A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 72

Shen Zhao’s gaze was hazy, but he finally managed to see the person in front of him clearly through the trance.

After a long period of silence, he shook his head. “My body is fine. We should go see Xiao Cheng’s biological mother first.”

Lu Xiao’s gaze rested heavily on Shen Zhao’s face. His expression was frozen, his eyes so complex it was impossible to decipher what he was thinking. He scanned Shen Zhao’s features inch by inch, reading the unease, hesitation, pain, and vulnerability written there.

As he watched, Lu Xiao slowly reached out to cup Shen Zhao’s face, then gently ran his fingers through the soft hair at the back of the doctor’s head. “I have to be sure you’re okay, Shen Zhao.”

“There are many important things in this world, but to me, right now, the most important thing is confirming your safety.”

Lu Xiao kept his eyes locked on Shen Zhao, making no move to start the car.

“It’s probably just the concussion from when I jumped out of the car…” Shen Zhao said softly.

“Aside from the concussion? Is there any other possibility?”

Shen Zhao hesitated. His brain was instinctively trying to recall and analyze his own condition, but the moment he began to think deeply, the headache intensified.

Lu Xiao sighed. “Do you remember? The kidnapper injected you with two vials of who-knows-what.”

The empty vials left at the kidnapping site had been wiped clean by the culprits; no drug residue had been found. While Shen Zhao’s blood, urine, and pathology results should have been ready by now, the two of them had been so preoccupied with finding Xiao Cheng that they hadn’t had time to visit the hospital.

Shen Zhao’s tone was hesitant. “I still don’t know what he injected me with, but the discomfort definitely started after the kidnapping… However, the symptoms are very similar to a severe concussion, which is why I assumed it was from the jump.”

Shen Zhao rubbed his temples, his fingertips trembling slightly. Lu Xiao narrowed his eyes, caught Shen Zhao’s hand to pull it away, and then gently cradled Shen Zhao’s head, guiding it to rest against his lap. He began to massage Shen Zhao’s temples himself.

Shen Zhao’s body went stiff, looking somewhat constrained. “I can do it myself…”

“Don’t worry about it. This young master wants to serve you. After we see Xiao Cheng’s mom, I’m taking you back to the hospital. Be good,” Lu Xiao said with his usual rogue-like air, his fingers rhythmically massaging Shen Zhao’s head.

Shen Zhao stopped arguing. Under the comforting pressure of the massage, his body gradually began to relax.

“Sometimes I feel like my memories are clear, but lately, those images feel increasingly surreal. I’m starting to lose track of whether my memories actually happened, or if they are hallucinations I’ve fabricated while brainwashing myself over and over again.”

Shen Zhao partially closed his eyes, his voice growing faint. “I want to look deeper, but my thoughts feel like they’re being pulled apart. Everything is scrambled—truth and fantasy are so entangled that I can’t tell… what’s real and what’s fake.”

Listening to him, Lu Xiao felt a sharp pang in his heart. It became harder to listen to with every word. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke in a low, firm voice. “Shen Zhao, regarding the fire in the Dongxi jurisdiction fifteen years ago and what happened at that orphanage… once Xiao Cheng’s case is closed, I will apply to intervene in that investigation.”

Shen Zhao’s eyes snapped open, a flash of surprise in them. “But… why?”

Lu Xiao looked into his eyes and spoke one word at a time. “Shen Zhao, you’ve been trapped by this for too long. Besides, the USB drive sent by Zhang Dalong before the New Year’s Eve explosion contained a photo of the orphanage. Including that group of men in black who are hunting for it—I believe they are all inextricably linked to that old case.”

“What if you investigate and find… that I’m the killer?” Shen Zhao’s voice grew lower and lower, his head turning away, not daring to meet Lu Xiao’s gaze.

“No, Shen Zhao.” Lu Xiao stared at him, offering a reassuring smile. “I regret that I only met you at the age of thirty, but I don’t believe that someone who would do something as stupid as trading his own life to a kidnapper for Cheng Nianchuan… would be a murderer in his early teens.”

Shen Zhao wanted to speak, but his throat merely moved without making a sound. He stared at Lu Xiao, a whirlpool of complex emotions swirling in his heart.

After a long while, as his head lay on Lu Xiao’s lap, he reached up and let his fingertips brush against Lu Xiao’s cheek. Lu Xiao felt a tingle of electricity from the touch. He lowered his eyelashes, his heart a mess of surging emotions. Yet, he knew clearly that the priority was to uncover the truth behind Xiao Cheng’s case and the secrets hidden within.

“Let’s go.”

Lu Xiao restarted the car and accelerated.

Pangu Mansion

The car pulled up in front of a luxury apartment building. This was a new development on the edge of the city; despite being in a newer district, the prices rivaled the most expensive neighborhoods downtown.

As Lu Xiao got out, he slid his sunglasses down to the tip of his nose. “Holy hell. This courtyard is nothing but luxury cars.”

Shen Zhao looked around, remembering that Xiao Cheng’s mother had been dressed in designer brands when she visited the station. Her name was Cheng Meirong; Cheng Nianchuan had taken his mother’s surname.

They entered the building and took the elevator to the 16th floor. It was a mixed-use commercial and residential luxury building, but it felt oddly deserted; only a single janitor was mopping the floor.

Cheng Meirong lived in the unit at the very end of the hallway. Lu Xiao checked his watch: 10:30 AM. Not too early to be an intrusion. He pressed the doorbell.

Soon, the sound of rustling footsteps came from within, and the door swung open.

A wave of heavy alcohol fumes hit them instantly. Shen Zhao instinctively knit his brows. Cheng Meirong was wearing makeup, but her eyeliner and shadow were smeared into dark circles around her eyes, and her lipstick was a blurred mess. She looked as though she had been drinking all night and had only just passed out.

“What are you doing here?” Cheng Meirong frowned, looking surprised. She scanned the two of them, then let out a dry chuckle. “Cheng Nianchuan isn’t here. You’ve wasted your trip. Please leave.”

Lu Xiao, however, had no intention of departing. He leaned forward as if preparing to enter. “Do we need to change into slippers or use shoe covers?”

As he spoke, he peered into the living room. On the table sat a bottle of gin, an uncapped bottle of whiskey, and two unopened bottles of cheap Erguotou. Lu Xiao found it almost funny—Cheng Meirong’s drinking habits were just like his: a mix of “classy” and “crude.”

Cheng Meirong leaned against the doorframe, her expression annoyed. “I told you he’s not here. Why do you insist on coming in?”

“We still have some questions regarding Xiao Cheng,” Shen Zhao said.

Seeing that she couldn’t chase them away, Cheng Meirong finally opened the door a crack. “Fine. Come in and talk.”