Chapter 15 – Dr. Wen, can you hug me

“Comrade Officer, I want a medical examination. This punk assaulted me on purpose.”

“Just look at what he did to me—my face, my mouth, my stomach! I’m telling you, I’m definitely seriously injured. My stomach still hurts!”

The man spoke while clutching his belly and putting on a pained expression. If not for how strong and energetic his voice was, it might have seemed believable.

The officer shot a glare at the man putting on a show. “Sun Jianguo, that’s enough. Addicted to acting now, are you! Should I build you a stage so you can perform? Maybe even hand you a little Oscar?”

“How many times have you been in here already? Hurry up and come clean. Stop pretending to be some innocent victim.”

“I’m wronged ah,” Sun Jianguo immediately toned it down and switched to a pitiful act. “Sir, I’ll be honest, I swear.”

“I just barely bumped into the kid, and the next second he was charging at me like he was on gunpowder, punching me like mad. I’ve been wronged ah!”

“Young people these days have no respect for the elderly or the young. They hit like they’re trying to kill. If you hadn’t shown up so quickly, I’d probably be lying in the morgue right now waiting to be buried.”

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“Gkuyuy, nyd’v ts sd, xu pvsxynb’p ynvkdt wr ytykd.”

Fvydekdt sqq vs vbl pkel, Jyk Yw Lkdt oyp qwxkdt. Tl yatwle, “Zsw’al zukdt. Zsw olal vaukdt vs pvlyz xu rbsdl, yde obld R nywtbv usw, usw vakle vs awd. Rq usw byed’v vakle vs bkv xl qkapv, oswze R byhl bkv usw?”

“Fs uswdt yde yzalyeu y zkya, bwb? R’hl zsdt pkdnl vwadle shla y dlo zlyq. R polya R eked’v pvlyz yduvbkdt—vbkp kp pzydela! Fka, usw byhl vs pvyde wr qsa xl yb!”

Mbl xsal Fwd Kkydtws prsjl, vbl xsal vaytkn bl clnyxl; bl lhld pvyavle naukdt. “R’x alrsavkdt bkx! Mbkp jke fwpv cwzzkle xl, wpkdt bkp uswvb yde iwknj bydep vs clyv xl wr. Ebyv eke R rashsjl?”

Rv oyp Jyk Yw Lkdt’p qkapv vkxl ldnswdvlakdt psxlsdl ps pbyxlzlpp yde vblyvaknyz. Tl oyp ps ydtau vbyv bl pvsse wr, alyeu vs bkv bkx ytykd.

Mbkp twu oyp prlokdt zklp zlqv yde aktbv. Rq bl eked’v tlv ydsvbla clyvkdt, bl’e dlhla pbwv wr.

Mbl sqqknla vyjkdt Jyk Yw Lkdt’p pvyvlxldv tayccle bkx cu vbl pbswzela yde pdsavle nszezu, “Fvkzz oydv vs bkv psxlsdl? Mbkp kp vbl rszknl pvyvksd, pkv esod yde clbyhl.”

“Ebyv tsse eslp hkszldnl es usw? Zsw’al y nszzltl pvweldv, nyd’v usw vbkdj vbkdtp vbaswtb nyzxzu?”

“If fists could solve everything, what would we be here for?”

Bai Mu Ning was intimidated and sat down quietly.

He thought to himself, What’s there to stay calm about when dealing with a scumbag? It’s not like he did anything wrong.

The officer asked, “Do you have proof that he stole your cell phone?”

“Of course,” Bai Mu Ning explained the situation. “I lifted the curtain and walked in, and immediately felt a hand in my pocket. I instinctively grabbed his hand and shouted that there was a thief. The people nearby can all testify. At that moment, he really was holding my phone.”

After Jingnan entered winter, malls had started hanging thick curtains at the entrances to keep the cold out—an opportunity that thieves had begun to take advantage of.

The officer asked, “Then where’s the phone now?”

“Later, he tried to run, so I chased him. We ended up wrestling, and he must’ve shoved it back into my pocket then.”

“If you don’t believe me, you can check the surveillance. Cameras don’t lie. He tried to steal my phone and, after I caught him, turned around and accused me of hitting him.”

“He hit me first, of course, I fought back. And it’s not like I went overboard. He’s faking most of it.”

Bai Mu Ning had controlled his strength. He had only struck back in self-defense, nothing like the vicious attack Sun Jianguo was claiming.

