The moment Shen Ci opened the door, he froze in place, his brows furrowing uncontrollably.

When he left the room, Xie Yu was still lying properly on the bed, his breathing even and smooth, sleeping peacefully and tranquilly. But he had only been gone for half an hour, so how did it turn out like this?

Xie Yu was half-kneeling on the floor, one hand pressing tightly against his forehead, and the other gripping the carpet with a force that seemed intended to rip the fuzz right off. His back was arched like a taut bow, his face pale, his lips equally bloodless. A patch of his pajamas was wet, sticking clammily to his body. Looking closely, his neck seemed to be spasming, and his body was trembling slightly.

Shen Ci's gaze landed on his fingers, and his expression grew even uglier.

Xie Yu's hands were very beautiful, well-proportioned and slender, the kind of hands that could belong to a hand model on TV. But that segment of finger bone was now hanging limply. That was not a normal injury; it had been forcefully snapped backwards—yet its owner completely disregarded the pain and was even trying to snap a second one.

Shen Ci shouted sternly: "Xie Yu!"

His throat felt dry and bitter, his trailing voice carrying a tremor.

Xie Yu: "...?"

He was startled and looked up in a daze, only to see Shen Ci standing at the door. Shen Ci's face was extremely awful, his beautiful brows pressed down heavily, his eyes containing an emotion that Xie Yu couldn't understand.

Xie Yu was slightly surprised. Forcing down the pain, he asked the System intermittently in his mind: "Shen Ci... why is he here... Yesterday, did he bring me back yesterday?"

He had blacked out from drinking and truly forgotten everything that had happened before. The System spoke up to inform him: "It's like this, Host. Yesterday you were at the public cemetery, and as soon as you came down, Shen Ci was standing right at the entrance..."

Before it could finish speaking, a flurry of messy footsteps suddenly rang out. Xie Yu hastily looked up, only to see Shen Ci walking straight over. He stopped half an inch in front of him, then leaned down and half-knelt—

Xie Yu's throbbing forehead cleared for a moment. He stared blankly at the face so close at hand and thought to himself: 'Is it finally back on track?'

That plotline, is it finally here?

He sighed in his heart: 'What a pity it really came at the wrong time.'

Right now, Xie Yu's head was splitting, and his whole body felt weak and sore. He didn't know if it was because he drank too much or got caught in the rain, but even the crevices of his bones hurt, and his body was overcome with bouts of chills. He had no mood to show off his acting skills and recite his lines; he just wanted to lie on a soft bed and get a good night's sleep.

But since it was already here, Xie Yu forced himself to perk up: "System, pull up the original lines, I..."

But the next second, he was pulled into a hug.

Shen Ci had just returned from work. Wearing a suit and tie, he looked refined and ascetic, but right now he was half-kneeling on the floor, not caring in the slightest about wrinkling his clothes. He wrapped his arms around Xie Yu and tightened them forcefully. The strength was so great that it was less of a hug and more of an imprisonment.

Xie Yu hesitantly raised his hand and touched his back, feeling somewhat at a loss.

He felt Shen Ci trembling. More accurately, the two of them were trembling together. Xie Yu was trembling because of his headache, but he didn't know why Shen Ci was trembling. Shen Ci just stubbornly locked him in his embrace, his palms pressed against Xie Yu's back, his fingertips tightening forcefully as if this were the last hug of his life.

Xie Yu belatedly realized that Shen Ci's emotions were off. As the designated aloof protagonist of an abusive novel, Shen Ci rarely displayed his emotions openly, let alone hugging someone and trembling like this. Xie Yu couldn't figure out what he had encountered, so he patted him gently, wanting to ask: "What's wrong? Did someone make things difficult for you?"

It was the very late stages of the novel, that shouldn't be the case.

However, Xie Yu's throat was terribly hoarse, and his voice got caught in his throat. In the end, he couldn't ask.

Shen Ci stabilized his emotions first. He lifted Xie Yu's arm, trying to pull him up from the floor, but failed.

Xie Yu was an adult man, and a bit taller than him. Pulling him up was not easy. Shen Ci dragged him forcefully: "Go to the bed."

Xie Yu was slightly stunned but still cooperatively shifted his body. Pressed down by Shen Ci, he fell flat on his back onto the bed.

A soft quilt was pulled over him, wrapping him up entirely. Xie Yu was just feeling bewildered when he saw Shen Ci sit down by the edge of the bed, press both hands onto his shoulder blades, and use his body weight to pin down his arms.

Xie Yu: "..."

This was a posture akin to restraining a prisoner. Unable to move, he could only ask: "System, what's the situation?"

The System was even more confused than he was: "I don't know? Is there such a plot?"

Xie Yu: "...What use do I have for you?"

