After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Did It All?

Song Yucong pulls up his sleeve to reveal a pale arm, its smooth muscles marred by a dense pattern of needle marks. Some are bruised purple, and the skin is the bloodless white of a corpse.

The doctor, unfazed, injects a medication and waits for about 30 minutes. Then, he thoughtfully hands Song Yucong an eye mask. “Second Young Master, I’m going to start drawing blood now.”

Song Yucong frowns but doesn’t resist, taking the disposable eye mask. As cold antiseptic wipes his skin—separated from his veins by just a thin layer of tissue—his arm begins to tremble slightly. He breathes in deeply and clenches his other hand into a fist, forcing himself to endure the fear. The sharp needle punctures his skin, and he can clearly feel his blood being drawn, a sensation he has experienced hundreds of times since birth.

When the doctor says, “Okay,” Song Yucong rips off the eye mask and walks out without even glancing at the syringe full of blood. The doctor calls out in a panic, “Second Young Master! You need to press it with a cotton swab! Second Young Master…”

The matching results will take at least half a month to come back. Song Yucong sits in the VIP lounge, closing his eyes. His breathing is still shaky. Other doctors are treating his wounds. Xu Jun, that hypocritical beast, really meant to kill him; his attacks were ruthless and malicious. Song Yucong opens his eyes and sneers. He promised Tao Ning he would let Xu Jun go, but he would never make it easy for him. A fine of several million yuan would be enough to bankrupt a family. He wouldn’t let Xu Jun off so easily. A life-saver? Song Yucong didn’t believe it much and figured he could just keep his actions a secret from that bumpkin.

When Tao Ning and the doctor come out, Song Yucong scowls and asks, “Did you do everything?”

“Yes.”

Tao Ning looks at him. Song Yucong’s head is wrapped in a bandage, his arms are crossed, and his neck is covered with several band-aids. Despite his grumpy expression, he looks a little pitiful. Tao Ning can’t help but wonder how Xu Jun is doing, but he’s afraid to ask.

The doctor nervously reports to Song Yucong: “Tao’s condition is currently under control, but there’s no guarantee for the future. We need to find a matching bone marrow donor for a transplant as soon as possible. He needs to take his medicine on time, avoid exertion, get plenty of rest, and eat high-protein foods like lean meat, fish, and poultry. He should avoid high-fat meats and stick to a light diet. Most importantly, he must not get any wounds on his body…”

Tao Ning nods obediently while Song Yucong stands with his arms crossed, appearing impatient. However, his ears are perked up, and a quick-thinking assistant records every word of the doctor’s instructions with a voice recorder.

After they leave the hospital, a driver takes them directly to the Song family’s manor. The wrought-iron gate with a rose motif slowly opens. Having not been here for a while, Tao Ning is still intrigued. This time, as they ride in the internal villa car, Song Yucong sits next to him instead of behind him. But just like before, he doesn’t look at him.

Tao Ning doesn’t mind. After passing a garden, they arrive at the main house. A-Yun is waiting at the door, looking around anxiously. When he sees Tao Ning get out, he rushes over. “Young Master Tao! You’re finally back…”

He stops mid-sentence when he sees the cold-faced Song Yucong behind him, too intimidated to speak. As Tao Ning is about to reply to A-Yun, an arm grabs him and drags him toward the dining room without a word.

The servants and bodyguards behind them gather, chattering in Cantonese:

“Oh, it feels like Second Young Master’s temper is even worse.”

“Master is coming back soon, so the villa is going to be a mess again…”

“Is that the kid the master sponsored? Why does he seem to have a good relationship with the second young master?”

“Anyone who can be friends with the second young master must be capable… You’re so lucky to serve that sissy.”

The speaker shoves A-Yun, who flinches and lowers his head, his face pale. In his heart, Tao Ning is a beautiful, unreachable star, a moon reflected in the water. The fact that Tao Ning remembered him was enough to make A-Yun happy for a lifetime.

