Luo Jingshu didn’t realize that his earlier words had the opposite effect. Watching Xiao Cheng’s complexion gradually return to normal and feeling the heat under his fingertips subside, he took a cloth and wiped the sweat off Xiao Cheng’s forehead again.
Xiao Cheng wasn’t asleep much and was too uncomfortable to wake up. In the dead of winter, he had sweated so much that his lips were drier than usual, losing their usual softness to the touch.
Earlier, Luo Jingshu had helped him remove his suit jacket. Now, Xiao Cheng lay nestled in the blanket, his pale lips making him look even weaker.
Bai Yiheng stayed silent but didn’t leave, clearly intending to wait until Xiao Cheng woke up.
Luo Jingshu sat quietly by the bedside, staring intently at Xiao Cheng.
His posture was casual, with his long legs stretched out and relaxed. His tailored trousers outlined his straight, strong legs, and the faint outline of abdominal muscles could be seen under his white shirt.
Bai Yiheng, also in a suit but paired with a black shirt, exuded a mature and elegant aura.
Their similar attire gave off entirely different impressions.
Luo Jingshu was like a wolf cub with his sharpness on full display. His strikingly beautiful face didn’t diminish his intensity; it only added to his bold and aggressive presence.
Bai Yiheng, on the other hand, resembled a lion lying in wait. He exuded a calm and steady demeanor, giving an illusion of harmlessness, only to strike decisively at the right moment.
When their gazes met, the atmosphere between them seemed to spark with electricity.
When Xiao Yu finally finished his call and returned to the room, Luo Jingshu instantly retracted the cold hostility from his face. Instead, his expression turned soft and harmless, as though he had transformed from a wolf cub into a docile puppy.
“Uncle Xiao,” Luo Jingshu greeted politely.
Bai Yiheng couldn’t help but silently click his tongue.’So he’s an actor too, changing his demeanor depending on the audience.’
Xiao Yu first checked Xiao Cheng’s condition, then sat down by the bedside. “You’ve worked hard.”
The consequences could have been unthinkable if Luo Jingshu had not been there tonight.
Luo Jingshu stood up, revealing his slender yet powerful waist beneath his shirt. “Uncle Xiao, since you’re here, I’ll take my leave.”
Xiao Yu looked surprised. “You’re not waiting for Cheng Cheng to wake up?”
This would be the perfect opportunity to score some points with Xiao Cheng, and Xiao Yu hadn’t even thought of letting him leave. Unexpectedly, Luo Jingshu took the initiative to suggest it himself.
Luo Jingshu smiled faintly, his tone calm as though it were the most natural thing: “Brother Cheng doesn’t want to see me.”
For a moment, Xiao Yu was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.
As an elder, he shouldn’t meddle in their relationship. But looking at the scene before him, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but ask, “So why did you two break up?”
Even Bai Yiheng, who had remained silent until now, turned his attention to the topic, seemingly interested in the answer.
Luo Jingshu pressed his lips together. In front of Xiao Cheng’s father, he should have said something to make himself look better. But instead, he lowered his voice and admitted, “Because I said some really hurtful things and lied to Brother Cheng.”
Xiao Yu: …
Well, you had that coming.
Xiao Cheng had always been the gentlest person. For him to end things, the “hurtful things” and lies Luo Jingshu mentioned had to have crossed Xiao Cheng’s bottom line.
Xiao Yu rubbed his temples. “Fine, you can leave.”
As a father, Xiao Yu was, of course, on Xiao Cheng’s side.
Luo Jingshu cast one last glance at Xiao Cheng before walking out. His figure quickly disappeared through the door.
Bai Yiheng finally understood. Luo Jingshu’s earlier silence and refusal to leave had been out of vigilance—toward him.
He couldn’t help but let out a silent chuckle, asking Xiao Yu, “Xiao-ge, are you very familiar with him?”
“Not really,” Xiao Yu replied honestly.
Between Luo Jingshu and Bai Yiheng, Xiao Yu naturally trusted Bai Yiheng more. He briefly recounted his conversation with Luo Jingshu without holding anything back.
“Although Luo Jingshu is only eighteen, I think he’s sharper than many people in their thirties or forties. He’s very calculating.”
Xiao Yu sighed. “Honestly, if he were dating Cheng Cheng, I’d be worried about Cheng Cheng being taken advantage of.”
Xiao Cheng was too kind-hearted and straightforward, without a single deceptive bone in his body. Xiao Yu feared he’d be duped by Luo Jingshu and still thanked him for it.
