Thanks to Third Dad’s financial power, Lin Chen successfully checked into a VIP single room at Didu Hospital.

The hospital conditions were quite good and sufficiently quiet. Lin Chen had prepared a reading list in advance, planning to give himself a vacation and read some books during this time.

According to the plan, Qi Xiuyi would not be informed of the hospitalization at the beginning.

The best-case scenario was for Qi Xiuyi to find out about his hospitalization only after his exhibition was completed and he was about to be discharged.

This way, even if Qi Xiuyi was affected by his hospitalization, he could limit that impact to just a single day.

At the same time, to minimize the probability of the fake hospitalization being exposed, Lin Chen did not proactively disclose the matter to others in “Qi Wendong’s” social circle.

However, accidents always happen.

The first accident was Lin Ruyan.

When deciding on the hospital, Qi Jingming and Lin Chen, considering the rationality of the choice, selected the Grade A hospital closest to B University—Didu Hospital.

But as luck would have it, Lin Ruyan was a regular at Didu Hospital.

On the third day of Lin Chen’s hospital stay.

He was sitting by the window, sunbathing. He looked down and came face to face with Lin Ruyan, who was looking up.

Lin Chen was speechless. Lin Ruyan was greatly surprised.

From that day on, Lin Ruyan became a frequent visitor to the hospital room.

He came to the room every day with a bag of fruit, sat by “Senior Wendong’s” hospital bed, peeled fruit for him, and chatted with him.

Regarding this, Lin Chen: “…”

Lin Chen lamented to the system: “To have a disabled person come to the hospital every day to visit me, a healthy person, I’ve really made it in life.”

This day, Lin Ruyan arrived as scheduled.

Seeing Lin Ruyan enter the room, Qi Wendong sighed and got out of bed.

“How many times have I told you? You don’t need to come see me specially. I’m in good health, at least much healthier than you. It’s just that my dad is a worrywart and insists I stay in the hospital for the full observation period.”

Lin Ruyan smiled sheepishly. “I’ve had to come to the hospital for pre-surgery check-ups these past few days anyway, so I just dropped by to see you, Senior.”

As he spoke, he skillfully used his crutch to get to the table, intending to pour a glass of water for Qi Wendong.

“Besides, Senior Wendong is staying in the hospital all by himself, with no one to accompany him. He can’t even find someone to talk to normally. When I’m here, at least I can keep Senior company… Ouch!”

Qi Wendong had come up behind him at some point.

He grabbed his wrist, took the water cup, and then directly pressed him down into a chair, confiscating his crutch and putting it aside.

Qi Wendong said in a tone that brooked no argument, “Sit. My skin isn’t thick enough to let someone with bad legs take care of me, someone who can jump and leap around.”

He poured two glasses of water and handed one to Lin Ruyan.

Lin Ruyan was a little embarrassed by this, his face slightly red. “How can this be, Senior Wendong? I’m the one visiting you!”

Qi Wendong sighed. “If you have so much time, you’d be better off going back to study… Forget it. You haven’t told Qi Xiuyi about my situation, have you?”

Lin Ruyan immediately said, “Don’t worry, Senior, my lips are sealed. Xiuyi has also been busy with the end-of-term exhibition these days…”

As Lin Ruyan spoke, he picked the best-looking orange from the fruit bag he had brought, peeled it, and handed it to the senior.

He told Senior Wendong about the things Qi Xiuyi had been busy with these days, his eyes curving into crescents as he praised his roommate’s growth.

“Xiuyi has gotten really good at his work recently. When I go back to the dorm, I often hear him on the phone with his club members, discussing the exhibition preparations… He’s so serious. And you don’t have to worry about his studies either, Senior Wendong…”

Lin Ruyan chattered on, looking up at Senior Wendong.

The senior did look quite healthy. He had made the hospital room feel like home, and his daily life didn’t seem inconvenient at all.

But Lin Ruyan, having dealt with hospitals for a long time, keenly noticed several fresh, tiny needle marks on the back of the senior’s left hand—if it was really the “minor surgery” Senior Wendong had mentioned, the subsequent observation period shouldn’t require IV drips.

Lin Ruyan was very puzzled by this and tried to ask the senior about it tactfully. But the senior didn’t seem to want to talk much about his health, always brushing off these questions perfunctorily.

