Chapter 136: Everything Settled

Chapter 136: The Dust Settles

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Mo Huan's face, but in the end, he said nothing.

With guilt and a tinge of shame, he awkwardly asked a few questions about Jian Ye's condition before hurrying off.

It seemed that in front of this man, his thoughts were always transparent.

Mo Huan thought he probably wouldn’t get to see Jian Ye again for a long while.

Here, Jian Ye never lacked care or admirers visiting him.

Staying any longer would only make him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. Without even getting a proper look at the sleeping figure on the bed, Mo Huan left decisively this time.

After two rounds of this, Yi Siyu was already immune to these people.

Just like before, after seeing off the now-irrelevant "rival," he returned to Jian Ye’s bedside to keep him company.

Jian Ye had been running a constant fever these past few days, and even after medication, there was no improvement.

His temperature only normalized at night, only to spike again during the day.

The doctors were still trying to figure it out, but Yi Siyu remained calm.

This likely had something to do with whatever’s going on inside Jian Ye. As long as his vitals were fine, there was nothing to worry about.

"Look at you—even while asleep, so many men are tripping over themselves to see you. I should just lock you in a cage where no one can get close."

The system had enabled an audio feed, so Jian Ye heard every word clearly.

Jian Ye: …………

System 748: Host, don’t worry, he’s just trying to scare you.

Hearing the system reply so seriously made Jian Ye even more at a loss for words.

Jian Ye: Who knew I’d have so many suitors in this world? I didn’t lead anyone on—I’m innocent.

System 748: Your charm keeps growing. This isn’t a bad thing. There’s no need to worry. You just need to reach the final level, and your mission will be complete.

Jian Ye: I almost forgot about that. I’m lying here doing nothing—can I still collect Green Tea Points?

Since the punishment room blocked Jian Ye’s connection to the system’s functions, he couldn’t access the system shop, check his Green Tea Points balance, or even hear system notifications.

The only thing the system could share with him now was the connection to external sounds.

A see-through little puff floated cheerfully in front of Jian Ye, looking quite pleased.

System 748: The host keeps underestimating themselves. In the three days you’ve been unconscious, the system has already collected 30,000 Green Tea Points.

Jian Ye was stunned.

Jian Ye: That much?! I’ve recouped everything overnight!

System 748: Every visitor contributes Green Tea Points. They all feel pity, guilt, heartache, and other emotions toward the host. Your helpless look acts as a catalyst to intensify those feelings.

Jian Ye fell silent.

He could roughly imagine how vulnerable he must look lying quietly in bed with an IV drip. It really would evoke sympathy.

This was completely unexpected.

As Jian Ye talked with the system, more people showed up in the hospital room.

This time, it was Yi Siyu's friends.

Worried that too many people at once would disturb the patient's rest, they had planned it out in their group chat to come in batches.

Zhuang Yao, Xie Fei, and Huo Kai were in the first group, while the other three would come the next day.

"Si Yu, don't push yourself too hard. If there's anything you need help with, just say the word," Huo Kai said, concerned that Yi Siyu might be under too much stress.

After all, Jian Ye had been unconscious for three days, and Yi Siyu, who doted on his wife so much, must’ve been a wreck with worry.

"I’m okay. My family helps out too, so it’s not too much."

Yi Siyu greeted them with a smile, but his friends just felt awful for him.

In their eyes, their buddy just didn’t want to let his anxiety show.

They knew Yi Siyu too well—no question how guilty he must’ve felt over Jian Ye's accident.

As long as Jian Ye remained unconscious, Yi Siyu wouldn’t catch a break.

Zhuang Yao was especially worried about Jian Ye's condition. They didn’t even find out about the kidnapping until Jian Ye was already in the hospital.

The Yi family kept it quiet.

It was only when Zhuang Yao couldn't reach Eldest Brother Yi on the phone that he got a bad feeling and inadvertently found out.

"Si Yu, what did the doctors say? How’s Xiao Ye really doing?" Zhuang Yao had asked Eldest Brother Yi, but he didn’t get into specifics, just said he was stable for now.

Eldest Brother Yi always spoke to him in a distant tone, making it seem like it wasn't too serious, but Zhuang Yao still detected a hint of tension in their conversation this time.

Jian Ye must’ve gone through hell at the hands of the kidnappers—otherwise, he wouldn't have needed emergency treatment.

Even Yi Siyu himself didn't fully understand what’s going on with Jian Ye, so he naturally didn't elaborate.

He just shook his head. "The doctors aren't sure why he won't wake up, but fortunately, his physical condition is completely normal."

"I believe he'll wake up soon." That was all Yi Siyu said, holding onto his belief in Jian Ye's earlier message.

Seeing that Yi Siyu stayed positive and held it together, his friends put their worries on hold for now.

They had feared that Yi Siyu might crack under the pressure of Jian Ye's prolonged unconsciousness.

Eavesdropping on their chat through the system, Jian Ye grew anxious too.

"Jian Ye: How much longer do I have to stay in this blackout room? I know lying here earns me Green Tea Points, but I really don’t want everyone worrying over me."

"System 748: Unless something changes, it should be half a month."

"Jian Ye: Half a month?!! That long!"

