He was young, after all, and hadn't experienced much. Suddenly encountering such a situation, he panicked. Remembering the small balance left on his bank card, his voice rose a few pitches in nervousness.

On the other end of the line, Chen Shu paused imperceptibly upon hearing this. He immediately figured it was most likely Zhuang Yihan's doing. Leaning against the wall of the silent corridor, he spoke after a moment: "Don't panic. I have a friend who happens to study medicine. He helped pull some strings to arrange the hospital bed and the surgery. For now, just follow the doctor's instructions. I'll come over tomorrow to check on the situation."

Hearing this, Chen Ji felt as if he had taken a calming pill and finally settled down a bit. He let out a long breath: "So it was your friend. You scared me. Bro, you have to remember to come tomorrow. I'm alone... I'm a little scared by myself."

Chen Shu seemed to chuckle: "What are you afraid of? You're dirt poor, are you still afraid of being scammed?"

Chen Ji said awkwardly: "It's because I don't have money that I'm afraid of being scammed. If I have money in the future, I won't be afraid of people scamming me for trivial amounts."

Chen Shu said: "Anyway, take good care of Dad. I've sent some money to your account. Remember to transfer some back to Ah Nian so she has enough for living expenses. Also, give three thousand yuan to Aunt and have her take Ah Nian in for a while."

Seeing the severity of their father's illness, he would probably need a long time to recuperate after the surgery. Chen Ji would have to stay by his side to take care of his basic needs. They probably hadn't expected to be delayed for so long when they left. It was inevitably unsafe for his younger sister to be home alone, so it was better to have an elder look after her.

Chen Ji agreed: "Ah Nian has been borrowing the party secretary's phone these past two days to call and ask when we're coming home. I didn't dare tell her about Dad's condition. I'll call Aunt later and have her stay with Ah Nian for a while."

After speaking, he added with envy: "Bro, that friend of yours is really amazing. You have to remember to thank him properly later. I heard from the nurse that it's safer to have this kind of surgery at a major hospital, and that department head is very hard to book. He must have put in a lot of effort. Remember to tell him that if he ever needs help with anything in the future, he just has to ask. Our family will definitely be there for him."

Chen Ji's tone was naive, still carrying a trace of youthful simplicity. He never considered that if his brother's so-called "friend" could arrange so many things with a lift of a finger, how could he possibly need help from a poor boy like him?

On the other end of the line, Chen Shu couldn't help but let out a choked laugh. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees, and slowly sank down, burying his head in his arms. It was as if he found his younger brother's naivety amusing, yet peeking through the gap, there was not the slightest hint of a smile in his dark eyes.

Hearing his laughter, Chen Ji asked shyly: "Bro, what are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?"

Chen Shu lowered his gaze to the ground and spoke softly: "You didn't say anything wrong. Bro was thinking the same thing."

He had thought the same way in his past life.

He had to properly repay Zhuang Yihan, repay the person who saved his father's life, repay the person who allowed him to finish university without having to work so hard, repay the person who pulled him out of the mire and helped him reach greater heights. But what on earth happened in the end that forced them both into such a desperate dead end?

The corners of Chen Shu's mouth, hidden in the shadow of his arms, curled up slightly in a self-deprecating smile that was hard to conceal. Perhaps Zhuang Yihan had poor judgment and saved an ungrateful wretch. He didn't continue the call with his brother and slowly stood up after hanging up.

Outside, the autumn air was crisp and the sky was a clear blue. Chen Shu shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and glanced outside, feeling that the opportune moment was almost here.

...

Zhuang Yihan didn't get off work and return home until nine in the evening. He wearily took off his clothes, tossed them into the laundry basket, and went straight into the bathroom for a shower. When he came out, drying his wet hair, he saw the phone on the coffee table vibrating incessantly. It was a call from Chen Shu.

Zhuang Yihan's movements paused at the sight. He casually picked up the phone, answered the call, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. His voice was deep, with a hint of languor: "It's so late. Is something the matter?"

Anyone familiar with Zhuang Yihan knew that it was best not to call him after nine at night unless it was important. Just as he disliked suddenly assigning tasks to subordinates in the work group chat after hours, he preferred his private time to be quiet.

Chen Shu, of course, knew the other's habits. But in his past life, he had been too much of a rule-follower, which was why he had always remained on the periphery of the other's world. In this life, he was determined to break Zhuang Yihan's so-called rules and principles, bit by bit, to see if this cold person was truly so inviolable.

...If it were true, then he would finally respect Zhuang Yihan.

The thoughts in Chen Shu's mind were cold and playful. His deep voice traveled through the receiver, yet it carried a heavy hoarseness and hesitation: "President Zhuang, someone handled the hospital transfer procedures for my father today. Was that you?"

Zhuang Yihan lowered his eyes and nonchalantly lit a cigarette: "You're so sure it was me? What if it was someone else?"

Every time he smoked, he would think of Chen Shu. That person looked so young, yet his addiction seemed even greater than his own.

