He really knew how to keep his cool

Smoke filled the kitchen. Cheng Yue turned off the stove, cranked up the range hood, and put the used dishes in the sink.

Once everything was cleaned up, he fetched some elegant food containers from a high cupboard, set them out on the table, and began filling them.

It was a bright, sunny day, the scorching heat enough to fray anyone's nerves. As soon as Cheng Yue entered the lobby, a refreshing coolness washed over him.

He had come before the rush. With lunchtime still a while away, the inpatient building was sparsely populated. Access gates stood at the entrance to the elevator corridor, with two saber-carrying guards stationed beside them.

Cheng Yue's years in Capital City hadn't been for nothing. He didn't have many connections, but he had enough.

One phone call, and in less than two minutes, he had secured an electronic access code.

Under the soldiers' stern gazes, Cheng Yue made it smoothly to the gastroenterology floor.

The military general hospital was huge, with several inpatient buildings alone. Building 6, which Cheng Yue was visiting, stood in the western part of the grounds. Without a car, it had taken him half an hour to walk there from the main gate.

Compared with the noisy bustle of the ordinary wards, this building was so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat.

Cheng Yue had just stepped out of the elevator when the young nurse at reception stopped him. "Hello, are you here to visit a patient?"

He was about to answer when the electronic doors beside them slowly slid apart, revealing several uniformed soldiers following closely behind a refined-looking man.

The nurse's friendly smile vanished in an instant. Her expression turned solemn as she stood at attention and saluted.

"Good afternoon, sir!"

The soldiers, who had already reached the elevators, raised their hands in return, standing tall with an imposing air.

Caught in the middle, Cheng Yue looked utterly bewildered. "..."

Should I salute too?

His gaze abruptly met that of the refined man in the jacket. Standing inside the elevator, the man gave him a slight smile and a nod.

Before Cheng Yue could respond, the soldiers blocked his view.

Once everything had settled down, the nurse returned to her earlier pleasant manner. "Which patient are you here to see?"

Cheng Yue said nothing. "..."

When would I ever learn to change expressions that smoothly?

"Ji Huaijin."

The nurse had already memorized the patients' information. At his answer, she immediately took out a visitor registration form, maintaining her smile throughout. "Of course. Please fill this out."

Unlike the registration at their residential complex, this one covered practically every piece of information that could identify him.

His name, phone number, ID number, workplace, home address-to be honest, if not for the enormous five-pointed star on the wall behind her, Cheng Yue would never have handed it all over so obediently.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Mr. Ji is in room 1309. Go all the way to the end of the ward area on your left, and you'll see it."

The nurse handed him a key card and reminded him to return it to reception before leaving.

The corridor was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Cheng Yue instinctively softened his footsteps. Nearly every room he passed had its door shut, except the second-to-last, which stood slightly ajar, offering a hazy glimpse inside.

Before he got close, he heard a low, rich voice from within, speaking fluent English.

Cheng Yue stopped in his tracks, instinctively turning sideways against the wall and pricking up his ears to listen.

He might have been a bona fide university graduate, but he had given all his English back to his alma mater after graduation. After listening for ages, he understood only a handful of words, none of them important.

There was a pane of clear glass in the middle of the ward door, a mandatory hospital feature that allowed medical staff to check on patients at any time.

Trying to hear better, Cheng Yue ventured a small step forward and leaned sideways toward the window. He had barely poked half his head out when his awkward posture sent him tipping downward.

Fortunately, he was young and strong. In his flustered scramble, he quickly found his balance, tightened his core, and straightened back up.

"Phew..."

Cheng Yue let out a shaken breath. He couldn't really explain why he was hiding. He had been perfectly calm all the way here from home, yet now that he was at the door, he suddenly wanted to retreat.

A warm summer breeze drifted through the open window at the far end of the corridor, carrying the scent of flowers.

Eyes lowered, Cheng Yue leaned against the wall, holding the insulated food carrier in one hand and bending one leg to brace his foot against the base of the wall. The loose hair over his forehead stirred gently, but the half-open door remained motionless.

The person on the other end of the video call was chattering away. Sitting on the sofa in his hospital clothes, Ji Huaijin glanced toward the door.

After a long, silent wait, someone suddenly pulled the door open.

Cheng Yue whipped his head around. Through the rimless lenses, their eyes abruptly met.

Time seemed to stand still. A dazzling light shimmered in the depths of Ji Huaijin's eyes, as though he meant to draw someone into his net and devour them little by little.

"What are you standing outside for? Come in."

The private room was spacious. Beyond the little entry area, the view opened up at once, with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows bathing the entire room in light and making it look bright and spotless.

Ji Huaijin returned to his seat. Catching sight of Cheng Yue standing in the middle of the room and looking around, he said evenly, "Sit."

Cheng Yue withdrew his curious gaze, set the food carrier on the coffee table, and sat down rather stiffly at one end of the sofa.

Silence settled over the room, broken only by the occasional tapping of keys.

Cheng Yue's wandering gaze gradually settled on those fair, slender hands. With each slight exertion, a faint pink bloomed at the fingertips, while delicate veins rose along the backs.

They were beautiful, like porcelain.

Ji Huaijin kept his eyes fixed on the screen, seemingly absorbed in his work, though an almost imperceptible smile had curved his lips.

Lin Shuyang had told him yesterday that some poor sap would be coming to visit. He hardly needed to think to guess who it was.

After his visitor left that evening, Ji Huaijin had draped a jacket over his shoulders and made a special trip to reception, giving them instructions in advance so Cheng Yue wouldn't be turned away.

The people staying in this building were either wealthy or influential. Visitors weren't allowed in without permission from the patients and their families. Of course, most people were stopped downstairs before they ever got that far.

Ji Huaijin had thought he would have to go downstairs to fetch him. He hadn't expected Cheng Yue to find his own way up.

Unlike Ji Huaijin, with all his intricate, winding thoughts, Cheng Yue was growing restless. This wasn't the first time they had shared a room, yet it had never felt as awkward as it did now.

The humidifier silently released a fine mist, easing the dryness in the air. Watching the man calmly browse his computer without the slightest hint of impatience, Cheng Yue couldn't help feeling stifled.

He really knew how to keep his fucking cool!

It was as though they were locked in a contest, neither willing to speak first.

Just as Cheng Yue's patience was about to run out and he was preparing to get up and leave, the man who had remained immovable finally reacted.

Ji Huaijin leisurely closed his laptop and set it on the marble table with a clack.

"What brought you here today?"