Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Song Yuqiao looked into those dark, shining eyes, brimming with anticipation and joy, his own gaze deepening. "Yes, I promised Jia Jia."

"However, I have one condition."

Song Jianan pouted, annoyed—why so many conditions?

"Jia Jia must come home for the weekend."

Song Jianan shot him a glance, noting his intense, inscrutable gaze and an expression hard to decipher. He quickly averted his eyes.

Pursing his lips, he considered it carefully. Since Song Yuqiao was unwilling to end their arrangement, there was nothing he could do; after all, he was the one who had drafted and signed the agreement.

If he could return to living at school and put some distance between himself and Song Yuqiao, perhaps the year would be much easier.

It was only two days on the weekend. At worst, he could come up with an excuse to slip away. If he tried to bargain with Song Yuqiao, he would surely end up losing out, so he nodded in agreement.

The wound on Song Jianan’s neck was deeper than before, nearly tearing off a large piece of flesh. It had been disinfected, medicated, and bandaged. Before leaving, a nurse came to change the dressing.

The nurse’s movements were gentle, but it still hurt terribly. Song Jianan bit his lower lip, almost drawing blood.

Song Yuqiao stepped forward and took his hand. Though he said nothing, his eyes swept over the nurse with a cold, displeased glare, like sharp daggers.

The nurse was terrified, breaking into a cold sweat, and became even more meticulous in her movements.

Song Jianan paid no attention, instinctively gripping that hand tightly. His round, pink nails dug deeply into the broad back of the hand. Enduring the pain, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

The nurse packed up her medical supplies, explained the care instructions, and quickly withdrew.

Song Jianan lay on the bed, looking listless.

Ignoring the scratches on his own hand, Song Yuqiao took a tissue and carefully wiped the sweat from Song Jianan’s forehead.

The sight of Song Yuqiao made the pain in his neck feel even worse. Annoyed, Song Jianan turned away, rubbing his forehead against the pillow to wipe off the sweat. His voice, muffled by the pillow, came out: "I don’t need you to wipe it."

Song Yuqiao’s hand hovered mid-air. His expression unchanged, he casually wiped away the few beads of blood on the back of his hand and discarded the tissue.

After a few minutes, guessing that Song Jianan had recovered a bit, he spoke again: "Jia Jia, let’s go home."

Song Jianan felt weak all over and didn’t want to move, but he also didn’t want to stay in the hospital any longer. After lingering for two minutes, he reluctantly got up.

His steps were shaky as his feet touched the ground, so he walked much slower.

Beside him, Song Yuqiao matched his pace.

It was hot outside, but the car was air-conditioned.

Song Yuqiao found a light blanket and leaned over to cover Song Jianan with it.

Song Jianan didn’t refuse. Watching Song Yuqiao’s familiar features fill his view—features that were usually cold and severe when he was angry—he noticed Song Yuqiao now lowering his gaze, carefully tucking the blanket around him from the neck down.

Song Jianan watched for a moment, then turned to look out the window before Song Yuqiao could raise his head.

Song Yuqiao said, "If you’re feeling unwell, sleep for a while in the car. We’ll be home soon."

Song Jianan wasn't really listening to his words, but perhaps due to his poor physical condition, he gradually grew drowsy and unknowingly fell asleep.

His sleep was restless, and he woke with a start as soon as they arrived at Xihe Garden.

Still groggy upon waking, he didn’t react when Song Yuqiao bent down to carry him out of the car. Only when the sunlight hit his eyes did he jolt back to reality.

But Song Yuqiao was already striding ahead with him in his arms. The driver held an umbrella for them, walking with them all the way into the villa before returning to park the car in the garage.

Song Yuqiao asked, "Do you want to go back to the bedroom and sleep a little longer?"

Song Jianan shook his head. "No need."

Song Yuqiao settled him on the sofa and went to the kitchen.

Song Jianan didn’t feel up to doing anything but didn’t want to sleep either. After a moment’s thought, he turned on the TV and put on a random drama to watch.

He stared blankly at the screen, not even noticing when Song Yuqiao came by with fruit or when he left.

It was only when the housekeeper brought some snacks that he noticed the fruit on the table: blueberries, cherries, and watermelon cut into irregular small pieces. There wasn’t much, just enough for him to slowly snack on, though it would probably ruin his appetite for lunch.

The housekeeper said with a smile, "Mr. Song specially bought these snacks for you. They’re all natural and additive-free, so you can eat them."

Song Jianan picked up a few blueberries and slowly ate them. Glancing at the snacks, he recognized them—Song Yuqiao often included them in holiday gifts. They tasted quite good but had a short shelf life and had to be eaten quickly.

Seeing the table piled with food, he couldn’t help feeling like Song Yuqiao was fattening him up like livestock.

He popped another blueberry into his mouth and mumbled, "No need to go to so much trouble. I can’t eat that much."

The housekeeper just smiled. "Eat whatever you like. Save room—I’ll prepare lunch soon. A new hire is coming tomorrow. I hear they’re skilled at making soups, so they’ll make some for you."

Song Jianan didn’t argue, just nodded.

After all, whether it was the housekeeper or the new staff, they were all Song Yuqiao’s people and wouldn’t listen to him.

The housekeeper added, "If you’re bored and want to play with Legos, puzzles, or anything else, just let me know. I’ll prepare them for you."

Song Jianan shook his head and declined.

After chatting with the housekeeper and eating some fruit, he felt a bit better and opened his phone to reply to a few unread messages.

One was from Xie Mao, asking if he had sorted out his weekend gig for Saturday. Only then did Song Jianan remember. He quickly looked around, and seeing no one nearby, he pulled up the number he'd saved. Hesitating for a moment, he ducked into the guest bathroom to make the call.

The person on the other end seemed busy. After hearing his introduction, they hastily gave him the time and location before hanging up.

Song Jianan frowned, unsure if the other party had directly confirmed him. They hadn’t asked him anything—wasn’t hiring someone so casually a bit reckless?

Holding his phone, he thought he might as well go on Saturday and see what would happen.

At lunch, Song Yuqiao came downstairs, and only then did Song Jianan realize he had been home all along.

As usual, Song Yuqiao sat beside him. Song Jianan focused on eating, holding his bowl.

Suddenly, a serving of vegetables appeared in his bowl.

"Eat some vegetables," Song Yuqiao said.

Song Jianan hated his high-handed, know-it-all attitude—as if everyone had to obey him without question.

He glared at the vegetables in his bowl, picked them out, and tossed them into Song Yuqiao’s bowl, giving them back.

"I won’t eat them. If you want to, eat them yourself."

He decided he wouldn’t eat a single vegetable for the next few days.

Song Yuqiao looked at the greens, then at the furious look on the younger man's face beside him. He sighed to himself, averted his gaze, and ate the greens.