Chapter 88

Faking an Injury

Boyfriend?

Xu Chenzhu was Chao Musheng's boyfriend?!

The two of them were a couple?!

Ms. Zeng closed her eyes and opened them again. Chao Musheng's assistant and the Xu president were still standing in the doorway. So it wasn't a hallucination.

Hearing Zeng Ning raise the misunderstanding again, Chao Musheng smiled awkwardly. How did the girl remember that so precisely? Being misunderstood didn't bother him personally — but Xu Chenzhu's position was different. Having a same-sex romance rumor circulating wasn't entirely appropriate.

"I've heard something of what you've been through, Ms. Zeng. I hope you recover well." Xu Chenzhu set down the fruit basket. "Your project with Kunlun can be pushed back a month. Rebuild your strength first, then return to it when you're well."

"Thank you, Mr. Xu." The collaboration with Kunlun had been Ms. Zeng's biggest worry. She hadn't imagined he would willingly delay the project by this much. "I'll do everything I can to complete it properly."

"Think nothing of it." Xu Chenzhu's mouth curved slightly. "I have a great deal of admiration for Zeng Ning. She is decisive and courageous, quick-witted and resourceful — and she put in a great deal of effort to protect you."

So Xu Chenzhu's generosity was something her daughter had earned for her.

Ms. Zeng looked at her daughter, who was wearing a slightly foolish smile, with equal parts pride and heartache. No mother could dislike hearing her child praised — but no mother wanted her child's growth to come at the cost of being hurt.

Zeng Ning flushed at Xu Chenzhu's words, though her eyes were bright. Even Uncle Chao's boyfriend had said she was good.

Xu Chenzhu had an important meeting to get back to the company for. After visiting Ms. Zeng with Chao Musheng, he returned to the rest room and changed into a formal suit.

"Mr. Xu." Chao Musheng was sitting on the sofa waiting when the rest room door opened. He turned immediately. "The misunderstanding with Ms. Zeng — I'll find a moment to clear it up with her."

"What misunderstanding?" Xu Chenzhu was adjusting his tie, looking down — as though he'd already forgotten.

Chao Musheng: "..."

Forgotten that quickly. So it truly didn't bother him.

"Ah." Xu Chenzhu considered it, then raised an eyebrow slightly. "You mean the misunderstanding where Zeng Ning thinks we're a couple?"

Chao Musheng nodded.

"I don't particularly care how outsiders see me." Xu Chenzhu adjusted his cuffs unhurriedly. "If it bothers you, Zhaozhao, I'll have Secretary Liu explain it to Ms. Zeng."

"As long as you don't mind, it's fine." Chao Musheng smiled. "Ms. Zeng is an intelligent person — she won't gossip about your private life. And once you have someone you like, she'll understand on her own that it was a misunderstanding."

"And you, Zhaozhao?" Xu Chenzhu took two steps toward him. "What kind of person do you think you'll like?"

"I don't know." Chao Musheng shook his head — and noticed a glint of green at Xu Chenzhu's cuff. "Mr. Xu — are those the cufflinks I gave you?"

"Yes." Xu Chenzhu gave a quiet laugh, his fingers brushing the cufflinks as he looked up. "These cufflinks — I'm very fond of them."

Chao Musheng's eyes curved into a smile at that. The best acknowledgment a gift could receive was to be genuinely liked.

"Boss." Secretary Liu knocked and came in. "The meeting starts in half an hour — we should head out now."

"All right." Xu Chenzhu looked at Chao Musheng and said suddenly: "This evening, I'll come back to the hospital and take you to see Ink Blob. Would that work?"

Chao Musheng blinked, then nodded. He hadn't seen Ink Blob in several days — he wasn't sure whether it still remembered him.

"Wait for me here, then." Xu Chenzhu's mouth lifted at the corner. "I'll come straight back after the meeting."

Secretary Liu turned around and fixed his eyes on the health poster on the wall with unwavering focus. He really should have waited a few more minutes before knocking — he was entirely surplus to requirements right now.

"Secretary Liu." Xu Chenzhu walked out of the ward, a residual softness still at the corners of his eyes. "Let's go."

Secretary Liu immediately noticed the cufflinks Xiao Chao had given him, back on the boss's wrist.