As this thought swirled in his mind, Xiao Yu suddenly realized such a thing had already happened once before.
Luo Jingshu really is trouble.
Bai Yiheng listened attentively, his expression shifting from indifferent to surprised. When Luo Jingshu had threatened him earlier, he had dismissed him as an inexperienced wolf cub.
Hearing Xiao Yu’s words, Bai Yiheng realized he had underestimated him.
Xiao Yu didn’t say much more, as gossiping wasn’t his style.
Xiao Cheng’s IV was still dripping. Xiao Yu reached out to touch his son’s forehead, relieved to find it no longer burning hot.
“Yiheng, I’ll stay here. You can head back,” Xiao Yu suggested.
Earlier, He An had called. Xiao Yu initially wanted to keep her in the dark to avoid worrying her, but she had already figured it out.
Left with no choice, Xiao Yu had shared the hospital’s location. She was likely on her way.
Bai Yiheng shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll stay here with you and wait.”
He said, “What happened today is partly my responsibility. I need to confirm that Xiao Cheng’s health is fine before I feel at ease.”
Xiao Yu then reassured him, “What happened today wasn’t your fault. It’s also my mistake for never discussing these matters with Cheng Cheng before. He’s never been fond of attending these kinds of events, and I’ve always let him be.”
He hadn’t expected his indulgence to result in Xiao Cheng being too unguarded around outsiders, almost leading to a disaster.
Xiao Yu rarely brought Xiao Cheng to such banquets, so Xiao Cheng wasn’t familiar with the social circle, and many people didn’t recognize him.
If that man had known Xiao Cheng’s identity, he might not have acted so quickly.
Thinking of that man reignited Xiao Yu’s anger. He took out his phone, intending to ask someone to look into the matter, but he received a message from Luo Jingshu instead.
[Luo Jingshu: Uncle Xiao, I’ve taken care of that man.]
Xiao Yu: ??
He was momentarily confused, but then Luo Jingshu sent a photo.
Xiao Yu opened it and nearly didn’t recognize the person in the image.
The setting appeared to be a hotel room in complete disarray, with the bedding thrown on the floor and clothes scattered about.
A man was curled up on the floor, clutching his head tightly, tears streaming down his face. His swollen and bloodied visage looked like a beaten pig’s head, entirely different from his appearance a few hours earlier.
He wasn’t wearing any clothes, his appearance utterly wretched and humiliating.
Xiao Yu felt a mix of emotions, but mostly satisfaction.
In the business world, things weren’t as simple as doing whatever you pleased. While Xiao Yu wanted to get back at the man for his son, he couldn’t act rashly since the man could easily deny any wrongdoing, claiming nothing had happened.
Beating him up was the best way to vent anger.
[Xiao Yu: Did you do this?]
Luo Jingshu had just left not long ago, so it probably wasn’t him personally. When had he found time to send someone to do it?
Even Xiao Yu himself had only just found the time to deal with this matter. How had Luo Jingshu acted so quickly?
[Luo Jingshu: I didn’t do it myself.]
But it made no difference.
When Luo Jingshu sent that reply, he was sitting in Fu Ju’s car.
Fu Ju had come all the way himself to pick Luo Jingshu up, even though he usually didn’t have a driver. In the end, though, he grumbled about being treated like a chauffeur.
“You’re sitting in the back seat, making me look like a full-time driver.”
Luo Jingshu glanced at him with a calm expression. “I’m not sitting in your passenger seat.”
Fu Ju choked for a moment, realizing there was some logic to that.
“I gave up spending a wonderful evening with my partner to come and pick you up, and I can’t even get a friendly face,” Fu Ju muttered, then asked, “Your little grape okay?”
Ever since he had jokingly called Xiao Cheng a “little canary” in front of Luo Jingshu and gotten targeted for it, he had switched to calling him “little grape.”
“He’s okay,” Luo Jingshu replied. Not entirely unscathed, though. The image of Xiao Cheng’s distressed face on the way to the hospital flashed in his mind.
Luo Jingshu’s expression darkened even more. Sensing this, Fu Ju hesitated. “Don’t tell me Jiang Ying succeeded?”
Impossible. If Jiang Ying had succeeded, Luo Jingshu would have killed him on the spot.
Luo Jingshu’s gaze turned cold as a knife, stabbing at Fu Ju. “No.”
Fu Ju shivered, suddenly feeling a chill.
He adjusted the car’s air conditioning to blow warmer air, finally feeling a bit more comfortable. “Good.”
“By the way,” Fu Ju added with amusement, “did you really have someone beat that guy up?”
