Since the mention of Leo Nafplion, Yeri had clearly noticed the change in her mother's demeanor, no matter how hard Mother Zhi tried to act casual.
It was subtle at first: the slight tightening around her eyes, the faint pause before her answer, the way her smile seemed just a bit too fixed. But Yeri knew her mother well enough to tell.
And no matter how many times she asked about it, Mother Zhi would simply brush her off and quickly steer the conversation elsewhere, like someone shoving an awkward photo under the couch before guests arrive.
The next morning, when Yeri woke up, the first thing she saw was a bouquet of red roses on the bedside table.
She didn't need to overthink or guess. They were exactly the same as the ones Shin Keir had delivered to her dormitory before.
Did he come late last night?
With Shin Keir's connections to Zahn Neri, slipping in after visiting hours wouldn't exactly be impossible or surprising.
While she was still pondering this, Jj walked in, balancing a take-out bag and a tray.
"Awake? I figured you'd want pancakes for breakfast, so I grabbed some from the restaurant outside," he said, setting the table with the air of a man presenting a royal feast.
"I don't really mind the hospital food," Yeri yawned, stretching lazily.
Honestly, in a place this expensive, the food was naturally good, probably better than most restaurants anyway.
Then she noticed Jj wasn't wearing a hospital gown anymore.
"The doctor said if nothing comes up today, I can get discharged," he explained casually.
"What?" Yeri's eyes widened in mock betrayal. "So that means I can leave too, right?"
Jj could only give her a sympathetic smile. Unfortunately for Yeri, her VIP frequent patient status with hospitals meant she needed longer observation before being released.
Her mood only soured for a few minutes though because not long after, Nina and Levi came to visit, bringing a couple of classmates along. Their chatter made the room lively again, and Yeri's spirits rose further when the nurse finally removed her IV.
By afternoon, both she and Jj had their scheduled mental assessments, though with different physicians. They agreed not to wait for each other afterward.
However, on the way back, Yeri found herself lost. The hospital was massive and every hallway and lobby looked like a copy-paste of the last.
That's when she heard it.
"Anyone there? Damn it, you useless people! How the hell are you doing your job? You should be fired!"
The voice was loud, male, and dripping with entitled rage.
Yeri slowed her steps and glanced around. She realized she'd wandered into the VIP ward.
Two nurses rushed past, pointing her toward the right corridor.
"B*tch, hurry up and serve me or I'll report you for mistreating a patient! Don't you know who I am? I'm Hadi Keir! A Keir! See if I don't make you all miserable once I'm out of here!"
Yeri froze at that surname.
Nearby, one nurse muttered to her colleague, "He's always like that. Pretend you didn't hear or see anything. We're not in charge of him."
"Is he really a Keir? Why does he sound so ill-mannered?" the other frowned.
"I know, right? Even with high pay, no nurse lasts more than a week with him. So what if he's a Keir? Rich people can be nightmares too," the first nurse said, shaking her head. "I heard his family rarely visits, not even Shin Keir himself."
Yeri's curiosity flickered for a moment, but she was ready to move on until she turned a corner and almost bumped into Venice.
"…Are you following me?" Yeri asked flatly.
"Of course not," Venice said quickly, a little too quickly.
Truth was, she'd gotten nothing from Tristan Felan the day before. He'd left in a hurry, but she'd guessed he might show up again to see Jj or Doctor Neri. So she'd been roaming.
"Did you hear me?! Is this how your hospital treat a Keir person? Where is Zahn Neri? I want to talk to him!"
The man's angry voice echoed again from one of the VIP room.
Yeri walked past Venice without much interest until she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Venice lingering by the loud man's door.
"…Venice," Yeri said, walking back. "This isn't a school or a hotel. Don't stick your nose into other people's business unless you want trouble."
Years of being an unwilling regular at this hospital had taught Yeri one thing: privacy was sacred here, especially in the VIP ward. People in these rooms were often high-profile and quick to complain if someone intruded.
