Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Fu Yunzheng raised his hand and pressed against Yu He’s Adam’s apple.

Caught off guard, Yu He swallowed reflexively. Fu Yunzheng’s fingertips were cool, lightly touching Yu He’s neck, both icy and ticklish.

This was a vulnerable part of the human body, exceptionally sensitive.

Fu Yunzheng’s hand seemed to carry an electric charge, sending a tingling sensation through their skin and into every part of Yu He’s body, making his bones go numb.

Yu He’s voice immediately became hoarse: "Mr. Fu..."

Fu Yunzheng closed his eyes, and Yu He cast a glance at the tightly secured partition before lowering his head to plant a kiss on Fu Yunzheng’s forehead.

Yu He’s hot breath brushed against Fu Yunzheng’s ear, prompting Fu Yunzheng to sigh, “Ah, to be young.”

“Yes, I am young and easily charmed,” Yu He whispered huskily in Fu Yunzheng’s ear, “Can you stop teasing me, please?”

With an expression of asceticism, Fu Yunzheng, eyes closed, responded, “I’m tired.”

Seeing that Fu Yunzheng kept his eyes shut, Yu He started to doubt if he was perhaps overthinking things. He furrowed his brows, utterly puzzled.

Inside his head, two versions of Yu He were at war; one was firmly convinced that Fu Yunzheng was flirting, thinking, ‘After all, I am young and handsome,’ while the other Yu He told him not to flatter himself, questioning if a big shot like Fu Yunzheng would really stoop so low.

Yu He found both voices quite persuasive.

After a moment of internal conflict and a slight jolt from the car, he quickly felt dizzy, leaned against the car window, and closed his eyes to rest.

This time, Yu He wasn’t so lucky.

Upon returning to the Fu Yunzheng residence, the car had barely entered the estate when Yu He rushed out, ran to the flower bed, and clung to a tree as he vomited profusely.

Fu Yunzheng, maneuvering his wheelchair, leisurely made his way to the flower bed, handed a bottle of water to Yu He, who was still clinging to the tree. Without turning around, Yu He heard the sound of Fu Yunzheng’s wheelchair and took the water bottle with his backhand.

The moment he touched the water bottle, its unique texture took Yu He aback. He glanced down and said hoarsely, “Huh, Voss? This bottle of water costs as much as my daily meals.”

Fu Yunzheng replied, “They were leftovers from the global summit we hosted.”

Yu He tilted his head back, took a sip of the water, but suddenly something felt off.

Wasn’t the Fu’s global cooperation and development summit held last year?

He spat out the water, checked the label, uncertain if it was past its expiration date, and looked at Fu Yunzheng with suspicion, probing, “You’re worth billions, and you’re giving me expired water?”

“Isn’t it Voss?” Fu Yunzheng turned his wheelchair around, calmly responding, “That’s your daily meal money there; don’t waste it.”

Yu He tossed the bottle up and caught it, “I’m not used to Voss; give me Qian Dao Shan spring water next time, it’s fresher.”

Fu Yunzheng smiled, “Sure, I’ll take you to Qian Dao Lake sometime, throw you in, and let you drink to your heart’s content.”

Yu He bent down and embraced Fu Yunzheng from behind, resting his chin on Fu Yunzheng’s hair, “That won’t do,” he said, “I can’t swim.”

“I can,” Fu Yunzheng blurted out.

This was followed by a prolonged silence.

Fu Yunzheng lowered his eyes, the rare gentle smile on his face completely disappearing, leaving only a dull and uninteresting expression.

Seeing Fu Yunzheng’s demeanor, Yu He felt uneasy. Every young man has a chivalrous heart, and they can't bear to see a hero defeated or an eagle with broken wings.

Fu Yunzheng was meant to soar above the clouds.

How could one not understand this feeling? Even on the stage, witnessing such a tragic and regrettable story, Yu He couldn't help but feel anxious for the characters.

Let alone a living, breathing person.

Yu He moved to Fu Yunzheng’s side, crouched down, and felt as if the wheelchair in front of him was like a giant lock, locking away all of Fu Yunzheng’s good moods.

