Chapter 111 The Easily Hurt Man

When Chen Guang saw the extra person at the dining table, his smile froze instantly, and the shock and anger in his eyes almost overflowed.

But this loss of composure lasted only a moment. He quickly lowered his eyes, forcefully suppressing his turbulent emotions. When he looked up again, a flawless smile was already on his face.

He leaned against the doorframe, changed into slippers, and stepped inside. He looked at Lin Yu, his gaze deliberately questioning. "And who is this?"

A battle of wits, where each side harbors its own secrets, is about to begin.

Seeing Chen Guang's hypocritical behavior, Jiang Chuan almost threw down his chopsticks and burst out laughing, covering his face.

Lin Yu, oblivious to the undercurrents between the two, turned to Chen Guang and pointed, introducing him as, "Chen Guang, my colleague... and college classmate."

Then she turned her gaze to Jiang Chuan beside her. "This is Jiang Chuan, my... friend. He heard I wasn't feeling well, so he stopped by to check on me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt that it was indeed a bit presumptuous to bring a stranger to someone else's house, so he quickly added, "He was originally going to my place, but no one was home."

"It's alright, your friend is my friend!" Chen Guang said through gritted teeth, a slight smile playing on his lips, but no real mirth in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you." Jiang Chuan nodded slightly from his seat, his attitude both distant and polite.

But in my heart I was thinking, "My Banban is really getting more and more capable; she's even learned to be so charming and agreeable." Her little face was flushed, I didn't know if it was because of a fever or because she had something to hide.

Chen Guang gave a light hum in response. Turning his head, he glanced at the soup base, which was now just a few scraps of meat. His chest tightened again, but he could only take a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure, and casually placed the medicine he had bought on the stove.

Kitchen space was limited, so the dining table had to be placed against the wall, and Jiang Chuan shamelessly occupied the seat next to Lin Yu. Chen Guang had no choice but to add another set of chopsticks and bowls and sit down in the empty seat directly opposite her.

"I didn't expect your friend to be so 'enthusiastic'." Chen Guang's words were loaded with meaning, his cool gaze sweeping over the crowded table. "It's just that my table is too small; it's a bit cramped for three people."

"It's alright..." Jiang Chuan picked up a slice of tripe and slowly scalded it in the soup. "Pull the table out a bit, and there will be more space. The only problem is that the people at the table might not be able to eat together."

Lin Yu leaned back in his chair, drowsy, listening to Chen Guang and Jiang Chuan's back-and-forth conversation. Their tone was gentle, their words appropriate, yet a chill seeped into their sentences, making the atmosphere at the table increasingly strange.

But her head was burning with fever, and she couldn't figure out the reason for it, so she simply buried her face in her bowl and focused on eating, turning a blind eye to the fierce verbal battle between the two people next to her.

Chen Guang prepared two dipping sauces according to Lin Yu's previous taste and was about to hand them over when Jiang Chuan, who was sitting in the middle, stopped him halfway.

He first took the dish of sesame paste and then slowly placed it back on the table. "Don't eat this when you have a fever; it's hard to digest."

Then, after a critical glance at the vinegar sauce beside him, he reluctantly waved his chopsticks at Chen Guang, which was considered his approval. "This is fine." He clearly regarded himself as Lin Yu's guardian.

What kind of dipping sauce does he make for Lin Yu? When did it become his place to tell others what to do? Who does he think he is? And what makes him so sure that he understands Lin Yu better than he does?

Chen Guang glared fiercely at Jiang Chuan, a surge of nameless anger rising within him. He wanted nothing more than to overturn the table right then and there, and destroy everyone, leaving no one to eat!

He picked up the hot tea beside him and took a sip, suppressing the surging displeasure in his heart. Putting down the cup, he tried to regain his composure and chatted with Lin Yu about morning runs, suggesting that she could resume training as appropriate after she had fully recovered.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan put down his chopsticks, glanced at Chen Guang, and then looked back at Lin Yu. "Long-term low-intensity cardio is actually not very efficient and can easily lead to muscle loss. If you are really planning to exercise, I can train you."

“No need for Mr. Jiang to trouble himself.” Chen Guang’s face darkened, and he refused to budge an inch. “It’s more convenient for us to look after each other, as we live upstairs and downstairs.”

