49: A lucky accident

Sun Binghe's first thought: Fortunately, I made it to the position of a trusted aide; otherwise, being silenced would just be a matter of time.

In reality, Shen Lian hadn't actually woken up. He looked hazily at the person before him; the silhouette was very similar to Chu Yilan, but his mind was a chaotic mess, unable to connect anything to reality. Even so, he was seriously contemplating one question: how to keep Chu Yilan from getting angry.

Chu Yilan was so angry he laughed. What a rogue.

Shen Lian lifted his chin slightly, struggling to breathe, so Chu Yilan pulled the blanket down a bit.

Shen Lian's hair was stuck to his face; he must have broken into a sweat, and his complexion was pale at the moment.

A dull pain throbbed in Chu Yilan's heart. How many days had this person been away from him?

On the way, Chu Yilan made a phone call. After the car arrived at the hospital, they went through the priority channel. By the time blood tests and IV drips were all finished, it was already dark.

Throughout this, Shen Lian never woke up, but his heavy breathing gradually eased.

In the private ward, Chu Yilan sat by the bedside with a chair, completely out of temper.

This person was simply his nemesis.

Later, the doctor came in with a stack of test results. The moment Chu Yilan saw his expression, he began to feel uneasy.

"There is a mild lung infection," the doctor said. "Some indicators are barely passing. Mr. Chu, the patient needs to have a comprehensive re-examination after the inflammation subsides."

Chu Yilan's brow furrowed, his tone low: "Understood."

Shen Lian knew nothing of this. It was only in the second half of the night, when he was moaning unconsciously, that someone held him. This embrace was truly warm and very secure, and the discomfort in his body was greatly relieved.

After the rainstorm, the night sky looked as if it had been washed clean, with stars twinkling and a crescent moon hanging in the sky.

The curtains weren't drawn, and the room was illuminated brightly.

Chu Yilan suddenly jolted awake from a dream. He instinctively tightened his arms, and only after touching Shen Lian did the panic and anxiety in his eyes gradually fade away.

He was half-leaning against the headboard in an uncomfortable position, but the person in his arms looked very comfortable.

Chu Yilan lowered his eyes, staring at Shen Lian for a long time.

Chu Yilan knew he had fallen for him; there was nothing wrong with admitting it. It was just that before he lost contact with Shen Lian, he had never scrutinized the extent of this attraction.

Abandoning all his work, going to great lengths to clear the roads, and meeting all of Xu Jingge's demands—all just so he could bring Shen Lian right under his nose. Chu Yilan did not doubt Shen Lian's capabilities; after all, when this guy fell into the water to save someone, he appeared extremely heroic and fearless. Usually, when dealing with people who didn't know any better, he would retort whenever he could and never let himself be bested. But what of it?

That didn't stop Chu Yilan from being frantic with worry the whole way.

Back then, when Zheng Ge had everything going for him—the right time, place, and people—and said something that tugged at Chu Yilan's heartstrings, Chu Yilan had only given him a slightly better attitude. Resources and the like didn't matter; the wealth that slipped through his fingers meant nothing to Chu Yilan. He had even become indifferent to the world itself.

But at this moment, the world seemed to have fallen into his arms once again.

In the dead of night, Chu Yilan finally heard his own heartbeat once more, and with absolute clarity.

He was still alive, not a walking corpse. The warmth in his arms, the person in his arms—this was the treasure he was absolutely certain, after constantly questioning his own heart, that he could not lose.

Chu Yilan was like a defeated prisoner, yet he was willing, handing the shackles and chains over to Shen Lian.

The moonlight fell into the man's eyes; the abyss and the deep valley dissipated, and at the end was a crystal-clear river where love was slowly flowing.

Shen Lian hadn't intended to use a bitter ruse, but he was lucky, and it had worked out as a happy accident.

*

Shen Lian didn't open his eyes until noon the next day. His whole body felt lazy; although heavy, it wasn't uncomfortable.

He struggled to sit up, thinking he was still at the hotel, but heard a gentle, smiling voice from beside him: "Mr. Shen is awake?"

