When the staff realized President Qiao had been hit, everyone panicked. They rushed in, lifting the steel frame together to get him out.
Because Qiao Hailou shoved him away in time, Shen Yuan came out of it with only some scrapes on his palms—nothing serious.
Shen Yuan scrambled up from the floor, stumbling toward the group helping Qiao. His face was chalk-white, lips trembling, hands shaking so badly he could barely help. “Are you okay? …We—we need to get you to a hospital.”
Qiao, surprisingly, was calmer than he was. He wasn’t unconscious. He breathed sharply through the pain, brows knitted, but still managed a smile. “Looks like my leg got hit. Probably fractured. Everything else seems fine. Don’t be scared.”
Shen Yuan was furious—red-eyed furious. “How is this fine?! And why are you smiling?!”
Director Lan and the others were stunned. They had never seen anyone talk to the big boss like that.
“I’m really fine…” Qiao started to say—when blood suddenly trickled down from a cut on his head.
Shen Yuan: “…”
Qiao: “Oh. Guess I knocked my head too. Just a little cut.”
Shen Yuan: “…………”
Everyone rushed Qiao Hailou to the nearest top-tier hospital for scans and emergency treatment.
His condition stabilized. Surgery was scheduled for the next day—his leg only needed immobilization, no operation, but his arm would need a minor procedure.
Qiao was wealthy enough for a VIP private room. Even injured, he still joked, “Think I’ll end up on the news tomorrow?”
Shen Yuan wanted to glare at him—of all times, he still had the nerve to laugh. But seeing him injured like this, he couldn’t bring himself to snap. “…Just stop laughing.”
Qiao did not stop laughing. “What, should I cry instead? It’s not that serious. I’ve got plenty of scars already. Had surgeries before too. A fracture is nothing—just a few months.”
Guilt crushed Shen Yuan’s chest. Qiao was lying here because he saved him.
As if reading his mind, Qiao cut him off. “I’m sturdy. Getting hit won’t kill me. You, on the other hand…” He clicked his tongue. “With that tiny little build of yours? If I hadn’t shoved you away, you’d have died on the spot.”
Shen Yuan was so used to bickering with him that he automatically snapped back, dragged off-topic, “You’re the tiny one! You’re literally in a hospital bed—can’t you at least behave?”
Qiao said, “Talking to you makes me happy. I’m this pitiful and you still scold me?”
Shen Yuan’s voice wilted. “Then… I won’t scold you today…”
Qiao acted moved to the point of tears. “So sweet? Maybe I should stay sick a few more days so Little Dummy won’t yell at me.”
Shen Yuan bristled instantly. “Who says things like that?! Who wants to be sick longer?! Are you stupid? Hurry up and get better. I won’t scold you even when you’re fine!”
Qiao chuckled softly. “That’s better. Don’t look so miserable—it’s really not that bad. I saved you because I wanted to. Don’t feel guilty like you harmed me, okay?”
That bright smile of his scattered every dark cloud in Shen Yuan’s heart. Even now, lying in pain, he was trying to make Shen Yuan feel better.
Shen Yuan knew he shouldn’t disappoint that kindness. He should smile—at least pretend to. But he couldn’t force it; instead, his nose stung, and he felt dangerously close to crying.
He turned away, took a breath, tried to suppress it.
Qiao sighed. “I just got you to stop crying—why are you at it again?”
Sniffling, Shen Yuan mumbled, “…Don’t be so good to me.”
Qiao paused. Then, gently but firmly: “I’m going to be good to you anyway.”
Many people originally wanted to stay, but Qiao only kept a few trusted ones and sent everyone else away, saying he wanted quiet. Now only Shen Yuan remained in the room.
Secretary Bai had gone to handle the admission paperwork. When she came back, she carried a big bag of daily necessities from the hospital shop—ready for an overnight stay.
At that moment, Bai Lu walked back in, and only then did Shen Yuan manage to hold his tears back.
Qiao told her, “It’s inconvenient for a woman to stay overnight with a man. Shen Yuan can stay with me. You go home and come back tomorrow morning.”
