46

The ambulance still hadn’t arrived. Zhou Chaosheng gritted his teeth and helped Jiang Yuanye over to the sofa in the lobby to sit and wait.

"Did you ask? How much longer?" Zhou Chaosheng held Jiang Yuanye with one arm while holding his phone in the other, speaking to Zhao Xiaohui.

Zhao Xiaohui: "I asked, they said about five more minutes."

Zhou Chaosheng frowned and let out a low hum. Jiang Yuanye’s stomach condition was severe, and coupled with vomiting blood, the worst-case scenario could be a stomach perforation or even stomach cancer.

The reason he didn’t drive Jiang Yuanye himself was that he feared the speed might accidentally aggravate Jiang Yuanye’s stomach. If the condition worsened, and there were no medical personnel or proper equipment in the car for emergency treatment, it would only make things worse for Jiang Yuanye.

Zhao Xiaohui hesitated for a few seconds before he couldn’t help but ask, "Chaosheng, do you really have to go this far? Jiang—"

Hearing just the first few words, Zhou Chaosheng moved the phone away from his ear. He already knew what Zhao Xiaohui wanted to say and those were words Jiang Yuanye leaning against him could not hear.

He didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he turned his head slightly to glance at Jiang Yuanye, he looked completely drained from the pain, his entire weight pressing against Zhou Chaosheng’s shoulder. His eyes were tightly shut, and his eyelashes trembled slightly.

The usually sharp and imposing man now looked like a large, wounded animal exposing its most fragile, defenseless belly, making one feel both surprised and conflicted.

After staring for a few moments, Zhou Chaosheng finally brought the phone back to his ear. On the other end, Zhao Xiaohui, hearing no response, had started calling his name, thinking the signal had cut out. But in reality, Zhou Chaosheng hadn’t registered a single word that came after.

"Hello? Chaosheng? Are you listening?"

"Mm, I’m a bit busy here. I’ll hang up first."

"Wait I-"

Zhou Chaosheng decisively ended the call.

"...What could you possibly be busy with?"

A weak voice suddenly broke the silence.

Following the sound, Zhou Chaosheng turned his head to see that Jiang Yuanye had, at some point, opened his eyes. His eye rims were red, tears clinging to the corners, and his usually cold and piercing gaze now seemed soaked in rain, fragile and broken, carrying an indescribable sense of pity.

"What do you think?" Zhou Chaosheng withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and tapped his fingers on the phone screen, sending a message to the number he had just cut off.

[Jiang Yuanye is with me.]

"...I think he’s not wrong," Jiang Yuanye murmured. His voice was hoarse and weak, as if even saying these words had drained him of all his strength.

Zhou Chaosheng paused his typing. Without looking up, he asked, "What’s not wrong?"

Jiang Yuanye covered his mouth and coughed several times before replying, "Cough... You really don’t have to go this far. If Zhuo Wenyu and the others took me, it would be the same."

So he noticed.

Zhou Chaosheng resumed typing and replied flatly, "I want to."

Jiang Yuanye: "..."

After a moment of silence, Jiang Yuanye spoke again.

"Zhou Chaosheng."

"Hmm?"

"...If something happens to me, can you help me apologize to Xinyun and Youqi?"

"When you get better, say it yourself."

Jiang Yuanye let out a low "mm." Zhou Chaosheng thought he had nothing more to say and lowered his head to continue typing.

"...Zhou Chaosheng." Jiang Yuanye called his name again.

Without looking up, Zhou Chaosheng asked, "What?"

Jiang Yuanye: "Why are you so good to me?"

After sending his message, Zhou Chaosheng put away his phone without answering the question. Instead, he asked, "Does your stomach still hurt?"

Jiang Yuanye honestly replied, "Yes."

Zhou Chaosheng: "If it hurts, talk less."

Jiang Yuanye: "..."

Maybe it really hurt, because Jiang Yuanye no longer had the strength to ask anything else.

Zhou Chaosheng sat with him quietly. After about three minutes, the distant sound of an ambulance siren gradually grew louder outside the hotel entrance.

"It's here. Let's go."

Jiang Yuanye gave a weak nod.

He didn’t say anything, probably because his body had reached its limit. Zhou Chaosheng helped him up from the sofa, and the bodyguard standing nearby dutifully stepped forward to assist his young master.

Although Zhou Chaosheng’s leg had mostly healed, he still wasn’t suited for intense movement or carrying too much weight. While Jiang Yuanye wasn’t overly heavy, he was still a grown man over 1.8 meters tall.

At the entrance, a few paramedics in white coats got out of the ambulance, carrying a stretcher. Seeing Jiang Yuanye’s pale face and how he was clutching his stomach, one of them cautiously asked, "Did you call the ambulance?"

