21
Cannot Go Home
Chapter 21: Can’t Go Home
“Stop playing dead, get the fuck up.” Jiang Yuan delivered a harsh kick to his waist.
Jiang You lay motionless on the ground, a trickle of blood slowly seeping from his nostrils.
It was then that the Jiang family finally realized the severity of the situation, scrambling over in a panic.
The crowd hastily helped Jiang You up from the ground—some pinching his philtrum, others calling back his spirit.
“Is he dead? How could he be so fragile after just one hit?” Jiang Yuan’s mother was already on the verge of tears from fright.
“Oh my god, get him to a hospital quickly,” Jiang You’s uncle urged, trembling uncontrollably.
“What hospital? How could one punch kill anyone?” Jiang Yuan crouched down, grabbed Jiang You by the hair, and slapped him twice across the face. “Wake up.”
A bright red handprint marked Jiang You’s cheek, but he didn’t make a sound.
Jiang Yuan’s father snatched Jiang You away from him. “Are you still hitting him? Keep this up and you’ll really kill him. Get him to a hospital now.”
The chaotic group carried Jiang You out of the private room.
When Lan Hai saw Jiang You, he was being supported under the arms by Jiang Yuan, with other Jiang family members clumsily holding him up from the sides.
Coincidentally, Lan Hai had come to the restaurant with friends for a meal.
Seeing Jiang You unconscious, the hair on Lan Hai’s head nearly stood on end.
“Jiang You?! What happened to Jiang You?” He rushed into the crowd, snatched Jiang You into his arms.
Jiang You’s left cheekbone was swollen and red, his face bore a distinct handprint, and blood still dripped from his nose.
Clearly, he had been beaten.
“Who are you people? How dare you hit Jiang You?” Lan Hai glared furiously, shouting at them.
“Who hit him? Nobody hit him,” Jiang Yuan’s mother immediately denied.
“His face is swollen! If he wasn’t hit, how did this happen?” Lan Hai panted heavily, staring daggers at Jiang Yuan’s mother with a ferocious expression that seemed ready to devour her.
Jiang Yuan’s mother shrank back in fear and fell silent.
The others all chimed in, each trying to shift blame, while Jiang Yuan—the actual culprit—stayed hidden in the back, remaining silent.
With Jiang You still unconscious and no way to know what injuries he might have, Lan Hai had no time to argue with them. He hurriedly carried Jiang You to the hospital.
“…”
Jiang You woke up halfway to the hospital.
After learning that Lan Hai had saved him and thanking him, Jiang You asked Lan Hai to take him home.
“Bro, you were knocked unconscious. You need to go to the hospital for a check-up,” Lan Hai said, handing him a bottle of functional drink.
Jiang You had a terrible headache. He took a painkiller with the drink Lan Hai gave him.
Leaning back weakly in the seat, his neck and body soaked in cold sweat, he said, “I’m fine, Lan Hai. No need for the hospital. Just find me a hotel nearby.”
He was having an episode—he couldn’t go home.
Hearing “hotel,” Lan Hai’s eyes lit up, thinking why bother with a hotel when he could just take him to his own place.
Jiang You felt truly unwell and wanted to sleep for a while. He asked Lan Hai to wake him when they reached the hotel, then fell into a deep sleep.
Seeing him asleep, Lan Hai took matters into his own hands and brought Jiang You back to his own home.
Later, Jiang You woke up once in a daze, half-opening his eyes to a dim, blurry view.
Seeing someone lying beside him, Jiang You reached out, wrapped his arm around their waist, and pulled them tightly against his chest.
When Jiang You embraced him, Lan Hai stiffened completely, even holding his breath.
He turned to face Jiang You, cradling his face with one hand. “Jiang You, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Jiang You instinctively held him tighter and gently kissed Lan Hai’s Adam’s apple.
“Fu Jing…” Jiang You called out hoarsely.
Subconsciously, he found the scent on the other person somewhat unfamiliar, but before Jiang You could ponder it further, he sank into the abyss of unconsciousness.
