Chapter 17: Xi Xingling
“Why are you making fun of me? I am telling the truth.” Xi Xingling did not seem bothered that the Han brothers called him a “sl*t.” In their circle, that word got thrown around constantly. If you were the bottom, even if you were not the least bit flirty, people still called you that.
Usually the ones who said it were massive sl*ts themselves.
He wasn’t referring to the Han brothers. They weren’t like those gossipy, sl*tty little bottoms in the circle.
Li Dong felt awful and had no energy to banter. “Enough. I am exhausted. Let me sleep a little.” He coughed twice, closed his eyes, and drifted off. The meds had finally kicked in, and for once he slept more comfortably.
“Okay…” Xi Xingling pressed his lips together and kept quiet, sitting dutifully at his bedside. He glanced at his phone, then up at the IV drip, marveling at how quickly time passed. Chances to guard Second Young Master like this did not come often.
“Then I will steal a tiny kiss…”
Seeing Han Yubai sleeping like a dead pig, not glaring, not telling him to get lost, Xi Xingling leaned in and pecked him. Once, twice, three times.
He kept watch the whole afternoon, content just to look at Han Yubai’s face. He even forgot to eat lunch. By the time night fell his stomach was growling.
“What should I order? Second Young Master is still asleep…” he muttered, opening the delivery app and scrolling aimlessly.
Li Dong blinked awake. His voice was rough. “Pour me some water.”
“Oh! You are awake?” Xi Xingling jumped, then lit up. “Water, right? Right, right, I will get it…” He hurried to the dispenser. “How are you feeling now?” He leaned in so close his mouth hovered two centimeters from Li Dong’s cheek, fussing over him.
“Much better.” Li Dong pushed himself up, propped against the pillows, and drained a full cup before giving Xi Xingling a weary look. “It is late. Do you want to head home?” The guy had hovered most of the day.
“Head home where? You are here. I am staying here.” Like a little maid from an old drama, Xi Xingling started massaging his legs. “You slept all afternoon. Are you sore? Does your back hurt?”
Li Dong had the distinct feeling he had accidentally married a little house spouse.
“Still not fully comfortable?” Xi Xingling murmured, palm brushing his forehead and then his own. “The fever is gone. Does your head still hurt?”
Li Dong shook his head. “I am fine.” The worst had passed. “Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.” He frowned at his phone. “I have choice paralysis…”
“Tsk.” Li Dong said, “Pick something you like and order it.” A beat. “I will pay.”
“For real? Second Young Master, you are the best. Mwah.” Xi Xingling smacked a kiss on his cheek and speed-ordered an absurdly pricey set meal. “What about you?”
“Something light.”
He did not go home that night. He stayed to look after Li Dong.
While Li Dong slept, Han Tianlin called. The phone buzzed by the pillow. Xi Xingling snatched it up and padded to the window to answer in a whisper. “Young Master, Second Young Master is asleep.”
“So it is you, sl*t.” Han’s tone was pure acid. “Did his fever break?”
“It did…” Xi Xingling answered, glum.
Han checked the time. “I will be there at eleven. When I arrive, you can scram.”
“What? I am not leaving. I am staying with Second Young Master.”
Han bit back a curse. He warned this sl*t, “Quit fawning over Yubai. You make me sick.” Liking him while mooning after his brother, did he think everyone else was an idiot?
“I am sincerely taking care of him. I am not fawning.” The grievance in Xi Xingling’s voice was real.
“And you think I will believe you?”
Xi Xingling drew a deep breath. He had always been afraid of Han Tianlin. Even over the phone it took courage to say, “Young Master, I am going to stop liking you. I think Second Young Master is the one for me.”
“Ha?” Han’s laugh was sharp. “Are you here to be funny? You like Yubai now?” He said nothing more, just let this sl*t go hit a wall on his own.
The call ended, but those last two mocking questions echoed in Xi Xingling’s head and left him heavy-hearted.
There was a family member’s bed in the single patient room. He lay on it, tossing and turning unable to sleep, because there was still an arm's length distance from Li Dong. He felt it was too far.
So he got up, dragged the cot over, and pushed it flush with Li Dong’s bed.
He snuggled close against Li Dong’s arm and finally fell asleep.
