The day after, Monday.
Lu Ge usually has lunch in the company cafeteria, but there are exceptions, such as when his parents come home for lunch and ask the chef to prepare extra food for him.
Before finishing work for lunch, Assistant Tang took a tightly packed insulated bag from Lu's private driver and made a special trip to place several meal boxes on Lu Ge's lounge table just in time for lunchtime—this was not for Lu Ge, but so that Tang Bai could leave work on time at noon.
Twenty minutes past twelve, Lu Ge finished his tasks and returned to the lounge.
Seeing the insulated bag sitting idly on the table, he sent a message to his parents.
[Lu Ge: Received.]
[Dad: [ok]]
He opened the bag to find three neatly stacked insulated containers, all generously filled.
Lu Ge's mouth twitched slightly.
He has a good appetite but isn't a glutton.
He took one of the boxes out, and inside the translucent insulated container, he could vaguely see large, round stir-fried shrimp, perfectly cooked cucumbers, and vibrant green vegetables. There were also some salad fruits and vegetables around it.
He tapped his fingers on the edge of the table, and Lu Ge inexplicably thought of a certain picky eater, his lips curling in displeasure.
---
At one o'clock, the door to Ji Mian's hospital room was suddenly pushed open.
The person who entered was dressed in formal attire that seemed out of place in a hospital room, holding a large insulated bag, and walked briskly to the bedside.
Ji Mian looked at Lu Ge, who had rushed in like the wind, and before he could say anything, Lu Ge opened the bag he had brought.
Lu Ge tossed a container to Ji Mian and sat down by the bedside.
“Eat.”
Ji Mian: …
“...Mr. Lu, I’ve already had lunch.”
“Yeah, you’ve had lunch.” Beside him, the usually quiet Zhou Zhong surprisingly chimed in: “But he only took a couple of bites before putting down his chopsticks.”
Ji Mian: …
Lu Ge’s gaze returned to Ji Mian, his expression seemingly asking, “Did you hear that?”
Ji Mian, holding the steaming container that Lu Ge had forcefully stuffed into his arms, asked, “Where did you come from, Mr. Lu?”
“From the company.”
“Is it close from here?”
Lu Ge recalled the drive from the company, which took about half an hour. “Not too far.”
Ji Mian fell silent for a moment before asking, “You came all this way just to bring me food? Why?”
“I was bored.”
Ji Mian had no response to that reason.
“Staring at the ceiling at the company for too long is also a kind of torture. Can the young master help me pass the time?”
Ji Mian didn’t know when he had become a source of entertainment for others. He had been cooped up in the hospital room for so long he felt like he might start growing mushrooms.
In Xu Chiqiu's memory, Qin Yan had mentioned that Lu Ge had “unique” interests, preferring to watch others fail and find trouble for them, making him someone with a strong sense of malicious humor.
So now, was he, the unfortunate one, one of Lu Ge's sources of amusement?
Lu Ge glanced at his watch and said, “I’m in a hurry, so could the young master move a little faster?”
Despite saying that, he didn’t show any urgency, even the motion of looking at his watch was lazy and indifferent, completely unlike a busy person in a hurry.
This guy is talking nonsense again, Ji Mian thought.
He found Lu Ge's visit quite perplexing. However, based on his limited understanding of Lu Ge over the past few days, Ji Mian noticed that this person was truly unpredictable, doing things as he pleased.
He believed that if he didn’t move his chopsticks, Lu Ge would definitely stay here all day just to annoy him.
But he guessed wrong about that.
If it were the weekend, Lu Ge would indeed have the leisure to spend the entire day with him, and could even spontaneously decide to stay overnight at the hospital.
But today was Monday. Lu Ge wasn’t the idler he claimed to be. At three in the afternoon, an important meeting awaited him at the company, attended by the highest-level management.
He hadn’t lost his mind enough to stand up the company’s top executives.
Ji Mian pursed his lips and opened the container in his hand.