Lan Hai froze, swallowing hard, his heart pounding so fiercely it felt like it might leap out of his throat.
He carefully drew Jiang You into his embrace.
“You’re the one who threw yourself into my arms, Jiang You,” Lan Hai whispered, looking down at the person in his arms.
He lifted Jiang You’s chin, wanting to kiss his lips, but after a moment’s hesitation, he slowly pressed a kiss beside them.
“In the future, I’ll kiss you properly, as Lan Hai,” Lan Hai murmured, gently stroking Jiang You’s lips.
The next day, Jiang You woke to find himself in an unfamiliar environment. The faint scent of gardenia in the room provided a brief respite for his tense nerves.
Leaving the room, he discovered Lan Hai cooking in the kitchen.
Jiang You quickly searched his blank mind.
Lan Hai approached with milk and bread, beaming. “Good morning, ge.”
Jiang You pressed his throbbing temple, remembering—yesterday, Jiang Yuan had knocked him out, and then he’d encountered Lan Hai.
But he recalled asking Lan Hai to take him to a hotel.
“Didn’t I tell you to take me to a hotel? Where is this? Your place?”
“It’s not like I don’t have a house. Why would we need a hotel when you’re with me?” Lan Hai nudged him to sit at the dining table.
Jiang You: “…”
At first glance, Lan Hai’s words seemed reasonable, but Jiang You felt every word was off. Yet, he couldn’t immediately refute them.
After a moment’s thought, Jiang You replied, “Lan Hai, we’re not that close. We’re not at the level where I can stay over at your place.”
Lan Hai peeled a boiled egg and handed it to him. “But after last night, we should be closer, right?”
“?” Jiang You stared at him blankly. “Wh-what happened last night?”
Suddenly, fragments of dreamlike memories flashed through his mind—he seemed to have dreamed of Fu Jing holding him, and he’d even kissed Fu Jing.
But Fu Jing wasn’t here; only Lan Hai was.
Pale-faced, he asked Lan Hai, “Don’t tell me we slept together last night?”
Lan Hai raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to close the distance between them. “Yes, ge.”
“…” Jiang You looked horrified, his face turning even paler.
Lan Hai burst out laughing, smoothing Jiang You’s hair. “Don’t be nervous, ge. We didn’t do anything—mainly because we couldn’t. You were sleeping like a log.”
Jiang You: “……………………”
Jiang You let out a sigh of relief. “You kid, dragging it out like that.”
“Come on, President Jiang, I’m only four years younger than you. Don’t call me ‘kid’,” Lan Hai said, spreading blueberry jam on a slice of bread and handing it to him.
Lan Hai didn’t know that a person’s state of mind at twenty-two is entirely different from at twenty-six.
“Ge, once you’re divorced, I’ll be the first to pursue you. So, from now on, please see me as a man,” Lan Hai declared, resting his arm on the edge of the table and looking at Jiang You with certainty.
…
After driving Jiang You to his company, Lan Hai used his status as a lifesaver to insist on following Jiang You to his office for a visit.
Before leaving, he made a detour to Fu Jing’s office—his real objective.
When Fu Jing saw him push the door open, his eyes couldn’t conceal his surprise.
“Hey, President Fu, I’ve safely returned Jiang You to you.” Lan Hai leaned both hands on Fu Jing’s desk, looking down at him from above.
When Jiang You still hadn’t returned home late last night, Fu Jing had called him again, only to have Lan Hai answer the phone.
Lan Hai said Jiang You had fallen asleep in his car, and while he was responsible for picking people up, he wasn’t responsible for dropping them off. If Fu Jing wanted Jiang You back, he’d have to come get him himself.
The result was that Fu Jing had left his wife at another man’s house overnight.
Fu Jing’s expression instantly turned several degrees colder upon seeing him.
“Let me report to President Fu about last night’s situation.” Lan Hai curled his lips. “I took very good care of Jiang You last night—I even let him sleep with me.”