Chapter 57: Don’t Get Hurt

Lu Shi couldn’t go home for the time being. He was admitted to the hospital for observation. Lu Zheng arranged for him to be admitted to a VIP single room. There wasn’t any other reason other than that this fellow had a lot of energy, so it was better not to let him wreak havoc on the patients in the same ward.

After making arrangements for Lu Shi’s hospitalization, Chang Qing and Lu Zheng went back together.   

Lu Zheng drove over by himself, he hadn’t had the driver bring him over. He opened the back seat door for Chang Qing, “Get in the car.”

When he got in the car, he heard Lu Zheng say, “Remember your seat belt.”

Chang Qing didn’t dare to forget. He fastened his seat belt before saying to Lu Zheng, “Let’s drive.”

At this time, it was already nighttime. The street lights lit up one by one, illuminating the road with a golden color, with a strange beauty.

Lu Zheng looked at Chang Qing in the rearview mirror. His face was illuminated by the street lights. Even his eyes were shining brightly. Lu Zheng looked away and asked in a low voice, “Are you hot?”

Chang Qing said, “A little bit. Open the window.”

Lu Zheng rolled down the window, and the night wind poured it into the car, taking away the only trace of heat.

Chang Qing was facing the window with the wind blowing in. He felt the coolness on his face, and the trace of heat and fatigue in his heart dissipated. He rested his chin on his arm and lazily spoke with Lu Zheng: “Lu Shi has hurt his bones. We must ask Mother Zhang to make him more bone soup.”

Lu Zheng gave a “hmm” and said, “He’s young and recovers quickly, so it won’t make any difference.”

That’s true. Chang Qing remembered that when he was about 16/17 years old, he broke his hand. After about a month he’d mostly recovered, but it still hurt.

When Chang Qing thought of this, he remembered Lu Shi’s face that was always in a state of anger. He was speechless for a moment. He couldn’t help but think in his heart that it would be better if he recovered slower. Otherwise, he would be alive and kicking in a few days, and would come to find fault with him again.

But he was just thinking about it. Neither Chang Qing, nor even the original owner, had any bad intentions towards Lu Shi. He didn’t know where such great hostility from Lu Shi had come from.

Chang Qing was thinking deeply, and Lu Zheng looked at him from the rearview mirror, but said nothing.

Chang Qing came back to his senses and asked Lu Zheng, “When I asked you to come, did you not want to come?”

Lu Zheng was a little surprised. He glanced at him and said frankly, “Yeah, I originally  wanted to ask my secretary to come over…”

Chang Qing said: “I’m separated from him by a layer, and he won’t listen to anything I say to him. As soon as you come over, his face looks much better. When all’s said and done, he’s your real brother, you should be nice to him.”

Lu Zheng didn’t say anything. After a long while, Lu Zheng asked, “Is it useful for me to be nice to him?”

Chang Qing said softly, “At least it’s more useful than me. He just hates me, and that can’t be changed for a while. At his age, if he doesn’t have a sense of belonging and identity with his family, there will always be problems.”

Lu Zheng was silent. He didn’t know what to think, but his expression softened a little.

When he saw Lu Shi, he didn’t pay attention to his expression, but he didn’t say anything out of line. When Lu Zheng was about to leave, he howled fiercely again. Now that he’s thinking about it again, it’s oddly pathetic.

Chang Qing’s phrase “When all’s said and done, he’s your real brother” echoed in his mind again.

What did the word ‘brother’ mean? The unbreakable ties and bonds of blood couldn’t be cut off. Even if he hated Lu Shi, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he was his older brother. It was a fact of life. Even if he hates him. Even if he was annoying. His duty as an older brother… he had to manage them, or care about them.

Lu Xuan had done all these things, and he had done them well. Although it was inappropriate to let Lu Shi and Lu Hua grow freely, he had always been concerned about his younger siblings, including Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng didn’t do so because he failed to understand from the beginning that the responsibility of being an elder brother had fallen on him, and he didn’t have the consciousness to love them at all.

This was also related to his high emotional threshold. The love and care born from emotion was difficult for him to do but the love and care that came from responsibility he was able to do.

When Lu Zheng thought of this, his heart began to waver, and his persistence and impatience with Lu Shi also slowly dissipated.

Neither of them continued to chat. After a while, Chang Qing’s cell phone rang. Chang Qing glanced at it. It was Qiao Zhenran.

He hung up the phone and within a moment it rang again, as if he must answer it.

Lu Zheng asked, “Aren’t you going to answer the phone?”

