Chapter 20: 20

Chapter 20: The Car Ride

　　The three ended up in a private hospital known for being protective of their patient’s privacy. The building’s architecture was telling enough of the hospital’s reputation as one of the most prestigious medical institutions on the main planet.

　Lin Ning sat in the consultation room, flabbergasted, the white-haired doctor’s diagnosis droning in the background. The only thing he’d gathered was that he’d misunderstood the two men and that his throat wasn’t completely gone. As long as he continued to take good care of it, he’d be fine.

　　”You’re recovering pretty well, but I’m curious if you’ve consumed something harmful to your larynx.” The doctor pushed up his glasses, his sharp gaze resting on Lin Ning’s throat. Though he usually had every single registered patient’s medical history available at his fingertips, Lin Ning was certainly an anomaly. 

　　”Yes…” Lin Ning nodded, then pressed his fist over his lips to cough. “Thank you so much — cough cough… I’ll be sure to — cough cough — take care, and I’ll be extra careful with my — cough — diet.”

　　”Tell you what, I’ll write up a prescription for you,” the doctor sighed, lecturing, “If you know your throat’s not good, why would you go around shouting? Young people nowadays really have no appreciation for their bodies…” His gaze fell on Lin Ning’s medical record of his hospitalization at Ward Six for suicide and stopped himself.

　　The young man before him was clearly not doing well. He may have been here for a check-up, but he didn’t seem to care about what the doctor had to say. Something else was weighing heavily on his mind. The doctor knew mental illnesses were the hardest to heal, but he couldn’t interfere with his patient’s personal life, either.

　　As he left the room, Lin Ning kicked himself for blindly following the two men to the hospital. Xizai was still missing. He had to continue his search. But, the moment he stepped out the door, he nearly rammed into a tall figure.

　　The man’s face was still as cold as before. Upon receiving a meaningful nod at him, Liu Yue, who stood beside the man, walked over to Lin Ning. “Mr. Lin Ning, please wait in the car with Mr. Li Chengyan. I’ll collect the medicine. Be back in a moment.”

　　Liu Yue turned away after a shallow bow. Only then did Lin Ning learn that the handsome, frigid man’s name was Li Chengyan.

　　Lin Ning noticed that the men’s movements were a little abnormal. Their postures were perfect, sitting or standing alike. It was as if they were carved statues — straight backs, the look of tacit understanding their eyes shared, and the swift and fierce mannerisms. Even though both only donned regular suits, Lin Ning could imagine them in military attire, commanding battles.

　　”Mr. Li Chengyan — cough — was it?” Lin Ning lifted his head to look at the silent man. “Thank you — cough cough — for taking me to a hospital. I’m fine, but — cough cough — I have something urgent to do, so I’ll take my leave…” 

　　”I’ll send you home,” Li Chengyan lowered his head to speak to the thinly-clothed young man. Spots of dark green eyebags hung on his attractive face. Li Chengyan took off his jacket, draping it over him. 

　　There was a slightly aromatic, but frigid scent lingering on the cloth that shielded Lin Ning from the strands of chilliness in the air. The jacket was too large for him, but it was enough to make him feel toasted and oddly nostalgic. Lin Ning’s mouth gaped in surprise, his mind flipping through his memories as he tried to locate where exactly the body knew this man from.

　　Li Chengyan was already striding ahead towards the hospital’s exit. Lin Ning scrambled after him, shoving the thought aside.

　　By the time they were in the car, Lin Ning could barely keep his eyes open. His throat burned, and his eyelids drooped as weird thoughts flooded his mind. The car was so quiet, it was odd. He held his forehead, trying to knock the energy back into him — but his brain remained scattered, like chicks pecking at grains. 

　　”Cough!” He couldn’t suppress the cough no matter how hard he tried. Oh, the things he would do for a cup of iced snow pear juice to trickle down his throat.

　”Why didn’t you go to a doctor when you first lost your voice?” In the quiet car, the man’s cold voice rang out. His voice was flat, yet soothing. Lin Ning fell into a daze before snapping out of it to answer. 

　　”…My cat’s missing. Nothing else really matters right now,” Lin Ning mumbled, head down, long eyelashes fanning over and covering the fatigue seeping into his eyes.

　　Li Chengyan’s gaze wavered. That rigid, stern face softened as it looked at Lin Ning, a thread of his hostility dissolving.

　　”You… Who are you people?” Lin Ning forced some alertness back into him, though his guard against Li Chengyan had long dissolved. For some reason, this person now felt more reliable. It didn’t matter what his personality was like, or what his identity was — he just knew he could trust this person.

　　Weird.

