“Hey, why are you the only one here?”
Jiang Ruoling stayed with Xu Duwan at the hospital all night. He finally managed to sneak out for breakfast. After the bartender had served him his fill, he, still with a conscience, didn’t forget his brother. He carried a bag of steamed buns back to Shen Mingjin’s ward, slurping soy milk as he kicked the door open. But when he entered, he didn’t see Xu Duwan, who had been clinging to Shen Mingjin. Instead, he found Shen Mingjin awake.
The other person was staring blankly into the air, their eyes vacant.
Jiang Ruoling paused in his act of biting the straw, stunned, and subconsciously looked around to ask:
“Where is Xu Duwan?”
Since losing his memory, Shen Mingjin’s reactions to many things have become slower. Upon hearing this, he blinked, and after a long while, pointed to the door:
“He went out.”
After saying that, he thought for a moment, then added in a low voice:
“He went out in a very fierce manner.”
Seemingly recalling Xu Duwan’s dark expression just now, Shen Mingjin’s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously scratched his palm with his fingertips, his dark hair hanging limply beside his ears.
Seeing this, Jiang Ruoling spat out the straw, casually placed the scalding hot breakfast on the table next to Shen Mingjin, glanced sideways at Shen Mingjin’s tone, which sounded like he was tattled, and couldn’t help but laugh:
“Why are you so afraid of him? You’re like a mouse seeing a cat.”
Shen Mingjin said, “That’s for sure. Xu Duwan’s temper is so unpredictable. He’s happy one minute and unhappy the next. He’s just like his ancestor.”
“Tell me, what happened between you two?”
Jiang Ruoling slurped his soy milk, didn’t lift his hands, hooked his toes on the chair, and plopped down next to Shen Mingjin.
If Jiang Ruoling weren’t the youngest in his family, with two shrewd and capable older sisters and an older brother to help him out, he wouldn’t have had the time or inclination to deal with Xu Duwan and Shen Mingjin’s relationship issues.
But what could he do? Xu Duwan was his best brother.
This guy is usually cold, indifferent, and lifeless; he only comes alive when he’s around Shen Mingjin. Jiang Ruoling pondered for a while, thinking that if he found someone to keep him company and warm his bed, maybe it would cheer up that deadpan Xu Duwan.
If you don’t like him anymore, you can just dump him. Shen Mingjin has no background and doesn’t seem very smart. Aren’t you afraid he’ll cause trouble for Old Master Xu and threaten Xu Duwan’s right to inherit the family business?
Jiang Ruoling thought casually, but his smile became more and more sincere. He looked so wide-eyed that his eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, which made Shen Mingjin feel uneasy. He subconsciously moved away a little, his back pressed against the bed board, looking just like some kind of chaste and virtuous husband.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Ruoling’s face stiffened, and he almost couldn’t hold back his smile:
“What are you doing?”
“It’s nothing,” Shen Mingjin thought for a moment, then realized that lying wasn’t a good thing, and after a while, he honestly replied:
“You look like you’re about to hit someone.”
For some reason, Shen Mingjin’s eyesight had become clearer since he fainted last night, and he had become more sensitive and vigilant about such behavior.
Jiang Ruoling thought Shen Mingjin was a bit silly: “I won’t hit you. We live in a society governed by law. How could I possibly hit you casually?”
Besides, Xu Duwan looks at you like you’re his own eyes. Even if he wanted to take action, he would have to consider Xu Duwan’s expression.
“Is that so…” Shen Mingjin paused upon hearing this, and was about to speak when several muscular, fierce-looking men suddenly flashed before his eyes. His temples throbbed with pain as if they had been pierced by awls, forcing him to press his wrists against his forehead, dig his fingers into his hair, close his eyes, and bite his lip tightly. It took him a long time to suppress the cry of pain in his mouth.
Why would such images appear in his blank memory?
Could it be something he experienced before he lost his memory?
The fragmented images in my mind are like snowflakes fluttering down in the dead of winter; they can be admired from afar, but once you get close and try to grasp them, they melt instantly in your palm and disappear without a trace.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell again?” Jiang Ruoling paused when he saw Shen Mingjin’s face turn pale after he said the words “hit someone.” He thought to himself, “He can’t be that cowardly. I didn’t really hit him.”
