Chapter 36: Lovesickness
The hospital room was deathly quiet.
Dr. Chen glanced at Zhao Yuheng. “You’re the patient?”
Zhao Yuheng nodded.
Dr. Chen then looked at Shen Shuyi. “He’s your friend?”
Zhao Yuheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded again.
Friend? Shen Shuyi, ever so proud, thought to himself that since they had known each other for so long, he could consider Shen Shuyi a friend too.
Dr. Chen was shocked. “Then why are you sitting on the chair while he’s on the bed? Your leg… this is seriously against medical advice!”
Dr. Chen’s gaze dropped, and he saw the bandages on Zhao Yuheng’s leg. He scolded, “How can your leg heal if you sit like this for so long?”
“My friend was busy all day and a little tired. Letting him rest for a while, my leg is fine,” Zhao Yuheng explained calmly. “I know my own body.”
Dr. Chen: “…”
Here it comes, the one thing doctors hate hearing the most.
Dr. Chen: “Just because your friend is tired, you let him sleep in the hospital bed? He’s really your friend? Not your brother, right?”
Looking at the kid on the bed, his appearance was pretty much on par with this patient named Zhao.
They looked like brothers, but closer than actual siblings.
Zhao Yuheng insisted, “Just friends.”
Dr. Chen suspected: Not the kind of friend you can kiss, right?
On the hospital bed, Shen Shuyi’s brows furrowed lightly, as if he heard some sound and was not sleeping soundly.
“You already know my condition,” Zhao Yuheng lifted his head, his tone calm. “If further tests are needed, I can go cooperate outside. My friend’s sleep is shallow; he was exhausted this afternoon.”
Dr. Chen: …
This patient needs a brain check—this is serious lovesick syndrome! Looks terminal and incurable!
When Shen Shuyi woke up, it was already dark outside.
It was the first time he woke up in such an unfamiliar environment. Outside the window was the hustle and bustle of traffic; in the corridor, he could hear nurses talking to patients.
For a good ten seconds, Shen Shuyi didn’t know where he was.
“Awake?”
It was only when Zhao Yuheng spoke, that familiar voice reaching him, that Shen Shuyi’s mind started turning again.
Oh… right, he was in the hospital. Zhao Yuheng had a car accident in the morning, and Shen Shuyi had accompanied him to handle the admission procedures, then took a short nap… a short nap?
Car accident? Hospitalized?!
…Wait!
Shen Shuyi quickly got out of bed. “I said I’d only sleep for half an hour. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Forgot,” Zhao Yuheng lied smoothly, without a hint of expression. “Well-rested? Want to lie down a bit more?”
Shen Shuyi choked on the words.
He was mortally embarrassed.
Originally, he had promised to take care of Zhao Yuheng, but now he had ended up sleeping on the patient’s bed. That was already highly inappropriate.
And now he had forced the patient to sit on a cold chair all afternoon. Where’s the care in that?
Shen Shuyi admitted he could be a little spoiled—that he acknowledged.
But he was definitely not the type to expect a patient to take care of him; that was completely outrageous!
“I’m not sleepy. You get on the bed quickly.”
Shen Shuyi got out of bed swiftly, his eyes fixed on Zhao Yuheng, urging him silently to get onto the bed.
Zhao Yuheng had originally planned to let him rest a bit more, but Shen Shuyi stared unblinkingly, as if he would knock him unconscious and place him on the bed if he didn’t move.
Zhao Yuheng smiled faintly, acting as if he didn’t realize how serious this was.
Shen Shuyi was a little angry. “If you deliberately don’t wake me next time, I’ll really be mad.”
But then he thought, muttering, “Ah, never mind, there won’t be a next time.”
If there were a next time, it would only mean Zhao Yuheng ends up back in the hospital.
Better to hope Zhao Yuheng stays healthy and lives a long life.
Anyway, he wasn’t very good at taking care of people, so it was best if no one around him ended up in the hospital.
