[I only made enough for one person just now. It’s all gone now.］
[…] The system couldn’t help but feel like the host was playing with the male protagonist’s feelings.
Qiao Yue lowered his head and examined Shen Muchuan’s flushed face for a moment. He reached out and touched it, finding that his forehead was burning.
After some consideration, he went to the bedroom and prepared a packet of cold medicine. He brought it out and placed the steaming cup next to Shen Muchuan, then gently patted his cheek as he lay on the couch.
Shen Muchuan was awakened by his movements. He opened his eyes, and his expression still carried a hint of confusion. His pupils, black and shining due to the fever, slowly turned to Qiao Yue’s face. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Brother… what’s wrong with me?”
Qiao Yue glanced at him and placed the cup on the coffee table in front of him. “You have a fever.”
Shen Muchuan sat up, his head throbbing as if it was about to explode, but his consciousness had become much clearer. As he moved, the blanket slid off him.
He looked down at the blanket covering him, feeling a moment of confusion. When he raised his head to look at Qiao Yue, he realized that Qiao Yue had already turned to the kitchen.
Staring at Qiao Yue’s back for a while, Shen Muchuan reached out and picked up the cold medicine placed on the table. He took a sip and was surprised to find that it didn’t taste bitter at all.
As he sipped the cold medicine, he examined the room. It was small and minimally decorated, with hardly any excess items.
After a while, Qiao Yue emerged from the kitchen and placed a bowl of congee in front of him. “Have some food. After you finish, I’ll have your assistant pick you up…”
Shen Muchuan responded vaguely, looking at the thick, creamy congee on the coffee table. His heart was filled with warmth, yet it also felt sour and bitter.
Shen Muchuan was pleasantly surprised, but his tone carried a hint of sadness as he asked, “Brother… Did you make this specifically for me?”
Qiao Yue remained silent and simply handed him a spoon.
[Host, do you dare to tell him that this is actually takeout you ordered?]
Chu Yan chuckled, [Can’t you see how happy he is eating it? Does it really matter whether it was made or bought?]
The system took a look, and indeed, Shen Muchuan seemed to be enjoying the meal.
After finishing the bowl of porridge, Shen Muchuan looked at Qiao Yue, who was sitting across from him, and asked, “Brother… Have you eaten?”
“I’ve already eaten.”
Shen Muchuan nodded and then cradled the bowl in his hands, sitting on the couch, unsure of what else to say.
Qiao Yue handed his phone to Shen Muchuan and said, “I called your assistant just now, but he didn’t answer.”
Shen Muchuan stared at the phone in Qiao Yue’s hand for a while and then finally took it, lowering his head slowly. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Brother… I already know everything. Uncle Shen told me everything. You… don’t have to hide it from me anymore…”
To avoid feeling upset, did he just let himself be misunderstood and hurt and never defend himself?
Shen Muchuan gave a bitter smile and didn’t continue to answer Qiao Yue’s question. Instead, he stared at him and asked, “Brother, before we proceed, can you answer me a few questions?”
Qiao Yue’s eyelashes trembled fiercely, as if he knew what he was going to ask, and he tightly pursed his lips.
Shen Muchuan saw his reaction and felt even more guilt and pain. If it weren’t for him, Qiao Yue wouldn’t have had such a childhood. He should have had a carefree life…
“Brother, why did you… after doing what you did five years ago, still put all the money into my account? Why, this time, when the doctor told you the risks, did you still risk everything to save me?”
Qiao Yue turned his head away, his voice hoarse. “You’ve asked me many times already, and my answer is still the same… What exactly do you want to hear? Huh?”
Shen Muchuan shook his head. “Brother, I just want to hear the truth from you.”
Qiao Yue looked weary but smiled. “Even though you might like hearing it, that’s the truth…”
“No, it’s not,” Shen Muchuan choked up, each breath causing his throat to ache. “Brother, you know it’s not like that.”
“You just don’t want me to know those dirty truths… You’re just trying to protect me, right?”
He had always thought that over the years, only he had expressed his true feelings, while his brother had only used him for his own gain… But it wasn’t like that. His brother had given almost all of his true feelings to him, and he had been completely unaware.
Qiao Yue looked at Shen Muchuan, whose eyes were reddening, with a slight movement in his eyes. After a long time, he opened his mouth with difficulty, sounding tired and weak. “But you still found out…”
Shen Muchuan’s nose tingled, and he quickly raised his hand to pinch his nose bridge, choking out, “So, you’re admitting it, right?”
Qiao Yue, upon hearing this, felt a lump in his throat, and his gaze held an indescribable emotion. He spoke, his voice filled with a heavy sigh, “Even if it’s true, what difference does it make now? Everything has already happened, and it was too late even five years ago.”
