Taking advantage of kindness

Lu Chenyang didn't go far. After leaving the house, he rushed into the fire escape stairwell at the end of the corridor. Only after making sure no one was around did he collapse onto the steps, utterly exhausted. He opened Weibo and found the account that had been following him for a long time, but which he had never followed back.

Sure enough, a new post was updated.

[@Libertas/笙: Officer Lu has taken charge. [Image]]

Upon seeing the text, Lu Chenyang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt his temples throbbing. Why wasn't this person's hand severed in the car accident?!

His finger hovered on the screen for two seconds, struggling, and in the end, whether reason or emotion prevailed, he clicked on the photo.

In the photo, soft light illuminates the ward. Lu Chenyang sits on a single sofa by the bed, leaning forward. He gently holds Yu Sheng's hand, which is draped over the white blanket. His grip is light, but his knuckles are taut and the veins are prominent. His thin lips are pressed together, and his lowered gaze falls on their clasped hands. A heavy gloom hangs between his brows, like a mountain ridge shrouded in mist.

The injured man in the hospital gown looked quite the opposite; he seemed to be in good spirits. Yu Sheng leaned against the headboard, her gaze fixed on Lu Chenyang's gloomy face. Her eyes were filled with a clear smile, the corners of her eyes curving up mischievously, and the corners of her mouth curling into a small, smug arc.

One image is somber and tense, like a storm brewing; the other is smug and relaxed, like a cat that has just stolen some fish. The strange atmosphere is captured and frozen in the photograph.

"Creak—"

Lu Chenyang was immersed in "appreciating" the photos when the door to the fire escape staircase was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

He turned off his phone with lightning speed, like a clueless high school student who had been caught secretly dating the dean.

Looking up in a panic, I saw a young woman smoking in the fire escape stairwell.

"Hey, Lu Chenyang? You're really in this hospital! Did you come to see Yu Sheng?" the girl exclaimed in surprise. "Can I get an autograph and a photo? I really like you. I've been a fan of yours since before you debuted. I loved your performance in 'Bloodstained Puzzle,' I've watched it countless times, and I can even recite all the lines..."

The young woman chattered excitedly, while Lu Chenyang felt completely overwhelmed, wondering if she had seen his earlier embarrassment. Feeling guilty, Lu Chenyang scribbled his name on her cigarette pack. He said "sorry" and fled the awkwardly crowded fire escape stairwell as if his life depended on it, asking a nurse for a mask and taking the elevator upstairs.

Grandma's hospital room was on the 15th floor. When Lu Chenyang returned, Grandma was already asleep under the care of a caregiver. Lu Chenyang chatted with the caregiver for a few minutes, asking about her diet, sleep, medication, and mood over the past few days in great detail...

He was too busy with work, and frequently traveled to other places for filming, roadshows, and various announcements, leaving him with very little time to personally care for his child. So he hired three top-notch caregivers who worked in three shifts around the clock. Whenever he had free time, he would use the professionalism of a police officer taking a statement to "question" the caregivers, trying his best to make up for the lost time in this way.

After the inquiry was over, the caregiver tactfully closed the door and left. Only then did Lu Chenyang slump onto the sofa as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He pulled off his mask; finally, there were no outsiders around. He couldn't help but take out his phone, the screen still displaying that photo.

He stared blankly at his own profile in the photo, somewhat lost in thought. His eyes in the picture were gloomy and tense, a stranger even to himself. He couldn't quite understand whether this emotion stemmed from guilt or genuine pity for that troublesome guy.

Unconsciously long-pressing the screen with your thumb, the photo was successfully saved to your phone's photo album.

All afternoon, Yu Sheng's hospital room was bustling with visitors. People came in droves, and even the police came to take statements. In the end, unable to handle it all, they simply sent their "all-purpose helper," Lan Zhong, to the suite's living room to deal with the situation.

Yu Sheng lazily nestled in bed, scrolling through his phone and browsing Weibo. Sure enough, fans of his and Lu Chenyang's "Chen Yu Luo Yan" super topic had already started celebrating. In just a few hours, chibi-style illustrations and duo video clips sprang up like mushrooms after rain, and some fanfiction was even rivaling the popularity of the real people.

Yu Sheng clicked in with excitement and curiosity, read three or four articles, and then exited with a bitter expression.

What's wrong with young girls these days? Their tastes are so heavy! They're into all sorts of crazy younger-older-younger s&P, parallel world master-servant taming, police-prisoner stories, even ABO literature is popping up.

Without exception, Yu Sheng was always the one who was "bullied".

Even he, who considers himself unserious, blushed after reading it and exclaimed that it was too unserious!

A frivolous person wrote an extremely serious comment on an even more frivolous piece of writing: 'Too much heavy-handed taste can easily lead to the three highs: high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Pay attention to your health and cherish life.'