He and the System were left speechless at each other. He had no choice but to shift his gaze back to Shen Ci. The elegant and beautiful man had similarly broken out in a sweat, his dark tea-colored eyes looking heavily at him, as if he were grieving. Xie Yu struggled to move his arms, only to find they were pinned down tightly without any gap. He looked at Shen Ci hesitantly and negotiated: "Can you... let me go?"

His finger was still broken, you know.

Shen Ci's voice trembled: "Wait a moment, I'll call the hospital."

After saying that, he maintained his posture of pinning Xie Yu down while frantically feeling around for his phone. It took several tries before he finally held the phone steadily. He even pressed the wrong keys several times while dialing. The calm and composed President Shen, Executive Shen, and Teaching Assistant Shen of the past was completely gone, replaced instead by a pair of slightly trembling hands.

Xie Yu paused, and paused again.

...Is this the plot?

Calling the hospital seemed to fit, but looking at Shen Ci's state, it didn't seem to be the case at all.

Shen Ci sat before his bed, lips tightly pursed and brows deeply furrowed, his raven-feather-like eyelashes still trembling slightly. No matter how one looked at it, this didn't look like the satisfaction of avenging a great grudge, but rather...

Worry.

For some unknown reason, Xie Yu suddenly said in a hoarse voice, "I don't want to go to the hospital right now."

His head was aching to death, and he didn't want to go out and catch the wind.

Hearing this, Shen Ci paused his movements, set down his phone, and softened his voice: "Then what do you want to do?"

Xie Yu probed: "Sleep?"

"Okay." Shen Ci forced a smile, a certain sharp bitterness settling over his heart. "Then go to sleep."

With that said, he actually tucked Xie Yu into the quilt, closed the curtains, dimmed the lights, and transformed the room into a state completely suited for sleeping.

Xie Yu moved slightly. He was wrapped in the quilt like a rice dumpling, and Shen Ci was still pressing down on his arms, making it difficult to turn over. "Are you going to keep sitting here?"

Shen Ci: "I will keep sitting here."

His tone was resolute, as if on this one point, there was no room for negotiation.

Therefore, Xie Yu closed his eyes.

This feeling was very strange. He closed his eyes heavily on the bed, while someone quietly gazed at him from the bedside. It was like when he was sick as a child, and his family guarded him by his side.

Xie Yu had never experienced this. His mother had passed away early, and his father was a hot-tempered gambling addict. But when he was in school, he heard from his classmates that whenever they were sick, there would always be someone accompanying them like this.

Although he was drowsy, his head was still throbbing with pain. Xie Yu turned over and looked at Shen Ci again: "I want to drink water."

Shen Ci then got up, fetched a cup of hot water for him, and placed it by his side: "Drink up."

Xie Yu took a couple of sips, and Shen Ci asked him: "Do you want to drink some porridge?"

Xie Yu turned around and buried himself in the quilt: "No."

Shen Ci smiled and didn't say anything, letting him be.

He slept very restlessly. In his daze, he felt a warmth on his forehead, like someone had taken a hot towel and was wiping away his sweat.

By the time he woke up from his sleep, it was already noon.

The sharp pain had finally dissipated. Xie Yu climbed up with his hair looking like a bird's nest, and heard the System's cool sarcasm: "Young Master, did you sleep well?"

Xie Yu raised his hand. The dislocated finger bone had already been set back in place and wrapped in a layer of dark blue fixation tape. He moved his finger bone; the movement was smooth without the slightest discomfort.

Xie Yu: "System, did you set it? Why is there even fixation tape?"

He thought it would be a painless restoration. Was the Transmigration Bureau's medical skill really this subpar?

The System was speechless: "Bro, do you think I could have set it in that situation? Would that have been appropriate?"

Shen Ci was right by his side, practically never leaving for a single step. If Xie Yu's broken finger suddenly snapped back into place on its own without any external force at that time, wouldn't it seem like a ghost sighting?

Xie Yu said: "That's true."

He tried to get out of bed, but felt his whole body was soft and powerless, even worse than before.

The System: "Stop fussing. Xu Qingshan came over just now. He injected you with a sedative and fed you some anti-manic-depressive medication."

Xie Yu: "...?"

He sat half up: "I'm not a patient, can I just take medicine indiscriminately?"

Psychiatric drugs all have strong side effects; normal people can easily develop problems if they take them carelessly.

The System: "It's fine, I filtered them out for you, it won't affect your body."

After answering his question, it continued: "They are currently in the living room of the suite. Xu Qingshan also brought a stretcher and restraint straps, as well as a lot of sedatives. If my guess is right, he'll be carrying you off to the psychiatric hospital in a moment."

Xie Yu: "."

The suite was divided into a bedroom and a living room. At this moment, the door was slightly ajar. He could vaguely see the lights on in the living room, and people were conversing in lowered voices, seemingly discussing his condition.

Xie Yu: "System, listen to what they're saying."

