Chapter 9
In the middle of the night, the hospital was almost empty.
Lu Yao found the on-duty doctor quickly, and the examination and medication were completed efficiently. Once Yu Le was settled into a hospital room, Lu Yao sat by the bed and finally relaxed a bit.
The diagnoses weren’t severe but indicated multiple issues. Yu Le had fatigue and a cold caused by wind chill, an unknown allergy, and low blood sugar. He was disoriented from the illness and needed glucose infusion.
The bumpy ride up the mountain made it worse. Originally, Lu Yao had planned to let Yu Le shower and rest before having a meal, but he hadn’t thought it through.
A young nurse came in to administer the fever-reducing injection.
Knowing that Yu Le was currently unconscious, Lu Yao still adjusted his position to rest his head on his palm and pulled down one side of his collar to expose his shoulder, shielding his eyes.
The bright lights in the room made certain hidden marks clearly visible.
The nurse’s gaze lingered on Yu Le for a moment, then quickly flicked up to glance at Lu Yao, her face slightly flushed. She completed the injection swiftly and left.
Worried that the drip might make Yu Le’s hand swell or hurt, Lu Yao set the drip rate to the slowest. To make Yu Le more comfortable, he turned off the room lights, relying on the faint light from the corridor to see.
The glucose drip would take at least an hour. Lu Yao downloaded some files sent by his assistant onto his phone and occasionally checked Yu Le’s forehead to see if his temperature had gone down.
During this time, Yu Le moved his head slightly from side to side, showing signs of waking up.
Lu Yao touched his face and softly reassured him, “It’s okay, go back to sleep. You’ll feel better after some rest.”
Yu Le quickly settled back into a deep sleep, leaning on Lu Yao’s hand.
From seven in the morning, the hospital became busier, with doctors and nurses moving around. The noise in the corridor woke Yu Le up.
He opened his eyes to the white ceiling and smelled the faint scent of disinfectant. It took him a moment to realize he was in a hospital, his mind still stuck on last night’s immobility.
He noticed he could now turn his head and saw Lu Yao, who had lifted his head from the bedside, without asking why he was there.
Yu Le muttered to himself, “I can move now. Did the ghost go away?”
His succinct statement made it clear he had interpreted last night’s experience as sleep paralysis.
Lu Yao’s eyes flashed with amusement but he didn’t contradict him.
He nodded, “It’s gone. Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Do you have a headache?”
“No, no headache.”
Just then, a nurse’s voice came from the corridor, “Room 3, bed 3 is ringing. Someone go check it out.”
Yu Le then realized, “How did I end up in the hospital?”
Lu Yao replied, “You had a fever last night.”
“Ah? I thought it was sleep paralysis?”
He was confused, and Lu Yao lifted his chin slightly, examining the allergic red spots from last night.
Lu Yao then asked, “When did you start feeling itchy?”
It was better that Yu Le didn’t say anything, as mentioning it made him feel itchy again.
“It must have started after I lay down. There were mosquitoes buzzing around my ears, so I got up and used the mosquito repellent liquid. After lying back down, I started feeling uncomfortable.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but scratch. Lu Yao held his hand and pulled it back to the bed, saying, “Don’t scratch, just bear with it.”
Yu Le could only rub his back and asked, “Did I have an allergy?”
“Yes,” Lu Yao said, tucking his hand back under the blanket and standing up.
“If you’re still tired, sleep a bit more. I’ll get you something to eat and be back soon.”
After Lu Yao left, Yu Le lay in bed, trying to sort out his jumbled thoughts.
It wasn’t sleep paralysis; he was ill.
He had slept too well last night, and now he couldn’t get back to sleep. When the nurse came in, he was staring out the window at the mountain covered in lingering white mist.
“Awake? Where’s your brother?” the nurse asked as she looked around the room.
Yu Le was taken aback.
Brother?
Did he introduce himself like that?
They didn’t look alike at all, did they?
“My brother, uh, went out to buy some food,” Yu Le replied, pressing his lips together, feeling slightly embarrassed.
The nurse nodded, “Okay, when he comes back, tell him to go to the right side of the lobby on the first floor to pick up the medicine.”
Yu Le agreed.
As the nurse turned to leave, she remembered something and turned back, carefully choosing her words, “By the way, you should be aware that the main reason for your illness is overwork. It’s understandable at your age, but your health is important. Also, tell your brother… to take it easy, not to be too harsh.”
“?”
Yu Le stared in confusion as the nurse left.
A few seconds after the door closed, he suddenly realized something, and his head heated up with a surge of embarrassment!
When Lu Yao returned to the room, he found Yu Le completely covered by the blanket, with only his head sticking out.
Hearing Lu Yao enter, Yu Le’s muffled voice came from under the blanket, “The nurse said you need to go to the right side of the lobby on the first floor to get the medicine.”
“I already got it,” Lu Yao said, placing the medicine and a packed breakfast of soy milk and dumplings on the cabinet.
“Don’t hold it in. Get up and eat something.”
