Chapter 36: Petty

"What is wrong with you?"

Pei Baoyuan hurriedly stepped forward to support Ke Xianbai. With most of his weight leaning against her, she struggled to help him over to the sofa.

"I'm fine."

Ke Xianbai leaned back against the sofa, though the look on his face suggested otherwise. Pei Baoyuan eyed him suspiciously. She couldn't fathom what kind of stunt he was trying to pull now. It wasn't until she looked at his lower abdomen that she noticed a patch of his clothing that was significantly darker than the rest, as if soaked through with water.

Pei Baoyuan reached out to touch it.

It was damp. Sticky.

When she pulled her hand back, her fingers were stained red. It was blood. Her fingertips trembled. Ke Xianbai often wore dark-colored clothing, making it difficult to spot blood at a glance.

"You're hurt," Pei Baoyuan said with certainty.

Ke Xianbai’s lips were pale. "It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Pei Baoyuan didn't care what he said; she grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up. The bandages were soaked through with blood, and fresh crimson liquid continued to seep from the wound. The sight of the raw, mangled flesh stung her eyes.

"You..." Pei Baoyuan’s eyes reddened. She complained, "You're in this state and you still say you're fine? Do you only consider it 'fine' when you're bedridden and unable to move!"

Ke Xianbai hadn't expected such an intense reaction. He quickly sat up straight to wipe away her falling tears. "I know my own condition; it just looks more frightening than it actually is."

Pei Baoyuan’s tears fell even harder. Ke Xianbai scrambled to wipe them away, his hands becoming slick with her tears. "Alright, alright, don't cry, Yuanbao. Seeing you cry like this actually makes it hurt more."

For a moment, Ke Xianbai couldn't tell who was truly the injured one. He could only offer helpless words of comfort.

Pei Baoyuan sniffled, and after stopping her tears, she said calmly, "You... it doesn't look like you can go to the hospital in this state. Let me take you to my place."

"..." Ke Xianbai gripped her hand back. "Going to your place seems even less convenient, doesn't it?"

Pei Baoyuan glared at him. "We’re going to one of my other properties."

[You two are being way too intimate~]

[Ke Xianbai’s injury was probably caused by people from Hong Kong. The infighting in the Ke family is quite severe; it’s likely over the inheritance.]

[Why aren't there any plot hints about the Hong Kong side of things? Ke Xianbai’s rise to power in Hong Kong was just glossed over—what am I supposed to be watching?]

Pei Baoyuan stole a glance at the floating comments. As she suspected, she and Ke Xianbai were merely minor supporting characters, which was why the audience knew so little about his affairs in Hong Kong. However, seeing the comments mention that he would eventually dominate and successfully seize power in Hong Kong made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Pei Baoyuan owned over a dozen properties in the capital, most of which were gifts from her family when she turned eighteen. Given that there were two sensitive figures in her family, most of their assets were held by her and Ms. Song Xuanling.

By the time they arrived, the bloodstain on the hem of Ke Xianbai’s shirt had widened.

Pei Baoyuan grabbed the medical kit and sat beside him. "Shall I change your dressing?"

Ke Xianbai took off his shirt without hesitation. Pei Baoyuan cut away the blood-soaked bandage, finally getting a clear look at the wound on his lower abdomen. It was a long, deep gash, stretching from his Adonis belt almost to his hip bone. The skin was torn, the flesh a bloody mess, and the stitches that had been in place were now pulled apart.

Pei Baoyuan asked, "Did your wound reopen because I was too rough earlier?"

Ke Xianbai quickly denied it: "It reopened on the road while I was rushing back."

Pei Baoyuan gave him a long, deep look. Ke Xianbai was truly capable of enduring anything.

"I can't treat this wound myself." Pei Baoyuan stared at the injury, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Is there a doctor you trust, or should I find one for you?"

Twenty minutes later, Ke Xianbai’s men arrived at her home. Pei Baoyuan stood outside the room while the doctor Ke Xianbai had called began re-stitching the wound. She wanted to look but couldn't bring herself to, so she stood there, clutching her hands.

Only after the sounds of Ke Xianbai’s muffled, pained groans from inside had ceased did she find the courage to enter. She handed him a glass of water and, seeing the sweat beading on his forehead, reached out to wipe it away.

