I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

Chapter 45 Dapeng, Thank You

"All done." The doctor straightened up and placed the needle and thread in the tray. "The wound is stitched up. Don't get it wet for the next few days. Come back in three days for a dressing change."

Chen Dapeng opened his eyes and reached out to touch the corner of his mouth, but the doctor stopped him.

"Don't touch it. It'll be troublesome if you get infected."

The nurse came over and put on gauze. The white gauze was placed on the corner of his mouth and secured to his cheek with tape.

The results of the rib X-ray are in.

The doctor looked at the images for a while.

"The ribs aren't broken, but the contusion is quite severe. Avoid strenuous exercise and lifting heavy objects for the next few days. Take some painkillers if it hurts." The doctor wrote a few lines on the medical record, tore it off, and handed it to Chen Dapeng. "Go to the pharmacy to get the medicine."

Han Bing took the medical record and went to the pharmacy to get the medicine.

Chen Dapeng sat on a chair in the emergency room, looking down at his hands. The back of his hands was scraped and red.

My phone vibrated.

He Ying sent a message: "Where are you?"

Chen Dapeng typed: "Emergency room. Turn right after entering."

He put down his phone and leaned back in his chair.

The emergency room door was pushed open.

He Ying stood at the door.

She was wearing a dark, thin coat, and her hair was a little messy, as if she had rushed out without having time to style it.

She paused for a moment when she saw Chen Dapeng.

My gaze fell on the gauze at the corner of his mouth and the abrasions on the back of his hand.

She didn't gasp, nor did she have that dramatic emotional outburst.

But Chen Dapeng noticed that her hand holding the handbag strap tightened slightly.

He Ying walked over, squatted down in front of him, and looked him straight in the eye.

The distance between the two people was less than half a meter.

She stared at the gauze at the corner of his mouth for a few seconds before speaking.

"Did you break any bones?"

"No. The doctor said it's a soft tissue contusion."

"What about the wound on your face?"

"It required three stitches."

He Ying's gaze fell on the gauze and lingered for two seconds.

"Does it hurt?"

"It's still bearable."

Chen Dapeng sat in the chair, looking at her squatting in front of him, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him.

He wanted to say "I'm fine," "Don't worry," and "It's really just a minor scratch."

But those words were on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back.

This is a hospital, and there are other people around. Saying this is a bit sentimental.

A few minutes later.

Han Bing returned from the pharmacy carrying a bag.

She saw He Ying, paused for a moment, and didn't ask any further questions.

"Xiao Chen, the medicine is ready. Take the oral painkiller three times a day, and apply the topical ointment twice a day, morning and evening."

"Take a good rest these next few days. You don't need to worry about the audit team."

"Thank you, Director Han."

Then, Han Bing and the rest of the audit team left first.

Only Chen Dapeng and He Ying remained in the emergency room.

"I'll take you back."

He Ying stood up.

"No need, I can manage myself—"

"How are you going to get back by yourself like this?"

Chen Dapeng opened his mouth, but didn't say anything more.

He slowly stood up, supporting himself on the handrail, and felt another sharp pain in his ribs.

He frowned, remained silent, and followed He Ying outside.

He Ying walked ahead, her pace neither fast nor slow.

When she reached the door, she stopped, turned around, and looked at him.

Chen Dapeng asked, "Where's your car?"

"Stop over there."

He Ying pointed in the direction of the parking lot.

He Ying's car was a black Passat.

She opened the car door, and Chen Dapeng got into the passenger seat, reaching for the seatbelt with his left hand.

The seatbelt buckle is on the right. When he turned his body to the right, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ribs, like someone had pricked him with a needle.

He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, but his fingers moved noticeably slower.

He Ying didn't look at him; her hands were on the steering wheel, and her gaze was fixed on the windshield in front of her.

He tried a second time.

The seatbelt plug slid past the shoulder but didn't reach the buckle.

The pain in his ribs made his movements clumsy, and his fingers were somewhat unresponsive.

"I'll do it."

He Ying said softly, then turned to the side, reached her left hand across him, and took the plug of the seat belt from his hand.

Her right shoulder was almost touching his chest, and her hair slipped down from behind her ear, with a few strands brushing against his chin.

Such a close distance.

Chen Dapeng could clearly smell the faint fragrance on her body—it smelled very nice.

It smells even better than what I smelled in the hotel that night.

I was dazed then, but now I'm fully awake, so the smell is naturally different.

His mind stirred slightly.

In that instant, he felt an urge to hug her...

With a "click," the seatbelt was fastened.

He Ying quickly stepped back, gripped the steering wheel again, started the car, shifted gears, and released the brakes.

She was driving, her hands on the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Where do you live?

He Ying suddenly spoke.

Chen Dapeng gave the address.

He Ying did not speak again.

A dozen minutes later, Chen Dapeng pointed ahead and said.

"That's the one."

He Ying parked the car downstairs and turned off the engine.

She didn't get out of the car; she remained in the driver's seat, her hands still gripping the steering wheel.

Chen Dapeng unbuckled his seatbelt, preparing to open the door.

"Dapeng".

He Ying suddenly spoke.

He stopped and turned to look at her.

He Ying didn't look at him; her gaze was fixed on the windshield in front of her, looking at the dimly lit alley outside the window.

"Tonight—" she paused, "is because of me."

Chen Dapeng was stunned for a moment.

"County Magistrate He—"

"Let me finish. You checked the data for Liuhe Town because I told you to. You went to the audit team because I told you to. You were beaten because you were doing something for me."

She turned her head and looked at him.

So, you got hurt because of me.

Chen Dapeng looked into her eyes and remained silent for a few seconds.

"County Magistrate He, I was beaten not because of you, but because of the Fang family."

"There is no difference."

"There's a difference." Chen Dapeng shook his head. "You asked me to investigate Liuhe Town because you trust me. You trust me because you think I can do a good job. You put me in the audit team because you know I can see things that others can't."

He paused for a moment.

"Everything you did was right. The Fang family beat people up because they were afraid. They weren't afraid of me, they were afraid of what they did being found out."

He Ying looked at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"What you said is all true. But—" she shook her head, "you shouldn't have been hit."

Chen Dapeng did not respond.

He Ying leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a while.

Then she opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"Dapeng, promise me one thing."

"What?"

"No matter what happens in the future, tell me immediately."

Chen Dapeng looked at her, paused for two seconds, and then nodded.

"it is good."

He Ying looked at him for a few seconds, then looked away.

"Go on upstairs. Get some rest."