Zhou Chaosheng nodded. "Yes."

The paramedic gave Jiang Yuanye a quick once-over, frowning when he saw the bloodstains on his clothes, the corners of his mouth, and his hands. "Get him on the ambulance first."

Since the patient hadn’t completely lost the ability to walk, another doctor put the stretcher away. Several people worked together to help the pain-stricken, nearly unconscious Jiang Yuanye onto the ambulance.

Just as Zhou Chaosheng was about to get in, the paramedic who had spoken earlier asked routinely, "Are you his friend?"

Zhou Chaosheng responded with a simple "Mm."

The paramedic continued, "If you're his friend, can you contact his family? It's best if they come to the hospital, he may need surgery."

Sitting inside the ambulance, Zhou Chaosheng glanced at Jiang Yuanye, who was curled up on the stretcher, trembling in pain. He frowned slightly.

"Hey, handsome? Do you have his family's contact information?" The paramedic waved a hand in front of Zhou Chaosheng to pull him out of his thoughts. He had seen many cases where patients’ friends were too shaken by the severity of the situation, so Zhou Chaosheng’s reaction wasn’t surprising.

"If you don’t have it, use his fingerprint or face to unlock his phone and check his contacts. Call his family."

Zhou Chaosheng was silent for a moment before asking in a low voice, "If surgery is needed, can I sign on his behalf?"

The paramedic froze for a moment, immediately grasping the deeper meaning behind those words. Out of professional obligation, he didn’t immediately agree but instead asked, "Does he have any other relatives?"

Other relatives...

According to the investigation report Weisen had given him, after Jiang Yuanye's parents passed away, his remaining relatives had all distanced themselves, afraid of bad luck rubbing off on them. It wasn’t until Jiang Yuanye became successful that they suddenly reappeared in his life. But out of ten sentences, nine involved asking for money—leeches clinging to him, greedily trying to suck him dry.

Such relatives were no different from having none. Calling them would only cause more trouble.

So Zhou Chaosheng shook his head and said, "There are none."

The paramedic looked shocked. When his gaze returned to Jiang Yuanye lying on the stretcher, there was now a hint of sympathy.

"Alright, you can sign on his behalf, but the patient needs to be informed."

Zhou Chaosheng gave a low "mm."

He lowered his head and saw Jiang Yuanye curled up on the stretcher, clutching his stomach. His arched back trembled violently from the pain, his expression twisted in agony.

Just as he was lost in thought, Jiang Yuanye suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

The two paramedics sitting nearby quickly grabbed gauze to wipe the blood, though stopping the bleeding entirely wasn’t possible.

There was nothing they could do until they reached the hospital. Fortunately, after vomiting that large amount of blood, Jiang Yuanye didn’t throw up again.

Perhaps fate had some mercy, despite the emergency the road was completely clear. The ambulance arrived at the hospital in less than ten minutes.

Working together, they lifted the stretcher to the ground. The nurses, who had been waiting, immediately rushed forward, assisting two of the paramedics in pushing Jiang Yuanye into the hospital.

Zhou Chaosheng intended to follow them inside but was stopped halfway by one of the paramedics, the same one who had spoken to him earlier.

His gaze dropped to the name badge pinned to the doctor’s chest. "What is it, Dr. Ding?"

Dr. Ding adjusted his glasses. "Don’t worry just yet. We’ll first run a complete blood test and perform a gastroscopy to check his stomach condition. The bleeding could also be due to a bacterial infection or a parasitic issue."

Zhou Chaosheng knew the doctor was trying to reassure him. He didn’t bother asking what the worst-case scenario could be. Instead, he asked, "What can I do now?"

Dr. Ding: "If possible, go and register him first. Provide his name and ID number so our system can pull up his previous medical records." He paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, did he drink excessively before coming here?"

Zhou Chaosheng answered truthfully, "He didn’t chug alcohol, but it might have been drinking on an empty stomach that caused this."

Dr. Ding frowned. "Does the patient have a history of stomach disease?"

Zhou Chaosheng: "Yes, stomach perforation."

Dr. Ding: "Since he does, why wasn’t he more careful?"

Zhou Chaosheng could hear the doctor’s reproach in his tone. He sighed inwardly but didn’t say that Jiang Yuanye refused to follow medical advice. Instead, he took the responsibility upon himself. "I’m sorry, doctor. I should have watched over him better."

Dr. Ding was silent for a moment, giving Zhou Chaosheng a slightly puzzled look. But seeing nothing unusual in the latter’s expression, he sighed and said, "Alright, after this incident, he must quit drinking. He can’t afford to be reckless like today."

Zhou Chaosheng: "Understood, doctor. Thank you for your help."

