Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Shen Que looked at him with a mix of heartache and anger. Look how badly he’s been bullied! Yet, this fool was only worried about embarrassing him, never once considering himself.

Liang Yingzhang: "I only brushed against him."

He was the one who leaned into me. That slight contact couldn't possibly have hurt him, nor could it have knocked him down.

Hearing this, Shen Que grew even angrier: "What do you know? Chen Zui is frail. How could he withstand a push from you!"

Liang Yingzhang was even more stunned. He looked at this man, whose physique outclassed almost everyone present, and thought, "Frail? How could he possibly be frail!"

Shen Que’s men also gathered around, glaring angrily at Liang Yingzhang. Doctor Chen was the treasure of West Town; they absolutely could not let him be bullied!

Chen Zui: "Brother Shen, you don’t need to argue with anyone because of me. My shoulder just hurts a little, but it’s fine. It won’t affect my ability to treat everyone."

Ao Tian: "You’ve got skills like that?"

Chen Zui: "I don’t know why, but I feel a bit tired."

His previous profession wasn’t just about fighting; it also required understanding people’s minds. For someone like Shen Que, who protected everyone like a patriarch and was a straightforward man, playing weak was definitely the most effective approach—better than any other method.

Besides, there was another reason: he genuinely felt truly worn out, as if he hadn’t just arrived in this world after death but had instead done countless things.

Ao Tian: "Tired?"

Chen Zui: "I feel like I’ve worked for several lifetimes, done several lifetimes of labor."

So he wanted to adopt the simplest method, one that only required speaking to get things done. Just as Shen Que was about to lead the charge to continue fighting Liang Yingzhang, Chen Zui pulled him back.

"Brother Shen, I still need to go back and check on Xiao Wu. The treatment isn’t finished yet."

At that moment, not only Shen Que but even the other members of the Invincible Gang present felt that he was truly a devoted and dependable doctor, especially when it came to their gang members.

Hearing this, Shen Que finally suppressed his anger and snapped a threat at Liang Yingzhang: "This isn’t over. And if any of you dare harm our Doctor Chen again, even a single hair on his head, I won’t let you off!"

His men also looked ready for a fight.

Chen Zui was ushered into the car, with Shen Que’s arm around his shoulders and the others surrounding him protectively.

Left behind, Liang Yingzhang pressed his thin lips into a tight line. He had never been so wrongly accused in his life. That Doctor Chen… he would remember him!

——

On the way back, Shen Que massaged Chen Zui’s shoulders while grumbling: "You, you… next time, remember to hide behind me when you see fists. If you encounter danger, call for me. Don’t charge in recklessly. Does your shoulder still hurt?"

Chen Zui: "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Lao Xu from the passenger seat: "Doctor Chen, you can hide behind us too. We are your strongest shields."

Liu Ming, who was driving, echoed in agreement.

Chen Zui smiled somewhat sheepishly: "I understand."

Ao Tian observed the situation and thought, "Now that’s what I call being the group’s favorite." But Chen Zui’s earlier words had startled him. Still, working your whole life would indeed make anyone tired.

When they returned, they saw many people gathered around Xiao Wu’s sickbed.

Lao Xu: "Doctor Chen is here, make way."

The people lined up at the door stepped aside in unison. Chen Zui had previously given Xiao Wu basic emergency treatment, mainly setting the bone and stopping the bleeding. He then instructed his students to take Xiao Wu to the sterile room for more meticulous wound suturing.

After working for a while, Chen Zui emerged to find that Xiao Wu, who had been medicated, had fallen asleep.

Outside, not only had no one left, but the crowd had grown larger. Everyone looked very concerned, trying to gauge the outcome from Chen Zui’s expression.

Shen Que: "How is he doing?"

Chen Zui removed his mask: "The wound has been sutured. Now he just needs to rest and recover properly."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. In the past, such severe injuries often led to infections and a series of complications. They remembered a person who had fallen while building a house and died the same way.

The crowd looked at Chen Zui as if he were a savior; they practically wanted to put him on a pedestal.

Shen Que waved his hand: "Alright, everyone, disperse now."

The crowd looked in at Xiao Wu again, thanked Chen Zui profusely, and then left. Chen Zui had four apprentices who could take care of Xiao Wu’s daily needs, so no additional help was required.

Chen Zui prepared the medication Xiao Wu would need for subsequent injections, hand-writing the sequence while explaining everything to his four apprentices.

Shen Que observed the scene.

Medical care had always been his biggest concern for the town. Now, with Chen Zui here, that worry was put to rest. The moment he felt that relief, Chen Zui, still busy, glanced over at him. His eyes curved, revealing a hint of a smile, before he turned back to patiently answer his students' questions.

Though Chen Zui’s eyes were usually sharp, at that moment, they were very soft.

So gentle that Shen Que was momentarily lost in thought.

Ao Tian: "Favorability 10%."

After a busy day, in the quiet of the night, Shen Que, fresh out of the shower, knocked on the door of the infirmary. From inside came Chen Zui's pleasant voice: "It's open."

Shen Que's heart slightly skipped a beat at those words.

For some reason, he felt a little nervous as he opened the door, but once inside, he acted completely normal in front of Chen Zui: "How did you know it was me?"

