"Who did this?" Sihan asked, his tone shifting into something dark and grim.
"It has to be the Zhou family, maybe the second son," Yichen said, his jaw tightening.
"The second son? Qixian? How can you be so sure of that—"
"Because he had me followed just a few days ago," Yichen admitted, his gaze hardening. "I thought it was just a minor annoyance at the time, but now it's clear he was scouting us."
"He did what?" Sihan's head snapped toward Yichen, his mind reeling. 'Qixian? Had you followed?' he thought in a state of utter shock, struggling to reconcile the injured man hiding in his house with the aggressor Yichen was describing.
"Every word of it is true," Yichen insisted.
"But how can you be certain it was him? They could have been lying about who they worked for," Sihan pressed, desperately trying to find an alternative.
"I didn't just take their word for it. I had their backgrounds checked thoroughly right after I ordered my men to... deal with them," Yichen said coldly. "The trail leads directly back to the Zhou family. There's no doubt they are on the payroll."
"What if someone is trying to frame the second son?" Sihan suggested, his mind racing for a way to protect Qixian's secret. "If they are Zhou men, they could just as easily belong to the eldest son. Maybe it's Zhou Jin Rou behind this."
Yichen remained silent for a moment, considering the possibility.
"Besides, Yichen, you know the rumors surrounding the Zhou household," Sihan continued, trying to pivot the conversation. "High society is a viper's nest. They're constantly at each other's throats for the inheritance. It's entirely possible one brother is sabotaging the other."
"That is a valid point," Yichen conceded, "but their internal dynamic makes that unlikely. The second son is a notorious troublemaker and a rebel. Why would the eldest, who is considered the golden child of the Zhou family... feel threatened by someone who has already been cast out?"
"That... actually makes a lot of sense," Sihan agreed reluctantly. "But what if the rumors of the younger brother's hidden talent are true? And also the rumors that the eldest son is an orphan? Maybe that's exactly why the eldest is so desperate to get rid of him."
"Even so, if I were the eldest and already had the full acknowledgement of the patriarch, I wouldn't waste my time on someone like the second son," Yichen argued. "No, the aggression feels personal. It feels like the second son is lashing out."
Sihan felt a chill run down his spine. "I agree that the attackers were Zhou men... but let's not jump to any final conclusions about which Zhou member sent them just yet. Let's just focus on Haoran for now," he said, shifting his gaze back to the unconscious man in the bed.
"You're right. Perhaps the truth will finally claw its way to the surface at the gala," Yichen said, his eyes turning toward the window. "We just have to wait for now."
_________________
"Where is Sihan? Why did he even leave his phone when he's going out?!" Qixian complained as he pace around in front of the door.
A minutes have passed, the door started to open.
The second Sihan stepped through the front door, a sharp, piercing glare met him. Qixian was standing in the foyer, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Where did you go? I've been sitting here losing my mind with worry because I suddenly had this horrible gut feeling that Haoran was in danger!"
Sihan sighed, weary as he began toeing off his shoes. "I guess your intuition is sharper than I thought."
Qixian's face went pale, his defensive stance instantly crumbling into pure anxiety. "What? Was he really in trouble? Where is he now? Sihan, tell me!"
"He's fine now, I promise," Sihan assured him, held up a hand to calm the rising panic. "He was at the hospital, but he woke up after an hour and he's stable."
"That's a relief... but you should have told me the moment it happened," Qixian said, though he couldn't resist throwing one more pointed glare Sihan's way.
"And have you try to sprint across the city with those injuries? Not a chance," Sihan countered firmly.
Qixian bit his lip, falling silent for a few seconds as he processed the information. Finally, he looked up and asked, "Which hospital did you take him to?"
Sihan hesitated for a heartbeat. "...ZH General."
"What?!" Qixian practically shrieked.
"Look, it's the best hospital in the city, so we didn't exactly have a choice in the heat of the moment," Sihan explained quickly. "Though, understandably, Haoran wanted to leave as soon as possible... right after he visited his mother, of course."
"His mother?" Qixian's eyes softened with realization. "Oh, right! Ms. Hong is currently receiving sponsored treatment there."
Sihan paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Qixian with growing suspicion. "His mother? Is Ms. Hong not your mother too? And more importantly... how do you know her treatment there is sponsored?"
Qixian went stiff, his gaze darting away.
"Wait a minute..." Sihan's jaw dropped. "Does that mean... you are the one sponsoring her? Qixian, you're the anonymous benefactor?"
"Well, yes," Qixian admitted quietly. "But don't you dare tell them. Either of them."
"Why not? It's an incredibly kind thing to do!"
