Chapter 26: I Admit It, Please Spare Me
“Miss, just tell me which ward Fang Lan is in. I need to see her.” The middle-aged man stared at the young nurse in front of him.
The nurse, asked yet again, looked troubled. She pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
Seeing this, the man’s expression darkened. He strode off and began pushing open ward doors one by one, occasionally shouting something in dialect.
“Sir, you can’t disturb the other patients’ rest like this,” the nurse said stiffly as she stepped forward to stop him. “If you’re looking for your wife, why don’t you just contact her and ask for the bed number?”
The man’s bloodshot eyes shot up at her, frightening the nurse into taking a step back.
“I already said I’m here to see my wife! You won’t even check a bed number for me? Believe it or not, I’ll file a complaint against you!”
After saying that, he moved on to the next ward.
Family members from several rooms came out to see what was happening.
“What’s all this noise?” The head nurse strode over briskly. “Sir, if you continue like this, we’ll call security.”
The man, who had been so aggressive moments ago, shrank slightly before stiffening his neck again. “I’m here to see my wife! What right do you have to chase me away? That girl wouldn’t even check her information. Is this how you people do things?”
The head nurse had worked frontline for years—she’d seen all kinds. “You think you can just open your mouth and demand patient information? If everyone did that, wouldn’t this place be chaos?”
“What do you mean open my mouth? That’s my wife…” the man muttered. Suddenly his eyes lit up. He waved toward someone in the distance. “Zihan! It’s Dad!”
When he got no response, his tone immediately turned foul. “Song Zihan! Haven’t seen you in a few days and your wings have grown stiff? You don’t even recognize your own father?”
The boy standing by a ward jumped in fright and instinctively tried to retreat, but the man rushed over in a few strides. “Where’s Fang Lan? Is your mom inside? Get her to talk to me.”
The boy hurriedly blocked him, only to be slapped on the head as the man cursed viciously.
The head nurse’s face turned icy. She told a nearby nurse to call security, then forced herself to step forward and mediate.
Madam Lu frowned slightly, leaning forward to watch the scene outside.
She rarely encountered such crude, uncivilized people. The last time had been when they brought back her biological child.
That had also been a drunkard—unkempt, opening his mouth only to demand money, insisting they pay years of “raising fees” before he’d release the child.
Naturally, they hadn’t stooped to argue. They’d simply paid a lump sum to sever ties cleanly—not just for Lu Ji, but for Ranran as well.
“This is outrageous,” President Lu said. “After lunch, let’s transfer Ranran to the Ye family’s private hospital.”
“No, I’m not going,” Lu Ran blurted out, gripping his blanket tightly.
“Ranran, we just want you to recuperate in peace,” Lu Zheng said. “What happened back then is over. Everyone knows it wasn’t your fault. Uncle Ye said so himself.”
“It’s not because of that. I just… I’m fine already. I can leave this afternoon.” Lu Ran’s eyes flickered. “It’s just an old issue. No need to make such a fuss.”
Lu Zheng didn’t press further. “Alright. You know your body best. Let’s do a checkup after lunch. If everything’s fine, we’ll go home.”
“Ranran, that troublemaker outside—he seems to be the parent of a student at your school,” Madam Lu added.
“Probably. Didn’t our school recruit a bunch of special admissions students? Heh. Guess our tuition money is paying for them.” Lu Ran sneered as he got out of bed to watch the commotion.
—
Song Yinxing rushed over as soon as he got the message.
The hospital was several kilometers from school. He usually biked, but today he was in too much of a hurry and hailed a cab.
He immediately spotted the man still shouting loudly.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and separated the two.
“Brother,” Song Zihan called, like he’d seen a savior, quickly hiding behind Song Yinxing. His head still rang from the slaps.
“What are you doing here?” Song Yinxing asked coldly, nudging his brother back inside to stay with their mother.