Lin Ruyan didn’t want to make the senior uncomfortable, so he didn’t press further, only able to use this clumsy method of frequently coming to the hospital to keep Senior Wendong company.

Senior Wendong took the orange from him and sat down casually beside him.

The senior had a pleasant scent, a scent that was calm and distant, which was especially nice in this hospital filled with the smell of disinfectant.

But as Lin Ruyan looked over, against the sunlight streaming in from outside, he once again keenly noticed that the senior’s side profile seemed a bit thinner than a month ago, and his lips were not as rosy as before.

Was it the effect of the surgery?

Lin Ruyan didn’t know.

Senior Wendong didn’t seem to notice his gaze. After calmly thanking him, he said, “About your brother’s matter, I helped you ask around a bit.”

Lin Ruyan’s eyes widened in surprise.

—Yes, he had indeed told Senior Wendong about his brother.

It was a few days ago when he came to visit Senior Wendong. Lacking a topic of conversation and having been truly conflicted about his brother’s issue for some time, he had tried to tell the senior about it.

He had originally thought that after Senior Wendong gave him some guidance at the time, the matter would be over.

Who would have thought that Senior Wendong had kept his brother’s matter in mind all this time and had even taken the initiative to inquire for him!

Lin Ruyan subconsciously tensed up. “My brother, he…”

Senior Wendong took a slip of paper from his pocket, handed it to Lin Ruyan, and said, “Your brother’s name is Lin Chen, right? He used to work at the Xiyala Ma Hotel and quit for some reason a while ago. Here, this is the contact number he used when he resigned.”

Lin Ruyan’s fingers trembled slightly as he took the slip of paper. Looking at the completely unfamiliar phone number on it, he froze completely.

Senior Wendong saw his emotional state and patted his shoulder sympathetically.

He said, “If you want to contact him, go ahead, but don’t get your hopes up too high. Since he changed his contact information so quietly, perhaps this…”

Lin Ruyan lowered his head, clutching the slip of paper tightly in his palm, and said in a low voice, “…I understand. Thank you, Senior Wendong.”

Having gotten his brother’s new contact information, Lin Ruyan suddenly couldn’t sit still.

He quickly said goodbye to Qi Wendong, and leaning on his crutch, he hurried out of the hospital room.

After watching Lin Ruyan leave, Lin Chen took a SIM card from his pocket and inserted it into his second phone.

Then, he set the phone to silent and do-not-disturb mode, and instructed the system: “If a text comes, notify me; if a call comes, let it ring for three seconds and then hang up directly.”

The more the system thought about the younger brother, the more it admired him. “Host, look at the original owner’s brother, how obedient and good he is! Why don’t you take this opportunity to acknowledge him as your brother? It would save you from being lonely after your contract with the Qi family is over.”

Lin Chen was very puzzled. “With thirty million to keep me company, how could I be lonely?”

The system was very disappointed. “You have a point… This way, at least Lin Ruyan won’t go to the police and report you missing again.”

Lin Chen said幽幽地, “He’d better not.”

Lin Chen said darkly, “Otherwise, his ‘brother’ will really have to exit the stage by means of death.”

After seeing Lin Ruyan off, Lin Chen was just about to restart his vacation reading plan.

But before he could enjoy two minutes of quiet—

“Bang!”

“Qi Wendong!”

…

After getting Qi Wendong’s hospital room number, Qi Xiuyi rushed over in a panic.

A ball of emotion was churning in his stomach. He didn’t know if it was anger or grievance, but in short, Qi Xiuyi was very unhappy right now.

Qi Xiuyi didn’t understand why Qi Wendong and the family hadn’t breathed a word of this to him.

Wasn’t Qi Wendong his brother?

Even if they weren’t related by blood, they had lived together as brothers for a whole six months!

Carrying this sense of grievance, of being excluded or alienated, Qi Xiuyi rushed to the hospital and stormed up to Qi Wendong’s room.

“…Qi Wendong!”

As the door opened, the first thing that met his eyes was a curly-haired young man, sitting high on the windowsill with his legs crossed, leisurely sunbathing.

Qi Wendong casually rested his head against the window frame, holding a popsicle in one hand and a phone horizontally in the other, playing some game.

Hearing the commotion, Qi Wendong sat up straight and looked over. Seeing it was him, he immediately leaned his head back again.

Qi Wendong smiled at him. “Finished with the exhibition?”

