Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Ji Mian called Uncle Lin.

About twenty minutes later, a group of people arrived. Among them was Xu Zhixia, and surprisingly, Qin Yan, who looked tense and in a hurry.

When they entered the ward, Lu Ge was sipping from a cup of eight-treasure porridge and holding a mostly eaten, cold egg pancake in his hand.

On the side cabinet, there were two cups of soy milk, one with a straw, half-finished, and the other untouched.

"Lu Ge?" Qin Yan was astonished to see him. "Why are you here?"

Lu Ge smiled, "This isn’t your territory, Mr. Qin, so why can’t I be here?"

He continued, "As for the cost of caring for Young Master Xu, could you settle it? My time is quite..."

Lu Ge suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

He glanced at Ji Mian, saw his expression unchanged, and finally let the word 'precious' slip out.

He frowned slightly, feeling a strange sense of imbalance.

In the past, he never considered others' feelings when he spoke.

The sudden arrival of several people in the ward made the air feel heavy.

Ji Mian hadn’t expected Qin Yan to show up with Xu Zhixia.

Although he liked Qin Yan, at this moment, all he could picture was Qin Yan kissing Xu Zhixia’s hair.

Overcome with anger, Ji Mian coughed heavily twice.

Lu Ge shot him a sideways glance.

"The patient’s in a bad mood, so if you’re not needed, please leave," he said to them in a pretentious tone.

Qin Yan frowned deeply, "If we’re talking about who’s not needed, you’re the one who ought to leave."

Lu Ge raised an eyebrow slightly, "Do I need to remind you, Mr. Qin, of my relationship with Chi Qiu?"

Qin Yan’s expression changed abruptly as he remembered something.

What relationship?

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten that night on the cruise ship—when they’d slept together.

Xu Zhixia’s expression, however, was odd.

Not long ago, on his birthday night, he’d overheard Lu Ge and Ji Mian’s conversation, which didn’t sound like two people who knew each other well, much less in a confirmed relationship.

But when it came to the fact that 'these two had slept together,' he agreed with Qin Yan.

In any case, 'Xu Chiqiu' couldn’t have handled it alone that night.

Xu Chiqiu admired Qin Yan, but he wasn’t exactly a paragon of morality. If he’d realized he’d been drugged, he wouldn’t have chosen loyalty to love over his own needs.

Even if Lu Ge hadn’t touched him that night, Xu Chiqiu would’ve found someone else.

"Brother..."

Xu Zhixia was just about to speak, but Ji Mian cut him off: "Mr. Lu, I’m feeling a little thirsty."

"Oh," Lu Ge shoved the half-empty cup of soy milk into Ji Mian’s hand.

"...No water?"

"Drink this first, then we’ll see."

Ji Mian stayed quiet, then fell silent again.

Seeing this, Xu Zhixia suddenly went quiet, and his earlier doubts about their relationship started to fade.

Whenever Lu Ge and Ji Mian spoke alone, it felt like an invisible barrier formed between them, isolating everyone else.

Qin Yan paused, giving Lu Ge a suspicious look.

So, is this guy really with Chi Qiu?

After a brief pause, Qin Yan wisely took Xu Zhixia and left.

"Mr. Lu," seeing Qin Yan actually leave, Ji Mian found it strange, "What are we?"

Lu Ge casually replied, "We’re just old friends."

After saying this, he gave Ji Mian’s shoulder a firm pat, as if they were "buddies."

"..."

"Mr. Lu, aren’t you grossed out by being friends with someone like me?" Ji Mian asked Lu Ge, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

Honestly, he was confused by Lu Ge’s forwardness.

Even though Lu Ge seemed laid-back and careless, Ji Mian could see his social circle was spotless.

Moreover, from Lu Ge’s earlier comment calling him "heart like a snake," it was clear that Lu Ge knew what kind of person he was.

Ji Mian didn’t get it: If that’s true, why would Lu Ge still hang around him?

Dirty...

Lu Ge blinked slowly.

He suddenly remembered the first time he’d seen Ji Mian in that shop. The guy was curled up in a chair, like a cocoon.

"Dirty..." Lu Ge let the word linger on his tongue, suddenly finding it absurd to apply it to Ji Mian.

He lifted his gaze to look at Ji Mian.

At this moment, there was no moonlight in the ward.

But the person lying quietly on the bed, staring at him, still looked ethereal.

"Mr. Lu," Ji Mian looked at Lu Ge's reddened ears, his eyebrows slightly raised, reminding him, "It seems you've been infected by me."

"...Yeah."

The infected Lu Ge averted his gaze, looking elsewhere.

His sense of morality was flipped upside down for a moment: Did his brother commit murder or arson? Why did this person harbor such hatred?

Noticing his gaze wandering aimlessly, Ji Mian really thought Lu Ge had been infected by his illness and was feverish and delirious.

He said, "About the expenses, Mr. Lu can talk to Uncle Lin," referring to the "cost of taking care of Young Master Xu" that Lu Ge had mentioned earlier.

His words hinted subtly that Lu Ge should leave sooner.

"You sure? I don’t come cheap."

Ji Mian fell silent.

Who knew what number this unpredictable guy would throw out.

After a long while, the redness from Lu Ge's ears finally faded.

The door to the ward was pushed open again. This time, a man in his thirties or forties entered, neatly dressed and carrying basic supplies.

He was the senior caregiver hired by the Xu family, named Zhou Zhong, who was gentle and meticulous. Although he usually didn't talk much, he was quick and efficient.

With someone here to help, Lu Ge seemed to have no reason to stay any longer.

He also really needed to change his shirt.

Before leaving, he whispered a warning, "I don't know what issues you and your brother have, but be careful. Your brother isn't as simple as you think."

Ji Mian's eyes widened slightly, hiding his surprise.

Then, Lu Ge stood up and walked towards the door.

As he turned to close the door, he glanced one last time around the ward.

Zhou Zhong had already efficiently arranged the daily necessities he brought into the storage cabinet and bathroom. He was somewhat taciturn, rarely interacting with Ji Mian throughout the process.

Thus, the person on the hospital bed just sat there, lost in thought.

As a senior caregiver, Zhou Zhong was clearly professional enough.

But as Lu Ge looked at Ji Mian, he couldn't help but feel that this person should be cared for by someone who deeply loved him, rather than being handed over to a professional yet unfamiliar male caregiver.

After a while, Lu Ge withdrew his gaze, quietly closed the ward door, and took away the untouched cold soy milk.