Zhan Bei Jue took a hard punch to the brow bone, and his left temple immediately turned purple.
Lu Qingxu was in an even worse state.
He had received two punches to the face and a kick to the abdomen. When he left, his clothes weren't even properly fastened, and he practically yanked his pants up as he fled the room…
No one had expected their brotherhood of over a decade to devolve into this.
Only after the room fell silent, looking at his own reddened knuckles, did Zhan Bei Jue feel regret.
However, he only regretted his momentary softness in agreeing to Melody's unreasonable request, giving her the chance to meet Lu Qingxu. He did not regret laying hands on him.
In this world, aside from his parents and grandfather, Lu Qingxu was the first person to dare lay hands on Zhan Bei Jue.
Knowing that he was emotionally distraught and fearing he might say something reckless upon returning, Zhan Bei Jue paused for a moment before picking up his phone to call Lu Ming Zhe.
Although Lu Ming Zhe appeared carefree on the surface, he was quite reliable when it came to serious matters.
He was the only one Zhan Bei Jue could turn to in such a critical moment.
As it turned out, this former playboy had become a great romantic due to Xiang Wan.
He had likely drunk too much again last night. When Zhan Bei Jue called, his voice was so muddled it was unrecognizable. Zhan Bei Jue was immediately speechless.
What was happening to everyone lately? Not a single person was easy to deal with!
Zhan Bei Jue cursed them inwardly as useless, said nothing, and hung up the phone.
Seeing his agitated state, Melody sat down opposite him, took his cigarette case, and lit a cigarette.
"I'm the one who's sick, not you. I don't have such a big reaction, is it necessary for you to be like this?"
Indeed.
She was sick, not him dying, so was such a strong reaction necessary?
But Zhan Bei Jue couldn't control it.
Often, when facing difficulties, the most painful ones are the relatives watching helplessly from the sidelines, unable to help.
Melody was only thirty, and she wasn't a mother yet. With such beautiful features and a great figure, Zhan Bei Jue couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her.
"Stop with the nonsense. I will contact the hospital in the United States as soon as possible and arrange for both of you to go for treatment."
"Drink less and smoke less when you're not feeling well. It's not so serious that it can't be cured, so don't make it worse."
The way he said it, he sounded quite like an older brother.
Melody had no family since childhood. Being cared for so abruptly by him made her heart ache, and she couldn't help but want to laugh.
"Arrange for both of us to go for treatment? One patient watching another patient, you're really something."
Zhan Bei Jue took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. "Don't worry, I won't abandon you."
"Can you spare the time to accompany me? Who knows when the treatment will be effective? Can you stay for a year or half a year?"
He really couldn't.
So he had already made plans in his mind.
He would temporarily not let Ah Zhong go to that company, and would send someone else. Many things still needed Ah Zhong to handle.
"I have my own arrangements, you don't need to worry. Just listen to the doctor."
"Put out your cigarette and go rest. I have something to do and need to go out."
Saying that, he started to stand up.
Melody lazily lifted her eyelids and looked at him.
"Who are you going to see? Look at your face, can you even be seen by others now?"
Zhan Bei Jue subconsciously raised his hand and touched the sore spot.
"Is it very swollen?"
"It's not swollen, just the color is quite unsightly. What will you say if someone asks?"
"What do you mean?"
"I have foundation, do you want me to help you put on some makeup to cover it?"
She meant well, but Zhan Bei Jue didn't need it.
Who was Jiang Nan Fang?
With just a glance or a movement, she could tell the difference. Let alone putting makeup on his face, it would be strange if she didn't misunderstand.
"No need. Remember what I said, there are many things going on recently, and I'm already annoyed enough. Don't cause me any more trouble."
Jiang Nan Fang returned to the hotel from the hospital.
Out of guilt towards the children, she took them to the children's playground downstairs.
The four children played together, chirping and jumping around, while she sat alone nearby, lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, Tian Tian suddenly pointed in the distance on the trampoline and shouted, "Daddy."
Jiang Nan Fang's heart tightened. For a moment, she didn't know whether to turn around.
After seeing what had just happened, she truly didn't know what expression to face him with.
Zhan Bei Jue walked closer step by step, still carrying that familiar scent.
If she hadn't seen him with someone else for so long with her own eyes, Jiang Nan Fang would have truly believed that everything was still the same.
He sat down beside Jiang Nan Fang, let out a soft sigh, and placed his hand over hers.
"Didn't go out today?"
Jiang Nan Fang looked down at his hand.
As usual, it was long, handsome, and dry.
However, his hands were the same when he offered them to others, and she could no longer feel joy from them.
"No."
She subtly withdrew her hand and brushed her hair back.
"How did your business talks go?"
Her gaze shifted, and she saw his face.
That large injury on his forehead made it impossible to ignore.
"They didn't go well, did you get into a fight with someone?"
This was a ridiculous lie.
Anyone with a bit of intelligence wouldn't claim they got into a fight with a client because the business talks didn't go well.
But Zhan Bei Jue admitted it.
"I was upset and acted impulsively, I couldn't hold back."
He, the president of a prestigious listed group, had gotten into a physical altercation with the head of a major bank in Beicheng over financing matters.
Jiang Nan Fang didn't want to say anything more.
Do you think I'm so foolish now?
She smiled, "I can see that. You'll probably be delayed here for a long time."
"It's not a solution for the children to keep going to school like this. I plan to take them back tomorrow."
Zhan Bei Jue was just about to ask her to take the children back early and was preparing his words when she preemptively stated it herself.
Therefore, he hesitated for almost no moment, placing his hand on her shoulder, intending to pull her into his embrace.
"I'm sorry, I failed in my duty this time. After this matter is resolved, I will take proper time to be with you and the children."
Before his hand could reach her shoulder, Jiang Nan Fang subtly moved away.
She pretended to stand up to pick up a ball for Rui Rui, not answering him.
Zhan Bei Jue could sense that she was unhappy.
He could understand. She had traveled all the way from Nan Cheng, and he had promised to accompany them, but he had broken his promise. Women, it was normal for them to have a little temper.
During dinner that night, he was exceptionally attentive.
He doted on the four children meticulously and poured tea and water for Jiang Nan Fang.
However, these apologetic gestures seemed particularly ironic in Jiang Nan Fang's eyes.
What was the point?
Since your heart is not at peace, and you feel that one woman is not enough, and you like to have women on both sides like other men, just admit it openly.
Why bother acting so hard in front of me and being so eloquent in front of others, isn't it tiring?
That night, Jiang Nan Fang told the children a bedtime story and then, feigning exhaustion, slept on the children's bed.
Zhan Bei Jue waited for a long time, but when she didn't come over, he tiptoed into the room and saw five people lying side by side, already fast asleep.
He didn't have the heart to wake Jiang Nan Fang, nor did he want to be too far from them.
He brought a quilt and slept on the floor all night.