Shen Yuqing helped Pei Yiyan ashore and then asked, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Now that they were safely on land, Pei Yiyan began to feel a dull pain at the back of his head, it seemed he had hit something when he was pushed into the water.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Shen Yuqing circled around him and soon noticed bloodstains on his collar. “Sit down quickly,” he urged. “Let me check your head.”
He guided Pei Yiyan to a bench by the fountain, gently tilting his head forward. His slender fingers carefully probed the back of Pei Yiyan’s skull and immediately came into contact with a sticky substance.
Blood deep crimson.
Shen Yuqing’s face paled for a moment. He had been so careful, yet this time, he still hadn’t made it in time.
The system was also startled by Pei Yiyan’s sorry state. It had decided to upgrade while Shen Yuqing and the others were still eating, completely missing the critical moment of the plot.
If Shen Yuqing hadn’t sensed something was wrong, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Shen Yuqing quickly checked the rest of Pei Yiyan’s head fortunately, there were no other injuries.
“Aside from your head, is there anywhere else that hurts?” he asked.
Pei Yiyan shook his head, but the motion only made him dizzier.
Soaked to the bone, the evening breeze sent shivers down their spines. Already tense both physically and mentally, the gust of wind and the dizziness overwhelmed him.
Pei Yiyan collapsed uncontrollably to one side. Before losing consciousness completely, he seemed to catch a glimpse of Shen Yuqing’s expression tense, shocked, horrified and then tightly embracing him.
Shen Yuqing was utterly startled. Before his mind could process what had happened, his body reacted faster, catching Pei Yiyan in his arms.
Pei Yiyan’s face was completely drained of color, and with the injury at the back of his head, Shen Yuqing adjusted his position, letting him lean sideways against him. Without delay, he called Xiao Zhao.
Xiao Zhao, who had been waiting nearby, answered immediately. “Bring the car to the entrance,” Shen Yuqing said urgently. “Pei Yiyan is injured, we need to get to the hospital right away.”
Xiao Zhao gasped on the other end and quickly agreed.
After hanging up, Shen Yuqing asked the system, Do you have enough energy for me to carry him to the entrance?
Absolutely! the system assured him. He’s unconscious now, but my preliminary scan shows nothing too serious. Still, we should get him to the hospital as soon as possible.
Slightly reassured, Shen Yuqing propped Pei Yiyan against the bench and hurried back to where he had jumped in earlier to retrieve the only dry item—his suit jacket.
Returning to Pei Yiyan, he wasted no time in stripping off the soaked outer layer and draping his own jacket over him.
Every little bit of warmth helped.
Once that was done, the system was ready. Carefully, Shen Yuqing shifted Pei Yiyan onto his back and set off without hesitation. The system had already mapped out the fastest route, a shortcut that would take them straight to the entrance in just a few minutes, bypassing the crowd of hypocrites in the main hall.
As he carried Pei Yiyan along the path, Shen Yuqing added, Pull up the information on those three people. I’ll need to review it later.
The system, fully aware of its blunder, could only agree without protest.
Shen Yuqing listened to its listless voice and sighed inwardly: [It’s not your fault.]
The system upgrade check was necessary. Pei Yiyan’s condition had improved significantly at least it wasn’t like the original plot point where the protagonist had simply walked away upon seeing him.
Not long after he fell into the water, Shen Yuqing had already pulled him out.
Soon, he reached the entrance where Xiao Zhao had just arrived. As Xiao Zhao stepped out of the car, he saw Shen Yuqing carrying Pei Yiyan on his back, emerging from the other side.
Xiao Zhao’s face paled in shock. He hurriedly opened the rear door and helped Shen Yuqing place the unconscious Pei Yiyan inside.
Xiao Zhao asked, “Young Master, what happened? Why are both you and Young Master Pei completely drenched?”
And why was Young Master Pei still unconscious?!
Shen Yuqing replied, “No time for questions now. Drive to the hospital.”
Xiao Zhao nodded, regaining his composure, and the two got into the car.
While driving, he called Wu Yi and instructed him to fetch two sets of clean loungewear from home and bring them to the hospital for a change.
Shen Yuqing rested Pei Yiyan’s head on his shoulder, sitting slightly upright with one arm wrapped protectively around him and the other shielding his injured head to prevent further harm.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Xiao Zhao saw Pei Yiyan buried in the crook of Shen Yuqing’s neck, only the lower half of his face visible. The worry on Shen Yuqing’s face was unmistakably genuine.
It seemed the relationship between the young master and Young Master Pei had improved somewhat.
Since Xiao Zhao had already alerted the hospital, a stretcher was waiting for them upon arrival.
