AMBTICBPIB Chapter 42

Chu Yi vividly remembered the time he had collapsed from heatstroke. It was Dr. Meng who had administered Huoxiang Zhengqi Water to him. Later, when he had burned himself, Dr. Meng had also come to change his bandages.

“Dr. Meng,” Chu Yi greeted him before quickly turning to Shen Jin. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Jin smiled. “Why do you ask?”

“Dr. Meng is here,” Chu Yi replied.

Dr. Meng usually only appeared when Shen Jin was unwell. Could Shen Jin be sick? He hadn’t seemed any different when Chu Yi left that morning. Or was the incident from that night still affecting him?

But it had been several days already. Surely there wouldn’t be any lingering issues?

Seeing Chu Yi’s worried expression, Shen Jin’s heart softened. *He’s the one who needs to be cared for and worried about,* he thought.

Then Dr. Meng witnessed Mr. Shen explaining with remarkable gentleness and patience, “Don’t worry, I’m not unwell. It’s just a routine checkup. Since you’re back, I’ll have Dr. Meng examine you too.”

Relieved that Shen Jin was alright, Chu Yi said, “No need, I’m perfectly healthy. I wouldn’t want to trouble Dr. Meng.”

Dr. Meng replied, “It’s no trouble at all. This is my job.”

Faced with Dr. Meng’s earnest gaze, Chu Yi felt too embarrassed to refuse.

During the examination, Dr. Meng immediately understood the story behind the scratches on Shen Jin’s wrist.

Dr. Meng maintained a calm expression. “Mr. Shen, Mr. Chu Yi is perfectly healthy. There are no signs of discomfort. He might benefit from some nutritional supplements.”

Hearing the doctor’s confirmation, Chu Yi grinned sheepishly. Though he was prone to tears, his physical constitution was remarkably robust.

“See? I told you I was healthy!” Chu Yi said to Shen Jin.

Shen Jin looked at him, suppressing a smile. “Yes, you’re indeed very healthy.”

For some reason, Chu Yi suddenly felt shy. It was such an ordinary remark, yet when Shen Jin said it, it gave him a strange, fluttery feeling.

Now alone in the study, Chu Yi glanced around. He had been here countless times before, and every object in the room reflected Shen Jin’s understated elegance.

Chu Yi glanced at the desk, but he didn’t see a wallet or anything of the sort. He recalled that he hadn’t seen one in Shen Jin’s bedroom either. It seemed Shen Jin truly never carried a wallet.

*Should I give him the gift?*

“What are you looking for?” Shen Jin asked.

Chu Yi looked at Shen Jin, hesitated, then pulled out the gift he had bought for him. “Jiang Xu and I saw this while shopping at the mall this morning. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Shen Jin looked surprised. “This is for me?”

He opened the box to reveal a brand-new wallet.

This was a wallet Chu Yi had carefully chosen.

Chu Yi watched anxiously, fearing he would see disdain or dislike in Shen Jin’s eyes. After all, what did Shen Jin lack?

But instead of those expressions, Shen Jin’s eyes brightened, and the corners of his mouth curled upward—a clear sign of his happiness.

“I really like it,” Shen Jin said.

Chu Yi watched as Shen Jin immediately transferred all the contents from his old wallet into the new one. The old wallet was casually tossed aside.

Chu Yi noticed that Shen Jin’s new wallet looked exactly the same as his old one. He picked it up to examine it, feeling the leather. It seemed to be genuine leather, which meant it couldn’t have been cheap.

Chu Yi took out his phone and searched for the brand logo on the wallet. When he saw the price, he was stunned for several seconds before silently putting his phone down. Shen Jin’s original wallet was so expensive—the difference between it and the one Chu Yi had given him was staggering.

Yet Shen Jin was now caressing the wallet Chu Yi had given him as if it were a precious treasure. “Thank you for the wallet,” he said. “I’ll definitely take good care of it.”

Seeing how much Shen Jin liked it, Chu Yi smiled happily.

It was the same radiant smile he wore in their group photo, just as sweet. In the photo, Chu Yi and his friends were huddled close together.

As Chu Yi turned to head back to his room, Shen Jin suddenly grabbed his wrist. Chu Yi looked at him in confusion, and Shen Jin tightened his grip.

In an instant, Chu Yi was pulled into Shen Jin’s arms. Shen Jin’s chest was firm and solid, both to the touch and to the eye.

The pounding of their hearts seemed to echo between them. Chu Yi swallowed nervously and whispered, “Wh-what’s wrong?”

Why was Shen Jin suddenly hugging him? It felt like Shen Jin had been hugging him more often lately.

Chu Yi didn’t realize how particularly alluring he looked at that moment, his eyes wide with surprise, tinged with shyness, and still carrying a hint of bewilderment.

Taking advantage of Chu Yi’s dazed state, Shen Jin leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Chu Yi: …?? *Isn’t Shen Jin supposed to be fine now? Why is he still kissing me?*

Chu Yi asked a foolish question: “Why did you kiss me?”

Shen Jin replied, “Because I like you.”

Seeing Chu Yi’s bewildered expression, Shen Jin instructed him, “Chu Yi, at times like this, you shouldn’t ask why I kissed you. You should kiss me back.”

Chu Yi: …??

The word “like” was beautiful, but it carried many meanings: the affection between family members, the fondness between friends, the care of elders for younger ones, and the love between romantic partners.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Yi dismissed the possibility of the last type of affection.