"Boss, the wound is stitched up. Try not to get it wet for the time being," the doctor said dutifully. "Also, you might run a fever tonight; that’s a normal reaction. I’ll leave some anti-inflammatory medication for you." As he spoke, he took a blister pack from his medical kit and handed it to Pei Baoyuan.

Pei Baoyuan asked, "Doctor, is there anything else I need to watch out for?"

"No need to be so formal, just call me Xu Yi. As for the things to watch out for..." Xu Yi glanced at Ke Xianbai on the bed and twitched the corner of his mouth. He thought to himself, *Boss, you weren't this weak even when you were shot and wiping out the Golden Tiger Gang.* The injuries back then were far more severe than this.

"Keep the diet light, don't let the wound get wet, and just keep an eye on his temperature tonight."

Pei Baoyuan nodded. "I'll see you out."

"Hiss..." Ke Xianbai suddenly let out a sound.

"What's wrong?" Pei Baoyuan rushed to his bedside.

Ke Xianbai said, "It's nothing major, I just moved a little and tugged at the stitches. It stings a bit."

Pei Baoyuan was flustered. She looked to Xu Yi: "What should we do? Should he take some painkillers?"

Xu Yi: "..." *I really want to take a picture of the boss right now and show the guys back at headquarters.*

Under Ke Xianbai's gaze, Xu Yi said, "He can take some ibuprofen; it has both pain-relieving and fever-reducing effects."

Pei Baoyuan was too busy caring for the "frail" Ke Xianbai, so Xu Yi silently picked up his medical kit and left. He finally understood: the boss just didn't want Miss Pei to walk him to the door! How could a man be so petty?

Pei Baoyuan, whose heart was entirely focused on Ke Xianbai’s injury, only saw the comments when things finally quieted down in the kitchen.

[Ke Xianbai is putting on a show; even Dr. Xu Yi looked speechless.]

[Ke Xianbai is so arrogant in Hong Kong; he’s been injured more than once or twice before. He’s clearly just playing the pitiful card to gain sympathy because it’s Pei Baoyuan.]

[Ke Xianbai is acting like a total "green tea" bitch; he’s playing the role better than Song Yiren.]

From the stream of comments, Pei Baoyuan learned that this injury was trivial to him. She had never realized his life in Hong Kong was so volatile. Then, thinking back to the hospital, where she had been so obvious with her hints and he had remained unmoved, yet now he was acting so pathetic...

Not long after, Pei Baoyuan walked in with a bowl of porridge. "Eat something to line your stomach." She placed the porridge into Ke Xianbai’s arms. "I’m going to take a shower; I broke a sweat earlier."

Half an hour later, Pei Baoyuan, now in her pajamas, returned to the guest bedroom.

Ke Xianbai had finished the porridge. Pei Baoyuan walked to the bedside with warm water and poured the medicine Xu Yi had left into her palm. "Since you've finished eating, take your medicine."

From the moment she entered, Ke Xianbai’s eyes had been glued to her. As she drew closer, the scent of her perfume drifted into his nose. Ke Xianbai snatched the pills from her palm—careful not to touch her skin—and quickly swallowed them.

"Done."

"Why is your face so red?" Pei Baoyuan reached out to touch his forehead, then touched her own, muttering, "It doesn't feel hot."

"Did the wound reopen? Let me see."

As she spoke, she reached out to lift the quilt, but Ke Xianbai pressed his hand down with lightning speed. He held the quilt down tightly. "I'm fine, the wound didn't reopen."

"That won't do. I need to see for myself so I can rest easy."

"No need, I'm really fine."

Ke Xianbai simply pulled the quilt up to cover his neck. Pei Baoyuan grabbed a corner of the quilt with one hand, while Ke Xianbai clutched it firmly with his own.

The two of them stood in a silent, invisible standoff. Pei Baoyuan looked at Ke Xianbai with an expression that was both innocent and assertive.

*Heh. Stinking man.*

*Trying to lie to me? Fine, then I’ll just have to see everything! I'll make sure he learns the consequences of trying to deceive me, Pei Baoyuan!*