What the hell?

Shen Lian was startled; this voice sounded familiar!

Seeing Sun Binghe's delicate and scholarly face, Shen Lian couldn't process it for a moment.

"Does Mr. Shen want some water?"

Shen Lian suspiciously looked around; it seemed to be a hospital.

"How did I get here?" Shen Lian opened his mouth, his voice hoarse.

Sun Binghe said while pouring water: "Of course, Boss brought you here."

Shen Lian was so happy he forgot he was still owed a beating: "Where is he?"

"He stayed with you all night and went out an hour ago; he has some matters to attend to." Sun Binghe raised the head of the bed and handed Shen Lian a glass of warm water.

After drinking the water, Shen Lian adjusted to the current situation. "Ahem..." He lowered his voice: "Assistant Sun, is your Boss angry?"

"He was very angry when he arrived, but after seeing you, there was only worry left."

Just as Shen Lian was about to grin, he heard Sun Binghe add, "However, Boss's anger is always delayed. You can't stay bedridden forever, so you should still be prepared."

Shen Lian: "..."

Heh, I really love listening to Assistant Sun talk; it makes my heart tremble.

After a while, Shen Lian asked Sun Binghe: "Do you have any ideas?"

Sun Binghe shook his head sympathetically: "No."

On the other side—

Xu Jingge yawned, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. After listening to his assistant's report, he finally let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Chu Yilan: "Thanks to CEO Chu for this time. I don't have time to host you today. Wait for me to go back and catch up on sleep, then we'll eat together when I wake up."

Chu Yilan: "Not eating won't affect anything."

"It will!" Xu Jingge had to see for himself what was going on between Chu Yilan and Shen Lian.

Chu Yilan didn't refuse and didn't waste words; he was also anxious to return to the hospital.

Coming out of Xu Jingge's company, Chu Yilan saw this guy looking so tired he was like a drunkard, stumbling as he got into a silver Cayenne. Before the car door closed, Xu Jingge naturally lay down on the lap of the person in the backseat, and a pair of slender hands immediately began massaging his temples.

It must be Chang Qing.

Chu Yilan knew that the boomerang from back then was about to fly back.

Xu Jingge inviting him to dinner was just a pretext; according to this guy's habits, he would definitely get back at him for whatever he had said before.

Chu Yilan had a feeling that this trip to Lin City might not go very smoothly.

Sun Binghe provided Shen Lian with a new mobile phone, and the SIM card was also ready. As soon as he turned it on, a call from Hu Kailan came through.

Shen Lian answered nonchalantly. After Hu Kailan finished venting, he gave a carefree report that he was safe.

As for the video, Shen Lian was very indignant: "What, I save someone and still get scolded? Is there any reason in this?"

"That's not the case," Hu Kailan's tone softened. "This time, not only were you not scolded, but many passersby helped you retort against those haters."

The first to bear the brunt were Zheng Ge's fans.

Honestly, this group of idiots really had no sense. With a disaster at hand and everyone worried, they were still playing that fandom game—if that's not asking for death, what is?

Zheng Ge's fans couldn't stand to see even the slightest sign of Shen Lian rising. Before, it was one thing, but this time, when Shen Lian saved someone, they jumped out claiming it was a publicity stunt, and aggressively occupied the comment section, trying to control the narrative. The result was predictable.

【As a Lin City native, I'm going to bash your heads in! At that time, the dam suddenly ruptured, and Shen Lian was on his way to the shelter. Rehearsal? How do you rehearse that? Your daddy here is going to rush at your face at fifty kilometers per second and hit you with a Pegasus Meteor Fist. Let's see if you can rehearse blocking that in advance, you morons!】

【Zheng Ge fans, just stick to shipping your idol with Zhou Tangsi. You guys probably can't understand this kind of situation with your love-addled brains.】

【But Shen Lian did intervene in the romance between Zheng Ge and CEO Zhou.】

【We are talking about the disaster, and you're talking to me about romance? F*ck!】

Shen Lian scrolled through the comments, laughing heartily.