And another thing! What makes you think he's the one on the bottom, just because Lu Chenyang is tall?

Well, actually he doesn't care about going up or down at all.

*

Lan Zhong had planned to stay at the hospital and have some patient meals with Yu Sheng, but Lu Chenyang intercepted the plan. Lu Chenyang helped his grandmother in, carrying a large pile of takeout bags.

Yu Sheng glanced at the hotel name on the paper bag: Shuye Hotel. Wasn't this his hotel?

Young Master Yu is very picky about food, and the Shuye Hotel was founded by him. Its most distinctive feature is its various restaurants. I didn't expect Lu Chenyang to be so considerate.

Lan Zhong, the "tool man," was happy to "clock out" early, handing over the important task of serving Young Master Yu before making a hasty retreat. Since Yu Sheng's leg was inconvenient, Lu Chenyang set up a small table by the bed, and the three of them sat around it to eat.

"Xiao Yu, eat more. Look how thin you are." Grandma smiled, her eyes crinkling, looking at Yu Sheng as if she were her own grandson, and kept putting food on his plate. "If Dr. Sui hadn't told me this morning, Grandma wouldn't have known that you got that life-saving spot. You child, you helped so much and didn't even say a word."

Yu Sheng took a big bite of the meatball in front of her and said vaguely, "Chenyang and I are close, so his grandma is my grandma too. Isn't it only right to help my own grandma? Grandma, don't be so polite with me."

The way she called Yu Sheng "Grandma" so affectionately and naturally warmed the old woman's heart. Grandma lovingly brushed the stray hairs from Yu Sheng's forehead and said, "Good child, you are so sensible, your family must love you very much, right?"

Yu Sheng's chopsticks, which were reaching for the chicken leg, suddenly stopped in mid-air, and the food in his mouth instantly lost its taste. He forced himself to swallow with difficulty, slowly put down his chopsticks, and his voice became low, "I... have no family. My mother died from postpartum hemorrhage when she gave birth to me. Because of this, my sister doesn't like me either, and my father..."

He lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes trembling violently like injured butterfly wings. "My relationship with my dad isn't very good either; we haven't seen each other for more than three years."

The air seemed to freeze. Even the sound of the wind outside the window was clearly audible. For some reason, these unspeakable past experiences found the courage to be shared in front of this kind old man, under Lu Chenyang's silent gaze. Perhaps it was the old man's gentleness that reminded him of his grandfather who had passed away many years ago, or perhaps it was Lu Chenyang's presence that gave him a sense of security in opening up.

He secretly looked up, wanting to catch a glimpse of Lu Chenyang's expression, when suddenly, a sparkling crystal shrimp dumpling fell into his bowl—it ​​was Lu Chenyang who had placed it in his bowl.

Was this comfort? Or heartache? Or perhaps pity? Before he could figure it out, he was pulled into a warm embrace with a faint scent of soap.

Grandma's kind voice began to choke up, "Good child... good child..." as if she didn't know how to comfort this poor child, she kept patting his back gently. Just like Lu Chenyang, whose heartache was clearly impossible to hide, he didn't say a word, pretending to be nonchalant as he kept putting food on his plate, piling his bowl up like a small hill.

Yu Sheng suddenly felt a longing for this moment of quiet and warmth, and even felt a little like crying.

Grandma's embrace, Lu Chenyang's silent concern—this feeling of being genuinely cared for was so wonderful that he dared not move, afraid that even the slightest movement would disturb this hard-won warmth.

"Child." Grandma wiped her reddened eyes, stepped back a little, and stroked Yu Sheng's hair with her rough but warm hand. "Come visit Grandma at the hospital whenever you have time, and Grandma will cook for you."

Yao Guang Hospital is a high-end private hospital with exorbitant fees, but also top-notch services and facilities. Some patients or their families crave a familiar taste, so the hospital has thoughtfully set up a kitchen.

"Yangyang." Grandma tapped her grandson's bowl and plate, calling out to Lu Chenyang, who had been keeping his head down and silent the whole time, "Did you hear me? You need to take good care of Xiaoyu, remember?"

"I remember, Grandma," Lu Chenyang replied in a muffled voice. He only raised his head for a moment before burying it back into the bowl. But Yu Sheng, who had been paying attention to him, immediately noticed that the usually calm, composed, and serious Officer Lu had a red tinge at the corner of his eye.

Yu Sheng felt as if his heart had been gently bumped. He longed for this care and cherished this warmth.

Lu Chenyang was also suffering terribly; he almost buried his face in the bowl. He dared not look up again, afraid of seeing the poor cat.

The sob in Yu Sheng's voice, the trembling tips of his chopsticks, and even the thin shadow reflected on the small table all tugged at his nerves. His central nervous system seemed to be receiving such a strange and intense signal for the first time, causing it to malfunction and unable to give any appropriate instructions, leaving only a dull, aching sensation.

