Bai Yi's forehead wound scabbed over in a few days, but that strange feeling of suffocation from that day still couldn't be traced to its source. He Chengxiao was clearly even more concerned about Bai Yi's health, insisting that he stay in the hospital for a few days. Fortunately, the VIP ward wasn't too harsh on those accompanying patients.
Worried about long-term effects from the head injury, Bai Yi was forced to take a few days off. He comfortably slept in until he naturally woke up, admired He Chengxiao's profile as he worked for a while, and then, maintaining his reserved demeanor, he wordlessly expected to be dressed and fed.
Instead of staying in their perfectly good penthouse apartment, He Chengxiao was running back and forth between the company and the hospital every day, completely changing Qin Sheng's impression of him.
Qin Sheng specifically found a time when He Chengxiao wasn't around to sneak in and see Bai Yi: "I'm just saying, your Old He is taking such good care of you, how haven't you revealed your true colors yet?"
"He likes this kind of thing." Bai Yi put down the book he was holding. In the past few days, He Chengxiao had strictly controlled his screen time. He felt bored, but couldn't show it on his face. He wanted nothing more than to chat with Qin Sheng for three days and three nights. "You know I was the one who pursued him, right?"
"I know, a famous joke in the circle."
Even if Bai Yi's father hadn't had that accident, with Bai Yi's wealth at the time, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to find a well-matched family to marry into. But he stubbornly pursued He Chengxiao, and many people in the circle were indeed waiting to see a show.
"Come on... I really tried all sorts of personas, but unfortunately, that guy, he's just stubborn. He doesn't like being disturbed when he's working."
Qin Sheng took an apple from the fruit basket and slowly peeled it: "How do you know?"
"You said you wouldn't ask, stop trying to trick me."
"Tsk. Seeing how much he cares, I was really worried you'd end up with something serious. Now it seems, I was overthinking it."
"Can't say that, I've been fattened up these past few days." Bai Yi, wearing a hospital gown, proactively undid a row of buttons at his lower abdomen. "Look, I feel like my muscles are atrophying. It's too hard to maintain this..."
The phone beside him suddenly rang urgently. Qin Sheng glanced at it: "Fang Shi? Your assistant? Why is she calling me?"
"Aren't you going to answer?"
Qin Sheng didn't bother with the earpiece and directly put it on speakerphone. Fang Shi's voice came through the speaker: "Mr. Qin, is President Bai there?"
"I'm here, what's wrong?"
Hearing Bai Yi's voice, Fang Shi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "President Bai, the young master of Astray has returned to the country and is holding a private party tonight. Only some of his classmates from China were invited. The electronic invitations were sent out before, and you haven't replied. So, are you going or not?"
Bai Yi slowly blinked his eyes: "Private party? Resend the invitation to me, and bring a suit to the hospital."
"What? An Astray invitation?" Qin Sheng made an exaggerated expression. "My dad tried to pull strings to send someone, but they were rejected! You're something else, Bai Yi, you can just 'read' and ignore them?"
"No way, I don't know how it was marked as read, I clearly didn't open it..."
Before the words were finished, there was a "click" and the smell of disinfectant from the hallway seeped in. He Chengxiao gently closed the door, giving Qin Sheng a polite nod: "Mr. Qin."
The lenses on his glasses reflected a cold light, and the two people on the bed instantly froze.
At that moment, several of Bai Yi's shirt buttons were undone, revealing a portion of his pale white chest. Qin Sheng had his arm around Bai Yi's neck, leaning in to look at his tablet screen. It was as intimate as could be.
Meeting He Chengxiao's suddenly dark expression, Bai Yi's brain raced: "I was just saying my back injury is fine, so you don't have to worry."
Qin Sheng reacted: "Okay, then you rest well, I won't disturb you."
With that, he got up and left with the half-peeled apple.
He ran faster than a rabbit.
He Chengxiao slowly approached, placing the lunchbox he was holding on the bedside table, and softly said: "Baby, I made you soup."
"My injuries are almost completely healed, I shouldn't stay here wasting medical resources."
He Chengxiao ignored him, ladling a bowl of chicken soup and sitting down by the bed: "Be good, come and drink."
"I can do it myself."
Could he have misunderstood something with Qin Sheng?
Bai Yi frowned slightly, but He Chengxiao interpreted it differently.
The patient obediently held the chicken soup, and He Chengxiao's gaze swept over the tablet. He naturally reached out and closed it for him, placing it on the bedside table: "How's your head? Are you still experiencing those symptoms?"
"No," Bai Yi said casually. "I'm going to a party tonight."
"Tonight?"
"Yeah, Fang Shi said the email was sent out a few days ago, but I didn't receive it. I don't know how it got marked as 'read,' but luckily today..." Bai Yi paused, suddenly looking up. "Did you read it?"
"Yes." He didn't explicitly say it, but the only person who had touched his tablet in the past few days was himself. He Chengxiao generously admitted, "Baby, you can't handle alcohol well, don't go to the party."
"It's just a normal get-together, invited all of the classmates from the exchange program back then. Everyone will be mindful."
