Chapter 174

Chapter 174

The leaves had turned golden yellow and were drifting down, while the wind carried a hint of chill.

After treating a child who had scraped his knee, someone walked in carrying a bag.

"Doctor Chen, the weather's getting colder. I brought you some autumn clothes and a quilt."

"You're not in the best health, and seasonal changes make it easy to catch a cold. You need to take extra care."

The aunt showed him the clothes and quilt while offering reminders, as if she were Chen Zui’s own aunt.

"Thank you, Aunt Song. The clothes are really well-made, and the quilt is nicely sewn." Chen Zui obligingly held the clothes up against himself to check the fit.

Aunt Song beamed: "I’m glad you like them. Doctor Chen, you’re so good-looking—anything would look good on you."

"Alright, it’s noon now. You should take a good nap and get some rest. Aunt Song will get going first."

Chen Zui walked Aunt Song out, then took his new clothes and quilt upstairs and replaced the cooling mat.

Shen Que had taken a team out today. They would go out periodically to scope out new areas, hoping to scavenge for useful supplies. This trip was expected to take three or four days.

Ao Tian: "Oh, flying solo in an empty house, huh?"

Chen Zui: "Are you happy about that?"

Ao Tian: "No, I hope the two of you stay together always."

It would be their number one shipper!

—

Shen Que and his group arrived at the ruins of the city closest to the town. Although most buildings had collapsed, one could still see how prosperous it had once been—a grid of streets, endless rows of houses, and densely packed vehicles.

Over the years, the two towns had basically picked this city clean. There was nothing good left to find, so they had to range farther out.

Ideally, they would find medicine. They were already self-sufficient in terms of food, but items like medicine and fabric still had to be found outside.

The city wasn’t completely empty—some people still lived there. However, they would clear out of the way whenever they saw the Invincible Gang’s vehicles. As the major gang in the area, the Invincible Gang’s strength was well-known, and no one wanted to cross them.

Not long after leaving the city, a man staggered out into the road ahead and collapsed with a thud.

The vehicle stopped.

Xiao Xu ran over, turned the man over to check on him, and shouted back to the vehicle: "He’s not dead, just blacked out."

Seeing how skinny the man was, he added, "Probably from hunger."

Shen Que: "Bring him over."

The vehicle continued on, driving along what was left of the road, bumping like crazy along the way.

Shen Que closed the window, blocking the dust kicked up by the vehicle. He thought to himself, thank goodness he hadn’t brought Chen Zui along. Chen Zui wasn’t suited for such harsh conditions—he should stay in town and take it easy.

Thinking of Chen Zui, he smiled to himself.

But it seemed he still hadn’t managed to fatten him up. Recalling the man’s tight, well-defined muscles, he found it strange—he never saw Chen Zui exercise, yet he ate a lot.

Where did those muscles come from?

"Cough, cough..." Accompanied by coughing, the man they had rescued woke up, his eyes darting around before he went on alert upon seeing them.

Xiao Xu: "You fainted from hunger. We saved you."

Hearing this, some of the wariness faded, and he replied meekly, "Thank you."

He glanced at the man in the passenger seat—some people just had boss written all over them.

Xiao Xu proudly introduced them: "We’re the Invincible Gang. Where are you from?"

"The Invincible Gang..." The man’s eyes lit up, unable to hide his excitement. "You’re the Invincible Gang?"

Xiao Xu nodded: "Yeah, you’ve heard of us?"

Shen Que watched the sallow, skinny man in the rearview mirror. It wasn’t surprising that he knew of the Invincible Gang.

Unexpectedly, the man grew even more excited: "My name is Chen Zui! I’m a doctor heading to your town! I saw before that you were looking for a doctor!"

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop. Lao Lei, driving behind, nearly plowed into them. Fortunately, he was an experienced driver. He stuck his head out the window, yelling, "What’s going on?"

It got dead quiet inside the vehicle. Except for the man claiming to be Chen Zui, the other three were staring holes through him.

Shen Que’s gaze was drilling into him, as if trying to bore a hole through him. He was Chen Zui? Then who was the person sleeping with him every day? A sweet, soft little pastry that had come to life?

"On my way to your town, a man stole my vehicle and beat me up."

Mentioning the incident, this Chen Zui gritted his teeth, fuming.

Xiao Xu blinked a couple of times and looked at Shen Que: "Boss, does he mean Doctor Chen?"

Lao Xu: "How could Doctor Chen beat someone up? The guy’s a lightweight."

If nothing else, Chen Zui’s frail health was well-known throughout the town.

Lao Lei came over to check on the situation. After hearing Lao Xu’s account, he ran a hand over his beard, surprised, and looked at Shen Que, who had a slight frown and hadn’t said a word yet.

He then turned to the man claiming to be Chen Zui. If what he said was true, then the one in their town was a fake.

But even if he was fake, his medical skills were real—he could diagnose illnesses, perform surgeries. Those were the real deal.

Moreover, he hadn’t done anything bad. He diligently taught students and took patient care seriously.

On top of that, the boss was sweet on him.

Weighing it all up, Lao Lei patted this Chen Zui’s shoulder: "Step out. I need to talk to you."

The man climbed out of the vehicle, baffled, muttering, "You haven’t been tricked by him, have you? He’s definitely not a good person."

Lao Lei led him some distance away.

Xiao Xu: "What does Uncle Lei want to ask him? And why away from us?"

Shen Que watched Lao Lei and the man, recalling his previous tests of Chen Zui. If what this person said was true, then Chen Zui...