Naturally. Today was the monthly all-company meeting — headquarters leadership and every branch director would be present.

Important occasions call for meaningful accessories. He understood.

*

Shortly after Xu Chenzhu left, a nurse came in to set up the drip. Seeing Xu Chenzhu absent and only a nursing aide looking after Chao Musheng, she seemed mildly surprised. "Mr. Xu isn't here today?"

"He has an important meeting at the company." The cool liquid entering the vein made Chao Musheng curl his fingers slightly in discomfort. "Can I be discharged today?"

"We'll need to run a physical examination after the drip finishes, but the full blood count has to be done tomorrow." The nurse answered. "If all the results come back clear, you can proceed with discharge."

"Thank you." Chao Musheng exhaled. He'd spent these days in the hospital marinating in antiseptic smell, which was genuinely unpleasant.

Worried he'd be bored during the drip, the aide raised the table over the bed and positioned the laptop for him. "Mr. Chao — would you like to put on a drama?"

"It's all right, I'll find something myself." Chao Musheng noticed the aide was being rather more careful than necessary and gave him a smile. "Go sit on the sofa and rest — I'll call you if I need anything."

"Of course, Mr. Chao." The aide sat on the sofa and fixed his eyes on the drip bag without blinking, waiting to swap the bottle at the right moment, not daring to be inattentive for a second.

"Don't worry — this bottle will take at least an hour." Chao Musheng opened his laptop, amused by the aide's anxiety. "Relax."

The aide looked a little embarrassed. "Mr. Xu gave me very specific instructions about looking after you properly."

He'd expected someone arrogant and difficult. He hadn't anticipated anyone this easygoing.

Seeing he really wanted something to do: "How about peeling some fruit for me?"

"Of course!" The aide brightened immediately with a purpose.

Chao Musheng found a classic old film on his laptop and started watching. A few minutes in, his phone rang.

"Chao Musheng!"

The moment the call connected, his mother's voice came straight into his ear at full volume.

She used his full name. He was in trouble.

"Mom." He softened his voice as much as possible. "I'm here."

"Your dad and I are downstairs at the East City hospital. What floor and ward number?" The coaxing note in his voice took some edge off hers. "A twenty-year-old grown man doesn't get to wheedle — and wheedling won't work."

"Mom, dearest Mom, please don't be angry." He quickly told her the room number, hung up, and beckoned the aide over. "Help me hold the drip."

*

Curly Hair came out of room two having finished her cleaning and found Chao Musheng in the corridor in his hospital slippers, a nursing aide holding the drip behind him.

"Xiao Chao — Mr. Xu isn't around?"

If Mr. Xu were here, he wouldn't be letting anyone else hold the drip.

"He's at the company for a meeting." Chao Musheng was puzzled. "Why does everyone ask the same question as the nurse?"

Was it really that strange for Xu Chenzhu not to be in the room? He'd gone to the company to deal with things the day before yesterday too.

"Just asking." Curly Hair's gaze shifted. "Where are you rushing off to?"

She'd already worked out Boss Xu's feelings — she just didn't dare say it.

"My parents are here." Chao Musheng made a pained face. "I never told them I was in hospital. No idea how they found out."

So that was why Xiao Song and Chao-ayi hadn't appeared these past few days — they hadn't known he was ill.

She'd wondered about that. Ayi and Uncle treated Xiao Chao like the most precious thing they had — how could they have left him in hospital for days without a word?

Seeing how nervous he looked, Curly Hair sympathized: "You'd better get going. Since you're still on the drip, Ayi might not have the heart to scold you."

Chao Musheng hurried to the elevator, ran a hand through his hair a few times to make it look more disheveled and pitiful.

When parents are angry, the child who knows how to look miserable has the best outcome.

Chao Yin and Chao's father stepped off the elevator to find their son standing pathetically by the door.

The oversized hospital gown hung loose on him. The mop of hair looked like a small dog that had lost a fight. And this particular small dog was looking up at them with the most woeful expression imaginable. What parent could resist?

"What are you doing standing out here?" Chao Yin went to him and smoothed down his messy hair. "When you're on a drip, you stay in bed. Don't wander around."

