At Ming Luchuan’s words, Xia Wennan immediately sat up, sitting cross-legged, and said, “But he just stormed off.”
Ming Luchuan, who apparently had no intention of going back to sleep, also sat up and reached for the clothes hanging next to the bed. “Where did he go?”
Xia Wennan shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“Then leave him be. He’s an adult—he’s not going to get lost,” Ming Luchuan said as he dressed and climbed out of bed.
Xia Wennan clutched at his hair and couldn’t help but sigh.
In the afternoon, he called Ming Qin twice, but both calls went unanswered. He also called the Ming house before leaving work, but the housekeeping aunt informed him that Ming Qin had not yet returned.
This only made Xia Wennan restless, so he dialled Ming Luchuan’s number and said, “I’m going to look for him at the hospital.”
“You’re heading there now?” Ming Luchuan asked.
“I’ll check if Ming Qin went to see Sichen,” said Xia Wennan.
Ming Luchuan exchanged a few words with those around him before telling Xia Wennan, “I still have some business on my end that I can’t leave.”
“I should be fine on my own,” said Xia Wennan, “It’s just the hospital. What’s there to be worried about? Or… are you going to keep me tied to you for the next few days?”
Ming Luchuan seemingly hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll arrange a driver for you.”
Xia Wennan went to the hospital in Ming Luchuan’s car. The parking lot at the hospital was full, and there was a long line of cars in front of the entrance, so Xia Wennan got out of the car first and asked the driver to wait for him there.
“Mr. Xia, if anything comes up, please give me a call,” the driver said as Xia Wennan stepped out of the car.
Xia Wennan waved a hand at him. “I know. Nothing’s going to happen.” He was only here to check if Ming Qin was keeping Ming Sichen company.
Even though it was past six o’clock in the afternoon, the lobby on the ground floor of the hospital was still packed.
A rush of heat hit Xia Wennan in the face the moment he stepped inside, and he noticed someone hurriedly walking in his direction, so he quickly stepped to the side.
After avoiding two more people in quick succession, Xia Wennan collided with someone behind him.
The person was an alpha with a tall frame and broad shoulders. After bumping into him, Xia Wennan hastily opened his mouth to apologise, but that alpha only nodded and sidestepped him wordlessly before proceeding inside.
Xia Wennan registered his deep-set eyes; his facial features suggested he was of mixed blood, and from behind, his black short hair was slightly curly and fell messily to his nape.
Despite the fact that his relatively cramped and crowded surroundings had all sorts of scents mingling together, Xia Wennan was able to catch a fleeting whiff of pheromones.
After all, there weren’t that many alphas around, let alone a mixed-blood alpha.
Xia Wennan passed through the crowd and entered the elevator without catching another glimpse of the alpha. The elevator ascended slowly and arrived at the floor where Ming Sichen’s ward was located.
It was very quiet in Ming Sichen’s room. Ming Qin was nowhere to be found, and the only person keeping Ming Sichen company was Aunt Zhang and—at this moment, Ming Sichen was unexpectedly awake.
Upon Xia Wennan’s arrival, Aunt Zhang, who had been sitting next to the bed and playing with her phone, rose from her seat and greeted him with a smile. “Wennan, you’re here.”
Xia Wennan returned the smile and nodded. “Aunt Zhang.”
Ming Sichen was lying in bed, but despite having his eyes open, he didn’t spare Xia Wennan a single glance and instead directed his unfocused gaze at the window.
Xia Wennan walked up to him and waved at Ming Sichen. “Sichen?”
Ming Sichen didn’t respond.
Xia Wennan could only address Aunt Zhang, “How long has Sichen been awake?”
Aunt Zhang slipped her phone into her pocket and clasped her hands together in front of her. “He’s been awake all afternoon.”
“Shouldn’t you help him sit up?”
“It doesn’t matter whether he’s sitting or lying down,” Aunt Zhang said naturally. “He doesn’t know anything.”
This naturalness came off as a little cold to Xia Wennan’s ears, but he didn’t say anything. He’d only been a part of the Ming family for a couple of years, while Aunt Zhang had raised the two brothers since they were children—Xia Wennan was probably more of an outsider in comparison.
Xia Wennan stood by Ming Sichen’s bedside for a moment before asking Aunt Zhang, “Did dad come by today?”
“Mr. Ming hasn’t been here,” said Aunt Zhang.
Xia Wennan responded with an “Ah.” He was a little surprised, to be honest; he couldn’t think of anywhere else Ming Qin could go except the hospital.
He originally came to look for Ming Qin, but he didn’t find him here at all. He couldn’t just leave like that, however, so he sat down and accompanied Ming Sichen for ten more minutes.
Ming Sichen probably didn’t need Xia Wennan’s company. Most of the time, his eyes were blank, and as Xia Wennan clearly had nothing to say to Aunt Zhang, an awkward silence was maintained until Xia Wennan decided it was time. With a soft exhale, he rose to his feet and said, “I should get going.”
