CH 102

Chapter 102 – Failed Rescue Attempts

In the evening, Wei Chen felt that his dizziness had subsided. With the doctor’s permission, he held Chen Li’s hand and went for a walk in the park below the hospital. After spending a day in the white hospital room, Wei Chen felt suffocated. He needed to go out and breathe in the fresh air.

The current season had transitioned into late autumn. The cold air from the northwest would soon move southward. The tall trees seemed to anticipate the bone-chilling cold, so they had already withdrawn their branches and vitality. The leaves lost their vigor and gradually turned yellow. With a gust of autumn wind, they fell from the trees, marking the end of their brief lives.

On the pathways of the hospital park, leaves twirled and floated down, forming a pile on the black asphalt road, extending as the road continued forward.

Occasionally, a few elderly people in patient gowns walked hand in hand along the pathway. Some were seated in wheelchairs, pushed by their companions, wearing faint smiles on their faces. The arguments and blushing faces of their youth couldn’t compare to the peaceful companionship of their twilight years. Companionship, isn’t that what they called lifelong partners from their youth to old age? Accompaniment is the most enduring declaration of love. Walking hand in hand through a lifetime, even in the twilight years, it remains just as special.

Wei Chen and Chen Li were somewhat different from the other elderly people. Young couples rarely walked this peaceful stretch hand in hand, not because they didn’t want to, but because the pressures of modern life were too great. They were always in a hurry, with little time to spare, especially for a quiet stroll together as a couple.

Therefore, when Wei Chen and Chen Li walked on the pathway, they attracted many curious glances, and of course, some of those glances were due to the fact that they were both men.

Wei Chen and Chen Li, however, seemed accustomed to these stares. They calmly walked along the pathway. Occasionally, a yellowed leaf would fall from a branch, gracefully dancing in the autumn breeze, creating the perfect backdrop.

Warm autumn sunshine, sentimental yellow leaves, fingers intertwined—how heartwarming.

Later in the evening, the two of them went to the traditional Chinese medicine department of the hospital. They found an experienced doctor who examined Chen Li’s throat and prescribed medication for his vocal cords, as well as some herbal medicine for general health. Chen Li’s body was still weak, and herbal medicine might help with his recovery.

The old Chinese doctor assessed Chen Li’s condition and swiftly wrote a prescription that looked like a dragon’s dance and phoenix’s flight. When Wei Chen received the prescription, he couldn’t understand a single word apart from a few numbers.

Of course, the pharmacist and the old Chinese doctor worked in perfect harmony, instantly recognizing all the medicines listed in the prescription as they swiftly typed it into the computer.

When the electronic prescription was handed over, Wei Chen looked at the characters on the screen and then at the handwritten prescription from the old Chinese doctor, but he couldn’t make any connection between them.

Modern Chinese medicine hospitals are equipped with decoction rooms. Since Wei Chen was currently hospitalized, it was inconvenient for him to prepare the decoction for Chen Li. So, they decided to rely on the hospital’s decoction room to prepare the medicine.

Today, Chen Li was supposed to drink the first dose, so Wei Chen and Chen Li decided to wait at the Chinese medicine hospital for the medicine to be ready.

After about an hour, a nurse came over with the prepared decoction and instructed them to come back tomorrow at a specific time to collect the medicine for the following day before leaving.

Wei Chen and Chen Li then took today’s medicine back to Wei Chen’s hospital room, a journey that took only about ten minutes.

“Li Li, it’s time to drink the medicine,” Wei Chen considerately poured the brown herbal soup into a bowl and called Chen Li over.

Chen Li hesitated, remembering the difficult experience of drinking medicinal porridge during the first few days of their arrival in the capital. It made him reluctant to try the herbal medicine that had just been prepared. If the porridge was already so unpleasant, would the freshly brewed herbal medicine be even worse?

Chen Li cast a pitiful gaze at Wei Chen, as if pleading for mercy. But this time, Wei Chen remained firm and used a coaxing tone, saying, “You should drink it. Your throat is still hurting, right? It won’t be painful anymore once you drink it.”

Only then did Chen Li obediently walk over to Wei Chen, took the bowl that Wei Chen handed him, and cautiously examined the brown liquid inside the bowl as if facing a formidable opponent. Then, with a brave resolve, he tilted his head back and drank the concoction of Chinese herbal medicine.

After taking a sip, Chen Li didn’t taste any bitterness; in fact, it was somewhat refreshing. The cool sensation slid down his previously sore throat, easing the pain considerably.

Surprised, Chen Li looked up at Wei Chen, but Wei Chen lowered his head and sealed Chen Li’s lips with his own, playfully licking around for a moment before pulling away.

“We share the same suffering,” Wei Chen said. “But I don’t think this dose of medicine is bitter. The cooling sensation is quite nice.”

Chen Li, however, shook his head, indicating that the medicine was indeed bitter.

Wei Chen understood Chen Li’s intention and smiled, once again lowering his head to kiss Chen Li’s lips. This time, the kiss lasted even longer than the previous one. “Is it still bitter now?” he asked.

Chen Li nodded his head, indicating that it was still bitter. The bitterness extended all the way to the root of his tongue.

