"If you don't want to talk about it, then don't,"
"Wen Zhiyan." Ran Lian's eyes turned red. She looked around, then snatched the bowl from Xie Wanqing's hand and hurled it at Wen Zhiyan.
"Wen Zhiyan."
The sudden action stunned everyone.
The scalding noodle soup spilled onto Wen Zhiyan's legs.
Seeing that his legs remained motionless, a flicker of slyness flashed in Xie Wanqing's eyes.
Fang Miaomiao rushed into the bathroom to get water, then returned to Wen Zhiyan with a cloth. She dipped the cloth in water and began to carefully and quickly, yet meticulously, wipe the noodles and soup from his legs.
Both being sons, and Wen Zhiyan being so outstanding, Ran Lian must have lost her mind to treat her own son like this.
"Who, who told you not to dodge?" Ran Lian said uncomfortably.
"How could Wen Zhiyan dodge?" Fang Miaomiao, while wiping Wen Zhiyan's pants, said in a cold tone, "Was he supposed to quickly push his wheelchair away, or to fall out of it and crawl away shamefully?"
"Fang Miaomiao, how dare you speak to me like that?"
"How others treat me, I treat them back." Fang Miaomiao paused her wiping, looked up at Wen Zhiyan with a forced smile, and then turned to face Ran Lian without fear, "I don't have any masochistic tendencies. If someone slaps me, I won't happily turn my other cheek for another slap."
"You!"
"You should be grateful that you are Wen Zhiyan's mother, otherwise I might have actually slapped you."
"Fang Miaomiao, how dare you speak to Aunt Ran like that?"
Fang Miaomiao couldn't hold back any longer and slapped Xie Wanqing.
A crisp sound of a slap echoed through the air.
"Fang Miaomiao." Xie Wanqing's eyes turned icy, like a venomous snake in the darkness, staring intently at Fang Miaomiao, "You actually dare to hit me."
"I hit you, so what? Do I need to pick a time and a reason to hit someone? And when we're talking, why are you interrupting?"
"Fang Miaomiao, do you even have me in your eyes?" Ran Lian looked at Xie Wanqing's reddened face, her heart aching with anger.
"No, and this is the last time. If you dare to bully my Wen Zhiyan again, don't blame me for not being polite." Fang Miaomiao impatiently interrupted, "Also, you're not welcome here. Please leave, or I'll call the police and report you for trespassing."
"Wen Zhiyan, are you just going to let your wife treat me like this?"
Wen Zhiyan looked at the slender yet powerful figure standing in front of him and remained silent.
"Fine, very good." Ran Lian nodded. "You want to return to the Wen Group? Impossible in this lifetime, unless I'm dead."
With that, Ran Lian took Xie Wanqing and left.
Fang Miaomiao closed the door, found the burn ointment under the TV cabinet, and then pushed Wen Zhiyan to the bedroom, continuously comforting him.
"How are your legs? Do they hurt?" Fang Miaomiao used scissors to cut open Wen Zhiyan's pants and looked at his reddened upper thighs. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "How could they do this? How could they do this to you?"
Wen Zhiyan took Fang Miaomiao's trembling hand. "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt."
"It doesn't hurt?" Hearing this, Fang Miaomiao became even more panicked. "I'll call Yuan Chao, Yuan Chao's number... No, we need to go to the hospital now."
"Miaomiao." Wen Zhiyan looked at Fang Miaomiao's flustered words, his heart warming. "It does hurt, but we can't go to the hospital right now."
If he went to the hospital today, it might play right into their hands.
"But your injury..."
"It's fine," Wen Zhiyan patted Fang Miaomiao's hand. "I'll video call Yuan Chao later, just for some anti-inflammatory medication. Besides, I've been home with the air conditioning on, so the chance of infection is slim."
"Wen Zhiyan."
"Hmm?"
"You..." Fang Miaomiao looked at Wen Zhiyan with teary eyes. "You're so pathetic."
More pathetic than what was written in the books. The books only mentioned that Wen Zhiyan wasn't favored, but they didn't say Ran Lian would resort to domestic violence. The casual way Ran Lian acted made it obvious she was used to being physically abusive towards Wen Zhiyan.
Wen Zhiyan froze for a moment, then wiped away Fang Miaomiao's tears with a hint of helplessness. "Actually, fate has been quite kind to me."
Fate saw his loneliness, understood his stubbornness, and so it sent his Miaomiao, the Miaomiao who only had eyes for him, to his side.
"But, I still feel indignant." Fang Miaomiao said indignantly, "I think the slap I gave her just now was too light."
"You think it was Xie Wanqing."
"Anyway, I just feel like she's definitely involved." Fang Miaomiao gently applied medicine to Wen Zhiyan, muttering, "If only I could find out about Xie Wanqing's affairs abroad."
"Okay."
Fang Miaomiao blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Someone abroad is investigating Xie Wanqing."
"Really?" Fang Miaomiao asked doubtfully, then her eyes lit up as she thought of something. "Have you found any clues?"
"Sort of," Wen Zhiyan smiled. "Those people have been on the run for five years; they will eventually be brought to justice."
"I believe you. You'll definitely find the truth."
"Thank you for believing in me, Miaomiao."
"But..." Fang Miaomiao remembered something. "What did you guys say just now? Why is she so angry?"
Wen Zhiyan briefly explained what had happened earlier.
"Xie Wanqing coming to my studio?" Fang Miaomiao was stunned. "Is my studio some kind of coveted prize?"
Wen Zhiyan's second brother wanted to go, and Xie Wanqing wanted to go too.
She had a bad feeling about this.
"Miaomiao, be careful during this period."
Fang Miaomiao put away the medical kit. "Okay, I understand."
"I'm sorry, I don't want to drag you into this."
Fang Miaomiao rolled her eyes at him. "Stop with the nonsense. Take good care of yourself and your wound these few days. If it gets any worse, we have to go to the hospital, understand?"
"However, I think we still need to go to the hospital, or at least have a doctor come here." Fang Miaomiao said, as if struck by an idea. "They probably did this to confirm if your legs can stand. The fact that your legs didn't move just now already proves that."
"If we don't seek medical attention, those people won't lower their suspicions about you."
"I know what you mean, don't worry, I know what to do."
"I knew it, you're the smartest."
In the afternoon.
Da Chen drove Wen Zhiyan to the hospital.
"Whoa, did you run into your enemies?" Yuan Chao exclaimed, looking at Wen Zhiyan's legs. "They were that ruthless! Mr. Wen, do you want me to get a medical report?"
"No need," Wen Zhiyan shook his head. "Just prescribe some medicine."
"Prescribing medicine is fine, but to be safe during this period, you should avoid strenuous exercise and come to the hospital immediately if you notice any abnormalities."
"Dr. Yuan, is Wen Zhiyan going to be alright?"
Yuan Chao shook his head. "For now, it's just a burn. He'll be fine with proper care."
Fang Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dr. Yuan."