Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Ning Yichu put down his phone. "My hair isn't dry yet. Finish drying it for me."

He Shixia gave a soft chuckle. "Okay."

Turning the hair dryer back on, He Shixia finished drying Ning Yichu's hair at a normal pace before asking, "So, are you going now?"

Ning Yichu stood up lazily and headed toward the bedroom. "No, I'm dead tired."

Whether those four from the Ning family lived or died was none of his concern. It wasn't as important as getting some sleep.

He Shixia, with a smile playing on his lips, grabbed Ning Yichu's wrist. "A Ning, do I have to sleep in the study tonight?"

Ning Yichu glanced back at him slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Sure. It's not as if the He mansion is short on empty rooms. Go wherever you like, just leave me alone."

He Shixia still didn't let go. "A Ning... are you really sure you don't want me to stay with you? There are no cameras tonight, we can let loose a little more..."

Ning Yichu said calmly, "I've said it before, your self-promotion skills are clumsy. You've packaged your desire to take advantage of me in a way that's completely unappealing. Let go."

He Shixia didn't make him say it a third time. This time, he obediently released his hand. "Alright, then I'll keep working on my pitch. Goodnight."

Ning Yichu gave a light hmph and returned to the bedroom.

He Shixia stayed where he was, watching his disappearing back, and chuckled to himself for a while.

That night, not only did Ning Yichu have no intention of going to the hospital, but he also, fearing his peaceful sleep would be disturbed, turned his phone completely to silent.

It wasn't until the next morning, after the lawyer had contacted him several times and because the lawyer said the traffic police had already investigated the results and needed to communicate with the family, that Ning Yichu left for the hospital to check on the condition of the four Nings.

From the fact that the lawyer hadn't reported any deaths, it was clear they probably hadn't died, which was somewhat regrettable.

However, upon arriving at the hospital and learning about the condition of those four, Ning Yichu felt it was actually good they hadn't died. It was better for them to keep living, atoning for what they had done, spending the rest of their lives in torment—

The lawyer finally saw Ning Yichu, his eyes red from staying up all night, and said, "Young Master Xiao Chu, you're finally here... I know you have some conflicts with the Master and Madam, but please don't make things so difficult for me. I just work here. With you, the family member, not coming, last night was pure agony for me..."

Ning Yichu found it amusing. "You seem fine now, still able to scold me. When you were helping Ning Shaoren handle those shady dealings, when you were receiving pay far above your pay grade, I didn't see you feeling so conflicted then, Lawyer Liu?"

Lawyer Liu's voice instantly caught in his throat. As Ning Shaoren's trusted private lawyer, even having a spot on the emergency contact list, he certainly knew about many of Ning Shaoren's shady business. He had even been an accomplice in quite a few matters...

Remembering how Ning Shaoren, before the accident, had tried to placate Ning Yichu by even offering him shares in Kangning... Lawyer Liu snapped back to reality and immediately became servile. "No, no, Young Master Xiao Chu, you misunderstand. I wouldn't dare scold you! I was just momentarily anxious, and coupled with not sleeping all night, my tone might have seemed a bit harsh, my wording not polite enough. That's my fault, my fault. Please don't take it to heart."

Ning Yichu wasn't bothered, but later, when he reported it to the police, whether the law would hold Lawyer Liu accountable as a knowing accomplice was not something he could decide.

Without another word to Lawyer Liu, Ning Yichu asked, "How are they doing?"

Lawyer Liu hurriedly replied, "They're all stable for now, but their conditions aren't good. They're all still unconscious. The doctors say we can only continue to observe. However... head injuries, bleeding, concussions—those are the minor things. The Master and Madam got their arms crushed. They weren't brought to the hospital promptly enough, and to save their lives, their hands had to be amputated. The Master lost his right forearm, and the Madam lost her left forearm."

Ning Yichu raised an eyebrow. He Shixia, who had come along, also had his expression shift slightly upon hearing this. Although they were people he despised, hearing about such amputations was still a shock to hear.

Lawyer Liu continued, "Both the Eldest Young Master and the Youngest Young Master are also seriously injured. The doctors say the Master, Madam, and both young masters will likely suffer long-term complications. It's not just these wounds; their physical condition will also be much weaker than before..."