In the living room, Xu Qingshan was sitting on the leather sofa, still wearing his hospital uniform. The clothes were full of wrinkles, not even having had time to be smoothed out, clearly indicating he had rushed over in a hurry.

His expression was ugly. Pulling out a fountain pen with one hand, he flipped open Xie Yu's past medical records: "Mr. Shen, please describe the situation at that time in detail."

Shen Ci pressed his forehead, his face as awful as Xu Qingshan's: "At that time in the cemetery, there was a light drizzle. I brought Xie Yu back. He had been drinking and must have been drunk..."

Shen Ci omitted the useless details and didn't mention why he went to pick up Xie Yu, but he stated the details of Xie Yu's headache meticulously, one by one.

The System listened on the side and relayed the message on their behalf. Among it, there was no shortage of terms like "face as pale as gold paper," "trembling all over," and "dripping with cold sweat," which left Xie Yu completely dumbfounded.

"I just drank too much and had a headache, why am I being described as if I'm about to drop dead?"

The System: "They really seem to think you're going to drop dead."

Xu Qingshan's expression was unprecedentedly solemn: "In other words, he exhibited severe self-harming behavior? Furthermore, headache, fainting... Was there any confusion of consciousness?"

Shen Ci: "Yes."

Inside the room, Xie Yu was greatly shocked: "Was there?"

Shen Ci lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly: "He mistook me for someone else, and asked me to send him to a psychiatric hospital."

Xie Yu inside the room: "."

Xu Qingshan sighed, shaking his head as he wrote the medical records. In a short moment, he had already written a thick page. He stared at that page for a long time, pondering: "The symptoms are a bit severe. I recommend going to the hospital for inpatient admission; it would be better to keep him under observation for a while."

Shen Ci dug his nails into his palms: "Does he absolutely have to go?"

The accommodation conditions at a psychiatric hospital naturally couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as a five-star hotel. It would also be highly inconvenient to take care of him.

Xu Qingshan paused slightly: "Mr. Shen, pardon my bluntness, but I watched Xiao Yu grow up. I know what he's like when his illness acts up. If he stays here, both you and him are in danger."

This was the truth. Once manic depression relapsed, behaviors became uncontrollable. Not only would it harm others, but it would also harm oneself.

Shen Ci gave a shallow sigh. Although he didn't refute it, his expression clearly showed his disapproval.

He didn't think Xie Yu would hurt him.

In the previous six months, and in these past few months, even when drunk or sick, Xie Yu hadn't touched a single hair on his head.

Xu Qingshan's gaze swept over Shen Ci's face, seemingly guessing what kind of relationship this younger generation had with his nephew. After a moment, he looked away, pushed up his glasses, and said nothing.

Shen Ci, however, was looking at the medical records in his hand. Just now, when Xu Qingshan flipped through them, he saw it—a thick stack, entirely filled with densely packed handwriting: "Can you show that to me?"

Xu Qingshan naturally shook his head: "No, it involves privacy. However, I can tell you the general precautions."

The original owner had very typical manic depression, much more severe than Xie Yu himself. The symptoms appeared in his adolescence at irregular intervals, and were mostly accompanied by violent behavior. After the violent outbursts, he could calm down for a brief period.

This kind of unconscious violent behavior could be considered the original owner's method of relief.

Xu Qingshan: "Perhaps for some reason, Xiao Yu is no longer willing to hurt others."

When he said "others", he gave Shen Ci a meaningful look before continuing: "So, as a compensation, he chose to hurt himself. This is also a possibility."

Shen Ci's expression was heavy, and he didn't utter a word.

Xu Qingshan was a bit emotional, yet slightly relieved: "In any case, he seems to have grown up. Neither his mother nor I wish to see him like he was before."

Shen Ci lowered his eyes, originally listening quietly. Suddenly, he let out a chuckle and asked: "Then what about how he is now?"

The way he is now, is this what you want to see?

Xu Qingshan was taken aback. Just as he was about to reply, Shen Ci waved his hand slightly: "Let's take him to the hospital while he's asleep."

They gently pushed open the bedroom door. Xie Yu kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. After Xu Qingshan confirmed the sedative had taken effect, he directed the medical staff to come up and carry him onto the ambulance.

It was a forty-minute drive. Having slept for a day and a half, Xie Yu was long since fully rested. His mind was incredibly clear, but he had to keep his eyes closed and pretend to sleep, making these forty minutes somewhat difficult to endure.

He summoned the System and asked it to play a movie on its electronic screen. The System brought up the movie library. After the man and system selected together, they decided to watch Fast & Furious. The tattooed big shots raced like lightning in the movie, while the ambulance beneath Xie Yu drove smoothly at a speed of thirty miles per hour, accompanied by the blaring wails of the siren, giving it quite a unique flavor.

But as he watched, his attention drifted away from the screen.