Granting Chen Li’s wish, Wei Chen kissed him again. This time, Chen Li actively responded, intertwining his tongue with Wei Chen’s.

They continued their intimate moment until an awkward cough echoed in the hospital room. They separated and turned their gaze towards the person standing at the door.

At the doorway stood Sheng Jiaqi, Zhuge Feng, and Zhuge Yu – the Zhuge brothers. They had stumbled upon Wei Chen and Chen Li kissing, and all three of them wore a slightly embarrassed expression.

“You… didn’t close the door, so we saw everything,” Zhuge Yu was the first to enter the room and speak. He didn’t want to witness such a passionate scene. They were already of a certain age and couldn’t handle it.

But what could they do? They felt helpless too. Who asked Wei Chen and Chen Li not to close the door when they were being intimate? They had just reached the door, and they were fed a mouthful of dog food.

“Yeah, next time… when you’re being intimate, it’s best to close the door and windows,” Zhuge Feng kindly reminded them. In fact, he was curious to see Wei Chen’s embarrassed expression.

However, Wei Chen and Chen Li acted as if nothing had happened. Wei Chen tidied up the medicine bowl and then looked at the three people who had entered, asking, “Is there something you need?” His tone was somewhat cold, clearly indicating that he was annoyed at being interrupted. There was no trace of embarrassment.

“We came to see you. But seeing you in your current state, we’re relieved,” Zhuge Feng continued. Wei Chen, in his current condition, didn’t look like someone hospitalized; he appeared to be immersed in a world of tenderness.

“Don’t worry about us, I’m fine. You can rest assured,” Wei Chen replied.

“We can see that,” Zhuge Feng responded.

By now, Zhuge Yu had approached Chen Li and carefully assessed him from head to toe. When he saw that Chen Li was perfectly fine, he let out a deep breath and said, “It’s good that you’re okay.”

In fact, this was not the first time the three of them had come to the hospital. When they received the news last night, they all abandoned their work and hurried to the hospital, fearing that something might have happened to the two of them.

When they arrived at the hospital, Wei Chen had already been wheeled into the ward. After hearing from the doctor that both of them were fine, they originally intended to go inside and check on them. However, as soon as they opened the door, they saw Chen Li sitting by the bedside, staring unwaveringly at Wei Chen with a look of deep concern in his eyes. They decided not to enter and instead give the couple some space.

To their surprise, when they purposely waited to finish their busy tasks before coming, the two were still entangled intimately, with the door to the ward wide open. It was simply audacious.

Chen Li shook his head at Zhuge Yu, and although he didn’t speak, Zhuge Yu could sense that Chen Li was telling him not to worry.

Unable to resist, Zhuge Yu reached out and touched Chen Li’s head. Seeing that Chen Li didn’t resist or avoid it, Zhuge Yu felt a surge of joy. He even choked up and said, “It’s good that you’re okay, it’s good.”

Although they had already heard from the doctor the day before that both of them had narrowly escaped danger, Zhuge Yu couldn’t help but feel a sense of lingering fear when he truly experienced it now. If Wei Chen hadn’t dodged in time, would his student have been injured?

Zhuge Yu genuinely cared for Chen Li. He had several students under his name, but none of them made him feel as heartbroken as Chen Li did. It was like feeling concern for his own child.

Chen Li was perceptive and could feel Zhuge Yu’s genuine concern for him. That’s why he allowed Zhuge Yu to approach and even let him touch him. When Zhuge Yu’s palm gently touched Chen Li’s hair, Chen Li felt a tremor. This unfamiliar yet warm feeling was different from the warmth he felt from Wei Chen. This feeling didn’t make his heart race, but it left him with a lingering attachment.

Chen Li looked at Zhuge Yu, and his eyes became slightly reddened, with tears welling up. Seeing Chen Li cry, Zhuge Yu felt at a loss and could only turn to Wei Chen with a pleading look, hoping that Wei Chen could help him.

Wei Chen understood Chen Li’s emotions to some extent and didn’t resist this time. Chen Li’s world was slowly filling up, and there would be many different emotions in the future. Wei Chen held Chen Li’s hand and gently squeezed it, offering comfort.

Chen Li’s emotional state came and went quickly. He was still in a state of confusion, and he didn’t have the mind to analyze it.

Wei Chen reached out and wiped away the tears at the corner of Chen Li’s eyes, his actions gentle and affectionate.

After confirming once again that they were both fine, Zhuge Yu and Zhuge Feng went back first because they still had things to do. Sheng Jiaqi stayed behind as he had something to discuss with Wei Chen.

“The matter has been investigated thoroughly,” Sheng Jiaqi said, his expression somewhat solemn. He felt responsible because Wei Chen would face retaliation due to the Changfeng Group incident.

“The person who crashed into you that day was He Keqiang. In order to prevent himself from backing down, he tampered with the brakes. Once the car started, even if he got scared, he couldn’t stop himself. When He Keqiang was rescued, his whole body was burned black. He was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, but the rescue attempts failed, and He Keqiang died.”

Sheng Jiaqi’s voice carried a heavy tone. Although the whole incident was He Keqiang’s own doing, there would always be a sense of lamentation when a life truly passed away.