CHAPTER 1065: CHAPTER 1065: STRIKE FIRST

On the other side, in the VIP ward of the Royal Hospital.

He Qing had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, and his left leg was in a cast. He lay on the hospital bed with a very sullen expression.

The Matriarch He, Rong Manli, was speaking to him when the bodyguard outside the door knocked to report, "Madam, Eldest Young Master, someone from the Huo Family has arrived."

Rong Manli touched the hair on her forehead and advised He Qing, "You stay here in the hospital for now. I’ve tampered with the medical report, so even if He Chen can check the hospital’s admission records, he won’t suspect anything wrong with the medical report."

As He Qing was about to speak, Rong Manli signaled again, "Ah Qing, listen to me, don’t be too aggressive. He Chen has nothing to lose, and confronting him head-on will only lead to trouble. I have my own ideas for this matter. You should focus on recovering and not get involved."

"Mom..." He Qing observed Rong Manli with a hidden gaze, "Did you reveal something to He Chen last night?"

Rong Manli met his eyes without any sign of change, "No, what could I have revealed?"

He Qing pursed his lips, lowering his eyes to cover the suspicion in them, "Maybe I heard it wrong..."

Although he had deep-seated grievances with He Chen, rivals often know each other well, and He Qing didn’t think He Chen would lie.

At this point, Rong Manli slowly stood up, "Don’t overreact. He Chen is someone with evil intentions and plenty of crooked schemes. Don’t let him influence you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed unwilling to continue the topic. She turned to look at the bodyguard at the door and asked softly, "Who from the Huo Family is here?"

The bodyguard nodded, "It’s Huo Mang and Huo Ming."

"Let them in then." Rong Manli nodded and added, "You and the others keep the ward secure. Apart from Ah Qing’s friends, no unauthorized visits."

"Yes, Madam."

After Rong Manli left, Huo Mang and Huo Ming entered the room and sat down on their own.

He Qing raised the bed and looked at Huo Mang across from him, raising an eyebrow, "When did you get back?"

Huo Mang pursed his lips, "Last night. I heard you got into a car accident as soon as I returned. You’re really something."

He Qing chuckled indifferently, "These things happen, you wouldn’t have avoided it either."

At this time, Huo Ming hadn’t spoken, his sharp facial features showing a hint of indifference.

He wasn’t familiar with He Qing, at most greeting him as Big Brother He when they met.

Huo Ming was ranked second in his family, and most of his social circle consisted of second-generation heirs, like Shang Lu, who couldn’t be with women, or the long-haired handsome Lu Xiheng.

Soon, He Qing and Huo Mang fell into an involuntary silence.

Huo Ming wasn’t dull. He unfolded his crossed legs, speaking in a deep voice, "You chat, I’ll go make a call."

Huo Mang glanced at him, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed, reminding him, "Don’t leave after the call, wait for me in the parking lot."

"Okay." Huo Ming replied coldly, striding out of the room.

He Qing glanced at the tightly closed door, then fetched a pack of cigarettes from the bedside table and tossed it to Huo Mang, "Did you handle his issue?"

"Just a small matter, but you..." Huo Mang drew a cigarette, slightly raising his eyes, "Had a clash with He Chen again?"

He Qing’s expression changed instantly but quickly returned to calm, "It’s not really a conflict, just a matter of skill."

Huo Mang subtly furrowed his brow, stood up to open a window, and leaned against the sill, advising softly, "After all, you two are brothers. Is there any deep grudge that warrants a fight to the death?"

"You don’t understand." He Qing pinched his fingertips, ambiguously adding, "It’s better to strike first than to be caught from both sides."

Huo Mang had a cigarette at the corner of his mouth, his expression full of disapproval, "Wasn’t it enough when the He Family expelled him from the family back then? How much more do you need to strike first? Besides, He Chen may not even be that formidable."

"Huo Mang!" He Qing raised his eyelids unhappily, speaking with a stern face, "Whose brother are you?"

"If I weren’t your brother, do you think I’d meddle?" Huo Mang flicked the ash outside the window, "You attended Shaoyan’s wedding, didn’t you notice that He Chen was the best man?"

He Qing flung the blanket off, paced steadily to the coffee table, and picked up the cigarette box, "Are you implying he has a close relationship with Shaoyan?"

"It’s possible." Huo Mang analyzed with a clear mind, "Even we couldn’t be best men, don’t you wonder why He Chen could?"

He Qing was silent for a few seconds, coldly laughing with the cigarette box in his hand, "That’s not possible."

Huo Mang shook his head helplessly, "Wasn’t the last incident with He Xi enough of a lesson for you? We’ve been separated from Shaoyan for years and don’t know much about his affairs. Do you really think he has no friends besides us all these years?"

"He might have, but not He Chen." He Qing despised He Chen deeply. He knit his brows and lit a cigarette, "If you were Shaoyan, would you be friends with someone who grew up on leftovers, an illegitimate child?"

Huo Mang didn’t respond. The answer was self-evident.

These legitimate noble young men had always disdained the illegitimate children in the family.

Illegitimate children represented a stain on the family’s reputation and, worse, could vie for power and profit with the legitimate heirs.

So people like He Chen, with such a background, could never be seen in the light, let alone be written into the family registry or accepted by the family.

Seeing Huo Mang silent, He Qing’s tense face relaxed a bit, "Even you can’t be friends with him. How could Shaoyan?"

Currently, the friends of the Young Master of Shang’s, the first family of Parma, were all from powerful and influential backgrounds. And He Chen... what did he have?

Huo Mang seemed convinced by He Qing, yet in a shift of thought, he sighed lightly, "Anyway, it’s best not to be impulsive. I don’t really know He Chen, but he doesn’t seem like someone without a mind."

He Qing took the last puff of his cigarette, his narrow eyes flashing with a hint of scorn, "If he really had a mind, he’d never come back to Parma."

...

Meanwhile, at No.1 Mansion.

He Chen walked into the guest room, carrying a suitcase. With a flick of his hand, the rolling suitcase slid to the wall and stood steadily.

Yin Mo stood behind him, her gaze occasionally falling on his toned, smooth back.

The honey-tinted muscle lines flowed smoothly, and on close inspection, many small scars could indeed be seen.

Yin Mo had his shirt hanging on her arm, and when He Chen turned around, she handed it to him, "Put it on, the ointment should be dry by now."

He Chen didn’t take it; instead, he stepped forward, encircled her waist, and pulled her into his arms, his head lowered as his voice turned hoarse, "Did you specifically request that ointment for me?"

Yin Mo leaned against his chest, her shoulder held by the man’s warm arm, and the room seemed to grow warmer.

She replied softly, "Qiaoqiao and Lao Wu previously developed a special ointment. We used it every time we got injured on the border before; it works very well."

He Chen looked at Yin Mo’s long eyelashes, lifting her chin as his voice lowered a few degrees, "Were you hurt a lot before?"