Life after leaving the old house was the same as before, but Li Shu noticed that Li Heyuan was working harder than before. It’s not that he wasn’t diligent before, but now he could feel that he was like a sponge absorbing water, desperately absorbing all the knowledge around him.
“Master,” Klaus held the documents from the lab, “there’s new research results from there.”
Li Shu’s gaze paused for a moment. “The message they sent today?”
“Yes,” Klaus was more excited than Li Shu himself, “Does Master want to go and see?”
“You arrange it, go as soon as possible.”
This was the last scene before the original plot officially began. In the original plot, the original owner rushed to the lab upon receiving the message, hoping to get the results he desired, but it turned out to be a bolt from the blue. This trip abroad completely shattered the original owner’s hope of recovery and exposed his condition to the Li family.
The lights in S City were brightly lit at night. Li Shu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the office, overlooking the street below. The traffic and people on the road were as tiny as dust, and accustomed to the view from a high place, who would willingly fall into the mundane world.
The original owner was unwilling. His pride did not allow him to give up, and his heart was fervently calling for progress and conquest, but his body had long already succumbed to the torment of illness.
That night, the pain that had not bothered him for a long time came again. Li Shu was woken up by sudden pain in his sleep. This attack was more severe than when he first entered this body.
The room was pitch black. Li Shu fumbled to turn on the bedside lamp, casting a faint light in the small space. His frail figure lay on the bed, his chest heaving violently.
The pain surged from his organs to his limbs, as if someone were wielding a hammer, pounding his body inch by inch relentlessly. Li Shu couldn’t bear the agony. His limbs refused to obey, and he couldn’t even reach for his phone.
The pain that had been dormant for over a month, now swept in aggressively, carrying a momentum that will not give up until it knocked him down. It wanted the man to become its prisoner completely.
Pale, slender fingers clutched the bedstead, and the veins on the back of the hand were clearly visible. The hand firmly grasped something that could be climbed, and the fingertips lost their healthy pink color under the strain.
Li Shu realized he had been careless this time. Though the original owner had experienced episodes of illness before, it was before the condition worsened so they were relatively mild and passed after enduring them. Li Shu had thought the pain would always be the same, but unexpectedly, the pain before and after was not the same level at all.
He didn’t know when this wave of pain would subside. In his past trials, Li Shu had suffered injuries and was on the verge of death more than once. He had experienced pain before, but it was different from the current agony. Perhaps because he was now in a mortal body, influenced by the original owner’s soul, his tolerance had weakened.
[Host, host, are you okay?] The anxious voice of 1314 rang in his mind, but Li Shu couldn’t muster the mental energy to respond. All his focus was on combating the pervasive pain.
Li Heyuan didn’t sleep that night. He felt restless, sensing that something was about to happen. Unable to sleep, he simply decided to get up and read a book.
As time passed, he didn’t feel drowsy but instead grew increasingly uneasy. It seemed that something he dreaded was happening to the person he cared most about, and was unfolding somewhere he couldn’t see.
The person he cared most about…
—Yes, Sir!
Suddenly, Li Heyuan stood up and paced around his room. His sense of unease intensified, and he couldn’t ignore it. Throwing on a piece of clothing, he walked out of the room with a clear destination in mind: Sir’s bedroom.
Dim lights illuminated the corridor from rows of small lamps in the corners. These lamps were only lit at night for the convenience of the master’s nighttime movements.
In the quiet of the spacious room, Li Heyuan felt a sense of panic. The sudden onset of loneliness swept over him, as if something very important was slipping away from him, something he didn’t want to lose.
He silently picked up his pace. In the silence of the corridor, the only sound was Li Heyuan’s own footsteps. The frequency of the footsteps was getting faster and faster, which showed the urgency of the owner of the footsteps.
Finally, Li Heyuan stood in front of the door.
The door was tightly closed.
Li Heyuan wasn’t surprised. As he raised his right hand, about to touch the door panel, he hesitated.
The courage he had just summoned seemed to have found an outlet and retreated entirely. It was already past two o’clock in the morning, it was rest time. Because of an uncertain idea in his mind, if he went to see sir at this time, would it disturb his rest? Was his decision too rash?
Li Heyuan wasn’t sure. He lowered his hand, but instead of leaving, he stood silently at the door, like a large guard dog guarding its master.
He felt uneasy, but he didn’t want to go back nor did he want to disturb Li Shu’s rest, so he could only stand at the door and wait.
After maintaining the same posture for a while, Li Heyuan felt his body protesting. He was about to change his position when he heard a “bang.”
The sound came from inside the room, like something heavy falling to the ground, emitting a dull thud.
Ignoring the numbness creeping up his legs, Li Heyuan rushed forward. “Sir!”
He received no response.