He couldn’t eat much, but the meal inside looked quite light, so he surprisingly didn’t feel too much resistance to it.
Inside the container, the pinkish-white shrimp was plump and crunchy, cleaned thoroughly without any fishy smell.
Ji Mian used to love eating shrimp, but now that the shrimp had entered Xu Chiqiu's mouth, it felt like his taste buds had malfunctioned, the slippery texture made his tongue reflexively push it out. He couldn’t swallow.
He stopped trying to pick up the shrimp.
Lu Ge half-closed his eyes, watching Ji Mian lazily pick out a few cucumber pieces from a large pile of shrimp.
Not eating this, not eating that… even a child isn’t this picky.
Ten minutes later, Ji Mian reluctantly managed to eat one-fifth of the protein-rich meal.
Finally, he closed the lid and returned it to Lu Ge, letting out a sigh of relief.
It was over.
Just as he relaxed, his hands were filled again with a hot container.
Ji Mian slowly blinked, looking at the new insulated box in his hands.
Didn’t he already eat one box!?
“Main dish,” Lu Ge said.
Ji Mian: …
He looked again at Lu Ge, who was sitting with his arms crossed on the chair, like a patient and shameless rogue.
Ji Mian opened the box, awkwardly picked up the smallest siu mai and a vegetarian dumpling, and pushed it toward Lu Ge. This time, he ate quite perfunctorily.
Lu Ge glanced at him, took the insulated box from Ji Mian's hands, and then handed him the last room-temperature box. A perfect exchange.
Ji Mian:!!
How could there be more!?
His lips moved, unable to help but look at the insulated bag Lu Ge had brought, seriously suspecting it was a bottomless pit.
Seeing the astonished look on the youth's face in the hospital bed, Lu Ge's lips curled slightly.
“Fruit after the meal.”
“…”
Ji Mian felt a bit annoyed.
“Too sweet,” he only picked a small grape from the bag, ate it, and then shook his head, saying, “sickening.”
Lu Ge silently stared at Ji Mian’s thin profile, suddenly feeling a ridiculous illusion arise in his heart—it was as if making him eat one more bite could somehow make the person in front of him feel better.
Knowing it was just an illusion, Lu Ge still picked out a small tomato from the box, pinching it by the stem, and handed it to him.
This shouldn’t be too sweet, right?
To his surprise, Ji Mian tilted his head back, frowning and appearing even more disgusted than before, saying, “It’s dirty.”
Lu Ge: …
Tsk. This guy might as well starve.
---
Lu Ge stayed in the hospital for less than half an hour at noon and left at 1:30.
Surprisingly, at 7 PM, he returned with something. However, unlike the meticulously arranged three insulated boxes from noon, he brought only one plastic round container divided into three sections, as if it had been ordered from a restaurant.
Lu Ge certainly looked bored, making the trip to the hospital twice a day for several days, coming right at noon, staying for about half an hour before leaving, and the evening visits were less predictable—one time, he even showed up at nine o'clock when Ji Mian was already preparing to sleep.
The Xu family members didn’t come as often as this.
At first, Ji Mian felt a bit uneasy, but later he thought that Lu Ge was probably just temporarily interested, and would give up when he got bored after a few days, so he relaxed and let him be.
Until he had been in the hospital for over a month, and Lu Ge had visited every single day during those thirty days, showing no sign of annoyance.
Ji Mian then vaguely realized something was off.
Lu Ge’s fleeting interest seemed to have lasted too long?
It was another Friday, and Lu Ge came as usual at 7:30.
In the bag he brought, there were two meals, one for Ji Mian and the other for Lu Ge himself. This had become a routine over the days.
When Lu Ge entered, he didn’t even greet Ji Mian, just sat down as casually as if he were at home.
Seconds later, a container was shoved into Ji Mian’s hands.
“Eat,” Lu Ge said, handing him chopsticks.
Under Zhou Zhong’s watchful eyes, Ji Mian accepted the chopsticks.