"Isn't this negligence?" Venice said, feigning righteous indignation. "He's clearly asking for help."
Yeri almost said 'Do you actually care, or is it just because you heard him say he was a 'Keir'? but held her tongue.
"This is the VIP ward. You think they'd just ignore a patient? They have their own procedures."
Her concern wasn't really for Venice it was for her father. If Venice caused trouble here, her father's name would get dragged into it. And knowing Venice, she wouldn't hesitate to use the Zhi surname to get herself out of trouble.
Inside the room, Hadi Keir's voice rose again. "I need to go to the restroom, you sh*t! Hurry up and help me up!"
Venice hesitated, clearly tempted.
Yeri crossed her arms. "I'm warning you, don't go looking for trouble using our family name. If you dig your own grave, don't expect my dad to pull you out."
Venice's expression hardened clearly offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I know you go around introducing yourself as Venice Zhi," Yeri said with a small, sharp smile. "The tragedy with you is, it doesn't matter if it's a diamond or a shard of glass as long as it's shiny, you'll grab it."
Venice didn't fully get the metaphor, but she knew it wasn't a compliment.
Yeri didn't bother explaining. She already knew Venice's pattern: yesterday it was Jj, then Tristan Felan, and now, after hearing the man inside was a Keir, Venice was itching to "help" him.
In short, Venice didn't really know what she wanted, only that she wanted better.
One word: greed.
The irony was, if anyone should understand the pain of chasing a man for wealth and status, it was Venice, whose own mother had been a mistress. Yet here she was, repeating the same script.
Unlike most people, Venice hadn't grown up in a wealthy family, but she wasn't poor either. She wasn't disabled, and if she relied on herself, there were plenty of opportunities waiting for her, ways she could rise to the top without entrusting her fate to someone else.
Take her uncle, for example, Venice's own father. By now, she should have realized that the most unreliable thing in this world is a man's words.
Snapping out of her thoughts, before Yeri could stop her, Venice barged in, asking if the man needed help.
Two nurses arrived almost instantly.
"Who are you? Why are you in here?" one demanded.
Venice bit her lip but tried to sound noble. "I just felt sorry for him...he seemed in pain and said he needed the restroom."
Yeri lingered in the hall, quietly watching the train wreck unfold.
"Shut up!" Hadi barked at the nurse. "If you'd just given me a stand-in nurse, I wouldn't be shouting my throat raw! This damn hospital. I'm going to report all of you!"
"The stand-in nurse quit," the nurse replied calmly. "We're still looking for a replacement who meets your… standards."
In reality, that nurse hadn't quit but she'd been reassigned. No one wanted to deal with Hadi Keir. Even in the VIP ward, where staff had impressive credentials, patience had limits.
"This beautiful lady, are you also a patient here?" Hadi asked, fixating his gaze to Venice.
If he'd glanced at the nurses, he'd have seen their disgust. Flirting while his face was so swollen and bruised, black, purple, and a bit puffy, wasn't exactly charming. Whoever had beat him half dead clearly deserved a medal.
Not to mention, it would take at least a month or two before he could even sat up.
Venice thought the same, had she known he looked like this, she wouldn't have rushed in so eagerly. But she pasted on a polite smile. "I'm sorry for intruding. I really thought you needed help."
"Wait," Hadi said, motioning for the nurse to raise his bed. His eyes stayed fixed on Venice. "Why don't you stay a while? Tell me about yourself."
The nurse seized this chance to leave. "Mister Keir doesn't need the restroom, he has a catheter."
Hadi glared at her. "If you don't want to get fired, get out! Ugly b*tches!"
Wasn't he just screaming for a nurse five minutes ago?
The nurses still finished their checks, confirmed nothing was wrong, and left looking relieved.
"Yeah, get out! If it's not the nurse from yesterday, I don't want you ugly b*tches near me!" Hadi muttered.
As they exited, his gaze shifted toward the hallway where his eyes caught a glimpse of a slender figure. His expression changed instantly.
Well, well… who's that stunning beauty?