Chapter 7 – Acting the Hero

“Boss–” The restaurant staff were all shouting in alarm.

But Ye Zhou ignored them; at that moment, his mind was set on one thing – he couldn’t let this man escape!

The man ultimately couldn’t evade justice; he was smoothly apprehended by the police, and Ye Zhou played no small part in it. Had Ye Zhou not chased him relentlessly, the man would have surely gotten away.

However–

Now in the hospital, Fang Ji frowned as he stood beside the hospital bed, looking at Ye Zhou’s bandaged left wrist and cast-covered right leg. After pondering for a while, he said, “…So, great hero Ye, you broke your leg chasing after someone?”

At two in the afternoon, when Fang Ji was still asleep, he suddenly received a call from one of the restaurant employees, which startled him awake. He rushed to the hospital immediately. Although saying that his leg was broken was an exaggeration, it fully conveyed Fang Ji’s feelings at that moment.

In a moment of bravery, Ye Zhou pounced from the stairs, successfully capturing the man, but his right leg ended up fractured.

Fang Ji’s phrase “great hero Ye” was clearly not praise, but more like mockery. Ye Zhou opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but seeing Fang Ji’s expression, he eventually fell silent.

Fang Ji actually had quite a good temper and rarely got angry, but Ye Zhou deserved a scolding this time: “If you’re so capable, why don’t you become a police officer? Why are you taking over their jobs? Fortunately, nothing serious happened this time. You didn’t even know who that person was and went after him alone. What if he was a serial killer and pulled out a gun or knife? You would have been done for.”

Ye Zhou obediently took the scolding, not daring to utter a sound.

Fang Ji then sighed and said, “I’m not stopping you from doing good deeds, but there should be limits. Vigilantism is commendable, but risking your life for it is foolish.”

Ye Zhou knew that Fang Ji had his best interests at heart and replied meekly, “I understand.”

Ye Zhou lost his parents at a young age, and sometimes he acted impulsively. That’s why Fang Ji occasionally scolded him when he felt Ye Zhou did something wrong, but rather than blame, it was concern.

Actually, Fang Ji was right in his scolding. Ye Zhou had reflected on it afterward. Even if that man escaped, it wouldn’t matter much. The restaurant had surveillance cameras, and once the police obtained the man’s information, catching him wouldn’t be difficult. But if he had to do it again, Ye Zhou wasn’t sure if he would refrain from chasing after him. Honestly, he wasn’t acting out of vigilantism; he just couldn’t stand such things happening.

As for the outcome of his heroic act, he reaped what he sowed.

That afternoon, the police came to take Ye Zhou’s statement. He learned that the man had a history of fraud and kidnapping, specifically targeting naive young girls. They met online, and after meeting in person, the man stole her wallet and phone, holding her documents hostage to prevent her escape. This explained the scene Ye Zhou witnessed in the restaurant.

Fortunately, Ye Zhou intervened on the first day. If it had dragged on for another one or two days, who knows what harm might have come to the girl. Ye Zhou suddenly felt that getting hurt for this cause was somewhat worth it.

The police handled the aftermath, and Ye Zhou didn’t need to worry about it anymore.

His injuries weren’t severe; it was just a minor fracture that didn’t require surgery or hospitalization. After a few hours of observation, he could go home that evening. Fang Ji arrived by car and planned to take Ye Zhou home first before heading to the bar.

One of the bosses was already disabled, and Fang Ji couldn’t neglect his duties. Before Ye Zhou’s leg healed, Fang Ji would likely have to manage both the restaurant and the bar temporarily.

At this moment, Ye Zhou suddenly felt very apologetic to Fang Ji and kept apologizing during the ride.

Fang Ji didn’t feel it was a big deal. Although he scolded Ye Zhou for being impulsive, he admired Ye Zhou’s actions in his heart. There were many warm-hearted people in society, but not everyone would have the courage to act under those circumstances. This was something Fang Ji always admired about Ye Zhou: “Take this time to recover well at home. Since you’re the boss, you don’t have to worry about getting your salary docked. Besides, everyone is experienced now and doesn’t need constant supervision. I’ll probably switch my schedule temporarily, coming in around two or three in the afternoon and leaving around midnight. It won’t affect me much.”

