Chapter 57

Chapter 57

You Nan had no desire to indulge Yi Jiahe’s antics. It was getting dark, and the streets were filling with people heading home from work. Yi Jiahe might be shameless, but You Nan valued his reputation.

Yi Jiahe’s disdain was palpable. While the original character in the story might have endured it for money, You Nan found it unbearable.

At worst, if he ran out of money, he could always borrow from Jiang Songen.

He and Jiang Songen were so close now, even sharing a bed. Jiang Songen was incredibly warm-hearted and loyal to his friends; he might actually lend him the money.

So, why should he continue to tolerate Yi Jiahe?

However, the moment You Nan’s refusal left his lips, he felt his strength suddenly drain, and he began to fall uncontrollably to the ground.

Yi Jiahe, standing a few steps away, saw it and, without a second thought, immediately took two steps forward.

By the time Yi Jiahe fully registered what was happening, You Nan was already in his arms.

It was the first time Yi Jiahe had been this physically close to anyone outside his family. His back stiffened, and he lowered his gaze to the person cradled against him.

You Nan’s hands gripped Yi Jiahe’s arms tightly, his pale fingers appearing utterly helpless against the dark fabric of the jacket.

It seemed as though Yi Jiahe’s harsh, cold words had wounded You Nan, who was now trembling uncontrollably.

"What’s wrong with you?" Yi Jiahe asked, his voice laced with an inexplicable urgency.

He reached out to lift You Nan’s chin, his fingertips brushing against a dampness.

You Nan was crying.

As his face was lifted, his eye sockets and eyelids appeared red, and tears streamed down, one after another.

A sudden panic seized Yi Jiahe’s heart.

It was as if an inexplicable hurricane had swept through a calm valley, leaving the surrounding landscape in disarray.

Yi Jiahe couldn’t comprehend it, nor did he have time to analyze the emotion he was feeling.

At that moment, You Nan was utterly incapable of answering Yi Jiahe’s question.

The pain made him want to scream, but though he opened his mouth, no sound escaped.

Just moments before, he had felt an immense, crushing force, followed by an excruciating pain in his back that made his entire body convulse.

The sensation of pain was akin to a lashing—an invisible whip cutting through the void, leaving behind profound agony.

You Nan immediately realized this might be what the "veterans" referred to: the consequence of resisting the plot or allowing the native inhabitants of this world to discover something amiss—a death sentence.

You Nan was filled with regret. In his mind, he repeatedly pleaded, "Don’t hit me," and "I’ll obey." His hands clutched Yi Jiahe’s arm desperately, and his body instinctively burrowed deeper into Yi Jiahe’s embrace.

He hoped the "enforcer" would spare him, considering he was one of the main protagonists and that his remorse was genuine.

Yi Jiahe didn’t wear many layers in winter. He had a robust constitution, and his clothes were of good quality; just three layers kept him perfectly warm.

Therefore, he could distinctly feel the strength of You Nan’s grip.

If not for the excellent quality of his winter clothes, they might have been torn.

Yi Jiahe’s keen eyes noticed that You Nan’s fingernails had slightly lifted, though You Nan himself seemed oblivious.

Yi Jiahe’s eyelid twitched. He quickly freed You Nan’s fingers and pulled him closer, embracing him.

However, the moment he touched You Nan’s back, You Nan’s body shuddered. His head tilted back, eyes and mouth wide open, yet no sound emerged.

Yi Jiahe panicked.

He scooped You Nan up like a child, cradling his legs and carefully avoiding his back, then carried him into his car.

The young man even thoughtfully placed a hand above You Nan’s head to prevent him from hitting the car roof.

"Drive to the hospital!" Yi Jiahe commanded his family’s driver.

The driver had been discreetly observing his young master’s interaction with You Nan outside the car, witnessing whatever words the young master had spoken that caused the boy such distress.

The driver sighed inwardly.

Now, his young master’s urgent panic affected him too. Realizing something was seriously wrong, the driver immediately started the engine, pressed the accelerator, and the car sped off.

***

"There’s nothing physically wrong with the patient. Blood tests indicate he’s malnourished," the doctor repeatedly assured Yi Jiahe.

Their test results consistently showed this.

But Yi Jiahe refused to believe it. He had You Nan undergo several more examinations, not allowing anyone else to assist or support You Nan.

The results remained unchanged.

Yi Jiahe watched You Nan lying on the bed, brows furrowed in pain, a feeling in his heart he couldn’t quite describe.

"Everyone, please leave," Yi Jiahe said.

The surrounding doctors and nurses fell silent. They exited, closing the door behind them, leaving the space to the young master of the Yi family and his friend.

The Yi family held shares in this private hospital, making Yi Jiahe effectively a young master there.

Though they harbored some complaints, no one dared voice them openly. They had to obey his instructions.

Yi Jiahe sat by You Nan’s bedside, watching his freshly wiped face, now glistening with new tears. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists, then relaxed.

How could the tests show nothing?

If there were no physical injuries, You Nan wouldn’t be crying, wouldn't be in so much pain that he couldn't even make a sound, wouldn't be clutching his clothes so desperately.

Yi Jiahe glanced at You Nan’s bandaged fingers. His nails were intact, just a little bloody; they hadn't torn off.

If they had, how much more painful that would have been.

Yi Jiahe gently took You Nan’s hand.

You Nan’s fingers were pale, beautiful, and slender.

Compared to a woman’s hand, You Nan’s were larger, but next to Yi Jiahe’s own, they seemed quite small.

As Yi Jiahe was lost in thought, an unfamiliar phone rang.

He followed the sound—it was You Nan’s phone.

