It hurt.
God, it hurt so much.
I don’t know how much time had passed, but my consciousness slowly returned amidst a tide of excruciating pain.
I struggled to open my eyes, but everything was shrouded in darkness.
I tried to speak, but my throat felt as though it hadn’t seen a drop of water for days; it was bone-dry and raw.
Every attempt to move only served to intensify the agony.
“Heh…
heh…”
Finally, I mustered enough strength to let out a faint, raspy sound.
Snap!
The overhead light flickered on.
The sudden brightness blinded me, making my eyes water until I couldn’t see a thing.
“Son!
Son!
You’re finally awake…
sob…”
I heard my mother’s voice, choked with joy.
I struggled to focus my vision, and her image gradually came into view.
My mother’s beautiful hair was draped simply over her back.
She was wearing a plain white nightgown that did little to hide her stunning figure.
Her full breasts pushed the fabric high, and the distinct protrusions of her nipples were clearly visible through the thin material.
It was obvious she had rushed to my side in a panic and hadn’t bothered with a bra.
“Son!
How are you feeling?
Does anything hurt?” Seeing that I was awake, she relaxed slightly and sat carefully on the edge of the bed, whispering softly in my ear.
Her face was as beautiful as ever, though her eyes were bloodshot and carried a heavy hint of exhaustion.
It was clear she had spent the last few days consumed by worry.
“Heh…
heh…” I opened my mouth, but I still couldn’t form words.
Seeing this, Mom quickly brought a cup of water and used a spoon to feed me, little by little.
“The doctor said you shouldn’t drink too much right after waking up.
Take it slowly.
Don’t worry, you’ll get better,” she murmured.
“Mom…
Mom…” After some water, my throat felt less constricted.
I could finally speak, but the voice that came out was barely recognizable—hoarse, grating, and unpleasant.
“Son!
You’ve suffered so much…” At the sound of my voice, her eyes reddened, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.
I blinked and gave her a mischievous look, trying to signal her not to be sad.
She seemed to understand and slowly calmed down, remembering to press the call button to summon the doctor.
After my mother put on a coat she had left on the adjacent bed, the doctor arrived.
After a series of examinations, he concluded that my injuries were healing well.
It was then that I learned the full extent of the damage: a dislocated and sprained right wrist, a fractured left forearm, and most seriously, two broken ribs and internal organ damage in my back.
It had been critical.
My final, frantic run for help had aggravated the injuries, knocking me unconscious for a full day and night.
The doctor administered another sedative, and as the pain subsided, waves of drowsiness washed over me, pulling me back into sleep.
When I woke up again, it was broad daylight.
Sunlight filtered through the thick curtains in slivers, illuminating a large, elegantly decorated hospital room.
My mother had been resting in the bed next to mine.
A fruit basket sat on the bedside table—a gift from some visitor—and various medical instruments hummed faintly nearby.
An IV drip was slowly pumping fluids into my vein.
With one hand bandaged and the other in a cast, I looked truly pitiful.
I checked my condition; the sedative had worn off.
My hands and back still throbbed, but I could feel a warm current flowing through my body, making the pain bearable.
My lungs ached slightly with every breath—a lingering effect of vomiting blood.
My internal organs had truly been ravaged.
Thinking about how lucky I was to have reached the school gate before collapsing, I gritted my teeth in hatred.
Qi Feng had actually gone to such lengths just to get to my mother.
I looked around and realized Mom wasn’t in the room.
Her clothes were still on the spare bed; she must have stepped out to run some errands.
“Xiaofeng, you should head back first.
I’ll take care of Xiaofan.
Don’t let his situation interfere with your studies.”
As I plotted my revenge, I heard my mother’s voice from the hallway.
Since taking the enhancement potion, my vision and hearing had been greatly amplified.
I felt it keenly in the alley, and I suspected my other senses had been sharpened as well.
I focused all my attention on the conversation outside.
“It’s alright, Auntie.
It’s the weekend; you should go home and rest.
You deserve a break.
He’s out of danger now—what if you collapse from exhaustion?
Why don’t you go home?
I’ll stay here with him.
There are nurses on duty; everything will be fine.”
That was Qi Feng, playing the part of the concerned friend.
Hearing that my mother hadn’t slept for two days made my heart ache, and knowing that he was likely the one who put me in this bed made a surge of anger well up inside me.
“I’ll be fine.
Xiaofan was so badly hurt—how could I possibly rest?” my mother replied, her voice trembling with worry.
“I don’t even know what happened to make them beat him so brutally.
If the teachers hadn’t gotten him to the hospital in time, he would have been in serious danger.”
“Yeah, I never expected Brother Fan to run into something like this.
Did he offend someone?
An ordinary person wouldn’t go to such lengths,” Qi Feng added.
His words sounded concerned, but he was subtly implying that I had been involved in something shady.
The cunning little snake.
“No, that’s impossible.
Although Xiaofan used to be playful, he never associated with the wrong crowd.
Especially lately, he’s been studying hard and caring more for the family.
How could he go astray?
We’ll ask him when he wakes up.
If I find out who did this, I won’t let them get away with it!” My mother’s gentle voice turned cold and sharp.
Her words warmed my heart.
She was truly angry.
Running her own company, she surely had connections, though I wondered if she could find the masked men.
They were too professional for ordinary thugs.
I had only escaped because they underestimated me.
Click.
The door opened, and Mom and Qi Feng walked in.
My mother wore a plain-colored dress, the hem revealing her smooth, white legs.
Light blue high heels made her look elegant and ethereal, though her hair was tied in a simple ponytail and her face was bare, showing the weariness of the last few days.