A rare pang of guilt welled up within him. He stood up, awkwardly poured Shen Mingjin a glass of water, and whispered:
“I was just saying, I won’t really hit you.”
With such a timid nature, it’s no wonder Xu Duwan protects him like a treasure, even having to secretly hit others.
Jiang Ruoling thought to himself.
If he’s looking for a partner, he definitely can’t choose someone so timid.
“I’m not…” Shen Mingjin wanted to explain what he had just thought of, but seeing Jiang Ruoling’s thoughtful gaze, he gave up after a long while, paused, and subconsciously changed the subject:
“I just saw that Xu Duwan had wounds on his body and suspected that he had been in a fight with someone.”
“Oh, wasn’t that all for you?”
Jiang Ruoling chuckled, winking at the stunned Shen Mingjin, and said with great gossip:
“He dealt with Gu Zhe for you while you were unconscious. Yes, the one who forced you to drink. You didn’t see how ruthless Xu Duwan was, like he had no regard for his own life…”
After saying that, Jiang Ruoling seemed to have thought of something else, slammed his fist into his palm, and glared at him: “In the end, Gu Zhe shamelessly called for bodyguards, which caused Wanwan to suffer a lot.”
“What happened to the promise of one-on-one with a man?!”
Jiang Ruoling didn’t notice Shen Mingjin’s pupils widening instantly. He angrily kicked the headboard, seemingly getting more and more irritated as he spoke.
“That bastard, I hope he lives a life of sheepishness for the rest of his life, otherwise I won’t be able to quell my hatred!”
“……” Shen Mingjin gradually became serious, his gaze constantly drifting towards the door. Recalling that he had just argued with Xu Duwan because of the fight, he felt extremely regretful.
If only he had known, if only he hadn’t made Xu Duwan angry over this…
He didn’t have a good impression of fighting. In his mind, fighting either hurts others or hurts oneself. During his conversation with Xu Duwan, his tone became harsher, which eventually made Xu Duwan turn pale with anger, and then he slammed the door and left.
But now that he knew Xu Duwan had fought for him, Shen Mingjin felt a mix of emotions. Before Jiang Ruoling could finish speaking, he pulled out the IV line and ran out the door before Jiang Ruoling could call out to him in alarm.
……..
When Xu Duwan came out of Shen Mingjin’s ward, his face was so black it could drip ink. He was so angry that his liver hurt. His stomach, which hadn’t eaten for a long time, started churning and churning “at the right time” without him noticing his expression.
Xu Duwan frowned, struggled to walk to a corner while holding onto the wall, and dry-heaved a few times, but not only did he not vomit anything, his face also looked even worse.
A mother who was taking his daughter to see a doctor was startled when he saw Xu Duwan’s appearance. She thought she had encountered a seriously ill patient and kept her distance from Xu Duwan.
Xu Duwan: “………”
Damn it, he shouldn’t have gone out drinking with that idiot Jiang Ruoling last night!
The thought of meeting Shen Mingjin last night made Xu Duwan’s stomach ache even more. His face turned ashen as he tried to find a place to sit down, but after searching for a long time, he could only find a dirty flower bed.
Several tiles along the edge of the flower bed had been pushed open by the thick, leaning tree trunk, and broken bricks were scattered everywhere. A few ugly flowers sprouted from the cracks, and several ice cream wrappers were carelessly stuck in the soil. The sugary syrup inside had melted, and the wrappers were multicolored and smelled a bit sour and foul. They were covered with black ants.
Xu Duwan has severe mysophobia. Upon seeing this, he frowned, hesitated, and stood by the tiles for a long time without sitting down.
The pain in his stomach intensified, as if a giant hand were squeezing his internal organs, wringing out a towel. Xu Duwan groaned, clutching his stomach. The veins on the back of his hand, which was braced against the tree, bulged, and a little blood seeped from the corner of his bitten lip, making him feel even more nauseous.
Meanwhile, Shen Mingjin realized his phone was dead when he went out. Besides, he hadn’t added Xu Duwan’s number, so he could only wander around like a headless fly. When he finally found Xu Duwan, he was already pale with pain and squatting by the flower bed, seemingly too weak to stand.
Shen Mingjin was startled and quickly ran over, putting his arm around Xu Duwan’s waist and pulling him up in a half-drag, half-hug manner.