"I was afraid you wouldn't find me." Chao Musheng tugged at her sleeve with his free hand. "Mom — you've been so busy lately, why come all the way to the hospital?"

"My own child is ill and I can't spare a moment? Please." She was simultaneously annoyed and tender. "Between the work trip on the cruise and now this — you've lost weight."

"You're right, I have." His father nodded in agreement. "When can you be discharged? Come home and let me make you some proper soup."

"Probably this afternoon." Chao Musheng walked them toward the ward. "After the drip they'll do a physical, and I'll need to come back tomorrow for the full blood count."

His father took the drip bag from the aide's hand. "Let me — you've been holding that a while."

"Not at all, not at all." The aide protested, waving him off.

Chao Musheng's parents were also remarkably good-looking.

Father handsome, mother beautiful — a striking family wherever they went.

You Jiu leaned toward Curly Hair and asked under his breath: "Are those Chao Musheng's parents?"

Curly Hair: "Yes."

"Xiao Juan." Chao Yin spotted her and waved. "Long time no see — come visit us when you get a chance."

"Hello, Chao-ayi." The tips of Curly Hair's ears went faintly pink. "I'll definitely come when I can."

She tugged self-consciously at her cleaning uniform and regretted very much that this was what she was wearing for a reunion with Chao-ayi.

That worthless Main God was entirely to blame.

But Chao-ayi didn't seem to find anything strange about her doing cleaning work — she said several warm things to her before moving on.

"Even Chao Musheng's parents know you this well?" Once the family of three had gone into the ward, You Jiu turned to Curly Hair. "How many surprises are you hiding that I don't know about?"

Curly Hair: "..."

"Say one more line that sounds like it came from a bad web drama and I will personally deal with you." She rolled her eyes and walked away.

You Jiu hurried after her. "Curly Hair, don't go—"

If she left, who would get him out when the time came?

He'd already used his Forced Exit card last instance. If he failed this one, he'd just have to wait to die.

*

"How did you find out I was in hospital?" Chao Musheng offered the fruit the aide had peeled to his parents. "Have some first."

"Sit on the bed and stay still. Don't move around like that." Chao Yin was pained watching him. "You'll injure the vein."

"Yes, yes." He settled obediently onto the bed. "I knew Mom was the one who cared about me most."

"You've used that line since you were small." She shook her head at him, half laughing. "You want to know how we found out? You're still on the trending videos. The lion one."

That morning she'd barely walked into her office before several colleagues asked if Xiao Chao was feeling better.

She'd gone online to find her son had gone viral — from every angle imaginable, he'd spent the entire day on the internet touching a lion's head.

Several colleagues had even assumed she was planning to put him in the entertainment industry, and had started hovering around her trying to mention a friend who worked as an agent.

She'd had to insist three separate times that he had no such intentions, and from the looks on their faces, she wasn't sure they believed her.

"So it was the videos yesterday." Chao Musheng studied his parents' expressions, confirmed the worst of the anger had passed, and continued: "It was just a fever from a cold — nothing serious. Please don't worry."

"Even if it's nothing serious, keeping it from us was wrong." His father put on a stern expression: "Sheng-sheng — no more of this, understand?"

"Understood!" Chao Musheng nodded emphatically.

"The two of you — stop ganging up on me." Chao Yin was unmoved. "These past few days in hospital, it's just been the nursing aide looking after you?"

"My boss and Secretary Liu were also here." He explained quickly. "They had to go back to the company for a meeting today."

What kind of boss stayed in the hospital to look after an employee?

Chao Yin sighed and decided not to call out the obviously unconvincing excuse. "I have work to get back to this afternoon. I'll leave your father here with you — I'll come back in the evening and take you both home."

"Mom." He looked at her with a winning smile. "I can't come home tonight."

"Not going home — then where?" She frowned. "You've just recovered. You need to rest properly."

"A few days ago I found a stray cat and it's been staying at my boss's place while I was here. I need to go pick it up."

"Picking up a cat takes an entire evening?"

Chao Musheng stopped short.

She had a point. How long did picking up a cat actually take?

Or — had some part of him just assumed Xu Chenzhu would ask him to stay?

And if Xu Chenzhu asked and he just stayed — wasn't that being a bit too comfortable making himself at home?