Father Song sized him up and gave a strange smile. “I was wondering who it was. Dressed pretty nicely. I heard you’re at that fancy high school now—the one full of young masters and young ladies. Three years’ tuition costs millions, right?”
“You and your mother struck it rich and want to ditch me to enjoy life? Dream on! Everyone judge for yourselves—is this how a son behaves?”
He deliberately raised his voice. Murmurs spread. Public opinion clearly tilted toward him.
“I got in on a tuition-free scholarship,” Song Yinxing said evenly. “The school stipend is higher than most. Our household expenses depend on it.”
“If you hadn’t gambled everything away and sold the house, would Mom have had to delay treatment this long?”
“Who was it that knelt, begging Mom to sell Grandma’s old apartment to repay your debts because they were going to chop off your hand?”
“You promised that once you repaid it, you’d stop gambling and live properly with us.”
“And what happened? You kept gambling. Last time you ran out of money, you caused a scene at the hospital—Mom was about to enter surgery. Did you care whether she lived or died? Now you’re here again. Are you trying to force her to death?”
Sentence by sentence, Song Yinxing pressed him.
The onlookers shifted again, whispering now about the middle-aged man.
In the past, no matter what outrageous lies this man spouted—even twisting black and white—Song Yinxing had remained silent and indifferent.
Then the crowd would chime in, saying how could a son or daughter-in-law behave like that.
And the man would look triumphant, as if he’d won a battle.
This biological father of his always used such things as leverage.
Disgusting.
If the man had no shame, then he’d drop his own too.
Wasn’t it just making a scene?
Song Yinxing hated airing his family’s ugliness. Hated losing face in public arguments.
But he also knew—someone like him couldn’t cling to useless pride.
When Father Song realized he couldn’t gain the upper hand as usual, he grew furious and tried to get physical. But security arrived in time.
Two tall guards grabbed him and dragged him out. As he was forced away, he twisted around to shout threats.
“Just wait! Unless you die, you’re my son! I’ll go to your school and make a scene—see if you don’t pay up—”
The crowd dispersed after the spectacle.
But those shameless words made Song Yinxing’s heart pound.
He knew that man would truly do it.
He couldn’t stop imagining it—the suffocating humiliation.
And at the end of that imagined scene, one face surfaced.
Gu Yang.
Song Yinxing closed his eyes.
He didn’t know why he’d suddenly thought of him.
Because of his personality—and the lack of time and energy—he rarely interacted much with others at school.
His brother was inside with their mother. He turned to step outside for some air—
And locked eyes with Gu Yang and He Ming’an standing not far away.
Song Yinxing’s face remained expressionless, but his heart sank, his limbs turning cold.
They’d seen it.
His disgraceful father. His messy family affairs. The way he’d shouted back without restraint.
Gu Yang even smiled at him.
Song Yinxing couldn’t react.
He Ming’an broke the silence with a smile. “A classmate had an asthma attack. A-Yang and I brought him here. Didn’t expect to run into you.”
“We won’t tell anyone about what just happened. Don’t overthink it.”
“We’ll head back first.” He pulled Gu Yang along, leaving Song Yinxing alone to compose himself.
“Brother, those two were your classmates?” Song Zihan emerged after things quieted.
“I told you to stay with Mom. Were you spying?” Song Yinxing said without turning.
“Why are you yelling?” Song Zihan complained. “Not gonna lie, those two looked rich. One of them had a watch just like the one a rich kid in my class wears—super expensive.”
“I saw them greet you. Are you close? Do they take you to fancy restaurants? Give you stuff they don’t use?” He circled around his brother, talking nonstop.
“The rich kid in our class gives watches and clothes he doesn’t want to his friends… too bad I can’t get close to him…”
His voice trailed off. He noticed Song Yinxing’s expression was wrong.
Though only three years apart, he was genuinely afraid of this older brother.
Cold, rarely smiling, always seeming burdened. Quick to lecture.
After a long silence, Song Yinxing asked, “It’s midday. Why aren’t you in school?”
