Translator: Lynn
Thank you to Kizuna for the ko-fi! Here’s your early update^^
Sponsored chapter (1/1)
Cheng Ke stepped outside wearing a coat with only one sleeve, feeling like a disabled person, and shivering from the intense cold.
“Just bear with it and get in the car,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I’ll help you take it off when we reach the hospital.”
“It really hurts,” Cheng Ke gritted his teeth. But every time his attention shifted to his wrist, the pain became unbearable. He had never experienced such a severe injury before in his life.
In reality, a fracture alone isn’t a big deal; the crucial factor is the cause of the fracture.
He couldn’t recall the exact reason now. The image of dragging Jiang Yuduo down, slipping, and ultimately bringing both of them crashing to the ground was truly unsightly.
Despite Jiang Yuduo appearing calm and not displaying any disgust or anger now, Cheng Ke felt a deep sense of shame in every cell of his body.
Chen Qing got into the car, and when Cheng Ke moved to get into the backseat, Jiang Yuduo called out from behind, “We’ll sit in the back together.”
As he began to reach for the car door, he realized just how important a functioning hand is in everyday life. Even for simple tasks like getting into a car, with his right hand immobilized, it felt as if his cerebellum was impaired. Subconsciously, he tried to use his right hand to support the seat, but halfway through the motion, he snapped back to reality and realized he couldn’t use it!
Before he could lie face down on the backseat, Jiang Yuduo grabbed his collar from behind and tugged.
He didn’t end up on the ground, but Cheng Ke felt like he was on the verge of death due to the sudden and forceful strangulation. “…You’re way too strong,” he managed to say. Jiang Yuduo didn’t respond, he simply closed the car door and went around to the other side.
“It’s tough,” Chen Qing turned to him and said with a hint of excitement, “I’ve had a broken wrist before, damn it, I couldn’t even wipe my own ass when I took a shit…”
Cheng Ke was speechless for a moment. “You’re only fucking dealing with one broken hand?”
“Huh?” Chen Qing looked at him, seemingly not understanding.
“One of your hands is broken, but you can still use the other one,” Cheng Ke said through gritted teeth. When Jiang Yuduo got in, Cheng Ke didn’t bother to move to make space.
“Both of my hands were broken,” Chen Qing demonstrated a push-up motion with both hands. “I fell off a wall like this.”
“What about you…” Cheng Ke suddenly had a horrifying thought. “It couldn’t be Jiang Yu…”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Jiang Yuduo interjected beside him.
“My mom bought a smart toilet seat, you know, the kind that sprays water on your butt,” Chen Qing explained. “After flushing, it dries your butt… You have it, right? Then you can…”
“Enough!” Cheng Ke interrupted him. “Only one of my hands is broken, and it won’t significantly impact your life.”
“Really?” Chen Qing started the car and drove off. He turned his face sideways and added, “Without your right hand, you nearly gnawed on the car seat just now. It’s made of genuine leather. If you had gnawed on it, you’d have to pay for it.”
“Shut up and drive,” Jiang Yuduo instructed.
Chen Qing obediently complied. When Jiang Yuduo told him to be silent, he immediately fell silent and focused on driving.
“Do you have any money with you?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“Huh?” Cheng Ke was momentarily stunned, then nodded again. “I have a card.”
“It’s quite swollen,” Jiang Yuduo glanced at his wrist.
“…It hurts,” Cheng Ke also glanced at his wrist and immediately felt the pain intensify. It didn’t bother him much when he was talking to Chen Qing just moments ago.
“It’ll be fine,” Jiang Yuduo said in a low voice. “It’ll heal in about a month.”
When Cheng Ke realized he wouldn’t be able to use his right hand for the next month, he felt a bit disheartened. Then he thought about the reason behind this situation, which further dampened his spirits. He vented his frustration completely and didn’t feel like saying anything more.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t frequent this route to the hospital very often. Occasionally, when Chen Qing got injured, they would come here together. After all, it was Chen Qing and not someone else. But he usually asked the two younger brothers to accompany him inside while he stayed outside.
The car reached the entrance of the hospital parking lot, and Chen Qing stopped the car. “You two go inside, and I’ll go park,” he said.
