"It’s fine if friends have conflicts, but you can’t damage the friendship, and certainly can’t hurt each other’s feelings. See, this time you got hurt physically, and Jiaojiao got hurt emotionally. Isn’t it a huge loss?" Shu Jiao said.

Under Shu Jiao’s words, Lu Zishu lowered his head more and more.

After finishing, Shu Jiao looked at Zhao Li again, and the three adults tacitly walked out, leaving space for the three kids.

Once the three adults went out, the atmosphere in the room instantly fell silent.

Ruan Jiaojiao and Duan Xi stood by the bed, saying nothing, and Lu Zishu was also staring at his hands, speechless.

A few minutes later.

"I’m sorry..." Lu Zishu.

"I’m sorry..." Ruan Jiaojiao.

Both spoke at the same time and then froze, looking at each other. A few seconds later, they averted their gazes and couldn’t help but laugh.

After laughing, Ruan Jiaojiao spoke first, "I’m apologizing not for myself, but for Brother Xi. He said that if you say things like that about me again, he’ll hit you again, even harder next time."

Lu Zishu glanced at the silent Duan Xi beside him and silently shivered.

To be honest, he was a bit lucky; except for the kick, he passed out after Duan Xi’s first punch, so he didn’t have to witness Duan Xi’s intent to beat him to death. Otherwise, now he’d be doing more than just shivering at the sight of Duan Xi.

He nodded repeatedly, playing along, "Yes, yes, yes, I won’t dare again. This time, Auntie, please forgive me, okay?"

While speaking, he cupped his hands, accidentally hitting his nose, and instantly hissed in pain.

Ruan Jiaojiao immediately leaned over to check, "Are you okay? Do you need me to call a doctor for you?"

"No, no." Lu Zishu quickly waved his hands, looking somewhat resentfully at Duan Xi, "Brother Xi hit too hard. He broke my nasal bone." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"He should have." Duan Xi spoke, saying his first sentence since entering the ward, almost choking Lu Zishu.

"You won’t end up disfigured, right? A collapsed nose would look awful. You weren’t that handsome to begin with." Ruan Jiaojiao worriedly leaned over to look, reaching out a small hand to poke his nose.

"Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean I’m not good-looking? Keep your jinx comments to yourself!" Lu Zishu wanted to say "crows’ mouth," but under Ruan Jiaojiao’s raised eyebrows and Duan Xi’s fierce gaze, he quickly changed his words, dodging Ruan Jiaojiao’s hand left and right.

Ruan Jiaojiao was satisfied, straightened up, and reluctantly let him off.

The two bantered a bit more, never mentioning Lu Xian throughout. Around eleven o’clock, they checked the time, and said to Lu Zishu, "It’s quite late today, we’ll head back first. Are you staying in the hospital tomorrow? Is there anything you want to eat? If we have time, maybe we can bring something over tomorrow."

Lu Zishu immediately beamed, "I want to eat Duck King, from Wangji over on West Street."

"Why not East Main Street!" Ruan Jiaojiao retorted. West Street is over by Qing University, a four-hour round trip. She glanced at his battered face, "Besides, you can’t eat spicy food like that. Fine, tomorrow I’ll bring you some porridge my grandma made, and at most, add some pickled vegetables."

"..." Lu Zishu.

Ruan Jiaojiao waved her hand, indicating she was leaving, but just as she and Duan Xi were about to walk out the ward door, with Duan Xi’s hand already on the doorknob, Lu Zishu called out from behind, "Jiaojiao."