Chapter 11 – How Do You Plan to Repay Me?

The weather had been growing cooler these past few days, with C City transitioning rapidly between seasons.

Life seemed mundane on the surface, but for some, turbulent undercurrents were swirling beneath. After tormenting Qin Zhan for too long, Zhou Liao began to find it dull. Initially, he had thought Qin Zhan was like a corpse, never resisting. This only fueled his desire to bully such a cold, indifferent person until he begged for mercy.

Yet as Qin Zhan silently endured each torment, Zhou Liao found himself increasingly bored by the mute, corpse-like figure before him. Pure violence no longer satisfied him. When he reflected on why he had started, it seemed it all stemmed from his hatred of Qin Zhan’s eyes.

Those eyes, which ignored him completely and occasionally glanced at him with loathing, always reminded him of his mother. A loveless marriage arranged for political and business interests, a union that had trapped a woman by using the birth of a child.

As he grew older, he saw his parents less and less. His initial attempts to cautiously please them gradually gave way to cold, perfunctory responses. In elementary school, he had once cried and asked his mother if she loved him, only to receive the dismissive reply: You have everything you could ever want. What more could you possibly want?

Zhou Liao had long since lost track of the countless privileges and advantages his parents’ wealth and power had granted him. He had lived his entire life showered with praise and admiration, surrounded by sycophantic supporters. He had grown adept at exploiting his privileged status, treating compensation from others as his due. No one ever saw the real Zhou Liao behind closed doors; he had gradually learned to present himself as flawless and untouchable.

You have everything you could ever want. What more could you possibly want?

Zhou Liao didn’t know what he wanted. He seemed to crave nothing more than to use violence and manipulation to ensure that the eyes that had haunted him in the shadows would fixate on him alone for the rest of their lives.

Qin Zhan lay unconscious in the hospital for three days. Zhou Liao paid for his hospital stay; after all, killing him would end the game, and he could easily afford the repair costs.

Qin Zhan’s eyes never opened once during his hospitalization, but the hospital assured Zhou Liao that his vital signs were stable, attributing his coma to extreme exhaustion and advising him not to worry. From the moment Qin Zhan was admitted to this room, no one at the hospital reported the incident, and even the attending physician never inquired about the cause of his injuries.

As a fresh IV drip was connected, Zhou Liao glanced down at Qin Zhan from his towering height. His phone buzzed incessantly in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—it was Bai Ling calling.

He closed the hospital room door, walked to the balcony at the other end of the corridor, and answered the call.

“Are you heading back to school today?”

Zhou Liao lit a cigarette, watching a patient in a wheelchair below gently touch the small flowers along the green belt.

“Yeah, I’m heading back soon. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to ask… Do you want to grab lunch together?”

Bai Ling rarely took the initiative, and Zhou Liao knew she had never been in a relationship before, so she was always a little reserved. He hadn’t been in this kind of relationship in a long time—to him, this didn’t even count as one. It had started as a prank: noticing that Qin Zhan seemed to care about someone, discovering he had inadvertently helped her, and then, when she seemed to like him, playfully trying to snatch her away.

“You go ahead and eat. Don’t wait for me—traffic’s going to be terrible at noon.”

“Oh, right…” Bai Ling hesitated. “How’s Qin Zhan doing today? Is he any better?”

“Yeah, much better,” Zhou Liao said, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. The nicotine quickly permeated his lungs and dispersed.

“Really? Thanks for looking after him. Can I come visit him today?”

“So eager to see another man?” Zhou Liao asked, his expression blank, but his tone carried a playful, teasing edge.

Bai Ling suddenly felt a mix of shyness and panic. She was genuinely worried about Qin Zhan’s injuries. “No, it’s just that Qin Zhan was seriously injured, and Mom has been wanting to know if he’s doing better, but we haven’t been able to reach him. So I wanted to check on him. Are you… jealous?”

“Only now you realize?” Zhou Liao said, a cigarette dangling between his fingers. “He’ll be fine in a few days. He’s just resting quietly without his phone. Give him a few days to recover.”

“I guess you’re right…” Bai Ling’s ears flushed slightly. She thought about how Qin Zhan was always either at school or working, and rarely had time to rest. “Then thank you for taking care of him so well.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Just before hanging up, Zhou Liao added softly, “Eat well. Don’t worry about things here.”

“You too. You’ve been working so hard these past few days.”

After ending the call, he stubbed out his cigarette, his expression completely at odds with his earlier gentleness.

“Young Master Zhou, the patient is awake. Would you like to see him?” A nurse knocked lightly on the balcony door and peeked in, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb Zhou Liao.

Zhou Liao turned around and locked his phone. “No. How long until he recovers fully?”

“His physical condition is decent. His stamina should recover almost completely in the next couple of days. But as for the wounds, Director Lin said we need to take it slow. Some scars might heal faster; he could be discharged as early as this afternoon or tomorrow.”

“Hmm.” Zhou Liao wasn’t truly concerned about Qin Zhan’s actual recovery speed. To him, it was no more than fixing a broken toy.

Seeing he had no further questions, the nurse added, “I’ll go get him some water now.”

