In the end, negotiations broke down, and Wei Feng and Liu Yueting nearly came to blows. Liu Yueting got her deposit back and took her guests elsewhere. What was supposed to be a grand alumni gathering ended in disgrace. Even after relocating to a high-end hotel, few showed up, most had already left on the spot.
As soon as the guests dispersed, several posts about the incident popped up on local forums. Whether it was “Teacher Assaults Someone” or “Teacher and Restaurant Owner Brawl,” the story was juicy. Word of what happened spread quickly through departing guests. Fortunately, this wasn’t the era of viral short videos—otherwise, the news would’ve spread even faster.
____
Yang Jiabo stared at the hospital ceiling, the sharp sting of antiseptic in his nostrils. The rhythmic beep of monitors underscored his self-recrimination: After all these years, I still dropped my guard.
Yet for the first time, the familiar storm of rage hadn't come. Perhaps Dr. Luo's methods were finally taking hold, his hands remained steady where they'd once tremble with unchecked fury.
His condition wasn’t serious. After three days in the hospital, he was discharged with no lasting issues. Yang Jianjun lectured him harshly, worried about his mental state, and barred him from handling the fallout.
On the day of his discharge, Yang Jiabo was pleasantly surprised to see Wei Jing personally driving him home. Wei Jing had only gotten the news the day after the incident and had rushed over after wrapping up his company affairs. Only he knew how frantic he’d been upon hearing Yang Jiabo had been hospitalized—only seeing him in person had eased his mind.
“Does it hurt?” Wei Jing asked softly as he applied medicine to Yang Jiabo’s face.
“No,” Yang Jiabo mumbled. His cheek was still slightly swollen, and talking tugged at the sore spot.
“Fall into a moat and gain wisdom. Stay away from people who hold grudges against you. You never know what they might do in the heat of the moment.”
[吃一堑长一智 (chī yī qiàn zhǎng yī zhì): lit. Fall into a moat and gain wisdom; fig. Learn from one’s mistakes.]
“She’s a highly educated teacher! Who’d expect her to suddenly hit someone? Honestly, she seems crazier than me.” The memory made Yang Jiabo scowl.
“You’re not crazy,” Wei Jing corrected sternly.
“Right, our brains work differently from hers.”
“Don’t worry about this matter anymore.”
“Dad and Wei Feng said the same thing. They won’t let me get involved. I just feel bad for Wei Feng.”
“He’s been freeloading at your place, doing some work is the least he can do. Besides, I’ll help too. Actually, this mess is partly his fault.”
Yang Jiabo looked at him, confused, waiting for an explanation.
Wei Jing leaned forward, lowering his voice. “That whole reunion was organized by Liu Yueting - one of Wei Feng's more persistent admirers. She comes from a powerful family and isn't lacking in brains either. When she somehow discovered Wei Feng was recovering here, she saw her chance. She decided to host the event at your place, make it a big affair, he'd have no polite way to refuse showing up.”
Yang Jiabo let out a low whistle, equal parts impressed and skeptical. "Now that's dedication. But why go through all this theater? If she wanted to see him, why not just drop by with some fruit basket and well-wishes?" He shook his head, unable to decide if the scheme was romantic or ridiculous.
“Probably reads too many novels and watches too many dramas. She wanted a grand, dramatic gesture.”
“Yeah, that’s more impressive. Most people would’ve been moved.” Yang Jiabo nodded thoughtfully.
Wei Jing gave a dry chuckle. “Well, her grand romantic scheme backfired beautifully. Instead of some storybook reunion, she ended up across the negotiating table from him - all formalities and cold calculations.”
Yang Jiabo snorted, then immediately regretted it as pain shot through his bruised face. “Oof.” he muttered through gritted teeth, “Wait, did I ruin Wei Feng’s chance at love?”
A knowing smile played at Wei Jing's lips. “Trust me, he'd thank you for it. That woman's schemes would've driven him up the wall.”
“Got it.”
Wei Feng had always been the straightforward type. Liu Yueting's elaborate schemes and dramatic gestures didn't impress him; they just set off all his alarm bells. To him, all that theatricality reeked of calculation rather than genuine affection.
“What are you two doing?”
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives - Wei Feng appeared at the door, staring at them in shock.
[说曹操，曹操到 (shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāo dào): lit. Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives; fig. Talk about someone, and they show up.]
“Applying medicine. What’s wrong?” Yang Jiabo was baffled by Wei Feng’s "what the hell?" expression.
“N-Nothing.” Wei Feng glanced at the cotton swab in his brother’s hand and laughed awkwardly, mentally scolding himself for overthinking.
Why did I think Big Brother was kissing Jiabo just now?
Wei Jing noticed Wei Feng’s lingering gaze and pondered it silently.
“We were just talking about your admirer,” Yang Jiabo said with a grin, then hissed in pain as his cheek protested.
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Wei Feng hobbled in on crutches and gave a brief rundown of the past few days under Yang Jiabo’s curious stare.
“Is she still contacting you?” Yang Jiabo couldn’t resist asking.
“Nope. Pretty sure I’m blacklisted now.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Not at all. She’s not my type.” If anything, Wei Feng was relieved.
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