After saying that, she turned to look at Lin Yu. "Or we can try out whatever interests you when you're fully recovered."

Lin Yu's head was throbbing from the two of them. He mumbled a few responses and then continued eating, trying to minimize his presence.

A moment of silence fell over the three of them. Chen Guang got up and poured Lin Yu a cup of hot water. Returning to his seat, he inadvertently noticed a band-aid on Jiang Chuan's chin that seemed out of place with his usual demeanor. Remembering the phone call he'd made to Hong Kong, he instantly realized what it was.

He looked at Jiang Chuan with a cold smile, tapping his chin with the tip of his chopsticks. "A little scratch, and you're being so delicate? Are you keeping it bandaged because you're afraid the wound will heal too quickly, or because you're afraid people won't know you got into a fight?"

Lin Yu was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up at Chen Guang in confusion. "How did you know he got into a fight?"

Chen Guang realized he had spoken out of turn, and quickly exchanged a glance with Jiang Chuan. Then, without saying a word, they looked away, picked up the tea beside them, and silently lowered their heads to drink it.

Having been tricked twice by Jiang Chuan, Chen Guang was still quite unhappy. While subtly serving food to Lin Yu, he deliberately steered the conversation towards work, trying to shut out certain tactless people.

"Oh, right." He seemed to suddenly remember something. "You need to find a new agency for that patent you have, right? I happen to know someone in that field. If you need help, I can help you make a connection."

When the topic of work came up, Lin Yu seemed to regain some of his energy. "Really? That's great! I've been thinking about it these past few days."

"Okay, I'll give you the call later. Let's have dinner together after the holiday when you're free. You can ask me any questions then." Chen Guang went along with it and started discussing several key issues related to the project with her seriously.

Jiang Chuan sat to the side, silently cooking meat in the hot pot, occasionally putting some of Lin Yu's favorite dishes into her bowl. He couldn't join their conversation, but he remained calm and unhurried, his eyes lowered, seemingly plotting something mischievous.

Seeing his uncharacteristic silence, Chen Guang felt even more uncertain. After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively suggested to Lin Yu, "Cheng Yuan's motorcycle is still sitting idle in the garage. Once you're better, how about we go for a ride in the mountains this weekend?"

"Let's talk about it another time. It's been too cold lately." Lin Yu was just trying to brush it off casually, not really thinking about whether or not to go.

Upon hearing her reply, Jiang Chuan, who had been quietly eating, suddenly lifted his eyelids, slowly swallowed his food, took out a tissue to lightly press the corner of his mouth, and smiled as he rested his hands loosely on the edge of the table.

“Wrapping yourself in iron is too risky.” He continued calmly, “Mr. Chen probably doesn’t know that motorcyclists have the highest injury and death rate in traffic accidents nationwide every year.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Guang's expression darkened instantly, and he couldn't help but retort, "Your words are biased. Reckless speeding and cruising in the wind are two completely different things."

He paused deliberately for a moment before adding the second half of his sentence meaningfully. "Besides, this isn't the first or second time Banban has ridden in my car; I know that."

Chen Guang knew perfectly well what motorcycles meant to Jiang Chuan. They were his minefield, and one of the triggers that led to the breakdown of his relationship with Lin Yu.

From the moment he opened the door and saw Jiang Chuan, or rather, from the day the two first met downstairs at his house, Chen Guang had been waiting, waiting for an opportunity to pull him down from that lofty pedestal.

He had long been fed up with Jiang Chuan's disdainful gaze. Whether it was the dipping sauce he prepared, his hobbies, or all his efforts for Lin Yu, everything seemed to be subject to a silent judgment and trial in Jiang Chuan's eyes.

Now, he reappeared before him with medicine and food, easily ruining his carefully prepared time alone with Lin Yu.

It's as if he's saying that he always knows her whereabouts and needs, and can intervene in her life anytime, anywhere, as if it's his right.

It's as if, no matter whose territory Lin Yu is in, the only one who can truly control everything is Jiang Chuan.

That's why Chen Guang deliberately brought up the past. He wanted to drag Jiang Chuan back to relive the night they broke up so heartbreakingly.