“Five years ago, when I woke up and realized that you had already left, that’s when I understood how terribly wrong I was. This is how it’s going to be for us for the rest of our lives. You’ll hate me, and you’ll never forgive me.”
Shen Muchuan had never expected his brother to say such words. It was as if just by listening, he could feel the despair within them.
He looked at Qiao Yue, his eyes filled with anguish, and choked out, “Brother… I’m sorry.”
The despair and sorrow in his brother’s tone tugged at his heartstrings. Shen Muchuan suddenly felt profound regret. Why had he left back then? It must have been so cruel for his brother. After struggling so hard to win the battle against death and finally waking up, he found himself gone without even a chance for an explanation.
—
Later on, Shen Muchuan didn’t know how he had slipped into unconsciousness. When he woke up, he found himself in the hospital.
His assistant, seeing him awake, got up from the nearby sofa and asked, “Mr. Shen, you’re awake? Do you want me to call the doctor?”
Shen Muchuan’s gaze steadied, and he asked, “How did I get here?”
“Oh, Mr. Qiao called an ambulance for you last night. Your fever was close to forty degrees Celsius, and the doctor said another two hours of that and you would have developed pneumonia,” the assistant explained.
Shen Muchuan just responded with a casual “Hmm” and fell into silence.
Just then, the door opened, and Shen Muchuan was stunned for several seconds when he saw Qiao Yue. He then hesitated before asking, “Brother, you didn’t leave?”
Qiao Yue poured a glass of water for him, waited for him to finish drinking, and then slowly replied, “I originally planned to wait until you woke up to tell you that I was leaving.”
Shen Muchuan kept looking at him, and when he heard this, he panicked for a moment and asked, “So, can I still come to your place to see you in the future?”
Qiao Yue sighed and bent down to tuck the blanket around him. “You’ve said what you wanted to say, and I understand now. You rest well…”
After saying this, he paused for a few seconds and then smiled faintly, though it wasn’t very obvious and held a hint of bitterness. “I will attend your engagement ceremony, brother.”
Shen Muchuan was stunned by how he couldn’t hear the pain in Qiao Yue’s voice. He was momentarily overwhelmed by Qiao Yue’s sudden words, but when he realized, he hurriedly explained, “No, it’s not true!”
He was afraid that Qiao Yue wouldn’t believe him, so he sat up abruptly from the bed, grabbing Qiao Yue’s wrist. “Brother, I told you last time… it’s all fake. I’m not engaged to anyone, it’s all fake!”
Qiao Yue was shocked, his breath caught, and he looked at Shen Muchuan in disbelief. “You’re saying it’s fake? You…”
Shen Muchuan wished he could give himself a good slap. He had dug himself into a hole, and now, how was he going to explain this to his brother?
Did he really only want to test him with that news? Did he just want to see him upset?!
The hospital room fell silent for a long time. Shen Muchuan finally saw Qiao Yue nod slowly in response to his nervous gaze. Then Qiao Yue moved his hand away and looked at the time. “It’s almost time for work. You rest well, and I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”
Shen Muchuan looked at him with a hint of sadness, opened his mouth to say something, but didn’t know what to say. He could only watch as his brother turned and left the hospital room.
——
Shen Muchuan spent one night in the hospital, and by the second day, he waited until 6 o’clock in the afternoon and still didn’t see Qiao Yue. He couldn’t help but call him, but it rang for a long time without anyone answering. He felt a bit worried, couldn’t stay at the hospital any longer, and was about to go handle my discharge procedures myself when he received another call.
He immediately answered when he saw the incoming call reminder.
“Brother?”
“Did you just call me? I’m sorry, I was in a meeting and couldn’t answer.”
Shen Muchuan quickly replied, “It’s okay, you were busy.”
After receiving the call from Qiao Yue, he felt more at ease staying at the hospital. He thought for a moment, then went to the bathroom to take a shower. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he realized he appeared tired, but his complexion seemed a bit darker, masking the paleness.
Around 7 o’clock in the evening, the door to the hospital room was finally opened. Seeing the person entering, it was apparent they had just finished work, as they hadn’t even changed out of their suit.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Shen Muchuan thought that his brother was already very busy with work, and he shouldn’t trouble him further.
So, on the third day, Shen Muchuan decisively completed the discharge procedures. In the following month, he would often visit Qiao Yue’s home. Although Qiao Yue didn’t actively refuse, he couldn’t help but feel that their relationship was not as intimate as it used to be.
Shen Muchuan was well aware of the reasons behind this change. After all, he and his brother hadn’t seen each other for five years, and even when they finally reunited, there were many misunderstandings and hurtful actions between them. It wasn’t something that could be easily erased, and both had deeply wounded each other.
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