“Zhang Bo said there is a swimming pool in the manor. When the weather warms up, you can lie on the water and have a perfect view of Guan Yun Mountain,” Yu He looked intently at Fu Yunzheng, his eyes even gentler than the clear waters of Yun Tai: “I wonder if I have the honor to invite Mr. Fu in advance to join me next year to see Guan Yun Mountain?”

Fu Yunzheng did not answer.

He was no longer at an age to be straightforward, and he knew very well how easily the passion of young people could cool.

His acquaintance with Yu He was short-lived, and their relationship, built on money, had not yet been exposed. Naturally, there was not much gossip, and their interactions had not suffered much negative impact.

Before everything became public, Yu He had not yet realized the fearfulness of public opinion or the destructive power of rumors.

For Yu He at this moment, compared to the identity of a 'sugar daddy', Fu Yunzheng seemed more like a compatible bed partner.

It's not difficult to make a one-year promise to a bed partner.

If only Fu Yunzheng was really a mutually chosen bed partner with Yu He.

But the truth was not like that. The reality was that Fu Yunzheng had chosen Yu He, but Yu He had no choice. One day, Yu He would realize this in the face of public criticism, realizing how dirty and shameful their relationship was.

Would Yu He still want to watch Guan Yun Mountain with Fu Yunzheng at that time?

Fu Yunzheng did not believe in Yu He’s promise for ‘next year’. He soberly said, “If you are still here next year.”

Yu He tilted his head, unable to understand why he wouldn't be around next year.

Could it be that Fu Yunzheng wants to find someone else to sponsor next year?

Perhaps it was the instinctive possessiveness of the male psyche at play. The mere thought of others witnessing Fu Yunzheng's slightly furrowed brows, creased due to pain, made Yu He feel uncomfortable and slightly resentful.

How he hated his own lack of wealth, unable to exclusively secure Fu Yunzheng for himself!

Given Fu Yunzheng’s affluence and influence, he naturally had the power to choose whomever he pleased. Boys like himself were a dime a dozen at Jinse Terrace, and if Fu Yunzheng wished, he could afford to maintain not just one or two, but even ten more.

A sense of crisis suddenly welled up within Yu He.

A phrase commonly heard in the Yu family echoed in his ears:

"Strive to be a useful person; the useless ones will be replaced."

He couldn’t afford to be replaced; he couldn’t let Fu Yunzheng turn to others.

Without Fu Yunzheng, he, Yu He, would never be a ‘top’ again! Forcing him, who had gotten used to being the dominant partner, to take a submissive role would be utterly cruel.

Perhaps he should consult more with Xiao Sean about some excellent theories and experiences, learn advanced techniques from instructional videos, and inquire about current trends to avoid being eliminated due to outdated skills.

Walking slowly toward the villa behind Fu Yunzheng, Yu He thought that if he had shown such determination and progress earlier, he might have made it to a prestigious university.

But the key point was that prestigious universities didn’t offer courses on this subject.

If there really were a university that taught this, it would truly be a wild chicken (phony) university.

Ha ha ha, a wild chicken university.

Indeed, Yu He was extraordinary, his direction of effort completely different from ordinary people.

This must be what Xiao Sean meant by "Love what you do, and do what you love."

He truly was dedicated to his craft.

*

Returning from a trip and perhaps having caught a chill, Fu Yunzheng developed a high fever again that night.

It hadn't even been a week since his last fever, and having been ill for almost half a month this time, Fu Yunzheng's constitution indeed seemed weaker than that of an average person.

Take this fever, for instance; it persisted as a low-grade fever for three days straight.

Although his temperature would drop after receiving a fever-reducing injection, it would rise again a few hours later, a relentless cycle.

The doctor insisted that it was because Fu Yunzheng refused to go to the hospital to investigate the cause of his illness.

Li Jing firmly believed that it was due to Yu He’s strong fate, overpowering Fu Yunzheng.