Chang Qing said with a normal expression, “It’s a sales call.”

Lu Zheng thought that it wasn’t. A sales call wouldn’t keep calling. He couldn’t help looking in the rearview mirror. He saw Chang Qing lowering his head and swiping the screen of his phone, as if he had blacklisted the number.

No more calls came for the rest of the time.

Lu Zheng asked nonchalantly, “How is your relationship with that Zhang Xinyu?”

Chang Qing raised his face, “You’re a very busy man, how can you still remember his name?”

Lu Zheng said, “Isn’t he your friend?”

Chang Qing He said, “Yes, he’s a friend.”

Lu Zheng didn’t say anything. After a while, he asked, “What kind of friend relationship is it?”

Chang Qing paused, isn’t a friend a friend? What else is the relationship?

As soon as he finished speaking, a hesitant expression appeared on his face. Why did he feel that there was something in Lu Zheng’s words?

They were both adults and neither were some sweet and naïve young girl. Some practical problems have to be faced. Chang Qing tentatively replied, “It’s just an ordinary friend who you can chat and joke with. There’s no other relationship.” He added: “He’s straight.”

Does he still have to say “I love your brother and won’t find a second spring1“?

It’s a little strange.

In his limited twenty years of life Chang Qing had only dated two people, and both relationships had ended before their feelings had gone too deep. In fact, he was a little insensitive to this aspect of the relationship. He inferred from his own life experience that there was no problem for Lu Zheng to ask like this.

But he was more or less distrustful of him. Even if he had the heart for it, it was impossible for him to find a new partner within a few months after his husband had died.

Is he that kind of person?

Chang Qing was somewhat uncomfortable, or it could be that the sensitive period of “there are so many days in a month” made him too sensitive.

“Is that so?” Lu Zheng has been paying attention to Chang Qing’s face, and he did see the change in his face after he said these words.

He was sick of the questions he was asking.

Lu Zheng realized this and his heart sank slightly. He didn’t continue to ask.

The atmosphere between the two seemed to have fallen into a state of gloom again. After a while, Lu Zheng tried to make up for it and asked softly, “Aren’t you going to the gym? I asked someone to clear a game room and add some equipment. No need to squeeze in with other people. We can hire a coach and you can exercise at home.”

When Chang Qing heard this, his face softened a lot, and he smiled sincerely. “Please.”

Lu Zheng said , “When the time comes, we can hire a nutritionist, and you can have eight pack abs in less than two months.”

“Eight-pack abs…” Chang Qing couldn’t help laughing, “Come on, I’ll be satisfied with a four pack.”

Lu Zheng also raised his lips slightly, “Four pack, keep it simple.”

While they were talking, the traffic light came, and Lu Zheng stopped the car and waited for the green light to come on.

Chang Qing said to him, “Why don’t you plant vegetables on the back lawn?”

Lu Zheng was stunned, “Plant vegetables?”

Chang Qing stopped talking, and after a while said, ”I’m just talking casually.”

Lu Zheng asked: “What do you want to plant?”

Chang Qing said, “It’s just a whim. No one can see the lawn at the back. Why not use it to grow something? When the time comes, you can show Lu Hua.”

Lu Zheng heard him say “Lu Hua” again, and paused. “Just to show Lu Hua?”

Chang Qing said, “This is considered a parent-child activity, right?”

Lu Zheng: “…”

Lu Zheng had nothing to say.

Chang Qing asked again, “What do you think?”

Lu Zheng said, “You can do whatever you want.”

After a while, he couldn’t control it and asked Chang Qing, “You’re so kind to Lu Hua, how come I don’t see you being nice to Lu Shi?”

Chang Qing said with a fake smile, “Is it bad for him if I send him to the hospital?”

“Lie.” Lu Zheng frowned and said, “You don’t need to be good to him.”

In fact, what he almost asked just now was, why didn’t he treat him well?

This mouth was still obedient in the end, and he didn’t say what he shouldn’t have said.

Lu Zheng was restless. He didn’t look at Chang Qing again. It was a difficult process, but he had to get used to it. He had to get used to not paying attention to him. He had to get used to controlling his gaze and words.

The previous state of seeing Chang Qing indistinctly was gone forever. He only knew to cherish it after he’d lost it.

It really shouldn’t be.

Lu Zheng said, “I’ll be very busy from tomorrow. I’ll stay in the company for the time being, and won’t come back.”

Chang Qing didn’t feel surprised. For Lu Zheng, this was normal. After all, he was the chairman of a corporation. “…What about Lu Shi? Remember to go and visit him. He will be staying for at least a week and a half.”