Aunt Zhang escorted him to the door.
Xia Wennan exited the room alone and closed the door behind him. The corridor outside smelled of food; Xia Wennan instantly realised that he was hungry and remembered that he hadn’t had dinner yet.
He paused where he stood for a few moments, wondering whether to call Ming Luchuan and ask if he was finished with work or call Lin Shuqiu and invite him to dinner.
While debating his options, Xia Wennan abruptly noticed a faint trace of pheromones in the air. It was vaguely familiar, like the pheromones of that alpha he’d encountered downstairs.
He raised his head and looked around him, but there was no sign of the aforementioned alpha.
A strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart as he slowly made his way to the elevator.
The feeling remained with him all the way down to the ground floor, where Xia Wennan stood dazed in the lobby for a moment before his phone abruptly rang.
He assumed it was a call from Ming Luchuan, but when he took out his phone, he discovered it was Lin Shuqiu.
“Hello?” Xia Wennan answered the call.
Lin Shuqiu’s voice was terribly solemn. “Wennan, I need to speak with you.”
When Xia Wennan heard this, he immediately straightened up. “What’s the matter?”
“The results of Ming Sichen’s blood tests are partially out,” said Lin Shuqiu, “and we suspect that his current state is due to the effects of long-term use of psychotropic drugs rather than head trauma.”
“Huh?” Xia Wennan stilled.
“Someone around him has probably been drugging him this entire time,” explained Lin Shuqiu. “Are you guys going to look into it?”
“Yeah, I’ll discuss it with his family right away,” said Xia Wennan.
“I’ll contact you again once the more detailed test results are available.”
“Are you at the hospital right now?” Xia Wennan asked Lin Shuqiu before he hung up.
“No, I went to the university this afternoon,” Lin Shuqiu replied.
Xia Wennan could only say, “Okay then, thank you.”
Hanging up the phone, Xia Wennan’s mind fell into a brief bout of chaos. He called Ming Luchuan, but there was no answer—perhaps he was still busy with work.
He thus turned around and walked towards the elevator, calling Ming Qin along the way.
This time, after Xia Wennan dialled his number, Ming Qin directly rejected it.
“Fuck!” Xia Wennan couldn’t keep from cursing. “What a useless waste of a dad!” he hurled at the disconnected phone call.
At Ming Luchuan’s words, Xia Wennan immediately sat up, sitting cross-legged, and said, “But he just stormed off.”
Ming Luchuan, who apparently had no intention of going back to sleep, also sat up and reached for the clothes hanging next to the bed. “Where did he go?”
Xia Wennan shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“Then leave him be. He’s an adult—he’s not going to get lost,” Ming Luchuan said as he dressed and climbed out of bed.
Xia Wennan clutched at his hair and couldn’t help but sigh.
In the afternoon, he called Ming Qin twice, but both calls went unanswered. He also called the Ming house before leaving work, but the housekeeping aunt informed him that Ming Qin had not yet returned.
This only made Xia Wennan restless, so he dialled Ming Luchuan’s number and said, “I’m going to look for him at the hospital.”
“You’re heading there now?” Ming Luchuan asked.
“I’ll check if Ming Qin went to see Sichen,” said Xia Wennan.
Ming Luchuan exchanged a few words with those around him before telling Xia Wennan, “I still have some business on my end that I can’t leave.”
“I should be fine on my own,” said Xia Wennan, “It’s just the hospital. What’s there to be worried about? Or… are you going to keep me tied to you for the next few days?”
Ming Luchuan seemingly hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll arrange a driver for you.”
Xia Wennan went to the hospital in Ming Luchuan’s car. The parking lot at the hospital was full, and there was a long line of cars in front of the entrance, so Xia Wennan got out of the car first and asked the driver to wait for him there.
“Mr. Xia, if anything comes up, please give me a call,” the driver said as Xia Wennan stepped out of the car.
Xia Wennan waved a hand at him. “I know. Nothing’s going to happen.” He was only here to check if Ming Qin was keeping Ming Sichen company.
Even though it was past six o’clock in the afternoon, the lobby on the ground floor of the hospital was still packed.
A rush of heat hit Xia Wennan in the face the moment he stepped inside, and he noticed someone hurriedly walking in his direction, so he quickly stepped to the side.
After avoiding two more people in quick succession, Xia Wennan collided with someone behind him.
The person was an alpha with a tall frame and broad shoulders. After bumping into him, Xia Wennan hastily opened his mouth to apologise, but that alpha only nodded and sidestepped him wordlessly before proceeding inside.
Xia Wennan registered his deep-set eyes; his facial features suggested he was of mixed blood, and from behind, his black short hair was slightly curly and fell messily to his nape.