Chen Shu hummed softly. It was unclear whether it was because of the late hour or the unclear receiver, but that simple sentence was enough to make one's eardrums tingle and go numb: "I think it was you."

He was very certain.

Zhuang Yihan unconsciously reached up and pinched his ear, wondering what had gotten into him lately: "I have a friend who happens to study medicine, so I had him help arrange things. I've asked him; the surgery isn't high-risk, so don't worry too much."

The other end of the line went quiet for a moment. Only Chen Shu's breathing could be heard. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse:

"Thank you."

"Nothing to thank me for."

Zhuang Yihan smiled, smoke spilling from his thin lips, making his cold, sharp features seem even more unattainable:

"I told you, stay with me, and you can have whatever you want."

The words had barely left his mouth when the wail of a fire truck's siren suddenly erupted from a distant street, tearing through the silent night sky. The sound carried from afar, even affecting the reception on Zhuang Yihan's end. He frowned slightly and was about to close the half-open window when he suddenly stopped, as if he had noticed something.

Wooo—

The piercing siren had already driven off towards the next intersection, but its echo still lingered. Zhuang Yihan muted his end of the call, and then he heard the exact same sound coming from Chen Shu's side.

Just outside the entrance to the residential complex below was a road lined with French plane trees. Sheltered by the long, dense shadows of the trees, a silver sports car was parked quietly by the roadside. Leaning against the car door was a man in a black jacket. He was tall and slender, his gaze lowered languidly as the fingertips of his right hand tapped the phone screen, silently ending the call.

A gust of wind blew past, and the sound of the siren gradually faded into the night.

...

"If I hadn't noticed, how long were you planning to stand downstairs?"

Zhuang Yihan hadn't expected Chen Shu to show up downstairs. He leaned sideways against the entryway. The originally spacious area now seemed somewhat cramped due to the undercurrent flowing between them. The man outside the door was particularly tall, his hormonal aura intensely aggressive, making one subconsciously hold their breath.

Chen Shu stood outside the door, wondering if he was supposed to be following the 'gratitude' script now. He slowly raised his eyes to look at Zhuang Yihan. Even in the dim light, those foxy eyes were still astonishingly beautiful and bright. However, the slight redness of his eye rims could easily lead one to guess that he had been crying for a long time over his father's grave illness. He said softly:

"I just wanted to come and thank you."

Regardless of gender, the sight of red-rimmed eyes always tended to evoke softer emotions. Zhuang Yihan's gaze darkened at the sight. He suppressed the indescribable itch in his heart and asked with great interest: "Then why didn't you come up?"

Chen Shu paused: "I was afraid of disturbing your rest. I was planning to wait downstairs for a bit and then head back to school."

Zhuang Yihan snorted lightly through his nose, thinking what an idiot he was. He simply turned and went inside, took a new pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet, and tossed them onto the entryway rug: "Come in first."

Zhuang Yihan disliked being disturbed, so few people ever came to his residence. This was evident from the scarce number of guest slippers in the shoe cabinet. Normally, only Zhuang Yifan and the housekeeper would probably set foot inside. Even the Chen Shu from his past life had to get permission in advance to visit.

But he had, after all, stayed by the other's side for nine years. Even if he couldn't visit more than a few times a month, it was enough for him to become thoroughly familiar with this vast and chilly residence.

The layout hadn't changed, the furnishings hadn't changed, and even the Steinway Piano in the living room was just as it had been.

Seeing Chen Shu staring at the piano, Zhuang Yihan walked over and sat down on the bench. He casually played a few notes on the black and white keys, a hint of regret in his voice: "I bought it as a decoration. I don't really know how to play."

At heart, Zhuang Yihan didn't actually like business; he much preferred music. However, ever since his father's death when he was eighteen forced him to take over the family business, he never had time for such things again.

Chen Shu was inexplicably reminded of his past life. Zhuang Yihan had disliked his ignorance and crudeness, so he had hired many tutors to teach him—to play the piano, to paint, to learn etiquette. From fumbling at the beginning to becoming proficient, from a poor country boy to a business elite, no one knew how much effort he had put in behind the scenes.

Chen Shu had been very naive back then, thinking that learning those things well would make Zhuang Yihan think more highly of him. However, no matter how well he learned, it was always in vain; the other's gaze never lingered on him.

In his last life, after Jiang Xi got engaged, Zhuang Yihan had deliberately distanced himself from him. However, as fate would have it, at a business reception, he unexpectedly ran into Jiang Xi attending with his fiancée. The two of them looked harmonious and deeply in love, a truly happy and well-matched pair.

That seemed to be the first time Zhuang Yihan had met Jiang Xi's fiancée. After he returned, he fell into a slump for a considerable period. He didn't leave the house for half a month straight, turning down all social engagements and gatherings.

Chen Shu was truly worried and couldn't help but visit him. That was also the first time he had ever set foot in the room without Zhuang Yihan's permission.