But Yu Qingchuan did not want to tell Lu Shiming about his physical condition, so he brushed it off. "My old diet was heavy on oil and salt, which made me gain weight, so I went to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. He prescribed some medicine, mainly to help me lose weight."
Lu Shiming felt something did not quite add up. After all, the Yu family was wealthy, and wealthy families had their own nutritionists and chefs. They should have been very careful about what they ate, so how had his sister-in-law ended up eating a diet heavy on oil and salt?
Still, he did not press the issue and nodded. "Too much oil and salt really can do a lot of damage to your health, but you're still young, sister-in-law. I'm sure you'll get better soon. By the way, I need to go out this afternoon to work on a project. Are you going back to the office or staying home?"
Lu Shiming thought Yu Qingchuan seemed a little out of sorts, which was why he asked.
"I'm staying home," Yu Qingchuan replied.
He still could not stop worrying about Lu Shiyi, afraid that the moment he left, Lu Shiyi's body would begin to fail. He wished he could shrink the man down and carry him around, keeping an eye on him at all times.
"Okay." Lu Shiming nodded, then added reassuringly, "Sister-in-law, my brother will definitely be fine. You really don't need to worry so much."
Yu Qingchuan did not know where Lu Shiming got that confidence, but he was, after all, the male lead and the top. In the world of the novel, he was the world's favored son. Perhaps he could sense something.
Still, if Yu Qingchuan stayed here to watch over him, he could call the hospital immediately if anything happened. Besides, he had already gone through almost everything for the Yu Corporation's Smart Home project, so he had little to do that afternoon anyway.
"I understand." Thinking back on his earlier behavior, Yu Qingchuan felt he had overreacted. Unsure whether Lu Shiming would think he had overstepped, he apologized sincerely. "I'm sorry, Shiming. I overreacted just now."
Lu Shiming smiled. "Not at all. You just love my brother too much, sister-in-law. I understand."
At those words, Yu Qingchuan froze for a moment. He really did care about Lu Shiyi more than anyone else.
Yu Qingchuan had always been alone. He had no close friends, nor any family with whom he could share mutual love and care. And although his good looks had attracted plenty of admirers in his original world, he had never once felt his heart stir.
So he truly did not know how to put the word "love" into practice.
Yet now Lu Shiming was saying that he loved Lu Shiyi too much.
What did he feel for Lu Shiyi? Before, because he had wanted to avoid the issue, he had never thought it through carefully.
Now that he considered it, Lu Shiyi really did perfectly match his ideal lover. First of all, his looks were simply flawless. His features were sharply defined and handsome, with an intense masculine allure. Most people would not dare make themselves look that good even with beauty filters. Anyone with a serious weakness for good looks would be left staring.
"Sister-in-law, I'll head to work now."
"Oh. Oh, okay."
Lu Shiming cleared away the plates, washed the dishes himself, and left. The spacious house fell quiet again. Gentle afternoon sunlight streamed in, filling the room with warmth. Yu Qingchuan sat beside Lu Shiyi, glancing every so often at the heart rate monitor on the bedside table.
Lu Shiyi's heartbeat remained steady. He really seemed to be all right.
Yu Qingchuan held Lu Shiyi's hand. As he slowly relaxed, the exhaustion built up from his earlier emotional turmoil washed over him, making him drowsy.
So Yu Qingchuan changed into loungewear and lay down beside Lu Shiyi.
The bed in the master bedroom was wider and larger than the hospital bed, and its light gray embroidered four-piece bedding set exuded understated luxury.
The moment Yu Qingchuan lay down, he noticed something extraordinary. It felt as though he were floating on water, every part of his body perfectly supported by the bed. Oh my god, how could a bed be this comfortable?
He forced himself to get up and check the brand, searched for it online, then shut off his phone a second later.
Sorry. My mistake.
A bed with a seven-figure price tag was truly beyond his reach.
Lying on the comfortable bed, Yu Qingchuan soon fell asleep.
Once Lu Shiyi heard Yu Qingchuan's breathing settle into a steady rhythm, he slowly opened his eyes. The man who was usually so rational and composed was now impossibly tender. He controlled his body, turned his head, and pressed a light kiss to Yu Qingchuan's sleeping head. Then he carefully studied the little heart-shaped mark on his face. If he had been able to move more freely, he would have kissed that too.
As though sensing it in his sleep, Yu Qingchuan curved his rosy lips into a smile, looking utterly happy.
After an unknown amount of time, Yu Qingchuan suddenly startled awake. He felt the man beside him and, only after confirming that his body was warm and his heart rate normal, went back to sleep.
When Yu Qingchuan woke up, he felt full of energy and light all over. He checked the time and discovered that he had slept for a full two hours!
This bed was so comfortable. He had to buy one someday! Yu Qingchuan now had another reason to work hard.
Unable to resist, Yu Qingchuan pinched the tip of Lu Shiyi's straight, prominent nose and muttered, "Brother Yi, are you trying to make the rest of us feel hopeless? Not only are you handsome, with a great body and outstanding ability, but even your taste is this good!"
Although Lu Shiming was the protagonist of this novel, in Yu Qingchuan's heart, Lu Shiyi was the most perfect man.
If he had not been unconscious right now, Yu Qingchuan probably would never even have had a chance to cross paths with him.
"All these days have really been worth it!" Yu Qingchuan instinctively suppressed the fluttering feelings he had felt for Lu Shiyi earlier.
What was he thinking? How could Lu Shiyi possibly like him?
With a rare day off from work, Yu Qingchuan started drawing commissions again. His style was delicate and graceful, his character proportions precise and pleasing, and the eyes he drew were especially expressive and moving. The authors who received their artwork were dazed with delight. Aaaah, this is exactly what my baby looks like! Qinglindu's art deserves all the praise in the world!
Some authors even went to the authors' forum to show off, so Qinglindu rose to fame as an artist in just a few short days.
Yu Qingchuan's inbox was practically bursting. A quick look showed that he already had over a hundred commissions. Even though his prices were not particularly low, plenty of people still wanted to place orders.
He couldn't finish them. There was absolutely no way.
Yu Qingchuan had no choice but to post on Weibo explaining the situation. He said that there was only so much he could do on his own, and he could produce at most one illustration a day, so anyone in a hurry could cancel their order. The authors were stunned when they saw it. What? You can finish a character illustration in a single day? That speed leaves other artists in the dust! As a result, even more people placed orders.
Yu Qingchuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. All he could do was start accepting commissions in the order the private messages had arrived.
Before you continue