He hadn’t known at first, but he had heard about the incident since Luo Jingshu was with him discussing matters before rushing off to save Xiao Cheng.
He had investigated and learned that Bai Yiheng was also looking for someone, piecing things together quickly.
Luo Jingshu had always been extremely biased toward Xiao Cheng, and his possessiveness was so intense that it often left Fu Ju in awe.
Even after their breakup, Luo Jingshu’s actions made it clear Xiao Cheng wouldn’t escape him easily.
Though they were technically separated, Luo Jingshu still treated Xiao Cheng as his boyfriend. There was no way he’d let someone make a move on him.
While Fu Ju had expected Luo Jingshu to retaliate against Jiang Ying and the other man, he hadn’t anticipated how fast Luo Jingshu would act.
“Yeah,” Luo Jingshu replied. Beating him up was letting him off lightly.
Cruelty to others seemed second nature to Luo Jingshu. He turned to look out the window, avoiding Fu Ju’s curious gaze. In a soft, almost gentle voice, he murmured, “He won’t have it easy.”
Though Luo Jingshu’s tone was mild and calm, it sent an inexplicable chill down Fu Ju’s spine.
He silently thanked his lucky stars that he wasn’t Luo Jingshu’s enemy.
—
By the time the IV drip finished, Xiao Cheng finally woke up. Though he felt like he had slept forever, he had only been unconscious for about two hours.
When he opened his eyes, his whole body ached. His arms were too weak to move, and even the slightest motion made his stomach churn with nausea.
“Cheng Cheng’s awake!”
It was He An who spoke, her eyes red and voice choked with emotion as she held her son’s hand. “Don’t move. There’s still a needle in this hand.”
“Mom?” Why was He An here?
Xiao Cheng rubbed his temples, about to lift the blanket to sit up when a rush of cold air hit him, making him shiver.
“Lie back down; the medicine hasn’t finished yet,” He An pressed gently on his shoulder and tucked him back in. Her voice was soft and soothing, “Cheng Cheng, are you still feeling unwell?”
It was like coaxing a little child.
Xiao Cheng’s eyes were still sore, and he felt like crying whenever he blinked.
He obediently shook his head, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of childish sweetness. “I’m fine now. Don’t worry, Mom.”
“That’s good to hear. When your father told me what happened, I was so worried,” He An said, her eyes turning red again. She held one of Xiao Cheng’s hands while wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes with the other.
“Don’t cry, Mom,” Xiao Cheng said, holding her fingers in return. “I’m okay.”
A wave of guilt and regret surged in his heart. It was his lack of vigilance that allowed others to take advantage of him, making his parents worry so much.
Xiao Cheng turned his gaze toward Xiao Yu, but in doing so, he caught sight of Bai Yiheng sitting not far away.
Xiao Cheng: !!!
Why was Mr. Bai here?
A flush of embarrassment spread through Xiao Cheng. That meant Mr. Bai had also seen him being coddled by his mom just now.
His cheeks reddened by the second, and a thin layer of moisture appeared in his bright eyes.
Bai Yiheng stood up and walked to the side of the bed, his voice gentle and low. “Are you hungry?”
Xiao Cheng shook his head. His body still felt unwell, and his stomach churned with nausea, leaving him unable to eat anything.
Seeing that Xiao Cheng didn’t seem to have any other major issues aside from his pale face, Bai Yiheng finally felt reassured. He intentionally left to give the family some privacy.
“I’ll call the nurse to remove the IV.”
As he left, he thoughtfully closed the door to the hospital room, allowing the family of three to have a proper conversation.
Once Bai Yiheng was gone, Xiao Cheng finally felt less tense. He used his free hand to rub his stomach, which still felt bloated.
“When did Mr. Bai arrive?” Xiao Cheng asked.
Xiao Yu, who had been quietly comforting He An, replied, “Not long after you got to the hospital, Yiheng came.”
Xiao Cheng had no memory of what happened earlier. He had assumed it was Bai Yiheng who brought him to the hospital, but based on Xiao Yu’s tone, it didn’t seem like that was the case.
“Who brought me here?”
It couldn’t have been Xiao Yu.
Xiao Cheng remembered kicking Jiang Ying. He had planned to call the police but wasn’t sure if the call had gone through.
“It was Luo Jingshu.”
Of all people, he hadn’t expected to hear that name from Xiao Yu’s mouth. Xiao Cheng froze for a moment and instinctively repeated, “Luo Jingshu?”
How could it have been him?