The Song family’s dining room is as sparsely populated as when Tao Ning first arrived. This time, Song Yucong’s mother isn’t there, but his older brother, Song Heng, sits at the head of the table, sipping tea. He looks up, his gaze falling on Song Yucong’s arm holding Tao Ning’s, and raises an eyebrow slightly before shifting his attention to Tao Ning’s face.

It’s a fleeting look, but while Tao Ning didn’t feel anything when he first arrived, after everything that has happened, he now finds Song Heng’s gaze very uncomfortable. Song Heng looks at him not like a living person, but like a commodity with a purpose. Feeling uneasy, Tao Ning averts his eyes.

Seeing this, Song Heng chuckles softly.

Song Yucong’s face instantly turns cold. He steps in front of Tao Ning. “Song Heng, you’re disgusting. Even at dinner, you can’t help but show off your ugly face.”

Tapping his teacup, Song Heng remains expressionless but continues to smile faintly. His voice shows no hint of anger. “Yucong, Mother is sick. You should have come back to visit her earlier.”

Song Yucong sneers. “She’s already written her will. The stray cats and dogs she raised can go mourn for her, but not me. Now that she’s sick, she’ll call me to visit? Prosecutor Song, stop with the feigned sincerity. It’s sickening.”

With that, he drags Tao Ning to the second floor. In the final second before the elevator doors close, Tao Ning catches a glimpse of Song Heng’s expressionless but slightly amused gaze on him.

There’s a loud bang as Song Yucong slams the door shut. The talismans on the door jiggle but remain firmly in place. Tao Ning sinks into the sofa and watches as Song Yucong lists a series of dishes into the intercom: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, spotted grouper, and other foods, as well as bird’s nest and ginseng—all of which almost perfectly match the doctor’s instructions from the hospital.

Song Yucong says impatiently, “Transfer the nutritionist from the other villa over here, and tell that person surnamed Gao to go to Auxent to send the bumpkin’s medicine to the villa.”

The servant on the other end of the intercom hesitates. “Second Young Master… who is the bumpkin you’re referring to?”

Song Yucong’s eyes dart toward the person on the sofa. The teenager has already dozed off, half-lying on the couch. He’s sleeping peacefully, with one arm under his head, his rosy lips slightly parted, revealing only a small portion of his pale, thin face.

Song Yucong looks away, his ears turning an unnatural shade of red. He gives a soft, dry snort. “Tao Ning.”

“Understood.”

The servants work quickly. Soon, a cart overflowing with food is brought into the room. Song Yucong prods Tao Ning awake. “Sleeping like a pig. Are you the slave or am I? Get up now.”

Tao Ning wakes up groggily, rubbing his eyes. He sees a table full of delicious-looking dishes. He hears Song Yucong’s threatening voice beside him. “If a single drop of oil lands on the carpet, you’re dead.”

Song Yucong’s expression is fierce, and Tao Ning just gives a dazed “Okay.”

But Tao Ning has a bad habit: he not only eats slowly but also drops grains of rice on the table. Knowing this, he eats even slower this time, terrified of dropping a single grain. He picks up only a few grains of rice at a time with his chopsticks and only eats small pieces of vegetables. The stir-fried greens are delicious, crunchy, and sweet.

But Song Yucong seems to hate the way he eats. “Are you a snail or a sheep? Will you die if you eat faster? And why are you only eating those few pieces of grass?”

He had called Tao Ning a snail before. Tao Ning is preoccupied with his thoughts and a little absent-minded. Besides, he doesn’t like some of the dishes; they taste a little fishy. Faced with Song Yucong’s criticism, he just lets it go in one ear and out the other, and responds with another “Okay.”

With a clatter, Song Yucong throws down his fork and crosses his arms. “If you don’t finish your food today, you won’t get to eat next time.”

Tao Ning suddenly feels a wave of injustice. He’s tired and exhausted from a day filled with fear and worry. Now he has to eat a meal he doesn’t even like and is constantly being restricted. He puts his chopsticks on the plate and abruptly stands up. “I don’t want to eat anymore.”

Song Yucong stands up just as quickly. “Tao Ning, don’t forget what you said. Try to step out of this room.”