“I came to see Mom, okay? You’re always nagging me for not coming. Now I come and you still scold me.”
“You’ve got your entrance exams soon. Focus on studying. Don’t make Mom worry.”
“Fine, fine. I’m thirsty. What floor’s the convenience store on? I’m buying water,” Song Zihan quickly changed the subject.
“What do you want? I’ll get it.”
“Anything. Maybe a Coke.” Emboldened, he added, “Brother, can you give me some living expenses too?”
“I just gave you money last week. I told you not to waste it.”
“It’s for review materials—fifty or sixty per book. Just three hundred more. I’ve been skipping dishes at the cafeteria.”
Song Yinxing wanted to argue.
But after fighting with his father, he had no strength left.
“Fine. I’ll transfer it later.”
Song Zihan beamed and ran back to the ward.
—
“I knew a bit about Song’s family, that they weren’t well-off. But I didn’t realize it was this complicated,” He Ming’an said in the taxi.
Gu Yang said nothing.
“With such a terrible family, and he still turned out upright and academically excellent… no wonder you…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
“No wonder what?” Gu Yang asked.
“Nothing.” He Ming’an smiled and changed the topic. “Today wasn’t the right time. Otherwise, we could’ve talked to him.”
“He must’ve felt awful seeing us there. Staying would’ve only made him more uncomfortable.”
“…Why?” Gu Yang frowned faintly.
He Ming’an laughed softly.
He’d long realized Gu Yang was weak at reading emotions—as if that part of him had never fully grown.
Others pieced together fragments of overheard thoughts and concluded Gu Yang liked Song Yinxing.
He Ming’an knew that wasn’t it.
Not exactly liking.
But something different.
Since the day every heard Gu Yang’s inner thoughts, everything had changed.
So much had happened lately—old festering contradictions finally exposed.
Their class all shared the secret of hearing Gu Yang’s inner gossip.
He’d always allowed it.
Was he perhaps hoping that one day…
“We’re here,” Gu Yang said lightly, interrupting his thoughts.
“Why would he feel uncomfortable?” Gu Yang continued.
“His father’s gambling, selling the house—that’s hardly something to be proud of. Being overheard by schoolmates would be embarrassing.”
“And you’ve helped him many times. You’re different to him. Seeing you witness his family mess might’ve bruised his pride. He may not know how to face you.”
“He might even think you’d look down on his father—or on him.”
Gu Yang immediately shook his head. “I wouldn’t.”
He already knew Song Yinxing’s life.
The novel had spelled it out: tragic family, failing the college entrance exam, crushing debt, mother’s death, dropping out to support his brother, finally landing a good job only to have it sabotaged by Nie Ying, forced back into temp work.
He Ming’an’s expression froze as he listened to the silent recounting.
…That was miserable.
But Song Yinxing didn’t know Gu Yang knew.
“Next time you meet, talk about it properly,” He Ming’an said, stopping there.
They’d reached the classroom.
“Monitor, you’re back?” Yu Bai asked. “How’s he?”
“He’s fine,” He Ming’an replied smoothly. “We waited until he woke up. Just an old condition—got up too fast and didn’t use his inhaler in time.”
“Good,” Xie Wu said. “Scared me to death earlier.”
“Did Lu Ran’s parents come?” Ye Chen asked curiously.
He Ming’an nodded.
“Guess they still treasure him. Even with the real young master back, they’re keeping him as the Lu family’s son.” Ye Chen sneered. “Lucky life.”
The moment he finished—
Every gaze in the room turned toward him.
Ye Chen stiffened.
He realized too late.
He’d let slip the switched-at-birth secret.
They’d only known from Gu Yang’s inner thoughts.
In Gu Yang’s version, it was still about an illegitimate child.
Sure enough, Gu Yang looked at him with mild curiosity and scrutiny.
Along with several silent but deadly stares.
Ye Chen: “…”
I admit it. Please spare me.
