For Chen Zemian, Lu Zhuonian’s call was a good thing.
He didn’t have to worry about whether to add a period or withdraw and resend.
Chen Zemian immediately picked up the phone. “Lu Shao.”
A soft voice came through the line. “Are you home?”
“Yes,” Chen Zemian replied. “Where’s Lu Shao?”
“Just arrived.”
“I’m glad you’re home,” Chen Zemian said gently. “Xiao Shao mentioned you looked very tired. You should try to get some rest.”
Lu Zhuonian exhaled softly. “A little tired,” he admitted, “but I can’t sleep.”
Chen Zemian paused, remembering the insomnia Lu Zhuonian had spoken of before. “Try taking a hot bath,” he suggested. “And drink some warm milk. That might help.”
“Hot milk doesn’t taste good,” Lu Zhuonian replied, his tone light but teasing. “How about ice milk instead?”
Chen Zemian chuckled. “Milk simmered in a small stew pot is actually delicious. You can ask the aunt at home to make it for you. Add a little sugar—the rise in blood sugar helps the body relax. You’ll fall asleep more easily.”
Lu Zhuonian gave a faint laugh. “I live alone,” he said. “What can I do without an aunt to help?”
Chen Zemian thought for a while. “Then we can only soak the milk in hot water.”
Lu Zhuonian chuckled twice, and his voice had a special magnetism through the receiver, which made Chen Zemian’s ears itch.
He held the phone farther away. “What are you laughing at?”
Lu Zhuonian called his name again and said, “Chen Zemian, in your heart, am I the kind of young master who has never done housework? When you heard that there was no aunt at home, you directly told me to make milk with hot water, and you never considered teaching me to cook it myself.”
Chen Zemian did think so in his heart, but of course he couldn’t admit it, so he said, “No, the main reason is that I don’t know what kind of gas you use at home. Different gas stoves have different usage methods. I also have to see them before I can use them.”
“So that’s the case,” Lu Zhuonian seemed convinced by Chen Zemian. He pondered for half a second and asked, “Then when will you come to see me?”
Chen Zemian was momentarily stunned. “Ah?”
“I really want to drink boiled milk.” Lu Zhuonian moved swiftly, giving Chen Zemian no time to respond. With a light tone, he threw the question back, “What should I do, Chen Zemian?”
Chen Zemian seemed caught between realization and uncertainty. Wrapped tightly in his quilt, he sat up and cast a hesitant glance toward the deep darkness outside the window. His voice was tentative, almost reluctant. “Then… then I’ll make it for you now?”
The other end of the line fell silent in an instant, as if the connection had been severed—no sound, no reply.
Chen Zemian called out “Hello” a few times, then “Lu Shao” several more times, but there was still no sound from the other end.
Great!
Chen Zemian was getting ready for bed and had no intention of venturing out in the middle of the night just to make milk for the young master. As a younger brother, he knew he should be available whenever called, but he wasn’t quite diligent enough for that yet.
Just moments ago, he felt as if some strange impulse had taken hold of him—that’s why he’d blurted out such an outrageous promise: “I’ll go make it for you now.”
There was no sound from the other end of the line. With a quiet sense of relief, Chen Zemian hung up, switched off the lights, and sank peacefully under the quilt, drifting quickly into sleep.
*****
In the next few days, Chen Zemian went to work as usual, but Lu Zhuonian never came again.
From what Xiao Kesong said, it seemed that what happened that night was known to Lu Zhuonian’s mother.
Mrs. Lu was terrified and deeply worried that the group—and their accomplices—might strike back. Determined to keep Lu Zhuonian safe, she forbade him from leaving the old Lu family residence, effectively detaining him for a full two weeks.
It wasn’t until the opening of the international shooting competition that Lu Zhuonian was reluctantly allowed out to attend the ceremony.
That day, Chen Zemian saw Lu Zhuonian only once.
Though Lu Zhuonian appeared unharmed, the Lu family had grown increasingly paranoid, surrounding him with several additional bodyguards for protection.
The opening ceremony was complicated and the two were busy. Chen Zemian did not have time to talk to Lu Zhuonian, so naturally he could not ask whether he had learned to heat milk later.
But since he had returned to the old house, even if he did not learn to use the gas stove, there was an aunt to help boil milk.
