Chapter 19#
After a series of examinations, it was already midnight when Yan Heqing was sent to the ward.
In the luxurious single room, the heating was sufficient, and a humidifier was spraying fine white mist.
On the hospital bed, the young man had changed into a hospital gown.
He was too thin. The white hospital gown seemed to hang on him. His narrow, pointed chin poked into his shoulder socket, revealing two distinct collarbones.
His pale cheeks were also very small, easily covered by Lu Lin’s hand. His long eyelashes lay obediently against his skin, and his nose bridge and forehead formed a straight line.
His two thin lips had regained a little color, but his whole person was so white he was almost transparent.
Lying quietly on the bed like this, he was fragile but not weak.
The first time they met, Yan Heqing gave Lu Lin a feeling of solemnity and stern coldness.
Seeing him again today, this feeling became even stronger.
Yan Heqing’s left hand had a tube inserted for nutrient solution, resting on the exposed sheet, his nails trimmed clean and round.
But it was a hand completely inconsistent with an 18-year-old.
On the withered back of his hand, several blue veins bulged, and every finger was covered with calluses.
Lu Lin watched quietly for a while, then stepped forward, took Yan Heqing’s left hand, and put it under the quilt.
The examination results came out. Fortunately, Lu Lin had forced Yan Heqing to drink a few mouthfuls of ginger soup, warming his internal organs in time, so there were no major problems. However, Yan Heqing’s body was too weak, and the doctor suggested staying in the hospital for observation for a few more days.
Yan Heqing slept deeply. When he opened his eyes, he saw a complicated crystal chandelier. He turned his head slightly and realized it was a ward.
A very high-class ward.
The room was extremely quiet, even the humidifier was silent. Yan Heqing propped himself up on the bed with his arms and slowly sat up.
It was already dawn, and the lights were still on. In the huge ward, he was the only one.
Yan Heqing lowered his eyes and waited quietly.
—
Lu Lin gently pushed open the door and walked into the ward carrying things. He looked at the hospital bed, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Empty.
There was no one on the bed. The white quilt was laid out neatly, as if no one had slept in it.
His dark eyes narrowed slightly.
At this moment, light footsteps sounded in the corridor.
In the quiet space, tap, tap, tap, it was the sound of bamboo-soled soft slippers rubbing against the ground.
Getting clearer and clearer, finally stopping in front of the ward.
Lu Lin looked towards the door and met a pair of light brown eyes that outshone the brilliant galaxy and captured the soul.
The large blue hospital gown hung on the young man, but it couldn’t hide his thin and upright figure. The trouser legs were a bit short, revealing a section of slender, pale calves.
The daylight fell on his face, his contours elegant and beautiful, his small, pointed chin looking as if it would shatter with a pinch.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke. The air was filled with a faintly spreading mist.
The next second, Yan Heqing spoke first, his calm voice like the first tender shoot sprouting in spring.
Fresh, crisp, and elegant.
“Can the hospitalization fee you advanced be paid in installments? I don’t have that much money for the time being.”
The fees of this private hospital were astonishing.
Apart from the ambulance fee and the expensive full-body examination fee, the hospitalization fee for the luxurious single room last night alone was 50,000 yuan.
Lu Lin’s gaze swept over Yan Heqing’s hands. He realized the inappropriateness of last night.
He hadn’t considered Yan Heqing’s spending power.
“It was my lack of consideration. I’ll cover this money.”
Yan Heqing walked into the room. Getting closer, the young man’s appearance became clearer.
After a night of nutrient solution, his complexion had obviously improved.
“Thank you for your kindness.” Yan Heqing was neither humble nor arrogant. “You have already saved me once, I must repay this money. Please give me your account number. I will transfer the money on the 10th of every month, in…” He hesitated for a second, “12 installments, is that okay?”
His eyes were clear and bright, calm and firm.
However, this installment proposal was a bit awkward, and his face showed a slight apology.
