DCISBS chapter 80

“So you’re Lu Nanyang, huh?!” The man immediately turned his fury on Lu Nanyang, shouting, “Aren’t you the little young master of the Lu family?! I saw you sitting there for a while! You think I’m scared of you rich kids?! I’ll tell you right now—I, Liu Laosi, have never been afraid of anyone! This hospital isn’t your Lu family’s backyard, so don’t think you can run your shady crap here!”

Lu Nanyang’s eyes widened. “You—”

To his shock, the man’s words were actually met with quite a bit of support from the onlookers. People began nodding and whispering among themselves. Although no one said anything out loud, it was clear that many felt he had voiced what they secretly believed.

“If my son dies, your whole Lu family will pay with your lives!” The man’s eyes were bloodshot as he gave Lu Nanyang a hard shove.

Lu Nanyang hadn’t expected the man to actually lay hands on him. Caught off guard, his head slammed directly into the corner of a chair behind him. His vision immediately went dark, pain exploded through his skull, and a piercing ringing filled his ears.

Goddamn bastard…

He couldn’t even manage to curse out loud. All he could do was clutch the back of his injured head, struggling to stay conscious.

Through the disoriented buzzing in his ears, he could make out the chaos erupting around him. The crowd exploded—some people tried to help, some joined in the shouting, and others ran off to call for help.

The little nurse was crying so miserably that her sobs hurt his eardrums. Thankfully, the most intense pain only lasted for about ten seconds before it eased slightly. Lu Nanyang sat up from the floor, hand still pressed to his bleeding head. His palm came away red.

Amid the chaos, he squinted through blurry vision and saw Xie Quan’s back standing between him and the man, his tone submissive in a way Lu Nanyang had never heard before.

“…I promise you’ll get an answer regarding the surgery. As long as there’s even the slightest chance, we won’t give up on saving the patient.”

“Get lost! Don’t dirty my eyes by standing here!”

But Xie Quan still blocked his path persistently. “I was the one involved in the surgery. I should take responsibility. It has nothing to do with the Lu family or Lu Nanyang…”

“Didn’t you hear me say get the hell away?!”

“We can go through the proper procedures to address your complaints—whether it’s compensation or disciplinary action, the relevant departments will take action. If you keep making a scene like this, it’ll only end up hurting everyone…”

In that moment, Lu Nanyang’s chest suddenly felt like it was being crushed, each breath like thousands of tiny knives slicing through his lungs.

His boyfriend. His Xie Quan.
No one knew better than he did just how proud and dignified Xie Quan was.

Since the day he met him, he had never heard him speak to anyone in such a submissive, compromising tone.

And it was all because of him.

That thought surged through his mind like a flood breaking a dam, swallowing up everything else.

Because of him, Xie Quan had to talk to that scum like that.
If it weren’t for him…

…..

Fortunately, before things escalated further, the police arrived and separated Xie Quan from the man, bringing order to the chaos.

After the incident, the surgery department’s work was severely disrupted. Even though Xie Quan was still injured, he had no choice but to immediately return to his duties.

Lu Nanyang and the man were taken for questioning. After sorting things out, the police handled it with a vague, conciliatory approach—scolding both sides and sending everyone home.

Yes, the man had caused a disturbance and assaulted someone—but it was also true that Lu Nanyang had shown up at Xie Quan’s workplace and “sparked negative public discussion.”

……

That afternoon, the sky was overcast. The sun was hidden behind clouds and a northwestern wind blew through the streets.

Leaves rustled in the wind, swirling trash across the pavement. Goosebumps rose on Lu Nanyang’s arms, and only then did he remember he’d left his coat in the surgery department hallway.

But he didn’t dare go back up. He just sat alone on a row of benches outside the hospital’s back entrance, hugging his arms. Every time someone walked by, he nervously looked up to check.

When that man laid a hand on Xie Quan,
When the police didn’t resolve anything and just glossed it over—
There were multiple moments when Lu Nanyang wanted to shout,
“Do you know who I am?”
“Should I just call Lu Hongzhen and have him handle this?”

But he couldn’t do that.

Because if he said those words, it would confirm all the rumors—
It would make it seem like Xie Quan really had gotten where he was by relying on some rich backer.

Lu Nanyang buried his face in his hands.

The words Lu Hongzhen had once said at the dinner table now felt like nails being hammered into his chest, leaving bloody holes that would never heal.

Had Lu Hongzhen seen this coming all along?
Would this kind of thing happen again and again, at every critical point in Xie Quan’s life?