But the other kinds of “like” wouldn’t involve such intimate gestures as kissing, especially since, after hearing Shen Jin’s words, he had actually kissed him back.

Shen Jin froze for half a second before immediately reclaiming the initiative.

Back in his room, Chu Yi patted his chest, his heart still racing. It was all Shen Jin’s fault, always saying things that were both true and false, always making him overthink.

Did Shen Jin really like him? But he cried so easily, always losing control of his tears, and Shen Jin hated nothing more than people crying in front of him. How could Shen Jin possibly like him?

The more he pondered, the more confused he became. Chu Yi buried his face in his bed as his phone vibrated beside him.

**Jiang Xu:** How did your gift go? Is your boyfriend super happy and excited?

**Chu Yi:** Yeah.

It seemed Shen Jin wasn’t just happy and excited—he’d even kissed him.

**Jiang Xu:** Why are you being so nonchalant? Didn’t your boyfriend like it?

**Chu Yi:** He probably liked it.

**Jiang Xu:** What do you mean “probably”? What was his reaction when he got the wallet?

**Chu Yi:** He hugged me.

Chu Yi still couldn’t bring himself to mention the kiss.

**Jiang Xu:** Just a hug? Didn’t he kiss you too?

Chu Yi froze, startled by Jiang Xu’s uncanny accuracy.

**Chu Yi:** Do you think he likes the gift I gave him, or me?

【Jiang Xu: Of course he like you. That’s why he like the gift you gave him.】

Jiang Xu, looking at his phone, scratched his head in confusion.

*What’s going on? Chu Yi has a boyfriend, but he doesn’t know if his boyfriend likes him?*

Jiang Xu imagined Chu Yi going through all sorts of hardships to finally win the guy over.

Jiang Xu felt indignant on Chu Yi’s behalf. Chu Yi was incredibly popular at school—how could his boyfriend not appreciate him?

Just as he was thinking this, Zhou Huaixiao came online and asked if he wanted to play a game. Remembering that Chu Yi might be feeling down, Jiang Xu invited him to join as well.

And so, the three of them formed a trio for a ranked match.

Naturally, they used voice chat to communicate during the game.

Zhou Huaixiao had seen Jiang Xu’s social media post, including the photo. Jiang Xu had never been so affectionate with him before.

After securing a kill, Zhou Huaixiao casually asked, “Did you guys go shopping this morning?”

Chu Yi knew Jiang Xu was planning a birthday surprise for Zhou Huaixiao and had kept the gift a secret.

Jiang Xu replied, “Yeah, so what? Is that a problem?”

Zhou Huaixiao said gently, “No, no, of course not.”

Jiang Xu retorted, “Then why are you asking so many questions? Focus on the game! The enemy team is secretly taking the dragon—go steal it!”

“Alright, as you wish,” Zhou Huaixiao said, quickly securing the dragon. “I can also go shopping with you.”

Jiang Xu replied impatiently, “Fine, fine, I’ll ask you next time.”

Jiang Xu was actually feeling a bit guilty and wanted to quickly change the subject. If Zhou Huaixiao found out he was buying gifts, the surprise would be ruined.

Fortunately, Zhou Huaixiao didn’t press further and shifted the conversation to other topics.

Jiang Xu secretly texted Chu Yi, urging him to keep the secret.

Chu Yi quietly listened to their conversation, noticing a change.

The three of them occasionally played games together. Initially, after learning Zhou Huaixiao had lied to him, Jiang Xu’s tone toward Zhou Huaixiao had been stiff and cold. Now, while his tone remained somewhat stiff, Chu Yi could clearly sense that Jiang Xu no longer disliked Zhou Huaixiao.

He suspected Jiang Xu liked Zhou Huaixiao, but Jiang Xu himself didn’t realize it.

*Perhaps the one caught in the situation is the least aware of it,* Chu Yi thought.

Dr. Meng had advised Chu Yi to supplement his nutrition. That evening, a bowl of mutton soup was placed before him at dinner.

“What’s this?” Chu Yi asked.

“Your hands and feet get so cold in winter,” Shen Jin said. “This will help warm you up.”

Chu Yi took a sip. “This tastes like mutton soup.”

He still remembered the last time he ate too much mutton and had to get up in the middle of the night to run around the courtyard. Chen Ye had nearly mistaken him for a thief that night.

Shen Jin clearly remembered the incident too, chuckling. “Don’t worry, a moderate amount won’t hurt you. Just one bowl is enough.”

Whatever ingredients were added to the mutton soup, there was no trace of its usual gamey smell. Instead, the broth was remarkably savory and delicious.

After finishing the bowl, Chu Yi felt a pleasant warmth spreading through his body, his hands and feet finally warming up as well.

As he drank the soup, Chu Yi thought of Uncle Wen. Uncle Wen’s soups were always exceptionally delicious, and every time Chu Yi drank them, Uncle Wen would watch him with a kind, grandfatherly gaze.

“When is Uncle Wen coming back?” Chu Yi asked. “It feels like it’s been ages since I last saw him.”

Shen Jin looked at him gently. “Uncle Wen’s affairs should be settled soon. He should be back in the next few days.”

Chu Yi nodded. “I miss him a little.”

A passing servant thought to herself, *Butler Wen truly dotes on Mr. Chu Yi.*