“I apologize to President Lu,” Meng Yu whispered into Lu Shian’s ear. “I was wrong. You are a magnanimous man, so please do not joke with your own health. Do me a favor and eat a few more bites.”
Lu Shian turned to look at him. Such a gentle and upright face saying such coaxing words did not feel out of place at all.
He had barely eaten that morning and was indeed a bit hungry. For some reason, the food tonight seemed exceptionally delicious, so he stopped sulking, picked up the spoon, and began to eat again.
Soon, Lu Shian’s bowl was empty. As Qi Lei came over to clean up, Meng Yu pulled out a tissue, intending to wipe Lu Shian’s mouth, but the latter took it and did it himself.
“Is Assistant Qi staying overnight?” Meng Yu asked, still sitting beside Lu Shian.
Lu Shian replied briefly, “Yes.”
“Then does President Lu still need to shower and change?” Meng Yu looked at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Meeting Meng Yu’s meaningful gaze, Lu Shian parted his lips slightly. “Yes.”
Meng Yu’s eyes sparkled with a smile. “Then allow me to be of service.”
Lu Shian rejected him without much conviction. “No need. Assistant Qi will help me.”
“If your shoulder dislocates a second time, you will have to stay in the hospital for a very long time,” Meng Yu said, leaning in closer and lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. “Shishi, I do not want others to see you naked, and I certainly cannot stand others touching you.”
His tone was heavy, unlike his usual gentleness, and filled with a domineering sense of possession.
The name Shishi felt like a bullet, instantly piercing Lu Shian’s heart. Memories buried deep in his mind suddenly woke up; Meng Yu used to love calling him that.
The tip of his heart felt numb, and the sensation spread all the way to his scalp.
“President Lu,” Meng Yu stepped back, returning to a normal social distance.
Lu Shian snapped back to reality. He looked at Meng Yu and said ruthlessly, “Do not call me that. It gives me goosebumps.”
Meng Yu chuckled. “Call you what?”
“Shi,” Lu Shian’s voice cut off abruptly. He looked at Meng Yu as if he were looking at a rogue.
“Get up. I will take you downstairs for a walk to help your digestion. It will help you sleep better tonight,” Meng Yu said, standing up first.
“I am not going,” Lu Shian sat still, unmoved.
First, he was afraid of being recognized by acquaintances, which would be troublesome. Second, he did not want anyone to see him in his current disheveled and ridiculous state. As the Chairman of Fangsheng, he had a heavy image to maintain and could not afford to lose face.
Knowing his concerns, Meng Yu said directly, “It is almost dark outside. I will take you to the small garden in the southwest corner. There are few people there; no one will recognize you.”
Lu Shian was a bit tempted. He had been cooped up in the room for too long and felt uncomfortable. Most importantly, his nicotine craving had kicked in. Smoking was not allowed in the VIP ward, and he had endured it for nearly two days. He desperately wanted to sneak out for a cigarette.
After a moment of consideration, he agreed. Before leaving, he tucked a pack of cigarettes into his pocket. Because of his injury, it was inconvenient to wear a hat, so he walked out with the bald patch on the back of his head exposed. To avoid being seen, he specifically wore a mask.
It was not yet completely dark. Meng Yu led Lu Shian to the secluded garden he had mentioned. It was far from the inpatient building and quite remote. True to his word, there were not many people, just a few individuals taking post-dinner strolls and passing duty doctors.
However, Meng Yu was far too striking. As they walked, everyone stopped to look at him, especially the women, regardless of their age. He had excellent rapport in the hospital, and almost every doctor and nurse across departments knew him. Along the way, several doctors stopped to greet him.
As they spoke, their gazes constantly drifted toward Lu Shian. Under their inquisitive looks, Lu Shian felt like he was catching fire. After seeing off the last female nurse, Lu Shian stopped walking, looking indignant. “This is what you call few people?”
“Compared to other places, there are indeed very few here,” Meng Yu said innocently.
“Those women’s eyes were practically glued to you!” Lu Shian was speechless, his heart burning with anger. “You go back. I will have Qi Lei come down.”
Lu Shian reached for his phone to make the call. Meng Yu hurried to stop him and pulled out a mask to put on. “President Lu, is this better?”
“Why did you not do that earlier? You just had to flirt,” Lu Shian said, his anger subsiding slightly, but he still felt inexplicably annoyed. He ignored Meng Yu and walked toward a spacious, empty area.
Meng Yu felt incredibly innocent. He had no intention of flirting; even if he did, the only one he wanted to flirt with was Lu Shian. He chased after him, only to find that Lu Shian had already removed his mask and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.
Meng Yu immediately stopped him. “You cannot smoke.”
With his craving hitting him, Lu Shian was impatient. “There is no one here. It will not affect anyone else’s health.”
“I mean that you are a patient right now.”
Lu Shian paused for a second, then said dismissively, “Two puffs won’t kill me.”
As he spoke, he put the cigarette in his mouth and flicked the lighter. Meng Yu knew how difficult nicotine cravings could be, so he did not stop him further. Instead, he asked, “When did you learn to smoke?”
Six years ago, Lu Shian did not smoke.
“I forgot. It has been a long time,” Lu Shian stared at the ground, slowly exhaling a ring of smoke.
It was now pitch black. The nearby streetlights had flickered on, and the dim yellow light hit Lu Shian’s handsome face. Surrounded by clouds of smoke, he looked somewhat despondent, yet he possessed an indescribable, melancholic beauty.
Meng Yu actually disliked the smell of cigarettes. He stood beside Lu Shian, watching him quietly with unreadable thoughts in his eyes. The summer wind was hot, blowing against them with a sticky, uncomfortable warmth.
It was not until Lu Shian finished one and tried to light a second that Meng Yu stopped him. This time, he truly intervened, pulling the cigarette directly from Lu Shian’s hand.
Looking at his empty hand, Lu Shian was displeased. “You are just my attending physician. What right do you have to interfere in my private life?”
“Smoking is harmful to your health. As your attending physician, I have the right to interfere.”
Lu Shian cursed under his voice. Discussing smoking with a doctor was truly like shooting himself in the foot.
Looking at the clearly frustrated Lu Shian, Meng Yu dropped his serious tone and continued, “Besides, our relationship is more than just doctor and patient.”
Lu Shian looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
“President Lu has forgotten that we also had a one-night stand,” Meng Yu said. His tone was as pleasant as a spring breeze, yet saying such erotic words made them sound strangely formal.
Lu Shian licked his lips. The retort he had ready got stuck in his throat. He wanted to argue, but he did not know what to say.
“Rogue,” Lu Shian finally cursed and prepared to leave on his own.