Daily Intelligence: Forced to Save the Beautiful President at the Beginning

24: Chapter 24 The Scumbag Who Takes Advantage of the SituationThere was a burst of stifled sobbing in the hallway.

Zhang Fan’s heart gave a sharp tug, and on an impulse, he pushed open his door.

Zhou Yurou obviously hadn’t expected him to come out; when she heard the noise, she was standing with her back to the doorway, her shoulders heaving violently.

Hearing the ”creak” of the door hinge, she whipped her head around as if pricked by a needle, hurriedly wiping her face, her fingertips rubbing the corners of her eyes until they were bright red.

”Sister Zhou...” Zhang Fan’s voice was a bit dry. He raised the tissues in his hand, ”Are you...”

”Oh, it’s Zhang Fan.” Zhou Yurou lowered her head, using the medical test report in her hand to cover half her face, her voice hoarse, ”Is something the matter?”

The medical report in her hand was crumpled out of shape, its edges curled like waves. Zhang Fan guessed it was probably a hospital test result, but he didn’t know what was written on it.

”No, nothing.” He offered the tissues forward, ”I thought you... might need these.”

Zhou Yurou didn’t take them; she just shook her head and hurriedly retreated into her room, ”I’m fine, thank you.”

The door ”clicked” shut, locking all her emotions inside.

Zhang Fan remained in the position of offering the tissues, frozen in place, only realizing belatedly that coming out at this moment was like rubbing salt into someone’s wounds.

With a dry laugh, he scratched his head and turned back into his room.

”Sigh.” Zhang Fan slumped on the sofa, staring blankly at the closed door on the screen.

He watched the video recorded in the morning over and over. Yuan Mubai’s fake fall looked ridiculous in slow motion, but he couldn’t laugh at all when he saw Yang Lei’s venomous glare and the sight of Zhou Yurou crouching on the ground at the end.

About half an hour later, there was a ”click” of the door closing across the hall. Zhang Fan sat up as if electrocuted and quickly opened the surveillance feed—Zhou Yurou had come out.

She had changed into a camel-colored wool coat and redone her hair, though her temples were still a bit damp, as if she had just washed her face. She wasn’t wearing makeup, and the red marks at the corners of her eyes hadn’t completely faded, but her expression had a bit more cold, hard resolve than before.

”Is she... going to the hospital?” Zhang Fan frowned.

Yang Lei had just taken Yuan Mubai to the Central Hospital; was Zhou Yurou going out now to confront them?

A thought suddenly popped into his mind: should he follow her and see?

This idea was barely formed before he suppressed it—it was their family business, what business did he, a neighbor, have following them?

But watching Zhou Yurou’s lonely figure walk into the elevator on the monitor, he couldn’t help but stand up again.

”Just watch from a distance, don’t get involved.” He found an excuse for himself, grabbed his jacket, and rushed to the door.

While putting on his shoes, he heard the elevator ”ding” as it reached the first floor. By the time he rushed to the elevator, the doors had just closed, and the numbers on the display were jumping downward.

”Damn it.” Zhang Fan cursed under his breath and turned to run toward the stairwell.

He lived on the 20th floor. As he ran down the stairs, his old lower back injury began to ache, but he didn’t dare stop—what if something happened to Zhou Yurou?

By the time he panted his way to the entrance of the residential complex, Zhou Yurou’s shadow was long gone.

Zhang Fan stood by the roadside, watching the passing cars, a bit dazed.

There were nearly a hundred hospitals in Jiangcheng; which one would she go to?

Just as he was worrying, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of the taxi stand not far away, where a camel-colored figure was standing, hailing a cab.

It was Zhou Yurou!

Zhang Fan felt a surge of joy and was about to walk over, but suddenly stopped.

What should he say? ”Sister Zhou, shall I accompany you?” Or ”Do you need any help?” No matter how he phrased it, it sounded like he had ulterior motives.

While he hesitated, Zhou Yurou had already hailed a taxi and was preparing to open the door.

