Chapter 166

"Wait, I'll go get the medicine and apply it for you."

Zhou Yinghe grunted in discomfort, not daring to lean back against the sofa, only daring to bend his waist.

After Zhou Congyu returned, Zhou Yinghe lay on the bed and let Zhou Congyu apply medicine to him, his face buried in his arms, and the faint sobbing reached Zhou Congyu's ears.

"What are you crying for? It's your own fault, you're already this old, still crying after getting beaten."

Zhou Yinghe said, "It's not because I got beaten."

"You're proud just because you cried over a romance?" Zhou Congyu slapped Zhou Yinghe's waist hard, avoiding his injury.

After he left, Zhou Yinghe then got up and picked up his phone; seeing that Wen Ling hadn't sent him a message, a feeling of injustice washed over him, and his nose felt even more sore.

He called Wen Ling, and the phone rang for a long time before being answered.

Wen Ling calmly asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Yinghe pressed his lips together, "Where are you?"

Wen Ling was accompanying the two elders on a walk near the Qin family's villa area; the early autumn night breeze was cool, and also accompanying them were Qin Yuyang and Liushutong.

As for Qin Yuchen, because he hadn't finished his work, he was ruthlessly left at the villa.

"I'm accompanying Grandpa and Grandfather on a walk." Wen Ling heard the oddness in his voice but didn't proactively ask.

Zhou Yinghe felt even more wronged and complained, "My dad hit me."

"???" Wen Ling looked bewildered, standing still from surprise, and asked, "What did you say?"

Qin Lao and Wen Lao turned to look at her; Wen Ling gestured for them to go ahead, she walked to a nearby cool pavilion and sat down, listening to Zhou Yinghe's complaint: "Because I lost my temper with you, I even drove you away."

Wen Ling was speechless, but still asked, "Does it hurt? Is it serious?"

"It hurts, it's serious; that thick stick hit me twice."

"..." Wen Ling sighed deeply, still feeling sorry for him, she softened her voice, a bit tender: "Alright, I'll come see you tomorrow, okay?"

A flicker of disappointment crossed Zhou Yinghe's eyes; he still thought Wen Ling would come see him now, or simply change her mind and let him stay at the Qin family's place, after all, his life at home had been so miserable.

"Okay." He didn't push further, mainly because he was afraid Wen Ling wouldn't come see him.

After hanging up, Wen Ling caught up with Qin Lao and Wen Lao's steps.

Wen Lao asked her, "What's wrong?"

Wen Ling shook her head, didn't speak, and just casually said, "Nothing."

They weren't the type to press for details; seeing Wen Ling not speak, they let the topic drop.

On the other hand, Liushutong glanced at Wen Ling with a smile; when Qin Lao spotted an acquaintance fishing by the lake and took Wen Lao to look, Liushutong then came up to Wen Ling, and on the side gave Qin Yuyang a glare for wanting to come along to eavesdrop.

"Get lost, go find Grandpa and Grandpa Wen."

Qin Yuyang looked aggrieved: "Okay."

After Qin Yuyang walked away, Liushutong softly asked, "Was that just a call from Zhou Yinghe, right?"

Wen Ling hummed in acknowledgment and rubbed her forehead.

"If he wants to come stay, let him stay; it's no big deal, I often stay at the Qin family's place anyway."

"You and your cousin are fiancés, while we're just a couple; although we've met the parents, we still haven't gotten engaged." Wen Ling explained softly.

Liushutong was surprised by her conservatism on this matter: "You still care about this?"

"I don't care about it, but my maternal grandfather definitely wouldn't allow it; my paternal grandfather doesn't mind, heading back to Sijiucheng would be fine either way, but my maternal grandfather needs to keep living here."

Wen Ling pressed her lips together, but Liushutong said, "Grandfather wouldn't care about those things either; besides, they're the Zhou family—if you let them gossip about the most pampered Fifth Young Master known throughout Sijiucheng, would they dare?"

"Although that's what was said."

"Stop saying that and that; he's really quite good, even though he's spoiled, he still accompanies you on flights back and forth to M Country, able to think for you and consider your family."

Liushutong's words seemed to suddenly enlighten her; Wen Ling stared blankly for a moment, then lifted her gaze to Liushutong's eyes, full of gratitude.

"I'll go find him tomorrow."

Liushutong smiled, patted her shoulder, and went with Wen Ling to the lakeside to find Qin Lao and Wen Lao.

Wen Ling walked ahead, she followed behind, took out her phone and replied to a message from Shang Zhiyu.

【All set, let Zhou Eldest Brother and Zhou Second Brother wait to treat me to a meal.】

Shang Zhiyu handed the phone to Zhou Yanqiu to glance at; Zhou Yanqiu smiled and said to Zhou Congyu, "Is there any brother who worries more than we do?"

Zhou Congyu held a glass, his arm propped on the bar behind him, helplessly said, "There's nothing we can do; who let us have such a worrisome younger brother."

And Ning Qing, after going to the study to ask Zhou Shuanglin about the severity of his strike, once the son and daughter-in-law who had been playing downstairs at the bar returned to their rooms, she brought the ointment into Zhou Yinghe's room.

Zhou Yinghe propped himself up to glance at her; seeing it was his own mother, he relaxed and lay back down.

"Does it hurt?"

Zhou Yinghe hummed, "It hurts."

Ning Qing sat on the bedside, applied another layer of ointment to him, gently spreading it while speaking softly: "You said, Ah Ling is the one you insisted on winning back; back then the family didn't want you to suffer another injury, no matter how we tried to stop you, you wouldn't listen, so we just let it be; after you got together, you grew a lot, and we were relieved, but then you threw a tantrum and made Ah Ling angry—I truly don't understand what you're trying to do."

Zhou Yinghe lay on his arms, eyes clear as he gazed at a point in the void, softly said: "I might still be a little afraid, afraid she'll leave me, so I want to be with her all the time; although I know our breakup wasn't her fault, once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of the well rope—I always feel afraid."

Ning Qing sighed, "Then when you went to your second uncle's place back then, why weren't you afraid?"

"I don't know." Zhou Yinghe shook his head, also not knowing why.

"Xiao Wu, actually it's Mom's fault; I shouldn't have indulged you into such a temper—since you were little, when you quarreled with your brothers and sisters, if they didn't comply with you you'd get angry, whatever you wanted you had to get, if not given you'd keep making a fuss, Mom always sided with you." Ning Qing knew her little son had a bad temper, always had, "But you also need to understand, Ah Ling has also been spoiled since childhood; you can't, after dating her, just want to throw a tantrum at her however you like—that's not allowed; as a man, the worst thing you can do is make the person you like feel wronged."

Zhou Yinghe lowered his eyes, feeling somewhat guilty and regretful.

Ning Qing continued, "Of course, a little occasional tantrum is fine, just consider it coquettish, but you can't keep acting unreasonably like today, got it?"

"Got it." Zhou Yinghe turned his head to look at his mother, earnestly saying, "Thank you."

Ning Qing deliberately shook her shoulders, disdainfully saying, "Don't give me this act; if you really drive my daughter-in-law away, even if your father beats you to death I won't care, and I won't let your brothers manage you either."