[At the Hospital]
The luxurious car screeched to a halt in front of the hospital entrance, its expensive engine still rumbling faintly.
Before the valet could even approach, the passenger door burst open. Yang Zi scrambled out.
"I told you,I can't trust Li Hao! He had something done wrong to Yu Han, I just know it!"
"Yang Zi, calm down. You don't know that for sure. Let's just get to Yu Han first. This is a hospital, we need to be rational."
Yang Zi didn't wait, striding towards the automatic doors, his jacket flaring with each rapid step. Shi Wang followed closely, his gaze already searching for the information desk.
Inside, the sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air. They found the elevator, and Yang Zi jabbed the button repeatedly.
The elevator doors finally slid open on the sixth floor. They practically ran down the quiet corridor, the only sound their urgent footsteps echoing softly.
Yang Zi didn't even check the room number, he just knew. He slammed the door to Yu Han's room open with a resounding thud.
The scene inside was etched in stark, silent tableau. Li Hao was standing near the window, his back to them, seemingly absorbed in the cityscape, but his posture was unnaturally stiff.
Yu Han was lying on the bed, his face pale and tear-stained, hugging his knees to his chest, trembling slightly.
Yang Zi's blood ran cold. He immediately rushed to the bedside, his anger momentarily replaced by desperate worry. Yang Zi kneeled down beside Yu Han's bed.
"Yu Han, what happened? Are you okay? Did Li Hao harm you anywhere? Look at me, Yu Han."
Yu Han's eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, widened at the sight of Yang Zi. A fresh wave of tears welled up, and he launched himself into Yang Zi's arms, clinging to him like a lifeline.
"Yang Zi… I want to go home. Please, take me home."
Yang Zi hugged him tightly and stroked his hair.
"Okay, Yu Han, I'll take you home immediately, don't worry. I promise. Just tell me what happened? Did he… did he hurt you?"
"Nothing. I just want to go home, please."
Yang Zi's jaw tightened. The fear in Yu Han's eyes, the way he flinched from his own questions, confirmed every one of his suspicions.
He gently eased Yu Han away, his gaze hardening as he rose. His eyes locked onto Li Hao, who still hadn't moved.
With a growl of pure rage, Yang Zi strode towards Li Hao.
Li Hao finally turned, his handsome face betraying nothing but a flicker of surprise as Yang Zi's fist connected sharply with his cheek. The sound cracked in the quiet room.
Li Hao stumbled back a step, a red mark blooming on his skin. He stood there in silence, not retaliating, not even speaking.
Yang Zi didn't wait. He grabbed Li Hao's collar, bunching the fabric in his fist, pulling him closer.
"Tell me! What did you do to Yu Han? What the hell did you do that made him cry like this? Look at him! He's practically terrified! You—you monster!"
Just as Yang Zi raised his other hand, Shi Wang, who had been watching the scene with a cold, analytical gaze, finally stepped in. He grabbed Yang Zi firmly, pulling him away from Li Hao.
"Yang Zi, stop it! This isn't helping Yu Han! We're in a hospital, for god's sake!"
Yu Han suddenly, raised his voice,surprising them all with its volume.
"Yang Zi, please stop! He didn't do anything wrong with me! I just want to go home, please!"
Yang Zi froze, turning to look at Yu Han, whose fragile plea cut through his rage. Shi Wang gave Li Hao a long, chilling death stare, a promise of future reckoning in his eyes.
"Just listen to Yu Han. You don't have to put yourself on Li Hao's level. Come with me. We'll arrange his discharge."
Yang Zi, still fuming but somewhat deflated by Yu Han's desperate cry, allowed Shi Wang to lead him out. They went to the nurse's station and then found a doctor.
Doctor scanned Yu Han's chart.
"Mr. Yang, Mr. Shi, I understand your concern, but Yu Han suffered a significant emotional shock. He needs observation, proper rest, and a calm environment. Discharging him so soon…"
"Doctor, he's clearly distressed here. He'll be more comfortable, and get better rest, at home. I can provide all the care he needs, round the clock, I promise you."
The doctor sighed, seeing the determination in Yang Zi's eyes and sensing Yu Han's clear desire to leave.
Doctor: "Alright. But he needs absolute bed rest, a quiet environment, and he needs regular check-ups. I'll schedule a follow-up appointment for tomorrow morning, and ensure a nurse visits daily for the next few days. Any signs of regression, any increase in anxiety or sleep disturbance, you bring him back immediately. Emotional trauma can be tricky."
"Absolutely, Doctor. Thank you. I'll ensure everything is followed to the letter."
Moments later, Yang Zi and Shi Wang returned to Yu Han's room.
Yang Zi immediately began packing Yu Han's sparse belongings into the small hospital bag. Li Hao remained near the window, unmoving, a silent sentinel. He didn't give any reaction to their return, to Yang Zi packing, because deep down he knew he was wrong.
His cheek throbbed, a dull ache that mirrored the emptiness growing in his chest. He watched Yang Zi meticulously fold Yu Han's sparse belongings, each movement a stark reminder of his failure.
Yu Han… going home. Without him. The cold dread that had settled in his stomach when Yu Han had flinched from him earlier was now a suffocating weight.
He had thought… he had thought he was just being rational, firm, perhaps a little too demanding. But Yu Han's tears, his desperate plea to escape, had shattered that illusion.
He had hurt him. Deeply. And now, Yu Han was leaving. A strange, unfamiliar pang twisted through him. It wasn't just guilt over the incident, it was a profound sense of loss.
He hadn't realized how much he craved Yu Han's presence, even if it was often challenging, frustrating.
Just Yu Han's quiet existence nearby had become… something he needed. He wanted to reach out, to explain, to apologize, but what words could possibly mend this? He'd pushed too hard, spoken too harshly, demanded too much. He'd wanted control, and instead, he'd lost everything.
He didn't know why he felt this way. He'd always prided himself on his control, his logic. But this... this raw, aching emptiness was utterly illogical, and utterly devastating.
He just wanted to be near Yu Han, to somehow reverse the last few hours, but his own monumentally reckless actions had built an insurmountable wall between them.
Yang Zi and Shi Wang both moved to the bed, gently helping Yu Han sit up. Yu Han, still looking fragile, leaned heavily on them as they guided him off the bed. He didn't spare a glance back, his focus entirely on getting out, on getting home.
Li Hao remained seated, staring blankly out the window as they slowly moved towards the door. He heard Yu Han's faint "Thank you, Yang Zi," as they reached the threshold. Then, they were gone.
The door clicked shut, leaving Li Hao alone in the sterile white room. The silence was deafening, the air suddenly heavy and cold.
He just sat there, a statue of regret, his heart aching with a pain he couldn't name, seeing Yu Han going further and further away from him, perhaps forever.
The sterile white walls seemed to close in, mirroring the hollow space where his heart should have been.