Chapter 32: Don’t Be Afraid of Me

Chapter 32: Don't Be Afraid of Me

Zhao Shengge frowned and said, "Her gratitude is hers, mine is mine."

"These are two separate issues."

Xu Zhiying and he do not represent each other.

Perhaps because Zhao Shengge saw this as a matter needing serious clarification, he didn’t realize his voice had deepened, sounding somewhat authoritative, causing both Chen Wan and Zhuo Zhixuan to pause momentarily.

The ward's atmosphere instantly turned tense and palpable.

Injured, people tend to be more fragile and confused. Chen Wan didn’t understand what the other party meant, only feeling like he’d messed up. He opened his mouth, bewildered and unsure.

Zhao Shengge kept his eyes on Chen Wan's slender frame, even noticing a slight tremor in Chen Wan's hand.

Zhao Shengge, rarely nervous, found himself anxious, but he was at a complete loss. Zhao Shengge had rarely felt such uncontrollable emotions.

But he was powerless to change it.

He softened his voice: "I—"

As Zhuo Zhixuan was about to tell Zhao Shengge not to scare anyone, his phone rang.

It was Tan Youming, calling to check on Chen Wan. He wanted to come, but his father was still there, and Shen Zongnian thought it too conspicuous for so many to leave at once, so he stayed.

Zhuo Zhixuan didn’t mince words: "Arms, legs, face—all injured. Even his brain took a hit."

Chen Wan: "..."

Tan Youming immediately said, "Put him on speaker, I need to talk to Chen Wan."

Zhuo Zhixuan did so, and Chen Wan spoke first: "Tan Shao, it's me. I’m okay, no need to worry."

Tan Youming asked a few more questions, urged him to rest, and promised a team-building trip to Lion Mountain and a discharge party.

As if soothing a child.

Chen Wan smiled and said okay.

Spotting an elegant figure, Tan Youming's eyes lit up, and he handed his glass back to Shen Zongnian.

A gossip lover, he thought sharing some might help Chen Wan relax: "Wan, you saved Xu Zhiying! Shengge's fiancée. Messing with her is like poking the tiger—Zhao Shengge won’t let them get away with it. Don’t worry, you won’t be wronged."

Chen Wan's head burned, his throat on fire, but he managed a calm, "It's oka—"

"Fiancée? Since when?" A deep, slow voice cut through the speaker, calm yet firm.

"..."

Chen Wan turned to look at Zhao Shengge.

Given the ambiguity of his words, everyone paused. Zhuo Zhixuan glanced at Chen Wan, then at Zhao Shengge.

Zhao Shengge remained calm, his expression unreadable.

Tan Youming laughed. "Who dares to decide for you, Zhao Shengge? Isn’t this what 'Haidu Evening News' wrote?" He mimicked a paparazzo’s tone: "Financial magnate Zhao Shengge and Xu’s eldest daughter were spotted late at night, rumored to be setting up a love nest at Shallow Water Garden’s No. 7 Bay."

"..."

Zhao Shengge glanced at Chen Wan, who wasn’t returning his gaze, and teased Tan Youming, "You penned that yourself, didn’t you?"

Tan Youming laughed again.

Zhuo Zhixuan considered himself a close friend, but he couldn’t tell if they were kidding or serious. They’d never brought up such topics when hanging out.

Maybe Zhao Shengge only confided in Shen Zongnian.

He might not know the truth, but he knew someone who’d want to.

Zhuo Zhixuan spoke up loudly, "That 'Hua Du News' also wrote about it. Their reporters caught you dining together at Sifden."

Tan Youming jumped in, "See? It’s not just me. I’m not making this up."

Zhao Shengge asked sarcastically, "So, dinner equals engagement now?"

He said firmly, addressing both Zhuo Zhixuan and Tan Youming, "I will not be engaged to Ms. Xu. I’ll sue you and those tabloids for invading my privacy."

Tan Youming laughed, calling him out for acting all serious.

Chen Wan furrowed his brow, confused, and raised his head, meeting Zhao Shengge’s steady gaze.

"..."

Zhao Shengge looked at him gently but asked seriously, "What? Have you seen it too?"

"..." Chen Wan hesitated. "No, I haven’t."

Tan Youming said, "Either way, it’s on you, Zhao Shengge. Own up."

He even told Chen Wan to make Zhao Shengge pay up—he had it coming.

