TITCFRIBN 10

 Chapter 10

The sound of the wine bottle shattering echoed in Chen He’s ears, followed by a sharp pain in his head and a piercing ringing that filled his mind. Red wine splattered everywhere, drenching Chen He’s face, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if the liquid dripping down was wine or blood. His expensive shirt was stained crimson.

Chen He, now aware of the metallic smell of blood mixed with wine, was suddenly struck with fear. Grabbing his head, he shouted, “An Cheng! An Cheng! You cracked my skull! I’m going to die! And you’re coming down with me!”

An Cheng kicked him to the side, his brow arched, and his voice icy, “If you die, it’s because you brought it on yourself.”

Though he said that, An Cheng knew he hadn’t hit him hard enough to kill. He wasn’t the type to accidentally commit murder over something like this.

Chen He was disoriented, lying on the ground, dizzy from the blow, unable to get up. He sat there, clutching his head, cursing, “You just wait, An Cheng! I’ll make sure you can’t stay at the university anymore!”

An Cheng ignored him and walked into the room. After a quick glance around, he didn’t see Bai Qing. Looking back, he noticed several footprints on the bathroom door. He walked over and knocked, “Bai Qing, are you in there?”

A soft, strained voice came from inside, “Yeah, I’m here.”

Hearing Bai Qing’s weak response, An Cheng immediately suspected that Chen He had drugged him, just like in the novel—only this time, it had happened sooner.

Turning back to Chen He, who was still cursing on the floor, An Cheng walked over, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him. The fabric dug into Chen He’s neck, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

“What are you doing? If you touch me again, I’ll report you to the police! You’re breaking the law, An Cheng!” Chen He’s eyes widened, his voice panicked.

As he spoke, his hands flailed, spilling more red wine on An Cheng. An Cheng wrinkled his nose in disgust, then, with a strong shove, forced Chen He toward the door.

An Cheng released him just outside the door, and Chen He, losing his balance, collapsed once again. He glared at An Cheng, ready to speak, but An Cheng, standing tall, loomed over him like a giant.

“Go ahead,” An Cheng said dismissively. “Report it to the police. While you’re at it, I’ll make sure they find the drugs you used on Bai Qing at the restaurant.”

Chen He’s face went pale, his pupils contracting in terror.

Before Chen He had taken Bai Qing from the restaurant, he had dumped out the drink that was spiked, but if the cups were still there, it wouldn’t take much to test them and find out. But how did An Cheng know? How could he possibly know?

An Cheng didn’t bother to linger, watching the confusion and panic spread across Chen He’s face. He slammed the door shut and walked back to the bathroom.

“Bai Qing, it’s me. Open up.”

After some sounds of movement inside, the door creaked open.

Bai Qing was on the floor, not far from the door. His once-tidy military training uniform was in complete disarray, his collar a mess, and his face, neck, and even his ears were flushed red. He was trying to sit up, but his body seemed too weak to obey him. His hands barely kept him propped up as he looked up at An Cheng.

At that moment, all the frustration and discomfort Bai Qing had been holding in broke free. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision, but even through the haze, he could tell An Cheng’s expression was grim. An Cheng rarely frowned this deeply.

With a trembling voice, Bai Qing whispered, “Cheng ge…”

Hearing Bai Qing’s soft plea felt like a needle stabbing An Cheng’s heart. He quickly averted his eyes, feeling his ears burn.

Why did this situation feel so painfully intimate?

An Cheng shook off the thought and hurried over to help Bai Qing to his feet, intending to take him to the hospital. Given Bai Qing’s state, a more practical option might’ve been carrying him bridal style, but Bai Qing was slightly taller than him, and the image of a straight man carrying a gay friend in such a way seemed awkward.

Those thoughts quickly evaporated as Bai Qing grabbed hold of his wrist. The slight tug caught An Cheng off balance, and he nearly toppled forward, catching himself just in time by placing his hands on the floor behind Bai Qing.

The cold tile beneath his hands was in sharp contrast to the warmth of Bai Qing’s body pressing against him.

Bai Qing wrapped his arms around him.

An Cheng: “Uh…”

He opened his mouth to say something, but Bai Qing clung even tighter, though it wasn’t a very strong grip. An Cheng could easily break free if he wanted to.

Bai Qing’s voice wavered with helplessness, “Cheng ge, just give me a moment… Let me catch my breath…”

Bai Qing was overwhelmed with discomfort, his strength completely drained, leaving only a chaotic mix of physical need and emotional turmoil. He was on the verge of breaking down, the drugs amplifying his desire, which he couldn’t control.

He inched his face closer to An Cheng, his voice soft and pleading, “Ge, can I… Can I just touch your face?”

“It’s so hot…”

An Cheng hesitated. “Just your face?”

That, he could handle.

The way An Cheng responded gave Bai Qing the courage to lean in and press his burning face against An Cheng’s cooler skin, seeking some relief.