Despite the fact that his relatively cramped and crowded surroundings had all sorts of scents mingling together, Xia Wennan was able to catch a fleeting whiff of pheromones.
After all, there weren’t that many alphas around, let alone a mixed-blood alpha.
Xia Wennan passed through the crowd and entered the elevator without catching another glimpse of the alpha. The elevator ascended slowly and arrived at the floor where Ming Sichen’s ward was located.
It was very quiet in Ming Sichen’s room. Ming Qin was nowhere to be found, and the only person keeping Ming Sichen company was Aunt Zhang and—at this moment, Ming Sichen was unexpectedly awake.
Upon Xia Wennan’s arrival, Aunt Zhang, who had been sitting next to the bed and playing with her phone, rose from her seat and greeted him with a smile. “Wennan, you’re here.”
Xia Wennan returned the smile and nodded. “Aunt Zhang.”
Ming Sichen was lying in bed, but despite having his eyes open, he didn’t spare Xia Wennan a single glance and instead directed his unfocused gaze at the window.
Xia Wennan walked up to him and waved at Ming Sichen. “Sichen?”
Ming Sichen didn’t respond.
Xia Wennan could only address Aunt Zhang, “How long has Sichen been awake?”
Aunt Zhang slipped her phone into her pocket and clasped her hands together in front of her. “He’s been awake all afternoon.”
“Shouldn’t you help him sit up?”
“It doesn’t matter whether he’s sitting or lying down,” Aunt Zhang said naturally. “He doesn’t know anything.”
This naturalness came off as a little cold to Xia Wennan’s ears, but he didn’t say anything. He’d only been a part of the Ming family for a couple of years, while Aunt Zhang had raised the two brothers since they were children—Xia Wennan was probably more of an outsider in comparison.
Xia Wennan stood by Ming Sichen’s bedside for a moment before asking Aunt Zhang, “Did dad come by today?”
“Mr. Ming hasn’t been here,” said Aunt Zhang.
Xia Wennan responded with an “Ah.” He was a little surprised, to be honest; he couldn’t think of anywhere else Ming Qin could go except the hospital.
He originally came to look for Ming Qin, but he didn’t find him here at all. He couldn’t just leave like that, however, so he sat down and accompanied Ming Sichen for ten more minutes.
Ming Sichen probably didn’t need Xia Wennan’s company. Most of the time, his eyes were blank, and as Xia Wennan clearly had nothing to say to Aunt Zhang, an awkward silence was maintained until Xia Wennan decided it was time. With a soft exhale, he rose to his feet and said, “I should get going.”
Aunt Zhang escorted him to the door.
Xia Wennan exited the room alone and closed the door behind him. The corridor outside smelled of food; Xia Wennan instantly realised that he was hungry and remembered that he hadn’t had dinner yet.
He paused where he stood for a few moments, wondering whether to call Ming Luchuan and ask if he was finished with work or call Lin Shuqiu and invite him to dinner.
While debating his options, Xia Wennan abruptly noticed a faint trace of pheromones in the air. It was vaguely familiar, like the pheromones of that alpha he’d encountered downstairs.
He raised his head and looked around him, but there was no sign of the aforementioned alpha.
A strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart as he slowly made his way to the elevator.
The feeling remained with him all the way down to the ground floor, where Xia Wennan stood dazed in the lobby for a moment before his phone abruptly rang.
He assumed it was a call from Ming Luchuan, but when he took out his phone, he discovered it was Lin Shuqiu.
“Hello?” Xia Wennan answered the call.
Lin Shuqiu’s voice was terribly solemn. “Wennan, I need to speak with you.”
When Xia Wennan heard this, he immediately straightened up. “What’s the matter?”
“The results of Ming Sichen’s blood tests are partially out,” said Lin Shuqiu, “and we suspect that his current state is due to the effects of long-term use of psychotropic drugs rather than head trauma.”
“Huh?” Xia Wennan stilled.
“Someone around him has probably been drugging him this entire time,” explained Lin Shuqiu. “Are you guys going to look into it?”
“Yeah, I’ll discuss it with his family right away,” said Xia Wennan.
“I’ll contact you again once the more detailed test results are available.”
“Are you at the hospital right now?” Xia Wennan asked Lin Shuqiu before he hung up.
“No, I went to the university this afternoon,” Lin Shuqiu replied.
Xia Wennan could only say, “Okay then, thank you.”
Hanging up the phone, Xia Wennan’s mind fell into a brief bout of chaos. He called Ming Luchuan, but there was no answer—perhaps he was still busy with work.
He thus turned around and walked towards the elevator, calling Ming Qin along the way.
This time, after Xia Wennan dialled his number, Ming Qin directly rejected it.
“Fuck!” Xia Wennan couldn’t keep from cursing. “What a useless waste of a dad!” he hurled at the disconnected phone call.
