Minor Injury

Hearing Xia Yueshan's vigorous shouting, Lin Yu's tense nerves instantly relaxed.

He hadn't noticed when his face had become wet with cold tears. Lowering his head, Lin Yu rubbed his crumpled face hard, trying desperately not to let out any humiliating sobs.

It was so good.

Truly, so good...

"Hey?"

"Lin Yu."

"Are you still there?"

Xia Yueshan's panting voice came through the phone speaker.

"I'm here."

Lin Yu choked back a sob, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the lump in his throat. After steadying himself, he asked,

"Yueshan, are you okay? What happened over there?"

"Nothing serious."

Xia Yueshan, clearly having just gone through some intense exertion, cursed between heavy breaths:

"It's just that bastard who tried to mess with my sister before—no idea how he got out again."

"But don’t worry, I’ve already knocked him flat."

"Lin Yu, I swear, this piece of trash won’t be getting up again."

"I kicked him in the crotch over a hundred times—knocked him out, woke him up, then knocked him out again."

"If he even tries to stand up after this, I’ll just put him right back down!"

There was a hint of pride in Xia Yueshan's rushed tone.

Huh?

The guy who bullied Xia Yueshan’s sister?

That beggar?

Lin Yu frowned, utterly bewildered.

How was this possible?

Shouldn’t he be in prison right now?

How did he suddenly show up near Xia Yueshan?

On the other end of the line, Xia Yueshan caught his breath before adding with a shudder:

"Whew, that was way too close."

"Lin Yu, you wouldn’t believe it—right when you called my sister, that bastard snuck up behind us with a knife, trying to ambush us."

"If I hadn’t been sharp enough to hear his footsteps in the snow and sensed something was off, he might’ve actually gotten us!"

"Luckily, I’m just that good..."

Xia Yueshan’s bragging continued to echo in Lin Yu’s ears, but he couldn’t process another word.

Because of one simple phone call, he had almost doomed Xia Muzhu and her brother again?

How had things come to this?

Lin Yu replayed Xia Yueshan’s words in his mind, his body trembling uncontrollably.

While the attacker had been closing in on them with a knife, it was his call that had distracted them?

If Xia Yueshan hadn’t been so quick-witted, would they already be...?

He couldn’t bear to finish the thought.

For the first time in two months, that bone-deep helplessness surged through Lin Yu again, gnawing at him until he nearly broke.

"Yueshan!"

"Hurry!"

"Let’s bandage this and get to the hospital!"

Xia Muzhu’s tearful voice crackled through the phone. Hearing her choked words, Lin Yu’s heart clenched, and he urgently asked:

"Yueshan, you’re hurt? How bad is it?"

"Not a big deal."

Xia Yueshan’s carefree voice came through the speaker.

"Just noticed him a bit late—by the time he swung the knife at me, dodging wasn’t an option."

"So I went full-on ‘empty-handed blade catch’!"

"Caught the blade, sure, but my hand took a hit."

He even chuckled, sounding far from pained or weakened.

Hearing Xia Yueshan’s energetic tone, Lin Yu exhaled in relief.

Thank goodness.

Just a minor injury.

"Not a big deal?!"

"Your hand is covered in blood!"

Xia Muzhu’s voice trembled with tears, her worry far exceeding Xia Yueshan’s own concern for his wound.

"Lin Yu."

"We’ll talk later."

"I need to take Yueshan to the hospital now."

Her voice grew louder, as if she’d snatched the phone and pressed it close to her lips.

"Right, of course. Get him treated quickly—"

The call ended abruptly.

Lin Yu lowered the phone, releasing a long, exhausted breath.

At least nothing worse had happened to Xia Yueshan and his sister—otherwise, he’d never be able to face them again.