That night that slowly and painfully tore apart all his reason, dignity, and love.

He wanted to make it clear to Jiang Chuan that he was partly responsible for the rift between him and Lin Yu, and that these rifts could potentially overturn their so-called future at any moment.

Upon hearing the word "motorcycle," the emotions that Jiang Chuan thought he had long since digested and calmed suddenly roared back before his eyes in an even more intense manner.

He finally realized that this matter might not be so easy for him to get over.

He found himself loathing everything related to motorcycles, and even more so, hating everyone who could ride one. In that instant, the string of reason snapped completely.

A surge of emotions engulfed him like a tidal wave, suffocating him. He had to do something to interrupt Chen Guang, to stop the agonizing images flashing through his mind.

At least for now, here, he would never allow Chen Guang to take Lin Yu away from him, nor would he allow the past to repeat itself.

Jiang Chuan's fingers tightened suddenly as he picked up a large piece of meat and threw it straight into the boiling soup pot. The scalding soup splashed out, and a few drops landed on the back of Chen Guang's hand, which was resting on the table.

Chen Guang winced in pain and jerked his hand back, accidentally knocking over a cup of freshly brewed hot tea on the edge of the table. The entire cup of boiling water poured directly onto Jiang Chuan's leg.

"Are you alright?" Lin Yu was startled. But the high fever slowed her reaction, and her attention was completely drawn to the few conspicuous red marks on the back of Chen Guang's hand.

Completely oblivious to Jiang Chuan, who was equally disheveled and injured beside her, she had no idea what turmoil was churning within him because of her past with Chen Guang and her unintentional favoritism.

For Lin Yu, her breakup with Jiang Chuan was the result of a series of misunderstandings and conflicts. She didn't realize that the motorcycle incident would cause him so much heartache and embarrassment.

"Did you get burned? Let me see!" She struggled to her feet, her head still spinning, and handed Chen Guang two tissues.

Seeing that the back of his hand was red, Lin Yu felt a little guilty and pulled him to the kitchen tap to wash it.

"I have burn ointment at home, I'll go upstairs and get it for you!" After all, she was the one who let the person in, and as the cause of this series of accidents, she felt that she bore an inescapable responsibility.

As Lin Yu spoke, he leaned against the wall and walked out, with Chen Guang turning off the water valve and following closely behind.

Jiang Chuan watched silently as the two disappeared through the door, one after the other. She didn't blame him for his recklessness, but she didn't even turn back to look at him.

At that moment, all the dignity he had carefully maintained was shattered. Like a king abandoned by his subjects, he sat alone in the empty city he had conquered, watching helplessly as the palace collapsed, his face deathly still.

Jiang Chuan sat there for a while in the steaming hot pot, but still couldn't rest easy, so he got up and followed him out.

His pants were soaked with tea and clung to his thighs, rubbing against his injured skin and causing a burning pain, but he didn't care.

As soon as I reached the stairwell, I saw through the open door that Chen Guang had applied burn ointment and was taking a half-used tube of ointment from Lin Yu.

Jiang Chuan was very familiar with that tube of ointment; it was given to him by Lin Min through Lin Yu when he injured his arm. He always forgot to apply it, and Lin Yu had to remind him each time. Over time, the ointment ended up remaining with her.

After their breakup, many of their belongings remained in each other's homes, either because they didn't have time to or couldn't bear to get rid of them. It was as if they were still waiting for their owners to return, as if they still shared a deep connection.

But now, she hastily gave away personal items that held special meaning between them to Chen Guang. Things that should have been his alone were used to heal another man's wounds.

In Jiang Chuan's view, this was tantamount to an emotional desecration and betrayal. He suddenly realized that in Lin Yu's heart, he might never have been the irreplaceable one.

His heart felt as if it had been stung by something. All the careful preparation and cautious probing beforehand instantly lost their meaning under her nonchalant actions.

Chen Guang caught a glimpse of Jiang Chuan's unpleasant expression out of the corner of his eye, and a brief feeling of pleasure swept through his heart.

Taking advantage of Lin Yu turning to wash his hands, she took a few steps closer to him and lowered her voice: "Attorney Jiang, if I may be frank, if it weren't for some misunderstanding between me and Banban, you wouldn't be standing next to her today."