……

As Zhou Liao and the others left, Qin Zhan turned his head toward the hospital room. The trees outside the window partially obscured the view, leaving only fragmented slivers of sunlight. The leaves were beginning to yellow, and even the sunlight couldn’t halt the changing seasons. A moment later, a gust of wind swept through, sending leaves fluttering downward, landing softly on the soil and the small flower blooming near the green belt.

When Bai Ling saw Qin Zhan again, he had improved significantly. His wounds were healing well, and the old scars had faded considerably. The expensive medication had clearly worked far better than the makeshift bandages and alcohol he’d been using. Seeing him this time, Bai Ling felt the tangled knot of worry in her heart instantly loosen.

Qin Zhan didn’t say anything when he saw her, because someone else was standing beside her, watching him with a cool, detached gaze. Qin Zhan didn’t return his stare.

Zhou Liao smirked. “Good to see you’re doing better. It’ll put everyone’s minds at ease, and my girlfriend can finally get some proper sleep and meals.”

Bai Ling glanced at Qin Zhan, a little embarrassed. His expression remained as aloof as ever.

“I’m glad you’re recovering. Mom was really worried when she heard you collapsed from exhaustion and had to be hospitalized.”

“I’ll text her later.”

“Okay.” Bai Ling wanted to straighten Qin Zhan’s upturned collar, but just as she was about to stand on tiptoe, she remembered Zhou Liao’s presence and Qin Zhan’s aversion to being touched by others. She forced herself to stop. “Qin Zhan, do you want to grab a bite to eat together?”

Even though she knew she’d be rejected.

Qin Zhan shook his head.

“Okay…” Bai Ling couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. She tugged lightly on Zhou Liao’s sleeve, but he merely squeezed her fingers and smiled at her before walking over to Qin Zhan and straightening his collar. Amidst Qin Zhan’s icy aura, Zhou Liao leaned in close, his lips nearly brushing Qin Zhan’s ear.

“The treatment cost forty-eight thousand. How do you plan to repay me?”

Qin Zhan’s face still bore the pallor of recent illness. He stood motionless and silent. Bai Ling, standing behind Zhou Liao, couldn’t see Qin Zhan’s expression. She glanced between the two men, puzzled. Only when Zhou Liao turned back to her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and led her away did she ask curiously, “What did you say to Qin Zhan just now?”

“Nothing much. Just reminding him to take better care of himself.”

“Really?”

“Don’t you trust your boyfriend?” Zhou Liao raised an eyebrow.

Bai Ling quickly shook her head, then asked, as if remembering something, “Oh, right! Chen Xian mentioned it’s your birthday tomorrow. What… do you want to do?”

“What do you want to do for me?”

Bai Ling didn’t know. This was her first relationship, and she didn’t fit into Zhou Liao’s social circle. She knew she couldn’t compete with the women in his circle, whether in looks or background. Zhou Liao had many friends, and she knew he wouldn’t spend his birthday just with her. He already had everything, and she didn’t know what to get him.

“Is there anything you want? If I can afford it?”

His phone vibrated. Zhou Liao glanced at the club’s private room information Chen Xian had sent him. After confirming in his peripheral vision that Qin Zhan was no longer visible behind them, he released Bai Ling’s shoulder.

“I’ll love anything you give me,” Zhou Liao said, sounding somewhat regretful. “But it looks like we can’t have dinner together tonight.”

“What happened? Why so suddenly?” Bai Ling asked, puzzled by the sudden change of plans. But Zhou Liao was always surrounded by people, and she didn’t want to pry or disturb him. She wasn’t sure how relationships were supposed to work.

“A friend needs my help,” Zhou Liao answered evasively, his eyes filled with apology. “I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow…”

Zhou Liao hesitated. Those who knew Bai Ling well understood how she was—she wouldn’t fit into those kinds of social gatherings. Getting him to take her to such an event was practically impossible. A few words from his friends would expose his true nature. If it weren’t for the fact that helping her with her menstrual cramps had scored him easy points with her, combined with her lack of romantic experience making her emotions transparent and easily manipulated, Zhou Liao wouldn’t have given Bai Ling a second thought.

“Do you want to come to the party?” Zhou Liao gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “It might be a bit crowded, and you might feel awkward if you don’t know anyone. Plus, there’ll be a lot of drinking and smoking. But if you want to go, I’ll pick you up.”

Bai Ling immediately hesitated. She’d heard rumors about that social circle but had no real idea what it was like. As an ordinary college student whose daily life revolved around studying, shopping, and drawing, she doubted she’d have the courage to face it. Besides, how long had she even been seeing Zhou Liao?

Resisting the urge to become emotionally dependent on him, Bai Ling resolved to finish her pending commissions ahead of schedule. Maintaining her independence would prevent her from growing too attached to Zhou Liao so quickly.

“Then I won’t go,” Bai Ling smiled. “You guys have fun. You’ve done so much for Qin Zhan lately—the best hospital room and treatment—you deserve to relax on your birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday in advance!”

Zhou Liao’s lips curved into a smirk as he kissed her forehead. “Thank you, sweetheart.”