Seeing that Shen Shuyi genuinely worried about him, Zhao Yuheng put away his smile. “Mm. I promise there won’t be a next time.”
Shen Shuyi scoffed internally: “You better.”
Sitting in this old hospital room, Shen Shuyi somehow made the space feel like a billionaire’s mansion, muttering, “I’m never marrying a cripple.”
Of course, the words were whispered so quietly that only Shen Shuyi himself could hear.
At nine in the evening, Uncle Lin called.
Shen Shuyi had wanted to stay a little longer in the hospital, but Zhao Yuheng worried he wouldn’t sleep well and sent the address to Uncle Lin.
By now, Xiao Liu was waiting at the hospital entrance.
Shen Shuyi anxiously looked at Zhao Yuheng’s left leg. “Are you really okay if I don’t stay with you?”
“Yes. Shen Shuyi, you’re not a doctor. Even if you leave, my leg won’t suddenly break just because you weren’t watching it for one night.”
“…Oh.”
On the surface, Shen Shuyi acted obedient, but inside, he was quite unwilling.
He thought resentfully: what if he really was this indispensable person?
“Fine then.”
Shen Shuyi had no other choice.
Actually, he had thought about taking Zhao Yuheng back to Shuiwan One.
But their engagement was only verbal—no official registration.
Taking him home abruptly, living together alone!
If Shen Lu found out, he’d seriously break his legs.
Thinking of Shen Lu’s stern coffin-like expression, Shen Shuyi felt his calves twitch.
“Then I’ll head back first.”
Zhao Yuheng nodded.
Shen Shuyi still worried: “If anything happens, you remember to message me!”
“Okay, Dr. Shen.”
“…Crazy!”
Leg injured and still so reckless!
In the next few days, Shen Shuyi went to work but was distracted.
He would frequently message Zhao Yuheng on WeChat: [Are you there? Send me a photo of your leg]
Zhao Yuheng obeyed, always sending pictures of his handsome face instead.
Shen Shuyi: ?
Send one more misleading picture, and you’re blocked 🙂
Previously, when Shen Lu asked him to work, aside from resisting the first two days, once the tasks were officially handed over to him, Shen Shuyi completed every task excellently.
He barely slacked off, clocked in from 9 to 5, sometimes worked overtime, even better than most employees who coasted.
Not because he wanted to prove he wasn’t a useless rich second generation, but because it was his nature:
If you do something, do it wholeheartedly.
Because of his usually good work attitude, colleagues noticed when Shen Shuyi seemed off.
During lunch with colleagues A, B, C, D, they noticed his unusual behavior.
Shen Shuyi was a picky eater; half the cafeteria food went untouched. He usually brought lunchboxes prepared by family, full of nutrition, always varied.
Shen Shuyi had a small appetite, and if he couldn’t finish, he shared with colleagues.
Today, he opened his lunchbox and stared at it for a few seconds with no appetite.
“You guys want some? Help yourselves.”
Colleague A looked over; Shen Shuyi’s lunchbox was untouched.
“Shuyi, you’re not eating? You haven’t touched a bite.”
Shen Shuyi sighed. “Not hungry.”
This immediately indicated something was on his mind!
Colleagues A–D exchanged looks, sending subtle glances to each other.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Colleague C asked, concerned.
Shen Shuyi, hearing this term, wanted to object.
Then he realized that for some unknown reason, these colleagues had started calling him “baby.”
Initially it was just “Bao.” (Bao = Chinese version for baby)
Shen Shuyi had tried to correct it but failed.
Anyway, Lin and others always fussed over him, so he didn’t notice anything wrong.
Colleague A said, “You have two more meetings this afternoon. You’re not eating at all? How will you get through it?”
Colleague D added, “Yeah. Jay is chairing. He’s strict. If he catches any mistake, this quarter’s performance rating is gone.”
Shen Shuyi didn’t care; he was just working here at his brother’s discretion.