True to his management background, Fang Ji quickly arranged everything in the store. Hearing this, Ye Zhou felt relieved: “Then I’ll trouble Boss Fang.”

“No problem.”

After Ye Zhou’s right leg was in a cast, he couldn’t exert force on it, so Fang Ji rented a wheelchair from a medical equipment store near the hospital before taking Ye Zhou home.

The car stopped outside Ye Zhou’s house, and Fang Ji unfolded the wheelchair first before helping Ye Zhou out.

In the hospital, there were volunteers to assist, but now it was just Fang Ji, who hadn’t taken care of patients much before. His clumsiness made it hard to coordinate with Ye Zhou, and they struggled to get Ye Zhou out of the car.

With his right foot unable to bear weight and his left hand injured, Ye Zhou’s movements felt uncoordinated, and he seemed poised to fall.

The two of them tussled by the car door, looking somewhat comical.

Ye Zhou was sweating, partly from the heat and partly from pain. But he had a knack for finding humor in hardship and laughed as he swore, “Damn, I’m not going to get stuck in this car, am I?”

Fang Ji joked, “Then I’ll have to take you to the bar to continue working.”

“You promised me a holiday.”

“Face reality. Looks like you’re not destined for a break.”

As the two joked around, Guan Heng saw this scene from afar and quickly approached: “Ye Zhou, what happened?”

Still sitting in the car, Ye Zhou looked up upon hearing the voice and saw it was Guan Heng. He hadn’t expected such an embarrassing situation to be witnessed and laughed helplessly, “I tripped. Did you finish class?”

“Yes.”

Although Fang Ji had heard from Guan Heng previously that he lived next door, seeing it firsthand gave him a different impression. In the restaurant, Fang Ji had only briefly greeted him and hadn’t taken a closer look. Now, up close, Guan Heng’s outstanding good looks were evident, perfectly embodying the concept of refined maturity and elite charisma. However, since he wasn’t familiar with Guan Heng, he didn’t know what to say, merely nodding in greeting.

Guan Heng also nodded in acknowledgment towards Fang Ji and offered, “Do you need help?”

Fang Ji indeed needed assistance, and it was getting late. He had to rush to the bar, so he said, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Guan Heng’s tall and slender figure made him look good in anything. He had an aura of self-restraint, not the type to flaunt his physique easily, making it hard to judge from appearance. But he effortlessly supported Ye Zhou under his shoulders and back, easily lifting him up.

Ye Zhou felt the strength in the other person’s grip on his arm. After spending the whole afternoon either sitting or lying down, he felt a bit unsteady and subconsciously leaned to the right, unintentionally resting against Guan Heng’s chest and accidentally brushing against it with his left hand.

Ye Zhou: “…”

Ye Zhou found it hard to describe how he felt at that moment. Guan Heng’s chest was firm, with the hardness of muscles. Due to the effort, the shape and contours felt more pronounced. He never expected that Guan Heng, who didn’t show off his body, was so well-built, presenting a contrast to his appearance. But the solid chest provided a reassuring sense of security.

Guan Heng, perhaps fearing that Ye Zhou would fall again, didn’t step back at all. Instead, he steadily held Ye Zhou’s body, helping him regain his balance.

Ye Zhou only leaned for a moment before immediately moving away. After all, they were both men. Although it was unintentional, prolonged contact could imply taking advantage.

They quickly helped Ye Zhou onto the wheelchair and got him seated.

Guan Heng reached into his left pocket with his left hand to take out the keys, ready to open the door. Fang Ji glanced at them and, for reasons known or unknown, suddenly said to Guan Heng, “My car is blocking the way. Could you please push Ye Zhou inside?”

This excuse was reasonable, and Guan Heng promptly agreed, “Okay.”

Ye Zhou looked at Fang Ji in surprise.

Fang Ji smiled at Ye Zhou, “I have to go to the bar. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Left behind by his brother, what could Ye Zhou do? He said helplessly, “Go ahead.”