“Alright, whether he’s faking or not, I’ll find out. For now, let’s address the fact that you hit someone.”

The officer began to mediate, “Sun Jianguo is indeed injured, and eyewitnesses confirm you hit him. Do you admit that?”

“I admit I hit him, but only because he hit me first. And he tried to steal my phone.”

“The surveillance at the entrance was broken; it can’t prove he tried to steal your phone. And the part where you two were scuffling? The working cameras show it was you who struck first. That doesn’t look good for you.”

Hearing this, Bai Mu Ning finally understood what was going on—he was about to get screwed over by a thief.

No wonder that thief had been so arrogant near the curtain and even dared to hit him. It all made sense now, he knew the surveillance at the entrance was broken. And once they reached an area covered by cameras, he instantly switched to playing the innocent victim.

What a fucking bastard.

“Alright, Sun Jianguo, enough with the act,” the officer said. “This kid’s still in school, just a bit hot-headed. I’ll have him apologize to you, and we’ll call it even. Sign the paperwork, and both of you can leave.”

Bai Mu Ning and Sun Jianguo both objected at the same time.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, why should I apologize?”

Sun Jianguo also said, “Why should it end with just an apology after he beat me? What about my injuries? No way, I want justice.”

“What do you want then? You really want him locked up for a few days? Show some mercy and don’t go overboard.”

Sun Jianguo said, “I’m not insisting on getting him locked up. But give me 20,000 yuan for medical expenses, and I’ll drop it.”

“Otherwise, I’m definitely not settling this privately.”

Seeing that the two sides were deadlocked, the officer had someone escort Sun Jianguo away, then sat down with Bai Mu Ning and tried to reason with him patiently. “Young man, take this as a hard lesson. You acted rashly this time. If you had called us right away, you might not have been blackmailed.”

“Sun Jianguo’s an old fox. He knew exactly how to set you up. The evidence is what it is, even if I want to help you, I can’t do much.”

“If you don’t settle, this won’t end well for you. Seven days of detention and a fine. Don’t feel wronged, just consider it paying for a lesson.”

Bai Mu Ning understood what the officer meant. The surveillance footage clearly showed that he had been the one to hit first.

Sun Jianguo was indeed a thief, but there was no concrete evidence proving he had actually stolen Bai Mu Ning’s phone. Arresting someone required proof, and at this moment, Bai Mu Ning could only consider himself unlucky.

But Bai Mu Ning refused to accept this injustice. Why should he apologize when he hadn’t done anything wrong?

He was suffocating to death. There was no way he was going to apologize.

Seeing that Bai Mu Ning remained silent, the officer tried again, “If you’re willing to settle, I’ll get him to lower the compensation amount. 20,000 is definitely too much.”

Bai Mu Ning thought for a moment, then looked up with a firm tone. “I didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not apologizing. If he wants to scam money out of me, he can try in his next life!”

“I’m not giving him a single cent.”

If he swallowed this humiliation today, Bai Mu Ning felt he’d spend the rest of his life choking on it.

He wasn’t going to back down. He was going to stand his ground.

He had already made up his mind—worst case, he’d get locked up for a few days. At least he wouldn’t have to pay for food.

The officer, seeing how stubborn Bai Mu Ning was, sighed helplessly. “Then I’ll have to start the detention paperwork.”

There was a bit of bluffing in that statement, but Bai Mu Ning wasn’t afraid of trouble.

“Go ahead and detain me. I’ll just treat it as a new life experience.”

“You kid,” the officer swallowed his frustration, then added, “Call your parents over. I’ll talk to them.”

“They’ve been gone for years. I make my own decisions.”

Hearing that, the officer suddenly felt a pang of regret for his earlier attitude. “Then at least your teacher can come, right?”

“Graduated.”

“Young man, if you stay this uncooperative, there’s really nothing more I can do for you.”

Bai Mu Ning didn’t say another word. There was no way he was going to apologize or pay a single cent.

—

Bai Mu Ning sat alone for half an hour before the officer returned and said to him, “Let’s go. Someone’s here to pick you up. You’re heading back to mediation.”

Bai Mu Ning asked in confusion, “Who?”

“Your uncle.”

“…?”

It wasn’t until he entered the mediation room that Bai Mu Ning realized this so-called uncle was Wen Jing.

Why was he here? How embarrassing.

Wen Jing was talking with the officer, asking about the situation. After listening, he smiled faintly and said, “I’ll make sure to teach him properly when we get home; he needs to learn not to act so impulsively.”

