“You don’t know, An Nian is really miserable and pitiful.”
Lin Hening had been conserving his energy all night, planning to get Xia Zhile to explain everything before breakfast. But the moment Xia Zhile opened his mouth, he started talking about how pitiful An Nian was?
Lin Hening immediately felt a wave of nausea, making him lose his appetite. He had no interest in hearing just how miserable An Nian supposedly was.
Xia Zhile picked up a nutrition meal from the cafeteria auntie, peeling a boiled egg for Lin Hening as he spoke. “Didn’t I tell you before that An Nian has a boyfriend? I’ve never met him in person, but I’ve seen his photo. He looks decent, but his face has this gloomy, unsettling vibe. That old saying is right—’the face reflects the heart.’ Sure enough, his boyfriend turned out to be a complete psycho.”
Lin Hening sipped his porridge without rushing to interrupt, listening as Xia Zhile, clearly worked up, explained the complicated relationship.
An Nian worked as an editor at a publishing house, and his boyfriend was one of the authors he was responsible for.
When Xia Zhile mentioned the pen name, Lin Hening recalled it vaguely. That author had been quite popular in the market over the past two years—a bestselling thriller and suspense novelist. His books sold exceptionally well. Jian Xiaoxi was a devoted fan, and Lin Hening had flipped through one of the books while hitching a ride with him. The plots were gripping, the atmosphere masterfully crafted—the author was undeniably talented.
Side note: The publishing house was owned by An Nian’s father.
So, on his very first day at work, the young master was assigned as the editor-in-charge of a bestselling novelist! As an editor, he naturally had to visit the author in person to urge him to submit manuscripts, revise outlines, and discuss plot details. After spending so much time together, feelings developed, and they got together.
At first, everything seemed fine. But over time, things took a turn for the worse.
To put it simply: An Nian’s boyfriend was a paranoid, possessive creep who installed hidden cameras in his house, stalked him day and night, and, after their breakup, went full-blown psychotic, claiming he wanted to “die together” with him!
Now An Nian was constantly on the run, unable to go home, unable to go to work.
Isn’t that just tragic?!
Lin Hening: “……”
Xia Zhile fumed, “Last time An Nian went to the hospital for his injuries, he said he fell. It did look like a fall, so I didn’t question it. But last night, he finally told the truth—it was that psycho who pushed him! That guy has violent tendencies! What’s the technical term for that?”
Xia Zhile smacked his forehead as he suddenly remembered, “Right! Paranoid Personality Disorder! This kind of person is too dangerous! You need to get Jian Xiaoxi to arrest him, and then you can prosecute him—sentence him to life in prison, never let him out to hurt anyone again!”
Lin Hening: “……”
If everything Xia Zhile said was true, then An Nian definitely deserved attention and sympathy. But jumping straight to arresting, prosecuting, and sentencing the author to life imprisonment—did he think the entire judicial system was owned by his family?
Unbelievable. He had known this “great doctor” for so long, yet he was still spouting such naïve and childish nonsense.
After being surrounded by legal professionals all the time, how was he still this ignorant of the law?!
Lin Hening took the egg from Xia Zhile’s hand and said, “Unless An Nian suffers actual bodily harm, it’s a civil case. He should get a lawyer.”
Of course, Xia Zhile knew the difference between civil and criminal cases, but Lin Hening’s indifferent attitude and those four words—”actual bodily harm”—instantly made him lose his temper. He slammed the egg down on the table with a loud thud.
“What do you mean? Do we have to wait until An Nian gets dissected, turned into a specimen, and preserved in formalin before taking action? You people just sit around being wise after the fact! What the hell is the law even good for?!”
Lin Hening: “???”
Xia Zhile stormed off in a fury.
—
They had argued before, but never over something like this.
Lin Hening thought these kinds of rants only came from powerless citizens with no other options. He never expected to hear them from his boyfriend of five years—someone he had been dating for two.
To put it bluntly, Xia Zhile wasn’t mad because of legal principles. He was mad purely because of An Nian.
Lin Hening was so pissed he almost laughed.
His mild concussion had left him feeling a little dazed, but the more he fumed, the clearer his head became.
At noon, Jian Xiaoxi called Lin Hening and asked, “Did Xia Zhile explain everything clearly?”
“Yeah, pretty clearly.”
Xia Zhile said that last night, An Nian called him, saying his writer boyfriend had threatened him over the phone. He was so scared that he had nowhere to go, no friends to confide in, and he didn’t dare tell his family for fear of worrying his parents. So, the only person he could call was Xia Zhile. Haha.
Then came the usual venting—drinking while crying. He drank too much, got drunk, couldn’t stand straight, and ended up falling into Xia Zhile’s arms. Coincidentally, Jian Xiaoxi happened to snap a photo of that exact moment.
“……” Jian Xiaoxi was speechless for a long ten seconds. “Are you serious?”
No idea. But at least the explanation was given.
Except, the situation seemed to have gotten worse.
Xia Zhile hadn’t cheated, but his heart had already drifted toward An Nian.
