Chapter 16: Xi Xingling
Back at his seat, Xi Xingling really couldn’t feel at ease about Li Dong. After thinking it over, he thought of Han Tianlian.
“Young Master, Second Young Master has a bad cold and fever. It sounds really serious. Could you tell me his address so I can hurry over and check on him?”
He was too anxious to overthink it. This time he reached out to Han Tianlin purely to get Li Dong’s address. There was nothing else on his mind.
While he waited, he slumped in his chair, distracted and useless at work.
“Xingling, got time to sit around? Already finished the revisions?” Xia Bailun strolled over with a grin.
“You keep staring at your phone. Who are you waiting on?” Second Young Master again?
“No one. I’m not waiting for anyone.” Xi Xingling was annoyed right now. How could he have the mood to chat idly with Xia Bailun? He wished the other person would hurry back to do his own work. “You have more free time than me. Shouldn’t you be working instead of gossiping?”
Jealous that others got promoted first, yet not working hard himself. This kind of person was really beyond criticism.
“What can I do? Little nobodies are always free…” Xia switched gears. “Xingling, are you hiding some secret from me?”
“What secret? I have tons of secrets. I hide them from my parents too.” He tilted his chin. “So what are you, the Secret Police?”
“Oho, feisty. You do not have to say it. I know.” Xia lowered his voice. “It is Second Young Master, right?”
“Tsk tsk, did Xiao Liu tell you? That is not even a secret.” Xi Xingling said, “Yeah, Second Young Master and I are friends. What about it?”
“Just friends?” Xia arched a brow.
“Obviously just friends. With the GM watching, what else could we be?” Then he rolled his eyes. “Why ask like that? Are people slandering Second Young Master? I will tell him.”
Xia did not dare answer that. He only probed, “So how is it between you two?” Supposedly close? He doubted it. Maybe just acquaintances, inflated by Xi Xingling’s imagination.
“Pretty good.” As he spoke, a text popped up. Xi Xingling glanced down, and his face lit. “Oh, Second Young Master has a bad cold and asked me to come. I am going to request leave. Bye.”
“…Really?” Xia watched him scoop up his things in a flurry. Wait. That bag… He was only now noticing it was the new season mini backpack from that luxury brand.
“Got a new bag? So rich?” Even a convincing knockoff cost a few hundred.
“Yep. Bought it at the boutique yesterday. Just over thirty thousand. It hurts to think about.” Xi Xingling said, “Anyway, no time to chat. I have to go.”
Just over thirty thousand…
Xia had assumed three hundred at most. Since when did Xi Xingling have that kind of cash for luxury goods?
The text had been from Li Dong himself, not Han Tianlin. Of course, Han Tianlin saw Xi Xingling’s earlier message too. He tried to call Li Dong but by then Li Dong had drifted into feverish sleep and did not pick up.
So Han Tianlin phoned the housekeeper, then rushed home as well.
He and Xi Xingling ran into each other at the door.
“Y-Young Master…” Xi Xingling turned and nearly jumped out of his skin. The tall figure behind him made his knees go weak on reflex.
That reflex was hardwired. He could not suppress it even if he tried.
“What are you doing here?” Again?
Han Tianlin frowned. Running into Xi Xingling over and over left him especially irritated. He had meant to block the number after that last scene, but the content of the text made him hesitate. He forced himself not to hit “block,” though the man still disgusted him.
“Second Young Master asked me to come.” Xi Xingling hurried to show his phone, pulling up Li Dong’s message. “He says he feels awful and wants me to take him to the hospital.”
Han shot him a glare and strode inside to check on his brother.
Xi Xingling kept his distance from that storm cloud of a man, but he was too worried about Li Dong to hang back completely. He gritted his teeth and followed.
In Li Dong’s room, two housekeepers stood helplessly at the foot of the bed. Completely useless. “Move,” Han snapped. “Call an ambulance.”
“Second Young Master!” Xi Xingling cried. One look at how weak Li Dong was and he rushed forward, patting his forehead and cheeks. “He is burning up. Forget the ambulance. Get him into the car and we will take him to the hospital for an IV.”
Hearing that, Han scowled. “Then get out of the way. I will carry him.”