Lu Lin looked at him deeply. After a moment, he took out his wallet, pulled out a business card, and placed it on the bedside table.
“Contact me when you are discharged.”
He tacitly accepted Yan Heqing’s 12-installment payment plan.
Then he put down the things he was carrying: a large black handbag and a kraft paper hand-held paper bag.
Lu Lin strode towards the door. When passing Yan Heqing, he stopped and said.
“My name is Lu Lin.”
Yan Heqing replied, “My name is Yan Heqing.”
Only Yan Heqing was left in the ward again. He walked to the bedside and first picked up the business card.
A gold-stamped business card, the page extremely simple: Lu Corporation, Lu Lin, a string of numbers.
Yan Heqing put down the business card and looked at the handbag. It was the bag he had left on the ice.
Opening it, there was fishing equipment, his phone, and his dry-cleaned clothes.
He opened the paper bag again; inside was a thermal lunch box.
A look of doubt appeared in Yan Heqing’s eyes. He took out the thermal lunch box and opened it. The heat rushed to the tip of his nose, carrying a faint sweetness.
It was a bowl of nut and white porridge.
The rice grains were boiled soft, thin but not thick, just right for someone with no appetite who needed to eat something to pad their stomach.
Yan Heqing put down the porridge and walked to the window.
Downstairs was the hospital gate. A Maybach was parked there, and the driver was waiting by the door. As soon as Lu Lin came out of the hospital building, the driver opened the rear door.
Lu Lin got in the car and left.
Yan Heqing withdrew his gaze and went back to the hospital bed to pack his things.
He quickly processed the discharge. Staying another night would cost another 50,000 yuan.
Muttering, the doctor refunded the excess money to the original payment account.
At the same time, Lu Lin received a bank transaction text message and a text message from a strange number.
[Hello, I am Yan Heqing. After settlement, I owe you a total of 52,200. Divided into 12 installments, each installment is 4,350. Please send me the account number. Starting from the 10th of next month, I will remit the money on time.]
Lu Lin saved the number first and replied with a text message.
[The phone number is my WeChat. Add me and transfer via WeChat.]
Not long after sending it, Lu Lin received a friend request notification.
Clicking on it, it was a default avatar, and the name was 52 Hertz.
Friend application — Hello, I am Yan Heqing.
Lu Lin clicked accept.
After waiting for a few minutes, the other party did not reply further.
Lu Lin put down his phone, loosened his collar, and began to process documents.
…
On the other side, Yan Heqing took a taxi home.
Climbing the stairs to his door, there was a stack of cardboard boxes piled in front of his door, five boxes in total.
Yan Heqing slowed down. Getting closer, he saw the logo on the cardboard box, a string of English.
It was imported canned cat food.
Yan Heqing calmly moved the cardboard boxes aside, took out his key, opened the door, and entered the house.
Having lain in the hospital for a day, Yan Heqing wasn’t sleepy. He made up for the homework he missed last night, then went to the kitchen to cook.
A rich meat aroma filled the small kitchen. Yan Heqing stewed pork rib soup and added a very sweet radish.
He wasn’t hungry, but Yan Heqing still forced himself to eat two bowls of rice.
After eating, he stepped on the scale: 113.
He had gained a few pounds.
But there was still a distance from his goal.
“Cough cough…” Yan Heqing coughed a few times. Having soaked in ice water for a while, he inevitably caught a cold.
Yan Heqing opened the drawer, found a few bottles of medicine, poured out a few pills from each, and had a small handful of medicine in his palm. He swallowed them with water in one gulp, then pulled his collar tighter.
Even with the small heater on, he was still very cold.
At the same time, Lu Lin was typing on the keyboard and suddenly stopped. He picked up his phone and clicked on the text messages.
He looked at the bank text message and Yan Heqing’s text message separately.
200 extra.
He advanced 52,000, and Yan Heqing wanted to pay him 52,200. That 200 was—
Porridge and dry cleaning fee?
Lu Lin’s brow twitched slightly.
