Wanting a kiss

His physique went without saying. Before the accident, he had worked out diligently, leaving him with a perfect figure and well-defined, supple muscles that felt amazing to touch. On a slightly chilly early autumn night, he was a giant, temperature-controlled body pillow, just right for cuddling to sleep.

Although he had only held Brother Yi for two nights, he was already getting hooked.

He had never slept very well, especially after injuring his hand. He would often wake with a start in the middle of the night and have nightmares.

But when he slept beside Lu Shiyi, he slept straight through until morning.

How about hugging him before bed tonight? Brother Yi was a Vegetative Person anyway. He wouldn't feel anything.

Yu Qingchuan forcibly pulled his thoughts back. That was close-he had nearly started drooling.

He said to the elderly doctor, "Could I trouble you to write up a Pulse Case Record for me?"

He needed to keep some evidence.

The elderly doctor asked no further questions. He simply had his apprentice write out a Pulse Case Record with a fountain pen and hand it to Yu Qingchuan.

After thanking him again, Yu Qingchuan went to the dispensary to collect his packets of prepared herbal medicine.

He was to take one packet per dose, morning and evening, with each course lasting half a month.

He would return for a follow-up after that.

Yu Qingchuan also added the apprentice's contact information, so he could get in touch promptly if he experienced any discomfort while taking the medicine.

Carrying a full bag of liquid medicine, Yu Qingchuan couldn't squeeze onto a bus, so he took a taxi to drop the medicine off at Lu Shiyi's home first.

In the car, Yu Qingchuan opened Big-Eyed Boy. The Weibo post he had made last night already had fifteen or sixteen comments, all praising how beautiful his art was. When he opened his private messages, he found three or four authors asking about his rates.

Yu Qingchuan was already familiar with taking commissions. He offered them a twenty-percent discount and asked them to help promote him, threw in an extra chibi drawing, and explained his commission rules, promising to deliver the artwork within a week.

The authors then confirmed their orders, provided detailed character requirements, and paid their deposits. One even bought the sample illustration outright and promptly paid in full.

Hearing the payment notifications, Yu Qingchuan felt much better.

When he reached the house, Yu Qingchuan put the medicine in the fridge and began making lunch. He pan-fried a few slices of pork belly, which tasted fantastic wrapped in lettuce, then stir-fried some celery. One meat dish and one vegetable dish made a balanced meal, with two small coarse-grain steamed buns for his staple.

His stomach should have more or less adjusted by now, so he wouldn't get hungry enough to faint. But remembering the elderly doctor's words, Yu Qingchuan decisively chose to go see Lu Shiyi anyway.

He ate lunch early, and by the time he finished and reached the hospital, it was just time to feed Lu Shiyi his nutritional formula.

After feeding him and wiping his mouth, Yu Qingchuan thought for a moment, then registered an alternate account and contacted a small gossip blogger with several tens of thousands of followers.

Fishy must slim down: Hello, I've got some pretty bizarre dirt on a wealthy family. Would you be willing to post it?

His reasoning was this: what Su Ningyue had done was so secret that even if it came out, no one would guess it involved the Yu family. Besides, he would obscure some of the details.

Afterward, he would take the post and find a chance to negotiate with Yu Chenyi. He could leave the Yu family to Yu Qingluo, but the assets that rightfully belonged to him had to be given to him. He was fighting for them on the original owner's behalf. If Yu Chenyi refused, he would expose everything, even if it meant taking them all down with him.

Wealthy families generally dreaded scandals and would suppress them at any cost. Yu Qingchuan really didn't have many bargaining chips; he would also have to gamble on Yu Chenyi's conscience.

"Brother Yi, I'm going to put on an act. I hope everything goes smoothly." Yu Qingchuan thought, Should I watch some movies to learn a thing or two?

Lu Shiyi didn't know why Yu Qingchuan needed to put on an act. The little chubby guy was so tight-lipped that he couldn't glean any useful information.

But it wasn't hard to guess that it had something to do with whatever had made him cry before. Was he going to fight for what was his?

He desperately wanted to help. He had to wake up as soon as possible, even if he could only stay conscious long enough to issue a few instructions.

Fortunately, barring any surprises, Yu Qingchuan would still sleep beside him tonight. He could build up more energy and try to remain awake longer, ideally long enough to communicate with someone.

Lu Shiyi was beginning to discern a pattern: the more intimate their contact, the better he recovered. He had managed to make a sound that morning, and he probably could have said a few brief words, such as Yu Qingchuan's name. But he had been afraid of frightening the little chubby guy, so he had held back and only murmured an "Mm."