A flash of Xu Jun’s sad eyes crosses Tao Ning’s mind. He stops, silently goes back to his seat, and lowers his head, beginning to eat with a newfound speed. He doesn’t stop and eats mechanically, barely picking up any dishes.

Song Yucong notices something is wrong. He grabs Tao Ning’s thin arm. “What are you doing?!”

But the person in his grip is uncharacteristically stubborn. He doesn’t look up or speak, just keeps eating large mouthfuls. “Tao Ning! Stop it!”

He eats so fast that an unchewed mouthful of rice gets stuck in his throat, and he starts to cough uncontrollably. His face, already lacking color, turns an unhealthy red. He eventually clutches his chest and starts to dry heave, soiling the carpet.

Song Yucong’s face visibly pales in a flash. He quickly hands Tao Ning a glass of water and pats his thin, bony back. His voice is panicked. “Are you sick, bumpkin?! I wasn’t forcing you. Why the hell are you eating like this for?”

He quickly grabs the intercom and calls for the family doctor.

Song Yucong, fumbling, recalls memories of an old doctor patting backs. He clumsily pats Tao Ning’s back, but he’s never served anyone before, so his pats are too hard. Tao Ning can’t stand the force. He takes a breath and weakly pushes on Song Yucong’s chest. “It hurts… stop patting.”

Song Yucong grabs his hand. His ear tips are red, but his face is set in a scowl. He doesn’t let go, but he eases the pressure. “Stop talking nonsense. If you choke to death here, I’m the one who’ll have bad luck.”

He finally lets go when Tao Ning stops coughing. The family doctor rushes in, along with cleaning staff. The once-empty room is suddenly crowded with people: cleaning, treating Tao Ning… and enduring Song Yucong’s rage.

“Who cooked this horrible food? Do you not want to work anymore?”

“It was Chef Liu.”

A servant stammers, “But Second Young Master… you praised Chef Liu before…”

A vicious glare from Song Yucong silences the servant. The family doctor finishes his check-up and reports to Song Yucong that Tao Ning is very weak and underweight. He needs to rest and eat well. The doctor then leaves.

The servants, after replacing the carpet, bow and exit the room.

After hearing the doctor’s advice, Song Yucong remains silent with a sour expression, seemingly deep in thought. The meal is a lost cause, so all that’s left is to get some rest.

He still has a bandage on his head and avoids the bedroom because he doesn’t want to mess up the pillow. Tao Ning wants to go back to his own room to sleep and call Xu Jun, but Song Yucong won’t let him. He says coldly, “Sleep in here.”

Tao Ning knows he can’t fight the second young master, so he resignedly curls up on the sofa. He falls asleep quickly. The room becomes completely quiet, and the only sound is the increased pace of Song Yucong’s heart.

He stands still, staring at Tao Ning’s sleeping face. He snorts, then picks up Tao Ning and carries him to the bedroom, placing him on his own bed. He scowls as he awkwardly takes off Tao Ning’s glasses and then his shoes and pants. As he undresses him, Song Yucong’s eyes dart around, only daring to peek at the startlingly white skin and the beautiful, angelic face of the sleeping boy.

Song Yucong uncomfortably looks away. He lets out a cold sneer. “Ugly.”

After tucking Tao Ning in, Song Yucong crosses his arms and walks out of the room. He takes out the intercom and orders a servant to go to Tao Ning’s room and wrap every sharp corner in cotton and foam padding. He thinks for a moment and calls for another group of servants to come to his room and do the same.

“Do it quietly. I don’t want to hear any noise from you.”

After giving his orders, Song Yucong throws the intercom on the coffee table and returns to the bedroom. He goes directly to the sofa, crosses his arms, and leans against it. The sofa isn’t very big, and Song Yucong is tall, so he’s uncomfortable and can’t even stretch his legs out. But he doesn’t make a sound. He just frowns, his face grim.

Not long after, the wall clock has only gone a quarter of the way around when a soft, weak voice comes from the bed. “Song Yucong…”

Song Yucong’s eyes snap open. He says fiercely, “I’m telling you, bumpkin, you’re a terrible sleeper. You sleepwalked to my bed yourself just now…”

“…My stomach hurts.”

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