“Okay,” Jiang Yuduo grabbed his bag and walked to the driver’s seat. He told Chen Qing, “What are you waiting for? You follow…”
He glanced at Cheng Ke, who was struggling to get out of the car with his wrists cradled. “I suspect he might not know how to see a doctor.”
“Of course not, maybe the doctor was sent home,” Chen Qing whispered. “Don’t worry, I’ll help him. You can take a nap in the car for a while.”
“Alright,” Jiang Yuduo got back into the car, glanced at Cheng Ke, and drove the car into the parking lot.
Circling the parking lot twice, Jiang Yuduo noticed a man about to drive away from a corner near the entrance, so he stopped and waited for the spot.
However, after the man got in the car and fastened his seatbelt, he didn’t start driving. He rummaged around and eventually lit a cigarette.
Jiang Yuduo lightly honked the horn, but the man remained unaffected. He calmly smoked his cigarette and even rolled down the car window to blow a puff of smoke outside.
Usually, Jiang Yuduo would tell his younger brothers not to cause trouble, especially in situations like this. But his own way of dealing with things wasn’t much better.
As he opened the car door and stepped out, he thought that one day he should ask the well-mannered Master Cheng Ke how their masters typically handle these kinds of situations.
“Brother,” Jiang Yuduo walked up to the car window and looked at the people inside. “Are you waiting for someone or are you planning to leave?”
“Leave,” the man glanced at him.
“Alright,” Jiang Yuduo nodded and stepped back to stand under a nearby tree.
The man leisurely finished his cigarette and continued sitting there.
After waiting for a while and confirming that the man did it intentionally, Jiang Yuduo approached him.
The man turned his head, his impatient and provocative expression still on his face, but before he could complete his expression, Jiang Yuduo had already opened the car door, grabbed his collar, and forcefully pulled him out of the car.
“I’ll ask again. If you’re leaving, I’ll wait. If you’re not leaving, just tell me,” Jiang Yuduo said calmly.
“It’s none of your damn business whether I leave or not!” the man struggled, reaching out towards the passenger seat.
Jiang Yuduo glanced at it and noticed a metal water pipe on the co-pilot seat.
“Go get it,” Jiang Yuduo pushed him back into the car and let go.
The man complied, unbuckled his seatbelt, and immediately rushed to grab the water hose. As he turned around, Jiang Yuduo could see the water hose being pointed toward his face.
Jiang Yuduo extended his hand to grab the end of the water pipe, and with a gentle pull, he effortlessly took it out of the man’s grasp. The man was still holding onto the water pipe, pointing it outward, while Jiang Yuduo had already inserted the water pipe between his legs.
Jiang Yuduo had encountered this type of person many times before, and he could see through their bluffs. He looked at the person and asked, “Shall we go?”
The man flinched and looked at him, “What are you doing? This is like robbery!”
Jiang Yuduo threw the hose out of the car, took a step back, and closed the door.
The car quickly started, pulled out of the parking spot, and exited the parking lot.
Jiang Yuduo parked the car in that spot, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the cars in the parking lot that was haphazardly arranged.
No matter the time of day, the hospital parking lot was always full.
Countless people entered the hospital every day, surrounded by the scent of disinfectant, their faces reflecting unhappiness.
Jiang Yuduo furrowed his brow.
Yeah, how could a hospital bring happiness?
But why did he feel a sense of unease when it came to hospitals?
Among the memories he could recall but wished to forget, the hospital was something he genuinely couldn’t remember.
He let out a soft sigh, gazing into the distance at the inpatient building of the opposite hospital, lost in thought.
Chen Qing called to inform Jiang Yuduo that Cheng Ke’s fracture wasn’t too severe.
However, even if it wasn’t serious, it still took a long time. When Jiang Yuduo saw Cheng Ke and Chen Qing entering through the parking lot gate, he had already dozed off three times, and now it was already dark.
He sat up straight and flashed the headlights.
Chen Qing pointed in their direction, and Cheng Ke walked over with Chen Qing, supporting his bound arms.
“How is it?” Jiang Yuduo asked as he grabbed the car keys.
