Grandson. He’s already getting up in age.”
Shen Heng offered no immediate response, maintaining a silence before finally stating, “If you encounter any troubles in the future, you can come find me.”
Zhai Yao chuckled dismissively. Who do you think you are, thinking so highly of yourself?
Shen Heng followed up with, “Just once.”
Zhai Yao shoved his hands into his pockets.
Idiot.
…
*
Upon reaching home, Zhai Yao was greeted by the sight of the slightly ajar door. With a pull, the old green iron door stirred up a cloud of dust.
The room lay in darkness, permeated with a murky scent of cooking oil and alcohol. Zhai Yao nonchalantly dropped his backpack to the side, planning to take a quick shower and retire for the night. However, as he took a step, he nearly tripped over something on the floor.
Lowering his gaze, Zhai Yao discovered a person sprawled on the floor—completely inebriated, not even waking up when he kicked him. Zhai Yao reached down, grabbed the exposed arm, and flipped the person over.
At that moment, the bedroom door creaked open, and Zhai Bing peeked out.
Zhai Yao, upon hearing her, asked, “Why haven’t you—”
Before the word “sleep” could leave his mouth, he noticed a fresh swelling on Zhai Bing’s forehead in the dim light filtering through the bedroom.
Zhai Yao’s face turned expressionless as he paused for two seconds, then stomped hard on the man’s stomach.
“Ah—!!” The man let out a miserable cry, sitting up abruptly. “You f*ck—!!”
Zhai Yao didn’t bother responding; he grabbed the man’s hair and ruthlessly slammed his head against the wall.
The man bared his teeth and brandished his fists in an attempt to retaliate, yet the effects of the alcohol hadn’t fully worn off, rendering him utterly powerless against Zhai Yao.
“Zhai Yao!” Zhai Bing shrieked, rushing to drag Zhai Yao away. “Xiao Lajiao just fell asleep!”
With one hand still grasping the man’s collar, Zhai Yao turned his cold gaze towards Zhai Bing.
Understanding that her brother was upset about the injury on her head, Zhai Bing spoke in a gentler tone, “Come inside with me; I’ll explain everything to you.”
“Zhai Bing,” Zhai Yao called out, “if you don’t divorce him, one of us will end up dead sooner or later.”
Zhai Bing’s eyes reddened, “Why can’t you just try to see things from my perspective? Xiao Lajiao is only seven years old. She can’t be without a father.”
“You still wanna keep this kind of father for the New Year?!” Zhai Yao couldn’t restrain his rising voice. Suddenly, the man behind him grabbed a porcelain bottle and smashed it towards Zhai Yao’s head.
Zhai Bing cried out in surprise, and Zhai Yao quickly turned sideways and dodged, but the shattered pieces still managed to leave a bloody cut on his cheek.
In the corridor, a chorus of angry voices erupted, hurling curses at the unfolding chaos, but they were soon pulled back inside, and the door was securely locked as if warding off a contagious plague.
The man grabbed his coat, turned around, pointed at Zhai Bing’s nose, and nodded. “That’s right. As long as this brat still stays here, this household will never have a single peaceful day!” With that, he stormed out, slamming the front door with a ‘bang,’ and the distant sound of a motorbike revving away gradually faded.
After he left, Zhai Bing looked at the shattered porcelain on the floor, and then at Zhai Yao, who was standing in the darkness. Her lips trembled, and she ran her fingers through her hair.
“Damn it…” She squatted down, pulled out a lighter, lit a cigarette, and took deep puffs.
In the bedroom doorway, a small figure stood barefoot, silently observing the living room with widened eyes.
Zhai Bing noticed her, hastily wiped her face, and adeptly used sign language: —Why are you up?
Xiao Lajiao gestured: —I need to use the bathroom.
Zhai Bing snuffed out the cigarette on the floor, stood up to pull Xiao Lajiao over, and switched on the bathroom light.
“You two might as well force me to death.” She threw these words at Zhai Yao without turning back.
With the disappearance of the only light upon closing the bathroom door, the living room plunged into deeper darkness.