The scale of this competition was grand, with athletes from 21 countries and regions participating. The original staff of the shooting range was simply too busy to handle it. The superior department coordinated 150 volunteers to help, and even Yan Luo wore volunteer clothes to maintain order.
After the opening ceremony, the schedule officially began.
Lu Zhuonian did not come often, so the work of coordinating the exhibition of firearms fell on Chen Zemian, because apart from the boss himself, only he knew the password of the safe and how to exhibit the classic firearms that were not usually displayed to the public.
After the competition started, work at the game studio was temporarily put on hold. Chen Zemian worked very hard and was busy every day. He had become the second-in-command of the shooting range without realizing it, working overtime until eight or nine in the evening daily.
That night, Chen Zemian finally got off work on time and tried the internal test version of Re-conferring the Gods at home, recording the user experience and optimization direction.
At ten o’clock in the evening, Lu Zhuonian suddenly called.
Looking at the two words “Lu Shao” flashing on the screen, Chen Zemian’s heart jumped, thinking something had gone wrong at the shooting range.
Chen Zemian paused the game and answered the phone, “What’s wrong, Lu Shao?”
Perhaps because his tone was a little anxious, Lu Zhuonian paused for a moment before asking, “Are you busy?”
Chen Zemian said, “No.”
Lu Zhuonian said in a declarative tone, “I was boiling milk just now, and the casserole exploded.”
What????
“Ah?” Chen Zemian sat up suddenly. “The casserole exploded? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Lu Zhuonian was very calm, as if talking about someone else’s business. “It exploded in my hand.”
Chen Zemian: “!!!!!!!!!!”
It exploded in my hand?!
In an instant, Chen Zemian felt his brain was about to explode.
Lu Zhuonian was very calm. “Do you have time? Come and pick me up to go to the hospital. There is a lot of glass embedded in my flesh. I can’t drive.”
Chen Zemian’s head was spinning. He didn’t even have time to question why there had been glass in the casserole. He sprang from the bed, voice urgent and breathless.
“I’ve got time—plenty of time. Just send me the address. I’m going now.”
“Don’t call an ambulance.” Lu Zhuonian responded and instructed, “Be careful to avoid those bodyguards and don’t alarm others, especially my mother. I just came out of the old house and don’t want to go back.”
Chen Zemian said, “I know. Then I’ll drive Liu Yuebo’s car to pick you up.”
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Chen Zemian’s eyes went dark the moment he saw Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian’s arm was wrapped in a white bath towel, which was stained with blood. A large area of it was stained red, bloody and frightening to see.
There was no time to ask in detail. Chen Zemian quickly helped him into the car and drove all the way to the hospital at full speed.
If he drove slower, he was afraid Lu Zhuonian would lose too much blood and die in Liu Yuebo’s car.
Lu Zhuonian acted very calmly and didn’t care about the wound. He was only worried that the news would leak out, so he said, “Don’t go to the Lu family’s hospital. If my family finds out, they will make a fuss.”
Chen Zemian said, “You are injured like this, and you still want to make a fuss?”
Lu Zhuonian, worthy of being the male protagonist, said calmly, “It’s just a minor injury.”
“I don’t see where it’s small,” Chen Zemian navigated to the nearest hospital, his hands shaking a little. “This damn cut hit the main vein. Why is there so much blood?”
“Don’t swear,” Lu Zhuonian glanced at the navigation. “Don’t go to this hospital. The Lu family has a stake in it.”
Chen Zemian: “…”
“Then find one that the Lu family doesn’t have a stake in.” Chen Zemian swiped his finger on the car screen and pulled down a list of hospital names. “The nearest hospitals are here.”
Lu Zhuonian raised his left hand and touched the screen, leaving a striking bloody handprint. He took out a wet towel and wiped it. “Sorry, I made Liu Yuebo’s car dirty.”
“It’s okay, his car is not worth much,” Chen Zemian said this without knowing what state of mind he was in. He pressed Lu Zhuonian’s hand and said, “I’ll clean it up later. Isn’t it your right hand that’s injured? Why is there blood on your left hand too?”
Lu Zhuonian spread out his left hand, revealing a deep wound on his palm. “It was cut by flying glass.”
Chen Zemian looked at Lu Zhuonian from the side and asked, “No other injuries, right?”