That was normal. Li Shu was already so tormented by pain that he had lost his awareness of the outside world. He couldn’t even hear the voice of the system in his mind, let alone the sound from behind the closed door.
Not hearing a response, Li Heyuan panicked. His sense of anxiety peaked at this moment. He no longer cared whether Li Shu would be angry. He gritted his teeth and opened the door to the room.
Contrary to Li Heyuan’s expectations, warm light filled the room, emanating from the bedside. When his gaze fell on the large bed, his pupils contracted sharply.
Where was Sir?!
Shifting his gaze slightly, Li Heyuan found Li Shu curled up under the bed.
In that moment, all his thoughts were wiped from his mind. Everything around him faded except for that person. That person was the only thing he could see in his eyes.
Acting on instinct, Li Heyuan swiftly moved to Li Shu’s side, half kneeling down to lift the huddled figure. “Sir?”
Still no response.
After a brief moment of panic, Li Heyuan quickly regained his composure. It was then that he realized how bad Li Shu’s condition was. His face was ashen, his lips devoid of their usual color, his eyes tightly shut, eyelashes trembling. Even in a semi-conscious state, he endured unimaginable pain.
Was his forehead sweating? Strands of hair stuck to his face, and Li Heyuan gently brushed them aside, lifting the man and placing him on the bed.
The person in his arms felt so light. When holding him, Li Heyuan realized how thin Li Shu was. His bones pressed against his hands, causing a slight discomfort. He felt like he was holding a delicate porcelain doll, exquisite yet fragile. Li Heyuan didn’t dare exert force, afraid that he might accidentally hurt him.
He didn’t know Li Shu’s current condition. Unfortunately, Klaus wasn’t around tonight, and given the situation in the Li family, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to casually call for an ambulance.
“Sir,” Li Heyuan whispered, watching the pale face in his arms.
Maintaining the same posture, he called “Sir” every two minutes. Li Heyuan didn’t dare to let go. Looking at the pale face of the man in his arms, Li Heyuan’s heart ached with each beat.
At this moment, he realized how weak he was, he was so weak that he could only watch helplessly as the person in his arms suffered, unable to do anything himself.
After an unknown period of time, just when Li Heyuan was anxious and about to call for emergency assistance, Li Shu slowly opened his eyes.
1314 breathed a sigh of relief.
“Sir!”
The boy’s voice could not conceal his surprise. Li Shu blinked and realized that he was being held in the boy’s arms.
“Cough, get me a glass of water,” Li Shu struggled but couldn’t break free from the boy’s embrace. The pain subsided, leaving him weak and unable to exert any strength.
“Okay.” Li Heyuan gently helped Li Shu sit up at the bedside and got up to fetch water. Maintaining a position for a long time had its consequences. When he got off the bed, Li Heyuan stumbled slightly, grabbing onto the bed to avoid falling.
He rushed off to fetch water.
Li Shu leaned against the headboard, closing his eyes to rest. Behind him was a fluffy pillow, placed there by Li Heyuan to ensure his comfort.
[1314, why is the male protagonist here?] Despite feeling tired physically, Li Shu’s spirits were high. He didn’t remember asking anyone to come over.
1314’s tone was complex: [The male protagonist has been here since you fell ill. He was standing outside the door before, and rushed in only after hearing you fall from the bed. He has been taking care of you ever since.]
Li Shu was stunned for a moment. In a daze, he had indeed heard someone calling him. He thought it was his imagination, but apparently not. Someone had been calling out to him all along.
Li Heyuan returned with warm water, and without hesitation, helped Li Shu sit up and brought the water to his lips.
After drinking, his throat no longer felt parched. Li Shu asked, “Has tonight’s incident leaked out?”
Li Heyuan pondered for a moment before realizing what Li Shu meant. “No, I was about to call for emergency assistance when you woke up.”
“You did well,” appreciation flashed in Li Shu’s eyes. “Tonight’s events must not be disclosed by you to anyone else, understand?”
The pain that pasted half the night had greatly impacted him. He felt weak when he spoke, but his gaze was commanding. Even though it carried appreciation, upon closer inspection, it revealed a ruthless threat veiled by admiration.
“Sir, rest assured,” Li Heyuan pretended not to notice and spread the blanket over Li Shu, “It’s cold tonight, sir, don’t catch a cold.”
The temperature was low at night, and Li Shu was drenched in sweat. It was all cold sweat. When his senses were dominated by pain, he didn’t feel anything. But now, he couldn’t stand it. He was sweaty, sticky, and very uncomfortable.
He pulled the quilt, and a large piece of the quilt that had just been arranged by Li Heyuan was lifted.
“Sir.” Li Heyuan pulled the corners of the quilt and tried to cover him again.