"Both the Eldest Young Master and the Youngest Young Master had their legs trapped. The Youngest Young Master was luckier; he wasn't trapped as firmly and was rescued a bit faster. It's only a fracture. But the Eldest Young Master suffered irreversible damage to the nerves in his leg. While it didn't reach the point of amputation like the Master and Madam, he'll have a permanent limp from now on."

"Moreover, when the accident happened, the car's front windshield was shattered. The Eldest Young Master and Youngest Young Master, being in the front seats, both had their faces cut by glass. It's hard to say who got off easier..."

"The cut on the Youngest Young Master's cheek isn't severe, but a piece of broken glass injured his eye. The doctor said the specific situation needs to be determined with tests after he wakes up. Although he won't go completely blind, it might be like severe myopia, and in his condition, even a retinal transplant probably couldn't restore his sight to normal."

"As for the Eldest Young Master, a relatively large piece of glass pierced his cheek, nearly reaching his brain. Thankfully, it didn't. But such a large wound isn't something ordinary cosmetic repair surgery can fix. He's disfigured, and the injury also affected his oral functions... sigh."

Although Lawyer Liu lacked a conscience, over the years he had truly regarded the Ning family as his "masters." Speaking of it now, he felt quite sad. But then he immediately realized Ning Yichu was probably delighted to see the Ning family of four in such a miserable state. So, the sigh he had just let out got stuck.

Ning Yichu was still somewhat surprised. "They're all that badly hurt? How exactly did the accident happen? Did they hit another car? What about the other party?"

Lawyer Liu: "This situation is a bit complicated. I'm not entirely clear myself... The traffic police should have finished asking the doctors about the situation by now. How about you go talk to them, Young Master Xiao Chu?"

The traffic police also needed to communicate with the family.

"It's like this, Mr. Ning. Based on the dashcam footage from both parties, road surveillance, and the information about the injuries the doctors just provided, we've basically determined the process of last night's accident. We've exported all the videos; you can take a look too. Before the accident, your family members were arguing—"

According to the traffic police's account and the video evidence, the drivers involved in the accident were Ning Zeqi and a truck driver. The location happened to be on a bridge crossing a river.

At that time, on Ning Zeqi's side, because Ning Zeshu was demanding to get out of the car, he pressed the wrong button and held it down, causing Ning Zeqi's seat to recline. Restrained by the seatbelt and blocked by Ning Zeshu's body, Ning Zeqi, the driver, couldn't see the road ahead. The car's front also shifted left and right uncontrollably as the steering wheel was affected.

Just then, a large truck was approaching from the opposite direction. The truck driver was driving while fatigued and didn't realize something was wrong until Ning Zeqi's car got very close. The truck driver immediately turned the steering wheel, avoiding a head-on collision. But the truck's trailer was too long. During the rapid change of direction, it not only collided with the front of Ning Zeqi's car but also, due to the momentum, pushed Ning Zeqi's car toward the edge of the bridge. Ning Zeqi's car, along with the four people inside, fell into the river.

The truck's trailer was full of steel bars. One on top came loose during the violent collision and rolled down, piercing the front windshield of Ning Zeqi's car, causing it to shatter.

Protected by the seatbelt and airbag, Ning Zeqi didn't hit his head, but his leg was trapped by the deformed driver's side door and the crushed front of the car. Moreover, the airbag was quickly punctured by windshield fragments, and one particularly large piece severely pierced Ning Zeqi's cheek.

As for Ning Zeshu, Ning Shaoren, and Han Wenhua, not only were they not wearing seatbelts at the time, but they also weren't properly seated. The moment the accident occurred, they lost balance and hit the car's ceiling, which is how they injured the backs of their heads.

Then, Ning Zeshu was thrown toward the passenger side door. It was probably during this process that his foot got trapped due to the sudden change in posture, and his face directly faced the shattered windshield fragments. But at the same time, he was lucky to have narrowly avoided the steel bar that pierced into the car.

