Wen Yirong slowly sat up, forcing a weak smile onto her lips. “Dr. Fan, I’m not feeling uncomfortable anymore.”
Fan Shengyu nodded, taking the stethoscope hanging around his neck to perform a quick checkup. Noticing her downcast expression, he casually cracked a few jokes to cheer her up.
Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Shen Sichen watched the two of them chatting and laughing, along with their seemingly casual physical contact. The warmth in his eyes dropped several degrees further.
His gaze settled on the doctor’s name badge, instantly recalling the name Ding Yun had mentioned over the phone the night before.
So this was the doctor who was supposedly interested in Wen Yirong.
“Make sure to eat well and get plenty of nutrients. You’ve lost quite a bit of weight since the last time I saw you.”
Putting his stethoscope away, Fan Shengyu stood up straight and gently patted her head. His mind was at ease now; seeing that she was staying in a private VIP ward, he figured he didn’t need to worry too much about her upcoming surgery fees.
“I will.”
Wen Yirong looked up, offering him a soft smile.
Satisfied, Fan Shengyu withdrew his hand, turned around, and handed the documents he brought over to Shen Sichen. “Sir, I need your signature on an informed consent form.”
Shen Sichen glanced at him, taking the paper and pen. He deliberately scanned through the contents before signing his name at the bottom of the sheet.
Watching those well-defined fingers grip the pen and effortlessly glide across the paper, a faint, unusual glint flickered in Wen Yirong’s eyes.
Just as he finished signing, Shen Sichen’s phone rang. He handed the items back to Fan Shengyu and walked straight out of the room.
Fan Shengyu turned back to look at the girl sitting obediently on the bed, his eyes filled with warmth. “Get some rest then. If you need anything, just let me know.”
Wen Yirong stared intently at the pen clipped to his shirt pocket, looking as though she wanted to speak but hesitated.
“What is it?” he asked softly.
“Could you… give me that pen?”
Shen Sichen only answered the call once he stepped out into the corridor.
“President Shen, Ding Yun and Wen Chi were just spotted at Zuilinglong. But they were extremely vigilant and fled almost immediately.”
Listening to his subordinate’s report, his face remained entirely emotionless, save for the bitter chill seeping into his eyes as he stared down the empty hallway.
“Keep tracking them.”
“Understood, sir.”
When he returned to the ward, he caught sight of Wen Yirong happily accepting the pen from Fan Shengyu. The large hand gripping the door handle paused for a split second.
“Rest up.”
Fan Shengyu turned around, casting a deep, meaningful look at Shen Sichen before stepping out of the room.
Shen Sichen closed the door, pulled out the chair beside the bed, and sat down. His gaze fixed on her was as cold as ice.
“Where are Ding Yun and Wen Chi?”
Wen Yirong’s smile faded, and she shook her head gently. “I don’t know.”
Her pale answer clearly failed to convince him.
Shen Sichen sneered, his thumb lightly tracing the metallic edge of his phone. “Do you really think I won’t be able to find them if you stay quiet?”
Wen Yirong lowered her head, remaining silent.
“I’ll give you two choices right now: either tell me where they are, or you can go explain it to the police yourself.”
“Brother!” The girl on the bed straightened her spine into a tense, rigid line. “I really don’t know! They move around constantly, and I haven’t been living with them for a very long time.”
That much was true. They had fled from city to city, eventually settling down in Xicheng.
She had struggled just to survive in the wake of their mistakes, desperately wanting to stay in school. But her father, a compulsive gambler, not only refused to pay her tuition, but would secretly steal whatever money she managed to save. In the end, she chose to leave them behind.
Desperate for money, she could only enroll in a obscure, rundown school, barely scraping by and finishing her education through work-study programs.
After starting her job, she continued to live entirely on her own. The only time the two of them ever resurfaced was when they needed to demand money from her.
Shen Sichen remained completely unmoved, clearly disbelieving a single word she said.
Wen Yirong took a deep breath before speaking up, resolved to take this opportunity to explain everything properly. “Brother, I never wanted to hurt any of you…”
“Where’s your proof?”
Shen Sichen knit his brows and cut her off in annoyance. As far as he was concerned, Wen Yirong had zero credibility left.
She lowered her head to think for a moment. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she looked back up with a glint of hope. “Uncle Shen… Uncle Shen can testify for me!”
To her terror, Shen Sichen’s complexion turned instantly stormier upon hearing that name.
Seeing his reaction, her heart plummeted, dropping her into a pit of panic. “How is Uncle Shen doing?”
“What do you think? His blood stained the entire pier back then.”
“He… he’s still okay, right?”
Shen Sichen curved his lips into a chilling smirk. “You don’t have the right to know.”
Wen Yirong panicked completely. “Brother…”
“Shut up!”
She had no choice but to close her mouth, not daring to ask another word.
Shen Sichen’s eyes fell upon the pen she was still clutching tightly. It was an absolute eyesore.
In the past, she had only ever cared to collect things that belonged to him. Had that habit now transferred to someone else?
His thin lips pressed into a tight line as a wave of irritation surged in his chest. Reaching out, he snatched the pen right out of her hand.
Startled by his sudden move, Wen Yirong looked at him in bewilderment like a frightened rabbit.
“Brother…”
“You like him?”
“What?”
“That doctor,” Shen Sichen said, lightly twirling the pen between his fingers.
Realizing he had misunderstood her relationship with Fan Shengyu, Wen Yirong quickly denied it. “No, I don’t.”
“Then there’s no reason to keep it.”
With that, he tossed the pen with precise aim straight into the trash can.
The following afternoon, Wen Yirong was alone in the ward.
When the door opened, she assumed Shen Sichen had returned. But as she turned her head, the person walking in frightened her so much she sat straight up.
“F-Father…”
Wen Chi walked in with a sinister, dark look on his face. “Give me money.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“No money?” Wen Chi sneered. “If you don’t have money, how can you afford a luxury suite like this? That Shen kid must have given you a fortune. Hand it over, don’t even think about hoarding it for yourself.”
He drew a sharp dagger hidden at his waist. “My good daughter, you know very well what I’m capable of doing.”
Wen Yirong turned deathly pale. “I really don’t have any money!”
BANG! A loud crash echoed through the room.
The ward door was kicked wide open. Shen Sichen stood blocking the doorway, his eyes filled with a lethal, icy fury. “Wen Chi, I’ve finally caught you.”
Wen Chi gasped in shock, glaring venomously at Wen Yirong. “You teamed up with him to set me up?!”
“I didn’t!” Wen Yirong shook her head wildly she had no idea Shen Sichen had planned this all along.
Shen Sichen lashed out with a kick, knocking over the fleeing Wen Chi and pinning him ruthlessly to the ground.
Refusing to go down without a fight, Wen Chi twisted his body frantically, reaching for the dagger at his waist.
The gleaming cold blade flashed right in front of Wen Yirong’s eyes, its tip lunging straight toward Shen Sichen’s lower back. Driven by sheer panic, she threw herself off the bed and pushed Shen Sichen out of the way with all the strength she could muster.
Shen Sichen grit his teeth, staring down at Wen Yirong. The expression on his face was identical to the one he had worn years ago when she had pushed him into the sea.