Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 117

Chapter 117: A Heated Dispute

“What… what are you doing?” The woman, caught off guard and threatened, turned pale with fright, her delicate voice trembling.

Rao Chen maintained his smile, his tone friendly. “I heard you wanted to ask him out tonight? Shall I help you?”

The woman’s nurse cap had already fallen off in her agitation. She struggled desperately, her limbs flailing in panic, but her throat remained firmly under his control. She couldn’t decipher Rao Chen’s intentions, but his undisguised malice was unmistakable. She couldn’t fathom what she had done to provoke this patient.

A vague memory surfaced in her mind—her colleagues had mentioned that one of the VIP patients was a volatile young man, and they advised keeping a safe distance whenever possible.

A strong sense of danger welled up inside her. Driven by survival instinct, she fiercely jabbed her elbow backward, staggering a meter away.

The young man behind her reached out, his hand like the claw of a devil. She dodged abruptly, and he grasped at empty air.

Not far away was the director’s office. Like someone grasping for a lifeline, she dashed to the door, pounding and shouting desperately, “Director! Director! Help me!”

Rao Chen, enraged and humiliated, grabbed her hair from the back of her head, yanking her close. His eyes narrowed as he issued a low threat, “You’d better not bother him.”

The door handle turned slightly. Rao Chen acted quickly, shoving the woman aside. In an instant, he composed himself, pretending nothing had happened.

The door opened, revealing He Lang. He glanced at the tense atmosphere between the two and immediately frowned. “Yafang, what’s going on? Why were you shouting for help?”

The woman trembled as she tried to speak, but Rao Chen wrapped an arm around her shoulder, subtly applying pressure while masking his sinister intent with a façade of false warmth. “Nothing, Director. I was just chatting with Nurse Yafang. It was fun.”

Leaning against the doorframe, He Lang could clearly see the fear etched on the woman’s face. Suspecting Rao Chen had done something inappropriate, he sighed apologetically, pried Rao Chen’s hand off her shoulder, and spoke gently to her. “It must be Xiao Chen causing trouble again. I apologize on his behalf. Take the rest of the day off and go home to rest.”

The soothing tone of He Lang’s voice calmed the woman’s trembling body. She repeatedly thanked him for his help, leaving in lingering fear and cursing her bad luck for encountering such a lunatic.

Rao Chen’s expression shifted subtly, his gaze dark and unreadable as he watched her retreating figure.

He Lang studied Rao Chen’s profile and, in a warning tone, tapped his forehead. “This is a place for patients to recover. What are you trying to pull with all this commotion? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You’d better rein it in.”

Though He Lang’s words were not an outright scolding, his meaning was clear.

He could turn a blind eye, but that didn’t mean he would tolerate repeated transgressions.

Rao Chen’s heart skipped a beat, a flash of panic crossing his eyes before quickly dissipating, as if none of it mattered. He stubbornly replied, “What did I do? I didn’t do anything. Even if I did, I wouldn’t regret it.”

His defiance was evident—like a rebellious teenager, headstrong and reckless, living in a world of his own, disregarding anyone else’s opinions.

He Lang, seeing Rao Chen’s obstinance, felt all the more determined not to let this slide. His unrepentant attitude indicated he didn’t see anything wrong with his behavior, meaning similar incidents would continue to occur.

He Lang knew that every action had its limits. What if he hadn’t been nearby to hear the woman’s cries for help this time? What would Rao Chen have done to her? And how would the aftermath be handled?

He Lang was exasperated by Rao Chen’s increasingly reckless behavior. Beneath his calm exterior lay a dangerous unpredictability that always caught He Lang off guard.

Did Rao Chen really think his silence and pretense of nonchalance could keep him in the dark? He Lang’s brow furrowed with a trace of anger. He raised his hand to knock on Rao Chen’s forehead but was intercepted midway. Rao Chen grabbed his hand, bringing it to his lips and planting a kiss.

“Why think about such irrelevant things? Have lunch with me.”

He Lang shook his head. “This is not irrelevant. Explain to me what happened first.”

Rao Chen ruffled his messy hair in frustration. To him, these were trivial matters. He couldn’t understand why He Lang kept fixating on them.

