Chapter 24: The Friend with the Amiable Temperament

Chapter 24: The Friend with the Amiable Temperament

"Shatter—"

The sound of glass being crushed pierced his eardrums sharply.

A weight fell upon him, a faint scent wafting into his nostrils. Huochuan's vision went white as he was pushed back by the person who had lunged at him, and together they tumbled onto the grass, sliding backwards for some distance.

Immediately after came the sound of shards striking the ground, dense and overwhelming. The scattered fragments landed nearby, embedding themselves into the lawn.

The person who pounced on him held him tightly until the sound finally faded away.

The cold hand supporting his head was withdrawn, and when he raised his eyes, he saw the messy pink locks of the person above him, as well as the light gray irises looking at him.

The other party caught their breath and asked, "Are you okay?"

For a moment, Huochuan did not reply.

Not receiving an answer, Chen Bai's eyes widened. He leaned in for a closer look at Caisen, relieved to see that his pupils were focused clearly and his breathing was still steady.

Assured that there was no serious harm, merely shock that had left them speechless, Chen Bai's salary for the coming months seemed secure.

Who would have thought that despite his towering height, Caishen was quite the timid one.

The issue stemmed from the champagne tower, fortunately, he had been keeping a watchful eye on Caishen's situation all along.

As the crowd's chatter drew closer, Huo Qing broke through the throng and rushed over, her voice rising in alarm as she cried out, "Brother! Erbai!"

Chen Bai pushed himself up from the ground, shards of glass falling off his back onto the grass below. With a wave of his hand, he smiled reassuringly, "We're both fine."

Having pacified Sister Caishen, he bent over again, extending his hand to Caishen.

In his haste earlier, he hadn't been able to stop in time; he hadn't intended to knock Caishen to the ground.

His arms were slender, so much so that they didn't even fill out the sleeves of his shirt, leaving them sagging. The man on the lawn managed to get up by himself.

It was easier for Chen Bai when he didn't have to exert himself to help someone up, so he promptly withdrew his hand.

"..."

Huo Qing rushed to their side, bending over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. When she looked up, her eyes immediately widened at the sight of the blood-stained hand hanging from the sleeve of Chen Moubai's white shirt.

Just as Chen Moubai had withdrawn his hand, it was grasped again. Looking down, he saw a pair of eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over like falling gold beans.

In the first instant, he stopped and whispered quickly, "Don't cry, you're wearing makeup."

"..."

These words were more effective than any consolation. The tears that were about to fall were indeed held back.

After she managed to hold back her tears, he then said, "It's just a scrape, nothing serious."

The back of a person's head is very fragile. In the fall, he could only use his hand to cushion the impact under the head to avoid injury, and in the process of sliding on the ground, his hand got scraped. Although the wound looked frightening, it was actually just a common scrape that could be simply treated.

As the crowd drew closer, the person who had picked up the phone also came over, trembling on their legs to apologize. They apologized here and then to the newcomer.

Apologies echoed in his ears, but Huochuan didn't listen much, instead turning his gaze towards where he had originally been standing.

The spot where he had been standing was now covered with stacked shards, the ground soaked with liquor, the fragments embedded into the ground, sharp and dangerous.

Withdrawing his gaze, he looked at the person standing beside him and said in a low voice, "Let's go to the hospital first."

What Chen Bai understood by going to the hospital was that he was going there alone.

However, Cais Shen was standing next to him, with Cais Shen's sister also present, showing no intention of leaving.

It turned out that when they said going to the hospital, it meant Cais Shen was coming along too.

Getting into the car, the driver was a familiar face. Chen Moubai, who could easily become friendly with anyone, naturally greeted the driver.

The destination was a nearby hospital. The driver glanced over and was surprised by how spirited this person appeared; for a moment, he couldn't discern any signs of illness.

Upon entering the hospital, the doctor tended to Pink-haired's hand wound immediately.

His knuckles and the back of his hand had varying degrees of abrasions, mixed with dirt and other impurities. It would require some effort to clean and disinfect the wounds properly.

When the cotton swab touched the raw, bloody wounds, it made one's teeth ache just by looking at it.

But Pink-haired had no other reaction, watching the doctor's actions intently as if learning from them.

Huo Qing sat to the side, not daring to look at the wound as she asked, "S... Brother Bai, aren't you in pain?"

With her own brother present, she awkwardly corrected herself.

Chen Bai slightly shook his head and smiled, saying, "It's alright."

Not only did he need treatment for the wound on his hand, but there were also some scratches on his back. They weren't deep, likely caused by scattered glass shards. A simple disinfection would suffice.

During the disinfection process, Huo's mother, having probably gotten news from Huo Qing, immediately inquired about the current situation.

The other party had originally made a video call, but with his back still being treated, it wasn't particularly presentable. Chen Bai thus switched to voice communication.

The young girl went outside to buy something to drink, maintaining propriety, while Huo Chuan stayed in the room. He simply sat to the side watching the person undergoing disinfection hold his phone and talk to someone.

At one point, the other party glanced at the messages on his phone, turned his head to look at him, and said, "Little Qing is asking what kind of drink you want."

"..."

Huo Chuan replied, "No need."

He asked, "When did you guys exchange contact information?"

Chen Bai lowered his head to send a message saying it wasn't necessary, then looked up again, smiling as he said, "It's been quite a while."

After saying this, he felt something was off. He took another careful look at Caishen and noticed the gaze directed at him.