Secretary Bai was loyal, but not so loyal she wanted to spend the night in a hospital if she didn’t have to. Since Shen Yuan was willing to stay—and was stronger than her, too—having him around made more sense.
Shen Yuan added sensibly, “It’s okay, Sister Lu. You can go home. I’ll stay here. I’ve kept people company in hospitals before—I know how to handle it.”
Bai Lu noticed his slightly red, watery eyes and assumed he’d been scared into tears. She patted his shoulder gently before leaving. “Xiao Shen, it’s all right. Boss won’t blame you. Don’t be so scared. It was just an accident.”
Shen Yuan nodded hesitantly. He didn’t tell her that he wasn’t scared—he was just afraid he didn’t deserve what Qiao did for him.
After she left, Qiao asked softly, “Was that when your grandpa was sick? When you stayed with him in the hospital?”
Shen Yuan nodded. His uncle and aunt were always busy with work, so they hired a caregiver—but Shen Yuan stayed too. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Back then, “home” wasn’t a place—it was wherever his grandfather was.
After a bit, Shen Yuan wanted to do something useful. He went to make warm water to clean Qiao’s hands and face, trying to help him feel more comfortable.
He soaked a new towel in hot water, poured some out, mixed it with cool water, and just as he was about to wring it out—
His phone rang.
He answered, “Hello?”
Wang Ziqin’s frantic voice burst through the speaker. “Shen Yuan?! Are you okay? I heard something happened at the exhibition! They said someone got hit—was it you?! Are you hurt?!”
Interrupted mid-task, Shen Yuan already felt irritated. “If something happened to me, how would I be answering your call right now?”
Wang Ziqin immediately deflated. “You’re okay, you’re okay—that scared me to death.”
Shen Yuan snapped, “Didn’t I tell you to stop contacting me? I blocked your old number and you just switched numbers to call me?”
Wang Ziqin’s voice shrank. “I—I know, but I was too worried, so I wanted to check on you…”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. Hanging up.”
“Shen—”
Shen Yuan hung up before he finished—and blocked that number too.
He went back to what he was doing.
He wrung the towel again—still hadn’t gotten it done when his phone rang again.
He frowned at the screen. It was “Little Lin.” He forced himself to answer with patience. “Xiao Lin? What’s wrong?”
Hearing his relaxed tone, Li Lin finally exhaled. “Good… I’m glad. Bro, I just saw a video on Moments. Said an accident happened at your company’s exhibition. Someone got hit by an ad board. One of them looked like you and I freaked out.”
“It was me,” Shen Yuan said. “But I’m not hurt. Don’t worry.”
“Did you get checked properly?” Li Lin asked urgently. “Don’t assume you’re fine. What if something shows up later? Where are you? I’ll go with you to the hospital.”
The longer this dragged on, the more the water cooled. Shen Yuan, exasperated, said, “I’m fine, I’m already at the hospital, I’ve done the tests—really, I’m not hurt. No need. Qiao—my boss is the one injured. I’m taking care of him. Gotta go.”
“…Okay then. I won’t bother you. Bro, I’ll wait for you at your place.”
“Don’t. I’ll be at the hospital for the next few days.”
After he handled both calls, he thought the world would finally be quiet.
Then—his phone rang. Again. And again.
Shen Yuan slammed the towel into the basin, furious. He just wanted to wring out a towel—why was this so hard?! Who was it this time?!
He glanced at the caller ID—
—and all his anger vanished instantly.
…It was his uncle.
Shen Yuan picked up the call, already familiar with the routine. Before the person on the other end could speak, he said first, “Uncle, I’m fine.”
Li Chen paused for a second. “I know. I’m already at your hospital. Which room are you in?”
Shen Yuan: “…”
Li Chen followed the room number Shen Yuan gave him. When he walked in and saw Shen Yuan perfectly intact, he finally let out a breath. Shen Yuan was standing by the bed, gently wiping Qiao Hailou’s hands with a warm towel, careful and soft in every movement.
Li Chen’s gaze shifted to Qiao Hailou. His broken leg was fixed in place, completely immobilized.
He stood by the door and tapped the doorframe twice — “thunk, thunk.”
Shen Yuan turned around. “Uncle.”
