Chapter 38

Chapter 38

As Chu Heng exited the arrivals hall, the crowd converged on him.

"Mr. Chu, is the online leak true? Are you and Ms. He Mingshuang secretly married and have a child?"

"How come you and Ms. He Mingshuang still haven't responded? Have you reached some kind of agreement?"

"Chu Heng, you liar! I liked you so much, give me back all the money I've spent on you over the years!"

"Chu Heng, is there some misunderstanding? Why aren't you clarifying? We're all waiting for your explanation. Don't you care anymore? How can you face your fans who support you?"

"Don't push! Stop pushing!"

The security guards struggled to shield Chu Heng, their faces flushed as they barely managed to hold back the relentless onslaught.

Chu Heng tuned it all out, decked out in a hat, mask, and sunglasses, he kept his head down and pressed forward. But the path ahead was firmly blocked; after more than ten minutes, he had only moved a few meters.

The security guards, linking arms to form a circle, were also drenched in sweat from the effort. Someone shoved a phone right in front of Chu Heng's face and demanded sharply, "Chu Heng, are you really dating He Mingshuang? Aren't you ashamed of selling your single image?"

Chu Heng stopped walking.

The crowd hesitated, then surged forward with even more excitement.

"If you push any closer, we'll call the police!" a security guard roared, which barely stopped the frenzied, dangerous rush.

The roar made everyone realize Chu Heng was about to respond. They stopped pressing and waited for him to speak, while simultaneously inching their phones and cameras forward.

"First, I haven't broken any laws or public decency rules. I have no obligation to report my private life to you," Chu Heng stared directly into the phone lens pointed at him. "Second, to the person who demanded compensation, DM me the bill on Weibo. I'll send you the money."

"As for anything else, no comment."

No matter how they pressed him afterward, Chu Heng offered no further response.

Finally seated in the car, everyone collectively let out a sigh of relief.

"Honestly, we kept this trip under wraps, how did they find out again?" Little Mei couldn't help but complain.

There was bottled water in the car. Meng Hui twisted off a cap and handed it to Chu Heng, who refused. Unfazed, Meng Hui set it down and opened a new bottle for Little Mei.

"Ah, thanks." Little Mei gulped down a few mouthfuls. Seeing Meng Hui also hand a bottle to Old Ding, who was driving, she added, "Xiao Meng, you're so considerate. I wish my future boyfriend could be half as thoughtful and gentle as you."

Meng Hui smiled sheepishly. "Sister Mei, don't tease me."

Little Mei continued, "But he'd need to be a bit thicker-skinned than you. Otherwise, I'd always feel like I'm bullying him, and that wouldn't be good."

Meng Hui blushed at the teasing, stammering and unable to form a reply.

Chu Heng glanced at him sideways, a faint, leisurely smile on his lips. "Someone who wants to be a producer in the future can't afford to be this easily embarrassed."

Meng Hui became even more flustered. "That's still a long way off."

"Not that far. I saw you getting along great with Teacher Zheng Chongyi," Little Mei encouraged him. "Xiao Meng, you're well-educated, smart, and everyone likes you. Have more confidence in yourself."

Little Mei genuinely had a good impression of Meng Hui. After listening to their back-and-forth banter, Chu Heng said to Old Ding, "Take them back first."

"Aren't we going back to the company?" Meng Hui blurted out. Seeing both Chu Heng and Little Mei look at him, he hurriedly added, "I mean, Brother Chu, you're going back to the company, right? I can just come with you."

Chu Heng didn't speak, just looked at him levelly.

Sensing the tension, Little Mei tugged at Meng Hui's sleeve and whispered, "Xiao Meng, don't forget, being Brother Chu's assistant isn't that demanding. Brother Chu is being considerate of us. You should go back and rest properly."

Little Mei deliberately emphasized the word "assistant," reminding Meng Hui not to overstep.

As assistants, they could relax and joke with their boss, but getting too familiar and interfering with the boss's decisions was a different matter altogether.

Meng Hui's face fell slightly, and he quickly apologized, "S-sorry, I just felt bad about taking more time off after having a break recently."

Chu Heng averted his gaze and ignored him.

He had a bad temper but rarely got truly angry. When displeased, he mostly resorted to sarcastic remarks, sometimes just giving a cold, silent stare.

So, seeing him like this, Little Mei felt a bit awkward but wasn't too surprised. She quietly comforted Meng Hui a few words, telling him not to take it to heart.

Meng Hui hung his head and mumbled an acknowledgment, then seemed somewhat distracted.