Chen Zui placed a box of medicine on the shelf: "Maybe because Brother Shen and I are on the same wavelength."

Shen Que didn’t realize this was a flirtatious remark, thinking instead that they must have been close brothers in a past life to be so in tune with each other now.

Noticing Chen Zui was still wearing his white coat, Shen Que asked, "What are you busy with? Why aren’t you resting?"

"Just tidying up the medicine shelf."

All these medicines had expired, and only through his handling would they regain their efficacy, so Chen Zui needed to go through each one.

It was a big task, but fortunately, he didn’t have to handle them one by one—working with the boxes and bottles was enough.

Shen Que stopped his hand from reaching for another box: "Let the four junior staff handle this tomorrow. It’s late, and you’ve worked hard all day. You should rest now."

"Hmm... alright then."

Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom as Chen Zui showered, Shen Que knew that once he came out, his massage therapy would begin. Just the thought of it made his chest itch.

He scratched it a couple of times.

But it didn’t bring any relief, unlike Chen Zui’s hands.

As he scratched, he thought about the day’s events. He had doubled the number of people stationed by the river tonight, but this situation had to be resolved with Liang Yingzhang. This can't go on.

It's not like we can't give them some fish, but they have to offer something in exchange.

It seems necessary to have a negotiation. That's better than them stealing fish every few days; at least we can gain something in return.

After five years as a leader, Shen Que has become more diplomatic and considers things more carefully. Often, he can't just stand on principle; he has to think about the bigger picture. And that bigger picture is to get more benefits for East Town.

Chen Zui came out wrapped in a bath towel.

Shen Que looked over. Honestly, he couldn't see how someone with his build could be frail, but there are indeed tall, strong-looking people who easily fall ill.

There are such people in town, so Chen Zui might just be all show and no substance.

Chen Zui lifted a towel to dry his hair and hissed in pain as he raised his arm.

Shen Que, who had been watching him closely, asked, "Does your shoulder still hurt?"

Chen Zui rolled his shoulder a bit. "A little."

"Come here, I'll dry your hair for you." Shen Que shifted over, making room by the bed.

Chen Zui went over and sat down. "Thanks, Bro Shen."

Shen Que took the towel. He was mindful of his strength, as if Chen Zui were some fragile treasure. He was even afraid his rough hands might tug on Chen Zui's dark hair, so he made sure his hands never went beyond the towel to avoid direct contact.

Chen Zui closed his eyes, enjoying it.

He felt as if someone had dried his hair like this before.

"Brother Shen's future partner is lucky."

Hearing Chen Zui's teasing, Shen Que smiled. "Your future partner will be the truly lucky one."

"I'm not looking for a partner. I'll just follow you, Brother Shen, and help grow our Invincible Gang."

Shen Que's smile widened. "That won't do. How many people would be heartbroken? There are already people asking about you."

This was no joke.

Someone like Chen Zui should be snapped up quickly.

"Brother Shen, don't go playing matchmaker for me."

Shen Que: "Don't worry, I'll definitely find you someone who's right for you."

After drying his hair, Chen Zui began preparing for tonight's massage therapy.

He took the ointment from the bedside drawer. As he put on gloves, Shen Que had already lifted his shirt, revealing his toned upper body.

Chen Zui applied the ointment and began working it in. Today, before he could even spread and melt the ointment properly, Shen Que's breathing had already grown heavier.

He seemed unaware—unaware of Shen Que's reaction, unaware of his controlled reaction—and continued with the massage.

Because he was wearing disposable gloves, occasional friction against the skin produced a sticking sound in the quiet bedroom.

Fifteen minutes of massage therapy.

Shen Que's Adam's apple bobbed seven times, and he licked his lips three times. Chen Zui noticed it all.

But the problem area remained quiet. It seemed the condition was indeed serious.

Chen Zui was even a bit puzzled. How did Liang Yingzhang cure him in the book later?

Can love cure illness?

Chen Zui had never heard of such a thing.

"How do you feel today?" Chen Zui took off his gloves and cleaned off the ointment for Shen Que.

Shen Que's eyes seemed to be on fire, but the fire had no outlet, leaving him stifled. His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "Not bad."

Chen Zui: "It's only the second day. No rush."

Before bed, he went next door to check on Xiao Wu. That night, it was Song Luo, the oldest of his students, keeping watch. Seeing him, Song Luo updated him on Xiao Wu's condition, even down to how many bowls of rice he had eaten.

Chen Zui: "Thanks for your hard work."

Song Luo: "No problem. We're all family; it's only right to look out for each other."

In the bedroom, while Chen Zui was away, Shen Que secretly gave his member a squeeze, using the lingering sensation from Chen Zui's hands. There was still a bit of feeling.

Doctor Chen was right—men really do have sensation there.

Doctor Chen is amazing.

—

The next morning, Shen Que still couldn't resist taking out Chen Zui's treasure.

He glanced at Chen Zui while giving it a squeeze.

So it really is like this every morning. Envious, can't put it down, absolutely adore it. Looking at it, he even felt that Chen Zui was strong, impressive.

He remembered the scent he'd noticed on his hand yesterday—light, a smell he had never experienced before.

Shen Que pursed his lips.

He'd just take a sniff.

Just one sniff.

Thinking this, he leaned in—