“I will help. Do not drop my Second Young Master…” Xi Xingling’s eyes were already red with panic.
“Can you not be so dramatic? It is just a fever.” Han Tianlian’s temper flared. The guy was bawling like Li Dong had a terminal illness. Annoying as hell.
“I am worried…” Xi Xingling pouted and rolled up his sleeves to help.
He was a man after all and had some strength. Between them they got Li Dong onto Han’s back.
They jostled him awake. He lay there miserable, mouth open to breathe because his nose was completely blocked.
“Second Young Master?” Xi Xingling brightened the moment he saw his eyes open. He leaned in and stole a kiss. “I missed you so much.”
“…” F*ck me. Li Dong could only think it.
In the car, Li Dong took the back seat with Xi Xingling beside him, while Han Tianlian drove.
“Do you want some water?” Xi Xingling twisted open a bottle of mineral water, but Han barked at him immediately.
“He has a cold. It is freezing out. You want him drinking cold water?” Damn! What kind of lunatic is this?
“I was not going to give it to him cold…” Xi Xingling protested, aggrieved, then took a mouthful himself, warmed it, and fed it to Li Dong mouth-to-mouth.
Han Tianlian: “…”
Even Li Dong had not seen that coming, but honestly he was parched. The delivery method was… timely.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll pass this cold to you?” Li Dong rasped. He sounded terrible.
“Come on…” Xi Xingling said pitifully. “Even if you gave me HIV, I would still be willing.”
“Cough! Cough!” Li Dong choked all at once. D*mn.
What kind of emo confession was that?
“Cut the crap with HIV!” Han Tianlian didn’t think so. He said angrily, “It would be good enough if you don’t infect Yubai. Someone like you, such a sl*t...” He really didn’t understand why his brother took this sl*t seriously.
“What? I have only slept with Second Young Master,” Xi Xingling said, eyes wide like a panicked rabbit.
“Enough… Less talking.” Li Dong’s voice faded. “A little more water…”
Xi Xingling’s face softened. He fed him again the same way.
“Mm…” By the end, Li Dong cupped the back of his head and kissed him a few times. Xi Xingling patted his chest with a tiny fist. “Stop, or I really will catch it…”
Li Dong leaned against him and closed his eyes. With his nose blocked he could not smell anything, yet he kept thinking he caught a faint scent.
The drive was bumpy, but they finally reached the hospital. Han and Xi Xingling stayed with him through the IV and meds and settled him in a private room.
“Dad, yes. Yubai has a fever. I am with him at the hospital.” Han Tianlian stood by the window, calling Han Zhen. He had left a meeting to come here, the old man had been in that same meeting.
“Is it serious?”
“High fever. They want to observe him.”
“Your mother?”
“She is out of town. Best not to worry her.” Han paused. “Do you want to come?”
“I do not think I can make it. I am heading to the airport now.”
“Then forget it.” Han Tianlian hung up.
Because the old man had never treated Han Yubai very well, Han Tianlian loved Han Yubai even more, practically raising him like a son since childhood.
“Second Young Master, how do you feel? Is the ice pack too cold?” Xi Xingling sat by the bed, fussing nonstop. Was he thirsty, hungry? “Oh, right, you drank a lot of water. Do you need to pee?”
His eyes drifted to Li Dong’s lower half, then he suddenly flushed. “Um, I saw something weird under the bed. How does that work?”
“…” The brothers had the exact same reaction.
“Yubai, do you want him to stay or do you want me?” Han asked. He did not mind either way. If his brother needed him, he would make time.
“He can stay. You go handle your work.” Li Dong croaked, the IV line taped to his hand.
“Fine. If anything happens, have him call me.” Han turned and leveled a hard stare at Xi Xingling. “Sl*t, take good care of my brother.”
“Got it.” Xi Xingling shrank a little and dared not meet his eyes.
The moment the eldest brother left, he straightened up, huffed, and muttered, “Whatever. I'm not a sl*t. I'm Second Young Master’s sl*t alone.”
“Heh, cough, cough, cough, cough…” Li Dong wheezed, almost laughing himself into another coughing fit. Damn! Where had this clown come from? Too much.
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