Someday, if Shen Lu changes his mind, a royal decree would allow him to go back home and live as a pampered heir.
“Can’t eat.”
Colleague B asked: “What’s wrong? Tell us.”
They all looked concerned.
Having spent time with Shen Shuyi, they understood his personality.
A cold, aloof beauty, yet within his own small circle, he was actually a sweet, obedient younger brother.
Shen Shuyi’s heart wasn’t made of stone; he couldn’t resist such care.
“I…”
He thought about his relationship with Zhao Yuheng, recalled the phrase about ordinary people dating without a fiancé.
The words on his lips changed subconsciously: “My boyfriend… had a car accident a few days ago, and he’s been discharged.”
Fiancé vs. boyfriend didn’t make much difference, right 🙂
Colleague A was shocked: “Shuyi, you actually have a boyfriend!”
Shen Shuyi was surprised: “Why are you so shocked? Is it strange for me to have a boyfriend?”
Not strange, given his looks. If he didn’t have someone, all men on earth would truly be extinct.
Colleague A looked at him, then ran off with a teary eye.
Being the only male in the five-person group, only Shen Shuyi and four girls remained.
“What’s wrong with him?” Shen Shuyi asked.
Colleague B patted his shoulder: “Ignore him. He had unrealistic hopes, now that it’s hopeless, he’s resigned.”
“…Oh.”
Shen Shuyi nodded, confused.
Colleague B returned to the topic: “You’re distracted today because of your boyfriend?”
Shen Shuyi didn’t hide anything: “Yeah. He’s in the hospital, and I’m a little worried about his health.”
Emphasizing: “Just a little.”
“Then do you want to take leave to see him?”
“Leave? What kind—personal, sick?” Shen Shuyi asked.
Sick leave for… lovesickness? 🙂
These three words popped up, making Shen Shuyi flinch.
“…Forget it.”
Shen Shuyi poked at his lunchbox, sulking.
From past experience, going would only create trouble for Zhao Yuheng.
And he had lost 1,300 yuan in salary for missing work a few days ago!
His recent income came from this meager salary.
He planned to save up 2 million yuan, pay Zhao Yuheng back in one go, and end the engagement completely.
Thinking of this, Shen Shuyi’s expression became slightly confused.
For some reason, when thinking of breaking the engagement, he no longer felt the initial confidence, but a trace of avoidance.
Could it be because the line had been stretched too long, and he had become lax?
That wouldn’t do!
“Baby, what injury does your boyfriend have?” Colleague C interrupted his thoughts.
“Oh… seems like a fracture or something.”
“Bones take a hundred days to heal. Want something nourishing?”
“Yes, in high school, I accidentally broke my leg. My mom made bone soup every day. Maybe it was psychological, but I felt better after drinking it.”
Shen Shuyi hesitated: “…Really?”
Colleagues B, C, D nodded sincerely: “It should be true. If not, it still nourishes the body!”
Shen Shuyi ignored this. Ridiculous—he had never cooked for a man before!
If word got out, what would happen to Third Master Director Chen’s face?
If Shen Lu found out, he’d think Shen Shuyi was head over heels for Zhao Yuheng. Could he still cancel the engagement smoothly?
Anyway, bone soup. Impossible!
“Impossible, the Little Red Note tutorial says start with cold water. I didn’t get it wrong, right? But it feels… off?”
Midnight, Shuiwan One.
In the dead silence, Shen Shuyi avoided everyone and tiptoed to the semi-open kitchen. He took the beef bones he bought secretly in the afternoon and put them in a pot of cold water to blanch.
Perplexed, he resorted to Little Red Note for help, using the “MOMO” account to stay anonymous.
Under a bone soup tutorial, he humbly asked:
O.O Why does my cold-water start feel weird? (picture)
Soon, a helpful user commented: You haven’t turned on the heat! Cold water start doesn’t just mean put in cold water.
Shen Shuyi: …
He turned off his phone slowly, pretending nothing happened.
