Chapter 147: I Want to Be with You

Chapter 147 I Want to Be with You

Zhuang Yao hadn’t yet snapped out of his shock when the man made another intimate move.

A cool, broad hand pressed against his entire forehead, covering it completely. The sensation was so soothing that the young man instinctively squinted his eyes like a pleased cat.

If not for his desperate self-restraint, he might have impulsively rubbed against it.

“Your fever hasn’t completely subsided yet,” Yi Sizhe paused, frowning.

He’d already finished one IV bag, and a third of the second one had gone through, yet Zhuang Yao’s body temperature still hadn’t fully returned to normal.

This illness had hit him hard, and Zhuang Yao could feel it himself.

His throat ached terribly, and the urge to cough was relentless.

Afraid Yi Sizhe would find him bothersome, he struggled to steady his breathing, suppressing the spasms in his lungs to reduce the frequency of his coughing.

“You were sick and didn’t eat all day?! What if you had collapsed at home?”

“…”

“Next time something like this happens, call me.”

Zhuang Yao, fragile and docile, endured Yi Sizhe’s lecture with a stern expression.

Yi Sizhe wasn’t truly blaming him—just unnerved by the thought of what could have happened.

Even the doctor had said it was originally a minor illness, but it had worsened due to neglect.

Zhuang Yao lived alone, and if something serious had happened, no one would have been there to help in time.

The mere possibility of such a scenario gnawed at Yi Sizhe.

Zhuang Yao gazed blankly at the man’s moving lips. Even if Yi Sizhe called him stupid, he’d find the words sweet.

He just wanted to hear him speak more.

His serious demeanor was irresistible.

For a moment, Zhuang Yao felt almost grateful for this illness. Though his body suffered, he felt strangely uplifted.

Since returning to the country, this was the first time he had been this close to Eldest Brother for so long.

His mind lingered on the sensation of their hands clasped together when he first woke up—that feeling had to be etched into his memory.

If Jian Ye found out about this, he’d probably laugh at him.

Getting all flustered, heart racing, over something as simple as holding hands—what twenty-something acts like this?

Seeing Zhuang Yao’s flushed cheeks, Yi Sizhe assumed it was just lingering fever symptoms.

The young man’s dazed look struck Yi Sizhe as both endearing and heartbreaking.

He was clearly still unwell, his mind still foggy. Yi Sizhe regretted scolding him so much while he was still recovering.

Zhuang Yao wasn’t his subordinate—he was an adult with his own dignity. His approach had been inappropriate; he’d overstepped.

If only he’d checked on him earlier, he might have noticed Zhuang Yao’s condition before it got this bad.

Zhuang Yao was still unaware that his lovestruck staring at the person he liked had been misinterpreted by the other, leading the man to engage in some harsh self-criticism.

He was currently over the moon, wishing time would freeze right there.

After indulging in his inner infatuation for a long while, he finally managed to blurt out a sentence—

"Brother Yi, thank you for bringing me to the hospital."

Yi Sizhe didn’t respond with "You're welcome" or "No need to thank me." Instead, he told him to rest some more.

Sick people are at their weakest and need more rest to recover their energy and strength.

With Yi Sizhe by his side, Zhuang Yao naturally didn't want to miss a second.

But the effects of the medication gradually made his eyelids heavy, his upper and lower lashes fluttering as they fought to stay open.

"Sleep. I won’t leave."

These words were like an angel's voice, saving him and allowing the tension in his last shred of willpower to completely relax.

His eyelids finally stuck together.

The young man looked even softer and more serene in sleep, quiet and obedient.

The man’s lips unconsciously curved upward, his stern expression softening into something tender.

When assistant Xiao Xiao entered the ward, he was met with this unexpected sight.

Having worked under the CEO for so many years, this was the first time he had ever seen the stone-faced CEO look so affectionate.

"President Yi, I’ve brought the food—"

"Shh."

The CEO’s expression changed in an instant, making Xiao Xiao clamp his mouth shut.

He set down the food and made a quick exit.

Xiao Xiao had enough tact to know that his presence wasn’t needed here right now—he should get out of the way.

It seemed he’d have to maintain this "be ready to vanish" attitude from now on. The president must have...

fallen for someone.

When Zhuang Yao woke up again, the room was empty.

His face immediately fell, a pang of disappointment filling his heart.

"You said you wouldn’t leave... *liar*..."

Just then, the sound of flushing came from the bathroom. Zhuang Yao startled, his neck involuntarily craning as he looked in that direction.

Yi Sizhe emerged after washing his hands, calmly setting up the bedside table as he spoke in an even tone, "I won’t lie to you again. Not ever again."

Zhuang Yao: "..."

Did he hear his earlier complaint?

But why the word "again"? Had he deceived him before?

Yi Sizhe seemed to know what the person on the bed was thinking. After setting the steaming dishes on the small table, he finally spoke—

"Back then, saying I wasn’t into men was just a cop-out. I had no thoughts about relationships in the past. Truthfully, I wasn’t interested in anyone."

He worried that hesitation would only pull the guy in deeper, afraid that giving hope would make him nurture more expectations...

So he just said he wasn’t into guys.

Only he knew gender wasn’t the issue.

"And now?" Zhuang Yao pursed his lips, staring the man down.

