LNTSWJLY Chapter 15

The autumn rain was continuous, and the night wind was gentle.

Heavy rain pounded against the windows, while inside the car remained quiet amidst the hustle and bustle outside.

Yin Xu quickly hailed a taxi. “Driver, please drive,” he said, then fell into a daze, as if still stunned by the recent events.

Lost in thought for a while, Yin Xu realized the car hadn’t moved. “Driver, please, I’m in a hurry!” he called out.

The driver replied, “Sir, the address?”

Yin Xu snapped back to reality, feeling embarrassed. “The emergency department of the First Hospital,” he said sheepishly.

The car sped through the rainy night. Fortunately, despite the heavy rain, it was late at night, and there weren’t many people on the road, so there was no congestion. They reached the First Hospital without much delay.

Yin Xu reached for his wallet, only to realize he was still in his pajamas, even wearing slippers. Thankfully, he had instinctively held onto his phone, or he wouldn’t even be able to pay the fare.

Upon getting out of the car, he dashed into the hospital without caring about the rain.

Where is it…

Where is it…

Where is it?!

Sweat beaded on his forehead and palms, yet he didn’t even realize how nervous he was at that moment.

Finally reaching the corridor outside the emergency room, he hurriedly approached the doctor standing there. “Doctor, how is the person inside?”

“Are you the one who answered the phone?” The doctor glanced at him, seeing his anxious demeanor, and didn’t waste any time, handing him the surgical consent form to sign.

“Besides the phone owner who called you, there is another patient. However, their injuries aren’t severe. They have a slight concussion and are currently unconscious in the ward. Later, you can handle their admission procedures and payment.”

Yin Xu just wanted to know how serious the person inside was. “And him? Is he serious?”

“He’s alright. He suffered head trauma and lost a lot of blood, but fortunately, he didn’t damage any nerves. It’s just some external injuries. After the surgery and blood transfusion, there shouldn’t be any major problems.” The doctor finished speaking and went inside to assist.

Yin Xu was left alone in the corridor.

The corridor was painted in shades of blue and white, brightly illuminated by the lights. Yet, the hospital’s unique atmosphere failed to diminish the chilling sensation.

Yin Xu sat on a chair, arms wrapped around himself, feeling the cold despite the lack of wind.

The confusion and daze that had accompanied him all the way here finally lifted upon hearing that things were okay. Like waking from a dream, he belatedly felt a wave of exhaustion washing over him, not just physically, but emotionally.

Only now did he find the capacity to wonder how the accident had occurred. The man had always been cautious about traffic safety; such an event shouldn’t have happened.

In reality, tens of thousands, even millions, of accidents happen every day. It could happen to you or him. The reasons behind them could often be explained by mere bad luck.

Yet, Yin Xu had always felt that danger was far removed from him. Now, he realized it had been lurking nearby all along.

The person he thought would always be alright was now lying in the operating room, leaving Yin Xu feeling utterly lost.

An hour later, the lights in the operating room dimmed, and a bed was wheeled out.

Yin Xu first froze, then hurriedly approached. The man lying unconscious on the bed appeared especially fragile with his pale complexion.

Feeling a cool sensation on his face, Yin Xu touched it and realized he was crying.

Silently, unawarely.

But he didn’t know, his appearance in the eyes of the medical staff was pitiful indeed.

A nurse couldn’t help but comfort, “The patient is fine, no need to worry too much. It’s cold outside, it’s better to get him into the ward quickly.”

Yin Xu finally came to his senses, nodding repeatedly. “I want to arrange a deluxe ward for him and the other patient who came with him.” He had money in his account, mostly from the man, except for the meager savings he had from his previous job.

So the two were ushered into a deluxe ward resembling a hotel.

Yin Xu took care of Yu Zhi in the ward. The man who was usually capable of anything was now lying fragile on the bed, causing him great unease. He had to keep busy, finding things to do for himself.

Sometimes he fed the man with hot water, other times he wiped his exposed body with a clean towel, and occasionally he talked to him.

