Chapter 717: Collapse

Behind him, a shrill scream from Zhou Zining tore through the door and pierced his ears.

Bo Shuxian’s body swayed.

He didn’t turn around but leaned against the wall for a moment, unable to pinpoint where the discomfort lay, yet instinctively bent over as if the pain in his chest made it impossible for him to stand upright, though he didn’t touch it even once.

A moment later, he got up and left.

He didn’t immediately exit the hospital but instead headed to the smoking area.

It wasn’t too late yet, and a few male family members were smoking there.

Bo Shuxian found a corner by the window, where the half-human-height decoration conveniently shielded him.

He fumbled for his pack of cigarettes, his hands shaking terribly.

At the vent, he attempted several times to light one before succeeding.

The first drag made him choke.

He couldn’t cough loudly, trying to suppress it back into his throat, but the odor was too overpowering, and as he suppressed his coughing, his eyes soon became red with irritation.

He didn’t smoke again.

Bo Shuxian supported his forehead with both hands, and just like that, he could not hold back any longer as two tears fell into the palm of his hand.

Just before they almost dropped onto his trouser leg, he spread his legs apart and braced himself on his thighs, which made his shoulders slump even lower.

The pent-up discomfort he had been holding back for so long surged up all at once.

He cried silently, his whole body trembling.

“Sir?”

A person stood before him.

It was a male family member who had patted his shoulder, “Your phone is ringing.”

Bo Shuxian hastily wiped away his tears, glanced at the person, thanked him, and then quickly bowed his head again.

The male family member looked at him sympathetically, thinking he must be going through a tough time, and without prying further, motioned for the other male family members to move a little further away.

Bo Shuxian took out his phone.

Before he could see who was calling, the ringing stopped on its own.

He intended to open his call history, but accidentally opened his contacts instead.

An inexplicable panic enveloped him, swirling around his hollow heart.

His finger lightly skimmed the screen, looking for someone he could talk to, but realized there was no appropriate person to call.

Until the previous number called again.

It was his assistant.

“Master Bo, are you done over there?

There’s an urgent matter, can you come back?”

Bo Shuxian took a deep breath and said with forced calmness, “It’s convenient, I will come back.”

After speaking, he put out his cigarette and stood up, placing the phone in his trouser pocket as he usually would, ready to grab it if Zhou Zining called, since he was now free and it would be convenient to pick up.

After the subconscious action, he paused, then threw his phone into the bottom of his pocket, curled his fingers to his forehead, and left at a slow pace.

He didn’t look back again.

Outside the window of Zhou Zining’s hospital room, Nan Jiaojiao stood atop an air conditioning unit, eight floors up, with no protective gear whatsoever on her, hugging her arms to her chest while standing as rigid as a pole in the howling wind.

Yeh Hannian stood beside her, but only one foot was on the air conditioning unit.

Next to him was a protruding wall, where he braced his other foot and leaned as much as he could against the wall.

Inside the room, there were either women’s screams or the sound of things being smashed.

He picked at his ear and said, “Don’t you find it noisy?”

Nan Jiaojiao didn’t even glance at him.

She didn’t respond with a single word.

Yeh Hannian asked again, “Didn’t you have a question to ask?

That woman seems crazy.

You probably won’t get anything out of her if you go in now, shall we wait for another day?”

Chewing on her finger, Nan Jiaojiao didn’t answer, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as if there was something she couldn’t figure out.

“Did you understand what she said just now?”

Yeh Hannian responded immediately, “Which sentence?”

“Seven people,” Nan Jiaojiao looked at him, “does it mean the kind of insult I’m thinking of?”