Chapter 15 Distress
Chen Yuanchuan strolled into an unused small pool, took off his bathrobe and placed it on a chair beside him. Wearing only swimming trunks, he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with well-defined muscles.
His back relaxed and slumped, his shoulders immersed in the hot spring, and mist rose before his eyes. Chen Yuanchuan took a sip of the iced watermelon juice he had prepared in advance, feeling very happy.
Just as Chen Yuanchuan closed his eyes to rest, he suddenly heard a sound of someone falling into water. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Xi Qing, who was wearing a black bathrobe and looking at him with interest.
Chen Yuanchuan had no expression on his face. "Why are you here?"
"I know you best here, so of course I came to see you." Xi Qing smiled.
Chen Yuanchuan retracted his gaze and continued to close his eyes, "...It's up to you."
After the two of them soaked in the water in silence for a while, Xi Qing suddenly thought of something. A wicked smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He quietly approached and gently stroked Chen Yuanchuan's abdominal muscles with his fingers.
Chen Yuanchuan shuddered, quickly dodged sideways, and shouted angrily: "Xi Qing, what are you doing!"
"Since you have a good figure, I want to touch it." Xi Qing's lips curled up slightly, with an innocent expression on his face.
Chen Yuanchuan licked his back teeth, looking unhappy: "You don't have it?"
"So you still remember that I have it, but it's not as obvious as yours." Xi Qing smiled and said jokingly.
Chen Yuanchuan frowned, thinking Xi Qing had misunderstood, "...It wasn't that time I mentioned, it was when I was bandaging you in the hospital."
Xi Qing put on a disappointed expression and said, "Okay." Then he stretched out his evil hand with lightning speed.
"Fuck, you're not done yet, are you? Didn't you touch me enough that time?" Since he'd already mentioned it, Chen Yuanchuan decided to just go for it. Xi Qing's touch was also rather disgusting. His fingertips were warm and slightly forceful, tugging at Chen Yuanchuan's nerves and bringing back memories.
Seeing this, Xi Qing withdrew his hand listlessly, cleared his throat, and instantly became serious. "Okay, enough fussing. Actually, I wanted to ask, do you know the Chinese Traditional Chinese Medicine Association?"
Seeing Xi Qing's expression calm down, Chen Yuanchuan gradually calmed down and shook his head in confusion.
"You are so good at acupuncture, you can go to the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine to get a certificate. Then you can practice medicine legally and patients will trust you." Xi Qing introduced.
As he finished speaking, Chen Yuanchuan's eyes lit up. He had never known such an organization existed. If so, he could establish himself as a living brand, allowing him to launch more products and avoid being monopolized by Qingyanlu as before... Chen Yuanchuan's mind quickly clicked, and he immediately thought of a new business opportunity.
Verification is a must!
Thoughts raced through his mind as Chen Yuanchuan eagerly inquired for details: "Do you know what the Chinese Traditional Chinese Medicine Association's assessment method is? When was the most recent one?"
In this regard, Xi Qing spoke frankly and without reservation, his gentle voice flowing like running water.
…
Near midnight, Xi Qing was lying in bed, half asleep, when a sudden knock on the door startled him awake, yawning through sleepy eyes. Although Xi Qing's soul was AI, after putting on a human shell, he still had to sleep.
Hearing the knocking on the door continuing, Xi Qing sighed, lifted the quilt, walked casually to the door in disposable slippers, checked the peephole, and found that it was Chen Yuanchuan.
Xi Qing woke up from his nap, opened the door and asked, "What's wrong?"
Chen Yuanchuan lowered his raised hand after knocking on the door, revealing an uneasy expression. "Xi Qing, can you lend me your car to drive back to the city? My mother fell and is in the hospital. She's being vague about what she's saying, and I'm worried..."
Chen Yuanchuan felt embarrassed, but this place was remote and late at night, so there was no way to get a taxi. Xi Qing said that he was most familiar with this place, and in fact, he was also familiar with it. Therefore, Chen Yuanchuan could only ask Xi Qing for help.
Seeing Xi Qing silent for a moment, Chen Yuanchuan's eyes dimmed and his heart gradually sank. Just as he was about to say something polite to ease the atmosphere, Xi Qing spoke up, "Okay, I'll go back too. After checking on your mother's condition, I can arrange for a suitable doctor as soon as possible."