Pei Yiyan was wheeled back into the emergency room. Sitting on the bench outside, Shen Yuqing felt dazed, did Pei Yiyan have some kind of hospitalization quota to meet?
Just days after recovering from the aftereffects of being drugged, here he was again.
Not long after Shen Yuqing sat down, Wu Yi rushed over, carrying two bags of clean clothes as requested.
Shen Yuqing looked utterly disheveled soaked from head to toe, his complexion ashen, his body trembling slightly from the cold.
Wu Yi had countless questions but forced himself to hold back, handing the clothes to Xiao Zhao before finally asking, voice tight with anxiety, “Young Master Shen, what happened to Young Master Pei?”
Shen Yuqing glanced at him, aware that Wu Yi was Pei Yiyan’s man, and answered, “Three people from the Pei family pushed him into the fountain. He hit the back of his head on something the doctors are examining him now.”
Xiao Zhao interjected, “Young Master, you should change first. If Young Master Pei is hospitalized, we can’t have you ending up the same way.”
Until now, Shen Yuqing hadn’t felt the cold, too preoccupied with worry for Pei Yiyan. Only at Xiao Zhao’s reminder did he realize he was shaking.
He nodded. “Alright. Wu Yi, stay here and wait.”
Wu Yi was more than willing, quickly agreeing. Once Shen Yuqing and Xiao Zhao left, he clasped his hands together and muttered fervently, “May the gods of the stars protect him, may the ancient gods watch over him, keep my young master safe and sound…”
After changing into dry clothes, Shen Yuqing felt much better.
When he came out, Xiao Zhao approached him and said, “Young Master, the Pei family just called to ask why I left so quickly…”
Shen Yuqing replied, “Don’t tell them about Pei Yiyan’s injury yet.”
Xiao Zhao asked, “Why?”
Shen Yuqing explained, “The three people who pushed Pei Yiyan into the water wouldn’t dare admit what they did to the Pei family. If we inform them now, they might delete the surveillance footage.”
Without the video evidence, it would be difficult to expose Pei Yiyan and those three from the Pei family. Moreover, he wanted to discuss this matter with Pei Yiyan first, since he was the victim.
Xiao Zhao then asked, “Should I inform Master Shen?”
“Tell him tomorrow. It’s already very late now,” Shen Yuqing said, turning his head to sneeze. “Alright, you go ahead and respond to the Pei family. I’ll check on the emergency department.”
Xiao Zhao nodded and went to make the call.
Shen Yuqing slowly made his way to the operating room alone, just as the doctor emerged.
The doctor said, “We conducted an emergency examination. The wound isn’t deep, but since it was submerged in water, there’s a risk of infection and inflammation, so we’ll need to monitor him closely.”
After a few more words, the doctor left to attend to other matters.
Shen Yuqing sighed in relief. He glanced at Wu Yi, who also seemed to relax clearly, the incident had shaken him badly.
Since Pei Yiyan would be in the intensive care unit for the night and no visitors were allowed, Shen Yuqing said, “Wu Yi, you should go home first. I’ll have Xiao Zhao keep watch here.”
But Wu Yi insisted, “Young Master Shen, you and Xiao Zhao have had a long day. Let me stay. You two should rest, and I’ll call you immediately if anything happens.”
Shen Yuqing looked at the operating room doors and nodded. “Alright. I’ll give you a bonus at the end of the month.”
Wu Yi quickly thanked him.
Shen Yuqing took one last glance before turning to leave.
Xiao Zhao drove him home. Rubbing his nose, Shen Yuqing said, “Go relieve Wu Yi early tomorrow.”
Xiao Zhao agreed and added, “I’ll make you some ginger tea. Drink it after your shower so you don’t catch a cold.”
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Alright.”
After showering, he found a steaming cup of ginger tea on his bedroom desk Xiao Zhao must have brought it in earlier. The strong, pungent aroma of ginger filled the air.
Holding his breath, he downed it in one go and immediately felt slightly better.
After drying his hair, he collapsed onto the bed, exhausted from the night’s events diving into the water, enduring the wind, and carrying someone. His eyelids grew heavy, and he fell into a deep sleep shortly after murmuring, “Monitor Pei Yiyan’s condition and wake me if anything happens.” He was truly worn out.
But in the middle of the night, Shen Yuqing grew unbearably hot and unconsciously kicked off the blankets, sinking back into restless slumber.
The next morning, when he dragged himself out of bed, his head felt heavy, his body weak, and his breathing slightly labored. Frowning, he touched his forehead it was burning.
He had a fever.
