Chapter 2: How did he end up in someone else’s arms? President Lu’s broad chest and…

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“Shi Qiu, I have an exam at school I need to attend. How about letting this big brother stay with you for a while, okay?”

Jiang Fengmian entered the hospital room with Lu Chengyan, his voice gentle as he asked Shi Qiu.

Shi Qiu blinked and looked at Lu Chengyan’s face.

Lu Chengyan gave a slight nod and introduced himself simply, “I’m Lu Chengyan.”

Through the glass door earlier, he hadn’t gotten a clear look. But now, standing beside the bed, Lu Chengyan had to admit that this younger brother of Jiang Fengmian really did have a face that made people want to pour out their hearts. When Shi Qiu heard that Jiang Fengmian was leaving, his eyes immediately turned red. His expression looked like an abandoned puppy, so pitiful.

“Ge…” Shi Qiu tried to sit up, but only managed to lift his head. “You’re leaving now?”

Jiang Fengmian gently stroked his hair and coaxed him, “I have an important exam to attend. You focus on getting better first, and I’ll come visit you in a couple of days, okay?”

“Okay. Ge, do your best. Good luck with your exam.” Shi Qiu’s voice was soft and sweet.

“I will.”

As Jiang Fengmian left, Lu Chengyan noticed that Shi Qiu’s eyes followed him the entire time. It wasn’t until his figure completely disappeared from the doorway that Shi Qiu slowly retracted his gaze.

The healthy glow he’d had from just waking up vanished along with Jiang Fengmian, leaving behind only a trace of redness around his eyes as if he’d been wronged.

But Lu Chengyan knew this boy hadn’t been wronged. He was the type who would slash his own wrist for Jiang Fengmian.

The wound on Shi Qiu’s left wrist was deep enough to expose bone. Unlike those who only scratch the surface, he had slashed with full force, severing blood vessels completely. When he fainted in Lu Chengyan’s arms, drenched in blood, that gruesome, torn, gaping wound had stayed imprinted in Lu Chengyan’s mind ever since.

Fortunately, he’d been brought to the hospital in time. But the doctor said there would definitely be a scar, and the functionality of his left hand might be impaired to some extent. At the very least, it shouldn’t be strained for the next two years.

Shi Qiu loved Jiang Fengmian enough to die for him.

Just earlier, Jiang Fengmian had told Lu Chengyan that his younger brother had come around and wouldn’t insist on being together anymore. But looking at Shi Qiu now, Lu Chengyan didn’t see any signs of someone who had let go. It was more like someone who loved too deeply to keep forcing things.

Still, none of that had anything to do with Lu Chengyan. He was just here to keep an eye on the kid.

The room’s heating was on, so Lu Chengyan took off his coat and hung it up, keeping only a gray shirt on.

The sleeves were rolled up, exposing well-defined forearms. Just sitting beside the bed and looking at his phone, President Lu made the entire hospital room feel more upscale.

Wait.

It wasn’t that the room had gotten more expensive. this room was already clearly unusual.

Shi Qiu finally realized that the conditions of this hospital room were far better than average. In a provincial hospital where even registering required queuing and patients filled the hallways, having a spacious, fully-equipped single room like this wasn’t something he or his connections could afford.

He looked at Lu Chengyan sitting by the bed and couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Lu… What’s your relationship with my brother?”

Lu Chengyan looked at the boy who couldn’t stop talking about Jiang Fengmian and simply replied, “An acquaintance.”

“Oh… then thank you. You’re the one who brought me to the hospital, right? I really appreciate it…” Shi Qiu thanked him earnestly. His voice was soft, almost too gentle, but without any shyness or awkwardness.

For some reason, Lu Chengyan was reminded of a sea anemone — soft, beautiful, and completely exposed in the water, vulnerable to even the smallest fish brushing past.

This was incredibly rare among the people he usually encountered. Those who could even approach him usually had hidden ambitions, even if they acted meek and obedient on the surface.

“No trouble.” Lu Chengyan glanced at him and replied casually.

Shi Qiu hesitated, then asked again, “Do you know if my brother has been going through something lately? He didn’t seem very happy.”

“I mean… even after I told him I’d thought it through, he still didn’t look pleased.”

This little sea anemone really had no sense of self-protection. No wonder Jiang Fengmian didn’t want to leave him alone. He latched onto a stranger he just met and kept calling him “gege” like it was natural.

Not shy at all.

“Jiang Fengmian has a few important exams recently. Maybe he’s just stressed from studying.” Lu Chengyan didn’t know all the details of Jiang Fengmian’s personal life. They weren’t that close. To him, Jiang Fengmian was just a sensible, reliable cousin, so they had a bit of casual contact.

