Shen Lin stumbled but did not fall.
He glanced at the man, noting the scar on his face, and instinctively reached for his phone in his pocket. The item was still safely in his pocket.
"I'm fine," Shen Lin replied.
The man breathed a sigh of relief and followed Shen Lin into the hospital lobby. "It's good that you're okay. I was too anxious and didn't see you."
"I'm fine, you don't need to worry about it," Shen Lin said, eager to shake off the man's chatter.
However, the man had no intention of letting him leave easily.
His arm was suddenly grabbed, and the man, adopting an accusatory stance, blocked Shen Lin's path. "You can't leave, my chest hurts so much."
With that, he pulled Shen Lin's hand and leaned in front of him. *His chest hurts, what does that have to do with me? He was the one who bumped into me.*
"Sir, please let go!"
"You can't leave. You hit me, and you have to take me for a check-up."
The man's clamor quickly drew a crowd of onlookers. Those unaware of the situation immediately blamed Shen Lin, pointing and judging his actions.
"He looks so respectable, but his actions are so inconsiderate!"
"Exactly, and this is happening in a hospital, and he still wants to run after hurting someone."
"Some people really can't be judged by their appearance. Even good clothes can't hide an ugly heart sometimes."
The crowd grew larger, and more people accused Shen Lin. The man, instead of clarifying, fanned the flames, exacerbating the conflict.
Even Shen Lin, though not the sharpest, understood what was happening.
This was a deliberate bump-and-run. The man was clearly targeting him. But he had never seen this person before; why was he being accosted like this?
"Sir, there are cameras at the entrance," Shen Lin kindly reminded him. The truth of the matter could be ascertained by checking the surveillance footage.
Seeing that the man still refused to explain, Shen Lin addressed the surrounding crowd. "Since everyone believes I injured him and am unwilling to take responsibility, let's call the police and have them investigate."
Upon hearing about calling the police, the man instantly stood up from the ground. "You're going too far! You hit me, and I didn't say anything, I just wanted you to take me to get checked. If you weren't willing, fine, but now you want to call the police and trouble them. Is such a small matter worth involving the police? Don't you think it's a waste of police resources?"
His words were grand and full of consideration for the police, but upon closer thought, his guilt was apparent. *He doesn't want the police involved, but he wants me to take responsibility?*
Heh! Shen Lin wasn't a fool.
Seeing that no one was calling the police, he reached into his pocket and took out his phone. Before he could even dial, his phone was pressed down by a hand.
Gu Xiuyu appeared before Shen Lin unexpectedly.
"Assistant Shen, it really is you. What are you doing here?" Gu Xiuyu asked proactively.
At this moment, seeing Gu Xiuyu, Shen Lin felt as if he were looking at the villain who had harmed Di Mingjue. His expression was anything but pleasant. "Is it strange to be at the hospital? Mr. Gu is also here at the hospital, isn't he?"
Gu Xiuyu smiled. "Assistant Shen has a way with words."
As he spoke, the man beside him freed a hand and grabbed Gu Xiuyu's clothes. "Are you his friend?"
"And you are?" Gu Xiuyu retorted.
The man's spirit rose. "Perfect. Since you're his friend, you take responsibility for him. He just hit me, and my chest hurts badly. You'll take my place and accompany me to see the doctor."
The man pulled Gu Xiuyu forward a step. Gu Xiuyu looked back at Shen Lin, confused, "Is Assistant Shen in trouble?"
For a fleeting moment, Shen Lin almost wished the man would drag Gu Xiuyu away quickly. That way, Gu Xiuyu wouldn't have a chance to learn that Di Mingjue was in the hospital, nor would he bother Ye Ziyu.