Shen Qingqing glanced at his profile. The young man was staring out the window blankly. "Don't worry, we'll be at the hospital soon."
"Hospital?" An Qi suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with worry. "What happened to my brother? Why is he in the hospital? He's always been in good health, how could he end up in the hospital?"
Listening to his mumbling, Shen Qingqing pursed her lips, not knowing how to explain.
An Qi pressed, "Tell me quickly, what exactly is going on?"
But she couldn't keep it a secret. Shen Qingqing finally chose to tell the truth. "Your brother embezzled company funds and was sent to prison. He then committed suicide..."
"Suicide?!" An Qi's face suddenly turned pale, and he said in a daze, "How could this happen? How could my brother commit suicide?! He cherishes life the most. Was he forced? Was someone pressuring him? Was it that Fu Tingyi?!"
Shen Qingqing remained silent.
An Qi knew his guess was right. His tone was filled with resentment. "I knew it. He's a bad person, a devil!"
Shen Qingqing didn't refute; she felt the same way. "But don't worry, your brother is back. He's in the hospital now, and his greatest wish is to see you first."
Wish?
An Qi was not comforted. He felt even more panicked. If his life wasn't nearing its end, why would there be a wish? It was probably a dying wish!
The more he thought about it, the more scared he became, his eyes turning red.
This young man was so jumpy and prone to tears without hearing people out. Shen Qingqing found it hard to believe he had escaped Fu Tingyi's clutches. Yet, looking at him, she could understand, though she didn't know how to comfort him.
"Don't cry, your brother isn't dead."
"But isn't he dying?!" An Qi vigorously wiped his eyes, making his already red eyes even redder.
Shen Qingqing's mouth twitched. As she was choosing her words, Fu Jingshu, who was driving, suddenly glanced at the rearview mirror, his gaze cold and merciless.
One look was enough to make An Qi stunned, his scalp tingling. But his flustered heart suddenly calmed down.
It was like being doused with a basin of cold water.
Shen Qingqing chided Fu Jingshu. "He's just a young man, why scare him? Alright, don't worry, your brother is fine. He just needs rest, but he was worried about your safety, so he asked us to find you. If you don't believe me, you can ask the doctor yourself when we get to the hospital."
Of course, he would ask!
An Qi thought to himself. He didn't disbelieve Shen Qingqing; he was just uneasy.
Fortunately, he didn't overthink or scare himself during the rest of the journey.
When they arrived at the hospital, he impatiently jumped out of the car. But as he reached the hospital entrance, he suddenly stopped. He remembered that if his brother committed suicide in the police station, it would be a top-secret matter under police supervision. If he inquired, the doctors and nurses wouldn't say anything.
He had no choice but to stop and wait at the entrance for Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing.
The two of them were not in a hurry, while he was extremely anxious.
As Shen Qingqing passed by, she teased, "You don't suspect us anymore?"
An Qi's face flushed. He mumbled, "I haven't seen him yet. I'm still suspicious."
Knowing the young man was being contrary, Shen Qingqing shook her head with a smile. Protected by Fu Jingshu's side, she walked into the hospital, catching sight of the young man following behind her.
A smile flashed in her eyes.
Soon, they arrived at the ward. Policemen were guarding the entrance. Seeing Shen Qingqing, they greeted her one after another.
Shen Qingqing stated the young man's identity. The police checked him and then let him in. As soon as An Qi entered the ward, his gaze fell on his brother, who was sleeping on the bed.
An Ji was sleeping soundly when he felt someone watching him. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure. He couldn't believe it. He was still half-asleep and thought he was dreaming.
It wasn't until he rubbed his eyes with his right hand that he confirmed he wasn't mistaken.
It really was his brother!
He suddenly sat up. But he had committed suicide by hitting his head, causing a concussion. His head still felt dizzy daily. This sudden movement made him see stars, and he almost fainted.
An Qi rushed to the bedside, asking nervously, "Brother, are you alright?"
An Ji held his forehead for a while before recovering. Then, looking at An Qi, his eyes turned red.
"Little brother, I thought... I thought I would never see you again."
An Qi also choked up. "Me too... Brother, why were you so foolish? Why did you try to kill yourself?"
An Ji shook his head. He didn't want to say it was for his brother or burden him, so he remained silent, only holding his brother tightly.
"It's good that you're alright. Little brother, this way I can account for myself to Mother and Father."
The brothers embraced and cried.
Although touched, the men's crying was not pleasant to listen to. Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu waited by the door.
After the two brothers finished crying, they entered and saw An Qi sitting by the bed, his eyes red. Seeing them, his handsome face also turned a little red.
As if feeling embarrassed.
An Ji was filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Fu, Mrs. Fu. Thank you."
Shen Qingqing waved her hand. "This is our transaction with you. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
An Qi looked at his brother, then at her, and asked warily, "What transaction? What do you want?"
If it meant sacrificing his brother to save himself, then it was unnecessary!
Shen Qingqing said, "This has nothing to do with you. Don't worry, I don't want your brother's life. I only want something that doesn't belong to him and should be returned."
An Ji understood.
But he looked at his brother and hesitated.
"I can give it to you, but I have a condition."
Fu Jingshu's eyes suddenly narrowed.
Shen Qingqing was good-natured. "Tell me."
"You must protect us. We cannot be harmed in any way, and you must send us abroad."
This was An Ji's long-thought-out plan.
It was no longer safe in China. Even if Fu Tingyi was dealt with, Fu Jingshu was no easy character. If he decided to discard them after they served their purpose, he would be doomed.
Shen Qingqing remained silent.
Fu Jingshu let out a cold laugh.
With this sound, the atmosphere in the ward instantly dropped to freezing point.
An Ji's scalp numbed, and his hands instinctively clenched the quilt. At this moment, rumors about Fu Jingshu – cold-blooded, ruthless, decisive – all flooded his mind.
He swallowed, but for his brother's sake, he braced himself and said, "If you agree, I'll give you the account books. I guarantee Fu Tingyi will never be able to recover."
"Greedy."
Fu Jingshu's voice was deep, his tone chilling. "You are all in my hands now. It's not your place to negotiate."
An Ji's face turned a little pale.
An Qi, sensing danger, instinctively stood in front of his brother, bravely saying, "I'll protect my brother. Don't think about bullying him!"
An Ji was deeply moved.
But when he saw his brother's hands trembling beside him, he was stunned.
Fu Jingshu strode forward, grabbed An Qi's collar, and with a flick, threw him aside with a loud crash.
Shen Qingqing quickly moved out of the way.
The man had been harboring anger since the young man had touched his arm.
It was good that he could vent it.