Chapter 7#

Offering the Crematorium to a Homophobic Straight Man 7#

Perhaps having drunk too much chicken soup, before long, Qiao Qing felt a non-negligible sense of bloating in his lower abdomen.

His leg was in a cast, and he could only move with the help of crutches.

But at the thought of having this man, whom he had known for less than half a day, help him to the toilet, he felt uneasy all over, his cheeks faintly burning.

He subconsciously cast his gaze towards the crutches leaning against the wall, a battle raging in his mind, hesitating on how to speak up.

However, just as he glanced over, Shen Youli beside him seemed to have a precise radar installed; he immediately turned his head and blurted out:

“Need to use the bathroom?”

Qiao Qing was stunned, his face written with astonishment.

“???”

“…How did you know?”

This person was too sharp.

A smug smile played on the corners of Shen Youli’s mouth, with a slightly showy tone.

“Of course, I haven’t been a caregiver for nothing. With one look from you, I know what you want to do.”

As he spoke, he stood up and reached out to support Qiao Qing.

Qiao Qing was a bit embarrassed by his overly smooth movements and hurriedly waved his hand:

“No need for support, I can manage on my own. Just hand me the crutches.”

Shen Youli raised an eyebrow at his attempt to remain calm but didn’t insist, obediently handing over the crutches.

However, he still followed half a step behind worriedly, arms slightly extended, ready to catch him at any moment.

Qiao Qing took a deep breath, propped himself up with the crutches, one leg and one arm both powerless.

He could only rely on the strength of his waist and right leg to struggle, moving towards the toilet in small steps.

With every movement, a dull pain came from the injured area, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

This short distance seemed exceptionally long at this moment.

After finally moving into the toilet and closing the door, Qiao Qing leaned against the cold tiled wall, panting slightly.

However, the real difficulty came.

One of his hands was in a cast, and the other needed to hold the crutch for balance; he simply didn’t have a third hand to complete the high-difficulty task of unzipping his pants.

He tried standing on one leg and letting go of the crutch to reach for the zipper, but he immediately lost his balance, scaring him into grabbing the crutch again.

He froze in place, looking at himself in the mirror.

The man in the mirror had an impeccable face,

with well-defined contours, a high nose bridge, and thin lips that were slightly pale from blood loss yet still maintained a beautiful shape.

Those peach blossom eyes, always filled with a gentle smile, were now slightly downcast, with long and thick eyelashes casting a small shadow under the eyelids.

The gauze on his forehead and the un-faded bruises on his cheeks added a bit of fragility to him, making this already outstanding face even more moving.

Only now, this handsome face was filled with embarrassment and distress, brows slightly furrowed, lips tightly pursed, even his earlobes flushed with an unnatural red.

A few strands of black hair hung messily on his forehead, adding a bit more disarray.

Could it be… he really had to ask Shen Youli for help?

Just as he was staring at the zipper, engaged in a fierce mental struggle, the toilet door clicked and was actually pushed open from the outside!

Shen Youli stood at the door with a “I knew it would be like this” expression, his tone carrying a bit of helpless laughter.

“See, I knew you couldn’t handle it.”

He walked in without further ado, briskly taking away the crutches Qiao Qing was holding and leaning them against the wall.

Then, without letting him object, he pulled up Qiao Qing’s uninjured arm and draped it directly over his firm shoulder.

The other hand steadily encircled Qiao Qing’s waist, taking over most of his body weight.

Qiao Qing was 186 cm tall, slightly taller than Shen Youli.

But at this moment, being half-held in his arms and leaning his center of gravity on him, he cut a somewhat “bird nesting in a person’s arms” figure.

The refreshing scent of Shen Youli, with a faint smell of disinfectant and sunshine, instantly enveloped him.

“You…”

Qiao Qing’s cheeks turned bright red. Just as he was about to struggle, Shen Youli’s next sentence shut him up.

“What, do you want to keep holding it in?”

Shen Youli turned his head to look at him, playfulness in his eyes, but the grip of his hand was very steady.

“If you hold it until you’re hurt, you won’t be able to find a handsome guy anymore.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but let out a low laugh, his chest vibrating slightly.

Qiao Qing was both shamed and annoyed by these words, but the reality of the situation left him unable to refute.

A grown man, single since birth, he had never been so “frank” with anyone but himself.

