Chapter 111 "Lin Che, I'm getting married."
After dinner, Lu Yu'an insisted on going to the horse farm. Lin Che couldn't even remember the last time they went there.
Lin Che had just changed into his riding uniform and emerged from the locker room, the sunlight shone brightly on his slender figure. He raised his hand to adjust his cuffs when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Lin Che?"
Turning around, he saw Zhou Xuran standing not far away, next to him was Zhou Xubai, dressed in a neat suit. Zhou Xuran was wearing a dark brown riding coat and had lost a lot of weight since their last meeting. There was a noticeable dark spot under his eyes, but he still maintained an upright posture.
Lin Che wanted to pretend she didn't see it, but because Zhou Xubai was there, she nodded politely and said, "Mr. Zhou, long time no see."
"Are you here to play with Lu Yu?" Zhou Xubai asked with a smile, his eyes moving back and forth between the two of them.
"Yeah." Lin Che responded briefly, noticing Zhou Xuran's tightly pursed lips from the corner of his eye.
Zhou Xubai seemed to sense the subtle atmosphere and took the initiative to greet him: "When did you come back?"
"I've been back for a while." Lin Che's eyes never fell on Zhou Xuran.
"I heard you've joined East China Medical University. You have a bright future, Professor Lin."
"No, thank you for the compliment, Mr. Zhou." Lin Che smiled politely. Just then, she saw Lu Yu approaching from not far away, and was about to say goodbye.
Zhou Xubai also noticed Lu Yu's presence and quickly changed the subject: "Let's go play together when you have time. I recently invested in a new resort."
"Okay, let's play together when we're free." Lin Che maintained a polite attitude throughout, speaking in a lukewarm tone. After that, he nodded to indicate that he should leave, then turned sideways and walked out, holding the pony's hand.
Zhou Xuran, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly called out to him: "Lin Che—"
Lin Che stopped and turned around with a perfectly placed smile on her face. "What's wrong?"
"I'm getting married." Zhou Xuran looked at him straight, his voice a little tense.
Lin Che was slightly startled by the sudden words, then smiled sincerely, "Congratulations."
Zhou Xuran's eyes wandered over Lin Che's face, and he finally gave a wry smile. "The engagement party is on the 8th of next month. Are you free to come?"
Lin Che's fingers gently stroked the reins. The sunlight cast a small shadow on his eyelashes. He looked up, his eyes still full of sincerity as he said word by word, "I'll come if I have time."
Zhou Xuran wanted to say something, but he moved his mouth and swallowed the words back.
"Are you hot?" Lu Yu appeared behind Lin Che at some point. As soon as he finished speaking, his fingers were already touching the side of Lin Che's neck to wipe away the few drops of sweat.
"Hey, you're here." As soon as Lin Che's eyes met Lu Yu's figure, his eyes lit up.
Zhou Xuran, who was standing beside him, saw the change in Lin Che's expression clearly. He pulled up the corners of his mouth with a wry smile and took the initiative to greet him, "Mr. Lu."
Lu Yu's attention was still on Lin Che. He straightened his collar and carefully wiped the sweat from the side of his neck with a sweat towel. When he heard Zhou Xuran greet him, he said "Yeah." Lu Yu replied lightly, his eyes never leaving Lin Che.
Lu Yu's slender fingers gently played with the ends of Lin Che's hair, which was slightly damp with sweat, and he said gently, "An An is waiting for you over there. Do you want to go get some water first?"
Lin Che smiled and shook his head. "It's okay, I'm not thirsty." He turned to Zhou Xuran and said, "Then we'll go first."
Zhou Xuran watched the two of them interacting intimately, his Adam's apple rolling. "Okay, let's talk some other time... some other time."
Lu Yu naturally took the reins from Lin Che and placed his other hand on his lower back. "Let's go. An An said he wants to teach you how to ride a horse today."
As the two turned to leave, Lin Che heard Zhou Xuran whisper behind her, "Lin Che, you must be happy."
He didn't look back, but just nodded slightly.
Zhou Xuran stood there and watched the sunlight shining on their backs as they walked side by side, stretching their shadows very long and overlapping them so that they could no longer be distinguished from each other.
"Are you willing?"
Zhou Xuran heard Zhou Xubai's question, retracted his gaze, turned around and led his horse. The two walked side by side for a few steps before he slowly said, "Maybe."
“Why don’t you tell him…”
"No need, just leave it at that. What will change if I tell you?" Zhou Xuran held the reins, but still couldn't help but look back at Lin Che, who was standing beside Lu Yu with a smile on her face. Then he reluctantly suppressed all his emotions and spoke slowly.
Zhou Xubai raised his eyebrows, not knowing whether he was speaking to him or to himself.