His mind raced, and Pink-haired finally remembered that he had Caishen's contact information but had never added him as a friend.

He had added both his sister and mother, but not this person.

"..."

The sound of the wound being dressed concluded in the quiet room, just as Chen Bai finished adding his new friend. At that moment, Huo Qing, who had gone to buy water, returned.

Upon her return, she witnessed the scene of them adding each other as friends.

She glanced back and forth between the two of them a couple of times before finally withdrawing her gaze. She handed the cup of water in her hand to the person sitting by the bed, saying, "This is lukewarm water I found somewhere; it shouldn't be too hot."

Just as she passed over the water, the phone of the person sitting on the other side lit up, indicating an incoming call.

Huochuan stepped out to take a call, and it lasted somewhat longer than usual.

When he returned, Huo Qing, who had been through this scenario numerous times before, looked at him straight away and asked, "Is there something you need to attend to?"

The man entering the room confirmed her suspicion.

Huo Qing, having anticipated this and grown accustomed to it, waved her hand dismissively and said, "Go ahead, I'll keep Brother Bai company here."

And so, Huochuan left.

The exposed wound on Pink-haired's hand was too large and needed dressing; Huo Qing stayed behind to keep watch.

It had only been about ten minutes since the God of Wealth left. After finishing the bandaging and waiting for the doctor to write out the medical instructions, Chen Bai's phone, which had been set aside, rang twice. He picked it up.

It was a bank transaction notification, showing a deposit of exactly 200,000 yuan into his account.

The other message was from WeChat, coming from a recently added friend. The sender simply wrote: "Medical expenses."

While labeled as medical expenses, the money covered much more than just that. The actual medical fees amounted to less than a fraction of this sum, and they had already been paid by the driver.

This was the hard-earned reward from his own endeavors, and Chen Moubai gratefully accepted the bounty of the gold-spewing god of wealth with a clear conscience.

Welcoming a quiet yet generous Fortune God, a substantial sum of money descended from the heavens. As he gazed at his phone, the smile on his face was harder to suppress than the kickback of an AK rifle.

Huo Qing sat beside him, opening her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately deciding against it. She changed her words at the last moment, saying instead, "After we're done here, I'll have Uncle Meng drive you back. The subway must be packed at this time."

During Mother's last birthday, she had overheard the driver mention that this person declined to be dropped off at their doorstep and instead opted to take the subway home. If they were to make their own way back this time, it would likely be via the subway once again, unless something unforeseen occurred.

Despite never having ridden the subway herself, she had heard from classmates that on holidays like this, the trains – especially those running close to the city center – were always packed to bursting. It was a challenge for anyone to squeeze aboard, let alone someone with an injured hand.

Adhering to the principle of separating work and living spaces, Chen Bai declined with a wave of his hand: "No need, I have a friend coming to pick me up later."

The kind Fortune Goddess showed concern: "It's not convenient for you alone; I'll wait with you until your friend arrives."

Chen Bai was at a loss for words.

Unable to reject her well-intentioned offer, Chen Bai lowered his head and took out his phone, beginning to reach out for help in hopes of conjuring up a friend out of thin air.

His first call went to his good neighbor.

It seemed that Good Neighbor was conveniently looking at his phone, as he replied promptly: "Which hospital?"

Chen Bai glanced at the paper on the table and relayed the name of the hospital.

After a brief silence, Good Neighbor messaged back, "I'll be there in half an hour."

It appeared that he had successfully reached out to someone, surprisingly smoothly and quickly.

Once the wound was treated and the medication obtained, the medical process was considered over. The next phase involved a not-so-lengthy wait.

Sitting together in the hospital's main hall, Huo Qing lifted her dress to prevent it from touching the ground. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Is your friend the one you mentioned during the live stream, the one who lives next door to you?"

Chen Bai confirmed it was, then added with a smile, "He's got a great temper, really handsome when he smiles."

Huo Qing found this fitting, as an image spontaneously formed in her mind - a man holding a thermos cup, always smiling warmly, and speaking in a calm, unhurried manner.

To endure Erbai's antics, he must indeed have a good temper. And considering he's friends with the person sitting beside her, he must also be someone who loves to smile.

A person with a good temper means half an hour when they say half an hour.

Half an hour later, the phone in his hand vibrated. Chen Bai looked down at it and then raised his head to say, "He's arrived."

Huo Qing followed suit, lifting her head to look towards the entrance of the hall.

She didn't see the affable and smiling person she had imagined. At first glance, there was someone holding a thermos cup, but the other party wore a hat and a mask, dressed in all-black outdoor gear. As he strode into the hall, his aura was as intimidating as her brother's.

Not seeing anyone after scanning the area, her curiosity quickly swelled. She turned her head to ask the person beside her, "Where is he?"

Chen Bai looked in one direction, smiling and nodding slightly, saying, "Over there."

There was no need to look over; the person was already walking toward them.

The rustling sound of the outdoor gear grew louder as the wearer approached, finally stopping by their side. Huo Qing turned her head, catching sight of the same person she had glimpsed earlier.

He was very tall.

Standing this close, the sense of oppression was even more intense than from a distance.

She watched as the man bent over to pass the thermos in his hand, and saw the person sitting next to him naturally reach out for the thermos.

She asked, "...that friend with the great temper?"

Chen Bai, holding the thermos that he had already unscrewed in advance, patted the hand of the person beside him and said with a smile, "Him."