What Lu Chengyan remembered most was Jiang Fengmian complaining about being pestered by his foster brother.

But now, sitting face to face with Shi Qiu, Lu Chengyan felt that description had been exaggerated. This soft little thing wouldn’t be a headache even if he cried “gege” every day.

Especially when he loved so obviously.

“I’ve been a burden to Ge.” Shi Qiu looked down sadly after hearing it was just exam stress.

Lu Chengyan thought about comforting him but remembered how this boy had nearly destroyed his own hand. Maybe it was better for him to learn a lesson. So he stayed quiet.

Since he said nothing, Shi Qiu quietly lay there. A while passed. Lu Chengyan, busy with work on his phone, noticed a bit of movement from the bed. Looking up, he found the boy silently crying. His small face was wet with tears, lips bitten tight to keep from making noise. If he hadn’t noticed the boy wiping his eyes on the pillow, Lu Chengyan wouldn’t even have realized.

He quickly put down his phone and went over. “Why are you crying? Is it your wrist?”

Lu Chengyan helped him sit up and pulled a couple tissues to wipe his tears. But unfamiliar with comforting people, he wiped a little too roughly and made Shi Qiu’s face even redder.

Shi Qiu whimpered and choked back more sobs. Shaking his head, he said through tears, “Can you… can you tell Ge I know I was wrong, and I won’t act out again? Tell him not to be mad at me…”

He had no strength, and both hands couldn’t move. All he could do was lean against Lu Chengyan’s chest, head bowed, crying miserably. When Lu Chengyan lifted his chin to wipe his tears, his eyes shimmered with moisture and his bitten lips were red, so beautiful it made Lu Chengyan’s heart jolt.

“There, there. Don’t cry. Jiang Fengmian won’t be mad at you.” Lu Chengyan tried to suppress his own surprise at the boy’s beauty and reminded himself that now wasn’t the time to be distracted. He softened his tone to soothe him.

Lu Chengyan had always been a golden child, no one ever needed him to lower himself to comfort them. This was his first time trying, so he just followed instinct, somewhat clumsily wrapping Shi Qiu in his arms and gently stroking his back.

The boy was so thin Lu Chengyan could feel every vertebra. When he realized he was unconsciously tracing the boy’s spine, he moved his hand to his hair instead, pressing his head into his chest. Feeling the stiffness in the boy’s body, he switched to stroking him gently, like petting a cat.

Shi Qiu had been sobbing hard, but being pressed against Lu Chengyan’s firm chest made his expression falter. He nearly broke character.

He’d only wanted to show off his deep love for Jiang Fengmian, it really hammer in the character role. How did he end up in someone else’s arms?

“Host, hold it in! If you laugh now, everything you just acted out will be for nothing,” said System 09 seriously, trying to boost morale.

Shi Qiu’s left hand twitched. The sharp pain from his wrist snapped him back into character, and the tears started flowing again.

Lu Chengyan held him for a while until he gradually stopped crying. Relieved, he let go. Shi Qiu blushed and looked down, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

He stared at the damp mark on Lu Chengyan’s shirt and felt his face heat up. In his mind, he asked 09, “Did I get drool on his shirt?”

“Don’t worry, Host. Your performance was perfect. There’s none,” 09 reassured.

“Want some water?” Lu Chengyan placed a straw in the cup and brought it to his mouth.

Shi Qiu sipped slowly, looking up at Lu Chengyan’s face. His lashes were long and curled. From Lu Chengyan’s angle, he could see those wet eyes glancing up at him  enough to stir something again.

Lu Chengyan let him finish the whole cup and said nothing when Shi Qiu was done. He returned to the chair quietly. His shirt had dried, though it still had a faint watermark.

“Sorry to bother you… Lu… Lu-ge.” Shi Qiu noticed the mark and spoke shyly.

“It’s fine.” Lu Chengyan didn’t mind.

It was a hassle, sure, but not an annoying one.

Actually… it was rather endearing.

Shi Qiu peeked at Lu Chengyan’s face and saw no hint of irritation. He whispered to 09, “Lu Chengyan’s temper is really good. I’ve been such a mess, and he’s not even mad.”

After all, this was someone who grew up like a prince.

“Maybe it’s because the people around him have always had good tempers, so he naturally developed a high tolerance,” 09 replied.

Shi Qiu fell silent for a second.

Yeah, President Lu’s tolerance really was as broad as his chest.

Translator’s Note: important message 

Thanks for reading! 💖 I’m still new at translating, so some chapters on Novelupdates might be tricky to access (Blogger might ask you to sign in 😔).

While I’m working on fixing this, you can still read everything by using the Back, Next , and TOC (Table of Contents) links on my site instead of going through Novel Updates. Also let me know if there’s any chapter you can’t access and I will fix it. 

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