Chen Yuanchuan suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze shifting slightly. It turned out that his pause wasn't hesitation, but consideration for me.
Xi Qing... Chen Yuanchuan chewed on the name, feeling mixed emotions.
Ten minutes later, Chen Yuanchuan and Xi Qing packed their luggage and walked out of the hotel.
The temperature at night was much lower than during the day, and a layer of frost formed on the ground. They both shivered at the same time. Only when they got into the car did the air warm up.
Since Xi Qing had already helped a lot, Chen Yuanchuan didn't want to cause any more trouble, so he asked Xi Qing to sit in the passenger seat and he drove. Xi Qing agreed, after all, he was still sleepy.
Turning on the high beam, the road ahead with swaying tree shadows was instantly illuminated. The wheels turned slowly, making a slight popping sound as they rolled over gravel.
With Xi Qing's brief explanation, Chen Yuanchuan quickly got the hang of it. On the quiet road, only a black Maybach sped by.
Shortly after turning into the winding mountain road, Chen Yuanchuan's feet froze and a look of surprise flashed across his face. While keeping his eyes fixed forward, he shouted loudly: "Xi Qing, wake up! It seems like your car can't brake..." As he spoke, Chen Yuanchuan felt a chill down his spine.
Xi Qing had fallen asleep, but after being woken up, he went over this sentence in his mind. Suddenly, he woke up, straightened his body, turned his head and said to Chen Yuanchuan, "Can you step on the brakes again and let me see?"
Xi Qing was also extremely surprised, because the original novel revolved around Chen Yuanchuan, and he didn't know that such an accident would happen, or perhaps it was man-made!
Xi Qing's eyes flashed with sternness, and he had a list of perpetrators in his mind. However, the most urgent task was how to resolve this crisis. Of course, as the son of the Heavenly Dao, Chen Yuanchuan would surely be safe, but he still had to think carefully.
Chen Yuanchuan did as he was told. The needle on the speedometer didn't change at all, still maintaining at around 50 kilometers per hour. He murmured in panic, "What should I do..."
Seeing this, Xi Qing rubbed his brows and looked apologetic. "The car was just serviced a few days ago. It might have been done by my enemies. I'm sorry for getting you involved." Xi Qing held Chen Yuanchuan's arm and comforted him, "Keep the direction. I'll check if there's an emergency lane nearby."
Things have come to this point, and this is the only way. Chen Yuanchuan stared ahead with eyes like an eagle, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, veins bulging, and a drop of cold sweat sliding down his temples.
At this moment, Xi Qing's message reached his ears: "There's no emergency parking lane here. The nearest one is after we get off the winding mountain road..."
How is this possible! Chen Yuanchuan's heart collapsed. In the morning, they drove for an hour to complete the winding mountain road, and now they had only driven for less than half an hour. Chen Yuanchuan was suddenly in a state of confusion.
"We have plenty of fuel now, so drive if you can. If there's any emergency, just head towards the mountain and stop. It'll be fine."
Xi Qing's voice was slightly cold, like a clear spring that extinguished Chen Yuanchuan's anxiety and calmed him down.
With Xi Qing's assisted navigation, Chen Yuanchuan successfully drove to the point where he was only one-fifth of the way to the end of the winding mountain road. Just as the two of them were feeling a little relaxed, a faint whirring sound of a car came from far away.
Chen Yuanchuan's expression was grim. Xi Qing patted his shoulder and said, "Be flexible and don't be afraid." Half a minute later, a faint light shone from the opposite side, and the car body was immediately visible. Chen Yuanchuan's pupils constricted.
It was a large white truck, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around at night, and it was wobbling along the road, looking very domineering.
In just a few breaths, the big truck was approaching. Under the two strong beams of light, Chen Yuanchuan was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously stepped on the brakes again but to no avail, and his heart was pounding.
The truck driver on the other side was already pale. He thought the other party would slow down to give way because they were driving a car, but he didn't expect it to be so desperate. The driver had no choice but to slam on the brakes. The truck swung violently and almost overturned. The driver quickly loosened his grip halfway.
Seeing this, Xi Qing leaned over to the driving seat without thinking and said, "Hold the steering wheel tightly." Before he finished speaking, Xi Qing turned the steering wheel slightly, and the car scraped towards the mountain on the right. Sparks flew and there was a loud "bang bang bang" sound.
