Seeing this email, Chi Yuan’s face darkened.
He knew exactly who the sender was. The person had been relentlessly sending him emails for half a month, using a different account every time. He could not imagine where they found the time and energy.
At first, the subject lines expressed love over and over, with the content detailing supposedly wonderful memories. Later, and now, perhaps due to anger or embarrassment, they turned into frantic curses. Even without clicking on them, he could see the jumbled, nonsensical subject lines. Chi Yuan looked mockingly at the title of this one: “Do you just watch me go insane?” It seemed Fang Qiming’s self-awareness was quite accurate; he truly sounded insane.
Chi Yuan’s gaze shifted from the screen to Lu Huai’s face. Lu Huai watched him silently without speaking. He saw Chi Yuan click delete without hesitation, the movement so practiced it seemed routine. Lu Huai’s eyes deepened. He could guess who was behind this, and Chi Yuan likely could too. As for why he still indulged it… Lu Huai recalled the whisper Chi Yuan had breathed into his ear that night and curled his lips helplessly. Perhaps it was because Chi Yuan himself had not yet let go.
Lu Huai lowered his eyes, trying to appear completely indifferent. Debating with someone like Fang Qiming was hardly worth his time.
“Are you not going to ask something?” Chi Yuan closed his laptop. The space in the car was small, and Lu Huai, sitting right next to him, was clearly visible in every movement. He knew Lu Huai had seen it.
Lu Huai curled his lips, though his eyes remained cold. “Ask what?”
He half-closed his eyes, finding Chi Yuan quite interesting. That name, Fang Qiming, still rang in his ears. What was there to say? Although he had made this gamble willingly, he had no intention of humiliating himself.
His peach-blossom eyes were sharp as blades, yet the corners drooped like a crescent moon reflecting water. Lu Huai said slowly, “About the emails? I am well aware of how popular you are. I do not need to ask about every single one.”
The words Chi Yuan wanted to use to explain were stuck in his throat. He stared intensely at Lu Huai, but the man refused to engage, avoiding his gaze entirely as if he truly did not care.
Yes, he just does not care.
Chi Yuan felt a sudden bitterness in his heart. He sneered, “Indeed, I cannot compare to your magnanimity.”
Lu Huai paused. He glanced at him sideways, finding it amusing. Is this not the game Chi Yuan wanted? If he really asked, would Chi Yuan be happy? Mentioning Fang Qiming would only make things uncomfortable for both of them.
His fingertips gripped the paper, enduring the discomfort in his body, not expecting Chi Yuan to goad him further. Lu Huai lowered his lashes, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. “If I were to care about every little thing, would that not mean I am too deeply infatuated with you?”
A stalemate ensued.
Chi Yuan shook his head, faintly realizing how ridiculous he was being. What kind of person was Lu Huai? He was someone who, even when breaking things off, would weigh the emotions precisely, calculating the debt on both sides until they were even.
This is for the best, he thought. At least I do not like him, so Lu Huai’s indifference cannot hurt me.
Having settled his mind, Chi Yuan opened his account. Regardless of whether Lu Huai cared or not, he was annoyed by it and could not let it be out of spite.
He was in a bad mood, finding even the sound of the keyboard grating. Lu Huai, his eyes dark and glossy, could not help but tap Chi Yuan’s side. “If you make any more noise, get out.”
His tone was full of hostility. Lu Huai stared at Chi Yuan, his lips tightly pursed, showing he was not joking and meant for him to get out right now.
Chi Yuan raised his phoenix eyes, his lips curling into a mocking smile. He had been suppressing his temper, and now he was in no mood to be polite. Sharp, biting words were on the tip of his tongue, but seeing Lu Huai suddenly close his eyes and shake his head ever so slightly, his anger strangely faded.
Lu Huai bit his lip, enduring the sudden wave of dizziness. Even while forcing himself to maintain his composure, his fingers curled tightly; he relied on that slight pain to keep himself awake.
What debt do I owe whom?
Leaning against the car door, Lu Huai felt weary and simply closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the man in front of him. He felt a slight movement of air against his cheek, likely Chi Yuan’s hand. Not wanting any contact, he turned his head away in annoyance.
Chi Yuan awkwardly retracted his empty palm, pinching his own fingertips. Seeing Lu Huai’s pale face, he had no interest in bickering. He leaned forward, grabbing Lu Huai and lowering his voice with a hint of warning: “Do not hide.”
Lu Huai struggled in vain. Moreover, the movement only made him dizzier. Lacking the strength to resist, he found himself supported by Chi Yuan, which felt somewhat comfortable, so he could only furrow his brows and let him be.
Chi Yuan’s palm pressed against his forehead. He was shocked by the scorching heat and could not help but curse under his breath.
“You are feverish and do not know it?”
Lu Huai opened his eyelids, dodging Chi Yuan’s hand with annoyance. He licked his dry lips, only now realizing his throat was sore. Not bothering with politeness, he glared coldly at Chi Yuan.
“Oh? And whose fault is that?”
Chi Yuan wanted to say something, but he found Lu Huai’s rare, spirited appearance fascinating. At the very least, when the man was clear-headed, he would never speak like this. With cold blades in his eyes and a tone tinged with a slight, aggrieved resentment, he found himself distracted.
Lu Huai took Chi Yuan’s silence as a sign he was speechless, so his expression grew even colder.