Zhou Zhong was responsible for Ji Mian’s three meals a day. He took this matter very seriously, always watching over Ji Mian while he ate.
If Ji Mian ate one bite less than the day before, Zhou Zhong would look at him with a distinctive anxious expression all day long, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Now, adding the two extra meals that Lu Ge brought every day, Ji Mian felt like he was either eating or waiting to eat all day.
Fortunately, in this body of Xu Chi Qiu, just a few bites at each meal would leave him feeling three-tenths full before he started to feel nauseous. Therefore, despite having five meals a day, Ji Mian rarely felt uncomfortably full.
In the center of the packaging box lay a piece of lemon-grilled fish. Ji Mian first picked up a small piece of fish to taste.
"By the way," after eating a bit, he suddenly remembered something and asked with confusion, "Mr. Lu hasn't been to that store recently, has he?"
He remembered that when he often visited the wood carving decoration shop, he would frequently run into Lu Ge around seven or eight o'clock.
But since Lu Ge was currently in the hospital room, he probably didn't have time to go there anymore.
Lu Ge paused for a moment.
Indeed, he hadn't been there for a while.
Counting carefully, it turned out to be nearly a month.
He raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised that he hadn't realized this.
"Whether it's to kill time in the hospital or somewhere else, it's all the same."
How could it be the same? Ji Mian felt complicated.
At first, he thought Lu Ge came by every day just on a whim, but now that nearly a month had passed, why did this person's interest seem to show no signs of waning? On the contrary, it appeared to be growing stronger...
He wanted to directly ask Lu Ge the reason, but he knew the answer would definitely be unreliable.
[System.]
[Hmm.]
[What do you think... ] Ji Mian hesitated, finding it somewhat difficult to ask.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally asked: [Do you think Lu Ge likes Xu Chi Qiu?]
Other than this, he couldn't think of any other reason for this person to visit so frequently.
[No.] The system's response was very decisive.
Ji Mian let out a slight sigh of relief.
[He doesn’t like Xu Chi Qiu, but he’s very likely to like you]
“…”
The breath that Ji Mian had just let out was suddenly caught in his throat again.
W-why?
[Is it strange that he likes you?]
“…Because I don’t seem to have anything attractive about me.”
The system was silent for two seconds before sneering and asking, [In the last world, how many boys and girls confessed to you before you got together with Duan Zhuo?]
Ji Mian thought carefully and replied, “I can’t remember.”
[Seven in high school, twenty-five in university, a total of thirty-two]
“…”
So many?
[Do you remember how many people confessed to you after you got together with Duan Zhuang?]
Ji Mian remembered this very clearly because whenever someone expressed their feelings for him, Duan Zhuang would silently keep a record in his heart and later bring it up, intentionally or unintentionally, to show his jealousy.
The system said, [In the last world, a total of ninety-seven males and females confessed to you. Hehe, you were almost able to achieve the ‘Hundred Kills’ achievement]
When Ji Mian first bonded with the system, it hadn’t expected that this seemingly foolish host would actually have a bit of a heartthrob quality?
Ji Mian: “…”
[I think it also has something to do with your looks in the last world]
In his previous life, Ji Mian’s appearance was considered quite popular according to human aesthetics.
But Ji Mian knew that now, as “Xu Chi Qiu,” even he would shudder when staring at his prominent wrist bones for too long, let alone others.
Just considering appearance alone, a normally aesthetic male would probably not have any affection for such a body.
As for the inner self…
Ji Mian still remembered how Lu Ge once described him as having a “heart like a snake and scorpion.”
The system: [You could try hinting at him, testing him a bit]
Ji Mian accepted the system's suggestion.
“Mr. Lu, have you seen Qin Yan lately?” he asked the person beside him.
Lu Ge thought for a moment and said, “I saw him.” It was just a few days ago.
Though they were competitors, they often had interactions in the same market.
“What, does the young master miss him?”