This time, Zhao Shengge didn’t refute him.

He was eager to spill more gossip about Zhao Shengge and Xu Zhiying. Shen Zongnian grabbed his phone and said, "Enough, let Chen Wan rest."

Tan Youming finally stopped, sipping his wine.

The phone belonged to Zhuo Zhixuan, but he hadn’t had a chance to speak. He glanced subtly between Zhao Shengge and Chen Wan. He used to not get Chen Wan, and now Zhao Shengge puzzled him too.

The nurse came to call someone to sign some papers. Zhuo Zhixuan believed his relationship with Chen Wan was definitely closer than Zhao Shengge's, so he naturally followed the nurse out.

Only Zhao Shengge and Chen Wan were left in the ward.

Chen Wan caught Zhao Shengge’s lingering gaze and, unsure what it meant, offered a polite smile.

"..."

However, Zhao Shengge thought his complexion looked better, and his expression wasn’t as shattered as before, so he felt somewhat relieved. He walked over, leaned in, and raised his hand.

Chen Wan instinctively leaned back a little, holding his breath completely.

Zhao Shengge stopped, looked at him, and Chen Wan blinked, staring back at him.

Zhao Shengge waited for him to get used to the distance before continuing. Chen Wan then realized that the other person was trying to adjust the position of his IV bottle to make the infusion smoother.

"...Thank you," Chen Wan said awkwardly, enveloped in his cold aura.

When Zhao Shengge raised his hand, the ring on his finger flashed for a moment, the family crest on his pinky exuding a low-key, mysterious brilliance.

Suddenly, the emblem ring was thrust close to his face.

Chen Wan looked up, puzzled.

Zhao Shengge looked into his eyes and said, "Didn’t you want a closer look?"

"...No."

"Chen Wan," Zhao Shengge checked that his injection site wasn’t swollen or bruised before sitting back down, thought for a moment, and asked, "Are you scared of me?"

His voice was warm and deep, but Chen Wan’s hand under the blanket moved slightly.

It wasn’t a question—it was a statement.

Zhao Shengge didn’t follow conversational norms; talking to him felt like a rollercoaster ride.

Chen Wan looked at Zhao Shengge and smiled, "No, Mr. Zhao. Why do you ask?"

Zhao Shengge sat at eye level, his gaze calm yet piercing, deep and unreadable, yet it laid bare every subtle thought of the person he watched.

"No?" Zhao Shengge studied him intently, his dark eyes tracing his eyebrows, eyes, and lips.

The room’s atmosphere shifted from stagnant to something subtly charged, yet both acted more composed than the other.

"No." This time Chen Wan spoke sincerely.

He was never afraid of Zhao Shengge, no matter what others said about him.

"That’s fine," Zhao Shengge said. "Don’t be afraid of me."

Chen Wan felt like he’d really knocked his head hard.

He seemed dull—less clever, less proper, less guarded and flawless—revealing a side of Chen Wan stripped of his armor and mask, one that felt real, vivid, and tender to Zhao Shengge.

So he repeated, "Don’t be afraid of me," his tone and expression serious, exuding reliability.

Chen Wan nodded obediently.

Zhao Shengge carefully examined the medicine the doctor had prescribed and asked, "Chen Wan, how long did the doctor recommend you stay in the hospital?"

Chen Wan said, "I’ll just stay overnight for observation, and if everything’s fine, I’ll—"

"Chen Wan," Zhao Shengge interrupted gently, pausing with a hint of exasperation, "I’m asking for the doctor’s recommendation."

"Not your personal take."

Chen Wan hesitated.

Zhao Shengge’s tone was calm—not boss-to-subordinate but more like an elder addressing a child, slightly disapproving, slightly exasperated, yet not harsh, though it made you sit up straight and answer truthfully.

Chen Wan could only admit, "A week."

"Mm," Zhao Shengge found his honest answer endearing, unlike his earlier "Thank you, Mr. Zhao, no need," which had been irritating. Ignoring Chen Wan’s plan to leave tomorrow, he asked, "Would it bother you if I posted someone at the ward door?"

"What?"

"Until the fugitives are caught, there’s always a risk of retaliation," Zhao Shengge said gravely. "I’m concerned they might track you down."

Chen Wan straightened up. "Oh, okay. It won’t."

Zhao Shengge added, "I’ll get someone else to look after you. It’s not safe for you to be here by yourself."

