Chapter 24: Sleep with Me…

Chapter 24: Sleep With Me...

Chi Xingcun hung his head. He had so much he wanted to say to Qin Liyi, but he was so tired right now.

Qin Liyi could tell. His large hand gently patted Chi Xingcun's head and said softly, "Alright, no more talking. Let's sleep first."

"Come on, let's go to my place." Qin Liyi took Chi Xingcun's hand.

"I want to stay at the hospital." Chi Xingcun looked up and said.

Qin Liyi's eyes drooped slightly. "Do you think you can sleep well in a hospital room?"

"It's fine. It's only one night."

Chi Xingcun was insistent, and Qin Liyi had no choice but to call someone to arrange a double room.

This private hospital was pricey, and most of the patients who came here were loaded, so the hospital had dedicated rooms on the upper floors, with amenities comparable to a hotel, for people staying with patients.

Before bed, Chi Xingcun went downstairs to check on Xie Yean. Xie Yean was in a hospital gown, his face and every bit of exposed skin wrapped in gauze, an IV needle in his pale, thin wrist.

Mostly surface wounds, but there was internal damage too, on top of all the old injuries he'd accumulated over the years. Getting him fully healed wouldn't happen overnight.

Up until now, Xie Yean had been living with aches and pains, big and small...

It really made your heart ache. If he'd known in his past life what Xie Yean's life was really like, would he have stopped picking on him all the time?

Qin Liyi came out of the shower and found Chi Xingcun was gone, so he went downstairs to find him. Sure enough, there was Chi Xingcun, standing outside Xie Yean's hospital room.

Why did he look so lonely and full of regret?

Qin Liyi tilted his head, studying Chi Xingcun's face, making sure he wasn't seeing things.

Chi Xingcun saw him out of the corner of his eye, snapped out of it, and looked at him.

He pressed his lips into a faint smile.

Just like that, he seemed back to his usual self.

Qin Liyi had been wondering about this the whole time—since when did the young master and Xie Yean get so close? What could have scared the young master this much?

Normally, the young master would just feel flustered. But if he was crying, then the relationship had to be complicated...

Either the young master and Xie Yean had gotten closer than he and the young master were, without him knowing...

Or the young master felt like he'd wronged Xie Yean and was carrying guilt.

...Qin Liyi's genius brain was working overtime, but he still thought the odds of either scenario were one in a billion.

Because he watched the young master day in and day out.

Even if he'd missed something, it shouldn't be this big.

Qin Liyi leaned against the wall and watched Chi Xingcun for a long time, before walking up to him, lowering his head, and taking both of Chi Xingcun's hands.

"Let's go to sleep. I've got a caretaker watching him, plus a nurse on duty. He'll be fine. You can sleep peacefully."

"Mm."

Chi Xingcun nodded.

Now that he'd calmed down, he realized he might have overreacted earlier.

He and Xie Yean weren't even that close yet. He shouldn't have been so worked up... crying and feeling so bitter...

Besides, he'd acted like he knew everything... That wasn't right either. They weren't at that stage yet. It would make people suspicious.

Back in the room, Qin Liyi closed the door.

"Do your mom and dad know you're out? Want me to text them?"

Chi Xingcun sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at his lap, his voice very soft:

"They don't know..."

Qin Liyi walked over, crouched down to look at him, and said, "So are you going to tell them, or should I? Otherwise they'll wake up tomorrow morning, not see you, and worry."

Chi Xingcun nodded. "You tell them."

"Alright, I'll tell them you were with me tonight, and we'll tell them about the hospital stuff tomorrow after you wake up."

"Mm."

Chi Xingcun went into the bathroom to shower, while Qin Liyi sent messages to both of Chi Xingcun's parents, adding a specific note: "Xiao Xing seems to be in a bit of a low mood lately."

That way, his parents would pay more attention to the young master.

Chi Xingcun hadn't planned to wash his hair, but he zoned out and got it wet, so he had to wash it all anyway.

When he came out, Qin Liyi offered to dry his hair for him. Chi Xingcun said it wasn't necessary, but Qin Liyi still pushed him down into a chair and dried his hair with the blow dryer.

Blow-drying hair was a workout in itself. Chi Xingcun was sleepy now, his arms and legs feeling weak, and he really didn't have the energy to blow-dry his own hair.

Qin Liyi's hands were strong, with sharp knuckles and long fingers. He massaged Chi Xingcun's head while smoothing down his hair, making Chi Xingcun's whole body tingle. It felt so good he couldn't help but let out a low moan.

Moreover, he felt sleepier and sleepier.

After who knows how long, the hand on his head stopped. Chi Xingcun opened his eyes and met the wild, devilish eyes staring back at him.

Qin Liyi smirked. "Feels that good? Should I start charging you?"

Chi Xingcun blushed. "It's actually just so-so..."

Qin Liyi laughed and tilted his head. "Alright, I'll try to get better. Time for bed, young master."

Chi Xingcun climbed into bed and face-planted into the pillow.

Qin Liyi pulled the covers up for Chi Xingcun, went back to his own bed, turned off the light, and said, "Goodnight, young master," to Chi Xingcun.

Because tonight had left him heartbroken and exhausted, Chi Xingcun quickly drifted off to sleep.

But in the middle of the night, Chi Xingcun started having nightmares, muttering restlessly in his sleep, his forehead beaded with sweat.

He woke with a start again.

The darkness made it so he couldn't see a thing. A chill washed over his whole body, and he wrapped the blanket tightly around himself.

After a while, he remembered Qin Liyi was sleeping in the bed across from him.

So he got out of bed and quickly slipped under Qin Liyi's covers, pressed up against Qin Liyi and grabbed his arm.

Qin Liyi was half-asleep, thinking some clueless idiot was climbing into his bed again.

People used to pull that crap all the time.

He hated sharing a bed, let alone spooning with someone.

He frowned, prying his bleary eyes open in annoyance, and turned his head.

He froze mid-turn, his frown melting away as he rolled over and wrapped his arms around Chi Xingcun, rubbing his face against Chi Xingcun's cheek.

"What's wrong, young master?"

Chi Xingcun turned his face away from the hair tickling him, but still pressed close, his voice barely above a whisper: "Stay with me..."

"Yeah, okay."

He slid his arm under Chi Xingcun's neck and wrapped it around his back.

Qin Liyi was a bit more awake now, and it dawned on him—he hadn't hung out with that crew in ages.

For some reason, his body was running hot—he was at that age where hormones were in overdrive, craving intimacy, addicted to it.

Too bad the guy in his arms was the young master.