Shen Ci sat next to him and took his hand.

His movements were very gentle, as if holding something precious. His fingertips rubbed over the dislocated joint, massaging the swollen flesh and blood to relax the congested blood vessels. It felt a little numb, and a little itchy.

Xie Yu's eyelashes fluttered; he almost couldn't maintain his act.

The ambulance took him all the way to Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, where he was checked into the top-floor VIP suite. After a simple scan, Xu Qingshan prescribed some more medicine. To prevent Xie Yu from hurting himself, he also topped up the sedative. Xie Yu only felt a sting in his arm—the System very considerately blocked out this slight pain for him. After finishing all this, Xu Qingshan left.

The ward was dead silent, leaving only Xie Yu and Shen Ci.

Fast & Furious was still playing enthusiastically on the System's screen. It was right at the part where Diesel drove a car jumping across the Dubai Tower. The roaring sports car and the scattering glass shards were monumental. The top-tier industrial movie brought a bombardment of sensory stimulation. The System was already immersed in it, unable to extricate itself. Yet, none of this could pull back Xie Yu's attention.

Shen Ci was still holding his hand.

Where their skin touched, it felt both hot and itchy.

The ward was quiet; the white noise of the central air conditioning humming could be heard. The lights weren't turned on, leaving the room in a gloomy dimness. Shen Ci just sat there in the dark, like a child about to lose something precious, tightly grasping Xie Yu's wrist in his palm. He clearly didn't say anything, nor did he do anything, and Xie Yu couldn't even see his expression, yet he knew clearly that Shen Ci was sad.

Sad because he broke his finger.

In the dense darkness, something heavy pressed against Xie Yu's chest, giving him a stifling sense of suffocation. He wanted to ask Shen Ci: "Why are you sad? This is just part of the plot." He wanted to say: "There's nothing to be sad about, I don't hurt at all." He even wanted to raise his finger and snap it right in front of Shen Ci to show him: "Look, it's very easy, it's no big deal."

Time slipped away minute by minute, and the movie reached its end. The System was intoxicated by it, unable to extricate itself. Xie Yu glanced at the progress bar; more than half an hour had passed.

Shen Ci, the CEO of Luo Corporation, through whose hands contracts worth millions and tens of millions flowed like water, yet he just sat here, accompanying Xie Yu for over half an hour.

In the tranquility, Xie Yu clearly felt the passage of time. The hand grasping his wrist tightened and loosened, then completely let go. He was just hesitating whether to turn his head to look when his hand was suddenly rubbed by something.

It was soft and fluffy; it was hair.

Shen Ci had fallen asleep by the bedside.

Last night, Xie Yu tossed and turned terribly, hugging him all night without letting go. When he finally woke up, he had a headache and started breaking his own fingers, making a huge scene. Shen Ci's nerves had been tightly strung the entire time, exhausting him completely. Now that he had relaxed slightly, he unexpectedly fell asleep.

As if driven by demons and gods, Xie Yu ignored the noisy screen. He quietly reached out and turned on the small nightstand lamp.

Shen Ci was indeed sleeping leaning against the bedside. Although his stature was not as large as Xie Yu's, he was still tall and slender. Sleeping curled up like this, his two long, straight legs had nowhere to rest, which was extremely uncomfortable. His gentle and beautiful brows were tightly furrowed, not knowing what he was dreaming about.

Xie Yu couldn't hold back and gently rubbed the top of his hair. The texture was exactly the same as five years ago.

Since returning to the country, Xie Yu hadn't properly looked at Shen Ci yet. He observed him closely, seeing how the little beauty had grown into a great beauty. The pad of his finger traced the contours of Shen Ci's eyes and finally stopped lightly at the outer corner of his eye, pausing completely.

A faint redness flushed there.

It was a very pale and pretty red, lightly hanging at the corner of his eye, like a smear of cherry-colored rouge. When a fingertip touched it, it was covered with a thin layer of moisture.

He had cried.

Although he never showed it in front of outsiders, and Xie Yu had never seen him shed tears, the traces at the corners of his eyes clearly showed that he had indeed cried.

Xie Yu paused slightly.

The Shen Ci in the original novel was an aloof and proud wooden beauty. No matter how the original owner tormented and humiliated him in a hundred different ways, he refused to beg for mercy, let alone shed a tear. But now, sleeping by Xie Yu's bedside, he had clearly cried.

Why? Because Xie Yu broke his own finger bone?

This sounded a bit ridiculous—the aloof protagonist of an abusive novel crying because an NPC broke a bone. But that was the truth, and Xie Yu had no choice but to believe it.

Xie Yu stared blankly at the person beside his pillow, his emotions complex and hard to describe. After a moment, he smiled bitterly. Unsure whether he was asking Shen Ci or himself, he said: "I say, Teaching Assistant Shen, aren't you treating me a bit too well?"