Before Chen Wan could speak, Zhao Shengge said, "Zhuo Zhixuan’s concerned too."

"But if you want me to owe you one, just let me know later when you figure out what you want."

Zhao Shengge was so sure Chen Wan wouldn’t pull something like cashing in a favor.

Sure enough, the other party agreed.

The corner of Zhao Shengge’s mouth twitched, barely noticeable.

The doctor on night duty came to check the room and said that Chen Wan’s health was fragile, and it was very dangerous to seek medical attention alone after a head injury. Zhao Shengge stayed quiet, deep in thought.

The doctor said Chen Wan shouldn’t sit up for too long and asked Zhao Shengge to adjust the height of the bed head.

As Zhao Shengge leaned in, Chen Wan caught a whiff of Da Hong Pao tea on his collar and cuffs.

Fortunately, Zhao Shengge quickly straightened up after adjusting the bed head.

Chen Wan let out a sigh of relief: "Mr. Zhao, is it alright for you to be away for so long? If you have something to do, you can go back first. I’m really fine."

Tonight was a big deal for Minglong, and Zhao Shengge must have a lot of things to handle.

Zhao Shengge said he just needed to show up, and that others would handle the speech, interviews, and dealing with guests and the media.

He figured Chen Wan was hinting he should leave soon.

"Tired?" Zhao Shengge’s tall figure and broad shoulders blocked part of the bright light, and his expression was obscured in the shadows. "If you’re tired, just close your eyes and rest. I’ll leave when Zhuo Zhixuan comes back."

Chen Wan was swallowed up by his shadow, as if surrounded by him.

Maybe it was the sedative the doctor gave Chen Wan, or perhaps it was because Zhao Shengge naturally exuded reliability and calmness, but by the time Zhuo Zhixuan returned after handling the procedures, Chen Wan had already fallen asleep.

Running around was exhausting. Zhuo Zhixuan, a pampered guy, had never dealt with this kind of thing before—queuing, picking up medicine. He was already worried about Chen Wan’s injury, and in his rush, he nearly got into a fight. So when he got back, he didn’t notice the thermos on the bedside table was already full, and Chen Wan’s phone, which had a chipped corner, was already charging.

Zhao Shengge said he had to head out and would send people right away to look into those guys. He also instructed Zhuo Zhixuan to keep an eye on the veins on Chen Wan’s hand and adjust the infusion speed as needed.

He spoke briefly, mostly repeating the doctor’s orders—short and to the point, his tone calm and detached.

Even though Zhuo Zhixuan had been holding a grudge against him lately, at this moment, looking at his tall figure and hearing his few words, he felt like Zhao Shengge was the big brother he remembered from his childhood again.

In fact, in Zhuo Zhixuan’s heart, he had always seen Zhao Shengge as an elder brother. As a child in the elite circles of Haishi, who wouldn’t want a brother like Zhao Shengge?

If you messed up, he’d tell you it was fine. If you were short on money, you could use his card. He’d let you borrow his limited-edition mountain bike, no questions asked, even if you wrecked it.

Zhao Shengge never lost his cool. He always had a way out. With Zhao Shengge around, there was nothing that couldn’t be resolved.

In Zhuo Zhixuan’s memory, Zhao Shengge had been like this since he was very young. He always thought of him as a mountain—a small hill in childhood, and a towering mountain as he grew older.

Like a silent jade mountain, steady and unshakable.

He was always there, a support for his friends.

But as people get older, things get more complicated. Everyone changes. Tan Youming got cockier, Shen Zongnian got darker, and Zhao Shengge got colder.

That chill came from deep inside him. Even though he remained as gentle, reliable, and responsible as he was in childhood, and was still generous and kind to his friends, at some point, Zhuo Zhixuan knew that Zhao Shengge was no longer the elder brother he had in his heart.

Perhaps it was from the day he stopped playing games with them because of Zhao Maozheng’s surveillance, or perhaps it was from the day he no longer spared a second glance at a stray dog on the street, or perhaps it was from the day he stopped showing leniency to a former friend who had made a mistake...

It had been too long. Zhuo Zhixuan didn’t know when Zhao Shengge, or everyone, including himself, had started to change.

People like them probably found it hard to have genuine friendships. Even if they had them, they easily changed.

That’s why Chen Wan felt so special and valuable.

But on this night, in Chen Wan’s hospital room, Zhuo Zhixuan felt that the big brother had returned.