She was overjoyed to see me awake, fussing over my comfort.
Only after I assured her I felt fine did she relax.
“Fan-ge, what happened the day before yesterday?
You got beaten up so badly; Auntie was so worried!” Qi Feng asked, his eyes wide and innocent.
If I didn’t know his true nature, I would have been fooled.
“I don’t know,” I lied, feigning a hint of lingering fear.
“After school, I went to ask a teacher a question and was late getting home.
In the alley, a group of masked men blocked my way.
They had baseball bats and just started hitting me without a word.
I managed to break free and run to the school gate, and then…
I don’t remember anything else.”
I had no evidence, and I knew my mother wouldn’t believe me if I accused Qi Feng without proof.
I had to play the victim for now.
My mother’s face clouded with anger.
“This is outrageous!
To openly assault people in a society governed by law!
Xiaofan, you recover first.
I’ll make sure the police find those people.”
“But Brother Fan, why would they beat you for no reason?
Did you offend someone recently?” Qi Feng pressed, repeating the same question I’d heard in the hall.
He added a fake look of embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean to suggest you were causing trouble, it’s just that this whole thing is so strange.”
I scoffed inwardly.
It was time to test him.
I coughed twice, pretending to be agitated.
“How should I know!
I’ve just been going to school and back.
I haven’t had any conflicts with anyone.
But I won’t let them get away with it.
Even though they were masked, one of the leaders cursed at me, and I remember his voice!”
I watched Qi Feng out of the corner of my eye.
Sure enough, his face stiffened.
He quickly recovered, adding in a mocking tone, “Maybe someone saw that Auntie’s family is rich and wanted to kidnap Brother Fan for ransom!”
My mother seemed swayed by this possibility.
She immediately began lecturing me on safety, suggesting I live at school or hire a driver.
But the flicker of tension in Qi Feng’s expression told me everything I needed to know.
Damn it.
It really was him.
I had to be patient.
I waved my hand, indicating I was tired, and dismissed the conversation.
Qi Feng tried one last time to persuade my mother to go home, but she refused.
Eventually, he left, looking disgruntled.
“Mom, you’re too tired.
Please, go get some sleep.
I’m fine,” I said, looking at her exhausted face.
I knew Qi Feng wanted her gone so he could get her alone, which was exactly why I wanted her to stay.
“Let me feed you first.
You haven’t eaten since you collapsed,” she said, bringing out a bowl of steaming millet porridge.
She smiled gently.
“The doctor said you need something light, so Mom made this specially for you.”
The mention of food made my stomach growl violently.
Because my hands were useless, I had to be fed by her.
I ate the porridge with great relish, feeling the warmth spread through me.
After eating, we chatted for a while before I finally persuaded her to rest.
“Mom will sleep for a bit, son.
Call me if you feel unwell.” She turned off the main light, leaving only the bedside lamp, and drew the curtain between our beds.
I heard the rustle of her changing clothes, and soon, her breathing became slow and steady.
It had been a long time since we had slept in the same room.
Even with the curtain between us, I felt a surge of tender emotion.
Listening to her soft breathing, the pain of my injuries seemed to fade, and I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up in the middle of the night with a pressing urge to urinate.
It was dark outside, and Mom was still asleep.
I thought about calling a nurse, but looking at my immobile hands, I hesitated.
I couldn’t exactly ask a nurse to pull down my pants for me.
I lay there for a long time, struggling, but the combination of the porridge and the IV fluids made the urge unbearable.
“Mom…” I whispered.
“Hmm…
Xiaofan?
What’s wrong?” her voice came from behind the curtain, sleepy and soft.
“I…
I need to go to the bathroom…
but I can’t move my hands…” My face burned with embarrassment.
There was a moment of silence before she replied softly, “Wait a moment, let me help you.”
She pulled back the curtain, still in her pajamas.
She looked refreshed, a slight blush on her cheeks and a few strands of hair falling over her forehead.
She looked incredibly gentle under the dim lamplight.
I instinctively glanced at her chest, but she was wearing a bra this time.
No “eye-opening” experience like before.
“Xiaofan, do you need the toilet?” she asked softly.
“Um…
yes…
I’m feeling a bit…
suffocated,” I stammered, still embarrassed.
“Let me help you up.
Should I call a nurse?”
“No!
No need to call anyone else!” I said quickly.
She gently helped me up, supporting me with one hand while pulling the IV stand with the other.
Since my injuries were limited to my upper body, I could walk, though I was still weak.
Once we reached the bathroom, my mother hesitated.
She blushed, looking away, and slowly pulled down my pants for me.
Seeing her embarrassment made my heart pound uncontrollably.
“You…
call me when you’re done…” she whispered, practically fleeing the room.
Sitting there, I felt a surge of excitement.
The act of being helped by her was strangely stimulating.
My penis became engorged and swollen, making it momentarily impossible to urinate.
I looked down and noticed something—my penis seemed larger, and my pubic hair looked thicker.
Could it be the effect of the potion?
I was overjoyed.
For any man, bigger and stronger is the ultimate goal.
However, my arousal made urinating difficult.
I struggled for a while before finally finishing.
When I called her back in, she wouldn’t even look at me, her face bright red as she pulled my pants back up.
Feeling mischievous, as she pulled my pants up to my waist, I deliberately twisted my hips, causing her small hand to brush directly against my penis.
Even through the fabric, her hand trembled.
Her face turned a deep crimson, and she hurriedly helped me back to bed before slipping out of the room.
She didn’t return to the ward for a long time