195: So it is a female friend, then.

So it is a female friend, then.

Dai Zhiqiang tried to move his hand but found it difficult to do so. His upper arms felt sore, and the lower arms were hurting like a hundred needles pricked it.2

"You landed on the terrible spot after you got attacked. Don't move your hand too much, or you will pry your wound open again." Ye Huizhong discouraged him from clenching and opening his hands.

"Is it because I landed on fragments of glass?" 

"So you are aware. Be careful in choosing the place where you passed out next time."

"I was about to lose my consciousness. How can I have leisure time to think about that?"

"Even if you don't have time, you still have to make sure you are in a safe place before you let your guard down. Trust me, you don't want your enemy to catch you while in the most vulnerable state."

Dai Zhiqiang didn't answer his boss' advice and asked instead, "Is there any telephone I can use, then?"

"Do you have to contact them right now? At least you need to eat or drink something first. I'll ask someone to come to deliver it to you later. For now, focus on recuperating. That's an order."

Dai Zhiqiang wanted to protest but realized that he had no right to bargain with the boss, considering what he had done for him, so he reluctantly shut his mouth.

"What are you dreaming of just now? You looked like you were in so much pain."

"....I can't remember, but it certainly wasn't a good one."

"I heard you calling out names, so I suppose you must have subconsciously worried for your family in your sleep." Ye Huizhong put his fingers on his chin before deciding, "I'll ask one of my subordinates to get you a new phone. Take it as a token of my appreciation for what you did last night."

"...Thank you, Boss." Dai Zhiqiang said, "What about Little Zhong?"

"I told him you are sick and can't come to play with him for a while. He is very disappointed, so make sure to recover quickly. I don't like to see my grandson sad." Ye Huizhong said sternly, leaving no room for argument. 

"I understand."

"I will leave you to rest, then." Ye Huizhong walked away even before Dai Zhiqiang had a chance to reply and left the room. 

In the end, he missed his timing to ask what was the boss doing in this room. It was hard to believe that his boss' scary face was the first thing he saw as he opened his eyes. Their relationship was purely business, and he shouldn't have any reason to watch over his condition. Dai Zhiqiang was at a loss.

He lifted his blanket to check on his belly with a trembling hand. Sure enough, bandages were covering the area of his abdomen.

Dai Zhiqiang regretted his decision last night. He shouldn't have gotten too involved with this group's problem more than he should have. He didn't plan to stay here forever, so he initially planned to contribute moderately before he would bid goodbye to the group. 

However, when he saw those people trying to harm innocent people in the bar, Dai Zhiqiang couldn't restrain himself. His body had moved before his mind could tell him otherwise.

This habit of his was actually the source of his bad luck. If it weren't for his busybody nature, he wouldn't provoke some senior gang in the middle school, which pulled him into a never-ending fighting cycle. 

Dai Zhiqiang stroked his bandaged forehead. He didn't remember how he got this wound, but he hoped it wouldn't leave a scar since it happened in a pretty conspicuous place, or he wouldn't be able to explain it to his family. 

Then, Dai Zhiqiang's mind wandered to Li Caiyi, and he sighed regretfully. It thrilled him when she said she would wait for him to finish his work. He looked forward to it so much, but he ruined that chance. He wondered if Li Caiyi waited for him to message her?

"No, I don't think she will." Dai Zhiqiang let out a self-deprecating laugh. "But it's better if she didn't wait, or she would lose her precious sleeping time."

When he thought about that, the door was opened, and a male nurse entered while pushing a food cart. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Dai Zhiqiang had regained his consciousness.

"You are already awake. That's good."

Dai Zhiqiang nodded his head but didn't say a word to him. The male nurse didn't seem to mind as he walked over and pulled out something from his pocket.

"The Boss Ye asked me to give this phone to you." He said as he offered a phone with the same model as Dai Zhiqiang's old one. "He also said that he already told someone to move the data from your previous phone to this one."

Dai Zhiqiang accepted it gratefully. "Thank you."

Despite looking brand new, this phone didn't look very different from his previous one. He was relieved that Ye Huizhong didn't get him the latest phone but opted for the same model as his previous one. This way, no one would know that this one was actually a different phone.

His palm was throbbing, but his thumbs were still functioning fine, so he quickly checked on his call logs and messages. The most recent message from his brother regarding their father's condition made him frown, but he felt at ease knowing that his condition had stabilized. 

Dai Zhiqiang quickly typed a reassuring reply:

[Dai Zhiqiang: I have gotten a job opportunity from my colleague, and it was on short notice. Sorry for not informing you beforehand. My phone was missing, so I can't tell you about it. But I already found it, though, so there is no need to worry. Please take care of Father while I am gone. Probably need a few more days before I can return].

He scrolled down to check on the other text, and Dai Zhiqiang was dumbstruck when he saw the long list of missed calls and messages in his inbox.

He had expected his brother to call him many times. Still, he didn't expect that Li Caiyi's missed calls and messages were double of that. Most of the messages urged him to contact her as soon as he saw her message or asked about his condition. 

Dai Zhiqiang was so moved he re-read all the messages a few times. Judging from her words, it sounded like she was worried sick about him, which thrilled him, although he knew it was mean to think like that.

"Are you looking at something that lifts your mood? You smiled so happily," the male nurse who had been quietly preparing his food on the side said.

Dai Zhiqiang felt his mouth, and he was indeed grinning like an idiot right now. He cleared his throat awkwardly. 

"It's just a message from my friend."

"Oh, I bet she is beautiful."

"I never said my friend is a female."

The male nurse laughed at that. "Nice joke there. There is no way a man would smile like that if the one who sent him the message is a male. Unless that man swings differently."

Dai Zhiqiang immediately frowned. "I'm a normal man."

"So it is a female friend, then. Lucky you," the male nurse smiled knowingly, making him confused whether or not it would be better to refute.

Probably better to concede rather than let him misunderstand. 

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