The Ceo Of The Company Next Door Seems To Have A Crush On Me Chapter 31

So Much Pain and Bad Habits

The call came in the middle of the night.

Lu Zhijian was a light sleeper and usually kept his phone on Do Not Disturb.

Of course, because he was a light sleeper and the whole day had been a mess, he was tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. The more he couldn’t sleep, the more agitated he became, so he could only stare blankly at the ceiling.

Thus, the sudden light that appeared in the pitch black was particularly glaring.

Lu Zhijian frowned in annoyance, sat up in bed, and picked up the phone from the nightstand.

Three words flashed across the screen: “Yan Xucheng.”

Lu Zhijian’s muddled mind instantly cleared. His movements were a little frantic, and he swiped up twice before finally answering, “Yan Xucheng?!”

His heart was pounding fiercely. If nothing was wrong, why would Yan Xucheng call him at this hour?

A weak voice came from the other end: “Come, come pick me up…”

It was Yan Xucheng’s voice!

Lu Zhijian didn’t hesitate for a second. While stripping off his pajamas and tossing them casually on the floor, he held the phone, “What happened to you? Where are you? I’m coming to find you now.”

He grabbed two pieces of clothing and pulled them on.

Yan Xucheng’s voice was hazy and intermittent, making it hard to hear clearly. Lu Zhijian could only vaguely make out the last few words: “Head… hurts… address… send on WeChat…”

Lu Zhijian opened WeChat. Yan Xucheng had shared his location; his icon was at Jing University Third Hospital, with a line of numbers below it, which must be his room number.

Lu Zhijian knew he couldn’t speak clearly right now. He grabbed the car keys by the door. The keys clinked together, making a crisp sound that made the already empty hallway seem even quieter. Lu Zhijian’s gentle voice sounded, like a tranquil nocturne: “I’ll be there right away. Just keep your phone nearby. I won’t hang up. I’ll keep listening. Tell me anything you need.”

Yan Xucheng nodded. When no response came from the other end for a long time, he realized this was a phone call and Lu Zhijian couldn’t see him. He opened his mouth and, with a hot breath, let out a tearful “Mm.”

At half past midnight, there were few cars on the road. Lu Zhijian’s luck wasn’t great, and he hit several red lights. He was anxious inside, but his expression only grew more severe. Only the fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel occasionally betrayed his true emotions.

Yan Xucheng’s occasional gasps came through the phone.

Lu Zhijian’s grip tightened unconsciously, leaving an indentation on the leather steering wheel. Counting the seconds until the green light, Lu Zhijian slammed the accelerator, pushing the speed limit to race to the hospital.

He took the steps two at a time, his black trench coat flapping loudly as he moved.

Lu Zhijian stood in front of the elevator, pressing the button several times, but his voice was gentle, contrary to his actions: “Are you asleep? I’ve arrived. Is it the 13th floor?”

Yan Xucheng exhaled heavily, suppressing the sharp pain, “Mm, 1312.”

“Okay.”

That single word provided a deep sense of security. Yan Xucheng’s head hurt, his stomach hurt, but his mind was wide awake, constantly overthinking. He thought, Lu Zhijian truly is as reliable as ever.

Then he suddenly thought that Lu Zhijian would make a very competent father.

The thought was fleeting, slipping away from his mind before he could even grasp it.

Yan Xucheng kept his eyes closed, but he could feel people passing by, and someone pulled his right hand, telling him not to move.

Fine, he wouldn’t move.

As a doctor, Yan Xucheng fully understood the importance of following medical advice.

The trolley rattled past, moving to the next room. Yan Xucheng wondered how Jiang Mingyi was doing. Was he still alive?

He must be alive. If he could lie here comfortably, there was no reason for the iron man Jiang Mingyi to have gotten into trouble.

Yan Xucheng closed his eyes and curled up on the hospital bed. Suddenly, the glaring light disappeared, replaced by the fresh scent of grass and trees in a post-rain forest—it was very familiar, it was Lu Zhijian’s scent.

Yan Xucheng struggled to open his eyes, only able to make out the tall, lean figure in front of him. The person bent down, and a warm, dry hand carefully rested on his throbbing forehead. The voice was like a spring breeze… wait, it was the spring breeze that had blown him into this state. It was more like warm water, like warm water.

“Are you alright?”

Yan Xucheng whined, calling out “It hurts—” and then vigorously rubbed his face against Lu Zhijian’s hand.

Yan Xucheng’s face was small, almost fitting entirely into Lu Zhijian’s hand.

Lu Zhijian’s face instantly flushed.

He patted Yan Xucheng’s red face, then pulled the blanket up, covering him tightly, and quietly walked out.

“Hello, I wanted to ask, what exactly is wrong with him?”

The middle-aged, balding doctor looked serious, pushing his thick glasses up, and flipping through the medical records, “Abdominal pain plus a cold. You are his…”

Lu Zhijian quickly interjected, “Friend.”

“Oh,” the doctor looked up and examined him carefully, “You young people, don’t indulge in temporary pleasure. It’s only April, and you’re eating ice cream while being exposed to cold wind. It’s a wonder you’re not sick more often. You’re young now and don’t take care of your bodies, but you’ll suffer when you’re older.”

“Yes, yes.”