“Yes,” Xiao Yu hesitated before continuing, “He gave Jiang Ying a beating and then brought you to the hospital.”
Xiao Cheng licked his dry lips, completely caught off guard that Luo Jingshu had been the one to save him. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
Xiao Yu put an arm around his wife’s shoulders and asked Xiao Cheng, “Have you been in a relationship with him?”
He An was equally stunned. “What? Cheng Cheng, you and Luo Jingshu?”
Weren’t they just friends?
Although they had fallen out for some unknown reason later on, He An had always assumed Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu were just friends.
Hearing Luo Jingshu’s name from Xiao Yu, Xiao Cheng guessed that his father probably already knew. He nodded. “We were, but we’ve broken up.”
Xiao Yu asked, “He told you the breakup was his fault, didn’t he?”
Xiao Cheng looked tired. Talking about his ex-boyfriend in front of his parents made him feel a peculiar kind of discomfort.
“Mm.”
Xiao Yu sighed. “Cheng Cheng, Luo Jingshu is a very calculating person. You should be more cautious around him.”
Whether or not they reconciled in the future, Xiao Yu just didn’t want Xiao Cheng to trust Luo Jingshu too much.
Based on what Xiao Yu knew, Luo Jingshu was far from being a kind person.
It might not have been entirely fair to Luo Jingshu, but people were inherently biased. Xiao Yu only wanted to ensure his son didn’t get hurt.
Xiao Cheng made a soft sound of acknowledgment and then glanced toward the door. “Where is he?”
“He’s already gone,” Xiao Yu replied.
Xiao Cheng closed his eyes slightly, his weariness and exhaustion written across his face. Yet, upon hearing that Luo Jingshu had left, the tension in his hands under the blanket seemed to ease a little.
“Cheng Cheng, just focus on resting for now. Don’t think about anything else,” He An said, her tone a bit stern. She watched Xiao Cheng close his eyes before turning to glance at Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu silently stepped aside, gesturing toward the IV bottle that was almost empty, indicating that it was time to remove the needle.
Bai Yiheng had fetched a nurse, who carefully removed the IV line. A small red dot remained on the back of Xiao Cheng’s pale hand, the mark especially noticeable against his fair skin.
Soon after, Xiao Cheng fell back asleep. Knowing he was safe now, his exhaustion fully took over, and he dozed off after exchanging only a few words.
The three adults quietly left the room, gently closing the door to let him rest properly.
With the tension in Bai Yiheng’s demeanor easing, fatigue also began to creep over him. “Brother Xiao, I’ll head out now.”
Xiao Yu patted his shoulder reassuringly, signaling for him not to dwell too much on the situation.
After Bai Yiheng left, He An’s expression turned cold. “What’s going on between Cheng Cheng and Luo Jingshu? And you kept it from me?”
Xiao Yu, who could never put up much of a defense against his wife, quickly explained everything. The more He An listened, the deeper her frown grew.
When Xiao Yu finally finished, He An confirmed, “He’s even younger than Cheng Cheng?”
Xiao Yu froze for a moment. “Yes.”
He An looked at him skeptically. “Was he even an adult when Cheng Cheng started dating him?”
Xiao Yu hadn’t considered this before, and now he wasn’t so sure.
If Luo Jingshu hadn’t been of age when he and Xiao Cheng started dating, the question of who was at fault became murkier.
While Xiao Cheng was only a few months older than Luo Jingshu, the difference between being an adult and a minor was significant.
Xiao Yu thought about it for a moment. “Let’s wait until Cheng Cheng wakes up and asks him.”
“They’re already broken up now,” he added, “and Luo Jingshu is an adult.”
After hearing Xiao Yu’s brief description of Luo Jingshu’s personality, He An felt a growing unease.
“If Cheng Cheng still likes him…”
As a mother, she didn’t want her son’s partner to be too cunning or shrewd. She feared her son might suffer.
Xiao Yu placed an arm around her shoulders. “It’s his life. He knows what’s best for himself. And no matter what, we’ll always be here for him.”
—
Xiao Cheng slept through until the next morning, finally shaking off the weakness that had plagued him. Sitting up in bed, he felt as if he had been reborn.
By now, he had already missed work. Opening WeChat, he saw a message from Bai Yiheng, who told him to take care of himself before returning.
Taking leave after only a few days at work—Xiao Cheng didn’t need much imagination to guess what his colleagues might think.
He could almost feel the words “nepotism hire” written across his forehead.
Remembering the emergency call he’d tried to make last night, Xiao Cheng checked his call log. Luo Jingshu’s name was at the very top of the list.