Yi Sizhe said it casually, like it was no big deal, but to Zhuang Yao, they were like thunder striking his ears.

Yi Sizhe was still serving him rice, but Zhuang Yao wasn’t in the mood to eat at this moment.

Seeing the man remain silent, he pressed further, "You had no thoughts before, but now... do you?"

Yi Sizhe placed a small cartoon spoon in front of Zhuang Yao. "You eating on your own, or do I need to feed you?"

Zhuang Yao lowered his head and saw the little green frog on the spoon’s handle. He froze, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Wearing frog pajamas didn’t mean he was into them, did it? Okay, maybe they were kinda cute. But being exposed like this in front of the man still made him a little embarrassed.

Whatever. This guy either clammed up or said things that hurt. He’d better stop pressing.

Zhuang Yao dreaded a reply even harsher than last time.

Like...

—I just want to be friends with you for life.

—You’re a good person. You deserve better, and you’ll definitely find your other half.

Zhuang Yao didn’t want his heart pierced again. Turning frustration into fuel, he shoveled food into his mouth.

His fever had killed his appetite, and he thought he’d have no appetite. But Yi Sizhe’s cooking hit the spot, easing the bitterness in his mouth.

Just as he was eating happily, the man suddenly spoke: "My thoughts now... are about you..."

Mouth full, Zhuang Yao’s eyes shot up in surprise.

About me... what?

"A-Yao... I’m yours."

The man’s eyes, once a bottomless void, now sparkled like the cosmos.

Zhuang Yao thought he’d misheard.

Did he mean what I think he meant? Could he have misunderstood?

The words looped in his head, over and over, as if played on repeat. Every word sent shivers down his spine.

Yi Sizhe hadn’t said, "I want to try with you," but "I want to be with you."

This wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment confession—he’d thought it through.

Now that he’d made up his mind about their future together, Yi Sizhe wouldn’t use uncertain words to make his partner uneasy.

If it were just about "trying," they’d already given it more than enough time over the past half year.

Yi Sizhe didn’t dislike this feeling—being in a relationship might not be as complicated as he had imagined.

Love required the same effort as work—it required seriousness, responsibility, and wholehearted dedication.

"I may not be great at romance yet, but I’ll learn. You know I pick things up quickly. I won’t let you feel wronged."

Zhuang Yao watched as Yi Sizhe made this earnest promise, his heart swelling with bittersweet emotion.

Had his pursuit… actually succeeded? The process hadn’t been easy. There were many times he wanted to cry but held back.

This was always a two-way street. Pining for reciprocation had been naive—he refused to guilt-trip anyone.

It wasn’t the first time he had hit rock bottom, so even if he fell deeper, there was nothing left to fear.

And just when he was in that desperate chasm, without any hope, the other man had swooped in like some guardian angel, lifting him up.

The oppressive darkness gave way—instead, the vast sky opened up, and a rainbow smiled at him from the clouds.

Zhuang Yao grabbed Yi Sizhe’s hand tightly, afraid the man might change his mind.

Yet he deliberately said, "You can still back out now. Are you sure you want to be with me?"

He hadn’t actually wanted to ask that…

He should have just accepted it naturally. What if Eldest Brother really regretted it?

After fighting so hard to hear "be together," Zhuang Yao could hardly believe it.

Was Eldest Brother under some spell today?

Yi Sizhe smiled faintly, squeezing the young man’s hand in return. "My word is my bond."

When the cold-faced handsome man smiled, it was spring thawing winter—pure magic.

Head spinning, Zhuang Yao was once again bewitched by his beauty.

"Okay, if you say it’s true, then I believe you."

The sudden movement had caused the needle in his hand to shift slightly, making the IV back up.

Yi Sizhe called a nurse to readjust it and then wouldn’t hear of Zhuang Yao feeding himself.

"It was my oversight. You’re on an IV—using just one hand is inconvenient. Let me feed you."

Flushing red, Zhuang Yao floated on cloud nine, his voice softening. "Okay…"

He was a goner.

It wasn’t his first time falling in love—before, it had been one-sided, so he could still swim ashore.

But now that he was really dating Eldest Brother, he sank straight to the bottom, sunk without a lifejacket in love’s deep end.

From now on, whatever this man said, he’d probably just nod and say "okay." Say no to Eldest Brother? Unthinkable.

He’d mocked Si Yu’s lovesick puppy act, but now the shoe was on the other foot, it was even worse.

Skip the beginning and middle—go straight to the endgame.

Eldest Brother said he’d learn how to date—how is he this cute?!

Zhuang Yao’s heart fluttered unsteadily as he stared at the man's face, watching the man feed him bite after bite.

He declared—this was the sweetest meal since coming back... no, the sweetest ever!

Zhuang Yao wanted to keep being fed, but Yi Sizhe wasn’t that foolish. Seeing the man already burping from being full, he stopped immediately.

"You can eat until you're full, but not until you're stuffed. Your digestion’s weaker when you're sick—you’ll need to move around a bit later."

"Okay~"

The young man beamed, his face dreamy, wearing a blissfully affectionate smile.

Yi Sizhe: "..."

Author's Note

Zhuang Yao: Who’s lovestruck? Me.

╭(￣▽￣)╮