When he saw Bai Mu Ning come in, Wen Jing waved him over. Bai Mu Ning walked to him, and Wen Jing gave him a careful once-over.

“Have you suffered any losses?”

“…?”

Bai Mu Ning had thought the first thing Wen Jing would do was scold him for causing trouble. He hadn’t expected him to ask if he had suffered.

His heart warmed slightly. Bai Mu Ning nodded, feeling wronged. He had indeed suffered a loss so much so he was about to die from the frustration.

“What happened?”

Bai Mu Ning explained how Sun Jianguo had tried to steal his phone and then tried to blackmail him. Wen Jing didn’t scold him at all.

Wen Jing patted him on the shoulder and said, “Alright. Let me handle it.”

Somehow, hearing those words gave Bai Mu Ning an immediate sense of security. He no longer felt as afraid.

From the moment he had entered the police station, Bai Mu Ning had been in a constant state of panic. He was just an ordinary person—how could he possibly have nerves of steel? Who wouldn’t be scared in a police station?

He was scared, but he also couldn’t swallow this injustice.

But now that Wen Jing had arrived, Bai Mu Ning felt supported and was even less likely to compromise.

The police also brought in Sun Jianguo. At first, he was still acting arrogant, but the moment he saw Wen Jing, he instantly became timid. Even his tone of voice changed.

It was like a rat seeing a cat.

Bai Mu Ning looked on suspiciously. Sun Jianguo wasn’t even afraid of the police yet he was scared of Wen Jing?

How strange.

“You got hit?” Wen Jing narrowed his eyes at him. Sun Jianguo shrank back in fear. “Misunderstanding, total misunderstanding.”

“Look at the mess this has caused. Wasn’t I just beaten up? I deserved it. I’m willing to reconcile, I won’t press charges.”

“That’s it?” My little kid got hurt.” Wen Jing said nonchalantly.

“Compensation. I’ll pay compensation. How about 20,000, is that okay?”

“He was also wronged.”

Sun Jianguo didn’t even know what came over him. He started spilling the whole truth on his own. “I tried to steal his phone and got caught, so I figured I’d extort him. I realize I was wrong now. Please be lenient, Officer.”

Even the police were stunned by his sudden confession. This old slicker had been playing the victim just a moment ago—how did he suddenly turn around and confess everything?

With Wen Jing stepping in, the matter was quickly resolved. Not only did Sun Jianguo admit to stealing the phone, but he even compensated Bai Mu Ning with 20,000 yuan.

When they walked out of the police station, the cold wind hit, and Bai Mu Ning shivered, hunching his neck. Only then did he confirm that this wasn’t a dream.

Sun Jianguo must’ve been cursed or something. Why else would he confess so easily?

Just a moment ago ,he had been terrified, but now that it was all over, Bai Mu Ning’s false bravery instantly drained away. His legs went weak, and he could barely walk.

A wave of lingering fear washed over him, but he stopped walking and tried hard to maintain his pride as he said, “Dr. Wen…”

Wen Jing turned around to see the boy who had just been all claws and fangs now standing quietly like a well-behaved little kitten.

His pretty almond eyes blinked up at him, glistening with moisture.

“What is it?”

“Dr. Wen, can you hug me?” Bai Mu Ning was the type to talk tough even when terrified. In truth, his legs were so weak from fear that he could barely stand.

But he didn’t want anyone to know that he’d gotten scared, that he’d chickened out. So he randomly came up with an excuse to get Wen Jing to come over and let him lean on him for a moment to recover.

He couldn’t afford to lose face at the police station entrance. He wanted to walk out with big, proud strides.

The problem was that right now, he could barely stand; he simply couldn’t manage to look proud.

“What?” Wen Jing asked in confusion, as if he hadn’t heard clearly.

Bai Mu Ning took a step forward, forcing his unsteady legs to move, and wrapped his arms around Wen Jing’s waist, resting his whole body against Wen Jing’s chest.

“Don’t be in a rush to push me away. Let me take a bit of advantage, just for five seconds, okay?”

Bai Mu Ning cheekily clung to Wen Jing. He could clearly feel Wen Jing’s body tense up and his heartbeat speed up.

Thankfully, Wen Jing didn’t push him away, allowing him this brief moment to lean on someone.

---

Author’s Note:

Wen Jing: What to do if my wife wants to take advantage of me?