Li Chen had rushed over in such a hurry that he was still catching his breath. He looked Shen Yuan over from head to toe. “As long as you’re okay.”
Qiao Hailou had taken the hit in order to protect their family’s kid. That was a debt Li Chen would never forget. He thanked Qiao sincerely. “Third Master Qiao, I really don’t even know how to properly thank you. You were hurt saving my kid. Let me cover all your surgery and recovery expenses.”
Qiao waved him off. “No need. It’s nothing. Just let your kid take care of me for a couple of days.”
Shen Yuan was always especially sensitive when it came to owing favors. The more casually Qiao dismissed it, the worse he felt. Heat rushed to his head, and he blurted out, “I’ll take care of you until you’re fully healed!”
The room fell silent.
Both Qiao Hailou and Li Chen were stunned.
Li Chen frowned. Shen Yuan was about to start school again and would already be busy — how could he handle taking care of an injured patient? That kid had always been like this. If someone treated him even a little kindly, he’d want to give back everything he had. It was a virtue, sure, but… sometimes reality mattered, too.
Meanwhile, Qiao’s eyes softened. He looked at Shen Yuan with a smile. “Your kid really is a good one.”
He spoke gently to Shen Yuan. “But aren’t you starting school soon? You won’t have time, right? Your studies come first.”
Qiao still knew where the line was. Li Chen added tactfully, “Don’t make things harder. I’ll hire a professional caregiver who actually has medical training.”
But Shen Yuan was stubborn. He locked eyes with Qiao and said, “If I resign from the student council, I’ll have more time. This happened because of me. I can’t just walk away.”
Li Chen had no choice. Shen Yuan was easygoing most of the time, but once he dug his heels in, even eight mules couldn’t drag him back. After thinking for a moment, he said, “…Alright. As long as you’re sure you can manage.”
Qiao hadn’t expected Li Chen to agree so easily. Then he couldn’t very well push Shen Yuan away anymore. “Okay.”
He said to Shen Yuan, “If you ever need to be somewhere, or if it’s too tiring, just tell me. Your schoolwork comes first, then you take care of me. If your grades drop, you’re not allowed to come anymore.”
Shen Yuan nodded.
Li Chen glanced at Qiao again. For some reason… he felt Qiao was being too gentle. Had Qiao Hailou always had a temper this good?
Later, back home, Li Chen told his girlfriend what happened. “Something happened at Ah-Ben’s company today. A big board fell. Third Master Qiao shielded him and ended up in the hospital.”
Lin Zhihui: “Qiao Hailou got hurt protecting Shen Yuan?”
Li Chen nodded. “Yeah. His arm and leg both got banged up.”
“What about Shen Yuan?”
“Ah-Ben’s fine,” Li Chen said, sounding both proud and troubled. “That kid’s too soft-hearted. Qiao got hurt saving him, and he immediately promised to take care of Qiao until he recovers.”
Lin Zhihui’s expression grew heavy. “Did Shen Yuan offer that on his own? Or did Qiao Hailou ask him to stay?”
“He offered.”
Lin Zhihui didn’t know what to say.
Maybe the situation was even more complicated than she imagined.
Maybe Shen Yuan wasn’t completely resistant to Qiao after all. Otherwise, why would he offer to take care of him?
So she’d misunderstood. A man like Qiao Hailou—an experienced, smooth-talking older man—could coax a young guy around his finger without even trying. Shen Yuan was young and pure; of course he could be swayed.
And Qiao was willing to throw himself in harm’s way to protect him… didn’t that mean he had some feelings for Shen Yuan? Even if it was only a little?
But even if he had feelings… so what? A man like Qiao—who’d spent years living like a carefree playboy—was he really going to settle down and be responsible for someone like Shen Yuan? Highly unlikely.
And if in the end Shen Yuan fell for him deeply, but Qiao just dusted off his coat and walked away… how devastated would that kid be?
What was the point?
Lin Zhihui could imagine Shen Yuan’s thoughts too well. She’d also lost her parents young. If, at nineteen, some man had risked his life to protect her… she would’ve fallen for him, too.
Shen Yuan might have resisted Qiao before, but now? He’d definitely accept him.
It was worrisome.