“Baby!”
Xia Zhile rushed to the bedside, eyes red with worry, looking every bit like the tragic hero of a melodrama—on the verge of tears at a moment’s notice. “Where are you hurt? You scared me to death! Let me see—did you get a CT scan? An EKG? Blood test results—where are they? Give them to me.”
Lin Hening had to admit, whenever he was sick or unwell, Xia Zhile always gave him a sense of reassurance.
Like now—he was lying in the emergency room, dizzy and weak, while Xia Zhile sat by his bed, studying his test results with absolute focus. For a few seconds, Lin Hening felt a flicker of warmth in his heart.
But warmth didn’t mean he couldn’t turn ice-cold.
“Was the Meizu liquor good?” Lin Hening asked casually.
Xia Zhile froze, visible panic flashing across his face. “Baby, listen to me—you’re misunderstanding!”
A full-frontal photo taken by the police, and he still dared to call it a misunderstanding?
Lin Hening sneered, saying nothing.
Let’s see how Xia Zhile tried to talk his way out of this one.
Xia Zhile held Lin Hening’s hand with deep affection. “You just went through a car accident—you’re scared, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Rest first. Once you have the energy, I’ll explain everything, okay? That way, you’ll at least have the strength to hit me or curse me out, right?”
Look at that. Smooth talker, expert at coaxing.
Lin Hening did fall for this kind of thing, but he wouldn’t be fooled by sweet talk alone. The truth was, Xia Zhile made sense. He wasn’t in the best shape right now—he needed to recover his strength so he could slap the guy properly later, right?
Besides, this was a public setting. Discussing something so embarrassing here was beneath both of them. Since they both cared about appearances, they wordlessly agreed to drop it for now.
Jian Xiaoxi, ever the ride-or-die brother, was more than willing to throw hands on Lin Hening’s behalf. If Lin Hening said the word, he wouldn’t hesitate to take a disciplinary hit just to beat Xia Zhile into a pulp. But since Lin Hening was holding back, he decided to wait and see how things played out.
Jian Xiaoxi stepped forward and grabbed Xia Zhile by the shoulders, pushing him back. “Let go of him. Don’t touch my Hening with the same hands you used to hold some little vixen.”
Xia Zhile’s face flushed red. “You—”
“You what? Before you figure out how to explain yourself, don’t bother Hening. Move, move, you’re blocking the airflow.” Jian Xiaoxi shoved Xia Zhile out of the way.
Xia Zhile, choking on his anger, was about to argue when a nurse shouted at him, using his own go-to line: “This is a hospital! If you want to fight, do it outside!”
Xia Zhile, full of grievances, looked to Lin Hening for help.
Lin Hening said, “I bought you a cheesecake.”
Xia Zhile’s heart warmed. “Baby, you—”
“It’s smashed to bits.”
Xia Zhile froze for a second, then said, “It’s fine. We’ll just buy another one.”
Lin Hening said nothing. He gestured to Jian Xiaoxi. “Get me a wheelchair. I need the restroom.”
Xia Zhile hurried forward, eager to help, but Jian Xiaoxi blocked him a second time.
Xia Zhile’s temper wasn’t great to begin with. Just as he was about to snap, his phone rang.
And unfortunately for him, Lin Hening had excellent dynamic vision. He caught a glimpse of the caller ID: An Nian.
Lin Hening sneered. “If you need to get your story straight, hurry up. I don’t want to catch you slipping when I interrogate you later.”
Then he turned to Jian Xiaoxi. “Jian Xigua, take me to the restroom.”
“On it!” Jian Xiaoxi responded enthusiastically.
As they left the examination room, Lin Hening noticed Gu Fei standing in the hallway. The man had just finished a phone call and looked over at him.
Earlier, in the dimly lit chaos, the shadows and angles had made Gu Fei look like a terrifying underworld boss—someone you wouldn’t want to cross.
But now, under proper lighting, Lin Hening saw that he actually had a very proper, upright face—the kind that would make elders say “what a fine young man” with pride. Handsome, full of masculine charm, the type that would make young girls swoon. He had that classic “military officer” look.
His features weren’t Lin Hening’s type, but he could appreciate his physique.
Gu Fei was tall and powerful, but not in a grotesquely muscular way. His body was built just right—strong, but not bulky, with a perfect distribution of muscle. His sweat-dampened t-shirt clung to his sculpted torso, outlining an absolutely spectacular eight-pack.
Lin Hening considered himself manly enough, but compared to Gu Fei? He didn’t even come close.
And well… he had a little secret quirk—he liked solid, well-built muscles.
Sigh. You always want what you don’t have. When it came to looks and figure, Lin Hening was blessed in both departments—but he lacked that imposing muscular build.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. His naturally lean frame made him look a bit too much like a refined scholar. He’d even hired a coach and spent half a year lifting weights. Nothing changed. The coach practically begged him to take a refund so he wouldn’t ruin his own reputation.
Lin Hening really wanted to ask Gu Fei: “Bro, how do you train? Drop the tutorial.”
For a moment, Gu Fei looked slightly surprised.
Just like Lin Hening, Gu Fei hadn’t gotten a good look during the earlier chaos. But now, under proper lighting, he was surprised to find that the person in the wheelchair was gorgeous—no, stunning.