Dr. Ding waved his hand. "It’s fine. After you register, wait outside the internal medicine department. It’s on the second floor. I’ll go ahead and get started."

Zhou Chaosheng nodded. "Alright, thank you."

Dr. Ding said nothing more and quickly walked away.

Zhou Chaosheng stood in place, watching the doctor’s hurried figure, his gaze distant, lost in thought.

On the other side, at the Hilton lounge, the mood had soured after Jiang Yuanye’s sudden illness. No one was in the mood to continue partying.

"Will Yuanye be okay?"

"He should be. He’s at the hospital now, so everything should be fine."

"Still… how did this happen so suddenly?"

As concern for Jiang Yuanye’s condition lingered, the conversation gradually shifted to the cause of his stomach issues.

"I actually know why," someone recalled. "A few years ago, before Jiang-ge made it big, I was at the same table as him during a business dinner. There were about twenty people—CEOs, secretaries—but no matter if they were clients or not, he toasted every single one of them. He barely touched his food, but he drank two whole cases of alcohol."

The surrounding people sighed. "No wonder Jiang-ge succeeded. He really gave it his all."

Zhao Xiaohui, who had been sulking about his childhood friend leaving him to take care of Jiang Yuanye, perked up at this conversation. He didn’t say anything, just listened as the discussion continued.

"If that’s the case, why did Jiang Yuanye still go to a bar, drink himself sick, and end up in the hospital? Like today he knew his stomach was bad, yet he still drank, ruining the whole mood for everyone!"

Hearing this, people instinctively frowned even Zhao Xiaohui couldn’t help but glance over.

The one speaking was Cheng Youjia, a thin, bespectacled classmate who had consistently ranked second in their year.

Zhuo Wenyu immediately took offense. "Cheng Youjia, what are you trying to say?"

Cheng Youjia sneered. "Am I wrong? This was supposed to be a joyful celebration. Someone’s getting married tomorrow, and he pulls this? Didn’t he just ruin the night for everyone?"

Zhuo Wenyu was furious. "You—!"

He moved to punch Cheng Youjia, but the burly Wu Shaojie and the dark-skinned Yu Tianwu quickly held him back.

Just as the tension thickened, one of the hosts, Xu Zhiyun, calmly interjected, "Youjia, Yuanye didn’t do it on purpose."

Others joined in, echoing sentiments of understanding. "Yeah, Jiang-ge didn’t mean for this to happen. Who could’ve predicted this?"

Seeing so many people defending Jiang Yuanye, Cheng Youjia’s expression darkened. Already frustrated, his anger flared further. "Wow, years have passed, but your bootlicking skills have only improved. What a spectacle."

The group, originally trying to mediate, stiffened at his words. Their expressions soured.

Just as someone was about to retort, Cheng Youjia went on the offensive. "Tell me what exactly am I wrong about? Are you all pretending you don’t think the same way? I just said what’s on your minds! He drank himself sick over Cheng Yuan, right? That’s a fact. He disrupted the reunion tonight, also a fact. What part of what I said is wrong? Oh, I get it. Just because he has money, you all act like eunuchs fawning over an emperor, circling around him, catering to his every whim?"

His words finally broke the group’s patience. Their faces fell, but not wanting to escalate things further, they chose silence.

Seeing no one refute him, Cheng Youjia assumed he’d struck a nerve. He scoffed, growing more aggressive. "Ha! So you do agree with me! Then why were you all arguing just now? Don’t you see how hypocritical you are?"

Zhang Youqi couldn’t hold back any longer and snapped, "Cheng Youjia, I know you’re speaking out of concern for our wedding, but you’re being way too harsh. Besides, you don’t even know the full story how can you judge what’s right or wrong?"

From start to finish, not a single person took Cheng Youjia’s side. His already fraying composure finally snapped. At this point, he decided to go all in. "Why can’t I judge? Everyone knows he drank himself sick over Cheng Yuan. And now his health is ruined, wasn’t that his own doing?"

Zhang Youqi opened his mouth to refute but hesitated, recalling something Jiang Yuanye had once said. In the end, he remained silent.

Here is the fully accurate English translation, maintaining the original meaning and structure without any additions:

---

Zhuo Wenyu, who had been standing on the side, finally spoke up. "Yuanye being hospitalized from drinking back then wasn’t because of Cheng Yuan. If you don’t know the truth, don’t speak recklessly."

Cheng Youjia didn’t believe it. "How am I speaking recklessly? Show me proof. If it wasn’t because of Cheng Yuan, then what was it for?"

Zhuo Wenyu remained silent.

Just as Cheng Youjia was about to continue, a voice suddenly interrupted him from the crowd.