The doctor was satisfied with Lu Zhijian’s obedience and nodded, “He should be fine after the IV drip finishes. Pay attention to his diet for the next few days.”

Lu Zhijian frowned slightly, worried, “But he keeps saying it hurts…”

“There’s a painkiller in the medication.”

“Alright, thank you.”

“No need.” The doctor waved his hand and left.

Lu Zhijian returned to the ward. Yan Xucheng on the bed was still frowning delicately, looking very uncomfortable.

Lu Zhijian pulled a chair over and sat by the bed, stroking his flushed face, then gently pulled his right hand, which was hooked up to the IV, out from under the blanket.

It was as cold as ice.

Lu Zhijian cradled his palm with one hand and slowly warmed his hand from the icy fingertips with the other. He carefully avoided the IV needle and tubing, holding Yan Xucheng’s wrist.

The cold medicine was flowing from the vein in Yan Xucheng’s wrist to the rest of his body, making his wrist even colder than his fingers.

Lu Zhijian circled his wrist, gently massaging it with his thumb.

At some point, Yan Xucheng opened his eyes. His throat was dry and hoarse from eating too much ice cream and not drinking water for a long time, making his voice fragmented: “Lu Zhijian…”

Lu Zhijian heard him, pulling himself out of his endless thoughts. He gently placed Yan Xucheng’s right hand on the side of the bed. His tall figure crouched beside the small hospital bed, looking quite pitiful. He rested his hands on the bed rail and whispered, “I’m here.”

At this moment, he was only ten centimeters away from Yan Xucheng’s face, close enough to feel Yan Xucheng’s hot breath.

Yan Xucheng blinked his smoky-blue fox eyes at him.

Lu Zhijian thought Yan Xucheng must have secretly cried, as those eyes were glistening with moisture.

Yan Xucheng tried to lift his right hand, and Lu Zhijian quickly pressed it down, “You’re still on the IV drip. Tell me what you need, don’t move anymore.”

The moisture in Yan Xucheng’s eyes became more pronounced. He called his name with a tearful tone: “Lu Zhijian—”

“Mm?” Lu Zhijian’s heart skipped a beat. To make up for the missed beat, his heart started pounding rapidly. The thumping rhythm traveled to his throat, his ears, and finally, his brain.

One part of Lu Zhijian’s awareness focused on the intense heartbeat, while the other held steady, waiting for Yan Xucheng’s next words.

Yan Xucheng remembered Lu Zhijian’s instructions and didn’t disturb his right hand at all. He turned his neck and buried his head in the pillow. The remaining three words passed through layers of obstruction and landed in Lu Zhijian’s ears, “You’re so good.”

“Mm.” Lu Zhijian’s brain completely stopped working. He didn’t even know what he was saying, “Thank you.”

“No, no, no, I meant—” Lu Zhijian realized his mistake and frantically tried to correct himself, but he saw a smile tugging at the corner of Yan Xucheng’s mouth, followed by a barely audible chuckle.

Lu Zhijian gave up trying to speak and reached out to tuck the hair near Yan Xucheng’s cheek behind his ear, helping him sleep more comfortably.

Yan Xucheng vaguely closed his eyes again. The medicine flowing into his body had taken effect; at least his head no longer felt like it was splitting open. As the sharp pain receded, a tide of overall weakness washed over him. Yan Xucheng slept restlessly, occasionally whimpering uncomfortably, “Hold hands…”

Lu Zhijian didn’t hear clearly and leaned closer to him, “What did you just say?”

Yan Xucheng repeated, “Hold hands—”

He had been like this since childhood; when he was sick, he became extremely clingy. He couldn’t stay still by himself and needed to be touched and cuddled to calm down. Yan Hong and Lan Lan had tried to correct this habit for thirty years without success.

There was nothing they could do. Every time they saw his distressed face, they forgot everything, only to say after he recovered that they definitely wouldn’t indulge him next time.

Lu Zhijian’s breathing almost stopped. The usually flamboyant and unrestrained beauty was now closing his eyes in discomfort, leaving only vulnerability and softness, tearfully asking to hold hands. Who could refuse that?

In any case, by the time Lu Zhijian reacted, he was already blushing, gently holding Yan Xucheng’s right hand, which had the needle in it.

The lights were on in the ward, and there was little movement outside. It was already three in the morning. In this moment of absolute silence, Lu Zhijian was wide awake. His complex gaze gently rested on Yan Xucheng’s bright and pretty face, a presence that wasn’t strong but whose sight no one could shake.

His hand was hidden under the blanket. Yan Xucheng had finished the IV drip, and Lu Zhijian had intended to take his hand away then, but the drip seemed to have given Yan Xucheng the strength to fuss. Lu Zhijian could feel it whenever he tried to pull his hand away, so he had to keep holding it.

Lu Zhijian was very careful not to let his hand touch anything else, but when Yan Xucheng turned over, the thin fabric fell onto the back of his hand. Although there was no direct contact, the heat radiating from Yan Xucheng’s thigh traveled from Lu Zhijian’s hand straight to his face. Lu Zhijian’s gaze conspicuously fell on Yan Xucheng’s rose-like long hair.

When the sleep ended, Yan Xucheng vaguely opened his eyes.