After hurrying to the clinic and not finding Zhao Xinfang inside, Du Heng rushed to the rented house.
Wang Shuqiu opened the door. As soon as Du Heng entered, he asked, "What’s wrong with your phone? Is it out of power? I couldn’t get through."
Wang Shuqiu nodded, her emotions seemingly stable. "I had a eting this afternoon," she explained, "and I didn’t have ti to charge my phone."
Within monts, Du Heng was inside the room.
However, the scene before him rendered him speechless.
Zhao Xinfang, whom he had been worried about, was completely fine. Instead, Liao Yuzhu, dressed in light sumr clothes, had bloodstains on her attire, and her head was wrapped in gauze.
Judging by their expressions, however, the roles seed reversed.
Zhao Xinfang looked worried and remorseful, while Liao Yuzhu, despite the gauze on her head, was visibly furious. Du Heng even heard her angrily complaining as he arrived.
Looking at them, Du Heng asked, bewildered, "What’s going on? Wasn’t Xiao Fang supposed to be the one beaten up? How did Yu Zhu end up like this?"
Wang Shuqiu glanced at the two on the sofa. "Let Xiao Fang explain. I’m not sure either; I only got here a few minutes before you. When I called, I was almost at your hospital."
Hearing this, Du Heng was even more speechless. "If you were that close to the hospital, couldn’t you have co in and gotten ? I was so worried about you both."
"I was scared and confused at the ti, only worried about Xiao Fang."
Du Heng decided not to press Wang Shuqiu further; what was done was done, and more discussion wouldn’t help. He turned to Liao Yuzhu. "Yu Zhu, did you go to the hospital for a check-up? I hope it’s not too bad. How was the wound treated? Will it leave a scar?"
"Heng, I’m fine. It’s just a two-centiter cut on my scalp; it’s nothing. I don’t need to go to the hospital for it," Yu Zhu replied.
"How did you get cut? Did you fall, or were you hit?"
"I was hit by a stick. It’s nothing, not a big deal."
She really is a brave girl, thinking a two-centiter cut is no big deal. So n would call an ambulance for a three-milliter scratch on their finger.
"So, what exactly happened?"
Zhao Xinfang began, his voice laced with guilt, "It’s my fault. I was too impulsive."
Annoyed by the dithering, Du Heng said, "Just tell what happened."
Zhao Xinfang raised his head and glanced timidly at Du Heng. "When Yu Zhu and I were coming back, we saw soone smashing the door—it was making a CLANGING, BANGING racket—and shouting curses at my sister. I got angry and rushed over to pull the person away. Only then did I recognize him: Zhao Xinyuan."
"I was so angry I pushed him down. But I didn’t expect him to have a stick. He got up and was about to hit when Yu Zhu tried to help and got hit instead. That’s how she ended up like this."
Du Heng was speechless. "I’ve t Zhao Xinyuan. He’s just a skinny guy. You couldn’t handle him? You needed Yu Zhu’s help?"
Zhao Xinfang hung his head in sha. "He had a stick, and... and I’ve never been in a fight before."
Du Heng felt sowhat exasperated.
What could he say about this brother-in-law? Was he a good kid or not? If he was good, he’d failed to protect the girl who liked him and had let her get her head injured. If he wasn’t, well, what was wrong with being a well-behaved kid? Should he be encouraged to fight and brawl? It was hard to say, and frankly, a bit frustrating.
Sighing, he dropped the issue. "Did you call the police?"
"Not yet. We were busy bandaging Yu Zhu’s wound."
"Call them now. Right away," Du Heng ordered Zhao Xinfang firmly.
Wang Shuqiu chid in, "We must call the police. He injured Yu Zhu’s head; we can’t just let it go. He needs to be taught a lesson."
Zhao Xinfang felt no affection for Zhao Xinyuan; in fact, he blad Zhao Xinyuan for the coldness and hurt his parents had inflicted on him. So, when Du Heng and Wang Shuqiu told him to call the police, he took out his mobile phone without the slightest hesitation.
While they waited for the police, Du Heng called Liao Quansheng.
His classmate’s sister had been out with his own brother-in-law, and she was the one who got her head injured while his brother-in-law was unscathed. Making the call, Du Heng felt his face burn with embarrassnt.
The police arrived quickly. After taking their statents, they went to the clinic to gather more information. Then, they took everyone back to the police station to inquire about Zhao Xinyuan.
Since Zhao Xinyuan was a relative of Zhao Xinfang and Wang Shuqiu, and this stemd from family issues, the police were particularly interested. They quickly gathered all of Zhao Xinyuan’s information from the pair.
The fact that they didn’t know his current address wasn’t a problem. Since Zhao Xinyuan attended JZU dical College, the police could find his address through the school and his classmates by the next morning. Unless a person completely disconnects from society and lives off the grid, they can always be found.
For now, there was nothing more for them to do but go ho and wait for news from the police.
Still, Du Heng felt terribly guilty about Liao Yuzhu’s head injury and worried about how he would explain it to his classmate, Liao Quansheng.
"Yu Zhu, let’s go to the hospital for a CT scan, just to be sure and rule out any hidden dangers," he insisted.
"Heng, I really don’t need to. I don’t feel anything else wrong right now."
"No, you have to listen to . We’re going."
Ignoring Liao Yuzhu’s objections, he insisted on taking her to the hospital.
After the check-up and reviewing the CT scan images on the computer, it was confird that Liao Yuzhu had no internal injuries. Without waiting for the film, the four of them left together.
Seeing Liao Quansheng waiting at the entrance, Du Heng felt extrely apologetic. "Brother, I’m really sorry about what happened to Yu Zhu. She didn’t deserve this."
Liao Quansheng was also worried about his sister. He first went up to Liao Yuzhu and looked her over carefully. Seeing that, apart from the gauze on her head, she seed fine and in good spirits, he finally sighed in relief.
"Don’t worry about it, brother. They’re all adults. If sothing happens, it’s their own responsibility."
He then patted Du Heng’s shoulder and asked, "And this must be your wife, right?"
Liao Quansheng’s magnanimity eased Du Heng’s mind slightly. He brushed Liao Quansheng’s hand off his shoulder. "Don’t hang on , aren’t you hot? And address her as Sister-in-law."
"Alright, alright, Sister-in-law it is!" Liao Quansheng chuckled. "Regardless, I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight."
Du Heng had the sa idea. Moreover, he felt tonight’s al had to be a good one, and expensive, as an apology from Xiao Fang to the Liao siblings and to help Yu Zhu recover from the shock.
Technically, Zhao Xinfang should pay for this al. But the kid just started working, and the money in his pocket was fronted by him and Wang Shuqiu. So, it had to be Du Heng, the brother-in-law, who paid. But this was a debt, and debts must be repaid! Considering Zhao Xinfang’s current financial situation, though, it was unlikely he could repay it anyti soon. So, the sister repaying her brother’s debt? Logically, that shouldn’t be a problem. Hmm... Wang Shuqiu, as his sister, would surely be more than willing.
User Comments
0 comments from readers