"Jiang-ge being hospitalized from drinking really wasn’t because of Cheng Yuan."

Everyone turned toward the voice. It was Zhang Junfeng from Class 1. He didn’t know that Jiang Yuanye had forbidden anyone from talking about this, he just wanted to share what he knew. "My second uncle works at a funeral home. One time, I visited him and happened to overhear his colleagues gossiping. At first, I wasn’t paying attention, but when I heard Jiang-ge’s name, I realized… Jiang-ge’s relatives on his mother’s side tried to extort money from him. When they didn’t get it, they retaliated by using a deceased family member’s name to retrieve an urn."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone had already guessed where the urn ended up.

The group fell silent, even Cheng Youjia, who had been relentless just moments ago was now quiet, his face stiff as he pressed his lips together.

Unlike the heavy atmosphere among the crowd, Zhao Xiaohui seemed completely detached. After hearing the gossip, he lowered his head and typed a message to Zhou Chaosheng, the very person he had sworn just earlier that night to ignore. He summarized everything he had heard and sent it over.

At that moment, Zhou Chaosheng was sitting in a chair outside the operating room.

Fifteen minutes earlier, after completing Jiang Yuanye’s registration and payment, he had received bad news from the doctor. Jiang Yuanye had gone into sudden shock during the gastroscopy and was now being rushed into the ICU operating room.

Zhou Chaosheng skimmed through Zhao Xiaohui’s message quickly, getting a general understanding of the situation before shutting off his phone. He didn’t know why, but his emotions right now felt like a rollercoaster, one that had just reached the highest loop after hearing the doctor’s bad news.

And as fate would have it, this rollercoaster had encountered a rare, one-in-a-million malfunction, leaving him suspended upside down, unable to move, with the blood rushing to his head.

Zhou Chaosheng suddenly wanted a cigarette, but this was a hospital.

He didn’t feel like getting up to find a smoking area, so he leaned back, resting his head against the wall, tilting it slightly upward as he stared at the stark white ceiling in silence.

He and Jiang Yuanye truly seemed bound by fate.

Four months ago, he was the one in the ICU. Now, four months later, it was Jiang Yuanye’s turn.

Zhou Chaosheng eventually reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and held it between his lips without lighting it—just biting down on it seemed to ease some of the frustration and turmoil inside him.

The distinct smell of disinfectant filled his nose. Perhaps because he had grown used to it from his own hospitalization four months ago, he didn’t find it particularly pungent or unpleasant.

He wondered idly—now that Jiang Yuanye was lying on the operating table after going into shock, could he smell an even stronger, more acrid version of this disinfectant?

His thoughts drifted without direction, from estimating how long the surgery would take to imagining how different Jiang Yuanye’s life would have been if he had been born into Zhou Chaosheng’s family. Would he have had a happier, more comfortable life? If he had been raised in such an environment, would he, by this age, be sitting in an even higher position of power than he was now?

Maybe he wouldn’t have needed to struggle so hard. His family would have shielded him, never allowing him to drink with clients until three in the morning or endure years of hardship in a big city without a place to call home.

If Zhou Chaosheng hadn’t gotten into that car accident and started suspecting Jiang Yuanye, he might never have investigated him. He wouldn’t have discovered how difficult Jiang Yuanye’s life had been, how much hardship he endured while building his business, or how many laborious, backbreaking jobs he had taken before his entrepreneurial success—laying bricks, washing dishes, scrubbing toilets, tightening screws… nearly every exhausting, menial job imaginable.

And he wouldn’t have found out that Jiang Yuanye had been to prison.

Zhou Chaosheng hadn’t even needed to investigate in detail to know that Jiang Yuanye had been framed. Back then, powerless and without connections, he had no choice but to take the fall for someone else.

Having been in the finance industry for years, Zhou Chaosheng was well aware of how deep and dirty the waters ran. Success in entrepreneurship wasn’t just about intelligence.

For someone like Jiang Yuanye, who was practically a lamb among wolves, losing a few layers of skin was already getting off lightly. Once you reached the top, there were even those who would go so far as to pay for their competitors’ lives. As the saying went, "The elite do the dirtiest deeds."

But at least, Jiang Yuanye was smart.

When he realized he couldn’t avoid imprisonment, he had stayed calm and rational enough to negotiate, securing future benefits for himself even before stepping into that cell. That alone was proof that his success wasn’t just luck.

The empty hospital corridor held only Zhou Chaosheng, but he could hear the muffled sounds beyond the wall—footsteps, wheels rolling, people talking…

Soft and subtle, yet amplified in the stillness.

He could even hear his own heartbeat.

One beat after another, strong but unsteady.