The thought pierced him like an icicle straight through to the bone, chilling him from scalp to soles.

Just then, something warm suddenly touched his cheek.

Lu Nanyang looked up in surprise and saw Xie Quan standing in front of him, holding two cups of hot milk tea. He also had the coat he had left upstairs in his other hand.

There was still a noticeable bruise on his temple, and his glasses looked a little bent. But despite the exhaustion on his face, Xie Quan still managed a small smile as he draped the coat over Lu Nanyang’s shoulders.

“Saw you sitting here like an idiot from upstairs,” Xie Quan said. “This spot is right where the wind blows between two buildings—aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

“Is it? Didn’t notice,” Lu Nanyang mumbled, rubbing his nose.

Xie Quan shoved the milk tea into his arms. “Drink it while it’s hot. It’s the fall seasonal special from that shop. Second cup was half off.”

“Only a few days in, and you’re already a milk tea expert?” Lu Nanyang chuckled.

“Never let a single opportunity for enjoyment pass you by,” Xie Quan replied, inserting the straw into his cup. “That’s my life philosophy.”

Lu Nanyang didn’t say anything, quietly lowering his head to insert his straw as well. The warm milk tea filled his stomach, bringing a bit of comfort to his chilled body.

“The police glossed it over. Just scolded him and let him go,” Lu Nanyang said quietly.

“That’s normal. Most medical disputes end like this,” Xie Quan replied calmly. “And this time he only shoved someone, and the injuries weren’t serious… How’s your head? Did you get it checked?”

“It’s fine. Just a minor bump,” Lu Nanyang said vaguely. “Not bleeding anymore…”

“Let me see.”

Xie Quan firmly turned Lu Nanyang’s head, his fingers gently tracing up the back of his neck, stopping near the swollen wound.

The dried blood was stuck to strands of short hair, making it look particularly pitiful.

“I knew it,” Xie Quan let out a soft sigh. “Don’t move.”

Lu Nanyang gripped the back of the chair, trying to keep still with some nervousness. Then he felt Xie Quan take something out behind him, and the next moment, a cold liquid sprayed onto the wound. It stung a little, but more than that, it was cool and soothing.

Xie Quan had really prepared everything—milk tea, a jacket, and even medicine for him.

“What about you?” Lu Nanyang asked in a muffled voice, head lowered.

“What?” Xie Quan, fully focused on treating Lu Nanyang’s wound, replied casually.

“Your injuries, Xie Quan?” Lu Nanyang asked.

“Me? I just got punched in the forehead, nothing as serious as yours.” After finishing the treatment, Xie Quan ran his fingers through Lu Nanyang’s hair, gently working out the dried blood clinging to the strands. “It was my fault this time. I should’ve just told you to wait obediently at home…”

Lu Nanyang suddenly turned his head, raising his voice. “And then what? How long were you planning to wait before telling me any of this? You got harassed, beaten, and still had to swallow your pride and talk nicely to that kind of person… After all this, are you going to have to change your internship? If your advisor hears about it, won’t it affect your graduation and grad school recommendation?”

Xie Quan frowned. “You’re overthinking it. It was just a case of medical troublemaking—every hospital has it… Turn your head back, I’m not finished yet.”

“‘Just’?” Lu Nanyang slapped Xie Quan’s hand away, his eyes turning red. “I’ve never seen you talk to anyone like that before! You’re not the kind of person who would humble yourself like that, but you did it—for me!”

“I’m just an intern at the hospital! Even the department head wouldn’t dare confront him. Do you expect me, a lowly intern, to curse him out?” Xie Quan raised his voice too. “I already told you, it was just medical trouble—anyone in this profession has to deal with it! It has absolutely nothing to do with you. Do you understand?”

Xie Quan was lying.

Both of them knew this wasn’t just a “normal” case of medical trouble. It was deliberate and targeted harassment.

If those rumors hadn’t spread, this whole incident wouldn’t have happened at all.

Xie Quan would’ve continued confidently with his temporary teaching position, secured his recommendation for grad school, and steadily built a good reputation with his professors and peers. He would never have ended up in this mess.

“Xie Quan.” Lu Nanyang felt like just opening his mouth was incredibly difficult, every word taking enormous effort. But the ache in his chest pushed him to say what came next. “Xie Quan, we…”

Smack—a sharp sting struck his cheek, snapping him into dazed confusion.

Xie Quan firmly cupped Lu Nanyang’s face, gray eyes boring straight into his, and said, word by word, “Lu Nanyang, if you dare say the rest of that sentence, I will never forgive you for the rest of my life.”