Old Ding dropped the two off at their destination and started driving towards the company. A few minutes later, he gestured with his eyes towards a black car in the rearview mirror and hesitantly spoke up, "Boss, it seems like a car is following us."

Chu Heng had already noticed. This black car had been tailing them since they left the airport. Initially, it kept a distance, but now it was getting closer and closer, practically riding their bumper.

The black car's windows were tinted, so Chu Heng couldn't tell who was inside. He simply said, "Ignore it for now."

Old Ding complied and continued driving quietly. However, as the car turned onto the elevated highway, the previously silent black car suddenly became brazen. It accelerated to drive parallel to Chu Heng's car and even rolled down its window.

Chu Heng only had time for a glance before several dark, long and short lenses poked out of the window, aimed directly at him through the glass, followed by incessant flashes.

Even through the tinted film, Chu Heng had to turn his head slightly to avoid being blinded. But in that moment of turning, he suddenly felt his body lurch, thrown uncontrollably to the side. Dizzy and disoriented, his forehead hit something with a crisp thud of flesh against hard surface. Before he could even register the pain, the car beneath him lurched and jolted violently again.

With a loud *thud*, the car came to a stop.

Chu Heng, holding his forehead, pushed himself up to find their car had crashed into the guardrail, the front half crumpled inward. Old Ding was clutching his left eye in pain, leaning over the steering wheel and gasping for breath, clearly also badly shaken by the sudden accident.

Seeing smoke start to rise from the hood, Chu Heng was alarmed. He quickly got out, opened the driver's door—fortunately, it was the passenger side that had hit the guardrail—and managed to pull Old Ding out.

After half-dragging, half-supporting Old Ding to a safe spot and calling the traffic police and fire department, he belatedly realized his shoulder and elbow were numb and aching, and his wrist was in excruciating pain.

Looking down, he saw his nearly-healed wrist was dislocated again.

Nearby vehicles had long since steered away, creating a vacuum zone around the smoking car. Some had stopped nearby, a mix of onlookers and those offering help.

Chu Heng scanned the area and found the black car that had been following them had already fled. He looked at Old Ding, who was hunched over, groaning softly in pain, and asked, "Are you okay?"

Old Ding, still shaken, was in pain all over, barely able to stand with Chu Heng's support. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he said, "Boss, just now, it felt like someone shined a laser pointer in my eyes."

The laser caused a burning pain in his eyes. He instinctively closed them, and when he opened them again, he saw the black car tailing them swerving aggressively close. To make matters worse, a car ahead inexplicably slowed down suddenly.

This was an elevated highway.

If they collided with both cars, he and Chu Heng would be the filling in a sandwich. Reacting on instinct and years of driving experience, he yanked the steering wheel hard to the other side, crashing into the guardrail.

Chu Heng's face instantly darkened. A laser pointer to the eyes, being forced into a car accident—this scenario was eerily similar to the tactics Meng Hui had used to scheme against him in his past life.

Chu Heng let out a cold laugh. Helping Old Ding lie flat on the road, he composed his expression and looked around.

The incident happened so suddenly; he had lost all his disguise and was quickly recognized by the onlookers. Many were filming with their phones. Chu Heng paid no mind and borrowed a warning triangle from one of the drivers.

The driver hurriedly handed it over. Watching Chu Heng calmly place the triangle dozens of meters away and walk back, the driver couldn't help but point at his forehead. "Um, you seem to be bleeding. Is it okay for you to walk around like that?"

Chu Heng wiped his forehead with his uninjured hand, coming away with a palmful of blood.

The driver handed him a wad of tissues, his tone as careful as if he were handling something incredibly fragile. "Maybe use these to put pressure on it and stop the bleeding for now."

It really wasn't an overreaction... this big star—who had abruptly stepped from the screen into reality—looked like he was about to pass out on the spot, with half his face covered in blood!

"...Thank you." Chu Heng was silent for a moment, only then starting to feel a bit dizzy. He took the tissues and pressed them to his forehead, then walked back and sat down beside Old Ding.

The traffic police and firefighters arrived quickly. Some kind soul had called 120, and an ambulance followed shortly after.

Old Ding, half-unconscious, was carried onto the ambulance. Chu Heng could still walk, so he climbed in himself.

Old Ding had a mild concussion and some scrapes on his legs. By the time both their injuries were treated and they were settled in the hospital room, an hour had passed.

The hospital rooms were all private. Chu Heng adjusted his position but still felt uncomfortable. He had always been healthy, rarely falling ill in both lifetimes, yet he had often stayed by hospital beds—first for his own mother when he was young, then for Chen Jinsheng's mother when he was older.