He raised his gaze to the red-lit sign above the operating room door, where the words "In Surgery" glowed ominously.

Zhou Chaosheng hesitated no longer. He stood up and headed toward the stairwell.

When he arrived, a middle-aged man was already there, smoking a cigarette, his expression deeply troubled. Zhou Chaosheng looked away, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his contacts, found Zhao Xiaohui’s number, and dialed.

After just two rings, the call connected.

"Hello? Chaosheng? What’s wrong?"

"Not now. Hand the phone to Zhang Youqi first."

"Oh, okay. Hold on."

There was some rustling noise on the other end before Zhang Youqi’s concerned voice came through. "Hello? Zhou-ge? How’s Yuanye? Is he okay? We couldn’t reach you earlier, we were all scared to death…"

Before reaching for his phone, Zhou Chaosheng saw twenty-five red notification dots, all from unfamiliar numbers. He hadn't answered, not because he didn’t want to, but because he had set his phone to hands-free and silent before entering the hospital.

"Sorry, I didn’t see them."

As he spoke, Zhou Chaosheng searched his pockets, going through them twice, but he couldn’t find his lighter.

He gave up looking, sighed silently, and only after that did he say, "Yuanye and I probably won’t be able to attend your and the class rep’s wedding tomorrow."

Zhang Youqi was momentarily stunned, his voice turning cautious. "Is it that serious?"

Zhou Chaosheng flicked the damp cigarette from his lips into the nearby trash can and gave a low hum. "He’s in the ICU. The exact diagnosis will take about ten more minutes."

Zhang Youqi was shocked. "... What did the doctors say?"

At the mention of this, Zhou Chaosheng suddenly felt the air grow stifling. Maybe it was because the island was at a low latitude, near the equator, where even nighttime temperatures were high.

"They didn’t say anything, just told me to wait."

"Sigh..."

"Earlier, Yuanye was downstairs at the hotel. He asked me to apologize to you and the class rep," Zhou Chaosheng said.

"Ai, no need, no need, there’s nothing to apologize for. Just let him focus on recovering." Zhang Youqi paused, then added, "Zhou-ge, it must be tough for you to stay with him. I’ll thank you on his behalf."

Zhou Chaosheng lowered his eyes and simply said, "It’s nothing."

"Then… should I tell Qingyun and the others? They’re all really worried about Yuanye."

"Mm, that’s fine."

After ending the call, the phone was handed back to Zhao Xiaohui.

"What did he say?"

"Hui-zi, do me a favor—just add our wedding gift money together with yours and send it tomorrow."

"... Chaosheng, I understand you less and less."

"Forget understanding me, I don’t even understand myself."

"..."

Zhao Xiaohui was silent for a moment before finally giving in. "Fine, fine, I’ll handle it for you tomorrow."

"Thanks," Zhou Chaosheng said.

Zhao Xiaohui didn’t know what else to say. He asked if there was anything else, and when Zhou Chaosheng said no, Zhao Xiaohui simply replied, "Alright, then I’m hanging up."

Zhou Chaosheng responded with a quiet hum, and the call was abruptly disconnected.

Leaning against the wall, he pulled out another cigarette from the pack and bit down on it—still unlit.

"Want a light?"

A hoarse voice sounded beside him. He snapped back to reality, and in front of him, a small red-blue flame flickered. He murmured a word of thanks, then held the cigarette between his fingers and brought it to the flame to light it.

"Family in the hospital?" the middle-aged man struck up a conversation.

Zhou Chaosheng inhaled too sharply and coughed on the smoke, realizing smoking really wasn’t a good habit. He took the cigarette out and tapped the ash into the tray on the trash can lid. "No, it’s..."

He paused briefly before changing his words. "A friend."

The middle-aged man let out a simple "Oh," then resumed exhaling clouds of smoke. Through the haze, Zhou Chaosheng observed his sunken cheeks, the deep dark circles under his eyes—he looked utterly drained, as if all vitality had been siphoned from him.

"What about you?" Zhou Chaosheng had a feeling this man just needed someone to talk to. Normally, he wouldn’t waste time on such matters, but right now...

He couldn’t seem to find another way to pass the time.

The man took another deep drag, then exhaled heavily. Instead of answering right away, he let out a long, weary sigh. Afterward, he, too, seemed to lose the desire to smoke. Like Zhou Chaosheng, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

Only then did Zhou Chaosheng notice that there were over a dozen cigarette butts of the same brand already there, all left behind by this man just recently.

"... My daughter has brain cancer."

Zhou Chaosheng’s heart sank. Suddenly, he realized he wasn’t as cold-blooded as he had thought.

He used to believe that years of deception and scheming in the business world had shaped him, that he had been thoroughly assimilated into the profit-driven mindset of capitalism. But tonight, he found out he still retained basic human emotions.

