Chapter 69: Confusion Part 2

“Fu Zheng’s hand is already fine. That little abrasion is nothing to him,” Fu Si Heng said, his voice no longer calm or composed, laced with sourness. “You saw him playing games with both hands yesterday.”

“Huh? Oh… yeah, I saw,” Tao Zhi responded distractedly after snapping back.

He hadn’t bitten after all.

He had just let go.

So unexpected.

Tao Zhi had been prepared.

Because Fu Si Heng was just that kind of bad guy.

Though reliable most of the time, and Tao Zhi trusted him, when he got bad, he was really bad.

Tao Zhi looked at him in surprise.

After nearly half a minute, Tao Zhi’s eyes shifted slightly.

He thought about it.

There was no need to explain.

Fu Si Heng’s jealousy was quite unreasonable, and… they weren’t even together, so no explanation was needed.

That was what Tao Zhi thought, but after a moment, he still spoke up.

“I saw it, I know,” he repeated. “But I see Fu Zheng as a good friend.”

Tao Zhi told him seriously, “Just a good friend.”

–

When they returned to the ward, Fu Zheng had already finished all the rib soup in the thermos.

The caregiver wiped the table with a paper towel, took the thermos out to wash, and bumped into Tao Zhi coming in.

After a simple greeting, the caregiver left, and Tao Zhi entered.

“What did Fu Si Heng say to you? Why were you out so long?”

Fu Zheng had been waiting for Tao Zhi for a long time. Seeing him return, he immediately started questioning like he was checking up.

The way Tao Zhi had followed Fu Si Heng out without hesitation had irritated and unsettled him. His mind kept replaying it, and the sudden sense of crisis he had realized couldn’t be suppressed.

He was very anxious.

“Nothing much,” Tao Zhi didn’t want to tell Fu Zheng about their conversation.

He pulled out the chair by the bed and sat down, clumsily changing the subject. “Was the rib soup good?”

“Delicious,” Fu Zheng answered first, then pressed skeptically, “Really nothing to do with me?”

He was suspicious. “Don’t tell me he was badmouthing me behind my back.”

“No, no,” Tao Zhi denied hurriedly.

It wasn’t badmouthing; it was just Fu Si Heng being jealous of Fu Zheng.

Thinking of that, Tao Zhi glanced quietly outside.

Fu Si Heng had come back with him earlier but hadn’t entered the ward, staying in the outer living room.

In his words… he was very annoyed with Fu Zheng right now.

He didn’t want to see Fu Zheng.

But because Tao Zhi was there, he could barely stay outside.

Tao Zhi didn’t quite understand.

The ward door wasn’t closed, so Fu Si Heng could hear their conversation.

“Really?” Fu Zheng confirmed again.

“Really,” Tao Zhi withdrew his gaze.

“Oh.” Fu Zheng believed him now.

This little fool Tao Zhi wouldn’t lie—pure, no schemes, easy to understand.

He wasn’t worried about any ulterior motives.

Fu Zheng completely forgot the major incident Tao Zhi had caused a few months ago.

He let it go and returned to the soup, trying to give positive feedback to the person he liked using the doctor’s words.

“The soup you made was delicious.” His voice was awkward yet firm.

“It’s the best soup I’ve ever had.”

“Tao Zhi, you’re a great cook,” Fu Zheng said.

“Hm?” Tao Zhi blinked. “The soup I made?”

“It wasn’t the soup I made,” realizing Fu Zheng might have misunderstood, Tao Zhi hurried to clarify. “The soup was made by Fu Ge. Did I forget to mention that earlier?”

Fu Zheng: “?”

“Made by Fu Si Heng?!” Fu Zheng was so shocked his voice cracked.

“Y-Yeah,” Tao Zhi said, confused by Fu Zheng’s big reaction.

“…Fuck.”

In an instant, Fu Zheng’s face turned as ugly as if he had swallowed a fly.

Disgusting.

He wanted to vomit.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Tao Zhi asked worriedly.

Fu Zheng steadied himself.

After a while.

“It’s nothing,” he said, his face ashen.

“Oh.” Tao Zhi was relieved then.

“Why wasn’t it made by you for me?” Fu Zheng still couldn’t get over it.

“Because Fu Ge wanted to make it for you,” Tao Zhi said, trying to ease things between the brothers with a peace-making mindset. “Fu Ge treats you pretty well.”

Fu Zheng: “…”

Hearing that again, he really was going to vomit.

He wasn’t fooled; he knew what Fu Si Heng was thinking.

Fu Si Heng was just deliberately getting under his skin, not wanting him to eat food made by Tao Zhi.

The more he thought, the angrier he got. Fu Zheng’s face stayed ashen for a good while without speaking, churning with nausea in his stomach.

Tao Zhi didn’t pay much attention to him, occasionally glancing outside.

When Fu Zheng came back to himself, so did Tao Zhi.

“Well, I’m heading back to school soon,” Tao Zhi said.

Fu Zheng: “?”

“So soon?” It was the weekend, and Tao Zhi had just arrived not long ago—already leaving?

He had thought Tao Zhi would at least stay until evening, leaving after dinner.

“Yeah,” Tao Zhi made up an excuse. “I still have homework to finish. Oh, right, you’re getting discharged tomorrow, aren’t you?”

Fu Zheng thought for a moment. “Yeah…”

“I have class in the morning tomorrow, so I probably can’t pick you up,” Tao Zhi said apologetically.

Fu Zheng: “…”

“Sorry, Fu Zheng,” Tao Zhi said.

Fu Zheng was silent for a moment.

“Tao Zhi,” Fu Zheng suddenly called him solemnly. “Did Fu Si Heng say something to you?”

Otherwise, how was it so coincidental?

He called Tao Zhi out, and now Tao Zhi wouldn’t stay with him or pick him up from the hospital.

“No, really not,” Tao Zhi denied.

“You know my class schedule; tomorrow’s full.”

But Fu Zheng still didn’t believe it.

He knew the schedule, but he just didn’t believe it.

Even if the reasons were legitimate.

It was still too coincidental.

Fu Zheng stopped talking. His face turned sullen, brows furrowed downward.

“I’ll come see you after you’re discharged,” Tao Zhi soothed him.

“Really?” That improved Fu Zheng’s mood a bit.

He confirmed with Tao Zhi.

“Really,” Tao Zhi nodded.

Fu Zheng: “…Fine.”

Having persuaded Fu Zheng, Tao Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.

But right after, he fell into confusion himself.

Why had he listened to Fu Si Heng…

Because he was afraid of being bitten?