After a few moments, Bai Qing suddenly pulled away and buried his face in his arms, his knees drawn up to his chest. “Cheng ge, you should wait outside…”

An Cheng was puzzled but nodded. “Alright. Just come out soon. We need to get you to a hospital.”

After he left, the bathroom returned to a tense silence, the sound of droplets falling from the faucet echoing in the room.

Beneath his arms, Bai Qing’s face was flushed with embarrassment. How could I have done that?!

Cheng ge is probably straight, but… He glanced down, mortified to realize that his body had reacted.

Outside the room, An Cheng stood awkwardly, not sure where to sit.

He couldn’t bring himself to relax in this hotel room, knowing full well the kind of things Chen He had probably done here before. Everything feels wrong, he thought, grimacing as he glanced around.

Half an hour later, the sound of water came from the bathroom. After the water stopped, Bai Qing came out and closed the door behind him.

Bai Qing didn’t look directly at An Cheng’s eyes. “Brother Cheng, let’s go to the hospital.”

When Bai Qing came out, he was leaning against the wall, clearly still lacking strength. An Cheng squatted down in front of him. “Get on.”

Bai Qing hesitated for a moment, and An Cheng urged him, “What are you still thinking about?”

Do you know that squatting makes your legs numb?

Bai Qing gently lay on An Cheng’s back, their young bodies pressed together.

“Brother Cheng,” Bai Qing leaned on An Cheng’s shoulder, “thank you.”

An Cheng hailed a cab outside the hotel and went straight to the city hospital. The registration was done quickly through his phone.

When they reached the outpatient department, the doctor took one look at Bai Qing and immediately knew what the situation was. After a brief examination, the doctor started typing up the orders on the computer.

The doctor’s expression was hard to describe, and when he glanced at An Cheng, there was a hint of disapproval in his eyes.

“Young people need to take care of their health; it’s their future capital. Some things shouldn’t be eaten casually, and definitely shouldn’t be given to your boyfriend.”

When the orders were printed out, the doctor handed them to An Cheng. “These things you find on the market are mostly not meant for human consumption; they’re for livestock.”

Seeing that An Cheng’s expression remained unchanged, the doctor frowned. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Bai Qing was both surprised by Chen He’s shamelessness and deeply embarrassed by the doctor’s words. He quickly took the orders from An Cheng. “I, I understand.”

He carefully glanced at An Cheng’s face and, seeing no change, let out a sigh of relief.

The doctor sighed inwardly. Matters of feelings and preferences are beyond others' control.

While Bai Qing was receiving intravenous fluids, An Cheng played on his phone beside him. His long fingers tapped away, looking quite busy.

As the cold medicine dripped into his body, soothing the heat silently, Bai Qing felt his strength gradually returning and he could start taking care of himself.

Bai Qing said to An Cheng, “Brother Cheng, it’s so late. If you have things to do, you can go back first. I can go back by myself.”

An Cheng replied, “I’m not busy.”

Bai Qing glanced at An Cheng’s phone, just about to say something when his stomach growled loudly. He turned his head in embarrassment, holding his stomach with his non-needle hand, trying to make it quieter.

He and Chen He had hardly eaten anything before being brought to the hotel; they had just had a sip of rice wine.

When the body is feverish, even though it’s weak, it actually consumes a lot of energy. Now that his strength was slowly returning, his stomach began to complain uncontrollably.

An Cheng heard the noise and looked up from his phone. “Are you hungry?”

Bai Qing lowered his head in embarrassment. “Yes.”

An Cheng stood up, looked around. It was late, and the infusion area was a small seat outside the emergency room, with only a few dim lights.

“I’ll go buy something for you.”

To be on the safe side, An Cheng asked a nurse to watch over Bai Qing. “He’s not feeling well right now. I’ll be away for a while to buy some food. Could you keep an eye on him for me?”

This was a rare long sentence from An Cheng, but one cannot be cold when asking for help; it’s basic politeness.

The nurse, having been silently observing the two handsome young men, was eager and unable to suppress her excitement.

When An Cheng spoke, she was a bit embarrassed but still readily agreed.

Bai Qing looked at An Cheng’s departing figure, feeling a mix of emotions. He really wasn’t this fragile.

The nurse leaned in but kept a respectful distance, her voice lowered but still filled with barely contained excitement.

“Little brother, is that guy who just left your boyfriend?”

Meanwhile, An Cheng was searching for a store still open at night while chatting with the system.

Cat 007: “I’ve sent you the information on Chen He’s exes. It’s quite a scoop! When are you going to deal with him?”

Although the nightlife here was vibrant, mostly involving barbecue and skewers, it wasn’t suitable for someone who was sick.

An Cheng thought for a moment and turned into a convenience store.

He picked out a sandwich and a bottle of hot milk from the fridge and placed them at the checkout.

In the meantime, An Cheng lowered his gaze and replied in his mind.

“It’s not about dealing with him; I just want him to stay completely away from Bai Qing.”

<<

TOC

>>