No matter what he did or what the consequences were, he was confident he could handle it. He didn’t need He Lang to worry.

What Rao Chen wanted was for He Lang to love him unconditionally—even if he committed the worst crimes—rather than requiring him to fit into an idealized image of a well-behaved, courteous gentleman.

He wanted He Lang to see his flaws and accept them, even if it meant rejection or reprimand, just as was happening now.

Rao Chen refused to argue further. He had no intention of denying his actions. But he believed the fault lay with He Lang for being too lenient with others, attracting trouble like sparks to a powder keg.

He wanted to argue back, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he dragged He Lang into the office, pressed him against the door, and muttered resentfully, “It’s your fault.”

He knew deep down it wasn’t. He Lang genuinely cared for him, treating him differently than anyone else. This was why Rao Chen had fallen so deeply into their secret relationship and found it so intoxicating.

Yet, the same qualities he admired—He Lang’s gentle demeanor and warm gaze—also filled him with jealousy and frustration.

He Lang, hearing Rao Chen’s misplaced blame, found it absurd. How could this possessive and volatile young man twist everything to be his fault?

He Lang knew what Rao Chen wanted but refused to indulge him. He didn’t want to let him think he could be entirely controlled.

“Do you really think you’ve done nothing wrong?” He Lang asked. “This time, I was here, so nothing happened. But what about the patient in Room 303? You weren’t in your room during that time, yet I had just given you a sedative. Care to explain that?”

Rao Chen released He Lang’s hand, his gaze flickering briefly. One issue wasn’t resolved, and now he was bringing up old ones? Hadn’t he promised to let it go? Clearly, He Lang had only been humoring him.

His mood soured instantly, and his tone grew cold. “Yes, fine. I did it. So what?”

He Lang sighed. The boy still didn’t understand. He Lang wasn’t trying to argue but to guide him.

“I’ll say this one more time: if you want to become the head of the Rao family, there’s still much for you to learn. No matter how capable you are, you can’t act lawlessly.”

Rao Chen crossed his arms defensively, an action betraying his insecurity.

He choked on his words, his tone turning sarcastic. “After being treated as an Omega for so many years, even a bastard child can step on me. I’ve always been this way—uncouth and unlikable. How could I ever be worthy of being the family head?”

“Why are you sulking? Does saying this make you feel better?” He Lang frowned, his tone more severe. He wouldn’t allow someone he cared about to demean himself.

Rao Chen, enraged, let out a bitter laugh and slammed his fist against the door, the sound reverberating loudly. He Lang flinched.

“And why am I sulking? You’re arguing with me over some random woman. Am I supposed to smile and watch her confess her feelings to you, ask you out to dinner?”

Just the thought of others coveting what was his made his blood boil, sparking an inferno of jealousy.

And He Lang, instead of reassuring him, argued back, his stern and distant demeanor cutting deeply. Rao Chen felt betrayed.

He bit his lip hard, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth, unable to quell the storm inside him.

He Lang, not one for prolonged arguments, was at a loss for words against Rao Chen’s relentless questioning. He didn’t want to dwell on the matter any longer.

“Enough, both of us need some time to cool off. Tonight, I’ll sleep outside. Take some time to think about things yourself.”

To accommodate Rao Chen, he had been staying in Rao Chen’s ward to sleep, not returning to his apartment for a long time. Thinking about it now, that place seemed like a truly peaceful refuge.

The room, after the outburst, was quiet and chilly. Listening to his weary words, Rao Chen felt as if his heart had been cruelly plunged into icy water, the distance between them greater than ever.

What did he mean by this? That only when Rao Chen wasn’t by his side could he find peace? It felt like his throat was being constricted, leaving him breathless, unsure if it was sorrow or grievance. He’d had him for just a few short months, and already he was showing signs of retreat?

If this man realized that staying close to him was unwise and grew tired of his mood swings, would his beautiful dream be nearing its rude awakening?

Rao Chen seemed to snap, letting out a few strange chuckles as he staggered backward.

“Fine, I get it. I won’t come back tonight either.”

With that, he rushed out of the office, slamming the door behind him and shutting out He Lang, who had intended to follow.

By the time He Lang came out, Rao Chen was nowhere to be found.

Author’s Note: A brief cold war.