The brother-in-law who set him up

Lu Shiming listened carefully several times, certain it was his brother. He knew that tone all too well.

He immediately changed his clothes, grabbed his car keys, and ran downstairs without even stopping for breakfast, driving straight to the hospital.

His brother lay quietly in the hospital bed, no different from when he had last seen him. His complexion, however, looked much better, no longer so pale.

Lu Shiming's eyes stung. He walked over, took his brother's hand, and whispered, "It's so good that you can wake up, bro."

There were plenty of things he couldn't understand, but the most important thing was that his brother could wake up.

He immediately followed his brother's instructions, too, calling Liang Xingyao.

His brother had already been working with Liang Xingyao when Lu Shiming was in high school. Sometimes, when his brother was busy, Liang Xingyao would even attend his parent-teacher meetings.

So Liang Xingyao was another older brother to him.

"Shiming?" Liang Xingyao's rich, magnetic voice carried a hint of a smile. "What can I do for you? Has Shiyi woken up?"

"No, Brother Yao, there's something else I need your help with." Though Lu Shiming and Lu Shiyi weren't particularly affectionate as brothers, they did have a certain understanding, and he carried out Lu Shiyi's instructions perfectly. "Do you know the Yu Corporation?"

"Yes. Yu Chenyi has actually asked me to discuss financing tonight. You can come along if you're interested. Aren't you interning at the Yu Corporation these days?"

Lu Shiming thought about it. That was true. If he went, he could help his sister-in-law more effectively, so he agreed. "Sure. Thanks, Brother Yao. But my boyfriend is Yu Qingchuan, Mr. Yu's eldest son. They don't get along very well, though, so I'd like you to help him out."

Liang Xingyao paused. "Wasn't that kid pestering you nonstop before, driving you up the wall? How did he become your boyfriend?"

Yu Qingchuan's reputation was also a topic of conversation in high society. Everyone knew the Yu family had a good-for-nothing eldest son, fat and none too bright, who was worlds apart from their younger son, Yu Qingluo.

Liang Xingyao had met Yu Qingluo a few times and had a fairly favorable impression of the beautiful young man. After all, he liked stunning beauties, regardless of gender.

However, the Yu family was an established wealthy family. Though they were now on a slight decline, getting involved with their son would still bring plenty of trouble. A gentleman could appreciate beauty while maintaining his standards; Liang Xingyao never went looking for trouble, nor did he force himself on anyone.

Lu Shiming laughed. "Even the most resolute man can fall for a persistent suitor. After a while, I realized how great he was, so we got together."

"All right, as long as you like him." Liang Xingyao didn't interfere and readily said, "I'll have my driver pick you up tonight."

"Okay. Thanks, Brother Yao."

But how did his brother want Brother Yao to help his sister-in-law? How far was he supposed to go?

Was it the kind of thing where-this time, everything that belonged to his brother's partner had to be taken back?

Lu Shiming felt he had the right idea. His brother's partner was so wonderful that he deserved to have the whole world laid at his feet!

Yu Qingchuan, who had just finished his medicine, suddenly sneezed, nearly spraying it back out.

He rubbed his nose, inexplicably feeling as though someone had just set him up.

It took him quite a while to recover before the taste in his mouth became less bitter. He picked up his drawing tablet and drew for a while, then, half an hour later, grabbed a little breakfast and went out to buy his nominal father a gift.

Lu Shiyi's place was very close to the shopping district, only two kilometers away. To get some exercise, Yu Qingchuan simply walked there.

To avoid attracting curious looks at his face, Yu Qingchuan also wore a mask.

Sure enough, he blended perfectly into the crowd.

There weren't many customers on a weekday morning, but the sales assistants still served Yu Qingchuan with smiles.

Yu Qingchuan didn't want to buy anything too expensive. After all, he didn't have much money right now. After browsing, he bought a pen and an insulated cup.

Yu Qingchuan had a good eye, and both gifts suited Yu Chenyi's style without looking cheap. Several thousand vanished from his card in one go.

Still, for the sake of a peaceful life in the future, Yu Qingchuan felt it was well worth it.

Just as he was walking out with his bags, he caught sight of a long trench coat.

It was probably one of the brand's featured designs, displayed with a complete outfit in the center of the window. The light gray trench coat had clean, sharp tailoring and a structured cut that demanded a good figure, but Yu Qingchuan could tell at a glance that it would suit Lu Shiyi.

He imagined Lu Shiyi wearing it over a black shirt and suit trousers, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses resting on his handsome face.

Yu Qingchuan strode straight inside.

After explaining that he was buying clothes for a man over 185 centimeters tall, not for himself, Yu Qingchuan received the neatly packaged clothes and paid without hesitation.

Twenty-seven thousand. Expensive, but worth it!

He would have to work hard to earn money, though, because this money had come from Lu Shiming. He was really just using someone else's money to give a gift.

Once he earned his own money, he could buy things for Lu Shiyi... No, that wasn't right either. He didn't seem to have any standing to buy things for Lu Shiyi.

Yu Qingchuan wasn't someone who agonized over things, and he soon made peace with it. Just getting to know the two brothers was already a stroke of luck.

So Yu Qingchuan also bought Lu Shiming a hoodie and jeans that suited his age and style, planning to give them to him when he came over that evening.

After all, an elder brother's spouse was like a mother. Ahem.

However, Yu Qingchuan received a call from Lu Shiming saying he had a dinner engagement that evening and couldn't come over, so there was no need to make dinner. Yu Qingchuan didn't ask what it was about and simply agreed.

Since he didn't need to cook dinner for Lu Shiming, Yu Qingchuan went back to Lu Shiyi's place toward evening to take his medicine and eat. On his way back, however, he suddenly overheard some young nurses chatting, and the subject was none other than himself.

"Why does the eldest young master stay here every day? Isn't he dating the younger brother?"

"Could he be looking after his boyfriend's older brother for him? Oh my god, girls, can we ship this? Are there any similar stories we can get our fix from?"

"If only the eldest young master were as good-looking as the second young master. I really can't ship anything looking at his face."

Yu Qingchuan stopped, his eyes darkening slightly, and coughed.

The chatting nurses saw him and immediately fell silent, greeting him in trembling voices. "Young Master Yu..."

"I'm looking after Shiming's older brother for him. Any other questions?"

"N-no..." The young nurses shook their heads repeatedly.

Keeping his face cold, Yu Qingchuan headed toward the ward, silently apologizing. Sorry, girls. I have to keep a straight face, or these rumors will only get stranger.

Still, the hospital really was inconvenient. If only Lu Shiyi could go home.

Little did he know that Lu Shiyi was thinking the same thing. It pained him to see Yu Qingchuan making several trips a day. Although this was a premium hospital room, it still wasn't as convenient as home.

If he went home, his eventual awakening wouldn't attract much attention either.

But to send Shiming a message, he needed to recharge. In other words, tonight, he would need another kiss.

Lu Shiyi secretly looked forward to it.