Lu Shiming stared at Yu Qingchuan's face, trying to find some sign that he was lying.
Yet his gaze kept straying involuntarily to the blue-green, heart-shaped mark on his face.
To be fair, his face wasn't particularly ugly. His skin was fair and luminous, and his eyes were nicely shaped and quite large. But layers of flesh crowded his features, and his earlier arrogant expression had made him thoroughly unpleasant to look at.
Now, somehow, that overbearing arrogance had vanished, and he actually seemed rather sincere.
It almost made Lu Shiming believe what he was saying despite himself.
But... looking at Yu Qingchuan's rotund figure, Lu Shiming couldn't quite understand. Wasn't his brother's taste a little too extreme?
Their family had fallen on hard times when they were young, and their parents had died. His brother was five years older than him, and after that upheaval, he had quickly matured and raised him. But after Lu Shiming started university, his brother had grown increasingly busy with work, while he had been busy pursuing a double degree and participating in a student startup. The brothers hadn't kept in close contact.
So Lu Shiming genuinely knew nothing about his brother's love life.
But Yu Qingchuan had pursued him so persistently before, sending flowers and gifts, lavishing attention on him, and even trying to force him into a relationship. Had all of that really been fake?
"Then why did you..." Lu Shiming swallowed the words keep chasing me so relentlessly.
"I'm sorry, Shiming." Yu Qingchuan had fully slipped into the role of his brother-in-law, his gaze apologetic. "To be with your brother, I had to make everyone else believe it. I'm a pretty good actor. At least you believed me, didn't you? Shiming, I truly want to take care of your brother."
How Yu Qingchuan knew about Lu Shiyi's condition went back to this novel.
He had been an exceptionally talented art student who had made a name for himself at a young age. But while helping a young woman who was being robbed, the assailant had slashed his right hand with a knife. Despite the doctors' best efforts, the injury had left lasting damage.
His father, a painter, had been somewhat disappointed. Knowing that Yu Qingchuan could no longer follow in his footsteps, he had never visited him again, while his father's lawful wife had put on a show of deep regret when she came to see him.
As for the young woman who had been robbed, she had never shown her face at all.
Yu Qingchuan wasn't stupid. Vaguely sensing that something was wrong, he hadn't revealed that he could also draw with his left hand. From then on, he had concealed his name and opened a new personal account, supporting himself by drawing illustrations and novel covers.
This novel had been one of his commissions. The author had told him all about her ideas and the effect she wanted, and had also commissioned a picture of the older brother, Lu Shiyi. That was how Yu Qingchuan knew the plot.
Now that he had seen what Lu Shiyi looked like, if Yu Qingchuan ever managed to return to his own world, he would certainly be able to create a piece the author would love.
"I even studied nursing so I could take care of Shiyi," Yu Qingchuan added, strengthening his case. "If you don't believe me, how about I wipe him down right here in front of you?"
Lu Shiming still didn't quite dare to believe him, but he would be right here watching. Surely Yu Qingchuan wouldn't dare do anything too outrageous, so he agreed.
Yu Qingchuan immediately went into the private bathroom attached to the hospital room and filled a basin with water at a suitable temperature. He deftly took a clean towel, soaked it, and wrung it out until it was only damp.
Next, he had to undo Lu Shiyi's clothes.
Yu Qingchuan actually felt a little nervous. And up close, Lu Shiyi's looks were even more striking. He'd make such a perfect model! Without thinking, Yu Qingchuan reached out to trace his features with his fingers.
It gave Lu Shiming a strange feeling, as though his godlike, flawless brother was about to be defiled by a little chubby guy.
Fortunately, though, Yu Qingchuan wasn't that much of a creep. With steady hands, he unbuttoned his brother's shirt and began wiping him down.
His movements were indeed practiced. It was clear he had specifically trained for this.
It had been three months since Lu Shiyi's car accident. The doctors had determined that he was highly likely to remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life, because the crash had been so severe.
Over those three months, the once perfectly proportioned, tall, lean man had grown a little thinner. His sharply defined, sculpted abdominal muscles had gradually faded, but his skin was still supple and felt wonderful to the touch.
Yu Qingchuan did, after all, love beautiful things. Faced with such a perfect body, he couldn't help sneaking in a few little caresses as he wiped him down.
He felt so good!
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