Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Su Xingyao had come down with a fever.

During repeated takes and being soaked in water, the medical wrap he had applied beforehand had long since fallen off, and the wounds on his body were contaminated by the river water, resulting in infection and ongoing inflammation.

The crew got him to treatment right away, but several hours had passed, and he still hadn’t shown any signs of waking up.

The crew had other things to do, and after learning from the doctor that Su Xingyao was safe, they started to leave the hospital one by one.

Finally, only Qin Mingchuan was left in the hospital room.

Shen Huaixi was outside taking a call from Jiang Zihang, while he had asked Xiao Yu to sleep on the sofa outside the VIP ward.

Xiao Yu was really worried about Su Xingyao and wanted to stay by his side to look after him.

But Qin Mingchuan was the investor of *Fallen Glass* and the big boss of Su Xingyao’s talent agency.

As just a worker, no matter how worried she was, she didn’t dare say anything. All she could do was sit anxiously on the sofa, waiting for Su Xingyao to wake up.

Another half hour passed, and even Xiao Yu had fallen asleep. The hospital room fell silent and suddenly felt very lonely.

Qin Mingchuan walked over to Su Xingyao and fell into deep thought as he looked at his thin cheeks.

He and Su Xingyao were technically engaged, but they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

To be exact, ever since he realized Su Xingyao was using their childhood engagement, jokingly arranged by their parents, to go after Shen Huaixi, he hadn’t had a proper conversation with him since.

But now, seeing him unconscious, memories of their high school days started to come back.

Back then, the elite school he went to was just a wall away from Su Xingyao’s school.

Every day, he would wear a borrowed uniform and ID from Su Xingyao’s school, pretending to be a student there, and swagger over to Su Xingyao’s classroom to wait for him after evening study.

He’d skip class just to play basketball with Su Xingyao during gym.

When Su Xingyao came in first in the grade and went up to receive an award, he’d proudly sit on the playground wall with his buddies and lead the applause for him.

And every time he pulled these “crazy” stunts that seemed outrageous to others, Su Xingyao would just smile softly at him, his eyes shining.

Just like years ago when he first saw him at his cousin’s place.

The handsome and slender young man was tutoring his cousin in a low voice in the afternoon, and the warm sunlight stretched his slender shadow very long.

At that time, when he was focused on tutoring his cousin and was suddenly interrupted by a stranger like himself, there was no blame or surprise.

He just gave a faint smile, as soft as the warm April sun outside the window.

Qin Mingchuan’s gaze fell on Su Xingyao’s still pale face.

He realized that after not seeing him for a while, Su Xingyao had really lost a lot of weight.

This sickly thinness made the young man who always used to smile warmly in his memory seem like a completely different person.

Looking at Su Xingyao’s current weak state, Qin Mingchuan couldn’t help but ask himself in his heart.

How did it come to this?

It seems that since returning to the Shen family, the smile on Su Xingyao’s face has been diminishing day by day.

His brows were perpetually furrowed, always weighed down with worry.

He no longer liked to talk or smile, having inexplicably built a wall around his heart, shutting everyone out.

From that point on, he noticed that the other's thoughts became more complex, and his relationships with everyone worsened.

If only he hadn't gone back to the Shen family...

Qin Mingchuan sighed, gazing at Su Xingyao, and softly asked him, "Where has the old you gone?"

...

As Qin Mingchuan spoke, Shen Huaixi walked in.

He glanced at Su Xingyao, still unconscious on the bed, and approached Qin Mingchuan, pretending to know nothing.

"Is Xing Yao still not awake?"

Earlier, Jiang Zihang had called, asking about Su Xingyao's condition and speculating whether Su Xingyao had fainted on purpose in front of everyone to mess with him.

He wasn't sure if Su Xingyao wanted to mess with Jiang Zihang, but now he suspected that Su Xingyao was deliberately playing the victim in front of Qin Mingchuan.

He had to admit it worked. The way Qin Mingchuan had looked at him earlier was filled with genuine pity.

Qin Mingchuan's attitude toward Su Xingyao made him extremely uncomfortable.

However, Shen Huaixi didn't dare voice such malicious thoughts directly in front of Qin Mingchuan.

After all, it didn't align with the innocent image he usually projected in front of him.

So he spoke again, changing his tone, "Mingchuan, why don't you go rest at the hotel? I'll take care of Xing Yao."

Hearing Shen Huaixi's words, Qin Mingchuan felt deeply affectionate toward him and outright refused the suggestion.

"You go and sleep. I'll wait here for him."

Shen Huaixi shook his head. "I'll stay with you."

Unwilling to leave them alone, he insisted on staying.

Since Shen Huaixi was determined to stay, Qin Mingchuan said nothing more, simply gazing at him, moved by his kindness and generosity.