Zhai Yao stood in place for a while, then turned to the kitchen, grabbed a broom, and swept the shattered porcelain and cigarette butts into a pile before tossing them into the rubbish bin.
Apart from the visible tomato skins and eggshells in the rubbish bin, there was also a smashed bowl on top. It seemed that Zhai Bing and the man had already had a heated prelude before this war erupted.
Zhai Yao crouched in front of the rubbish bin, pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took out one stick, and lit it. Fearing the smoke might irritate Xiao Lajiao, he stood up and turned on the exhaust fan.
In actuality, he rarely smoked at home for the sake of Xiao Lajiao, but it seemed like no one paid attention to such concerns besides him. After all, both Zhai Bing and her husband, Liang Hao, would smoke without reservation in front of Xiao Lajiao.
The exhaust fan, covered in grime, churned out waves of greasy heat as it emitted a squeaky and creaky half-dead moan. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and an onslaught of heavy rain intermittently poured down.
Zhai Yao, staring through the rain curtain formed on the glass window, gazed at the vast night, sincerely hoping that Liang Hao would encounter a fatal accident tonight.
…
The following day, the second period was already underway when Zhai Yao arrived at the classroom. From the moment he stepped in until he reached the back row, not a soul asked him for a reason for his tardiness.
Zhai Yao placed his backpack on the desk and cast a fleeting glance at the person occupying the seat.
The entire class collectively held their breath in anticipation—here it comes again!
But who would have thought that, this time round, Shen Heng only briefly locked eyes with him for a few seconds before voluntarily standing up and moving to the adjacent seat.
Qtbif mijrr: ?!!!
Zhai Yao rested his head on the desk and began to doze off, making up for lost sleep. He thought he would fall asleep quickly, considering he hadn’t slept at all last night. However, he found it impossible to sleep now, perhaps due to the presence of someone beside him and his extreme fatigue.
His head continuously turned left and then right, searching for a comfortable position. Suddenly, a hand reached over and pressed on the top of his head.
“Don’t move, it’s noisy.”
Zhai Yao despised people touching his head more than anything else in the entirety of his life. Instantly irked, he swatted the hand away and remarked coldly, “If you fricking touch what you shouldn’t again, I’ll break your arm.”
Shen Heng didn’t retort, shifting his gaze back from the book.
The crisp sound of Zhai Yao slapping his hand drew the attention of many in the classroom. Numerous eyes turned towards the back row, faces filled with excitement, as if thinking: This time, Boss Shen surely can’t hold back any longer!
However, Shen Heng just stared expressionlessly at Zhai Yao’s face for a while, then moved his gaze away, searching through the drawer for something.
Not long after, he took out a crumpled band-aid.
Qtbif mijrr: ?????
Zhai Yao was also taken aback. His face had been cut by Liang Hao with a shard of porcelain the previous day, but he hadn’t bothered to attend to it.
Surprisingly, Shen Heng, this idiot, is pretty warm-hearted? Just when Zhai Yao was contemplating whether he should slightly revise his impression of Shen Heng for the better, he saw the other party take out a small bottle of alcohol, unhurriedly tearing open the band-aid, and spraying alcohol onto the cotton in the middle.
Zhai Yao hesitated. “Actually, it’s not…”
Pop! Shen Heng stuck the band-aid on the back of his phone.
—A handy life hack: band-aids sprayed with alcohol can effectively help dissipate heat from the phone.
“…necessary.” Zhai Yao shut his eyes, considering biting off his own tongue.
Sensing Zhai Yao’s gaze, Shen Heng turned his attention away from the phone screen to the other party.
“What did you just say?”
Zhai Yao gritted his teeth. “I said scram.”
…
He became nicer than before but not This nice! ^^ thank you grandpa, without you they’d never reached this peaceful(?) level 😅🙏
It’s best to move to Grandpa’s house from his sister’s place
LMAO we all thought he was considerate enough to give the bandaid to zhai yao 😂
I feel bad for Zhai Yao:(
Thank you for the chapter!