He could only stare at that small figure, using the act of picking up food to hide the stinging in his nose. He remembered receiving a drunken call from Yu Sheng late that night, and he remembered him saying he had no home; it turned out he really didn't.

He used to think Yu Sheng was just a spoiled rich kid with a lot of bad habits, and that he was pretentious and hypocritical. Now he thinks Yu Sheng can be even more pretentious, and no amount of pretentiousness is too much.

However, Lu Chenyang quickly dismissed the idea.

After dinner, Lu Chenyang made tea for the loving grandfather and granddaughter who seemed like long-lost relatives. Yu Sheng struggled to move her leg, which was in a cast, her face showing just the right amount of apology and helplessness. "Officer Lu, my leg won't get better anytime soon, and I have no one to take care of me. Can I stay at your house after I'm discharged from the hospital?"

Staying at my house?!

Lu Chenyang's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the teapot on Yu Sheng's head. He looked up abruptly, staring blankly into Yu Sheng's seemingly innocent eyes, though only he knew that they held a wicked glint in them.

Before Lu Chenyang could even formulate his refusal, his grandmother readily agreed, "Okay, let's go to Yangyang's house."

"Grandma! This isn't appropriate." Lu Chenyang was unusually anxious, struggling to explain, "I can hire the best caregiver for him. Besides, he stays in high-end hotels every day; he has plenty of people to take care of him." Let Yu Sheng move into his house? What's the difference between that and inviting a wolf into the house?!

"Why is it inappropriate!" Grandma frowned, her tone suddenly becoming stern. "Lu Chenyang, how have I taught you?! Xiaoyu has helped us so much, and she's so badly injured. What's wrong with her staying at your house for a few days? Is that hotel home? Can the caregivers there be as attentive as family? You hired a caregiver for me, fine, but you hired one for Xiaoyu too? Do you really look down on caring for us patients?!"

"No, no, I didn't! Grandma." Lu Chenyang was at a loss for words after being hit with such a huge accusation. He was raised by his grandmother, who was a primary school teacher and homeroom teacher when she was young. She was always strict with him. He was both afraid of and loved his grandmother the most. Being scolded and misunderstood like this, he felt like kneeling down and admitting his mistake.

Unfortunately, the second young master Yu, who wasn't afraid of making things worse, was still stirring things up, looking pitiful and disliked. She deliberately sniffed and said in a wronged voice, "Grandma, don't blame Chenyang. I am indeed a troublemaker. This injury has also implicated Chenyang and caused him a lot of trouble."

Then, under his grandmother's increasingly gloomy expression, Yu Sheng "perfectly" recounted the stalker threats, intimidation, and car accident, cleverly portraying himself as a pure victim and omitting any details that might be detrimental to him. He was certain that Lu Chenyang, with his responsible nature, would never expose him.

Sure enough, Grandma's face went from gloomy to furious. "Lu Chenyang! Is this how I raised you? I..."

"Grandma, Grandma!" Lu Chenyang rushed forward and grabbed his grandmother's trembling hand that was pointing at him. At the same time, he glared at Yu Sheng, who was blinking "innocently" beside him. "Grandma, don't be angry. I was wrong. I will take care of him. I will definitely take care of him." His voice was full of resigned frustration.

Grandma shook off his hand and, with a look of exasperation, gave Lu Chenyang a long lecture before he returned to his ward to rest with the help of a caregiver.

Lu Chenyang stood with his head bowed the entire time. At 189 cm tall, he looked like a scolded primary school student who dared not utter a sound. His attitude was as docile as a plucked quail.

Yu Sheng found it amusing. In the past, he could shut Lu Chenyang down with just one sentence out of ten. Now, seeing Lu Chenyang get the short end of the stick, he felt inexplicably relieved.

Only the two of them remained in the room. Lu Chenyang glared at Yu Sheng with a gloomy face, as if he wanted to beat this annoying guy up with his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Yu Sheng leaned against the headboard with a puzzled look on her face, casually tapping the railing with her fingers, and smiling to reveal a small tiger tooth. "Officer Lu, what I said is not wrong. In the end, I was indeed injured because of you. Shouldn't you take responsibility? Also, I helped Grandma with such a big favor. It's not too much to ask you to take care of me, is it?"

"You're taking advantage of my kindness!" Lu Chenyang said irritably.

"Yes." Yu Sheng was extremely frank and readily admitted, "I was just taking advantage of a favor."

What can you do to me?

A week later, Yu Sheng, who still needed to stay in the hospital for observation, could no longer contain his excitement at "taking over the nest" and was eager to arrange to be discharged early to begin the "cohabitation life" he had been planning for a long time.