Chapter 49
When Chi Suinian opened his eyes again, all he saw was white. There was wind on one side of his face, and a curtain, blown by the breeze, kept brushing against his cheek.
It was the constant brushing that woke him up.
Once awake, the first thing he did was squint and check—his limbs were still there, his mind was still working. Not crippled, not brain-dead. The heavens had been kind.
The curtain kept flapping.
Chi Suinian tried to raise a hand to swat the rogue fabric away, but it didn’t budge—more accurately, his hand never actually lifted at all. The whole “swatting” moment had been nothing but an imagined scenario in his head.
Was his hand broken?
Frowning, he lowered his gaze.
And found himself looking right into Lu Zhiyue’s just-awake eyes. Those eyes were bloodshot, brows faintly furrowed, and his palm was holding Chi Suinian’s hand tightly.
No wonder he couldn’t move it—Lu Zhiyue was holding it hostage.
When Lu Zhiyue saw him awake, his face lit up with relief. “You’re awake…”
“Lu Zhiyue, get that damned curtain out of here, it’s annoying as hell,” Chi Suinian snapped the moment he spoke.
Hearing him speak with such spirit, Lu Zhiyue finally relaxed. He reached out to push the fabric away from Chi Suinian’s face and pressed it onto the table.
The itchy sensation vanished instantly. Chi Suinian was satisfied—until a moment later, when he froze.
Wait. Where exactly had Lu Zhiyue pressed that “curtain”?
On the table?
He turned his head in surprise and his face immediately darkened—this wasn’t a curtain at all, but the ribbon from a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table.
The lily petals were still beaded with water, filling the bedside with a delicate fragrance.
Why the hell did Lu Zhiyue give him such ugly flowers?
The man clearly knew what he liked, yet insisted on giving him lilies. If Lu Zhiyue claimed it wasn’t on purpose, Chi Suinian wouldn’t believe him for a second.
A hand came up under his chin, turning his face forward again. Lu Zhiyue loomed over him from the bedside. “Anywhere uncomfortable? I’ll call the doctor.”
Chi Suinian’s cheeks were squished into two little lumps, and he wriggled in irritation. “Let go. Who said you could touch me?”
Still holding his hand too—bold of him.
If he weren’t lying in a hospital bed right now, he’d get up and give Lu Zhiyue a solid kick.
“Alright, don’t get worked up just yet.” Lu Zhiyue’s voice was gentle. “Lie down and stay still. I’ll get the doctor.”
The voice was full of indulgence and concern.
Chi Suinian was momentarily dazed, then shut his mouth quietly.
…Fine. For the sake of these damned flowers, he’d let this “Lu Dog” guy off the hook for today.
A few seconds later, a thought struck him. “Lu Zhiyue, where’s Lin Qi?”
Before he blacked out, he’d only had time to glance at the driver’s seat. Lin Qi’s head had been lolling to the side, unconscious, fingertips resting on the console with a smear of blood.
Could Lin Qi have…
“He’s fine. Just a scratch on the shoulder from some glass shards. He’s in the ward next door resting,” Lu Zhiyue said immediately, clearly reading Chi Suinian’s mind and putting him at ease.
The breath Chi Suinian had been holding slipped out. “Oh…”
After a checkup, it turned out Chi Suinian only had some superficial injuries. Once his dressing was changed, he could be discharged the same day. Tang Jin, somehow having gotten the news, came rushing in from who-knew-where, shouting, “Who the hell dared lay a hand on you? I’ll kill them myself!”
Lu Heng walked in holding a bouquet. “Who else but that idiot from last night?”
Chi Suinian immediately spotted the sunflowers in his arms. “Why bring flowers? Don’t you think that’s tacky?”
Lu Heng noticed the bouquet on the bedside table and smirked. “Tacky? Look, you already have one there. Lilies are tackier. In the hospital, you give sunflowers—they symbolize vitality and a speedy recovery. Look at them—they even look like smiling faces.”
“…”
You look like a smiling face.
Chi Suinian looked away and muttered softly, “…I think lilies are pretty nice.”
Lu Heng raised a brow. “Since when did you start liking trumpet flowers?”
Chi Suinian: “…”
“Quit the nonsense. I’m still worried sick, and you two are arguing about flowers?” Tang Jin interjected impatiently. “It was that bastard Ding Xuxing, right? I swear I’ll strangle him.”
“He just threatened to make a move, and the moment Suinian stepped out, he got hit. Who else could it be?” Lu Heng’s voice went cold. “Good thing Suinian’s fine, or Ding Xuxing wouldn’t have enough lives to pay for it.”
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone out last night. I’d have driven you back myself,” Tang Jin sighed.
“And gotten hit too?” Chi Suinian replied coolly. “You never even wear a seatbelt.”