Lu Zheng said reluctantly, “I’ll go to see him every two days.”

Chang Qing nodded, “Talk to him again, and keep a good tone. Don’t hit him or scold him.”

Lu Zheng’s face stiffened, and he said in a bad tone: “Am I some kind of evil person? Either beating him or scolding him?”

Has his image in Chang Qing’s mind become like this?

Chang Qing smiled and said, “As long as you don’t make fun of him. I’ve noticed that the three of you are quite bad-mouthed. Lu Shi is the worst, you’re the second and Lu Hua is at the bottom.”

Lu Zheng: “… “

Lu Hua is at the bottom? Chang Qing’s heart has become completely biased. Biased to the point of no return.

Lu Zheng couldn’t hold back, and complained for himself: “Nonsense.”

Chang Qing said, “Okay, I’m talking nonsense. Don’t be angry, I’m just saying it casually.”

Just saying it casually? He looks like he’s quite sincere.

…how unsatisfying

What he says to him and what Chang Qing thinks of him is his business. It has nothing to do with him. He doesn’t need to care too much.

Neither of them spoke, and a touch of awkwardness seemed to float in the atmosphere again.

When they were almost home, Lu Zheng was casually concerned about Chang Qing, “Has your leg scabbed over yet?”

Chang Qing said, “It’s already healed, there’s no scar.”

When they got home, Chang Qing got out of the car and entered the house with Lu Zheng. It was already seven o’clock. It was already dark, and Lu Hua was still waiting for them in the living room. When she saw them coming back, she flew into Chang Qing’s arms like a lark, “Why are you only back now? Have you had dinner yet? I’ve been waiting for you to eat together!”

Before Chang Qing could speak, Lu Zheng took Lu Hua out of Chang Qing’s arms first, “You stand still and don’t blindly bump into people.”

Lu Hua was a little dissatisfied, but didn’t say anything. She stood up straight honestly, as if she had just remembered, and asked, “How is my brother?”

Chang Qing said, “He’s lying in the hospital. He’s going to stay in the hospital for a while.”

Lu Hua murmured, “My brother is so pitiful. He went to the hospital only a few days after he came back.”

She seemed a little sad, but this emotion came and went quickly, just like the wind. It came and went without a trace. She reached out to pull Chang Qing’s hand. “Let’s go, Qing Qing. Let’s go eat.”

Chang Qing didn’t expect that she’d make that move and she ended up grabbing the place where he’d been hurt. He couldn’t help but let out a “hiss” of pain.

The sound was quite obvious. Both Lu Zheng and Lu Hua had heard it. Lu Hua asked subconsciously, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Zheng frowned and said to Lu Hua, “Let go.”

Lu Hua was taken aback. She released his hand, and Lu Zheng squeezed Chang Qing’s wrist. Then pulled his hand out and looked at it, almost laughing angrily.

He saw the two-finger-wide broken skin under the palms of Chang Qing’s fair and delicate hands, which had already oozed red blood, but hadn’t been treated. The blood was wiped away, making his wrists a little stained. There wasn’t any fresh blood oozing out so it seemed to have been a while since it had happened.

Lu Hua was startled. “How did you get like this?”

Lu Zheng was too lazy to talk nonsense, so he pulled him onto the sofa and asked Lu Hua to bring the first aid kit.

“I said Lu Shi was stupid, but I didn’t expect you to share a brain with him and get hurt together.” Lu Zheng told Chang Qing with a bad expression on his face.

Chang Qing was also a little speechless. It was true that he was always injured these days, but this time, it wasn’t his fault.

Hey, if you have any words of suffering, just digest it by yourself.

Lu Zheng spoke fiercely to Chang Qing, but when he took a cotton swab dipped in iodine to disinfect it, his movements were very gentle, light and slightly cool. It was a very comfortable force.

Chang Qing couldn’t help looking at Lu Zheng. He had lowered his eyes, pursed his lips, and looked serious, as if he was facing work.

Lu Zheng seemed to notice his gaze and looked up at him. Chang Qing looked at Lu Zheng openly and aboveboard , so he didn’t look away, and just met Lu Zheng’s eyes.

Chang Qing smiled at him, “I’m sorry to bother you.”

Lu Zheng looked away first, “You also know that you’re bothering me. If you don’t want to trouble me anymore, stop getting hurt.””

Chang Qing paused. He felt the awkward concern in his words. He couldn’t help but laugh a little and say, “OK.”

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1.Second spring- fall in love a second time