　　”……” Li Chengyan didn’t reply. His dark eyes seemed to brew with emotion, a stroke of confusion arching through before disappearing. He crossed his hands over his leg, silent. 

　　Lin Ning lost interest as his thoughts drifted. Whatever, not like it’s important. His head cocked against the backrest of his seat, eyes barely open. The collar of his improperly buttoned shirt fluttered, exposing his delicate collarbone and smooth, pale nape. 

　　Li Chengyan reached a hand out to button his shirt, but he stopped himself.

　　“Is that cat important to you?” The cold voice rang again.

　　What was wrong with that guy, choosing only to speak right when Lin Ning was about to doze off?? He wasn’t supposed to be sleeping in the first place… but he was exhausted. Lin Ning pulled the coat tighter around him, shrinking into it. He mumbled, “Mmm… Xizai’s — cough cough — family.”

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　　“……” Li Chengyan closed his eyes. If his heart was a dry well, then a drop of sweet dew fell into it, raising a series of ripples.

　　No sound followed. Tere was the vague sound of a car door opening and the engine purring till the car began to move. He slumped sideways onto something warm… maybe a chest? Drowsily, he snuggled until he found himself comfortable, finally falling asleep.

　　……

 

Liu Yue thought he’d taken some sort of hallucinatory drug as he glanced at the rearview mirror. He blinked, unable to resist the temptation to do a double-take. This time, his gaze ran right into Li Chengyan’s. They locked eyes. Li Chengyan’s glare blazed like an oven.

Liu Yue looked away.

　　“……”

　　Scary. He couldn’t believe he just tried to put his nose into the marshal’s personal business. Did he have death wish or something?

　　Li Chengyan studied Lin Ning. After confirming he was fast asleep, he shifted his arms to prop Lin Ning, whose body was slipping, up. The young man in his arms slept on peacefully, just as he always did.

　　They reached Lin Ning’s block. Liu Yue watched Li Chengyan carry him out the car.

　　”Do you really not remember anything, sir?” Liu Yue held the car door, the moonlight dusting over his worried face. He laughed silently the moment the words came out of his mouth. The cold, unapproachable marshal who never grew close to anybody, suddenly caring for a boy? The gentle way he carried him spoke for itself.

　　Li Chengyan’s footsteps paused. He turned around to look at Liu Yue, slowly.

　　Liu Yue smacked the back of his head awkwardly. “What’re you looking at me for? You didn’t want this thing to happen, either. I’ll notify the First Command Post. With the commander we have over there, nothing will go wrong. But we don’t know when you’ll recover, so it’d be better if you take regular checkups at the hospital…” 

　　Li Chengyan said softly, “There’s no need for that. I’m almost done.”

　　”Huh?”

　　“I’ll make some time, but I can’t keep returning for now. Send me the details of what you need dealt with and I’ll do them.” Li Chengyan glanced downwards at Lin Ning, who seemed as if he was about to stir. A look of tenderness — a feeling he’d never felt before — flashed in his eyes. He strode into the building without looking back.

　　Liu Yue wasn’t sure if he was supposed to rejoice or be shocked. That was rich. Half a day might as well have passed before he jolted back to his senses and got back into the car. The car sped away with the press of an accelerator. With the windows half-opened, and the wind slapping wildly against his face, his mind cleared a little.

　　The marshal had no need to lie and would never lie to him. As his adjutant, he to place in him unconditional trust.

　　*

　　Meanwhile, a well-known entertainment journalist from Spy Search Entertainment, commonly known as Chief Paparazzi, shared a huge scoop on their Interstellar account. There were many night owls out there, as well as those idlers around the trending page, so when this big cup of sizzling showbiz tea got spilled, it climbed the trends in an instant.

　　[Spy Search Entertainment]: #shocking! Jiang Feng’s ex-rival and teammate, Lin Ning, spotted being chased by loan sharks after falling into debt while in solitude, doesn’t hesitate to scam the King of Films to make a comeback!

　　The photos attached were the ones of Lin Ning being cornered by the gangsters and of him tailing Zhang Yiming on a street. From the angles the camera captured, the first showed Lin Ning’s whole face, glaring daggers at the debt collectors. The second showed Lin Ning grabbing the celebrity Zhang Yiming’s arm, his smug face appearing as if he’d been trying to win over Zhang Yiming while Zhang Yiming himself blanched as if he’d been cornered.

　　These three big names that got dragged into the post were like the cherry on top. It didn’t matter if it was that pathetic Lin Ning, the reputable Jiang Feng, or the famous Zhang Yiming — everyone was a hot topic.

　　The news shot up on the trending page like a rocket, snagging the first place within minutes.

 

The author has something to say:

Try guessing who Li Chengyan is. Muah.

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