Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Staring at the pig brain, Li Yanchuan let out a frustrated laugh.

“Song, Nian.”

He called his name through gritted teeth.

Song Nian happened to be coming out of the kitchen with a bowl. He heard the voice and saw the angry expression on his face, immediately realizing that his carefully prepared dinner had worked.

Bingo—

Meeting his reproachful gaze, he snorted disdainfully, turned his head away, like a haughty peacock, his nose in the air, boldly ignoring him.

Then he walked around him and sat down at the farthest spot from him.

At the rectangular dining table, the two sat on the long sides, so far apart that a whole buffet could fit between them.

This was clearly a little tantrum, unwilling to talk to him.

Our Song Nian has a temper too!

Fine, pretending not to hear me, huh.

Suddenly feeling his miserable afternoon was for nothing, and his guilt evaporated, Li Yanchuan let out a cold laugh.

He wanted to slam his chopsticks down in anger, but just as he moved, he suddenly stopped.

What if, like at noon, it made him feel hurt and he'd have to clean up the mess?

Thinking this, he silently lowered his hand and gently set the chopsticks down, then pushed his wheelchair to go back upstairs.

“What? Not eating?”

Seeing this, Song Nian slowly took a sip of soup, knowing the answer.

“If anyone needs a brain boost, it’s you.”

Li Yanchuan sneered and rolled into the elevator without looking back.

Oh ho, still talking back!

Watching the slowly closing elevator doors, Song Nian was enraged, made a face at him, and decided to give up on him.

Having gotten his small revenge, he even happily ate an extra bowl of rice.

And so, the two remained in a cold war, neither willing to break the ice first.

Actually, Song Nian wasn’t truly angry; he just felt that if he didn’t teach him a lesson, it would be unfair to himself for getting yelled at for no reason at noon.

That’s why he came up with this idea.

He had already braced for the possibility that Li Yanchuan wouldn’t show up for dinner and his plan would fail, but unexpectedly, he actually saw him.

So the plan went smoothly.

The only thing he hadn’t expected was that this guy couldn’t take a joke.

One rule for him, another for everyone else, huh.

And not only did he not eat, he also huffed and left.

Still, at least there was some progress; at least he didn’t smash a bowl this time.

Given Li Yanchuan’s pride and stubbornness, if Song Nian didn’t take the initiative to extend an olive branch for reconciliation, they might have stayed in this standoff forever.

It wasn’t worth risking their relationship over such a small matter. After sending the pig brain, Song Nian felt they were even, so he planned to go find him before bed and give him an out.

But how should he bring it up?

He stood outside his bedroom door, lifted his hand to knock, then hesitated and pulled back.

Get straight to the point? What if he ignored him or simply didn’t open the door?

He needed to think of a more tactful way.

Just as Song Nian was pacing back and forth in the hallway outside the door, pondering the best words to say, suddenly came a loud crash from inside.

There was a thud, like something heavy hitting the floor, followed by the sharp crash of breaking glass.

Even from outside, it was terrifying.

The sudden noise startled him, making his heart skip a beat.

He knew Li Yanchuan couldn't use his legs; if such a loud noise came from inside the room, something was wrong.

For a moment, he forgot about politeness or tact. Seeing that there was no response after knocking, he immediately started ramming the door.

He threw his shoulder and elbow against the door, adding a kick for good measure. Luckily, Song Nian was strong enough; after a few hard shoves, he finally forced it open.

The door slammed against the wall with a bang, as hurried footsteps rushed inside.

“Li Yanchuan, what’s wrong?”

The moment he spoke, Song Nian was stunned by the scene, frozen in place.

The room was a mess: the wheelchair overturned, a shattered glass, water spreading across the floor, soaking the tiles and drenching the man sitting on the floor.

Li Yanchuan’s shirt was soaked in a large patch, and his disheveled hair fell over his normally smooth forehead.

He seemed to be trying to push himself back into the wheelchair, but his legs gave out; after several attempts, he fell back each time, all in vain.

The once dignified and steady man was now so helpless and vulnerable.

“You—”

Song Nian swallowed and spoke tentatively.

“Get out.”

Hearing the sound, Li Yanchuan clenched his fists, then released them, only shot a cold glance and spat out two icy words.

“Let me help you up.”

As if he hadn't detected the venom in his words, Song Nian moved to help him up.

But before he could get close, Li Yanchuan's voice rose sharply:

“I said get the hell away! Didn’t you hear me!”

Hysterical roars, like the howls of a wild beast, intimidated and drove away anyone who tried to approach.

He lowered his head, panting heavily, his shoulders rising and falling violently, and his eyes tinged with a faint red, reflecting his emotional turmoil.

If the argument downstairs earlier was due to loss of emotional control, and still had room for compromise, this conflict was beyond any chance of reconciliation.

Because this was a side of himself he was unwilling to show anyone, no matter what.

Revealing weakness in front of others was like offering a vulnerable neck to an enemy.

This was something no hunter would do, and it was a survival lesson Li Yanchuan had learned over the years.