Li Shu resisted for a moment but didn’t push him away. With one hand clutching the quilt, Li Heyuan met Li Shu’s gaze, his eyes full of worry and stubbornness.
After staring at each other for awhile, Li Shu relented. “I sweated too much. I’ll go take a shower.” This was his way of explaining why he wasn’t covering himself with the quilt.
Normally, this wasn’t the right time for a bath, but before Li Heyuan could refuse, he saw the expression on Li Shu’s face because of the discomfort and changed his words. “I’ll go run the bath for you, sir.”
Seeing the male protagonist take the initiative, Li Shu nodded in approval.
It wasn’t the first time Li Heyuan had been to Li Shu’s room, but it was his first time entering the bathroom. After fumbling around inside for a while, he emerged with a flushed face.
“Sir, the water is ready.”
Li Shu’s legs were weak, and he had to rely on the male protagonist’s support to enter the bathroom smoothly. Inside, steam filled the air, and the white bathtub was filled with hot water. Amidst the steam, the bathroom was covered with a layer of mist and everything looked hazy.
“Sir, just call me if you need anything. I’ll be outside.” With the person settled, Li Heyuan stiffly walked out of the bathroom, his eyes fixed straight ahead, afraid to look around or think too much.
That was Sir!
But some things were beyond his control. Even though he reminded himself repeatedly, images kept popping up in his mind: sir with his collar unbuttoned, his snow-white skin, a hint of red…
Li Heyuan squatted at the door without any image, covering his burning face with his hands.
It’s over.
Li Heyuan heard the sound of the shackles being unlocked. On this night, he unleashed a beast destined never to be satisfied. This beast would forever be trapped in its confined space, roaring and struggling, unable to break free.
His eyes were darker than ink stone, and the huge waves rolled before finally calming into stillness.
The temperature of the water in the bathtub was just right, and Li Shu lay back, comfortably soaking in the bath. After feeling refreshed, he got out of the water. The hot bath washed away all his fatigue.
Feeling refreshed as he stepped out of the bathtub, Li Shu paused. It seemed he hadn’t brought clean clothes. He just wrapped himself in a clean towel. There was only him and a half-grown boy in the room. He could change outside.
When Li Shu emerged, Li Heyuan had hidden all the inappropriate emotions. Even so, when he saw the man with only a towel wrapped around him, his heart skipped a beat.
Collecting himself, he stepped forward to continue assisting the man. Li Shu didn’t resist, allowing him to help him to the edge of the bed.
Because he had just taken a shower, Li Shu’s body was hot. When Li Heyuan touched him, it felt like he was being burned by fire. His skin was warm and inviting, as if it had its own magnetic field, firmly attracting his hand to it.
As he sat the man down on the bed, Li Heyuan went to the bathroom to fetch a towel to dry Li Shu’s hair.
The boy’s fingers were warm and strong as they moved through his hair, sending tingles down his spine. Li Shu closed his eyes and curled his lips in enjoyment.
These hands vaguely gave him a sense of familiarity, but the feeling passed in an instant. He didn’t catch it, so he didn’t dwell on it.
“Sir, would you like to go to the hospital?” After enduring for a while, Li Heyuan couldn’t hold back and asked the question. He admitted that everything that had just happened had frightened him.
He didn’t want to see such a scene in the future. This time he was here, what if he wasn’t there next time? Had sir experienced such things repeatedly before? Did he have someone by his side when he was sick in the past? One thought after another swirled in his mind, and he couldn’t get rid of them.
He knew that these things weren’t his concern, but he couldn’t control himself. As long as something was related to sir, Li Heyuan couldn’t help but get involved.
Knowing the boy was concerned about him, Li Shu concealed part of the truth and told him, “It’s an old ailment of mine, no need to worry. There’s a specialist doctor in charge. I’m flying abroad in a few days. Can you manage on your own?”
Li Heyuan: “Is sir going for treatment? Sir, don’t worry, I can handle it alone.”
“Alright, you’ve been busy all night. Go rest.” The first light of dawn was already streaming in through the window.
By the time Klaus returned, it was already noon. With Li Shu going abroad, there were matters here that needed to be handed over, and some other arrangements to be made. The first thing Klaus did upon his return was to report the progress of his work to Li Shu.
With time pressing, Li Shu boarded the plane that afternoon. To the outside world, he was going abroad to follow up on a major project. Few people knew the true purpose of his trip.
When Li Shu left, Li Heyuan was in school attending classes. With more to study, he didn’t have much time to spend with his classmates. In the eyes of most students, this new student was quite “independent”.
After class that day, as Li Heyuan was preparing to leave as usual, he was stopped halfway by an unfamiliar boy. “This…Classmate Li, Brother Li has something to discuss with you.”
The boy said it was a discussion, but his attitude left no room for refusal.