He commented sharply, “Honestly, I did not know Mr. Chi’s techniques were so poor.” He fixed his gaze on a certain spot, letting Chi Yuan fully experience his disdain before continuing: “If you are so incompetent, then I will take the lead next time.”
The colder the words, the softer Lu Huai’s tone seemed to Chi Yuan. Dark, fragmented memories flashed through his mind: the red marks he had left on Lu Huai’s waist and the breathless, broken words from the night before.
Chi Yuan rubbed his nose, feeling he had perhaps gone too far. However, he also had claw marks on his own back. His gaze fell to Lu Huai’s exposed neck, and he let out a meaningful chuckle, not believing the “poor” claim for a second.
Lu Huai always said the opposite of what he meant.
“That will likely depend on who has the better skills.” Chi Yuan whispered with ambiguous laughter. Seeing Lu Huai in such discomfort, an unusual emotion welled up inside him. At the very least, he rarely saw this side of Lu Huai. He faintly remembered the moonlight shifting and said ambiguously, “Besides, your stamina is not enough.”
“Get out!”
Lu Huai threw the folder at Chi Yuan and turned his head, clearly finished with him.
Chi Yuan curled his lips, feeling a genuine, heartfelt sense of pleasure from seeing the various emotions he had stirred in Lu Huai. Knowing Lu Huai was thin-skinned, he did not dare to tease him further.
He searched the car’s medicine kit. He remembered he had brought a blanket and covered the man with it, though Lu Huai threw it back into his lap.
Taking advantage of the fact that the sick man had no strength, Chi Yuan’s phoenix eyes held a smile, his voice carrying a touch of indulgence he did not even notice himself: “Do not make trouble.”
He wrapped the man up tightly. As he tied the blanket around his neck, he caught a glimpse of Lu Huai’s slightly pink earlobes.
Chi Yuan resisted the urge to tease him. How did I not know Lu Huai was so easy to bully? He opened the medicine kit with one hand, but his expression froze instantly.
“Lu Huai…”
The standard-sized kit was crammed with a variety of medications. Chi Yuan looked at the multi-colored boxes and found almost no duplicates. There were at least a dozen types. He tried to find common cold medicine but searched the whole kit in vain, finding instead several different brands of painkillers.
Chi Yuan’s brows furrowed. Before he could see clearly, the man who had been struggling to sit up slammed it shut.
“It is just a cold.” Lu Huai’s eyes were watery from the fever, his voice low and hoarse. He coughed a few times, hoping to discourage Chi Yuan’s intent to reopen the box. “No need for medicine.”
He was not used to showing weakness in front of Chi Yuan, and he certainly did not want the man to ask the origin of all these drugs. He could never explain it.
Chi Yuan darkened his eyes. Lu Huai’s hand was pressed firmly on the lid, the intent to refuse clear. He had only one thought in his mind: When did Lu Huai’s body get like this? Did I miss some details? Or are these latent injuries and illnesses all caused by people whose names I do not know?
He spoke in a low voice, his emotions complex.
“Go to the hospital.”
Lu Huai shook his head.
Suppressing his anger, Chi Yuan held back and said, “Do you intend to struggle through a meeting? Lu Huai, who taught you to ruin yourself like this?”
Lu Huai sighed: “It is merely…”
Chi Yuan frowned, ignoring Lu Huai’s resistance, and opened the kit, laughing out of frustration.
“What is with all these boxes of medicine? And all these painkillers? What the hell have you been doing in those two years abroad?”
“Chi Yuan!” Lu Huai gripped his sleeve, his eyes deep. His sleeves hid his tattoo. “What does this have to do with you?”
Chi Yuan’s expression froze. What does it have to do with me?
He could not answer.
Lu Huai watched as Chi Yuan fell silent, lowered his head, and curled his lips in mockery.
“…The fever will not go down?”
“I will hold out.” Lu Huai uttered the two words coldly, then lowered his lashes and tucked the medicine kit under his seat. “Rest assured, what I said earlier was a joke. With your abilities, it would not reach this state.”
Hearing those light words, “hold out,” Chi Yuan’s brows bristled with cold sharpness. He suddenly laughed out loud. “Lu Huai, do you really think I have a good temper?”
“Who cares what state you have collapsed into?” Chi Yuan firmly took Lu Huai’s hand; his fingertips were icy cold. “But from now on, I am in charge.”
Ignoring Lu Huai’s struggle, Chi Yuan leaned down, practically pulling the man into his arms. Seeing the shock in Lu Huai’s eyes, he pressed the button to lower the privacy partition with one hand.
His back blocked Lu Huai entirely. Seeing the driver’s stunned expression, Chi Yuan did not move. He asked coldly: “Where is the nearest hospital?”
Without waiting for the trembling driver to answer, Chi Yuan commanded: “Drive there.”
“…Chi Yuan, are you sick?” Lu Huai gritted his teeth. His physical strength was currently at a disadvantage. Ignoring the dryness in his throat, he raised his voice: “Do not go to the hospital.”
Lu Huai pushed against the person pinning him down, frowning: “Do you think my driver will listen to you?”
Chi Yuan lowered his gaze, but the corners of his lips rose high.
“Lu Huai, we have been at odds for over a decade, and the victor has always made the rules. What is the point of your verbal protests now?”
He shot a glance with his phoenix eyes and barked at the driver: “Stop the car.”