During dinner, Xia Zhile video-called Lin Hening to apologize, saying he was too emotional that morning, that he didn’t mean what he said. He went on sweet-talking, throwing out “baby” and “kisses” to coax him.
Lin Hening used to fall for this. Especially when a grown man like Xia Zhile acted cute and spoiled like a child. But now, he suddenly found it unbearable—borderline irritating.
The thought that Xia Zhile might be using the same tactics on An Nian made Lin Hening even more annoyed.
He wanted to hang up, but Xia Zhile refused to let go and said, “The hospital you’re in has terrible conditions. It’s only a secondary-tier hospital. Why don’t you transfer to Ruitan Hospital? I’ll handle the paperwork first thing in the morning!”
Lin Hening scoffed, saying, “It’s just a minor issue. Why bother with Ruitan? Killing a chicken with a butcher’s knife. Besides, it’s too far, and I can’t be bothered. By the time the transfer is done, I’d be discharged already.”
Xia Zhile wasn’t pleased. “That rundown hospital is filled with third-rate doctors. What if they misdiagnose or overlook something? I don’t trust them.”
Lin Hening replied lazily, “Didn’t I already get all the tests done?”
Xia Zhile immediately launched into a speech. “Even phones have different price ranges! Medical equipment varies greatly in quality too. And let’s not even talk about the doctors—imagine getting the same ultrasound from a seasoned Harvard PhD versus some so-called doctor from a third-rate school who barely sees two patients a day. You think the results would be the same?”
Lin Hening had no response to that.
Xia Zhile, smug and self-satisfied, added, “You don’t understand a thing! This is my field—you should listen to me.”
Ever since Xia Zhile became successful, he had developed a habit of flaunting his superiority in front of Lin Hening. Sometimes, he took it too far, exuding a bloated sense of self-importance, looking down on everyone—including Lin Hening—to make himself shine even brighter.
But this time, Xia Zhile actually had a point, and he was doing it for Lin Hening’s sake. So, Lin Hening held onto his phone in silence, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll think about it.”
The hospital meals were bland and unappetizing. Combined with his bad mood, even food he’d usually wolf down was hard to stomach. After a few bites, he put down his chopsticks, crawled into bed, and started scrolling through his WeChat Moments.
He had two WeChat accounts—one for work and one personal.
The work account was dull, but the personal one was the real deal—a lively feed full of jokers, hotheads, and chaotic energy. It was practically a mini-forum.
Jian Xiaoxi was a frequent poster, dropping at least three updates a day. His latest two posts were about a stray cat and celebrating getting off work on time, shouting, “Long live clocking out on time! Long live world peace!”
Lin Hening couldn’t help but laugh and gave him a like. Scrolling further, an unfamiliar post popped up.
Xinghua Restaurant: [Hot Sale. Image]
Lin Hening clicked to enlarge—it was a steaming plate of Braised Chicken with Rice.
The glossy sauce looked rich and tempting, the tender chicken pieces sat atop soft, fragrant white rice. Even through the screen, he could almost smell its thick, savory aroma.
Suddenly, his nausea disappeared. In fact, he was hungry.
…Wasn’t this braised chicken made from the same type of chicken that once shared a fateful ride with him in that infamous minivan?
Ah, speak of chickens, but leave out the ba—let’s keep it civil, folks.
Damn, the more he thought about it, the hungrier he got.
Getting so upset over a relationship that he lost his appetite? Not worth it. If nothing else, he had to eat well to have the energy to fight back, right?
Lin Hening just couldn’t stomach the hospital meals, but fortunately, in a country as vast as China, the food delivery industry thrived—already miles ahead of the rest of the world, achieving the dream of effortless food freedom!
Might as well keep it simple—pizza, fried chicken, and spicy crayfish it is!
Before he even stepped into the shop, Zhou Zhou was already shouting, “Fei-ge, Fei-ge! I found it!”
Gu Fei pulled a toolbox from the cabinet and turned to ask, “Found what?”
“The owner of the damn dog!” Zhou Zhou was beyond excited. “I knew that dog looked familiar! It seemed like Lao Gao’s ‘son’—not a stray. So, I went undercover to check out Lao Gao’s shop, and sure enough—it was the same dog!”
Gu Fei picked out a hammer from the toolbox, flipped a wooden chair onto its side, and used the hammer to knock loose the wobbly joint. Meanwhile, Zhou Zhou continued, “Fei-ge, that dog was running around in the middle of the night without a leash! It’s the reason for the accident! Lao Gao should be fully responsible for the damages, right? If you ask me, he should pay for everything!”
Gu Fei applied white glue to both sides of the joint, then used the hammer to realign it before securing the chair with a strong rope.
In just a few moves, a chair that was practically falling apart was back in working condition.
Zhou Zhou couldn’t help but grumble, “Fei-ge, say something, man! Just because you weren’t at fault doesn’t mean you can just leave me hanging. The car involved was yours, after all…”
His voice got smaller and smaller.
Zhou Zhou muttered, “I can’t afford to pay for the damages, and that Ferrari owner is bound to come after you too. So, we should both go confront Lao Gao! His dog caused the accident—it’s only right that he takes responsibility. It’s not like we’re extorting him.”