And now he had to be helped by a handsome guy who was almost a stranger…

This feeling was simply more embarrassing than a young bride entering her wedding sedan.

“My reputation…”

Qiao Qing groaned in despair and self-deprecatingly covered his face with his uninjured hand.

Shen Youli was amused by his reaction but didn’t stop his movements.

…

The cool air touched his skin, and Qiao Qing froze.

Immediately after, Shen Youli actually…

“Wait! Buddy?”

“This… I’ll do this myself! Really!”

Qiao Qing really blew his top this time, forgetting to cover his face as he hurriedly reached out to stop him.

The tips of his ears were so red they could almost drip blood.

Shen Youli, however, held down his flailing arm with one hand, while the other…

His tone was frank and carried the laughter of a successful prank.

“Don’t move… If you’re going to help, help all the way.”

…

Qiao Qing completely gave up resisting, leaning stiffly in Shen Youli’s arms with his eyes tightly closed, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

A sound of trickling water continued in the small space.

Qiao Qing kept his eyes shut, feeling as if these few dozen seconds lasted for a century.

When the last sound faded into silence, only one thought remained in his mind.

From today on, there would be nothing in this world that could embarrass him anymore.

His sense of shame had been completely sublimated at this moment.

Shen Youli, however, seemed to not notice his inner collapse at all, and even added with a bit of a teasing tone, whispered in his ear:

“Quite a lot, looks like you’ve really been holding it for a long time. Next time you feel like it, just say so, don’t force it. Holding it in isn’t good for your body.”

Qiao Qing: “…”

He was speechless and just wanted to disappear on the spot.

Shen Youli naturally grabbed a paper towel from the side: wiped it clean.

By now, Qiao Qing was completely numb, his soul having left his body.

After wiping it clean, Shen Youli even used…

As if confirming… whether it was clean, and then put it back.

The entire set of actions was as smooth as flowing water.

Finally, he added a serious, appreciative comment.

“But then again, you… well, quite… huh.”

Qiao Qing: “!!!”

His soul instantly returned, and a huge wave of shame washed over him again, drowning him.

He snapped his eyes open, glaring at the guy in front of him who wouldn’t stop saying shocking things, and squeezed out a question through gritted teeth:

“Shen, You, Li! Have… have you really never been complained about by a previous employer?!”

This service was way too “attentive”!

Hearing this, Shen Youli didn’t show the slightest remorse; instead, his playful expression suddenly vanished.

He leaned down slightly, those peach blossom eyes focusing intensely on Qiao Qing.

In those deep eyes, there seemed to be starlight, and his tone became exceptionally affectionate:

“Complaint? My employer… has only ever been you.”

He paused, his voice low, with a hint of bewitching intent, “So, would you really… have the heart to complain about me?”

Qiao Qing was caught off guard by this sudden change of character, his heart skipping an unfaithful beat.

The heat that had just faded from his cheeks “whooshed” back up again.

He looked at the handsome face so close at hand, the light flickering in those eyes making it impossible to tell the truth from the lies in his words.

“…Crazy.”

Qiao Qing held back for a long time, eventually only squeezing these two words out from between his teeth.

Then he turned his gaze away almost in a panic, not daring to look him in the eye again.

He tried to break free from Shen Youli’s support to stand on his own, only to find his legs still a bit weak.

Shen Youli looked at his bright red earlobes and his attempt to stay calm, the smile in his eyes deepening.

He supported Qiao Qing again, helped him with the crutches, and his tone returned to its previous lightness:

“Alright, just teasing you. Let’s go, go back and lie down; your face is still a bit pale.”

Shen Youli supported Qiao Qing, and the two washed their hands together.

Then Qiao Qing was half-supported and half-carried back to the hospital bed.

He lay down and immediately pulled the blanket over his head, wrapping himself tightly, leaving only a few strands of unruly black hair peeking out.

Shen Youli looked at the mound on the bed and couldn’t help but chuckle.

He didn’t say anything more, just thoughtfully adjusted the speed of the IV drip, then sat quietly in the chair beside, taking out his phone to browse casually.

Inside the quilt, Qiao Qing felt his heart still beating too fast and his cheeks burning, his mind in a total mess.

Embarrassment, shame, and a kind of indefinable heart-stirring feeling…

Various emotions were intertwined.

This Shen Youli… what on earth was his background?

He had never encountered someone so… making him feel so lost in his entire life.