Delicate, arched brows and sharp, phoenix-like eyes. A high, defined nose. Every feature on that face was a masterpiece, as if meticulously sculpted by Nüwa herself. His aura was cool and pristine. Even seated in a wheelchair, he didn’t look weak or fragile. On the contrary, he radiated a natural, commanding presence that made it impossible for anyone to dismiss him just because of his slim build—let alone dare to offend him.
“You’re the driver who hit him?” Jian Xiaoxi asked, eyeing Gu Fei.
Before Gu Fei could answer, Zhou Zhou ran over, voice choked with tears. “Big bro, what did the doctor say? Do you have to stay in the hospital? I swear it was an accident—I didn’t mean to—I don’t even know what to do anymore. Big bro, can you—”
Gu Fei pulled Zhou Zhou behind him and said to Lin Hening, “How much do we owe you in compensation? And don’t forget to include the car door.”
“Yeah, the car door!” Zhou Zhou wiped his tears and nodded eagerly. “Big bro, don’t forget! My Fei-ge even saved you!”
…Excuse me? If you hadn’t hit me, would I have needed saving in the first place?
Lin Hening nearly laughed. This kid was panicking so hard he wasn’t even making sense anymore.
The compensation would have to be calculated later, but the total would definitely be an astronomical number. Zhou Zhou, who had just been on the verge of dragging the at-fault driver down with him, suddenly seemed to remember something and ran off with his phone to make a call.
Gu Fei said, “Let’s add each other on WeChat. If any issues come up later, just contact me.”
Not just Lin Hening—even Jian Xiaoxi was impressed by Gu Fei’s willingness to take responsibility. A true man’s man! The guy might drive a second-hand cargo truck, but he had dignity, backbone, and guts.
That being said… Gu Fei probably didn’t have more than two hundred bucks to his name. Meanwhile, one patch of Lin Hening’s car paint alone cost over ten grand.
How exactly was this guy planning to compensate him?
Lin Hening, however, wasn’t even thinking about the money. He had plenty of cars, and his body was still in one piece. Compared to financial losses, he was more concerned about Xia Zhile’s mess.
Half-distracted, he scanned the QR code to add Gu Fei on WeChat. Gu Fei’s username popped up: “Apricot Blossom Restaurant.”
Lin Hening blinked. He hadn’t expected that.
Based on looks and build, Zhou Zhou might not seem like a restaurant owner… but Gu Fei? He looked way more like a butcher.
—
Xia Zhile stepped out of the examination room and looked around, but Lin Hening was nowhere to be seen. His phone had been ringing nonstop. As he walked, he finally picked up.
“An Nian.”
There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a choked, tearful voice: “You weren’t answering. I thought you were mad at me… that you’d never speak to me again.”
“How could I be mad? The hospital was too chaotic—I didn’t hear my phone.”
“How’s Mr. Lin? Is it serious?”
“He’s fine, but to be safe, he’ll need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days.” Xia Zhile paused before asking, “What about you? Are you comfortable at the hotel?”
“It’s a five-star hotel—how could I not be? Thank you, Zhile-ge. And… I’m sorry. I drank too much tonight. Please don’t be mad at me, okay? Don’t blame me…”
How could Xia Zhile blame him?
Not only did he not blame him—he actually felt soft-hearted. He had always thought that someone like An Nian must be living a happy and carefree life. He never expected An Nian to be so pitiful.
“The person who took you away—was he Mr. Lin’s friend?” An Nian asked timidly.
“His name is Jian Xiaoxi.”
“Oh. Zhile-ge, he might twist the story when he tells Mr. Lin. If he exaggerates things, it could cause a misunderstanding between you two. I’m really worried. Can you send me the hospital address? I’ll go explain to Mr. Lin myself!”
“It’s so late already—what would you come here for?” Xia Zhile chuckled. “Besides, there’s nothing to explain. You and I are completely innocent. Don’t worry about it. Just go to sleep.”
“Zhile-ge…”
Xia Zhile wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he seemed to hear a trace of heartache in An Nian’s soft voice.
It made him suddenly recall An Nian’s tipsy, alluring expression from earlier that night—his lips, stained a deep red from the cocktails, parting and closing as he murmured words that were light as a whisper yet loud enough to shake him to the core.
“Senior, I’ve liked you since the very first day of high school.”
An Nian had nestled into his arms, clinging tightly around his waist.
He had forgotten to push him away. And he hadn’t had the strength to struggle.
Xia Zhile said, “Get some rest. If you can’t sleep, try listening to music.”
“Zhile-ge, I’m a little scared.”
Xia Zhile’s heart tensed for a moment.
But An Nian quickly added, “It’s okay, don’t worry about me. Stay with Mr. Lin—he must be really shaken up. Zhile-ge, please send him my regards.”
Xia Zhile smiled warmly. “Alright. Sweet dreams. Go to sleep now.”
He was a little thirsty.
“Try counting sheep?”
“Be good.”
“Go to sleep, go to sleep. If you need anything, call the hotel service. Or call me anytime. I’ll go see you tomorr—”
Xia Zhile had walked up to a vending machine.
Someone was standing there, buying a drink.
It looked like… the van driver.
“…—see you,” Xia Zhile said into the phone before looking up—directly into Gu Fei’s gaze.
They locked eyes for two seconds.
For some reason, Xia Zhile suddenly felt a little uneasy. He averted his gaze, stuffed his phone into his pocket, shrugged, and walked away.
Gu Fei downed the entire bottle of Coke in two big gulps and tossed it into the trash can.
