The air - conditioning in the hospital brought a hint of coolness as the door opened and closed.
Pei Jiangmu quickly turned around, his sharp eyes scanning towards Cui Ran, who had been quietly standing in the shadow of the VIP passageway.
"Miss Cui."
His voice returned to its usual calm, even carrying a hint of unassailable aloofness.
"I still have some private matters to deal with here. Thank you for coming all the way today. I'll have the driver take you back first."
"Please help me smooth things over with my mother."
He made a concise gesture with his intact left hand.
It was a clear signal to end the topic, leaving no room for negotiation.
Cui Ran looked at his face that instantly switched back to the cold mode and understood immediately.
A faint smile curved her lips. Without asking a single extra question, she simply nodded gracefully.
"Mr. Pei, you're being too polite. Then I'll take my leave. You... take care."
She deliberately emphasized the last two words, and her eyes fleetingly swept over his bandaged hand.
Then she turned around. The sound of her high - heels clicking on the ground was crisp and decisive, quickly fading away into the depths of the passageway.
She was a smart person and knew when it was time to exit the stage.
As soon as Cui Ran left, Pei Jiangmu immediately dialed his assistant's number again, his tone more urgent than ever.
"Is the clothes here yet?!"
"Here, here! Boss, it's just around the corner!"
Qi Yu almost ran over, his forehead covered in fine sweat, holding an unassuming paper bag in his hand.
From afar, he saw his boss pacing restlessly in the night wind like a caged beast.
The body wrapped in the expensive suit was tense, and the low - pressure aura around him was even colder than the hospital's air - conditioning.
When his eyes fell on Pei Jiangmu's properly bandaged right hand, the big stone in his heart finally settled down a bit.
At least, the most terrifying wound had been treated.
"Mr. Pei, here's the clothes."
Qi Yu carefully handed over the paper bag.
Inside were the plainest white short - sleeved shirt and a pair of faded jeans that Pei Jiangmu had requested.
Pei Jiangmu grabbed the paper bag in one go without even looking at Qi Yu. Then he turned around and disappeared into an empty fire escape beside him.
In just a moment, when he came out again, the noble and cold heir of the Pei family was gone.
In his place was a college - age guy dressed simply. Although his figure was still straight, there was an inexplicable sense of vulnerability about him.
The soft cotton short - sleeved shirt softened his overly sharp features, but the darkness in his eyes was still as thick as ever.
He didn't go to find Meng Ruozhao immediately. Instead, he lowered his head slightly.
His voice was very low, with an almost eerie seriousness.
"How do I look...? Is it miserable enough?"
Qi Yu was stunned by his question and subconsciously took a careful look.
The boss did look unwell.
The paleness caused by blood loss and emotional upheaval had not faded yet, and there were faint red blood streaks under his eyes.
The hand wrapped in white bandages hung by his side, looking extremely eye - catching and glaring against the backdrop of the jeans.
The whole person exuded an air of exhaustion and a strange sense of "battle damage".
Broken yet tough, he had a unique kind of allure.
"You... you do look quite pitiful."
Qi Yu chose his words carefully and told the truth.
But there was a sudden thud in his heart. Why was the boss asking this?
Combining the urgent phone call just now and his current state, a ridiculous and scalp - tingling thought popped into his mind.
Surely the boss didn't think this "miserable" look was not enough?
Didn't he want to make himself look even more disheveled just to make Miss Meng feel more sorry for him?!
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Pei Jiangmu's brows suddenly frowned.
Apparently, he was not satisfied with Qi Yu's evaluation.
"Not enough."
He spat out these two cold words from his thin lips, and a hint of determined paranoia flashed in his eyes.
"Mr. Pei! You..."
Before Qi Yu could voice his persuasion, Pei Jiangmu had already raised his hand and shouted in a low voice into the darkness, "A Cheng, come here!"
A tall bodyguard in plain clothes but with a sharp aura immediately emerged silently from the shadow.
He was one of Pei Jiangmu's personal bodyguards.
Pei Jiangmu stared at A Cheng, his eyes showing no trace of joking. His command was clear and cold.
"Punch me in the face, on the corner of my mouth. It has to look serious. Just don't hurt my bones and teeth."
Qi Yu gasped and almost jumped up.
"Boss! This is out of the question! Your hand is still injured! And this..."
This was simply crazy!
A Cheng also visibly froze, looking embarrassed on his face: "Boss, this..."
"Do it!"
Pei Jiangmu's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable aura of anger.
"Control the strength. I want the effect. Now!"
His inky black eyes stared fixedly at A Cheng. The madness and impatience surging in them sent a chill down both Qi Yu's and A Cheng's spines.
A Cheng had been with Pei Jiangmu for many years and knew his boss's temper well.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes turning cold, and tightened his fist.
Qi Yu was so anxious that he was sweating profusely beside them and kept whispering.
"A Cheng! Control it! You must control it well! Hit the area under the cheekbone where there's more soft tissue! Don't really hurt him!"
"Thud!"
A dull sound of flesh colliding rang out.
A Cheng's fist was as fast as lightning, making a whooshing sound.
But at the moment it touched Pei Jiangmu's cheek, his wrist twitched exquisitely, dissipating most of the powerful force.
Only leaving a blunt - impact effect strong enough to cause a visual shock.
Pei Jiangmu's head was violently knocked to one side, and his body swayed before he managed to steady himself.
He let out a muffled groan, and a rusty - like smell of blood instantly filled his mouth.
He raised his hand and slowly wiped the corner of his mouth with his fingertips, which were immediately stained with a glaring red.
Looking at his left cheek, it quickly swelled up and turned red at a visible speed.
A terrifying bluish - purple bruise appeared under the cheekbone, and a small cut at the corner of his mouth was slowly oozing blood.
"Is it enough, boss?"
A Cheng's voice was tense, with a hint of barely perceptible worry.
Pei Jiangmu carefully examined his face in the metal reflection on the fire - escape door.
The bluish - purple, swollen wound, the broken corner of his mouth, combined with his originally pale face and tired eyes, plus the glaring white bandage...
The effect was perfect.
A complex emotion mixed with pain and twisted satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
"Enough."
His voice was a bit slurred because of the wound at the corner of his mouth.
Qi Yu couldn't bear to look directly and turned his head away, sighing silently in his heart.
For Miss Meng, the boss was really... obsessed.
Or rather, he had always been this crazy. It was just that when Miss Meng was around before, he could still restrain himself.
Pei Jiangmu took a deep breath, suppressing the burning pain on his cheek and the smell of blood in his mouth.
He quickly wove a "reasonable" script in his mind about how he got injured:
He had a conflict with a few classmates who were jealous of his talent. They slandered his award - winning work as plagiarism. He got so angry that the argument escalated into a fight.
The image of a young and hot - blooded painter who got "impulsively" injured while defending his honor emerged vividly.
This reason for his injury was enough to explain his current disheveled state.
It was also the most likely to arouse Meng Ruozhao's sympathy and concern.