However, Ning Shaoren and Han Wenhua, who were originally in the back seat and had stood up to stop Ning Zeshu from interfering with the driving, first had their arms hit against the front seatbacks, then their arms ended up pressed together during the shaking, right where the steel bar pierced through.

The car fell into the water, and water quickly poured in through the damaged front. If the truck driver hadn't reacted in time to call the police and 120, and if it weren't for the coincidence that there happened to be a police station and water rescue unit nearby, allowing the rescue to arrive quickly enough, drowning alone could have killed all four.

But even fast takes time. All four had inhaled water. After the rescue team pulled them out, they prioritized drowning resuscitation over their other injuries, making them spit out the water to clear their airways. This gave them the chance to be sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.

After explaining the process, the traffic police added, "Originally, if that truck driver had been driving normally, he wouldn't have been responsible for this traffic accident. But the problem is he was driving while fatigued at the time. At the moment of the accident, he did indeed cross over the solid line in the middle of the lane. So, he still has to bear some responsibility in this accident, especially since the injuries on this side are quite severe... The truck driver's side doesn't dare to come. They asked us to relay the message, wanting to know how you, as the family member, Mr. Ning, wish to resolve this matter."

Ning Yichu asked, "That truck driver wasn't injured, right?"

The traffic police replied, "The person is fine. It's just the truck that's damaged, and the cargo. Until the responsibility for this traffic accident is clearly determined, both have to be held at our traffic police station. The driver naturally hopes to get his truck and cargo back soon. He says his family depends on this for their livelihood. But he doesn't intend to play the victim card to evade responsibility. He says he'll definitely pay the medical expenses he should, just hopes he doesn't have to bear it all. He thinks he's quite unlucky too. He's afraid of coming to the hospital and encountering irrational family members, so he wanted us traffic police to relay the message first."

Ning Yichu nodded. "In that case, let each bear their own losses. On my adoptive parents' side, although their injuries are severe, they bear the main responsibility for the entire accident. There's no reason to demand compensation from the truck driver just because he wasn't injured. I think legally, even out of humanitarian considerations, it wouldn't support much. Since our family isn't short on medical expenses, let's not make a fuss about this matter."

"The truck driver was frightened, and his vehicle is damaged. Don't hold onto the cargo anymore. If needed, I can sign the accident responsibility confirmation form right now. Also, although the truck driver was driving while fatigued, this accident was essentially a bolt from the blue for him. Our side will cover his truck repair costs."

Without any messy arguments or unreasonable haggling, the traffic police also breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

After all, the truck driver wasn't primarily responsible for this accident; his responsibility would be at most 10-20%. It's just that Ning Zeqi's side all had serious injuries, making this accident a bit more troublesome. But since Ning Yichu, as the proxy direct family member, was willing to waive any claims, then the truck driver would be in the clear.

However, when Ning Yichu mentioned the truck repair costs, the traffic police were still a bit surprised. "Your side will cover it?"

Ning Yichu smiled. "Anyway, my adoptive parents aren't short on money. I think they'd prefer I use their money to do good deeds and pray for blessings for them, rather than buying joss paper to burn for them."

The traffic police paused.

He Shixia aside, who was already famous, Ning Yichu had also gained considerable attention due to the just-ended live broadcast program. The traffic police, after confirming the identities of the injured, had guessed who the lawyer was referring to as the adopted son. Seeing Ning Yichu and He Shixia in person confirmed it.

Given the recent whirlwind of gossip and public opinion, the traffic police also knew that not only was there no affection between Ning Yichu and his adoptive parents, but there was also enmity. Hearing Ning Yichu speak so bluntly now, while it was hard to respond to, it wasn't exactly surprising.

In short, because there was no dispute between the parties involved in the accident, fault was determined and the incident was concluded.

What remained unresolved were the still-unconscious Ning family of four.

Although Lawyer Liu felt that, given Ning Shaoren and the others' style of making a fuss even when they had no grounds, if they were in a position to decide now, they definitely wouldn't let the truck driver off so easily. But they weren't awake and couldn't make decisions. Lawyer Liu didn't dare raise any objections to Ning Yichu's decision.