He paused, absorbing the subtle changes in the other person's emotions. "Now that God has given us a second chance, I will never let go again."

Seeing Jiang Chuan remain silent, he pressed his advantage. "You saw her attitude today; between you and me, she chose me. So if you don't have a penchant for being a third party, please behave yourself as an ex-boyfriend."

His legs burned with pain, and jealousy and anger churned within him, but Jiang Chuan simply stood coldly in the shadows, suppressing all his emotions.

He looked at his former lover, who had gone to great lengths to try and get ahead by kicking him out of the game, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery, and sneered, "You think you're worthy?"

Even if Lin Yu were to get together with him, he wouldn't care.

Whether it's the temporary setback he's facing or the even more devastating blows to come, it's all a willing sacrifice for his past mistakes.

He was wicked, deserved it, and was guilty, but even so, he would never give up or back down.

Even now, with his self-esteem trampled underfoot, he still had to salvage his last shred of dignity from the ruins, refusing to allow himself to show any shameful, groveling behavior in front of his rival.

He took a step forward, his voice icy cold. "You seem to have misunderstood something."

"The relationship between you and Banban has never been as simple as a misunderstanding."

“Last time she got drunk, she couldn’t even remember your name. If that counts as having feelings for you, then her feelings are hidden far too deeply.”

He pursed his lips and continued, "So, stop bringing up things like who came first or how long it took. After all, in a relationship, the one who isn't loved is the one who's superfluous. You should understand that deeply."

"Who do you think she loves? You..." Chen Guang was about to explode when Lin Yu came out of the bathroom, wiping his hands.

Sensing the tense atmosphere between the two, she pressed the back of her hand to her forehead to cool it down and asked in confusion, "What are you two talking about?"

Jiang Chuan instantly concealed his emotions, took a half step back, and resumed his usual aloof and polite demeanor. "It's nothing, just checking on Mr. Chen's injuries."

He looked at Lin Yu, his voice trying his best to remain steady, but upon closer inspection, a barely perceptible hint of unease could still be heard. "I have some things to take care of at the company, so I'll head back now."

"Remember to take your medicine on time. The dosage and precautions are written on the box." He draped his coat over his arm to cover his damp trousers, and without looking at Chen Guang, he gave her a deep look. "Get some rest. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Lin Yu looked at him and nodded. "Okay, thank you for making the trip. Be careful on the road." She was polite and courteous, expressing her gratitude without any intention of keeping him.

Jiang Chuan nodded slightly, said no more, turned around and left decisively.

The door closed gently, but Lin Yu still stared in the direction he had left, a vague sense of unease rising in her heart. She vaguely sensed that something was wrong with him, but couldn't quite put her finger on why.

Did she say something wrong? Or did her concern for Chen Guang make him uncomfortable?

She wanted to text him and explain her motivations for her actions, but she felt she had no right to explain them to him.

Or perhaps she was overthinking it; he really just had some tricky work to deal with right away.

As the footsteps outside the door faded into the distance, Chen Guang looked at Lin Yu's thoughtful profile and felt an unprecedented sense of crisis welling up inside him.

This person always manages to appear just when he sees a glimmer of hope, easily disrupting the situation. And Lin Yu's heart doesn't seem to be as inclined towards him as it appears on the surface.

Jiang Chuan stepped out of the building, got into the car parked downstairs, and slammed the door shut. His jaw tightened, and the last trace of warmth vanished from his face, leaving only a bone-chilling coldness.

But he knew in his heart that now was not the time to act impulsively. There were still a lot of troublesome things to deal with at the nursing home, and the law firm was also entering its busiest period of the year.

He shouldn't continue wasting his limited energy on fighting with Chen Guang. Besides, it's pointless to continue like this.

After weighing the options, Jiang Chuan decided to fade out of Lin Yu's life for a while.

On the one hand, he wanted to take this opportunity to see if Lin Yu would ever think of him, need him, or take the initiative to care about him if he didn't take the initiative to contact him.

On the other hand, he also needed a chance to catch his breath and calmly plan how to deliver a devastating blow to that arrogant Chen Guang, one that he could not recover from.