"Okay, I'll take you later. Drink some soup first to fill your stomach." He Chengxiao didn't argue with him, carefully ladling a bowl and handing it to him.
The oil had been meticulously skimmed from the chicken soup, garnished with one or two specks of bright green scallions. Bai Yi took small sips, and in the mist, he couldn't clearly see He Chengxiao's expression. He preoccupied himself with making arrangements: "Fang Shi will bring a suit later, I—"
"Clang—"
Before he could react, his bare foot flinched from the scalding heat: "Careful!"
A bucket of chicken soup by the bedside had been knocked over, dripping wetly down He Chengxiao's pants. He heard Bai Yi's exclamation, and without bothering to check the thermos, he urgently squatted down and grabbed Bai Yi's fair ankle: "Are you okay?"
Bai Yi's instep was red and swollen. Seeing this, He Chengxiao's expression changed. Ignoring Bai Yi's struggles, he scooped him up and took him into the bathroom, placing him on the sink and turning on the faucet, gently rinsing his foot with cold water.
"You should take care of yourself first..."
"I'm fine."
Bai Yi wanted to pull back, but He Chengxiao held him tightly, so he had to let him. The cold water dripped through his toes, forming small puddles on the floor.
He Chengxiao's pants were completely soaked, a dark patch. Some ginseng slices were hanging on the wrinkles that had appeared at some point. Bai Yi felt a little sorry: "Did you make that? It's a shame it got knocked over like that..."
"It doesn't matter, if Baby likes it, I'll go back and make another batch."
Bai Yi imagined He Chengxiao looking at reports while also cooking soup, and the corners of his mouth slightly curved upwards. He reached for the showerhead in his hand: "My foot's fine, what about you? Did you get burned? Hurry up and change your clothes, and then call someone to clean up..."
He Chengxiao looked down, rolled up his pant leg, revealing reddened calf muscles underneath. His voice was slightly helpless: "I think I got burned."
-
"V family's clothing quality control is too poor this time, how could it burn this badly through the pants..."
When Fang Shi arrived, Bai Yi was applying medicine to He Chengxiao's calf. The thermos had too good of insulation, and without cooling it down with cold water in time, blisters had appeared on He Chengxiao's calf.
Milky white ointment was carefully spread with a cotton swab, Bai Yi focused on the small blisters.
"President Bai, the clothes are here, and I brought President He's too. Also, someone from Astray just delivered a paper invitation, saying that the young master really wants to see you and asks that you be sure to attend."
"Hiss..."
"What's wrong?"
He Chengxiao shook his head: "It's nothing, it just hurt a little."
Bai Yi apologetically retracted his hand, wondering if he had used too much force when listening to Fang Shi speak just now.
"I can do the rest myself, aren't you going to the party?" He Chengxiao said considerately.
Bai Yi hesitated. He Chengxiao had burned his leg making soup for him, and now he was going to leave him to go drink... but Astray and Huanya had a close partnership, and they had sent out invitations twice, so not going would be a rejection of their face.
"Chengxiao, you should rest well, I'll be back early."
"I'll take you." He Chengxiao said, starting to get out of bed, but Bai Yi forcibly pushed him back down: "You had such a small wound on your head and you stayed in bed for days, you burned your calf, you're not allowed to get up."
He Chengxiao didn't move, his ink-black eyes like they held the dark of night: "Okay."
Bai Yi leaned down, lightly kissing his eyelid: "Be good, wait for me to come back."
He Chengxiao suddenly grabbed his collar, pulling him towards himself, deepening the kiss.
Warm palms were pressed on Bai Yi's lower back, and he directly pressed him onto the bed. The hem of his shirt was lifted, and Bai Yi's ears turned a little red: "Don't wrinkle the clothes..."
He was usually more proactive in this area, but... his stamina was a little lacking.
Bai Yi felt regret in his heart.
Sure enough, after kissing for a little while, He Chengxiao released him, leaving Bai Yi slightly panting as he took the box and went into the bathroom to change clothes.
-
The party was held at a hotel under the Qian Family's name. Because the number of guests was limited, Astray had discreetly booked the top floor.
Everywhere he looked, he saw familiar faces he hadn't seen in a long time, a scene of elegant dresses and gleaming hairpins, clinking glasses and plates, and glittering crystal chandeliers.
Bai Yi had just handed the invitation to the waiter for inspection when he heard a delighted call: "Bunny!"
"Long time no see, Mr. Randy." Bai Yi gave a polite smile, exchanging a cheek kiss with the young man who was quickly approaching. "Did you come to China alone?"
Randy's flamboyant blond hair shone under the lights, his voice full of excitement: "Are you asking about my brother?"
"...?"
He had forgotten about that.
If his father hadn't had that accident, Bai Yi's original plan was to study abroad. So, when Astray's young master Fraunnder came to China as an exchange student, he had made a point of building a relationship with him.
Unexpectedly, his methods at the time were too naive, and this preferential treatment almost crossed the line, leading the other party to propose dating him.
He was so scared that he fled in panic.
Because of this terrible ending, he hadn't told He Chengxiao, who he hadn't gotten together with at the time, about this.
"We all missed you, it was really disappointing that you didn't come as planned."