Xu Duwan stiffened, instinctively struggling for a moment. When his fingertips touched Shen Mingjin’s shoulder, he recoiled as if burned, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. He forced himself to speak:
“What are you doing here?”
Shen Mingjin lowered his head, about to reply, but suddenly froze the moment his gaze fell on Xu Duwan.
Xu Duwan was not fat, but rather slender; Shen Mingjin could wrap his arm around his waist with one hand.
As they got closer, Shen Mingjin realized that Xu Duwan, despite his fierce and intimidating appearance, was actually quite small. He could only stand on tiptoe and barely meet Shen Mingjin’s gaze. When Shen Mingjin looked down, all he could see was a round cowlick tucked under his neck, looking like a small, listless animal waiting to be fed.
Seeing Xu Duwan limp and lifeless like a jellyfish without water, Shen Mingjin’s heart softened. Without waiting for a reply, he decisively pulled Xu Duwan to sit on the flowerbed, but Xu Duwan held on tightly.
“dirty……..”
Xu Duwan was disgusted by all ants and insects and refused to sit down no matter what. Shen Mingjin was so anxious that he broke out in a sweat. He tried to coax and trick Xu Duwan into sitting down.
However, perhaps because he was feeling unwell, Xu Duwan was much more irritable than usual. He squatted on the ground, keeping away from the ants, and looked pitifully at Shen Mingjin. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his skin was so white that it seemed to let the light pass through. He looked fragile and helpless, and even Shen Mingjin couldn’t bear to force him.
The mother, who had just finished taking her daughter to the doctor, grabbed a bottle of water from the vending machine and sat on the flower bed to feed her daughter her medicine. She inadvertently saw Shen Mingjin squatting on the ground comforting Xu Duwan. She brushed her wind-blown hair behind her ear, flicked away an ant crawling on her pants, and muttered something in her dialect:
“Boys are so delicate, they’re hard to handle.”
“…Who says I’m delicate…?”
Xu Duwan has always been very proud. Upon hearing this, he stood up abruptly in anger, but his mind suddenly went blank. It was as if the world had turned upside down. His vision went black, and he staggered a few steps while clutching his forehead before falling into Shen Mingjin’s arms.
“Sister, he’s afraid of getting dirty.” Shen Mingjin put his arm around his waist to prevent Xu Duwan from falling, and casually brushed Xu Duwan’s hair aside to hide his ears, which had inexplicably turned bright red. He smiled at his eldest sister sitting on the flower bed.
“There are ants.”
“Is your brother afraid of ants? I’m afraid of them too.”
The little girl, sitting on her mother’s lap, hugged the water, wiggled her little toes, smiled at Shen Mingjin, and continued the conversation:
“But when Mom holds me while I sit, I’m not afraid anymore.”
“Big brother can hug that brother and sit down, then no ants will crawl on him.”
The little girl’s words were always surprising, yet she remained remarkably well-behaved, even appearing somewhat… considerate?
Shen Mingjin was surprised: “…….”
Xu Duwan blushed: “…….”
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Shen Mingjin lowered his head slightly and saw that Xu Duwan’s fingers, which were gripping his collar, were trembling slightly and almost turning white, looking very forceful.
Shen Mingjin didn’t know whether the other person was ashamed or angry, but he felt a little sorry for his clothes. After all, the foreman had given him the clothes, and if they were damaged, he wouldn’t have the money to pay for them.
He hesitated for a moment, his dark eyes reflecting Xu Duwan’s pale, restrained face, before slowly speaking:
“How about I carry you…?”
“no…….”
He’s a grown man; he has absolutely no expectations of being hugged or having to sit on someone’s lap…
As Xu Duwan thought this to himself, his lips trembled slightly. Just as he was about to utter the words of refusal, a sudden pain shot through his stomach, as if a fist had slammed into his fragile inner walls, causing all the color to drain from his face.
Seeing this, Shen Mingjin no longer hesitated. He gently lowered his arm around him, rubbing it as if it were electrified, from his lower back down to his buttocks, and finally to the back of his legs. He then picked Xu Duwan up horizontally[1]princess carry jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2399007_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2399007_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Xu Duwan: “…….!!!”
His pupils widened like a kitten’s, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
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