After a sleepless night of dealing with the chaos in the hospital, now that Ning Shaoren and the others were out of the operating room and the traffic accident investigation had concluded, Lawyer Liu wanted to say goodbye to Ning Yichu and leave first.

Ning Yichu stopped him: "Don't go, Lawyer Liu. The police are on their way. If you leave, they'll just have to track you down somewhere else."

Lawyer Liu was taken aback: "What? Young Master Xiao Chu... what are you talking about? Didn't the traffic police just leave? Isn't this matter already over?"

Ning Yichu tilted his head slightly: "But the crimes Ning Shaoren, Han Wenhua, and Ning Zeqi committed before haven't been reported to the police yet."

Upon hearing this, Lawyer Liu's already sickly pallor turned even more ashen.

Ning Yichu: "I originally planned to let them tear each other apart for ten days or so, but I didn't expect them to be so impatient. So, at this point, I think it's enough. Let's give them 'back-to-back handcuffs' as their discharge gift. While you were just dealing with the truck driver about repairs and compensation, I've already submitted evidence to the police and reported the three of them. As the accomplice who knows the most, you'd better wait here for the police... Or, do you want to knowingly break the law and become a fugitive now?"

Lawyer Liu, who had been backing away, froze in his tracks.

Thus, before Ning Shaoren, Han Wenhua, and Ning Zeqi even regained consciousness, their past crimes involving homicides, covering up their own misdeeds, or shielding their son's crimes had already been exposed. To protect himself and reduce his sentence, Lawyer Liu even voluntarily confessed several old cases that weren't mentioned in the original plot, which Ning Yichu didn't know about, further adding to Ning Shaoren and Han Wenhua's criminal records.

Three days later, Ning Zeqi, whose injuries were the lightest among the four, woke up first, only to be greeted by police officers stationed in his hospital room.

After being told what was going on, Ning Zeqi remained silent for a long time. Then he said he wanted to see Ning Yichu. After meeting him, he would come clean and not waste the police's time. Conversely, if Ning Yichu didn't come to see him, he wouldn't say a word.

Ning Zeqi's face was wrapped in thick bandages. He already knew about his disfigurement and asked Ning Yichu after he arrived: "Do I look pretty scary like this?"

Ning Yichu sneered: "You were disgusting enough even before the disfigurement. This change doesn't make much difference."

Ning Zeqi had a peculiar train of thought: "I'll take that as you comforting me. Xiao Chu, you did know about that reckless driving accident, didn't you? I always thought you must know. Quite a few people were aware of it; it's a miracle it was kept hidden for years... You never really intended to let me and our parents off, did you? That night, you were just saying those things, actually waiting for us to finish off Ning Zeshu before finally coming after us. What, has Ning Zeshu's condition quenched your thirst for revenge enough that you're acting against me and our parents so quickly now?"

The injuries on Ning Zeqi's face even affected his ability to speak. It wasn't obvious when he spoke briefly, but when he talked at length, he started to slur his words. He was aware of this himself. Though he appeared calm, his eyes revealed the embarrassment and anger he felt about his current situation. Still, he insisted on finishing what he had to say.

After listening to his nonsense, Ning Yichu only replied: "Changing 'me acting against you' to 'exposing your crimes, you getting what you deserve' would be more accurate."

Ning Zeqi let out a laugh: "Yeah, getting what we deserve... From the moment our parents stole you, an innocent newborn, for their own selfish reasons, they should have known they'd eventually get what they deserve... Xiao Chu, aren't you even a little curious about when I started liking you?"

Ning Yichu frowned, clearly disgusted by this topic again.

He Shixia, who had accompanied him, raised his hand and gently patted his back, while his gaze warned Ning Zeqi: "Didn't I tell you not to disgust him with this topic anymore?"

Looking at them standing side by side, Ning Zeqi said bitterly: "I shouldn't have pushed Xiao Chu into your room back then. Instead, I ended up playing matchmaker for you, He Shixia... Xiao Chu, does my liking for you really disgust you that much? Then I'm sorry. I still want to say it. If I don't say it now, I probably won't have another chance. Please bear with me and listen. After I finish talking about this, I'll have nothing else to say. Then you can leave. The next time you hear news about me might be when I'm sentenced."