Late at night, just past eleven, Han Tianlian rushed to the hospital, travel-worn.
He quietly opened the room door to look. That Xi Xingling kid was sl*ttily pressed against his brother. Both were asleep.
“Yawn…” In the morning, Li Dong woke to a weight on his shoulder. F*ck. When had this guy rolled the bed over? “Xi Xingling?”
“Mm?” Barefaced and tidy, little top-knot tied with a rubber band, Xi Xingling lifted his head and brushed Li Dong’s nose.
“Get up,” Li Dong groaned. “My arm is numb.”
“Second Young Master, are you okay today?”
“I am fine. Now move…” Not only his arm, his whole left side felt numb.
By eight they were up. After washing, Li Dong handled the discharge paperwork himself.
Dressed and fresh, Xi Xingling hooked an arm through his. “Second Young Master, Young Master said he would come by last night. I don’t know if he did. Since you are being discharged, should we ask him to pick you up?”
“Do you not have your own hands and feet? Why would he pick me up?” Li Dong snapped.
“Are you mad?” Xi Xingling asked carefully, eyes flicking up with a trace of panic. “I answered Young Master’s call last night because you were sleeping. I also told him I will slowly forget him…”
“He does not take you seriously at all.” Li Dong grabbed him by the collar and looked him in the eyes. “What you need to do is not swear oaths to Han Tianlin, and not make declarations to me either. Do you know what you should actually be doing?”
Blink. Blink. “Tell me and I will do it.”
Spine, pride, self-respect… Li Dong swallowed the lecture.
“It is almost ten. I have to grab a taxi to work. I cannot take any more leave today.” Xi Xingling stared at his profile with open reluctance. “What do I do? The thought of not seeing you all day makes my heart hurt.”
His pale, elegant fingers had already laced with Han Yubai’s, clinging and twining.
Anyone who dated this man would be signing up for a lot of work.
The fact that he and Han Tianlin eventually got their happy ending made Li Dong want to award Han a giant trophy. Brave man.
“Go find a taxi. I am grabbing breakfast nearby.” Li Dong cleared his throat.
“I want breakfast too…” He pouted, desperate to keep trailing after him.
“Are you not already late?” My god, could he be any clingier?
“I would rather get docked pay than be apart from you.” He squeezed Li Dong’s fingers, torn between duty and one more minute, wobbling in indecision.
“Go. I am not going to repeat myself.” Li Dong shook him off and walked away.
At the breakfast shop, he glanced back. The fool was still standing where he had left him, staring.
So that was what people meant by lovesick stalker.
Once Li Dong disappeared from view, Xi Xingling finally, reluctantly, left.
It was Friday. They had plans to eat together tomorrow. Hopefully Second Young Master remembered.
At the office he canceled his leave, then sat down with a beauty soy milk and a little snack for breakfast. Pencil in hand, he sketched idly, and even those casual lines refined themselves into something enviable.
“Second Young Master, I am starting work. What are you doing?” he texted.
“Home to sleep. You, work hard,” Li Dong replied, uncharacteristically patient.
Grinning, Xi Xingling kissed his phone, leaving a perfect lipstick mark on the screen. “Okay, I will be good. Love you~”
Motivation filled his morning. The tricky revision that had stalled him for days suddenly clicked, inspiration surged and by noon he had a finished version.
Pleased with himself, he brought it to Ms. Zhang.
“So fast?” Ms. Zhang accepted it without great expectations. She knew he had taken a few days off. But the moment she looked down, it surprised her. “This…”
The effect was compelling. One glance and you fell into it. How had he drawn this?
“Do you like it?” Xi Xingling said, happy as a lark. “I drew it full of love. I think this ring is perfect as a wedding band.”
“Indeed…” Ms. Zhang’s smile spread wider and wider. “This one is finalized. No more changes.”
Ecstatic, he burst out, “Thank you, Ms. Zhang!”
The first thing he did afterward was message Li Dong with the news. “Dear Second Young Master! My design draft is finally finalized. I'm so happy. I want to roll in the sheets with you, ah~~”
“…”
“Xingling is craving Second Young Master’s big d*ck [puppy eyes][kiss][tears of laughter]. I know I am a sl*t, but I really do miss it.”
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