Truly powerful

"no need!"

Chen Chao's tone was so harsh that Lin Yu was startled. He glanced at Chen Chao hesitantly, then silently swallowed the words he was about to say and did not argue further.

In his memory, since he and Chen Chao got together, except for the time when he wanted Chen Chao to get married, Chen Chao had never yelled at him so harshly.

Chen Chao was always tolerant of him and never got angry easily.

What's wrong with me today?

"I have to go to the study first. Get ready and wait for me. We'll leave for the hospital in half an hour."

When Chen Chao spoke again, his tone had returned to normal, but Lin Yu still felt that something was subtly off.

He wanted to ask Chen Chao what was wrong, but Chen Chao's aura clearly showed his irritability and rejection. His intuition told him that now was not a good time to investigate the reason.

Let's talk about it when he gets back tonight. If he really did something wrong, he can apologize.

Half an hour later, Chen Chao changed his clothes and came downstairs. Lin Yu was about to go to the garage to get the car, but Chen Chao said he had already called a driver. Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, then obediently followed Chen Chao out and sat in the back seat of the car.

"I'm sorry, I lost control for a moment." As soon as Chen Chao got into the car, he raised the partition between the front and rear seats and apologized to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu was stunned; he never expected Chen Chao to apologize to him.

He was indeed a little frightened, but it was nothing serious; everyone loses control of their emotions sometimes. Besides, in his mind, if he caused Chen Chao to lose control of his emotions, then he would definitely be the one in the wrong.

"Boss, I'm fine, you don't need to apologize. I just want to make sure I did something wrong."

Chen Chao sighed wearily and turned his gaze out of the car: "It's nothing, let's talk about it when we get back. Let's go to the hospital first."

Chen Chao's reaction made Lin Yu even more uneasy. Apart from the last mission, Chen Chao had never been so hesitant to speak to him.

Sensing Lin Yu's unease, Chen Chao turned his gaze away from the window and pulled Lin Yu into his arms: "Don't overthink it, it's my problem. I'm a little tired, let me rest for a bit."

Lin Yu leaned against Chen Chao's chest and nodded obediently. He knew that Chen Chao had been under great pressure these past few days to help him adjust, and it was normal that he didn't want to hide his fatigue from him now that he was relaxed.

After all, Chen Chao could only expose her fatigue and vulnerability to him without any reservations.

Lin Yu knew that sometimes not asking was also a form of understanding.

When Lin Yu was undergoing examinations at Rahman, he was given a sedative, so he never realized that he would have a fear of hospitals.

Karim's white cell, with its single bed, really looked just like a hospital ward.

The moment the elevator doors opened, the white walls of the hospital came into view, and Lin Yu involuntarily took a step back.

The white walls and cold lighting made him feel dizzy.

“Boss…” Lin Yu felt Chen Chao’s arm firmly wrap around his waist from behind, not allowing him to take another step back.

"I'm here." Chen Chao looked at him, his eyes filled with gentle encouragement.

Lin Yu felt his palms begin to sweat, and his body resisted stepping out of the elevator. It was too fast; he had only just begun to grasp the memories of the past, and now he was already facing a hospital—it was far too soon.

"Same as before, don't use mission status defense. If we really can't do it, we can go back. It's okay."

Lin Yu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He told himself there was nothing to be afraid of. Yesterday he had already proven that he could overcome everything Karim had left behind. He was the master of his body, not a slave to his memories.

He could feel Chen Chao's hands firmly around his waist, providing him with stable support. He could also see the unreserved encouragement and trust in Chen Chao's eyes.

He knew that Chen Chao wasn't forcing him.

Chen Chao simply believed that he could help him recover as quickly as possible.

He is Z0002 of the Special Security Unit, and from a young age he has been able to do things that others cannot. Even without using his mission-state defensive disguise, the real Lin Yu is still powerful.

Steve is Lin Yu; they were never unrelated.

Finally, Lin Yu convinced himself, suppressed the instinctive fear in his body, and stepped out of the elevator.

Chen Chao followed behind him, a proud smile curving his lips. His Lin Yu never disappointed him.

The hospital examinations were complicated, including physical exams, blood tests, and various scans, and the medical staff inevitably had to touch him. Faced with unfamiliar touches, Lin Yu controlled his trembling and made himself appear normal.

Chen Chao always stayed by his side, standing quietly behind him. At any time, he could easily turn around and find Chen Chao, who was smiling at him.

Gradually, he stopped being afraid of the empty white room and the touch of strangers.

The moment he stepped out of the hospital, he finally felt completely healed. He became fearless once again, and no one could defeat him anymore.

He was filled with the power of new life, which filled him with hope.

He couldn't help but hug Chen Chao in the back seat of the car: "Boss, I don't know how to thank you enough. I feel even better than before!"

Chen Chao affectionately stroked his hair, seemingly wanting to say something, but after hesitating for a moment, he swallowed back what he wanted to say.

“Fool, I never need your thanks. I just want you to be well, and since I was the one who sent you away this time, I need to bring you back.”

Lin Yu shook his head in Chen Chao's arms: "Boss, this is a decision we made together. It has never been your responsibility. I was prepared for all the sacrifices. You don't owe me anything."

I knew I was going to fall into hell, and I did. But you broke me down. You not only brought me back, but you also allowed me to finally face myself.

Boss, you are my greatest strength.

Chen Chao smiled and gently kissed Lin Yu's forehead.