"Because I said so, Sihan. Drop it, besides what would I say when I said it was me when I appeared to them as someone who's not that rich," Qixian snapped, though the edge was gone from his voice. Sihan merely rolled his eyes, knowing better than to push the stubborn Omega.
"By the way," Qixian continued, his worry returning, "is Haoran still at the hospital? Why would you leave him there alone if he's hurt?"
"He insisted he was fine, so he decided to head back to his clinic for the night. Don't worry, we've already agreed to have him checked to a different, more secure hospital tomorrow," Sihan said.
"Is he... is he hurt badly?" Qixian asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"The wounds aren't deep. Honestly, with a day of rest, they'll probably close up. He's an A-tier Omega, after all, and since his partner is an S-tier Alpha, the pheromone compatibility will speed up his healing. Unlike you," Sihan added pointedly.
"I'm glad he's okay," Qixian murmured, then caught the tail end of the sentence. "Wait, what does that have to do with me?"
"Your injuries are going to take much longer to knit back together without a strong partner's help," Sihan stated. "Maybe you should swallow your pride and ask Yichen to—"
"Fuck off, Sihan," Qixian retorted, rolling his eyes.
"But really, Qixian, I'm serious—"
"I'm an S-tier Omega," Qixian interrupted, his voice casual as if he were discussing the weather. "My body heals much faster than a standard Omega though it's still slow, I'll be fully healed in a few days."
"You're an S-tier Omega?!" Sihan shouted, the shock nearly sending him backward.
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"A problem? S-tiers Omegas are as rare as Enigmas! That's incredible. Now I can say for certain that you and Yichen are—"
"Do you want to die?" Qixian glared, his eyes flashing dangerously. "This has nothing to do with Yichen. It's not like he's some legendary Enigma or anything, they have been eliminated years ago."
Sihan clamped his mouth shut, a thought racing through his mind 'Ah, so he doesn't know about Yichen yet? Well, this is awkward.'
"Well, to be honest," Sihan pivoted, "our conversation actually does involve Yichen."
"And how is that?"
"He thinks you had him followed."
"Followed? I did no such an absurd thing!" Qixian defended himself indignantly.
"Then why did he claim he was being tailed by your men?" Sihan countered. "He was adamant about it."
"Why would I even waste the resources to follow him?" Qixian argued.
"You really didn't?" Sihan asked, searching his face. "If it wasn't you, then who? Yichen confirmed the men were definitely from the Zhou family."
Qixian's expression shifted from anger to cold realization. "From the Zhou... of course. Why would I use the workers under the Zhou if I'm a runaway? It must be Jin Rou's men. They are fanatically loyal to him. They must have lied about who sent them to stir up trouble, but they are a fool, have they no brain at all? Following an important figure and known as dangerous man, ha! Just a brainless people will do that."
"Then we have a total disaster on our hands!" Sihan yelled, pacing the room. "Oh my god, I really want to start swearing right now!"
"How is it a disaster?"
"Because it's a catastrophe! If Yichen finds out you are the second son while he's in this state of mind, he's going to be aggressively angry. He already thinks it's your fault that Haoran got hurt!" Sihan explained frantically.
"Should I really be that worried about his temper?" Qixian asked with a shrug.
"Yes! Of course you should!" Sihan shouted, exasperated. 'He's a an Enigma!' Sihan screamed in his mind.
"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that," Qixian said, waving a hand dismissively as he walked toward the kitchen. "I'm starving. Let's just eat."
"Wait, do you even know how to cook?" Sihan asked, finally calming down enough to follow.
"Please. Just because I grew up wealthy doesn't mean I'm incompetent," Qixian remarked.
But not even a moment later, Qixian started to say things again. "By the way, I'm going back to the clinic tomorrow."
"What?!" Sihan stopped dead in his tracks.
"Haoran got hurt, Sihan! Whoever did it won't just stop there. I need to be there," Qixian reasoned.
"I'm going to die. I'm actually going to have a heart attack and die," Sihan groaned, leaning against the invisible wall.
"You are such an over-dramatic adult," Qixian commented, unfazed. "I've been thinking... maybe we should all just go on a vacation. Get away from the city for a bit."
"What about the gala? There are only four days left," Sihan noted, though the idea of a vacation was incredibly tempting.
"Then we go on a three-day trip and come back just in time, and we'll be able to prepare for one day too," Qixian decided.
"That actually sounds amazing. Let's suggest it to the others on the afternoon—since you're so insistent on going back to the clinic. But are you absolutely sure you're fit to travel?" Sihan asked.
"It's fine," Qixian said, his gaze turning serious. "I can't keep hiding forever, and I can't delay my return any longer anyway."