Emotions that made him feel anguish over Jiang Yuanye’s injuries, sympathy for a stranger’s misfortune, and deep worry for Jiang Yuanye, who was still lying in that hospital bed, his fate uncertain.

"When did you find out?"

"Around when she was five. She’s been in the hospital ever since… It’s been five years now."

Zhou Chaosheng watched as the man’s shoulders suddenly slumped, not just in a fleeting moment of weakness, but under the crushing weight of years of exhaustion and burden. This tall, broad-shouldered man had finally bent under the strain, his posture wilted like a withered autumn leaf, steeped in despair.

Zhou Chaosheng was just about to say something when his phone suddenly rang.

It was the number he had left at the hospital’s front desk.

That meant Jiang Yuanye’s test results were ready.

But he found himself momentarily unable to muster the strength to answer the call.

The middle-aged man noticed his hesitation and pointed to his pocket. "Might be something urgent. You should take it."

Zhou Chaosheng gave a quiet "Mm," then finally pulled out his phone and answered.

A gentle voice came through the receiver.

"Sir, the gastroscopy results are out. Please come to the third floor to collect them."

The voice wasn’t too loud or too soft, but in the empty stairwell, it was very clear. The middle-aged man, realizing that Zhou Chaosheng had something to attend to, patted him on the shoulder and comforted him in an experienced tone.

"Your friend should be fine. If there were any issues, the nurse would have reassured you with a few words."

Zhou Chaosheng thanked him, then opened the notes app on his phone and handed it over.

"Please write down your phone number, your name, and your daughter’s name here."

The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"What’s this for?"

Seeing the wariness in the man’s eyes, Zhou Chaosheng realized that his actions and words might have come across as intrusive. He patted his pockets, then suddenly remembered that his cardholder, where he kept his business cards was wrapped around Jiang Yuanye.

Tonight, he truly felt stretched thin. Thinking this, he looked at the middle-aged man with a touch of helplessness.

"Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person..."

He paused, then chose not to say more. Instead, he politely took his leave.

"Thank you for the light. I’ll be going now. I hope your daughter recovers soon."

The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned. Perhaps it was because the young man in front of him was too good-looking, or maybe because his attire exuded a certain refined, elite aura. The wariness and displeasure that had just risen in his heart instantly faded.

He waved a hand. "It’s nothing. And thank you for listening to me vent."

Zhou Chaosheng finally left the stairwell, but instead of taking the elevator to the third floor, he walked down to the first floor and approached the payment window.

"Excuse me," he asked the nurse, "is there a ten-year-old girl with brain cancer hospitalized on the second floor?"

The nurse, like the middle-aged man earlier, became cautious and suspicious.

"Sorry, but that’s private patient information. I can’t disclose anything to you."

Zhou Chaosheng nodded in understanding. He lightly tapped his fingers against the marble counter and changed his approach.

"Then, can I pay for this girl’s medical expenses?"

The nurse had worked in this field for a long time. She had seen debt collectors chasing down patients’ family members, police officers investigating criminal suspects’ medical records, and companies inquiring about construction workers’ health conditions.

She had seen too much.

But she had never seen anyone voluntarily offer to pay for a stranger’s medical bills.

She already had a good impression of this impeccably handsome young man, and now, after hearing his request, that impression skyrocketed.

As for the girl he mentioned, she had actually heard about her before.

A colleague had mentioned that the girl’s family was struggling. Her mother had left her early on to remarry, leaving only her father to take care of her. Because of the overwhelming medical costs, her father had accumulated heavy debts from the bank. Eventually, when his credit score dropped too low to secure more loans, he could no longer afford the hospital bills.

The hospital, understanding their situation, had given them a two-month grace period. Now, with less than a day left, they were about to face eviction from their hospital room.

Who would have thought..

That a kindhearted stranger would suddenly step forward and not only pay off all their debts but also cover the next three years of treatment?

Nearly two million in medical expenses, yet the young man didn’t even blink—just swiped his card and paid it all in one go.

Before leaving, he even told her not to inform the father and daughter.

"Just say it’s humanitarian aid from the hospital," he instructed.

As the nurse watched his tall, slender figure walk away, she couldn’t help but sigh.

She never thought that in this cruel, heartless world.

There were still good people.

—

Jiang Yuanye felt like he had been drowning in darkness for too long,

so long that as soon as he sensed even a bit of light, he couldn’t help but reach out for it, just like a drowning person desperately grasping for a lifeline.

Cheng Yuan had once been a ray of light for him, the only driftwood he could cling to at that time.

Back in middle school, he wasn’t as popular as he was in high school. Due to family reasons, he was often the primary target of bullying at school.