He had kept watch for long periods, only to eventually see them off. Thus, while Chu Heng didn't dislike hospitals, he wasn't fond of rooms filled with the smell of disinfectant.

He was still in his own clothes, with just some minor scrapes and cuts, so he got off the hospital bed and prepared to sit on the sofa nearby.

Just as his feet slipped into his shoes, he suddenly sensed something and looked toward the door.

Chen Jinsheng was standing there—or maybe Chu Heng had noticed him the instant he appeared.

He was dressed in his usual style: a shirt and pants. His breathing was slightly uneven, with two buttons of his shirt undone and his jacket casually held in his hand.

His gaze lingered on Chu Heng, sweeping over him from head to toe, pausing briefly on his forehead and wrist before he finally walked over.

Chu Heng forgot what he had been about to do, staring blankly as Chen Jinsheng approached.

He seemed to have lost some weight.

"Why aren't you lying down properly?"

Fingertips brushed lightly over the gauze on his forehead, warm breath close by. Chu Heng snapped back to reality. "How did you get here?"

Chen Jinsheng bent down, supporting his legs, and half-carried him back to the hospital bed. He pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed over Chu Heng's abdomen before replying, "I saw the news."

Chu Heng's life had been a whirlwind over the past six months, with his name repeatedly appearing on hot search lists. One moment, a headline about his airport response to the "Chu-He romance" had just surfaced; the next, news of his highway accident had overtaken the previous one.

Chu Heng immediately understood what had happened. He had no interest in reading the online discussions about him. After a moment's thought, he posted a Weibo update to reassure everyone of his safety, then put his phone aside.

He looked at Chen Jinsheng, who was silently watching him. Seeing that Chu Heng had finished, Chen Jinsheng naturally reached out to brush the stray hairs away from his forehead and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Chu Heng shook his head and shifted to the side, making room on half the bed. "I'm a little... sleepy. Stay and nap with me for a while."

Chen Jinsheng took off his shoes and lay down. A familiar, clean scent of soap instantly enveloped Chu Heng. Weariness washed over his entire body. Chu Heng shared half the blanket with Chen Jinsheng and leaned against him.

Chen Jinsheng lifted his arm to wrap around Chu Heng's shoulders. Once Chu Heng had settled comfortably against his arm, Chen Jinsheng pulled the blanket up to his chest, leaned down to place a light kiss on the top of his head, and whispered, "Sleep."

There was a thin scratch on his chin, the scab still fresh in color. Chu Heng leaned closer and sniffed—a faint scent of shaving foam immediately drifted into his nose.

Had Chen Jinsheng only remembered to shave when he heard Chu Heng was almost at the company?

He couldn't help but ask, "Have you been resting properly lately?"

Chen Jinsheng chuckled softly. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Chu Heng insisted, "Right now, I'm asking you!"

"Yes," Chen Jinsheng said. "I've listened to you—eating well, sleeping well, not overworking myself." He gently stroked Chu Heng's hair. "But you haven't done the same."

Chu Heng fell silent for a moment before murmuring, "Things will be better after this period passes."

He always said "after this period," but no one knew how long that period would be. Hearing this, Chen Jinsheng simply said, "Sleep. I'll take you home when you wake up."

The words seemed magical, and Chu Heng truly began to feel drowsy, soon falling asleep.

But Chen Jinsheng didn't sleep. Holding Chu Heng, his chin resting lightly on Chu Heng's head, the scene he had witnessed at the door lingered in his mind.

Chu Heng had lost weight. When he sat on the hospital bed, bending to put on his shoes, his spine pressed against the thin fabric of his clothes, making his frame appear even more slender. His lips were pale and pressed together, the gauze on his forehead making his face seem smaller. His lowered eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyes, accentuating the dark circles.

Seeing Chu Heng so fragile, all the tangled thoughts in Chen Jinsheng's mind vanished, leaving only tenderness and heartache.

Buzz—

His phone vibrated once.

Chen Jinsheng glanced at the bedside table—it was Chu Heng's phone. The caller ID lit up as the vibration continued.

Chu Heng mumbled softly, unconsciously burrowing deeper into Chen Jinsheng's embrace. Chen Jinsheng picked up the phone, intending to hang up, but his eyes caught the name on the screen.

He Mingshuang.

He frowned slightly, his fingers moving faster than his thoughts, and answered the call.

"Hello."

"...Is Chu Heng there?"

"He's asleep," Chen Jinsheng replied calmly.

He Mingshuang paused, suddenly realizing who had answered the phone. She smiled silently and said slowly, "Hello, Mr. Chen. This is He Mingshuang."