Still, Lu Shiyi was no longer entirely satisfied with contact limited to their hands. He began to crave other forms of intimacy, such as a kiss.

Yu Qingchuan had no idea Lu Shiyi was "working hard" to help him. Completely oblivious, he picked up his tablet and began drawing character designs.

Before long, the blogger replied that he was willing to expose Yu Qingchuan's wealthy-family secrets. Yu Qingchuan obscured some details and passed the juicy scoop along.

The blogger marveled: Dude, is this real? Even a novel wouldn't dare write something like this.

Yu Qingchuan pressed a hand to his forehead. He couldn't exactly tell him this really was a novel's world.

The blogger soon posted it on Weibo. Since his reach was limited and his followers weren't particularly active, it received few comments. Without paying to boost it, a tip of such uncertain authenticity wouldn't attract any attention.

But that was precisely what Yu Qingchuan needed.

He only intended to use the Weibo post as a last resort, a way to take everyone down with him.

Once that was settled, Yu Qingchuan called Yu Chenyi.

Yu Chenyi sounded somewhat impatient. "What do you want? I'm about to go into a meeting."

"Dad, there's something very important I have to tell you. When will you have time? Could we meet?"

Yu Chenyi was puzzled. "If you want to see me, just come home tonight. Why all the secrecy?"

"Dad, I know I've never been very likable. I'm not like my younger brother, who always makes you proud. I'm really sorry, Dad. But I want your attention too. Dad, I love you very much. Could we have dinner together, just the two of us?"

Yu Qingchuan sounded earnest and full of affection for his father. His clear, gentle voice was soothing over the phone, leaving Yu Chenyi momentarily dazed. How long had it been since his eldest son had spoken to him in that tone?

Oh, well. He was his son, after all. There was no harm in having a meal together.

But his schedule was packed for the next few days. He had drinks with business associates tonight, and tomorrow night he was hosting Liang Xingyao, the president of Starbright International, to discuss financing. After a moment's thought, Yu Chenyi said, "I'm free the evening after tomorrow."

"Okay, Dad." Yu Qingchuan smiled. "Then I won't keep you from your work. I hope everything goes smoothly for you."

Yu Chenyi gave an "Mm" and hung up.

Still, he couldn't help wondering what Yu Qingchuan wanted to tell him. Was living with Lu Shiming not going well?

At that thought, Yu Chenyi called Yu Qingluo. "Qingluo, go find Lu Shiming and discreetly ask how things are going between him and your brother."

Even if things weren't going well, he had brought it on himself, Yu Chenyi thought. It would serve as a lesson.

Still, he was his son. Even if he wasn't a favorite, that was no reason to let outsiders bully him.

Although Yu Qingluo was a year younger than Yu Qingchuan, he had been an academic prodigy since childhood. After skipping several grades, he had become Yu Qingchuan's senior at school. He was now also interning at the Yu Corporation, starting at the bottom, and Yu Chenyi often took him to various banquets. With his delicate, handsome looks and mild, unassuming disposition, he was well liked at the Yu Corporation.

Yu Qingluo and Lu Shiming didn't work on the same floor. Yu Qingluo was in the President’s Office, while Lu Shiming was on a project team and frequently went out with his coworkers to oversee projects, so the two had never crossed paths before.

After hanging up, Yu Qingluo suddenly pictured Lu Shiming as he had appeared a few nights earlier, smiling with such gentle warmth.

He called the project team on an internal line, confirmed that Lu Shiming was in the office, and went downstairs to find him.

Meanwhile, all Lu Shiming could think about was the feast his sister-in-law would make him that evening. He had barely eaten a few bites for lunch, deliberately saving room.

When he saw Yu Qingluo approaching and calling his name, he was rather confused. Who was this guy?

Lu Shiming hadn't been at the Yu Corporation long, after all. As an intern, he had never visited the President’s Office, and when he went to pick up Yu Qingchuan that night, he hadn't even properly looked at Yu Qingluo.

"I'm Yu Qingluo. Yu Qingchuan is my older brother. Could we talk?" Yu Qingluo asked.

His sister-in-law's younger brother? Sure, they could chat.

But what was he supposed to call his sister-in-law's younger brother?

Lu Shiming followed Yu Qingluo out onto the terrace. The sun was sinking in the west, blocked by the office tower and leaving the terrace cool and shaded.

Lu Shiming wore a simple white shirt and black suit trousers. His straight, well-proportioned figure was striking, and his short, glossy black hair set off his handsome face and bright eyes. Yu Qingluo forgot everything he had meant to say and blurted out, "If my brother is threatening you, I can help."