He picked it up and saw "Little Brother" on the screen. He answered the call.

A soft, gentle voice came from the other end, "Brother, when are you coming back? Did you go to Brother Jiang’s house?"

You Ruan was using the landline in the living room to call his brother, while 007, beside him, let out a huge yawn.

It had been startled awake by the incessant notifications of Energy Points being deposited—so frequent and numerous that it was taken aback.

It couldn’t understand why the usually stingy Yi Jiahe had suddenly given You Nan so many Energy Points.

Almost as many as Jiang Songen.

After You Ruan finished speaking, he waited about two seconds before an unfamiliar voice came through the phone.

"Hello, I’m a friend of You Nan’s. Your brother is with me now; I had something to discuss with him. I’ll bring him back tonight."

You Ruan nervously gripped the phone cord. "Wh-what is my brother doing right now?"

"Your brother is tired and sleeping. I’ll bring him back when he wakes up."

Yi Jiahe found a chair and sat by the bed, his gaze fixed on You Nan’s face.

You Ruan let out an "Oh," then the child asked, "Then what’s your name?"

The boy sat rigidly in the chair, his voice soft. "Yi Jiahe."

When 007 heard Yi Jiahe’s name, its tail shot straight up.

So that’s it!

You Nan is truly dedicated! After collecting Energy Points from the main character shou, he’s now going after one of the main character gongs too.

Amazing!

But later, when You Nan returned and recounted everything that had happened, 007 was so enraged it nearly exploded—it wanted to fight Yi Jiahe to the death!

After hanging up, Yi Jiahe realized that You Nan, lying on the bed, had opened his eyes at some point.

"What happened to you earlier? Why were you suddenly in so much pain?"

Yi Jiahe asked him.

You Nan didn’t speak. His eyes were still filled with tears—he was terrified by the pain.

You Nan had hardly ever been physically disciplined growing up, let alone subjected to the sudden, excruciating pain of a lashing.

He couldn’t bear it, yet he couldn’t even pass out from the agony; he had to endure it fully conscious.

All his resistance to the plotline was instantly wiped away by the pain.

The confidence and positivity he had painstakingly built under Yao Xianqing’s doting care were also beaten and frightened out of him.

By the time Yi Jiahe regained his composure, his hand had already reached You Nan’s face. You Nan instinctively closed his eyes, concealing the fear and terror within.

An inexplicable pang of guilt stirred in Yi Jiahe’s heart. He took a slow breath. "Are you… blaming me?"

Yi Jiahe averted his gaze, not daring to meet You Nan’s eyes. "I made a mistake today. I shouldn’t have argued with you."

"And I shouldn’t have forced you to do something you didn’t want to do."

As soon as the words left his mouth, both he and You Nan froze.

You Nan never expected to hear an apology from Yi Jiahe.

And Yi Jiahe’s expression was like a spilled palette—he hardly recognized himself. He had never voluntarily apologized to anyone before.

You Nan parted his lips, his voice faint. "Just say it."

Lying in bed, he said, "Whatever you want me to do, just tell me. Do you want me to smile?"

As he spoke, the corners of his lips lifted into a smile that bore a slight resemblance to Jiang Songen’s.

This was precisely the expression Yi Jiahe usually loved to see, yet for some reason, he now found it jarring.

Yi Jiahe reached out and covered the lower half of You Nan’s face, his palm brushing against something warm and soft.

Yi Jiahe started, his hand trembled slightly, but he didn’t pull away.

"Not today," the boy said.

Before he could continue, You Nan interrupted, "When I’m better tomorrow, or whenever I’m free later, I’ll smile for you again, okay?"

There was something in You Nan’s eyes that Yi Jiahe couldn’t quite decipher.

His voice, muffled against Yi Jiahe’s palm, was damp and warm.

Yi Jiahe released his hand, keenly sensing that You Nan’s words felt off.

He retorted, "That’s not what I meant."

He stood up. "Don’t overthink it."

"If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you. It won’t happen again in the future." He lowered his eyes.

Yi Jiahe took a card out of his wallet. "There’s 100,000 yuan in here. I’ll cover your college tuition. You don’t need to pay me back. Consider it compensation for upsetting you this time."

In truth, Yi Jiahe had prepared this card a while ago.

Back then, he hadn’t known why he was making it—now he finally understood.

Subconsciously, he had prepared it for You Nan.

It was only as he handed over the card that Yi Jiahe finally realized something was amiss within himself.

His attention toward You Nan seemed excessive.

Was he truly just angry at You Nan today because of Jiang Songen, or was it because of something else entirely?

Yi Jiahe’s heart suddenly felt disoriented.

The hospital room was too stifling. He could barely breathe.

"I’m going to step out for a bit. Rest well. I’ll take you back later."

You Nan reached out and took the card, clutching it tightly in his hand.

He heard the door close, then buried his face in the pillow.

Around 10 p.m., You Nan returned home. You Ruan opened the door and saw his brother accompanied by a handsome stranger he didn’t recognize.

This man was as handsome as Brother Jiang; they were handsome in different ways.

You Ruan stared intently at him, but after just a couple of seconds, the child looked away and moved to support his pale-faced brother, who looked unwell.

But someone else acted first.

Yi Jiahe crouched down and lifted You Nan like a child. "Where does your brother live?"

The child snapped out of it, his short legs quickly following as he pointed the way for Yi Jiahe. "Over here. Brother usually sleeps with me."

With his long strides and the small size of the room, Yi Jiahe reached the small, cramped bed in just a few steps.

At that moment, he pressed his lips together, his throat trembling. A huge wave of regret and sadness threatened to engulf him.

He now clearly realized that he had fallen for You Nan.