He patted Zhou Xuran's shoulder and said, "Let's go, move forward."
————
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the stables, elongating the two figures. Lu Yu willingly served as Lin Che's groom, leading the pony for Lin Che to ride freely around the stables within a safe range for several laps.
Lin Che sat on horseback, his entire body drenched in sweat. His white shirt, already soaked with sweat, clung to his thin back. The ends of his hair clung to his reddened ears, and a few beads of sweat slid down his slender neck, disappearing at the slightly open collar.
"Did you have enough fun?" Lu Yu's slender fingers gently took off Lin Che's equestrian hat, and his fingertips accidentally brushed against his sweat-soaked temples and asked softly.
Lin Che's breathing had not yet completely calmed down, and his chest rose and fell slightly with his panting. Hearing Lu Yu's question, he raised his sweaty face and nodded slightly.
Lin Che remained seated while Lu Yu knelt on one knee, lifted his sweat-soaked black hair from his forehead, and gently wiped away the sweat with a towel. He casually asked, "What did he tell you?"
"Who?" Lin Che tilted his head, his amber eyes filled with tiny glints of golden sunlight, and beads of sweat still clung to his eyelashes. He tilted his head deliberately, his hair swaying slightly with the movement, and a slight tickling sensation brushed against Lu Yu's fingertips.
Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and pressed his thumb against the red corners of Lin Che's eyes: "Playing dumb?" His voice was a few degrees lower than usual, with a dangerous magnetism.
Lin Che couldn't help but chuckle, his warm breath brushing against Lu Yu's watch. He rested his forehead against Lu Yu's shoulder, his nose nuzzling the sweat-soaked collar of his shirt. "He said he was getting married..." The last syllable lingered, like a silk thread coated in honey.
Lu Yu's hand suddenly grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed it gently: "Anything else?"
"Invite me to the engagement party." Lin Che looked up and saw Lu Yu's Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He playfully poked the bump with his fingertips. "Is Mr. Lu...jealous?"
Before he could finish his words, his chin was pinched and Lu Yu pressed his thumb on his lower lip: "What do you think?" Their hot breaths entangled together, and Lin Che could smell the mixed scent of leather and cedar on him.
"I think... Mr. Lu shouldn't be such a stingy person." When Lu Yu heard Lin Che's answer, he curled his lips and took his hand off Lin Che's neck. He took a bottle of electrolyte water from the side, unscrewed it and handed it to Lin Che.
"I have something I still want to tell you."
"What?" Lin Che asked back as he looked at Lu Yu who was squatting in front of him again.
"When you were injured, your carotid artery was barely saved. Zhou Xuran immediately called on his connections and stood on the operating table for over ten hours himself. Cheche... I'm so sorry... I didn't tell you right away."
Lin Che smiled at Lu Yu's honest words and reached out to touch his hair. "Actually... I know. When I woke up, I saw the stitches on my neck. The knotting was Zhou Xuran's style. I've performed surgeries with him several times before, and I was deeply impressed by this knotting and suturing method."
Lin Che remained seated, his sweat-soaked bangs falling in front of his eyes as the wind blew. His fingertips gently traced Lu Yu's brow bone, his movements as gentle as if he was soothing a large dog.
"And that night..." Lin Che's voice was soft, panting slightly from exercise, "When I woke up, I saw him passing by my ward in his scrubs." His thumb brushed across Lu Yu's tense jawline, "There was blood on his white coat."
Lu Yu's Adam's apple rolled violently, and he suddenly grabbed Lin Che's wrist and pressed it against his chest. Through the thin fabric, Lin Che could feel his rapid and powerful heartbeat.
"Why don't you ask?" Lu Yu's voice was very hoarse.
Lin Che let him hold her hand, while his other hand ruffled Lu Yu's hair, which had been ruffled by the evening breeze. He lowered his head, his nose almost touching Lu Yu's, and then he spoke slowly, "Lu Yu, a doctor's duty has nothing to do with love. The essence of a doctor is to save the dying and the wounded. Even if he had been lying there that night, I would have saved him without blinking an eye."
Lin Che looked directly into Lu Yu's eyes. His deep pupils were as clear as amber in the setting sun. After a pause, he said, "And you always tell me honestly, just like now. So... there's no need for me to ask."
A gust of wind blew by, and Lin Che's sweat-soaked back felt cold. He shivered unconsciously and fell into Lu Yu's arms.
"I owe him a thank you." Lu Yu's chin rested on the top of Lin Che's head, his voice muffled.
Lin Che raised her face in his embrace, tiny beads of sweat still hanging on her eyelashes. "Then I'll go and help you?"
"Don't even think about it." Lu Yu's arms tightened instantly, but when he saw Lin Che's cunning eyes, he reluctantly loosened them. "...I'll go myself."
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