“You are different from Chen Jiu. Chen Jiu is very innocent, while you have always had a clarity that is beyond your years.”

Actually, after your mother passed away, you hid the real Lin Yu. You used the mature and detached Steve to help you face this cruel world.

Just as I only let my guard down around you, you only reveal the real Lin Yu to me. That vulnerable Lin Yu, yearning for belonging and love.

"Boss, you already found out..." Lin Yu lowered his head in embarrassment.

"A six-year-old child, no one would be normal after seeing such a scene. You're just numbing yourself, drowning yourself in training and tasks, and pretending to be strong is already good enough. Many more people would directly suffer mental breakdowns and personality splits."

But Lin Yu, only by truly facing yourself can you truly become strong. If I don't push your true self to grow this time, you won't have the strength to overcome this obstacle.

Chen Chao spoke patiently, but Lin Yu sensed an indescribable weariness in his voice.

Just as he was about to ask something, the car stopped in front of the villa. Chen Chao lowered the partition between the front and rear seats and waited for the driver to open the door.

He lost his chance to speak and got off the car with Chen Chao.

"I'm going to the study to take care of something for a while. You can cook first, or have the chef deliver it if you don't want to." After returning home, Chen Chao didn't give Lin Yu a chance to ask any further questions and went straight upstairs.

Lin Yu stood in the living room, somewhat dazed. He felt Chen Chao pushing him away, but he didn't know why. He was quite certain that Chen Chao's unusual behavior today was definitely not just due to fatigue.

Could it be that he really did something wrong?

Even so, Chen Chao shouldn't have kept quiet about it, right? His boss, what couldn't he just tell him directly?

During dinner, Chen Chao spoke first before Lin Yu could ask, "I know what you want to ask, but you asked me to take a few days to adjust and I'll tell you when I've thought it through."

"Boss, did I really do something wrong?" Chen Chao's words made Lin Yu feel even more strange.

"No, it's my problem." Chen Chao sighed unconsciously after speaking, and rubbed his temples wearily. "I need some space to think things through."

"Is it about the review? Is this difficult for you? If so, I can accept the review; I'm fine now," Lin Yu guessed.

Chen Chao took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress some emotion. After stabilizing his breathing, he replied, "No, canceling the review is not troublesome for me at all. Chen Jiu should have told you that Te An's surname is Chen, so I can do this easily, and no one will say anything. Moreover, everyone has seen your sacrifice in this mission, and no one will want to make things difficult for you."

"Then why?" Lin Yu didn't understand.

"I just received the report from the hospital. Your body still needs to rest. You can't do high-intensity rehabilitation, but you can do low-intensity exercise to gradually restore your muscle strength."

"Raman has also adjusted your medication plan. They will send the medicine and plan over tomorrow. Please take good care of yourself." Chen Chao did not answer Lin Yu's question but started talking about other things.

Lin Yu understood the meaning behind Chen Chao's words and could only stop asking.

He didn't want to force Chen Chao to answer any questions he didn't want to answer.

Since Chen Chao was unwilling to talk about it, he wouldn't ask.

“I’ll be going back to work in Tean tomorrow. You can manage your time as usual. Since the doctor doesn’t recommend any intensive rehabilitation, the home gym should be enough. If you’re uncomfortable being alone and want to see me, feel free to come anytime. I’ll have Trot share my schedule with you so you can always know where I am.”

"Yes, boss." Lin Yu agreed verbally, but he felt terrible inside. Although there was nothing wrong with Chen Chao's arrangement, he just felt that Chen Chao was pushing him away.

That night, the nightmare came as expected, but this time it had nothing to do with Karim.

He dreamt that on a boundless plain, Chen Chao abandoned him and turned away resolutely, and no matter how much he called out, it was no use.

Chen Chao walked further and further away, without ever looking back. When Chen Chao's figure completely disappeared from his sight, his world suddenly darkened, enveloped in darkness.

His heart clenched instantly. He stood blankly in the center of the darkness, panicked and unsure of what to do. It was as if he had returned to the time when he was six years old, when he saw his mother lying alone in a pool of blood, as if abandoned by the world.

"Lin Yu, I'm here! Breathe! Don't be afraid, I'm here!"

A warm chest embraced him tightly, and an urgent and firm call rang in his ears.

"Lin Yu, I'm here! Don't be afraid!" The firm voice struck his eardrums again and again, like a steady drumbeat telling him the direction to move forward.

His world brightened again. He opened his eyes and saw Chen Chao holding him tightly, his eyes full of anxiety.

“Boss.” He reached out and stroked Chen Chao’s cheek, as if to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

"I'm here! Take a deep breath! It's okay, I'm here, don't be afraid!"

He unconsciously adjusted his breathing to follow Chen Chao's voice, and his consciousness gradually returned to normal. He was surprised to find that he was covered in cold sweat and his heart was pounding.

With Chen Chao's constant reassurance, his breathing finally stabilized. Chen Chao reached out to check his pulse and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that everything was alright.

"What did you dream about?" Chen Chao asked worriedly.

Lin Yu's watery eyes involuntarily drooped down. He gripped Chen Chao's hand tightly and said somewhat guiltily, "I dreamt that you, Boss, didn't want me anymore."

Chen Chao's pupils visibly dilated. He raised his hand to stroke Lin Yu's hair and whispered, "Silly girl, how could I not want you?"