Chapter 50

Xu Hao was passionately attacking Ruan Miao with words, detailing his villainous philosophy. Ruan Miao attempted to escape several times during his monologue but was kicked back into place each time.

Ruan Miao dared not move rashly. His phone was crushed under Xu Hao's foot, leaving him no choice but to hope for a rescue, praying someone would find him.

Just as Xu Hao was in the middle of his tirade, the iron door of the rooftop was violently kicked open, interrupting him.

Ruan Miao craned his neck with hope, vaguely seeing three people entering. He couldn't make out their faces but immediately recognized his second brother's voice.

"Daring to kidnap my brother, you must be brain-dead," He Shanglu snarled, rushing to Xu Hao and kicking him to the ground before he could react.

Before he could land another hit, Jian Fangyu stepped on Xu Hao's chest, pressing hard. Xu Hao gasped for breath, struggling to move the foot crushing his heart. The pain in his chest grew unbearable, and he eventually passed out from the pressure.

He Shanglu, unable to stand watching any longer, frowned. "Stop, you'll kill him."

"I want him dead," Jian Fangyu said coldly.

He Shangzhi ignored the unconscious Xu Hao, walking over to Ruan Miao and gently taking his hand. Finally, her heart settled down.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Ruan Miao felt truly relieved seeing them, gripping He Shangzhi's hand and standing up, calming his nerves with her support.

He Shanglu pulled Jian Fangyu away, yelling, "Are you insane? You really want to kill him?"

"He deserves to die," Jian Fangyu replied.

A gust of wind blew away the clouds, letting moonlight illuminate the rooftop and Jian Fangyu's face. Even the fearless He Shanglu stepped back in shock, almost speechless at the murderous intent on Jian Fangyu's face.

This guy is a lunatic.

That was the only thought in He Shanglu's mind.

Supported by He Shangzhi, Ruan Miao walked over, looking down at the unconscious Xu Hao, and asked anxiously, "Did you call the police?"

"The police are on their way," He Shangzhi answered. "Let's go, it's cold here."

Worried that Jian Fangyu might kill Xu Hao after they left, He Shanglu firmly dragged him down from the rooftop. He couldn't help but admire Jian Fangyu's devotion to Ruan Miao, though he wouldn't dare to kill someone himself.

Reaching the lit area of the stairs, Jian Fangyu noticed Ruan Miao's bare, bleeding feet. Without a word, he bent down and carried Ruan Miao on his back. Ruan Miao instinctively wrapped his arms around Jian Fangyu's neck.

"Why are you carrying me? I can walk," Ruan Miao protested.

"Don't move," Jian Fangyu commanded. "You might fall."

Ruan Miao struggled a bit but, fearing he might actually fall, settled down. He Shanglu and He Shangzhi followed, unable to intervene.

"Do you think he really likes our Miao Miao?" He Shanglu whispered to He Shangzhi. "If this isn't love, what is?"

He Shangzhi glanced at Jian Fangyu's back with a cold smile, saying nothing.

Who would want to be loved by a madman?

Jian Fangyu carried Ruan Miao to their car, gently placing him in the seat. "Get some rest tonight."

"Okay." Ruan Miao nodded, looking at Jian Fangyu with gratitude. "Thank you."

Jian Fangyu nodded, then turned and left.

Back home, Ruan Miao finally felt completely safe. Seeing his bloody feet, the housekeeper fetched antiseptic and bandages. After thanking her, he sat on the sofa, the pain in his feet now fully evident. His heels were raw and bleeding.

He Shanglu, upon seeing this, was so angry he nearly threw the remote.

He Shangye, upon returning home and hearing about the incident, did not show anger. He calmly inspected Ruan Miao's injured feet, instructed him to take a couple of days off to recover, and called Su Wen to check on him the next day before quietly returning to his study, seemingly unperturbed.

Ruan Miao didn't put on airs and, after saying goodnight to his older brother, he rubbed his eyes and headed back to his room.

His feet couldn't bear weight for long periods yet, so he had to stay home. Fortunately, Fang Zhi and Xi You offered to take notes for him in class, so he could rest at ease. That was when he received a call from Zhou Yuancen.