Yu Le peeked out from under the blanket, “I don’t have an appetite here. Can we eat in the car?”
Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, “?”
Yu Le said, “Let’s go back to the inn.”
He couldn’t stay here any longer.
To be discharged from the hospital, a family member’s signature was required. When Lu Yao signed the discharge papers, Yu Le paid close attention and noted that the signature was indeed Lu Yao’s.
The signature was neat.
The rain had temporarily stopped, leaving the ground half-dry. Yu Le avoided puddles as he returned to the car. Once Lu Yao got in, Yu Le sincerely thanked him, “I’m sorry for delaying you for the whole night.”
“It’s no trouble,” Lu Yao said, pausing for a moment. “Don’t be sorry; it’s not your fault.”
It’s not your fault.
Yu Le felt there was an unspoken subtext to those words.
Recalling what the nurse had said in the hospital, Yu Le quickly blinked, lowering his head and fiddling with the car window switch.
It was just that he suddenly felt his hands had nowhere to go.
Fortunately, Lu Yao handed him some food in time.
Back in the town, Lu Yao dropped Yu Le off at the inn’s entrance.
“It’s still early. If you’re still hungry, go to the kitchen in the back and ask Auntie to make something for you.”
There were still many xiao long bao left. Yu Le thought Lu Yao hadn’t noticed, but he wasn’t a fan of the bean sprout filling.
It was almost eight o’clock. Yu Le asked Auntie for a bowl of clear soup noodles, ten minutes before her shift ended.
“Auntie, could you add some of the mixed sauce to make it more flavorful?”
Auntie agreed as she boiled water and started preparing the condiments.
Yu Le wandered around the kitchen and noticed a plate of fried rice on the side. It looked appetizing but seemed to have cooled down as there was no steam rising from it.
Auntie noticed and smiled, “That should be from last night when Little Lu made it. I’m not sure why it wasn’t eaten. I saw it on the table when I came in this morning. Oh, right.”
She remembered something else, “There’s also rock candy pear soup in the pot. I’m guessing Little Lu made that too. I heard you had a sore throat. It’s just right to soothe your throat. I’ll heat it up for you.”
Yu Le had been wondering why Lu Yao had come to his room last night and was surprised to find out so quickly.
In his view, Lu Yao seemed the type who could handle an AK-47 and keep everyone safe behind him. The idea of him cooking and making soup seemed odd at first, but then it felt appropriate—someone reliable who could handle both high society and everyday tasks.
Yu Le had a fragmented memory of last night, knowing someone had stayed by his side and occasionally felt a gentle touch on his face or forehead.
At first, he thought it was just fatigue from the illness, but a certain emotion was beginning to surface, which Yu Le promptly suppressed.
He couldn’t feel embarrassed.
He reasoned logically: if it weren’t for him, he wouldn’t have fallen ill. As a man, one shouldn’t lack self-awareness in such situations.
After finishing the pear soup, Yu Le picked up the freshly made noodles and said, “Auntie, could you please cook another serving? Boss Lu will be back soon and hasn’t had breakfast yet.”
Lu Yao parked the car and walked back on foot, not heading straight to the inn but going to the front street to find Wen Yuan.
“You’re back?” Wen Yuan immediately stood up upon seeing him.
“How is he? Is he feeling better?”
“Almost,” Lu Yao replied.
“Do you have any extra clothes? I’ll treat you to a meal later.”
Wen Yuan, holding a pad, said, “I do have some, but I don’t think they’ll fit you.”
Lu Yao explained, “It’s not for me. His luggage was mixed up, and his clothes are in it.”
Wen Yuan understood immediately. “Oh! Okay, wait a moment.”
He went upstairs and soon returned with two sets of clothes, saying, “Actually, wearing slightly larger clothes in summer is more comfortable. It’s fine for him to wear your clothes.”
Lu Yao took the clothes, “The fabric of the clothes here is mostly rough. It will be uncomfortable for him.”
The clothes at the inn were things Lu Yao had bought and packed a few years ago, washed many times. He didn’t care much about clothes, as long as they weren’t damaged, he considered them usable.
“Wow~” Wen Yuan stretched his voice and leaned on the counter, looking curious.
“You’re taking such good care of him. What’s your relationship with him?”
Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, calm and composed, “He’s my debtor.”
Yu Le finished eating and returned to his room to take a shower. As he lay on the bed playing with his phone, he heard a knock on the door.
“Are you asleep?” It was Lu Yao’s voice.
“No,” Yu Le sat up and saw Lu Yao enter with a pile of clothes and a tube of ointment.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Applying the medicine,” Lu Yao said succinctly, placing the clothes on a nearby cabinet.
Yu Le naturally reached out for the ointment, but Lu Yao didn’t hand it over.
“It’s all on your back. Are you sure you can apply it yourself?”
Yu Le silently pulled his hand back.
“I’ll do it. Take off your shirt first.”
Lu Yao turned around and opened a new pack of medical cotton swabs from the cabinet. When he looked back, Yu Le was still sitting in the same spot, unmoved.
Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m shy,” Yu Le scratched behind his ear. “Can I keep my shirt on?”
Lu Yao paused for a moment, acknowledging his frankness. “What do you think?”
Yu Le quickly removed his shirt and lay back down on the bed, burying his head in the gap between two pillows, his ears turning red.
Yu Le was very slim. Lu Yao had realized this when he carried him last night; it seemed that Yu Le was lighter than the sandbags he used to carry during training. It was even more apparent now.
His shoulders were not broad, and his frame was small, with a lean physique that had clearly defined its shape.
He had a long, slender neck, and his slightly protruding shoulder blades led down to a visibly concave spine, followed by a slim waist with clear dimples.
There were noticeable faint blue marks on his waist, not caused by allergies but more likely by fingers pressed firmly.
Yu Le’s pale skin made these marks especially conspicuous, creating an indescribable, subtle beauty.
Lu Yao’s gaze flickered as he silently observed, taking a second to consider whether applying medicine would be effective. After concluding it wouldn’t be, he sat down by the bed and focused on the red, swollen areas caused by the allergy.
The cool ointment on his skin caused Yu Le to involuntarily shiver and flinch.
The contours of his shoulder blades were so striking that they almost seemed ready to sprout wings.
“Don’t be afraid,” Lu Yao said, noticing the tips of Yu Le’s ears were reddening. “It won’t hurt and won’t leave scars.”
“I know,” Yu Le murmured.
Lu Yao applied the medicine gently, and the areas he had treated soon stopped itching, feeling cool and soothing.
Yu Le gradually adjusted to the feather-like sensation, relaxing as the sound of wind chimes floated into his ears, making him a bit drowsy.
Until the cotton swab with the ointment moved upward, almost touching the base of his ear.
He jolted awake and quickly moved aside, “Wait a minute!”
Lu Yao held the swab by its tip. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch your ear.”
Yu Le: “……”
The base of Yu Le’s ear was particularly sensitive, to the point that it couldn’t be touched by anyone else. He had deliberately hidden it, and even Yan Jia, who had grown up with him, didn’t know. Now, it was known by a second person besides himself.
As for how he knew, Yu Le didn’t want to recall.
Since their last meeting, Yu Le had been avoiding Lu Yao, trying to dodge the accidental mention. In the end, he couldn’t avoid it.
Well, he rubbed his ears and lay back down with a frown.
They were now living under the same roof, and it was necessary to have an open conversation.
It was better to face it early rather than prolong it.
“It wasn’t intentional.”
He mumbled into his pillow, “That night, I drank too much. Your room is right across from mine. My mind wasn’t clear, and I mistakenly went into the wrong room.”
Lu Yao looked up, seeing only the back of Yu Le’s head, which was expressing a sense of resignation.
He knew which night it was, but he was somewhat surprised that Yu Le, who had been trying to act as if nothing had happened, would suddenly bring it up now.
“There was a banquet that night, and I drank someone else’s wine by mistake,” Lu Yao said, shifting his gaze.
“The wine had been drugged.”
“Drugged?” Yu Le, like a cat with its tail pulled, suddenly raised his head.
“What kind of drug? An aphrodisiac?”
“……”
Lu Yao didn’t know exactly what kind of drug it was, but it was generally considered an aphrodisiac.
“Something like that.”
“Damn,” Yu Le muttered. “No wonder, I thought it was strange for a normal person to…”
“Sorry.”
Yu Le instinctively wanted to say, “It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” but then realized he couldn’t be so magnanimous.
So he looked up at Lu Yao again, his gaze roaming around his striking face. “I’ve been meaning to ask, was that mark on your face from me scratching you?”
Lu Yao admitted candidly, “Yes.”
“Okay,” Yu Le turned away, closing the matter. “Let’s consider it even. No one owes anyone anything, and let’s just pretend it never happened.”
But Lu Yao did not go along with Yu Le’s sentiment, “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.”
The consensus wasn’t reached, and Yu Le turned back, puzzled. “Why not?”
“You can pretend it never happened, but I can’t.”
Lu Yao met his gaze, his tone calm, but his eyes and manner left no room for politeness, “Yu Le, I caused you trouble and have an obligation to compensate you.”
“Compensate? I don’t need compensation.”
Yu Le frowned. This was just a case of mistaken circumstances, with no one to blame. He didn’t need Lu Yao to take full responsibility.
“I’m not a girl; I don’t need you to be responsible.”
Lu Yao, however, had no intention of discussing the matter further. He put away the cotton swabs and stood up.
“The medicine is applied. Don’t put on your clothes yet to avoid rubbing it off.”
“The clothes on the cabinet are Wen Yuan’s. He’s the owner of the inn you visited that day. Since you have a similar build, his clothes should fit you.”
“Rest well. I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”
Sleepyblue’s corner:
Hi guys! Apologies for the technical mishaps that caused the disordered chapter uploads T__T I’ve fixed it now, along with the Chapter 4 upload! Thank you Nonny for letting me know <3.
Also, how did you guys like the story so far? Please let me know ^^