Yu He himself was convinced that it was because Fu Yunzheng never applied medicine when he needed to.

Fu Yunzheng, on the other hand, was certain it was all because Yu He insisted on taking care of him.

For instance, at this moment, Yu He leaned against Fu Yunzheng's bed, sitting on a small stool, holding Fu Yunzheng's hand that was attached to the IV, and had fallen asleep with his head resting on Fu Yunzheng's arm.

Fu Yunzheng's arm, pressed under Yu He's weight, was blood-starved, causing backflow in the IV catheter.

The medicine in the drip bottle was suspended, unable to flow into the bloodstream. The blood quickly coagulated in the tubing, clogging the needle of the IV catheter.

Fu Yunzheng: "......"

He gently pushed Yu He's head away and pressed the call bell.

Since Yu He took it upon himself to 'care' for Fu Yunzheng, the number of times Fu Yunzheng pressed the call bell in the past few days exceeded that of the entire previous month.

The call bell was located downstairs, and technically, it should be nearly inaudible upstairs. Strangely enough, however, when the call bell lit up, Yu He miraculously woke up.

“What’s wrong?” Yu He rubbed his eyes and sat up straight, “Mr. Fu?”

Fu Yunzheng: “......The IV catheter has a backflow of blood.”

Yu He lifted his finger to lightly pinch the tubing, sat up straight and stretched his back, "Hmm, it’s blocked.” He stood up, took a disposable IV set from the medicine cabinet drawer, “No need to call the doctor, I can insert the needle.”

Fu Yunzheng hesitated for a moment, which was quite rare: “Don’t bother.”

Yu He rubbed his eyes again, “Inserting an IV catheter can indeed save a few needle pricks, but you need to use your hand to pull the ring. You can’t exert force with a needle in your arm. I’ll insert the needle in the back of your hand, and remove it after the infusion.”

He opened the sterilization bag, pulled out the needle seat, connected it to the original tubing, then turned the flow regulator, skillfully removing the air from the infusion tube. He even flicked the needle shaft, getting rid of the excess medicine, and inserted the infusion needle into the drip bottle.

It all looked quite professional.

“You know how to insert a needle?” Fu Yunzheng asked.

Yu He pushed out the steel needle head of the IV catheter, applied a hemostatic patch, and pressed down on the bleeding point with his thumb to stop the bleeding:

"Well, my father... my foster father doesn't like going to the hospital and he also doesn’t like doctors coming to our house. He's a bit superstitious and believes that hospitals are places where lives are taken. My foster mother has anemia and often needs nutritional injections, and I'm the one who administers them for her."

Yu He’s fingers were firm, providing a strong presence as they pressed on Fu Yunzheng’s arm. He applied pressure to stop the bleeding with a skilled touch. Fu Yunzheng could feel the strength in Yu He’s hands, yet it wasn’t painful.

His four fingers were loosely curled, and the pad of his thumb, separated by the hemostatic patch, felt warm.

The steel needle of the IV catheter is thicker than that of a regular infusion needle, creating a larger needle hole, so Yu He pressed down a bit longer.

The liquid medicine was cold, flowing directly into the veins and causing a chilling sensation. This left Fu Yunzheng’s arm without much warmth, prompting Yu He to lie on the bed, wrapping his arm around Fu Yunzheng’s arm to warm him up.

And before he knew it, he fell asleep.

Yu He woke up in a daze, only realizing what he had done after removing the infusion tube. Fu Yunzheng, being such a big shot, has several family doctors; there’s no need for him to replace Fu Yunzheng’s needle, right?

Just at that moment, the medical staff who heard the call bell arrived, and there was a knock at the door.

The doctor called out, “Mr. Fu?”

Fu Yunzheng’s fingertips moved slightly, and Yu He, still pressing on the needle hole on Fu Yunzheng's arm, looked up at Fu Yunzheng.

“You all can leave for now,” Fu Yunzheng dismissed the doctors.

Then, Fu Yunzheng turned his arm over, exposing the back of his hand, and said nonchalantly, “Go ahead, you do it.”