“Sir, when will you wake up?”

“I took leave, you won’t scold me, will you?”

“Oh right, I forgot to tell Xiao Pang about this. Should I call him too?”

He talked to himself, receiving no response, but it didn’t matter. The vulnerability in his eyes seemed on the verge of overflowing as he gazed at the man on the hospital bed with an expression full of affection.

It’s hard to imagine what he would become if Yu Zhi were truly in trouble. Unconsciously, this man had become his spiritual pillar, the anchor of his life. Without him, his heart lost its purpose and support.

The feeling of powerlessness was truly frightening. Yin Xu never wanted to experience the feeling he had when he received the call again as if his heart had been hollowed out, with nothing but an abyss beneath.

Although there were other beds in the deluxe ward, Yin Xu didn’t sleep. He didn’t dare climb onto the man’s bed either, afraid of disturbing him. Instead, he brought over a chair, draped himself with a thin blanket, and dozed off by the bedside. Perhaps having the man nearby made him feel at ease. Unknowingly, he fell asleep.

Yu Zhi was awakened by sunlight, and the pain in his head further stimulated his awakening.

He brainstormed for a moment, recalling his experience before falling into a coma, feeling somewhat reassured about his physical condition.

He attempted to lift his hand to prop himself up on the bed, but he felt something warm upon touching it.

Furrowing his brows, Yu Zhi turned his head and then froze.

There, he saw the young man asleep by the bedside, holding his hand tightly.

The thin blanket had slipped off him, revealing the pajamas he was wearing. Yu Zhi could guess what had happened with just a moment’s thought.

The young man smacked his lips, then turned his head in another direction to continue sleeping. But the movement of the big hand still woke him up, causing him to slowly come to his senses.

As he raised his head, he met those caring eyes, and he exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Yu, you’re awake?!”

Yu Zhi restrained his emotions, offering a smile in an attempt to reassure him. “How is my assistant?”

Yin Xu paused before replying, “I didn’t go check, but the doctor said his injuries aren’t serious, just a minor concussion.”

Yu Zhi felt relieved.

He had been careless this time, too preoccupied with Yin Xu’s situation that he had forgotten about the original owner’s brush with death. Fortunately, he reacted in time, averting disaster.

Having escaped death, this body could live out its days peacefully, which was a blessing.

“How long have I been sleeping?” Yu Zhi asked, trying to avoid looking into Yin Xu’s eyes because just a glance would easily reveal the dependency and affection within, entangled and poignant.

“Just one night,” Yin Xu replied with a smile, indicating that Yu Zhi’s health was good and the injury wasn’t too severe this time.

“I reckon I’ll have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, can’t keep you tied down here,” Yu Zhi said.

“I’ll hire a caregiver, you go back to continue your studies,”

Suppressing his smile, Yin Xu’s expression showed a hint of confusion. Logically speaking, Yu Zhi’s approach was correct. He was fine now, and it had only been a day’s delay. It wouldn’t be too problematic to miss a day of study, especially since it was the final year of high school and they were in the revision period.

However, the issue was that Yu Zhi had just woken up, they had only exchanged a few words, and now he was making such a request. It made Yin Xu feel as if Yu Zhi wasn’t concerned about him but rather wanted him to leave.

As Yu Zhi’s words left his mouth, he realized he might have been a bit too hasty. This kid had been worried all night, and he had only just woken up. Asking him to go back to school immediately might be a bit too much.

Seeing the emotions in Yin Xu’s eyes when he woke up startled him, and he acted rashly.

Given the current situation, all he could do was try to make amends.

He looked at Yin Xu and smiled, saying, “Did I startle you?”

Yin Xu obediently nodded, a hint of apprehension still present in his eyes.

Yu Zhi’s eyes softened with pity as he reached out to gently stroke Yin Xu’s head. “I’m sorry, I was worried about you too. You look a bit disheveled. Were you in a hurry last night? Worried sick, weren’t you? Did you sort things out at home? Did you tell Xiao Pang? Did you call the school to ask for leave?”