"What did Aunt Wen and the others have to say?"

After sitting for a while, Qin Mingchuan asked Shen Huaixi about the urgent call he'd made earlier.

He assumed Shen Huaixi had called his family, as he'd been on the phone for a long time.

Shen Huaixi felt a pang of guilt and quickly made an excuse.

"I didn't call. It's too late, and I didn't want to worry them."

Though he said this, he had never planned to tell his adoptive parents about Su Xingyao's situation.

He knew full well that his family was currently upset with Su Xingyao over his running away and the birthday banquet incident.

At such a critical moment, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to give Su Xingyao a chance to play the victim in front of his adoptive parents and repair their relationship.

After explaining, Shen Huaixi, worried that Qin Mingchuan might call his parents himself, started to dissuade him.

"Mingchuan, it’s better not to tell my parents about this. They’re still really mad right now."

Qin Mingchuan glanced at Su Xingyao, who looked really out of it, and frowned a little. "But I think it’s better to tell them. Xingyao doesn’t look well."

Holding back his unease about Qin Mingchuan’s concern for Su Xingyao, Shen Huaixi continued to dissuade him, speaking in a tone that seemed to be for Su Xingyao’s own good.

"You saw what went down at my mom’s birthday party. Xingyao totally humiliated her, and she was so pissed she told us not to even say his name when we got home..."

Afraid that Qin Mingchuan wouldn’t believe him, he emphasized again.

"Honestly... I’m worried they won’t show up. After all, Xingyao isn’t in good shape now, and I’m afraid this might make their relationship even worse."

Remembering how Wen Ningshu stormed out of the birthday party because of Su Xingyao, Qin Mingchuan felt that Shen Huaixi had a point and finally agreed.

"Okay, let’s keep this under wraps for now. We’ll ask Xingyao when he wakes up."

Shen Huaixi smiled and nodded, relieved.

He knew Su Xingyao wouldn’t reach out to their parents once he woke up.

But since Qin Mingchuan’s concern for Su Xingyao was way over the top, Shen Huaixi, feeling uneasy, immediately started to steer the conversation.

"Xingyao looks like he’s doing a lot better. Didn’t the doctor say it was just a cold? Why’s he still out? A cold shouldn’t cause such a long coma."

Qin Mingchuan didn’t pick up on the hint in Shen Huaixi’s words and instead patiently explained, "It could be from the infection and swelling from his injuries."

Seeing Qin Mingchuan didn’t doubt Su Xingyao at all, Shen Huaixi could only force a smile and spoke sarcastically.

"Yeah... Xingyao’s pretty reckless. Even with all those unhealed wounds, he still went into the water for the shoot. If we hadn’t dropped by today, who knows if he’d have passed out..."

Qin Mingchuan thought this sounded a little harsh and turned to look at Shen Huaixi.

But seeing Shen Huaixi’s concerned look, he figured he might be overthinking it.

However, Shen Huaixi’s words reminded him of something else.

He quickly called his assistant and told him to check with Su Xingyao’s manager about his injuries.

Before, he’d assumed Su Xingyao got hurt on set and even asked Xiao Yu, but she said she had no idea.

Su Xingyao, half-asleep, thought it was way too loud.

Especially with Shen Huaixi and Qin Mingchuan’s voices popping up in his dreams, making it impossible for him to sleep peacefully.

With a pounding headache from the noise, he blinked his long lashes.

After being out for hours, he finally came to.

The second he opened his eyes, the bright hospital lights stung.

He tried to shield his eyes but felt the IV in the back of his right hand.

"Xingyao."

Shen Huaixi was the first to notice that Su Xingyao had woken up.

One moment he was texting Jiang Zihang with a cold look, and the next he flashed a fake smile.

Qin Mingchuan also looked towards Su Xingyao.

His mouth opened and closed, but the words "you're awake" were awkwardly caught in his throat.

On the phone, he could still speak calmly with him.

But when they actually met face to face, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Su Xingyao ignored Shen Huaixi.

Although he hadn't fully woken up earlier, he had heard some of the conversation between the two.

He knew that Shen Huaixi had been insinuating things about him to Qin Mingchuan.

In the past, he would have tried to explain himself.

But now, he no longer cared about Qin Mingchuan or whether he understood Shen Huaixi's implications or formed new negative opinions about him.

Moreover, compared to these petty issues, he had something more important to discuss with Qin Mingchuan.

"Mr. Qin, since you're here, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Su Xingyao's use of "Mr. Qin" caught Qin Mingchuan off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Not only Qin Mingchuan, but even Shen Huaixi was so surprised that he momentarily lost his composure.

Qin Mingchuan frowned, looking at Su Xingyao with confusion.

"What do you mean by this?"

In the past, Su Xingyao had always addressed him as "Mingchuan."