“Mmm, need to add ginger, cooking wine, vinegar…”
One hand holding the phone, the other comparing cooking wine and vinegar.
?
Which is the vinegar?
No matter, both go in anyway, two spoons each!
After two to three hours of effort, he finally made a bowl of bone soup.
Following the Little Red Note APP advice, he added several Chinese medicinal herbs.
The noise woke Uncle Lin, who thought he was dreaming or had gone to heaven early.
“Young Master?” Uncle Lin called.
Shen Shuyi almost dropped the bowl.
“What are you doing?”
Caught, Shen Shuyi admitted: “I’m making bone soup for Zhao Yuheng.”
Uncle Lin, surprised: “You could have just asked the chef.”
“Oh… it’s fine. So late, they’re all asleep. Not hard, so no need to trouble them!”
Uncle Lin: …
Wake up, young master! You’re the one who once woke the entire villa’s nutritionist at 4 a.m. for red bean pudding!
Uncle Lin smiled silently: “Mr. Zhao is lucky.”
Shen Shuyi smugly took a spoon and served a bowl to Uncle Lin.
Considering Zhao Yuheng’s appetite (based on height), he hesitated, shaking so the bowl had only half a spoon left before putting it into the bowl.
Uncle Lin saw this: ? ?
Once given, there was no taking back!
Shen Shuyi, eyes sparkling, asked: “Uncle Lin, taste it!”
Cute. Easily forgiven.
Uncle Lin chuckled: “Good, whatever the young master makes is good.”
He sipped, savoring.
Shen Shuyi anxiously watched.
“Maybe we should wake the chef to make another for Mr. Zhao.” Uncle Lin hesitated.
Shen Shuyi: ?!
Shen Shuyi nervously: “Ah? Not good?”
He was about to drink the remaining soup.
Uncle Lin stopped him: “Good.”
Shen Shuyi hesitated, fearing disappointment.
Who’s perfect the first try?
Uncle Lin used encouragement: “Young master, relax, it’s delicious. And this pot is all we have. If we finish it, what will Mr. Zhao drink?”
Shen Shuyi thought, then nodded: “You’re right!”
Eager to deliver, the next morning he took leave and went to the hospital.
In the ward, Zhao Yuheng was on the phone, handling work.
Shen Shuyi didn’t rush, placing the thermos on the table and waiting expectantly.
Ten seconds later, Zhao Yuheng hung up forcibly.
“Why are you here all of a sudden?”
“I took leave!” Shen Shuyi pushed the thermos toward him. “Drink quickly.”
“You bought this?” Zhao Yuheng raised an eyebrow.
“I made it myself!” Shen Shuyi proudly said.
Zhao Yuheng froze, then looked surprised.
Xiao Liu, recalling Uncle Lin’s instructions, read a note aloud: Mr. Zhao, this was made by our young master at 1 a.m. last night. He’s never made soup for anyone, not even his brother or father. He truly cares for you.
Shen Shuyi: ?
What is this long speech?
But the flattery was accurate; Shen Shuyi had indeed made soup for someone for the first time.
Zhao Yuheng, moved and confused, felt a rare care beyond his grandfather.
…Although the motive wasn’t entirely pure.
Zhao Yuheng wondered if a rich second-generation would really care so diligently for a lover.
“Drink quickly! It’ll get cold!” Shen Shuyi urged.
Zhao Yuheng nodded and took a sip.
Xiao Liu gestured behind: First time making soup for anyone! Not even the eldest master or father got this treatment!
Shen Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought his cooking was terrible!
“If good, I’ll make more tomorrow.” Shen Shuyi’s fighting spirit rose.
Zhao Yuheng wiped his mouth, coughed, and quickly said: “No need.”
Shen Shuyi looked puzzled; Zhao Yuheng hesitated, wanting to prevent him from going down a reckless path.
Finally, he spoke decisively: “Shen Shuyi, from now on, we only need one person at home who can cook.”