Ji Mian didn’t respond, which could be interpreted as a tacit agreement.
“Affection value increased by 80 (40x2), contributor Lu Ge.”
The prompt for the affection value was of little reference value. Ji Mian observed Lu Ge's expression and reactions quietly.
The other person lowered his eyes, thought seriously for a few seconds, and when he looked up again, he spoke simultaneously: “If you want to see him, I can help.”
Ji Mian was slightly startled, “What?”
Lu Ge smiled and pointed at the lunchbox in front of him, “If you eat half of this, I can have him come to see you tomorrow.”
“…”
At this moment, the system spoke up: [I think…]
Ji Mian: “Mm.”
Both shared the same thought: Who would be willing to push their love interest toward a rival?
Ji Mian felt a little relieved.
Half an hour later, Ji Mian finished his fifth meal of the day, which was also his last meal.
Lu Ge glanced at the remaining food in the box, raising an eyebrow slightly. The contents of the lunchbox had barely been reduced by a quarter, but compared to Ji Mian’s previous eating habits, this was quite an achievement.
The name “Qin Yan” was unexpectedly useful, he thought.
Just casually mentioning it made this person’s appetite double compared to usual.
“Affection value increased by 60 (30x2), contributor Lu Ge.”
Lu Ge shrugged, feigning helplessness: “It’s not my fault if it’s not half.”
Taking the lunchbox from Ji Mian, Lu Ge noticed that the central piece, the lemon fish fillet, was only half gone.
Usually, Ji Mian rarely touched high-protein foods and hated fishy seafood. Lu Ge had reminded Tang Bo in the morning not to order fish or shrimp as the main dish, but today, for some reason, there had been a mistake and the fish fillet was included.
When Lu Ge came over, he had been worried that this difficult-to-communicate young master would be picky again.
But the result was unexpectedly different.
Lu Ge looked at the half-eaten fish fillet for a moment. Did this person like fish?
Ji Mian, on the other hand, noticed that Lu Ge's lunchbox actually had leftovers as well, specifically that fish fillet. This was the first time in over a month that Lu Ge had leftover food.
“Mr. Lu… doesn’t like fish either.” After Ji Mian said this, he suddenly froze.
He remembered that Lu Ge was a regular at that wood carving store, and this preference seemed somewhat at odds with his personality.
His heartbeat quickened slightly.
Lu Ge noticed the word “also” in Ji Mian's sentence and asked, “Who else doesn’t like fish?”
Qin Yan?
Ji Mian: “… My Ge”
Ge? What kind of connection did this have with Qin Yan…
Lu Ge thought, picking up the remaining fish meat in his lunchbox and quickly chewing it down.
The unpleasant taste of the fish in his throat was not even masked by the lemon juice.
“You guessed wrong.” He said, “I like fish the most, especially saving it for last.”
—
In the following two weeks, Ji Mian could always see various fish dishes in the meals Lu Ge brought.
Although Xu Chi Qiu’s body still instinctively rejected fish and shrimp, Ji Mian’s preference for fish this time overpowered his body’s instincts.
Whenever fish was the main dish, he could usually eat half of it.
The system was pleased: Finally, the host was willing to eat meat.
By the end of September, Ji Mian’s physical condition had improved a bit. The inflammation in his lungs had completely cleared, and he no longer coughed all day long; he hadn’t felt dizzy or unwell for a whole week.
Moreover, he had gained a pound. Although it didn’t seem apparent in his appearance, the scale’s reading was real.
The attending physician still suggested he observe for a while longer. Ji Mian wanted to be discharged, but both of Xu Chi’s parents were worried about a relapse and coaxed and tricked Ji Mian into staying for another two weeks.
Reluctantly, Ji Mian agreed.
With a slight improvement in his health, his mood lightened, and he couldn’t help but feel restless.
He wandered around the small park near the hospital, knowing the details of every peculiar stone in every corner by heart.