The silver-gray car was still stained with mud, and the driver leaned out to ask, ”Where to?”

”Central Hospital.” Her voice was very soft, with an imperceptible tremor in the final note.

Seeing that Zhou Yurou was about to get in, Zhang Fan gritted his teeth. He couldn’t care about that anymore; even if he was misunderstood, he had to make sure she was okay.

”Sister Zhou!” He walked over quickly, putting on a smile as natural as he could manage, ”Are you... going to the hospital?”

Zhou Yurou turned around upon hearing his voice. Seeing it was him, her eyes clearly froze for a moment, then became complex, as if surprised, yet also weary.

She didn’t speak, just gave a faint ”Oh,” her hand pausing on the car door.

Just as Zhang Fan wanted to say something else, he suddenly heard a sharp reprimand, like an ice pick stabbing through the air:

”Trying to take advantage of the situation? Wanting me to be grateful? Scumbag!”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough. Several passersby waiting for cabs turned their heads ”whoosh” in unison, their gazes hitting Zhang Fan like searchlights, filled with a mix of disdain and curiosity.

”I...” Zhang Fan was completely stunned, his hand frozen in mid-air, his mind blank.

What did I do?

How did I become a scumbag?

If I had that ability, I wouldn’t have been cheated on!

What the... damn it!

He had clearly acted out of kindness, wanting to ask if she needed help, and it turned into ”trying to take advantage of the situation”? And he became a ”scumbag”?

Zhou Yurou’s eyes were as cold as ice, staring fixedly at him, a mocking smile curling the corners of her lips. The pain and anger hidden in that smile were even more intense than when she was framed by Yuan Mubai in the morning.

”I was just...” Zhang Fan wanted to explain, but the words stuck in his throat.

He saw Zhou Yurou’s hand gripping the hem of her coat trembling, her knuckles white, as if she were using all her strength just to say those words.

It seemed she wasn’t talking about him.

It was more like... venting.

Venting the grievances of being betrayed by her husband, the anger of being provoked by the mistress, and the feeling that her seven years had been worthless. And he had just happened to walk into the line of fire, becoming the target for her out-of-control emotions.

The surrounding murmurs grew louder, and people started whispering, ”Young people these days...” ”He looks decent, but who would have thought...”

Zhang Fan’s face flushed bright red, not from shame, but from anger. In all his life, he had never been called a ”scumbag” in public like this.

But looking at Zhou Yurou’s bloodshot eyes, the words on his lips changed again: ”Sister Zhou, are you...”

”Get lost!” Zhou Yurou interrupted him sharply, her voice tearful but still shrill, ”Don’t follow me anymore!”

After saying this, she pulled open the car door and got in, slamming it shut with such force that she almost caught her hand. The taxi sped away, spraying exhaust fumes all over Zhang Fan’s face.

He stood in place, the surrounding gazes pricking his body like needles. He was still clutching the tissues he hadn’t managed to give her, now crumpled into a ball.

”Who the hell did I piss off?” Zhang Fan cursed under his breath and kicked a pebble by the roadside.

The sun was blinding, but he felt cold inside.

Zhou Yurou’s gaze just now was like a dull knife, cutting him with pain. It contained not just anger, but a kind of... self-destructive despair.

What exactly did she see at the hospital? What made her become like this?

Zhang Fan took out his phone, opened the surveillance footage, and watched the video of Yuan Mubai’s fake fall again. Then, he made a decision.

No matter what Zhou Yurou thought, and no matter if he would be mistaken for a ”scumbag” again, he had to find out what had happened at the hospital.

He hailed a taxi and gave the name of the largest Central Hospital in Jiangcheng.

”Driver, hurry up.”

As the car drove off, he looked back at the gate of Yujing Garden, feeling a heavy tightness in his chest.

Some things, even if misunderstood, had to be dealt with.

At least, he had to let her know that not everyone was like Yang Lei and Yuan Mubai.