“The doctor said the sternum fracture will take about six weeks to heal,” Chen Qing replied. “They prescribed some medication, and they will take an X-ray to monitor the healing progress. If everything goes well, the cast will be removed, but after that, rehabilitation exercises are needed. So…”
“The sternum?” Jiang Yuduo interrupted, “Where is the sternum?”
“The sternum,” Cheng Ke sighed, “It’s not a big deal. Let’s go, I’m exhausted.”
“Boat and boat, isn’t it almost the same?” Chen Qing got into the car. “You’re complaining about being tired, but I haven’t even mentioned being tired after running around to help you with registration, payment, and getting the medicine.”
“Thank you,” Cheng Ke said.
“Hey, don’t thank me. You’ve thanked me over 80 times in the past few hours,” Chen Qing replied.
Cheng Ke got into the car, still holding his injured arm.
After Jiang Yuduo got in the car, he examined the plaster cast on Cheng Ke’s hand with great interest and pointed again, “Is this where the fracture is?”
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke nodded.
“Then why is the thumb also covered?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“They said the scaphoid bone needed to be stabilized, so they connected it together,” Cheng Ke explained.
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo reached out and tapped the plaster again. “This is similar to what Chen Qing had last time. He fractured a bone in his wrist and had to have both hands immobilized. Your situation is not as bad.”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke smiled.
“It’s getting late,” Chen Qing glanced at the time while driving. “Why don’t we grab a meal first, and then I’ll take you back?” “No need,” Cheng Ke said. “Let’s just go back and eat something.”
Chen Qing glanced at the rearview mirror. “Oh, right, I forgot about your hand. Then let’s go directly to the third brother’s place, and he can feed you. After that, we’ll take you back to your own place.” “You drive your car. Why do you have this babysitting tendency and feel the need to arrange for feeding?” Jiang Yuduo remarked.
Thinking about eating, Cheng Ke became a little worried. He could hold a spoon or a fork in his left hand… Takeout meals would probably be necessary for now.
In fact, it wasn’t just about eating. When he thought about it more, it seemed like everything would be troublesome, such as getting dressed, carrying things, taking a bath… Well, he would deal with it later.
After returning to Jiang Yuduo’s place, Chen Qing left without getting out of the car.
The moment he saw the car driving away, Cheng Ke actually felt a twinge of reluctance to part with Chen Qing. After all, with Chen Qing around, he and Jiang Yuduo wouldn’t be in such an awkward situation.
Or rather, he wouldn’t feel as awkward.
Jiang Yuduo appeared quite normal. After entering the house and opening the door, he prioritized feeding the cat. Then, he picked up his phone and glanced at Cheng Ke, saying, “Let’s order takeout. It’s too late to cook now.”
“Oh,” Cheng Ke hesitated for a moment, “Actually, I…”
“Let’s figure out what to do after eating first,” Jiang Yuduo interrupted, looking at Cheng Ke’s injured hands. “Your injuries are quite severe.”
Jiang Yuduo took off his jacket with only one sleeve and shook it, then sat on the sofa, observing as Meow eagerly devoured the cat food.
After ordering takeout, Jiang Yuduo went into the kitchen.
Cheng Ke listened to the sounds of dishes being washed, which had been left unfinished since noon.
Cheng Ke wanted to remind Jiang Yuduo that the floor might still be slippery due to residual detergent, but he felt too embarrassed to ask.
After contemplating for a while, he gritted his teeth and considered whether to say something. Just then, he heard Jiang Yuduo mopping the floor, instantly putting him at ease.
When Jiang Yuduo emerged from the kitchen, he placed something on the table. “You can eat with this later,” he said, pointing to a fork.
“Are you going back to the hotel over there tonight?” Jiang Yuduo inquired.
“…Yes,” Cheng Ke replied.
“Stay here for the night and pack your things tomorrow,” Jiang Yuduo suggested. “I’ll accompany you, as you can’t manage with your hands.” Cheng Ke remained silent, but Jiang Yuduo had already tacitly agreed that Cheng Ke would move back tomorrow.