Many boys would corner him in the restroom, strip off his clothes, take pictures of him, pour cold water over him, and use their expensive sneakers to trample on his face, hands, and body. They laughed wildly, their voices sharp and grating. Even when his ears were ringing from the cold water, he could still hear their laughter echoing in his ears.

This kind of life lasted for two and a half years.

For those two and a half years, there wasn’t a single inch of his skin left intact. It wasn’t just school bullying, his father would also come home drunk and in the middle of the night, use a stick to beat him again and again.

He wanted to call for help but his father’s large hands covered him, silencing all his cries into voiceless sobs.

Through the pain, through the brink of death, he repeatedly saw his mother through the crack of the door, covering her mouth, crying in fear.

During that time, he felt like he had fallen into depression.

Walking down the street, he would see an open manhole and think, If I fell in, it’d be over.

Passing by a construction site, he would look at the hanging hook and think, If it dropped on me, that’d be the end.

Standing at a crosswalk, looking at the cars stopped at the light, he would wonder, If I got hit, wouldn’t that be nice?

Thinking and thinking, one day, he walked to the seaside.

He had made up his mind.

He didn’t want to fall into a manhole.

He didn’t want to be crushed.

He didn’t want to be hit by a car.

And he definitely didn’t want to jump off a school building and leave behind a mangled corpse, giving those who bullied him a chance to see him at his worst, most broken state.

As he walked deeper into the water, the sea swallowed his ankles, then his knees, then gradually crept up to his waist, chest, and throat. The tide surged forward, overwhelming him. He could already taste the bitter, salty seawater...

This taste just like his wretched, ruined life.

Just as he was about to drown, a girl suddenly appeared.

She stood on the shore, calling out to him, telling him not to do anything foolish, saying she would do her best to help him.

Maybe it was the freezing seawater, maybe it was the suffocating pain of drowning, or maybe—just maybe—it was her words: I can help you.

In that moment, he suddenly didn’t want to die anymore.

To hell with this shitty life.

Screw it.

In the end, he changed his mind and swam back.

That day, soaking wet, he stood on the shore and met a new friend—Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan was the brightest, most beautiful, most vibrant girl he had ever met. She was like a little sun, shining with boundless energy. She never looked down on his background. She barged into his world, bringing her warmth.

At that age, when feelings first began to blossom, he naturally fell for her.

That year, with Cheng Yuan’s help, he achieved excellent grades in middle school and successfully got into the city’s top high school.

At the start of high school, he was placed in Class 1, while Cheng Yuan was in Class 3. The separation of their classes gradually made their connection fade.

He tried to reach out to her, but the rumors spreading around made Cheng Yuan distressed. After noticing her unease, Jiang Yuanye stopped seeking her out at school.

Until Zhou Chaosheng transferred in.

The reason he never dared to confess to Cheng Yuan was because he felt unworthy of her. He wanted to wait until he had grown up, until he had become outstanding, so outstanding that he could stand beside her without shame before telling her how he had felt all these years.

But he never got the chance.

Instead, he met a rival he couldn’t stand.

At the start of senior year, when he first saw the Maybach, he didn’t think much of it.

But then, a boy wearing the same school uniform as him stepped out of the car, and his first thought was: What a show-off.

The boy stood tall and straight, like a stunning scene in a painting. Everyone who passed by couldn’t help but stop and admire him.

He looked like a protagonist straight out of a manga.

Despite only being eighteen, he was already over 1.8 meters tall, easily the height of an adult man. His body proportions were perfect: long legs, a tall and slender figure. Even in the loose school uniform, he still looked elegant and well-proportioned.

In the sunlight, his back was long and radiant, as if he had deliberately distanced himself from everyone around him, exuding an air of cold indifference.

It was as if, from birth, he had been destined to stand apart from others.

Jiang Yuanye was riding his bike, about to pass by, but the Maybach blocked his way.

The traffic light was about to turn green, so he had no choice but to ride off the curb. When he landed, pain shot through his crotch and backside, making him wince in agony.

As he rode past, his eyes landed on something.

Nike Air.

The moment he saw those sneakers, memories of being trampled under expensive shoes came flooding back. The scorching humiliation spread from his body to his face.

Frustrated, he couldn’t hold back and directed his anger at the transfer student.

"Hey."

Recalling the brief glimpse he’d caught of the boy’s profile earlier, Jiang Yuanye figured this must be the new transfer student. After all, he had never seen another guy in school who looked better than him.

"Transfer student? Wearing such expensive sneakers do you even know how to play basketball?"

He sneered.

The transfer student turned to face him. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree leaves, casting dappled shadows across his face. He looked as if he were bathed in a faint glow, so stunning it was almost unreal, like an angel crafted by the hands of God.

