Chapter 70: Where Exactly Did It Hurt?

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"What... what's wrong with him? Why is he shouting so loudly? He seems... to be in a lot of pain!"

On the pedestrian street, Bai Zhijun stared in surprise at a man wearing a baseball cap, curled up on the ground, clutching his backside and wailing in agony.

"I... I don't know either. I just hit him, really lightly," Yang Qing muttered, bewildered and somewhat panicked. His blow had truly been gentle.

"Gently?" Bai Zhijun retorted, exasperated. "You swung your jacket and slapped his face with it, and you call that gentle! I can't believe it..."

"Ahem, I was just anxious, it was instinctive. I didn't do it on purpose," Yang Qing replied, embarrassed.

Bai Zhijun: ...

"Thank you... thank you both," a woman rushed over, holding a pair of high heels in her hand, her lips painted red. She hurriedly thanked Yang Qing and Bai Zhijun.

"It's nothing! Miss, you'd better check your bag to see if anything's missing. If nothing's gone, let's get him to the hospital," Bai Zhijun said, rubbing his temples, glancing at the wailing man and the helpless Yang Qing. Inwardly, he was grumbling.

Talk about rotten luck! Leaving home without checking the calendar, and now this nonsense—what was supposed to be a good deed, catching a thief, had turned into a fiasco.

"I'll call for an ambulance," Yang Qing said, seeing the man's face turn pale with pain. He was startled and quickly reached for his phone.

"Wait!" The woman who had retrieved her bag suddenly spoke. "He... he isn't really injured, just in pain."

"Uh..." Yang Qing was taken aback, Bai Zhijun was equally puzzled.

"Miss, you can't just say that. In pain but not injured? Don't worry, if he's hurt, we'll pay for his medical bills," Bai Zhijun said, somewhat annoyed.

"No... no, sir, that's not what I meant," the woman blushed, pointing at the spot just covered by her bag. "He... he was probably poked by that."

"Hm?" Bai Zhijun and Yang Qing looked curiously, and saw a small iron rod, about as thick as a finger and a dozen centimeters tall, standing upright on the ground.

They looked at the rod, then at the man clutching his backside and wailing, then at the woman, their eyes full of questions.

"Where exactly did he get poked? Is it really that painful?"

"Poked... poked..." The woman's face was so red it looked as if it might bleed; she stammered, unable to speak for a long while.

"Just say it—where exactly?" Yang Qing pressed, growing impatient. "Forget it, I'll call the ambulance."

"There's really no need!" the woman cried. "He's just in pain, it'll pass soon."

"Really? How do you know? Are you a doctor?" Bai Zhijun was surprised, seeing her stop Yang Qing again.

The woman blushed and stammered, "I... I have... experience..."

Yang Qing + Bai Zhijun: (〇_ｏ)

Experience?! How does one have experience with this? And where exactly was he poked?

The two exchanged confused glances, while the woman, face crimson, avoided their gaze. She walked over to the man, whose cries had softened, and her brows suddenly turned stern.

"Stop wailing! If you keep it up, we'll send you to the hospital first, then to the police station!"

"Ah!" Instantly, a strange scene unfolded—the man stopped wailing at once and stared at the woman, tears brimming in his eyes.

"See, he's fine now. No need for an ambulance," the woman smiled at the two.

Bai Zhijun: ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ

Yang Qing: ...

Miss, are you threatening him?

He snatched your bag—of course he's scared of the police station! And you used that to threaten him! Look at him, holding back tears!

"Enough, let's take him to the hospital, then to the police station," Yang Qing said helplessly.

"No... I... I don't want... to go to the hospital," the man trembled, slowly rising from the ground, hunched over, speaking in broken sentences through his pain.

He glanced, his face twisted, at the woman. "I... I don't want to go... to the hospital. You... you really won't... won't call the police?"

"Yes," the woman nodded. "As long as you don't demand to go to the hospital, I won't call the police. Besides..." She glanced meaningfully at the spot he was clutching, and smiled. "You don't really need a hospital, right?"

"Y-yes," the man gasped, nodding in pain.

The woman smiled gently. "Pain is normal, especially since it's your first time. Go home and rest, you'll be fine soon. Now, hurry along."

Under Yang Qing and Bai Zhijun's bewildered gaze, the man hunched over and slowly shuffled away.

"He... he just left like that? You're really not calling the police?" Yang Qing was dumbfounded by this whole bizarre episode.

"Everyone's life is hard. Let's give him a chance. Besides, this was a lesson he'll never forget," the woman smiled with relief, seeing Yang Qing wasn't insisting on calling the police. "Thank you again."

"Oh, no need," Yang Qing waved his hand, looking at her seriously. "Really, no police?"

"Really, thank you. I'll be going now. Goodbye."

The woman left, and Yang Qing was even more confused. What kind of situation was this? But since everyone involved had departed, he had no choice.

"Come on," Bai Zhijun grumbled. "They're gone, why are you still fussing? Next time, go easy! Luckily he didn't need the hospital, otherwise..."

Yang Qing looked at the jacket in his hand and murmured in relief, "Yes, I need to be gentler."

Bai Zhijun: ...

Didn't you say earlier you were gentle? Truly contradictory!

"Ring ring ring..." Just as he was silently complaining, his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and his face lit up with a smile.

"Hello, Lingyue, what made you think of calling your brother?"

"What! You're coming to Yangcheng? You'll be arriving in an hour! Why... why are you coming to Yangcheng..."

Ten minutes later, Bai Zhijun hung up. Yang Qing, seeing his smile fade, asked curiously, "Who was that?"

Bai Zhijun sighed helplessly. "My sister. She’s coming to Yangcheng, arriving in an hour."

"Uh, your sister? You have a sister? How come you've never mentioned her—is she really your sister?"

Bai Zhijun glared. "Born from the same mother, what do you think?"

Yang Qing: "...Your real sister is coming, why are you worried?"

"How could I not worry! That girl just graduated from college, hasn't even gone home, and now she's coming straight here!" Bai Zhijun sighed. "She's just finished at a junior college; if she studies hard she could take the civil service exam, but instead she's coming here... sigh..."

Bai Zhijun sighed again. Yang Qing was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Everyone has their own path. No need to fret, young people have their own ideas. She can study and prepare for exams here in Yangcheng, there's no conflict."

"Right, that's true!" Bai Zhijun's smile returned. "Come on, let's go pick her up!"

"Shouldn't you call your wife and let her know?"

"What's the point! It'll be a surprise for her and the kid. Xiao Bai loves her aunt!"

"Heh... a surprise? Don't turn it into a shock, or your wife..."

"What are you saying! Who do you think you're looking down on!"

"Haha... Then I'll make a few extra dishes tonight, give our sister a proper welcome!"

"Deal!"