The canned cat food had been piled at the door for a week, and Yan Heqing hadn’t touched it.
He had been very busy recently, finding a new part-time job at a coffee shop next to the Lu Corporation headquarters.
Nine to five, one day off a week, base salary plus commission, which was not bad.
Yan Heqing was beautiful. With a white shirt work uniform and black suit trousers, simple and plain, standing at the counter was a signboard in itself.
The number of white-collar workers visiting these days had obviously increased.
Another male waiter said sourly, “The person who said good looks can’t be eaten as a meal must be ugly. Look at Xiao Yan, he’s only been here for a few days, and his commission is soaring.”
Yan Heqing didn’t speak, skillfully printing the order.
He was very satisfied with this part-time job. The working environment was simple, and the pay was generous.
Most importantly, it was downstairs from the Lu Corporation.
This was a big order from the 81st floor of the Lu Corporation, asking for 20 lattes, 10 Americanos, 30 caramel lattes, 5 espressos, and 65 pieces of cake.
“Xiao Yan, I’ve already greeted the front desk. You can just leave it at the secretary’s desk on the 21st floor! I’m busy with a meeting!” On the phone, the woman’s tone was urgent, and she hung up directly.
Yan Heqing put down the phone, turned his head, and said to another girl who had been silently making coffee, “Zhang Qing, can you deliver the takeout with me later?” He smiled slightly. “It’s a bit much.”
Zhang Qing nodded immediately. “Sure!”
If she went along for the delivery, half of this order would count towards her performance, and she would meet her target for this month!
The male waiter who was sour about Yan Heqing earlier became even more sour.
After packing the cakes and coffee into boxes, Yan Heqing carried two bags, and Zhang Qing carried the remaining one. They left the shop together.
The security guard knew Zhang Qing, as the coffee shop often delivered afternoon tea to the building, so he let them in directly.
Seeing Yan Heqing, the front desk thought to herself, no wonder they let him deliver upstairs.
After working all day, looking at a handsome guy a few more times could relieve fatigue!
The front desk smiled and led them to the elevator to swipe the card. “Don’t go to the wrong floor, it’s the top floor.”
Yan Heqing nodded politely.
Entering the elevator, Zhang Qing quietly sized up Yan Heqing. He was really tall and handsome.
Zhang Qing sighed with emotion. This period was the happiest time since she started working.
Yan Heqing was handsome and friendly, had strong professional ability, and was willing to take care of colleagues. Who wouldn’t want to work with such a beautiful man?
However, the supervisor said that Yan Heqing would only work part-time until the New Year, and there was only a month and a half left until the New Year.
Zhang Qing couldn’t help feeling a bit melancholy.
The elevator was very fast and didn’t stop on the way. Before long, it reached the top floor.
Yan Heqing got out of the elevator first, and Zhang Qing followed.
There was no one at the secretary’s desk. Yan Heqing put down the takeout, glanced lightly at the closed office in the distance, and turned back into the elevator.
Zhang Qing also quickly put hers down and followed Yan Heqing back into the elevator, suddenly thinking of a piece of gossip.
“Xiao Yan, aren’t you a university student? This company is super amazing, with high salaries and good benefits…”
Yan Heqing listened attentively.
The elevator descended slowly and stopped at the 60th floor.
The elevator door opened. Just as Lu Lin was about to enter the elevator, he saw an unexpected face.
The young man was wearing white clothes and black trousers, with a small metal nameplate hanging on his chest.
Light and Shadow Coffee, Yan Heqing.
The young man didn’t see him, turning sideways to listen to the woman next to him.
“President Lu?” The special assistant saw Lu Lin not moving and saw the elevator was about to close, so he reminded him softly.
Hearing the voice, the young man looked up and met Lu Lin’s gaze.
Lu Lin stepped into the elevator and said indifferently, “All of you come in.”
He retreated to the wall and stood beside Yan Heqing.
Dozens of employees filed in, and the spacious elevator was instantly packed.