Although Cheng Ke wanted to move back, he was still hesitant. He didn’t have clear answers to all his questions, but when Jiang Yuduo made that suggestion, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything else.
“I have a question for you,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“Okay,” Cheng Ke nodded.
The takeaway arrived, and Jiang Yuduo placed all the food on the table. It was a satisfying spread, not fast food. He had ordered directly, and for convenience, he included a barbecued pork bun as a staple.
Cheng Ke took a seat at the table, placing his right hand on the table. He picked up the fork with his left hand and gestured, “Honestly, I usually think my left hand is quite dexterous, but when I actually want to do something, it feels like my left hand belongs to someone else.”
“Do you want me to feed you?” Jiang Yuduo asked, looking at him.
“No, no, no, no…” Cheng Ke quickly rejected the offer, “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to express my feelings.”
Jiang Yuduo smiled.
As Jiang Yuduo continued to fork his vegetables, he kept his gaze fixed on Cheng Ke.
“What’s the matter?” Cheng Ke couldn’t help asking after a few bites.
“I’m just watching to see if it’ll fall,” Jiang Yuduo replied.
“Are you a child…” Cheng Ke forked another piece of meat, “See, it won’t fall.”
“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo nodded and then focused on his own meal.
In just ten minutes, Jiang Yuduo finished his meal and set down his chopsticks, having polished off two bowls of rice.
Cheng Ke, with a fork still in his hand, looked a bit shocked. “You… finished eating?”
“Yes,” Jiang Yuduo wiped his mouth with a tissue, “I’ve always been a fast eater.”
“You didn’t wait to see if I would drop food on the table?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Just let me know if you want to be taken care of,” Jiang Yuduo chuckled.
Feeling quite hungry, Cheng Ke decided not to mention it further. He lowered his head and continued eating. However, for some reason, it was his wrist, not his stomach, that felt broken. After a while, he lost his appetite and only managed to eat a little.
Perhaps due to the strange events of the day, he couldn’t fully relax.
“I’ll drive you back,” Jiang Yuduo offered after clearing the lunch boxes from the table.
Cheng Ke hesitated for a few seconds. “No, it’s not too far. I’ll just take a taxi back.”
“Taking a taxi is fine,” Jiang Yuduo said, “But you don’t have anything on your bed—sheets and such. With your injured hands, can you manage with just one hand?”
Cheng Ke was about to suggest that he would go back to the hotel without needing any preparations, but he gritted his teeth and refrained. Jiang Yuduo’s sincere belief and anticipation of his return, completely different from his usual demeanor, made it difficult for Cheng Ke to say anything that would disappoint or confuse Jiang Yuduo.
Yet, he also couldn’t bear Jiang Yuduo’s concern.
If Cheng Ke hadn’t known Jiang Yuduo and his accepting attitude towards homosexuality, he would never have believed that this person was straight, no matter what.
“It’s fine if you can’t,” Cheng Ke gritted his teeth, “What’s so important about making a bed anyway?”
Jiang Yuduo looked at him but remained silent.
“Alright, I’ll be straightforward,” Cheng Ke gritted his teeth once again. He could be vague about other things for now, but not this one.
“What is it?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“You said it’s okay for me to have feelings for you, but I have to suppress them so that you don’t notice, right?” Cheng Ke said.
After a moment’s pause, Jiang Yuduo nodded. “Yes, but…”
“You’re so… so… so considerate,” Cheng Ke bit his lip, “You’re so damn considerate. How can I suppress it? I want to, but you have to cooperate.”
Jiang Yuduo looked at him, and it took him a while to respond, “Fuck.”
“Doesn’t what I said make sense? You have to admit it after you fuck it up,” Cheng Ke said.
“It’s the same with Chen Qing,” Jiang Yuduo frowned. “I helped Chen Qing bathe when both his hands were broken, and he didn’t react like you…”
“I’m not Chen Qing,” Cheng Ke interrupted, walking up to him and pointing to himself. “Am I Chen Qing? If you help Chen Qing bathe, will he understand how to fuck?”
Jiang Yuduo’s eyes widened in shock.
“Do you still want to help me bathe?” Cheng Ke was also taken aback.