Once someone caught him in a vulnerable state, whether out of kindness or malice, he would bristle with a thousand thorns, lashing out with all the venom he could muster, to maintain the facade of strength he displayed.

Otherwise, he would only face mockery and contempt.

Especially in such a humiliating and ugly state, he didn't want Song Nian to see him like this…

He would surely think he was too weak now and run back to Li Wenguang.

Or he would mock him like everyone else, calling him a cripple.

At the thought, Li Yanchuan let out a self-deprecating smile, clenching his fists so tightly that deep marks dug into his palm, nearly drawing blood.

How he hated this powerless, weak version of himself, unable even to do the simplest thing: stand up.

"You…"

Startled by the sudden shout, Song Nian visibly froze in place, forgetting what he was supposed to do next.

He pursed his lips, then turned and ran out quickly.

Hah, should I say I expected this?

No one would approach someone who had no value to offer.

Li Yanchuan gave a weak, wry smile.

The world was like this, and human nature the same—sucking up to the powerful and preying on the weak.

When they couldn't get what they wanted, they discarded you.

Self-interest above all; everyone has an ulterior motive. How pitiful and lamentable.

But the next second, footsteps sounded in the corridor again.

Song Nian appeared at the door once more, a towel hanging over his shoulder.

Without a word, he strode forward, crouched beside Li Yanchuan, and reached out his hand.

That fair, jade-like hand offered not pain, but a rare gentleness.

He slid one hand under Li Yanchuan’s knees and the other under his armpit, then he suddenly exerted force, lifting the man up in one motion.

When Song Nian lifted him in a bridal carry, Li Yanchuan, who was usually unflappable, showed a distinct look of shock.

He wasn’t sure if he was more surprised at the man’s strength or that he hadn’t left.

The difference in their builds was obvious. Li Yanchuan was a full head taller than Song Nian—nearly 1.9 meters tall, and with years of regular exercise, he had a muscular, robust build with smooth lines—the classic "looks slim in clothes, but ripped underneath" physique.

Even now, confined to a wheelchair, that hadn't changed.

On the other hand, Song Nian not only had a fair, delicate face but also, because he rarely exercised, had a lean, slight build. There were even places where soft spots that yielded when pinched, and his skin was impossibly white, as smooth as milk.

Although he wasn't muscular, because his parents were often away when he was a child, he often had to carry heavy things on his own. As a result, his arm strength was well-developed.

So he could use his strength to work miracles and easily lift Li Yanchuan.

He carefully placed the man on the bed, then turned to clean up the mess on the floor.

It seemed that when Li Yanchuan tried to stand up, he accidentally fell from his wheelchair and knocked over the water glass on the table.

As Song Nian straightened the overturned wheelchair, he lost his footing and accidentally stepped into the puddle of water.

"Sss…"

His foot slipped, and he fell heavily, hissing in pain as he hit the floor.

But he just rubbed his sore knee, quickly got back up, and used a mop to carefully wipe the water off the tile surface, making sure the floor was completely dry before stopping.

Then, he rummaged through Li Yanchuan's wardrobe and found a clean shirt.

"Get out."

Watching the man in front of him, Li Yanchuan growled, still hostile.

But Song Nian ignored him, coming closer instead. His next move made Li Yanchuan's pupils contract.

—The man actually pulled open his shirt.

His muscles were exposed to the air, the water droplets glistening like a layer of wax, reflecting light. The smooth, defined muscles were on full display; his biceps and pectorals were exceptionally well-developed—strong and robust.

Song Nian couldn’t help swallowing—the guy was so well-trained he almost wanted to touch him.

"Don't touch me!"

Very unaccustomed to physical contact with others, feeling the warmth on his skin, Li Yanchuan snapped back to reality and swatted Song Nian's hand away.

Though this time he restrained his strength so it wouldn't leave a red mark on the back of his hand, his tone was still threatening.

But this time, Song Nian wouldn't be scared.

He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then yelled even louder:

"What are you yelling for!! Didn't I just fall down too?!"

"I wasn't trying to hurt you! Why do you have to be so loud?!"

His voice overpowered Li Yanchuan's, clearly drowning him out.

Now it was Li Yanchuan's turn to freeze.

He had never been yelled at to his face like this before. A flicker of confusion crossed his face before being replaced by gloom.

"You—"

"What about me? You want to yell again? Then do you want to see whose voice is louder?!"

Hearing that, Song Nian got even more worked up, practically shouting at the top of his lungs.

His voice was so loud it could shatter eardrums, like shouting right in someone's ear through a megaphone.

"You've got some nerve!"

"I've got nerve to spare!"

Seeing that the other person was still glaring at him, Song Nian grabbed his face aggressively.

"Say one more word and I'll kiss you, you don't believe me?"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"You bet I would! Say it again and see what happens!"

"You—"

Before Li Yanchuan could finish his sentence, Song Nian actually leaned down and moved closer.

His face inched closer until he could feel the warmth of the other guy's breath.

Was he actually going to kiss him?