His emergency call had never gone through.
Staring at the timestamp, Xiao Cheng mentally calculated. It must’ve been when he first tried to call for help and accidentally hit Luo Jingshu’s contact instead.
A complicated emotion welled up inside him.
Xiao Cheng had been trying to avoid Luo Jingshu, treating him like a stranger, but reality always seemed to force their paths to cross.
The two of them were like non-parallel lines on the same plane—destined to intersect sooner or later.
And every time, it seemed like he owed Luo Jingshu.
The thought made Xiao Cheng’s head ache even more.
Last time, Luo Jingshu injured his hand while saving Xiao Ziyue, yet he didn’t make a fuss or seek sympathy from Xiao Cheng—something Xiao Cheng had found surprising.
This time, Luo Jingshu had likely clashed with Jiang Ying while trying to rescue him.
Thinking of Jiang Ying, Xiao Cheng felt a mix of disgust and shock.
That scumbag actually had those kinds of thoughts about him and even tried to take advantage of his vulnerability.
Xiao Cheng didn’t know how to describe his feelings. Should he feel flattered that both the protagonist gong and shou had taken a liking to him?
It was absurd.
He deeply wished he’d never attended Luo Jingshu’s welcome party months ago. That way, he could’ve avoided both the protagonist gong and shou, leaving them to their love-hate entanglement.
What did any of that have to do with him?
After confirming his body was fine, Xiao Cheng returned to work.
When he arrived, he happened to run into Secretary Chen, who was rushing toward Bai Yiheng’s office with a stack of files.
Xiao Cheng quickly stepped in to help, taking part of the load. “Secretary Chen, why didn’t you ask someone to assist you?”
Secretary Chen smiled. “Everyone’s busy.”
With the new year approaching, every department was swamped, and minor tasks like this weren’t worth troubling others over.
Xiao Cheng nodded, a polite smile on his fair face.
Secretary Chen then asked, “Mr. Bai said you weren’t feeling well. Are you okay now? Why not rest a couple more days?”
Given Xiao Cheng’s unique status, his absence wasn’t a big deal—at most, it meant more work for Secretary Chen.
“I’m fine now,” Xiao Cheng replied.
They reached the office door, and Xiao Cheng knocked lightly before pushing it open.
Bai Yiheng’s office was always open unless locked, signaling that people could enter freely. Xiao Cheng’s knock was just a courtesy.
What he hadn’t expected was that someone else was already inside.
Xiao Cheng froze mid-step, and Secretary Chen, walking close behind him, nearly bumped into his back.
“Why’d you stop?”
Xiao Cheng hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to let Secretary Chen see what had caught his attention.
The scene inside left both of them momentarily stunned.
Bai Yiheng’s usually composed face was dark with frustration. His light-gray suit had a coffee stain, and he used a napkin to wipe spilled coffee from his desk.
Standing two steps away was a delicate-looking young man with red-rimmed eyes, who darted a glance at Xiao Cheng and Secretary Chen before turning his gaze back to Bai Yiheng.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Bai,” the young man said, his voice strangely sweet. “I didn’t mean to.”
Xiao Cheng: Oh, boy.
The scene was oddly reminiscent of a romantic drama.
The clumsy female lead accidentally spills coffee on the male lead, then apologizes with tearful eyes, only for the male lead to find her endearingly silly.
This was Xiao Cheng’s first time witnessing a male-male version of the trope, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity as if he were watching a drama unfold.
Standing with the files in his arms, Xiao Cheng blinked twice, noticing that the young man seemed to sneak a couple of glances at him.
Secretary Chen, however, was far more professional. She quickly set her files down, ushered the young man out, and efficiently took over the cleanup.
Some documents had been splattered with coffee and would need to be reprinted. Bai Yiheng’s temple twitched visibly, and he struggled to maintain his composure.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bai!” the young man said again, his teary face looking even more pitiable.
Xiao Cheng quietly placed his files on the desk, his curiosity about the situation practically glowing in his eyes.
Still, he decided to side with Bai Yiheng. While Secretary Chen tidied up the desk, Xiao Cheng suggested, “Mr. Bai, why don’t you change your clothes?”
Bai Yiheng’s office included a small lounge with a wardrobe stocked with clean emergency clothes.
Taking a deep breath, Bai Yiheng nodded. “Alright.”
He refrained from venting his frustration in front of Xiao Cheng, swallowing his anger without a word.
As Xiao Cheng moved to assist Secretary Chen, he caught the young man staring at him with open hostility out of the corner of his eye.
Xiao Cheng: ???