After promising Xu's parents to continue observing in the hospital for two weeks, Ji Mian was ready to discharge himself as soon as the time was up.
After packing his belongings and preparing to handle the discharge formalities, Lu Ge happened to drive over from the company.
When Ji Mian saw him, he was a bit taken aback because he had informed Lu Ge the day before that he would be leaving and that he didn’t need to come over anymore.
He inadvertently glanced at Lu Ge’s hands—empty.
Ji Mian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought that on the last day, this person would still supervise him eating.
“Do you need my help?” Lu Ge asked.
He glanced at the single patient room, which Zhou Zhong had cleaned up very neatly; most items were just packed up and hadn’t been moved down yet.
Zhou Zhong hurriedly said, “No need, no need.”
The salary given to him by the Xu family greatly exceeded the market price, and he was responsible for all the chores after Ji Mian’s discharge as well.
Moreover, this young master from the Xu family was a very nice person.
Zhou Zhong recalled how, during the six months of taking care of Xu Chi Qiu, he initially thought this young master’s temper was quite unpredictable. He was better when visitors came; Xu Chi Qiu would smile faintly and speak politely.
Especially when that man named Qin Yan came over, Xu Chi Qiu would become even gentler and more enthusiastic.
However, once those visitors left, Xu Chi Qiu’s expression would inexplicably change to cold and disdainful, making people feel a chill run down their spine.
Sometimes, Zhou Zhong would fear he was bored, so he would try to talk to him, but Xu Chi Qiu rarely responded.
Over time, he was a bit afraid to talk to this young employer.
But in the past month or so, perhaps because “Young Master Chi Qiu” had improved a bit, he had become much kinder towards people; even when speaking to Zhou Zhong, he wore a slight smile. Even his frail body couldn’t conceal the beauty of that smile. It was as if pain could not tear apart his beauty, but could only find ways to make that beauty cruel.
Zhou Zhong couldn’t help but feel sad for a moment, then lowered his head to carry the packed bag downstairs.
—
Uncle Lin had already parked the car outside the hospital in advance to pick up Ji Mian and take him back to the Xu family.
Zhou Zhong organized the daily necessities and made two trips to move everything into Uncle Lin's car parked outside the hospital before he went upstairs to call for Ji Mian.
"Young Master Chi Qiu..." he reached out to help Ji Mian down.
Ji Mian felt a little embarrassed. "...No need, I can walk myself."
After saying that, he turned his head and noticed that Lu Ge had also half-raised his arm toward him, but upon hearing his refusal, he casually lowered it back down.
Why does everyone assume I can't walk? Ji Mian felt confused.
He went downstairs with Zhou Zhong and Lu Ge, arriving near the car that Uncle Lin had come to pick him up with.
Zhou Zhong helped him open the back seat of the car.
"Mr. Lu, you should head back," Ji Mian said to the person beside him.
Xu Chi Qiu was not someone who would be overly warm to anyone other than Qin Yan. To maintain his persona, Ji Mian's tone towards Lu Ge was not particularly enthusiastic.
He avoided Lu Ge's gaze and didn’t dare to look at him. At this moment, he really couldn’t pretend to be indifferent towards Lu Ge.
Regardless of the reason for Lu Ge's frequent visits over the past month, it was undeniable that he had received care from him. Ji Mian wanted to thank Lu Ge.
But he could only pretend to ignore the person beside him and walk straight towards the back seat of the car.
How cold, Lu Ge thought, but he didn’t feel much of a ripple in his heart.
He hadn’t thought of wanting anything from this person. He wasn’t brazen enough to ask anything from someone who was gravely ill.
Ji Mian’s back was framed in his line of sight, the prominent shoulder blades standing out, not exactly attractive.
"Young Master."
At the moment Ji Mian's pale fingers rested on the car door, the person behind him suddenly called out to him.
Ji Mian turned around and saw Lu Ge smiling at him, the smile as relaxed as always.
"Remember to eat well."
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