Jian Ye was certain that by the time he woke up, Yi Siyu would have gotten skinny from stress—taking care of someone who couldn't manage daily life was no easy task.

Just the thought of it made Jian Ye's heart ache unbearably. All he wanted was to hug his husband tight.

"Jian Ye: I was wrong. I won’t break character again, and I won’t act recklessly anymore."

"System 748: Host, seeing how anxious you are, I’ll just mute the outside world for you, so you don’t spiral."

"Jian Ye: …"

This system was becoming more and more like a helicopter mom, giving him the feeling of being a son smothered by parental worry.

...

During Jian Ye’s unconscious state, Yi Siyu wasn’t sitting around either.

After Xu Laoliu was successfully captured, the Yi family swiftly wiped out all his remaining crew in Yunjing, leaving no room for retaliation.

Su Junyang, this time, could no longer escape by luck and got locked up with Xu Laoliu.

Xu Laoliu was a straight-up murderer, and he could get the death sentence. In Yunjing, he certainly wouldn’t have an easy time before his eventual execution; he’d suffer every damn day.

Neither Yi Siyu nor Qin Fei would let him catch a break in prison.

Another piece of good news was that Old Mr. Jian personally exposed his two murderous sons.

This couldn’t have happened without Yi Siyu’s behind-the-scenes assistance.

The son of the driver involved in the accident years ago had been located overseas. With a little persuasion from Yi Siyu, he confessed everything he knew about his father’s dealings.

Combined with the evidence gathered by Old Mr. Jian, Jian Zhengqing and Jian Zhenghua were screwed.

Every day, Yi Siyu had to care for Jian Ye in the hospital while coordinating efforts to handle these matters behind the scenes—no walk in the park.

Without the help of his father and two older brothers, he wouldn’t have been able to manage both responsibilities.

The whole family was raging about what had happened to Jian Ye and was determined to seek justice, coming down hard on those who had harmed him.

Given Jian Ye’s growing rep, the Yi family made sure to keep the media off his back, keeping him well-protected.

Jian Ye’s roommates, unable to reach him, had also approached Yi Siyu for updates. Yi Siyu told them Jian Ye was hospitalized and couldn’t receive visitors yet, making them swear to secrecy.

Trusted friends like Li Xiangchi, Liu Mingchang, and Zheng Yan understood the sensitivity of the situation and didn’t breathe a word. Though unaware of the exact reason for Jian Ye’s hospitalization, as good roommates, they prayed daily for his swift recovery and return.

As for Jian Ye himself, he spent fourteen endless boring days in the dark room.

After the system cut off external sounds that day, he could only just stare at the damn system 24/7.

During this time, he frequently fought with the little shit, demanding it turn the sounds back on—but it refused.

Eventually, the system came down on him hard, leaving Jian Ye with no choice but to wait and chat with it.

At least he had someone to talk to.

The biggest gain was probably the Green Tea Points. Jian Ye could hardly believe he’d accumulated 240,000 points in nearly half a month.

He guessed his room had been packed with visitors during that time.

In the dark room, Jian Ye got on his knees thanking these angels.

"Jian Ye: Er Tong, when the hell am I getting out? I’m waiting so long I’m gathering cobwebs."

"Jian Ye: Even though I don’t feel hunger here and don’t need to eat, I already miss stuffing my face."

"Jian Ye: A life without delicious food is truly a crime against humanity! Er Tong? Where’d you go?"

Jian Ye suddenly realized the system had disappeared. After the pesky orb that had been hovering in front of him every day vanished, he felt oddly unsettled.

He tried calling its name a few more times, but there was still no response.

Jian Ye sagged in frustration. What the hell?! Get me outta here!

Perhaps his angry shout worked—his head swam, his consciousness shifted, like his nerves were reattaching, and sensation returned to his limbs.

The first sense to come back was smell. The scent of orchids drifted to him, and unlike the clinical hospital room he’d expected, there wasn’t even a trace of disinfectant.

The only sound in the room was the rhythmic beep of monitors. Otherwise, it was completely silent.

Jian Ye twitched his fingers. Being bedridden for so long had stiffened his limbs, though not unbearably so—someone must’ve been working his muscles to prevent them from deteriorating too badly.

His lips weren’t overly dry either, likely because someone had been dabbing them with a wet swab.

Still, none of this could fully relieve his waking thirst.

Slowly, Jian Ye opened his eyes. It was midday, and the weather outside was clear. Sunlight poured through the window, making everything feel especially cozy.

The room was spotless and bright, decorated in warm tones—exactly his taste.

No one was here?

He glanced at the water cup on the bedside table; he strained to sit up but couldn’t.

Reaching out, he tried to grab the cup. It still had water inside, lukewarm—whoever was here couldn’t have left long ago, probably stepping out for something.

Jian Ye felt reassured. He clutched the cup, trying to lift it to his mouth, but he’d overestimated his strength upon waking.

His muscles were so weak he couldn’t even hold the cup properly. It slipped from his grip and hit the floor with a loud *thud*.

The next second, the door flew open in panic.

A figure he hadn’t seen in days suddenly filled his view.

Author's Note

Jian Ye: Hey~ hubby!

Yi Zong: !!!