Due to the external force generated by the collision, the steering wheel automatically twisted. Chen Yuanchuan didn't have time to think, holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands. He caught a glimpse of the right door being shaky from the friction of the rocks. Only then did he realize what Xi Qing had done and shouted angrily: "Are you trying to kill yourself!"
"If I do this, I still have a chance of survival. If we are hit by a truck, both of us will die." Xi Qing said calmly.
Well, actually, that's not the case. Xi Qing just had a sudden inspiration and found the right moment to show off his misery. He had read other novels and found that the suspension bridge effect was always the key to the protagonist's rise to fame.
Chen Yuanchuan's face turned pale as he watched the car door glass form a web and splatter into the car. Several fragments pierced Xi Qing's hands and cheeks, and blood quickly flowed. Xi Qing remained calm and turned the steering wheel firmly.
The car door fell and the cold wind blew on Chen Yuanchuan's face. He glanced at Xi Qing sideways, his eyes were dark, but his heart was burning frighteningly.
The truck had already crossed, and the driver, realizing he'd avoided a collision, stepped on the accelerator and sped away. The two men in the Maybach exchanged glances, their intentions communicated – to come to a complete stop.
The sharp sound of metal scraping kept echoing in his ears. The right wheel hit the protruding rock and the steering wheel suddenly spun. Chen Yuanchuan felt pain in his right arm. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the groan in his throat.
After sliding over a hundred meters, with most of the front and right side of the car completely deflated, revealing its internal structure, the car finally came to a stop. Panting heavily, Chen Yuanchuan, still half-asleep, turned and asked Xi Qing, "Is it over?"
Xi Qing was about to nod when his nose twitched slightly and he smelled an unusual scent of gasoline mixed with the smell of burning metal.
Xi Qing looked stern and pushed Chen Yuanchuan to get out of the car. Chen Yuanchuan quickly noticed it, stretched out his legs, and pulled Xi Qing out through the left door that was not blocked by the mountain.
With the help of the starlight, Chen Yuanchuan took Xi Qing's hand and ran. After running dozens of meters away, a shocking roar came from behind, and a strong airflow rushed outward rapidly.
Xi Qing took advantage of the situation and lunged to the side, completely blocking Chen Yuanchuan under him.
A perfect curtain call! Xi Qing felt good about himself.
Chen Yuanchuan was forced to cling to Xi Qing's body, with a strong heartbeat in his ears, and many thoughts flashed through his mind.
What was he doing? Chen Yuanchuan had long since realized that Xi Qing wasn't a good person. Even if he was hiding something, Chen Yuanchuan trusted his own judgment. Yet, this was the man who protected him. What was he trying to do?
Chen Yuanchuan had subconsciously refused to think about this question until this moment, when he seemed to have opened up his Ren and Du meridians and suddenly realized that Xi Qing liked him.
After reaching this conclusion, Chen Yuanchuan's breathing became irregular. The perpetrator fell in love with the victim? How ridiculous! A superior person like Xi Qing would actually fall in love with a man because of a mistake! This was even more ridiculous than the soap operas he had watched with Chen's mother back then.
But there wasn't the disgust I'd imagined. I was so sure I was straight, and he'd hurt me before... Was Xi Qing just too good at exploiting his feelings, or was I just too desperate for true love? Chen Yuanchuan couldn't figure it out. He felt like he was in a maze built by Xi Qing, with no idea where the right way out was.
After the tinnitus subsided, the pungent smell of gasoline made Xi Qing's throat itch, and he couldn't stop coughing several times. Chen Yuanchuan forced himself to suppress his disturbing thoughts and quickly pulled Xi Qing away, saying in a panic: "Xi Qing! Are you okay?"
Chen Yuanchuan's face was covered in dirt and dust. Seeing this, Xi Qing's coughing subsided, and he smiled and shook his head: "Okay, this is really over now."
Seeing that Xi Qing was fine, Chen Yuanchuan finally relaxed. Caught off guard by Xi Qing, Chen Yuanchuan buried his face in Xi Qing's chest, his back trembling.
Xi Qing, why did you risk your life to save me? What were you thinking?
Feeling the fabric on her chest slightly damp, Xi Qing lowered her eyes, realizing something. Her lips curved into a curve as she gently patted Chen Yuanchuan's back, whispering softly, "It's okay, it's okay. You did a great job."
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