"Children grow up and have their own arrangements." His father speared a piece of fruit and held it up to Chao Yin. "As long as he's safe, that's what matters."

"As a child grows older, the first thing parents need to learn is to let go."

Chao Yin was quiet for a moment. "Your father is right. You're grown now — I shouldn't be trying to manage your life and choices. I'm sorry."

"You're looking out for me, Mom — how is that managing?" He grinned. "You can still ask me where I'm going when I'm eighty."

"How long am I supposed to keep worrying about you?" She laughed despite herself, got up, and ruffled his head. "The 时光 fashion event is coming up and I've been quite busy these days. Once it's over, the three of us will go out for a proper meal."

"Deal." He bumped his head against her palm. "Dad and I will do exactly whatever you say."

"Such a silver tongue — when you're older, don't you dare be a cad."

"Don't worry, Mom. I take after Dad — once I find someone I like, I'll be devoted."

*

After Chao Yin left, his father checked with the doctors about dietary restrictions, went to the market across the street, and used the little kitchen attached to the ward to make soup.

"Smells wonderful." The nurse came in to remove the cannula and caught the faint scent of broth. "Mr. Chao — is Mr. Xu making congee for you?"

"No, it's my dad." Chao Musheng smiled. "The soup he makes is delicious — have some when it's ready."

She glanced at the half-open kitchen door and smiled. "The hospital only has electric cooking equipment — for your father to get this much fragrance out of a setup this basic, he must be a very good cook."

As she spoke, the ward door opened.

Xu Chenzhu came in with his suit jacket over his wrist, loosening his tie as he walked. "Zhaozhao — sorry I'm late. I've ordered a nutritional meal from Sihai Tower — it'll arrive in twenty minutes."

He draped the jacket over the sofa and noticed an unfamiliar man's coat on the armrest.

A strange man in the room?

"Sheng-sheng." His father pushed open the kitchen door. "The doctor says you can't have anything spicy these few days — I haven't put any pepper flower in the broth—"

He looked at the man standing by the sofa. Somehow, he felt he'd seen this person somewhere before.

"Hello, Uncle Song." Xu Chenzhu pulled the half-loosened tie free and spoke first. "I'm Xiao Xu, a colleague of Zhaozhao's."

"Hello, hello." His father wiped his hands and gestured for Xu Chenzhu to sit. "You've come at the right time — I've made soup. Have some with us."

"Thank you, Uncle Song." Xu Chenzhu rolled up his sleeves. "I know a little about cooking myself — let me give you a hand."

Before his father could decline, Xu Chenzhu had walked into the kitchen.

Chao Musheng, sitting with a cotton swab pressed against the cannula site: "..."

He hadn't managed to say a single word?

The nurse looked at Chao Musheng, then at the kitchen, then smiled. "Mr. Xu is so considerate."

Chao Musheng felt there was something peculiar about the nurse's smile.

His father had assumed Xu Chenzhu's offer to help cook was polite deflection. It turned out he'd been being modest — this wasn't knowing a little about cooking; this was professional-level skill.

"Xiao Xu is an excellent cook." His father ladled the soup out. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"There's someone I like." Xu Chenzhu wiped the rim of the bowl clean. "He doesn't know my feelings yet."

His father smiled without knowing how to respond. He carried the soup to the table and found it already set with an array of dishes. "Xiao Xu — did you arrange all of this?"

"Uncle, these are nutritional meals the boss ordered from a restaurant." Secretary Liu stepped in from the doorway. "The boss was concerned Xiao Chao might go hungry with a late finish today, so he ordered ahead."

He made the introductions while he was at it: "Hello, Uncle Song — I'm Xiao Chao's colleague and the boss's secretary, Xiao Liu."

The boss's secretary?

His father looked back at Xiao Xu carrying dishes out of the kitchen, and everything fell into place.

A few months ago, at the Jinghua University anniversary, their principal had been invited to attend and had afterward shared a photograph in the staff group. In that photograph — Xiao Xu was sitting beside the Jinghua president, younger and better-looking than the other guests, and carrying himself with a quality the others didn't have. Even from a single glance at a group photo, the image had stayed with him.

With that understood, his father turned to look at Chao Musheng, and felt a warmth settle in him. Sheng-sheng hadn't lied to them after all. His boss really had been looking after him.