It was hard to imagine that this kind of face wouldn’t captivate every girl who passed by.

At the very least, 95% of people wouldn’t be able to deny its beauty.

Not even Jiang Yuanye could.

Because damn he really was that handsome.

That kind of absolutely flawless, undeniable kind of handsome.

Damn it.

How could someone be better-looking than him?

That was the first thought that popped into his head.

The second thought immediately followed—

I really, really hate guys like this.

"None of your business," the transfer student replied coldly.

He’s richer than me? Fine. But why the hell does his face have to be better than mine too?!

Jiang Yuanye raged internally, but outwardly, he just shrugged indifferently.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I guess it’s none of my business."

"But if I run into you on the court, or if I accidentally step on your expensive sneakers while dunking, then that would be my business."

The transfer student remained expressionless. "So?"

Even his personality was boring. Jiang Yuanye scoffed, secretly hoping they wouldn’t end up in the same class. "Anyway, I just don’t want to see you."

The transfer student looked speechless. "We’re not even close. It’s not like we’d be seeing each other every day."

Jiang Yuanye snorted, stepped on the pedal, and said.

"I'm leaving. Hope we never meet again."

Of course, that was just wishful thinking.

In school, he still ran into him. Though they weren’t in the same class, they were only separated by a single wall, seeing each other almost every day.

Jiang Yuanye believed in magnetic fields, if someone rubbed him the wrong way at first glance, they’d never get along in this lifetime.

Sure enough, this guy was born to clash with him.

Competing with him at every turn? fine, whatever. Stealing his top rank? annoying, but still fine.

But even stealing Cheng Yuan's heart?

The day Jiang Yuanye saw Cheng Yuan confessing to Zhou Chaosheng in the hallway, his world nearly collapsed.

The girl he had secretly loved for three whole years had fallen for the one person he couldn't stand.

The blow was devastating. The frustration unbearable.

From that moment on, Jiang Yuanye completely hated Zhou Chaosheng.

And that hatred lasted for eight years.

He never could have imagined..

The guy he found unbearable eight years ago… would, eight years later, become his so-called "boyfriend."

"Baby, wake up."

A warm and familiar voice, carrying a gentle lilt, sounded softly in his ear, calling him.

Jiang Yuanye’s vision went black. A chill ran from his toes straight to his brain.

Zhou Chaosheng actually just called him—

Ba… Baby?

He was so startled that he shot up from the pillow!

For a moment, he was completely disoriented. Then, he took in his surroundings, white everywhere. White bedsheets, white walls, a white ceiling.

When he moved, he felt a tug on his hand. Looking down, he saw an IV drip.

A dull pain in his stomach brought back memories of what happened before he blacked out.

Right. He had passed out from the pain.

Just then, the door opened.

Jiang Yuanye looked up. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened slightly.

Zhou Chaosheng walked in, carrying a thermal food container. Seeing Jiang Yuanye awake, he simply said, "You’re up? How do you feel?"

Jiang Yuanye instinctively answered, "Still okay."

Zhou Chaosheng nodded, his tone unclear, half mocking, half indifferent. "Didn’t know a stomach ulcer could be classified as ‘okay.’ When did you become so carefree?"

Jiang Yuanye caught the sarcasm: "…"

Zhou Chaosheng didn’t bother lecturing him further. He placed the thermal container on the table and said, "Hungry? The doctor said you can have a little millet porridge. I bought you some from downstairs. Just take a few sips, don’t overdo it."

Jiang Yuanye hesitated, then asked, "What day is it?"

"23rd. Zhang Youqi’s wedding day. Your surgery lasted three hours yesterday. After that, you were unconscious for a full fifteen hours. It’s now 3:30 in the afternoon. Any other questions?" Zhou Chaosheng rattled off the details like a robot reading out a report.

Jiang Yuanye noticed that Zhou Chaosheng was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. Uncertain, he asked, "You… haven’t been here the whole time, have you?"

Zhou Chaosheng replied with a casual "Mm." Then, "Are you hungry or not?"

Jiang Yuanye was silent for a moment before saying, "Hungry."

Zhou Chaosheng opened the thermal container, took out a disposable spoon, and handed them over. "It’s hot, be careful."

Jiang Yuanye took it, not sure how to describe what he was feeling.

Somehow, the warmth of the porridge seemed to seep through the container into his palms, flowing under his skin, spreading all the way to his heart.

"...Thanks."

"You're welcome. Just pay me back."

"...What money?"

"Gift money, surgery fees, hospital fees, and the cost of this porridge."

Jiang Yuanye: "…"

Damn it give him back his moment of gratitude!!

Next