Honestly, he was a little glad he hadn’t gone with Tang Jin last night. First, the guy drove recklessly. Second, they had more people—if there had been an accident, the chain reaction would’ve meant more injuries, and his conscience couldn’t take that.
Fortunately, neither he nor Lin Qi had been seriously hurt. It was bad luck, but still a small mercy.
Lu Heng added, “Your driving’s always a mess. You should fix that, or next time when you run out of points, don’t come asking me to cover for you.”
Tang Jin bristled. “What do you mean ‘a mess’? I learned from professional race car drivers, you know. Ever heard of drifting?”
“Mm, drifting,” Chi Suinian said drily. “Last time you almost drifted into the Jianjiang River.”
That was the largest river in Jin City, cutting through the whole urban area. Last time, Tang Jin had been racing and nearly drove straight into it.
“Are you ever going to let that go?” Tang Jin was hopping mad. “That was just a little mistake, and in the end, I didn’t fall in, did I?”
“Right—you got stuck on the guardrail. The car was totaled,” Lu Heng said with a grin.
“…”
So much for brotherhood.
“Ahem, back to business.” Lu Heng sobered and looked at Chi Suinian. “You’d better not be too high-profile lately. Chi Mingyao’s already eyeing you, and now you’ve got Ding Xuxing too. His family’s background is complicated, and his methods are dirty. If you keep running around alone, I won’t feel at ease. How about I get you a bodyguard?”
Chi Suinian frowned instantly. “No.”
He was used to his freedom—having a bodyguard tailing him everywhere would be ridiculous.
Wouldn’t even be able to have fun.
“No to what?” Lu Zhiyue returned from outside, carrying medicine.
“Bodyguard,” Lu Heng said. “I told him it’s not safe lately, and I’d get one for him, but he’s not having it.”
Lu Zhiyue set the medicine on the bedside table. “No bodyguard is fine. I’ll protect him.”
Chi Suinian pouted and muttered, “Who needs you to protect me? It’s not like I don’t have hands.”
“Didn’t I say I was going to pursue you?” Lu Zhiyue suddenly said. “At least give me a chance to prove myself.”
Chi Suinian exploded. “Who the hell said you could?”
With Tang Jin and Lu Heng right there, embarrassment flooded him, even curling his toes under the blanket.
Lu Zhiyue looked innocent. “But I’ve already started.”
Chi Suinian: “…”
Shut up, you old dog.
Tang Jin and Lu Heng fell into a tactful silence, eyes lowered, pretending they hadn’t heard the couple’s private talk.
Half an hour later, once his dressing was changed, Chi Suinian was ready to leave the hospital. Before going, he stopped by the ward next door to check on Lin Qi. Just as Lu Zhiyue had said, he was fine—sitting up in bed, grinning, and munching on an apple.
“Young Master Chi.” Seeing him enter, Lin Qi propped himself up straighter.
Chi Suinian didn’t sit down. He asked, “What did the doctor say?”
“It’s nothing serious. All of Mr. Lu’s cars are modified; their performance is top-notch, so I wasn’t really hurt. I’ll be discharged in a couple of days,” Lin Qi scratched the back of his head as he spoke.
When he woke up that morning, Lu Zhiyue had specially come to the hospital to see him, handed him a big red envelope, and even approved a month of paid leave so he could go home and rest—a joy beyond words for any corporate wage slave.
Chi Suinian froze. “His cars are all modified?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Lin Qi scratched his head. “I don’t really know. I think it was about a year and a half ago—Mr. Lu suddenly told us to send all his cars to the shop for modifications. A lot of parts were imported from overseas. I don’t understand much about it, but the modification guy said it was awesome.”
Chi Suinian nodded blankly.
A year and a half ago? Wasn’t that when he had his first car accident?
Back then, after Lu Zhiyue snatched the car he had his eye on, he had angrily gone to confront him, but got into a car accident on the way.
So, was Lu Zhiyue scared by his accident and afraid something similar might happen to himself, so he modified his cars?
Or… did he modify them because of him?
After all, this man kept claiming he’d had a crush on him for over ten years. Modifying some cars… could very well have something to do with him.
Tsk.
Chi Suinian suddenly came to his senses. So what if Lu Zhiyue modified his cars? What did it have to do with him? When had he started developing this narcissistic streak?
Forget it.
Upon discharge, as they went downstairs, Lu Zhiyue went to the payment counter while Chi Suinian and the other two headed to the parking lot to wait.
Just past the hospital entrance, Chi Suinian suddenly stopped in his tracks, abruptly turning around. “I’m going back for a bit.”
“What’s wrong? Forgot something?” Lu Heng asked.
Chi Suinian paused, inexplicably frowning. “You two go back first. I’m fine.”
Tang Jin said, “We’ll go with you—”
“No need.”
The two exchanged a glance, assuming he had something to discuss privately with Lu Zhiyue, and left after a few quick words.