Lu Zhuonian shook his head. “No, I blocked it with my hand.”
Chen Zemian felt suspenseful when he heard that and sighed, “This is too dangerous. Fortunately, it didn’t hit your eyes.”
Lu Zhuonian didn’t say anything, slowly closed his palm, and lowered his eyes to watch the blood flow down the back of his hand.
Chen Zemian asked again, “Does it hurt?”
He thought Lu Zhuonian would answer something like “It doesn’t hurt” or “It’s okay,” and had prepared the next sentence to flatter Young Master Lu’s strength, fortitude, and iron will without leaving any trace.
Unexpectedly, Lu Zhuonian was silent for half a second and said, “It hurts a little.”
“…”
Wasn’t it just a “minor injury” a moment ago? Why is it hurting now?
Chen Zemian was stunned and silently swallowed back the words on his lips.
The male protagonist is indeed unfathomable and doesn’t play by the rules at all.
It’s really hard to please.
*****
Arriving at the hospital, the two acted separately.
Lu Zhuonian cleaned the wound in the emergency room, and Chen Zemian went to the hall to register and go through the procedures.
The nurse on duty at the window was conscientious and asked for the basic information first, then asked Chen Zemian, “Has the patient been to our hospital before?”
Chen Zemian didn’t know either and gave an ambiguous answer, “I think he has been here.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can check the system here,” the nurse said while typing on the keyboard to check the file, then verified, “It’s Lu Zhuonian, right?”
Chen Zemian said, “Yes, Lu Zhuonian.”
The nurse handed over the payment slip. “You go and pay the registration fee first.”
Chen Zemian took the slip and just walked a few steps when the nurse called him from behind.
“Hey, wait a minute. Do you know when the file was created?” the nurse asked.
Founding of the Party?
Chen Zemian was stunned for a moment, then turned around and answered, “July 1921.”
“…”
The entire emergency hall was silent for two seconds, then burst into laughter.
The guide staff laughed, “She was talking about the file. She asked when the patient’s file was created in our hospital. Who asked you when the Party was founded?”
“I can’t find the patient’s medical record here.” The nurse pointed to the guide. “Please fill out the form first.”
Chen Zemian paid the fee, took the form, and walked into the emergency room.
Lu Zhuonian was cleaning the wound. He took off half of his shirt, and the sleeve of his entire right arm was cut open, revealing a bloody arm.
Under the combined effect of hot milk and broken glass, this forearm was severely damaged with burns and cuts, and some glass fragments were embedded in the flesh. It was truly horrible.
The doctor picked up a piece of broken glass with tweezers and threw it into the tray. He glanced briefly at Chen Zemian. “Family members, right? His wound is too deep and needs stitches.”
Chen Zemian said, “Sew it.”
The doctor had, of course, discussed the stitches with the patient first, and when he saw the family members coming in, he just informed them.
As a surgeon, he dealt with countless traumas every day. The patient in front of him was unusually strong. He hadn’t said a word since entering the room and quietly watched as the doctor used tweezers to search for broken glass in the wound. When he heard stitches were needed, he just nodded without raising any objections.
Unexpectedly, when the family members arrived, the patient seemed to just realize stitches were needed, and suddenly asked, “Do the stitches hurt?”
Isn’t this nonsense?
“Of course it hurts,” the doctor picked up another piece of broken glass and threw it into the tray. “But your wounds are small, only three or five stitches. Very quick.”
Lu Zhuonian looked at Chen Zemian, as if it was him who needed stitches, and relayed the doctor’s words: “The doctor said stitches are needed, and it will be very painful.”
The doctor glanced at the patient, not understanding why he was repeating this again.
Aren’t the family members listening here?
And where did the word “very” come from?
“If you are afraid of pain, you can use anesthesia,”
the doctor used tweezers to find a piece of broken glass. Although he didn’t understand the patient’s behavior, he still gave professional advice. “One shot costs 4200. Emergency treatment cannot be reimbursed. It can relieve pain by about 70%.”
Lu Zhuonian seemed to be in great pain and hissed softly.
Chen Zemian immediately said, “Seventy percent is not enough. Doctor, give him more. Money is not a problem. Give him until it doesn’t hurt anymore!”
*****
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Author: LazyHermitGal
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