Ning Yichu remained frowning tightly and didn't answer Ning Zeqi. But since he had come, he didn't intend to leave halfway.

Ning Zeqi had talked too much and tasted blood in his mouth, but he didn't stop: "When you were first brought home by our parents, I thought you were my biological younger brother whom I had lost. I was really good to you back then, right? Of course, as Ning Zeshu said, it was mainly because I felt guilty towards my biological brother. I didn't dare tell our parents the truth, so I hoped to make up for it by being good to my biological brother."

"Because of this, when Ning Zeshu returned to the Ning family and I learned he was my real biological brother, I started being good to him and my attitude towards you worsened... Besides our parents leading the way, I also felt somewhat ashamed and angry, thinking my previous kindness towards you was because you had deceived me."

"But soon, I realized Ning Zeshu wasn't as harmless as he appeared on the surface, and I also realized the unfairness towards you. So I actually wanted to be good to you, but everyone else in the family was used to putting you down. If I openly treated you well again, I was afraid it would only bring you more trouble. So I could only continue to treat you poorly on the surface, while secretly..."

"I once made a swing, do you remember? The one you secretly cut and damaged, then framed Ning Shaoren for it..."

"That time, it was actually because our parents didn't want you to appear at the upcoming Ning family banquet. They entrusted this matter to me, hinting that I should injure you so it would be justified. But I didn't want to hurt you, so I made a bet with Ning Shaoren, letting him do it. I didn't expect him to directly cause you to fall down the stairs, almost costing you your life. I also realized that 'I don't want to hurt you, so I'll let someone else hurt you' was still me harming you. So I wanted to make a swing to apologize to you, but I could only say it was for Ning Zeshu if anyone asked."

"That night of the banquet, you were sick and couldn't get out of bed. I went to see you and saw you going downstairs to cut the swing, but I didn't expose you. Later, I secretly helped make the rest of the family believe Ning Shaoren did it... Of course, you were still young back then, and I wasn't that disgusting yet. I really just wanted to treat you well as a brother at that time."

Ning Yichu was tired of listening and didn't want to let him have the satisfaction of venting everything. Otherwise, Ning Zeqi might feel relieved after saying it all, but he, the listener, would be thoroughly disgusted.

So Ning Yichu interrupted and retorted: "Sneaky attempts to make up for things, self-righteous anger, 'being good to me' that doesn't match words with actions... Ning Zeqi, has anyone in your Ning family ever done anything or said anything with a clear conscience, openly and aboveboard? Remember not to habitually use clever words and a pleasing manner when you're sitting in the police interrogation room later."

Ning Zeqi felt embarrassed under his gaze. He originally had a lot more to say, but suddenly he wanted to end this quickly. So he said hastily: "Later... you went to university, studying the art major you had never been exposed to, which the family randomly filled in for you. I watched you on the verge of a breakdown yet gritting your teeth and persevering. Among the discarded practice paintings you abandoned, I gradually fell for you, Xiao Chu... I really do like you."

Ning Yichu said disgustedly: "Finished? Then I wish you a pleasant prison life with a limp and a disfigured face."

Ning Yichu turned to leave. Before He Shixia followed, he finally asked Ning Zeqi: "So you mean, while actively persecuting and encouraging the bullying of A Ning, you appreciated his pain and then fell for him? And you call that genuine feelings?"

Ning Zeqi was struck as if by lightning by the accusation.

...

After bidding farewell to the police outside the ward, Ning Yichu walked out of the hospital. Breathing in the fresh air, he finally felt a bit more comfortable.

He looked at He Shixia: "If Ning Shaoren and Han Wenhua also demand to see me before confessing, I might really be disgusted to death by these Ning family people... By the way, isn't my surgery scheduled for these next couple of days?"

He Shixia nodded gently: "It's scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I was going to tell you tomorrow, as you need to go to the hospital for a pre-operative physical exam the day after. Now that the matters with the He and Ning families are resolved, only this child... and I remain. A Ning, you're about to be free."

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Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, I only realized after finishing writing that I'm already eight minutes late... (kneels down