Chapter 11

Wang Luoshi looked up at Li Xiangdong, her eyes filled with something indescribable.

Li Xiangdong looked down and only then realized that he had been in such a hurry when he came out that he was wearing an old shirt and shorts, and even a pair of flip-flops. He then remembered that it was Mr. Wang who had paid for his mother's hospitalization and other expenses.

"Ah, Mr. Wang, I'm really sorry. I must have been so busy that I forgot. You even helped pay for my mother's hospitalization. I'll go get the money and pay you back, okay?"

Li Xiangdong scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke to Wang Luoshi, who smiled and nodded.

"No rush, no rush."

Li Xiangdong looked at himself again and realized he was dressed too casually, almost like he was in pajamas, which made him stand out in the hospital.

Moreover, his mother had a fractured shin and a severely sprained ankle. According to the doctor, she needed to be observed in the hospital for at least one night before she could be discharged.

Feeling that his current attire was inappropriate for staying by her side, he said goodbye to Wang Luoshi, asking her to look after his mother while he went home to change and get the money.

When he returned two hours later, Li Xiangdong was dressed in a suit, a white shirt, black dress pants, and a pair of three-piece leather shoes from the police academy. He was also carrying a thermal bucket filled with chicken soup he had asked the village restaurant to make with a home-raised hen.

When he entered the ward, he found that his mother was already awake, talking to Wang Luoshi by her bedside. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Xiangdong, why did it take you so long to come?"

His mother scolded him, but her eyes were full of love. Li Xiangdong raised the thermal bucket in his hand.

"Hehe, I asked Old Du from the village to stew an old hen. If the time wasn't enough, the soup wouldn't be good. Come, Mom, try it."

He served his mother a bowl of soup. Seeing that there was still a lot of soup, she asked Li Xiangdong to serve Wang Luoshi a bowl, but Wang Luoshi refused.

"Why don't you take Mr. Wang out for a meal? She's been busy all day and hasn't even had a drink of water."

His mother gave Li Xiangdong a meaningful look, and he quickly nodded.

"Exactly, I want to thank Mr. Wang for her help."

Without waiting for Wang Luoshi to refuse, he took her out of the ward.

They didn't go far, just to a clean little restaurant near the hospital. They ordered a few dishes and had a quick meal.

"Mr. Wang, I'm really sorry. The conditions aren't great, and my mother is still in the hospital. I can't go too far. I can only treat you here. When my mother gets better and is discharged, I'll take you to a good restaurant in the city."

Li Xiangdong pushed the money Wang Luoshi had paid for the medical expenses towards her and apologized.

"Oh! Don't be so formal. I've already said that Mr. Liu is my teacher. What I did was nothing. There's no need to be so formal. This place is fine. Let's eat quickly and go back. It's not convenient for Mr. Liu to be alone."

Wang Luoshi looked at Li Xiangdong, her expression sincere. Li Xiangdong couldn't help but like this girl. In this day and age, it's rare to find someone so beautiful, understanding, and kind.

They had a quick meal and then returned to the hospital. As they approached the inpatient building, they heard the roar of an engine and the sound of a car horn.

They quickly moved to the side as a black Chevrolet SUV sped past them and stopped at the entrance of the inpatient building.

"Really no manners. This is a hospital, and they're driving so fast and honking so loudly."

Wang Luoshi was clearly unhappy with the aggressive SUV, and Li Xiangdong felt the same.

Two muscular men in black short-sleeved shirts, with short hair and black sunglasses, got out of the black SUV. Their muscles strained the fabric of their shirts.

One of them carried a flower basket, and the other held a fruit basket. They walked into the building without a care, leaving the SUV parked at the entrance, blocking the way for other cars.

"What kind of people are these? They have no manners at all."

The cars behind them quickly formed a long line, honking continuously.

Wang Luoshi couldn't stand their aggressive behavior and muttered under her breath. Li Xiangdong, however, was frowning, as he recognized the two men. They were part of the group that had cut off their electricity, poured red oil on their house, and thrown snakes into their yard years ago, including the black-faced fat man he had beaten up.

He went up the stairs with a grim face, and Wang Luoshi, not knowing what was wrong, felt uneasy as he suddenly became silent.

When they reached his mother's ward, they saw the two men inside.

His mother looked terrified at the sight of them. One of the men put down the flower basket, and the other took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and started smoking.

"Who let you in here? This is a hospital ward, and smoking is not allowed. Get out now!"

Li Xiangdong pushed the door open and walked in. The two men looked up and, upon seeing Li Xiangdong, exchanged a glance and sneered.

"Wow, the little chick has grown into a rooster, hasn't it?"

One of the men, with a snake tattoo on his arm, looked at Li Xiangdong with disdain, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and blew the smoke directly at him.

The other man also lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

"So what if you've grown into a rooster? In the end, you'll still be chopped off with one cut. But do you know what? The taste of chicken neck is quite good. I love it."

Seeing that the two men were clearly not taking him seriously and were deliberately provoking him, Li Xiangdong glanced at his mother, who was lying in bed, terrified. He then turned to look at Wang Luoshi, who was standing behind him, also frightened. He knew this wasn't the place to act.