Ming Huai Zhi once again wearily opened his eyes.
He didn't understand.
Wasn't the normal course of action for Ming Zhi Rou to call a doctor to examine him after he woke up?
Especially after he had coughed so much, why didn't she call a doctor?
Why did she only cry and call his name by his ear, incessantly?
And when Ming Zhi Rou saw him open his eyes again, she showed a relieved expression, then tenderly held his hand and pressed it to her pale lips.
"Second Brother, thank goodness you're alright... If anything happened to you, I... I couldn't forgive myself."
Her voice, laced with tears, was soft and very sweet.
But, the voice that had once moved him and tugged at his heartstrings now sounded exceptionally jarring in Ming Huai Zhi's ears.
His gaze fell on the hand she had pulled over and pressed to her lips.
Ming Zhi Rou's sweet face, filled with tears, lacked any color, possessing a broken, disheveled quality.
Most importantly...
She was still wearing the white gauze dress she had worn to the concert.
Her hair was messily spread over her shoulders.
The face, red and swollen from Ming Zheng's slap, was exceptionally clear in his eyes.
"Second Brother, what's wrong?" Seeing Ming Huai Zhi staring at her, Ming Zhi Rou asked softly, her voice tearful, pressing her hand against his.
However, a flicker of shrewdness moved within her eyes.
She knew what Ming Huai Zhi had gone to do by chasing after Ming Zheng.
Someone had sent her a video from the scene.
Although the audio was too muffled to make out more than a few words.
Yet...
Seeing Ming Huai Zhi kneeling before Ming Zheng, so humble and weeping profusely.
Her heart began to panic.
The Ming family had always been her pillar of support.
It had always been her tool to suppress Ming Zheng.
She absolutely could not allow any member of the Ming family to return to Ming Zheng's side.
She was gambling.
Gambling on Ming Huai Zhi's affection for her.
As long as she could continue to hold Ming Huai Zhi's heart.
She wouldn't be afraid of him being taken away by Ming Zheng!
But...
Why, when Ming Huai Zhi saw her staying by his bedside, did his eyes show no trace of emotion or gratitude?
Nor did he look at her tenderly as usual, pulling her into his embrace?
Instead...
He looked at her with an exceptionally cold gaze.
This gaze made Ming Zhi Rou tremble with fear.
Everything was completely different from what she had anticipated.
Even if... even if Ming Huai Zhi knew that Ming Zheng was Zheng Yu.
Even if he knew that song was Ming Zheng's creation.
It didn't mean these things could erase their feelings for each other!
Could it be that Ming Huai Zhi's past kindness to her...
Was it all built upon her gifting him the song "Qing"?
Ming Zhi Rou took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart.
At a time like this.
She needed to remain calm.
She needed to try harder to evoke Ming Huai Zhi's feelings for her.
She would absolutely not lose to Ming Zheng!
"Second Brother..."
Ming Zhi Rou called out again, sweetly and softly.
Her body also slowly leaned towards Ming Huai Zhi.
She wanted to cuddle up to Ming Huai Zhi as usual, and he would be overjoyed.
But before her body could lean closer.
She was stopped by Ming Huai Zhi's cold gaze.
Ming Huai Zhi stared directly at her pale face and questioned coldly, "Why did you steal Ming Zheng's song?"
His voice was very hoarse, even grating and unpleasant.
Ming Zhi Rou's complexion immediately turned even paler.
As if she hadn't expected Ming Huai Zhi to question her at this moment.
Moreover, Ming Huai Zhi's tone was very fierce.
Steal.
Ming Huai Zhi used the word "steal" for her.
He was actually... blaming her, for stealing Ming Zheng's song?
On what grounds was she accused of stealing Ming Zheng's song?
Clearly, Ming Zheng herself didn't properly keep her written songs, but insisted on interleaving them with those pretentious books, and that's how she accidentally took it.
It wasn't intentional.
Besides, he was the one who had been enjoying the song's benefits all along!
Why was he now acting so self-righteous and accusing her?
Ming Zhi Rou felt very indignant.
She even felt wronged.
She hadn't enjoyed any benefits at all, and instead bore all the infamy.
If it weren't for her.
The one being cursed and cyberbullied right now would have been him!
He didn't know how to be grateful to her.
But instead, he suddenly blamed and questioned her?
Ming Zhi Rou's eyes instantly turned red, and tears began to slide down her cheeks, drop by drop.
Her face was very suited for crying.
She also knew very well how to cry to elicit the most sympathy.
"Second Brother, I didn't... I didn't know Sister was a master of Zheng Yu... If I had known that song was Sister's creation, I definitely... definitely wouldn't have done this..."
Although she felt resentful in her heart.
At this moment, she couldn't show it.
Ming Huai Zhi's gaze towards her became even colder: "You didn't know? You took the manuscript from Ming Zheng's room, and you say you didn't know?"
That icy gaze almost pierced Ming Zhi Rou's heart.
She tightly grasped Ming Huai Zhi's hand, pressing it to her cold, tear-soaked face: "I never thought Sister could create music... I just thought, I just thought she casually brought it back..."
"I originally just felt that the lyrics and arrangement of the song were very touching, and I wanted to learn from it."
"Later... later I saw that Second Brother was feeling down and wanted to choose to give up the entertainment industry, so, so I took out that manuscript... I thought, maybe I could help you..."
The more she spoke, the more choked her voice became.
She cried in a way that made people's hearts ache.
"You dared to use a song whose author you didn't know?" Ming Huai Zhi was amused by her explanation and then angered, "You vowed that it was your original work, and you wanted to give it to me and publish it online under my name."
"Did you ever consider that once I posted it online, I would face a lawsuit from the song's creator for song theft! I would go to jail!"
Who would believe such a flimsy excuse?
Thinking it wasn't Ming Zheng's, wanting to learn from it, so she took it without asking.
So she even specifically copied a manuscript and signed her name and date?
Did she think he was very foolish and easily deceived?
Ming Huai Zhi's disappointment in Ming Zhi Rou grew.
Even now, she was still fabricating excuses, trying to deceive him.
How laughable.
It was too laughable.
Those tears that had once made him pity her so much, now could not stir even a ripple in his heart.
He continued to ask coldly, "The night a year ago, why did you impersonate Ming Zheng?"
This question made Ming Zhi Rou's heart lurch.
She naturally understood that what Ming Huai Zhi was referring to was the night he was drunk.
Did Ming Zheng tell him?
Ming Zhi Rou looked at Ming Huai Zhi's gaze towards her, which was becoming increasingly cold.
So cold as if he was looking not at his sister.
But at an enemy.
An enemy who stole Ming Zheng's song and impersonated Ming Zheng.