"How did you find out?" 

Zhou Yuancen's voice was full of concern. "I'm your mother. How could I not know? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ruan Miao, curled up in bed reading, didn't know how to respond to her questioning. Seeing his silence, Zhou Yuancen continued, "Stay home and rest well. Don't go running around for now. If it doesn't heal properly, it'll be a problem."

"Okay," Ruan Miao agreed. He heard Zhou Yuancen coughing on the other end and asked with concern, "Are you sick again?"

"Old illness, nothing to worry about," Zhou Yuancen replied lightly. "The things I asked you to do, you haven't done any of them, have you?"

This topic made Ruan Miao uneasy. He had been avoiding contact with Zhou Yuancen to avoid being forced into doing things he didn't want to do. Holding his spare phone tightly, he hesitated for a long time before quietly saying, "Can I... not do it?"

"They treat me so well. I can't hurt them," Ruan Miao pleaded. "I'll find another way to help you get revenge, but can you give me a little more time? Let me grow up first?"

"I'll grow up soon."

There was a long silence on the other end. Ruan Miao didn't know if Zhou Yuancen had listened. He waited anxiously, feeling he was failing her but knowing he couldn't hurt others.

"I knew it," Zhou Yuancen sighed deeply. "Forget it. You've never been an obedient child. It was like this before, and it still is now."

Her voice sounded tired, as if very weary. She coughed several times, and Ruan Miao, hearing her cough like she was hacking up a lung, asked, "Are you really okay?"

After a moment's hesitation, he offered, "How about I visit you in a few days?"

"Visit me?" Zhou Yuancen repeated, then laughed. "It would be good to see you. The last time you visited was last year, and we had a big argument before you slammed the door and left."

"This time, no door slamming."

Ruan Miao nodded, realizing she couldn't see him, and quickly responded affirmatively. Zhou Yuancen started coughing again, and he felt this wasn't right. "You should see a doctor. When you're sick, you need to drink more water and rest. Don't push yourself."

"I know," Zhou Yuancen interrupted. "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. Remember to rest."

She hung up, and Ruan Miao stared at his phone for a while. He felt guilty towards Zhou Yuancen and resolved to visit her as soon as he could walk.

The next day, He Shangye brought him a new phone, the latest model. Ruan Miao had seen it online, and it was quite expensive, costing several thousand yuan. He hesitated to accept such a pricey gift, shaking his head.

"Take it," He Shangye said, disliking fuss. He placed the phone on Ruan Miao's bedside table and sat down. "Does it still hurt?"

Ruan Miao wiggled his bandaged foot. "It doesn't hurt anymore. Dr. Su's painkillers work well."

He Shangye nodded. "Rest well. I have to go."

As He Shangye got up to leave, Ruan Miao called out, "Big brother, why are you so good to me?"

He Shangye didn't seem surprised by the question. He looked at Ruan Miao calmly and asked, "Am I good to you?"

"Yes," Ruan Miao nodded without hesitation. "Aside from... you're the best to me here."

A hint of a smile appeared in He Shangye's eyes. He walked over and patted Ruan Miao's head gently. "Because you're my brother."

But He Shanglu is your real brother. Ruan Miao wanted to say but swallowed the words. "If, just if, I'm not the person you expected, if I'm just an ordinary person, would that be okay?"

They had only known each other for about four months, not long enough to form deep bonds, but Ruan Miao had come to regard He Shangye as a brother, much like he once did with Ruan Chen.

"It doesn't matter," He Shangye replied calmly. "Blood ties are not a shield for me."

"I never pay attention to people who don't meet my expectations."

Ruan Miao didn't fully understand, but He Shangye patted his head again. "You don't need to think about anything. I know you're Miao Miao, and that's enough."

"Rest well."

With that, He Shangye left the room, standing outside the door for a while with a complex expression.

He hadn't clarified. What mattered to him was the soul within, not the physical body. It seemed ridiculous, but He Shangye had a strong affection for this child. It felt as though Ruan Miao was always meant to be his brother, just delayed by over ten years.