“Yes,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“No!” Cheng Ke suddenly raised his voice. “I don’t want to break anyone’s bones again.”
Jiang Yuduo stared at him in silence.
“I’m not Chen Qing. Your concern for Chen Qing doesn’t apply to me because,” Cheng Ke took a deep breath, “Chen Qing won’t constantly want to hold you, touch you, and kiss you.”
Jiang Yuduo maintained his shocked expression and remained silent.
“I’ll call a taxi. I’ll just take a taxi back,” Cheng Ke sighed. “Today has been embarrassing enough. Let me take it easy.”
Jiang Yuduo continued to maintain his shocked expression, and it took him a while to regain composure. He frowned and walked to the side, poured a glass of water, and drank it. Then he poured another glass. “Do you want some water?”
“Sure.” Cheng Ke took the glass and drank it.
“At the time, my reaction was not about you,” Jiang Yuduo said. “It was mainly because I’ve never encountered… homosexuality, and it made me uncomfortable. Have you adjusted now?”
Cheng Ke placed the cup down and remained silent.
“To be honest, when you kissed me, I didn’t feel disgusted,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I didn’t feel anything at all.”
No feeling?
What the hell!
Feeling nothing would be worse than feeling disgusted.
“You don’t have to overthink this,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I’m just trying to understand. Have you been holding back for a long time? I can’t comprehend…”
“What did you say?” Cheng Ke looked at him.
“Holding back for too long,” Jiang Yuduo repeated.
“Fuck?” Cheng Ke almost burst into laughter. “No, why would you think I’ve been holding back for too long? That’s not the case.”
“You broke your bones,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I was in a rush, and no one would believe me if I said I didn’t hold back.”
Cheng Ke opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. He didn’t understand why this topic suddenly came up. It turned out that he hadn’t been holding back for too long.
It was so surprising that he couldn’t even react.
After regaining his composure, Cheng Ke felt a deep sense of embarrassment that almost transformed into anger. He had grown up with such a complicated mix of emotions, but never before had he experienced them so vividly.
He walked up to Jiang Yuduo, standing face to face with him. “Your way of thinking is really strange,” he said.
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo responded.
“Well, I’m not in a hurry. It’s not like I’m in a rush. Let’s do it again, slowly, what do you think?” Cheng Ke suggested.
“What do you mean, do it again?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
Cheng Ke leaned in slowly, their noses touching, and he could feel Jiang Yuduo’s breath against his face. He turned his head slowly, gently pressing his lips against Jiang Yuduo’s.
After holding the kiss for three seconds, he pulled away just as slowly.
When he met Jiang Yuduo’s gaze, he felt a sense of victory and elation.
But before he could savor the moment for two seconds, Jiang Yuduo suddenly leaned forward, hesitated, and kissed the tip of Cheng Ke’s nose.
“What are you doing?” Cheng Ke felt a bit puzzled.
“I don’t know,” Jiang Yuduo replied sincerely.
“Oh,” Cheng Ke looked at him, then turned around and picked up his coat. “I… I’m going back now.”
“Alright,” Jiang Yuduo nodded.
Cheng Ke called a car and watched Jiang Yuduo. Jiang Yuduo turned around and went back inside the house, sitting on the sofa.
Meow immediately came over and jumped onto his lap.
He scratched Meow’s head absentmindedly.
Lost in thought, he furrowed his brow and raised his hand to touch his mouth.
It was hard to describe this feeling. The first few times Cheng Ke kissed him, he didn’t feel anything particularly noteworthy apart from shock. He couldn’t say he was angry or disgusted. Even during today’s lunch, he didn’t feel much. After all, Cheng Ke’s touch had broken their connection…
But just a few minutes ago, he truly felt Cheng Ke’s slow-motion kiss.
He had never experienced this kind of feeling before. It was unlike anything he had read about in novels—no fluttering heart, dizziness, confusion, or other clichéd descriptions.
He simply felt a deep sense of warmth.
It was like when he was very young, and someone gave him a ball of wool. Every night, he would sleep with the ball of wool pressed against his face, feeling a comforting sense of warmth.
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