Gu Fei tossed the hammer back into the toolbox and said, “You already went to talk to him. Did he even acknowledge you?”
At that, Zhou Zhou fumed. Acknowledged? Not only did Lao Gao refuse to listen, but he also cursed him out and threw him out of the shop! The whole Gao family got involved—it was practically a mob scene. Zhou Zhou had barely escaped a beating.
Gu Fei glanced at his pitiful expression and said, “I’ll go with you to Lao Gao’s place tomorrow.”
Zhou Zhou was overjoyed. “Bro, you’re my real brother!”
As dinnertime rolled around, the restaurant started getting busy. Zhou Zhou happily got to work—serving dishes, wiping tables, and tending to customers. Meanwhile, food delivery orders kept rolling in. He was busy until past 8 PM before things finally quieted down. Just as he reached for a drink of water, another order popped up.
“Large Braised Chicken Rice, delivery to XX Hospital, third floor, orthopedic department, nurse’s station.”
Gu Fei paused.
The kitchen staff responded, “Got it. No dietary restrictions noted?”
Gu Fei lifted the curtain, walked into the kitchen, grabbed an apron from the rack, and tied it on. As he took the knife from the chef’s hands, he said, “I’ll handle this one.”
Jian Xiaoxi, who had just declared “Off work on time, hooray! World peace, hooray!” on his Moments, didn’t even go home. Instead, he went straight to the hospital to check on his buddy.
He picked a banana from the fruit basket, peeled it, and handed it to Lin Hening. After some small talk, he naturally steered the conversation toward Xia Zhile.
Lin Hening chose not to repeat that ridiculous “What are you guys even doing?” remark—it would only piss off his friend. Instead, he briefly summarized An Nian’s situation.
Jian Xiaoxi scoffed, “What’s the point of going to Xia Zhile? He should be calling the police! And after that, get a lawyer!”
Ah, but that’s where you don’t understand. No matter how capable the police and lawyers are, they can’t compare to the warmth of a high school senior’s embrace!
Of course, the police needed to be involved, and a lawyer was necessary too. But Xia Zhile? Absolutely indispensable.
Lin Hening finished his banana and handed another one to Jian Xiaoxi to peel.
As he obediently peeled the banana, Jian Xiaoxi asked, “What’s his boyfriend’s name? I’ll have someone look into him.”
Lin Hening only provided the pen name, and sure enough, he saw a devastated fan look on Jian Xiaoxi’s face.
Five minutes later, after making a call, Jian Xiaoxi reported, “No police record, no criminal history.”
Lin Hening wasn’t surprised. After all, he had already suggested calling the police, but Xia Zhile had given an explanation—
“An Nian is too soft-hearted and kind. He thinks that since Big Writer is a public figure, making a fuss about this would ruin his career.”
Jian Xiaoxi: “……”
Damn, the more I think about it, the hungrier I get.
Getting so pissed at someone that you can’t even eat? Not worth it. Besides, you need to be full if you’re gonna have the energy to fight back, right?
Lin Hening wasn’t a fan of hospital food, but thankfully, China’s booming food delivery industry had already made “eating without leaving your house” a global reality.
Might as well keep it simple—pizza, fried chicken, and some spicy crawfish!
Before even stepping inside the shop, Zhou Zhou was already shouting, “Fei-ge, Fei-ge, I found it!”
Gu Fei pulled a toolbox from the shelf and turned to him. “Found what?”
“The owner of that damn dog!” Zhou Zhou was practically shaking with excitement. “I knew that dog looked familiar—it’s Old Gao’s ‘son’! Not a stray at all. So I went undercover to check out Old Gao’s shop, and sure enough, it’s the same dog!”
Gu Fei selected a hammer from the toolbox, flipped a wooden chair onto its side, and knocked loose the weakened joints. Zhou Zhou kept ranting, “Fei-ge, his dog was running around unleashed in the middle of the night! It’s the real culprit behind the accident, so shouldn’t he take full responsibility? I say he should cover all the damages!”
Gu Fei carefully applied white glue to both sides of the joint, realigned the pieces, and hammered them back into place. Then, he grabbed a sturdy rope to hold it all together.
In just a few simple steps, a wobbly, nearly broken chair was back in working order.
Zhou Zhou couldn’t help but complain, “Fei-ge, say something, man! Just ’cause you’re not responsible doesn’t mean you can ignore me, right? I mean, it was your car…”
His voice trailed off.
Zhou Zhou mumbled, “I can’t afford to pay for the damages, and that Ferrari owner is definitely coming after you. So we should both go after Old Gao—his dog caused the accident, so he has to take responsibility! We’re not scamming him or anything.”
Gu Fei tossed the hammer back into the toolbox. “You already confronted him. Did he respond?”
Zhou Zhou flared up. Not only had Old Gao ignored him, but he also cursed him out and threw him out of the shop! His whole family was in on it too, nearly ganging up on him.
Gu Fei glanced at Zhou Zhou, who looked utterly wronged. “I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
Zhou Zhou lit up with joy. “Bro! You’re my real bro!”