Even after their relationship had grown tense due to the engagement, Su Xingyao had never addressed him so formally.

He didn't understand why Su Xingyao was acting so strangely, speaking so sarcastically as soon as he woke up.

Su Xingyao didn't care about the misunderstanding and didn't feel the need to explain. He simply stated what he wanted to say directly.

"I want to terminate my contract with Yingxing."

His words were like a bomb dropped into a calm lake, sending shockwaves through Qin Mingchuan.

His heart felt a sharp pang, and he suddenly felt a surge of anger.

"What did you say?"

Qin Mingchuan spoke again, his face darkening, his voice cold and completely devoid of warmth.

Seeing this, Shen Huaixi seized the opportunity to stir the pot. He immediately stepped forward, trying to take Su Xingyao's hand, his face etched with sorrow.

"Xing Yao, don't do this..."

He went on, "This has nothing to do with Mingchuan. He didn't know that you were paired with Zihang... If you're unhappy about being paired with Zihang..."

Before Shen Huaixi could finish, Su Xingyao yanked his hand away in disgust and quickly wiped it on the bedsheet.

"I don't understand what you're saying. I'm talking to Qin Mingchuan. Can you not interrupt me?"

Su Xingyao was still weak, and his voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make Shen Huaixi fall silent.

Shen Huaixi walked up to Qin Mingchuan with a pitiful expression, tugging at his sleeve to silently convey his grievances.

Qin Mingchuan was already annoyed by Su Xingyao's request to terminate the contract, and now, seeing Shen Huaixi being scolded, his initial guilt quickly turned into irritation.

Seeing Qin Mingchuan's surprised expression, Su Xingyao immediately guessed that Liang Yifan, his manager, hadn’t informed the company beforehand.

Despite his discomfort, he spoke again patiently, "This is my decision alone; it has nothing to do with anyone else."

"I've already contacted a lawyer, and after I finish shooting this scene, he will come to discuss the termination with you."

Su Xingyao, who had just woken up, was visibly drained. Speaking so much despite his discomfort had exhausted him.

After saying the last word, he closed his eyes, ready to rest.

Once he stopped speaking, an awkward silence filled the room.

For the next few minutes, no one spoke.

Su Xingyao enjoyed a rare few minutes of peace, but his exhaustion made him drowsy.

However, just as he was about to fall asleep, Qin Mingchuan spoke up coldly.

"Honestly, I really don't understand what you're thinking."

"Running away, disappearing, blocking everyone, embarrassing Aunt Wen, and now demanding to break the contract..."

"Do you think everyone should just let you have your way, Su Xingyao?"

Qin Mingchuan fired off questions one by one, accusing him of being irresponsible and capricious.

But now, Su Xingyao was burning up with fever again, and his inflamed wounds were throbbing with pain.

All he wanted was to sleep and escape Qin Mingchuan's scolding.

Yet, due to his physical discomfort, he couldn't even speak, let alone muster the strength to ask anyone to leave.

He tried to speak but found he couldn’t even make a sound.

Qin Mingchuan didn't notice Su Xingyao's discomfort and continued questioning him.

"You always do this—never saying a word, just making decisions on your own."

"You weren't like this before..."

Before Qin Mingchuan could finish, a deep voice came from outside the room.

"It seems I've come at a bad time."

The speaker’s tone was casual, but his drawn-out words carried a hint of mockery.

The sudden voice drew everyone’s attention.

Shen Huaixi and Qin Mingchuan both turned to look at the door.

Even Xiao Yu, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of a tall, slender figure.

The man, who claimed to have bad timing, showed no remorse for interrupting. Instead, he pushed the door open casually and stepped in with grace.

Qin Mingchuan frowned, his cold gaze fixed on the intruder.

The other person noticed his gaze, and his hawk-like eyes narrowed slightly.

Their eyes locked for a brief two seconds, and Lu Jiuxu's face showed a cryptic smile.

He ignored Qin Mingchuan, instead glancing at the man behind him.

Lu Jiuxu's gaze was steady and unreadable, but Shen Huaixi felt uneasy under it.

The man was strikingly handsome, yet his gut told him this man was dangerous.

After observing Su Xingyao's accusers, Lu Jiuxu turned his gaze to the hospital bed.

Su Xingyao, overwhelmed by their onslaught, had shut his eyes, his face pale and expression lifeless.

Lu Jiuxu's dark eyes turned stormy.

At that moment, Qin Mingchuan stepped forward, blocking his view of Su Xingyao, and demanded harshly, "Who are you?"

In response to Qin Mingchuan's question, Lu Jiuxu ignored him completely and strode to Su Xingyao's side.

He gazed at Su Xingyao for a long moment, then leaned down, his voice low and steady.

"I've come to bring you home."