He saw Lao Lei pat the man on the shoulder. The man glanced in their direction, hesitated, but eventually turned and walked away.

Old Xu and Xiao Xu were baffled.

Lao Lei returned and shared a look with Shen Que.

Xiao Xu: "Why did Lao Lei leave? What did you say to him? What's really going on with Doctor Chen? But no matter what he says, Doctor Chen saved my life. I believe in Doctor Chen."

Lao Lei scoffed: "That guy was just spouting nonsense. I called his bluff and found out the truth. When Doctor Chen first came to our town, he found that guy starving and helped him out. They chatted a bit, and Doctor Chen mentioned some things about himself, which the guy remembered. When he heard we were from the Invincible Gang, he tried to latch onto us by deliberately throwing dirt on Doctor Chen."

Xiao Xu: "Tsk, what a terrible person! Lao Lei, why'd you let him go? I think we should've taught him a lesson."

Lao Xu: "I'll catch up with him right now and give him a beating."

Shen Que stopped him: "Forget it. A guy like that'd probably die from a beating. It’s not worth it."

Lao Lei agreed: "The boss is right. Not worth having a death on our hands over this."

Shen Que looked at the Xu father and son: "Don’t mention this when we get back, especially not to Doctor Chen. If he finds out that the person he kindly helped tried to scheme against him, he’d be heartbroken. His health is poor, and he can’t handle such shocks. You two, keep your mouths shut."

The Xu father and son simultaneously raised their hands and made a zipping motion over their mouths.

That was the end of the matter.

When Lao Lei left, Shen Que nodded at him.

He smiled: He was the boss’s wingman!

—

Four days later, they returned to the town and first delivered the items they had found to the warehouse.

Shen Que went back to his place to take a shower before heading to Chen Zui’s place.

Chen Zui was still awake, reading a book under the soft glow of a bedside lamp, nestled snugly under the soft blankets.

He looked very gentle.

Seeing this scene from the bedroom doorway, Shen Que felt all the exhaustion from the trip vanish instantly.

"Brother Shen, you’re back."

When Chen Zui saw him, his eyes crinkled into a smile. He put down his book and lifted the blanket, as if about to get out of bed to greet him.

Shen Que strode over quickly, pressing him back under the covers, and slipped in beside him.

"You’re still awake so late?"

Chen Zui shifted to make room for him, and under the blanket, the two men’s bodies pressed close together.

"Brother Shen, I couldn’t sleep without you here."

Chen Zui’s tone was normal, but Shen Que was already stirred up.

He felt like he had developed another ailment—a condition where his lower abdomen heated up whenever he saw Chen Zui.

"Brother Shen, what good things did you find on this trip?"

Shen Que stared at Chen Zui’s lips as they moved, drinking in his scent. He smelled so good.

"Brother Shen?"

Chen Zui nudged Shen Que’s arm, snapping him out of his daze. Shen Que rolled over toward Chen Zui, almost pinning him down.

"Let’s start the massage therapy."

Ao Tian: "Even a monkey isn’t as impatient as him. Such an eager beaver."

Chen Zui blinked in confusion, his fluttering eyes making Shen Que swallow hard.

Shen Que: "It’s too late today. Let’s just do a simple mouth massage therapy."

Aside from that time he forced a kiss on Chen Zui, the two had never properly kissed.

And now, for Shen Que, it felt like a reunion after a long separation, even more intense than a honeymoon.

Lying in Chen Zui’s sweet-smelling bedsheets, next to his sweet-smelling body, Shen Que felt so aroused he was almost drooling.

Shen Que froze for a moment.

*

He clenched.

Strange—it wasn’t just drool he was holding back, but wetness elsewhere too...

Why?

"Alright then, let’s begin tonight’s massage therapy."

Chen Zui’s words snapped Shen Que out of his thoughts. Eagerly and devotedly, he leaned in for a kiss.

He had already rolled on top of Chen Zui, one hand braced beside Chen Zui’s shoulder to support his weight so he wouldn’t crush him, the other cupping Chen Zui’s cheek, thumb pressing against his chin to tilt his head upward.

The kiss was urgent and full of desire.

It didn’t look like therapy at all.

Chen Zui let him take the lead, awkwardly playing along, his arms wrapping around Shen Que’s waist and back, fingertips brushing against Shen Que’s rear.

The medicine should be taking effect soon.

He had applied the same medicine to Shen Que’s chest, though in a smaller dose.

If he used too much, Shen Que would likely end up in a state of constant arousal, itching for "treatment" all the time.

That wouldn’t do.

After all, he was the leader of the Invincible Gang, the head of East Town.

So Chen Zui showed restraint.

His fingers deliberately scratched Shen Que’s back, leaving red marks.

The slight pain only fueled Shen Que’s passion, making him kiss even more fiercely, as if he wanted to devour Chen Zui.

The hand that had been braced beside him now wrapped around Chen Zui’s waist, fingers stroking his side.

Chen Zui deliberately deepened his breathing.

He was putting on quite a show.

It drove Shen Que wild, his eyes burning with desire, but his stomach trouble held him back.

All he could do was kiss.

The two kissed for a long time, their lips swollen and red before they finally stopped.

Shen Que felt like he was about to suffocate.

Chen Zui leaned against his chest, looking completely drained. Shen Que gently stroked his head.

“Chen Zui.”

“Hmm?”

“While we were out, we met someone else just named Chen Zui. He’s also a doctor.”

“He said someone stole his car and beat him up.”

Chen Zui: *That such a coincidence could happen, he never would've expected.*

Shen Que’s stroking hand paused: “What are the odds?”