CHAPTER 588: CHAPTER 588: APOLOGY

"Have you cried enough?"

Nie Wei heard a voice coming from above his head. He tentatively opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Xu Ke’s somewhat intimidating face.

Nie Wei was a bit dazed, not quite believing that he was actually pulled back from the brink of death.

For some unknown reason, although Nie Wei didn’t like Xu Ke, he surprisingly trusted Xu Ke, believing that being caught by Xu Ke meant he could escape this deadly situation.

But before Nie Wei could be happy for long, he suddenly cried out in pain, startling even Xu Ke, who almost let go of Nie Wei’s arm.

"What’s with the screaming?" Xu Ke looked at him and said irritably.

"My arm hurts," Nie Wei said quietly, his face pale. No matter how much it hurt, he didn’t dare to scream out loud again. That tremor of Xu Ke’s hand just now scared him senseless; he didn’t want to fall and become a pancake.

Xu Ke had grabbed Nie Wei’s injured arm.

"If it hurts, keep your mouth shut. If you don’t want to fall to the bottom of the cliff, clamp your mouth shut. Otherwise, if my hand slips, you’ll fall and become a pancake," Xu Ke threatened him.

Even without Xu Ke’s warning, Nie Wei wouldn’t have dared to make a sound.

At this moment, Xu Ke didn’t bother with making Nie Wei apologize. Instead, he exerted force with his arm and hoisted Nie Wei up as if he were luggage.

Once back on solid ground, Nie Wei lay there for a long time, not getting up, hearing only various intensities of his own breathing.

The little brothers Ding and He Ziyun, who were fighting earlier, had stopped when Nie Wei accidentally fell. They stood and watched Nie Wei, who was lying on the ground, without mocking or speaking, bringing a sudden stillness to the mountaintop.

Lying on the ground, Nie Wei finally felt a sense of having survived a disaster. Just as he was about to get up, someone lightly kicked his leg. "Are you planning to lie there forever?" Xu Ke said impatiently, hands shoved in his pockets.

Hearing Xu Ke’s voice, Nie Wei swallowed back the curse words that were about to escape his throat. No matter what, Xu Ke had saved his life and that made him a benefactor; what harm was there in being kicked by him? It didn’t hurt, anyway.

Nie Wei climbed up from the ground, brushed the dust off himself, glanced complexly at Xu Ke, and spoke to He Ziyun, "Today, we were wrong. Sorry." His face was taut, showing no sign of apology, more like he was completing a task without sincerity.

He Ziyun was unprepared for Nie Wei’s sudden apology. Just as he was about to say something, Nie Wei spoke again, "I apologized not because I think I was wrong, but because you are his friend." At this, Nie Wei glanced at Xu Ke. Despite having interacted several times, he didn’t even know Xu Ke’s name until now.

"He saved me, so he’s my benefactor. That’s why I’m willing to apologize on his behalf. That’s the situation." After saying this to He Ziyun, Nie Wei turned and bowed to Xu Ke, "Regardless of our past, you saved me today, making you my benefactor. The Nie Family may not be the top household in Yunzhou, but we’re still respectable. If you ever encounter trouble or need help, just mention the Nie Family’s name. If it’s within my power, I won’t refuse." Nie Wei said seriously.

Although Xu Ke didn’t originally like Nie Wei much, Nie Wei’s words today made Xu Ke see him more favorably. A person who knows to be grateful can’t be all bad.

After saying what he wanted, Nie Wei beckoned to Junior Brother Bing and Junior Brother Ding to leave, completely abandoning Junior Brother A and Junior Brother B in place. He meant it when he said he was cutting ties; there was no taking it back.

Nie Wei’s departing figure was resolute, and Xu Ke didn’t try to stop him.

Seeing Nie Wei leave, Junior Brother A and Junior Brother B nervously glanced at Xu Ke’s expression. Seeing no intention to pursue, they quickly ran after him, shouting, "Boss, don’t walk so fast! Boss, wait for us!" Junior Brother A yelled towards Nie Wei’s back, unaware that Nie Wei sped up even more upon hearing them.

Nie Wei didn’t need such easily betraying brothers; he wasn’t so lacking in friends that he’d need fair-weather companions for company.

As people gradually left, the mountaintop felt noticeably emptier.

He Ziyun looked at the messy paint, brushes, and paper on the ground, feeling a twinge of heartache. He wanted to gather the items, but moving made his whole body ache, noticing parts that hurt during the fight, feeling as though cars had repeatedly run him over while lying on the road.

"Go and rest over there; we’ll help tidy up," Xu Ke suggested, pointing to a relatively smooth stone slab not far away.

He Ziyun, already feeling miserable, didn’t refuse Xu Ke’s offer and hobbled in that direction.

"Thanks for today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known how to wrap things up," He Ziyun said dejectedly, hanging his head. He felt like a failure, never managing to protect what he wanted, no matter his status...

"Instead of thinking about these trivial things, why not think about what to do for dinner? We’re used to your cooking, and changing chefs might not suit our taste," Ariel said while helping He Ziyun pick up scattered brushes from the ground.

"I’ll cook for you," He Ziyun replied, moving his scarred hands slightly.

Who would have thought he’d willingly use the hands meant for painting to cook for others? Truly amazing.

"Forget it, just rest. I was just saying it; didn’t mean for you to actually cook. If others find out, they’d think we’re abusing you," Ariel said, deftly getting in Xu Ke’s way, scattering things yet again.

"My dear, take a break. Let me handle this; dinner’s on me," Xu Ke said, straightening up, gently pushing Ariel away from the area.

"You can cook?" He Ziyun asked in shock, looking at Xu Ke as if he couldn’t associate cooking with him.

Raising an eyebrow, Xu Ke looked at He Ziyun and said, "Is it so strange that I can cook? There are plenty of things I can do; this is nothing."