19 The Man

The breathless boy zipped up his mouth the moment he saw the familiar silhouette. The man threw an unkind glance at Yi Fan, beckoning him to stay silent. Yi Fan pursed his lips, dropping his head to the tile floor. He realized who it was: 'The Man'.

"I'll deal with you when we get home," Mr. Mo hissed in a gentle tone. He knew the nurse and Mrs. Mo could hear them as they speak.

Yi Fan shuddered in fright when he heard him say those words. The Man always kept to his word, and Yi Fan bore the short end of it. There was only one emotion when he saw The Man: fear. Absolute terror painted Yi Fan's face white, the massive drops of his sweat on his forehead turning cold. He knew exactly what would happen once they were alone.

He couldn't cry. He couldn't speak. He couldn't make a sound. Those were the rules.

"Now, it seems you don't have a valid reasoning for how my daughter ended up in this precarious situation." Mr. Mo stated. "You'll see my lawyer soon."

The nurse couldn't reply at all. Before she could even utter a sound, Mr. Mo carefully held Yi Fei without notice and headed out. Yi Fan awkwardly glanced at the nurse before he soon politely bowed and followed after Mr. Mo. The nurse gazed at the opened door, would she get fired over this? It couldn't be. How can she be blamed for something some reckless kids had done?

The nurse contemplated for a very long time before packing her things to go home.

--Meanwhile

The Mo Family immediately went to the hospital. Mr. Mo couldn't trust some school nurse to be positively accurate with Yi Fei's diagnosis. However, it was just as the nurse mentioned... Yi Fei would be healthy as a baby lamb after a day's rest. In fact, Yi Fei woke up in the middle of the doctor's examination.

"There's no internal bleeding, just slight bruising on the head as well as the back. Your daughter became unconscious because of shock; there are no significant damages. Completely healthy, but make sure she comes in again for an MRI scan to detect any issues with the brain." The doctor spoke as he looked at his notes.

Mrs. Mo sighed in relief. Before, she was so nervous that her heart could burst. Unknown to strangers, this was actually potentially dangerous to Mrs. Mo because she came from a family with critical heart defects. Luckily, only one of her children inherited this trait. When Yi Fei was a baby, she suffered from major heartburns and heart attacks. It was a miracle Yi Fei survived and got passed that.

"Yi Fan, watch your sister more carefully, okay? She can only depend on you..." Mrs. Mo asked.

"Yes, Mom. I understand," Yi Fan resolutely said.

He couldn't help but look at Mr. Mo, knowing that he had failed what The Man asked of him. Was he disappointed? Angry? Calm? Mr. Mo only benevolently smiled at Yi Fan, lightly patting Yi Fan on the shoulder. Contrat to Mrs. Mo's view, Mr. Mo's pats on Yi Fan were violent and heavy. Yi Fan's breathing becoming harsh and quick. He didn't dare to look at The Man in the eye, afraid the incoming punishment would turn for worse.

The Man was unquestionably furious.

"Yi Fan...? Are you okay?" Mrs. Mo worriedly asked. She put her hand on Yi Fan's forehead, feeling his temperature. "Oh, your temperature is going up!"

Keenly discerning Mr. Mo's heated gaze, Yi Fan tightly gripped his hands together. He forcefully let out a smile.

"Just a slight headache, nothing too much," Yi Fan replied.

"When we get home, let's take some medicine. You and your sister should rest," Mrs. Mo said worriedly.

Mrs. Mo gently put Yi Fan's head on her shoulder, rubbing his back as a form of consolation. Initially shocked by the sudden tenderness, Yi Fan widened his eyes. As time went on, Yi Fan merely accepted her pleasant touch and closed his tired eyes. Yi Fan could only rest when his mother was around. It was a peaceful sight, but it was certainly the calm before the storm. Mr. Mo faintly frowned at Yi Fan, before delicately carrying Yi Fei on his back. They headed to the parking lot, all silently thanking that their whole family was okay.