Managing a company the size of Kunlun and still finding time to personally look after Zhaozhao. Xu Chenzhu was, perhaps, somewhat extraordinarily decent.

"Thank you for taking care of Sheng-sheng." His father gave Xu Chenzhu a grateful smile. "Sheng-sheng is fine most of the time, but when he gets ill he becomes a little fussy. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Please just call me Xiao Xu, Uncle. Zhaozhao is one of the company's most capable people — he's helped us through a number of difficult situations since joining. Looking after him is not a burden." Xu Chenzhu set the food on the table and handed Chao Musheng his chopsticks and bowl. "I'm his superior, but I'm also his friend. Looking out for each other is only natural."

"Did you wash your hands?" His father watched how naturally Chao Musheng accepted the bowl and read the two of them in an instant. He was a man with no particular instinct for flattering authority figures — but he also wouldn't sit at a table waiting for his boss to hand him chopsticks and a bowl.

"I'll go now." Chao Musheng got up at once.

"Zhaozhao — wait." Xu Chenzhu rose and followed him to the sink. "Your left hand just had the cannula removed — don't get it wet yet. I'll wipe your fingers with a towel."

The water ran loud. Chao Musheng looked at Xu Chenzhu's reflection in the mirror and noticed, for the first time, how unusually long his eyelashes were.

The temperature was exactly right. Xu Chenzhu was thorough. Chao Musheng thought he could hear his own heartbeat.

"Mr. Xu — thank you."

"If I don't look after you properly, the R&D team leader will camp outside my office again." Xu Chenzhu released Chao Musheng's fingertips and dried the right hand too while he was at it. "Come — let's eat."

"Right." Chao Musheng looked down at his clean hands. The fingertips of his left hand brushed the back of his right.

Strange. Something felt different.

*

"I'm not like any of you." The player looked at the three of them without expression. "I don't care about these locals. Their lives and deaths mean nothing to me. I want to clear the instance."

"Nothing in this instance — from start to finish — says a player can clear it by killing a patient." You Jiu gave a short laugh. "If it were that simple, would the Main God offer fifty times the reward?"

No matter how many instances he cleared, he never stopped despising idiots.

"Didn't any of you notice? After one of our players was eliminated, the patient in room two woke up." The player looked pointedly at the three of them. "That kind of coincidence doesn't just happen."

"Your partner was eliminated in the morning. The patient in room two woke up after midnight that night." Curly Hair asked: "You're choosing to forget the hours between?"

"All this talk is just because you're afraid I'll go after the patients." The player smiled unpleasantly. "Of course — you're the public-spirited citizens of this world. Naturally you can't stand to see anyone get hurt."

"But are you really the public-spirited citizens of this world?" He'd been fed up with their attitude toward the locals for some time. "Are the people out there even people?"

"Are you? You showed all that compassion toward instance NPCs and still reached a high rank. What got you there?" He gave a derisive smile. "Your goodness of heart?"

"Yes — they are." Qi Shi answered. "The people out there are people. Living people."

"You've come up with quite a story just to stop me." The player pulled open the break room door. "If you three want to throw your lives away, that's your business. I still want to live."

He stood in the corridor, watching the family members moving back and forth — and let his gaze settle on an old man sitting in a wheelchair.

A new patient?

"Mr. Song." A bodyguard stepped in front of the old man. "Mr. Xu is attending to a patient and is not receiving visitors."

"I'm not here for Xu Chenzhu. I want to see my son and grandson." Old Man Song looked haggard, eyes clouded. "A father seeing his own children is the most natural thing in the world — isn't it?"

"We're Mr. Xu's bodyguards. We're not in a position to pass messages."

Old Man Song knew the bodyguards were deliberately making it difficult. But right now, the only person who could save Song Cheng was Chao Musheng.

The player drifted closer to the old man in the wheelchair. One small twist — and this old thing would die right here.

He threw appearances aside and shoved the wheelchair sharply backward, preparing to make a scene. "At my age, I—"

Something caught the wheel.

The wheelchair lurched. With a bang, it tipped over sideways and hit the floor.

The player, whose foot had just been run over: "..."

This old thing was trying to scam him.