Chi Suinian sighed in relief, retraced his steps upstairs to the ward. The cleaning lady was tidying up, holding two bouquets from the bedside, about to throw them into a black garbage bag.
Chi Suinian hurried forward. “Wait.”
Two minutes later, he came downstairs holding a bouquet of fresh lilies. Lu Zhiyue had just finished paying, and the two ran into each other at the exit. Seeing him with the flowers, Lu Zhiyue was uncharacteristically stunned for a moment.
“What are you staring at?” Chi Suinian’s voice carried a hint of unease. “These flowers are so tacky, I’m just taking them home to show Uncle Zhang and the others.”
For some reason, Lu Zhiyue’s gaze fell on the flowers, his brow faintly furrowed, an unhappy look on his face.
Chi Suinian gave a cold snort. What right did Lu Zhiyue have to be upset? He was the one who had given the flowers in the first place.
What, can’t take a little criticism for being tacky? So fragile.
“Senior.” A familiar voice sounded beside him, accompanied by a whiff of fragrance. Yuan An walked up to him, eyes filled with concern as he looked him over. “I heard you were in a car accident, so I came to see you. You… can already be discharged?”
At the sight of Yuan An, Chi Suinian instinctively glanced at Lu Zhiyue, feeling an inexplicable pang of guilt. Worried that Yuan An might say something inappropriate, he replied perfunctorily, “Mm, I have something to do, so I’ll head off…”
“Xiao An.” Yuan Feng came jogging over from afar, slightly out of breath. “Why’d you run off so fast? I turned around for a second and you were gone.”
He looked up and saw Chi Suinian and Lu Zhiyue, froze for a moment, and extended his hand. “Hello, Mr. Lu. I’m Yuan Feng from Xunke.”
Lu Zhiyue gave him a faint nod.
Yuan An, however, ignored Lu Zhiyue completely. He was staring at the lilies in Chi Suinian’s arms, his face lighting up with joy. “Senior, do you like this bouquet of lilies?”
Chi Suinian suddenly felt the flowers in his arms were burning hot. But it was too late to toss them away, and there was nowhere to hide them. So he just admitted it outright, “Not bad.”
“That’s great. I was worried you wouldn’t like them,” Yuan An said.
“?”
Chi Suinian narrowed his eyes. What exactly were you worried about?
Yuan Feng explained, “Xiao An picked those flowers himself in the garden this morning, wrapped them up, and had them sent over. He was nervous the whole time, afraid you wouldn’t like them. Looks like he guessed right.”
Chi Suinian’s arm stiffened. These flowers… were from Yuan An?
No wonder Lu Zhiyue had been scowling the whole time earlier.
Could it be… he thought he liked Yuan An?
Chi Suinian suddenly wanted to throw the damn flowers away.
“Since we’ve run into each other, Mr. Lu, Young Master Chi, why don’t we have a meal together? To celebrate Young Master Chi’s discharge—after all, surviving a disaster means blessings to come.” Yuan Feng suggested.
Lu Zhiyue coolly declined. “No need.”
Yuan An still kept staring at Chi Suinian, making him so uncomfortable he quickly found an excuse to leave.
Once outside the hospital, Chi Suinian walked ahead in silence, until Lu Zhiyue suddenly asked, “Do you like that Yuan An a lot?”
Chi Suinian turned to him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Where the hell had Lu Zhiyue gotten such a ridiculous idea?
“I saw how much you liked the flowers he gave you,” Lu Zhiyue said blandly. “You even carried them out upon discharge.”
Chi Suinian instantly remembered his own stupid behavior earlier. Shoving the flowers into Lu Zhiyue’s arms, he said irritably, “They’re tacky—perfect for you.”
Lu Zhiyue frowned down at the messy trumpet-like blooms. Indeed tacky. Not as nice as the balloon flowers.
“So you don’t want them now?”
“Don’t want them. Throw them away,” Chi Suinian replied without slowing his steps.
“You made a special trip back to the ward to get them. Don’t you think it’s a waste to toss them?” Lu Zhiyue asked.
Chi Suinian ground out, “Not a waste.”
Lu Zhiyue pressed further, “Why didn’t you take the sunflowers? I think that bouquet looked nicer than the lilies.”
“Lu Zhiyue, are you done? Keep it up and I’ll punch you.” Absolutely infuriating.
Lu Zhiyue paused in his steps, then said gently, “Why are you so fickle?”
“…”
I’m fickle? Chi Suinian was about to explode. He even felt a little short of breath, and in a fit of pique blurted out, “If I hadn’t thought you were the one who gave them, would I have gone back—”
…Crap.
Damn mouth. It’s going to get me killed someday.
Chi Suinian snapped his mouth shut, already thinking about what stance and how much force it would take to knock Lu Zhiyue into amnesia.
Sia- Hi guys! If you like the novel, consider buying me Ko-fi.