Yin Xu: “…”

No, no, he hadn’t done any of those things…

Yin Xu, who had been feeling down, suddenly began to blame himself. It seemed like… he hadn’t handled anything properly.

He lowered his head, feeling unable to meet Yu Zhi’s gaze. “I’m sorry, sir, I forgot.”

Why was he so useless? It felt like he couldn’t do anything without this man by his side.

Yu Zhi sighed in relief and reassured him, “It’s okay. You’re still young, you can learn gradually. You have your whole life ahead of you, it’s never too late to start.”

“I’ll have someone arrange for two caregivers, and I’ll call the driver to pick you up and take you home. If you’re not there, Xiao Pang might be worried.”

Yin Xu had originally intended to refuse, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it after hearing Yu Zhi’s last sentence.

He wanted to stay, to accompany Yu Zhi, but he had forgotten about Xiao Pang at home. He couldn’t just neglect him, couldn’t be too selfish.

Seeing Yin Xu’s lack of refusal, Yu Zhi knew he had agreed.

He found his phone and called the driver, then contacted the medical staff to help find caregivers. Yin Xu couldn’t help or say anything throughout the process; he could only sit there and wait for the driver to pick him up.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here for a few more days. You can come visit me on your day off,” Yu Zhi advised.

Yin Xu couldn’t argue. He didn’t want to leave, but under Yu Zhi’s gentle gaze, he found himself walking away step by step. As he left the ward and closed the door, blocking out Yu Zhi’s view, Yu Zhi felt relieved, but Yin Xu felt empty.

His mind and body screamed at him to stay, but the one he cared about was eager for him to leave.

Even if it was for his good, Yin Xu felt quite uneasy about it.

Back home, Yin Xu intended to explain things to Xiao Pang, only to find out from the nanny, “The driver took him to school this morning. He thought you had left early when he didn’t see you.”

Yin Xu: “…” Well, it seemed he hadn’t used his brain after all.

Yin Xu took a day off from school. The teacher showed concern when she heard about the family emergency, but after hanging up the phone, he felt some regret.

He took a day off, so why didn’t he stay a bit longer at the hospital?

Was it too late to go back now?

No, Yu Zhi would mock him for being so indecisive and immature, like a child who can’t leave home. He didn’t like being looked down upon by Yu Zhi.

Feeling annoyed, he turned on the TV and unexpectedly saw Yu Zhi’s face on the screen; he was being interviewed by reporters.

As the president of a major corporation, any mishap involving him would cause ripples in the business world and the stock market. He had to step forward to reassure people immediately.

Even with bandages wrapped around his head and a pale face, Yu Zhi remained composed and wore a calm smile, as if the accident he experienced last night was just attending a simple cocktail party.

Through the screen, Yin Xu could still sense his strength, and his heart was filled with admiration and… joy.

“So, Mr. Yu had a car accident? No wonder you weren’t here early this morning. Is it serious?” the nanny asked, concerned while watching the interview on TV.

But Yin Xu just stared blankly at the screen and asked in return, “Auntie, if you often miss someone, if you just want to be with them whenever you have the chance, even if you don’t talk or do anything and don’t want to leave, if you feel happy when you hear their praise and concern, and feel disappointed when they ask you to leave if you get nervous and ignore everything when you hear they’re in trouble, and if you want to be like family with them but seem to want more than just being family… what kind of feeling would that be?”

The nanny looked bewildered, “Yin Xu, do you like someone?”

Yin Xu was stunned, “Like…?”

Suddenly, he laughed again, and the confusion in his eyes dispersed. His smile was radiant, but it carried a hint of bitterness. “So… it’s like…”

It wasn’t the man who liked him.

It was him who liked the man.

At this moment, he finally understood his own heart.

And it was right after the other had said he thought of him as a son.

……………………………

Author’s Note:

Yin Xu: Do I still have a chance?

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