The moment Qi Xiuyi saw his completely unserious hospital patient posture, his brows immediately furrowed together.

“Eating a popsicle while in the hospital? And there’s no nurse watching you in the room? Lin San isn’t here either? What are you doing, Qi Wendong!”

Qi Wendong raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Yo, what’s with you today? Why so fiery? Hold on, let me finish this round and then I’ll deal with you.”

Hearing this, Qi Xiuyi became even more unhappy. He immediately strode forward angrily and snatched the half-eaten popsicle from his hand.

Qi Wendong: “…Hey!”

Now Qi Wendong couldn’t play his game anymore. He tossed his phone to the side, his tone very surprised. “What are you snatching my popsicle for? If you want one, can’t you go buy it yourself?”

Qi Xiuyi: “…Who wants your popsicle?”

Qi Xiuyi was so angry he put his hands on his hips, very dissatisfied. “Didn’t you just have surgery? Why don’t you look like a patient at all? You’re still in the observation period, how can you eat this kind of thing! Also, aren’t you afraid of getting cold sitting on the windowsill, Qi Wendong? Get down!”

“Ooh~~ so you’re worried about me.”

Qi Wendong’s voice was drawn out, in a tone that Qi Xiuyi usually hated the most, and on his face was the annoying smile that Qi Xiuyi usually found most irritating.

Qi Wendong was wearing slippers in the room. Seeing him approach menacingly, seemingly about to reach out and drag him down from the windowsill, he unhurriedly placed his slippers on the floor and planted one foot directly on Qi Xiuyi’s chest.

Qi Wendong’s eyebrows were raised high. “Give me back the popsicle, and don’t come any closer. I finally waited for the clouds to part and the sun to come out. What’s wrong with getting some sun?”

His foot stopped Qi Xiuyi’s advance. Qi Xiuyi froze, and for the first time, he wasn’t provoked by his tone.

He was rarely patient and calm. After throwing the popsicle directly into the trash can, he looked back. “What if you catch a fever from the cold? Get down, Qi Wendong. If you want to sunbathe, go outside.”

Qi Wendong smiled and looked down. “Who gets a fever from sitting on a windowsill? What, are you really worried about me?”

He sighed dramatically. “I can tell the family didn’t tell you what kind of surgery I had. For this kind of minor surgery, other people can go home the same day. It’s just that Dad worries too much, always concerned something will happen to me, which is why he insisted I stay in the hospital for two weeks.”

“And you, you want me to have a nurse or a servant in the room? Please, can you consider my dignity?”

Qi Wendong seemed to have just taken a shower.

When his foot pressed against his chest, Qi Xiuyi could even smell the faint milky scent of shower gel.

The childish milky scent mixed with the sandalwood cologne on Qi Wendong, intertwining and combining to form Qi Wendong’s unique scent, overpowering the smell of disinfectant in the room and tightly enveloping the tip of his nose.

Qi Xiuyi felt restless and not at all calmed by Qi Wendong’s explanation.

“How can we not observe? I just searched on Qiandu on the way here. It says there’s a certain probability of serious complications after surgery, and in the most extreme cases, it can even lead to death! Dad is right. Since you had surgery, you should stay in the hospital properly.”

Qi Wendong: “…”

Qi Wendong was speechless. “Please, diagnosing yourself on Qiandu, even a sneeze is a fatal disease. Can you really believe that stuff??”

Qi Xiuyi’s patience was already poor, and the brief tolerance just now had exhausted his patience for three lifetimes.

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade Qi Wendong, he simply rolled up his sleeves and took matters into his own hands.

“No matter how small the probability, it still exists! I don’t care, get down and lie properly on the hospital bed. You just had surgery, can’t you have some post-operative awareness!”

Qi Wendong: “But… hey, hey hey hey! @#￥%…”

Before Qi Wendong could retort, he saw Qi Xiuyi grab his ankle with one hand and his arm with the other. In a very strange and awkward posture, he lifted him directly off the windowsill!

Qi Wendong was shocked. “Qi Xiuyi!!!”

Qi Xiuyi: “Don’t move, I’m losing my grip, hey hey hey—”

Qi Xiuyi couldn’t hold on. The young man on his shoulder struggled free, fell onto the bed, and rolled twice.

Even Qi Xiuyi couldn’t keep his footing and nearly fell by the bedside.

Fortunately, he managed to stabilize himself by planting both hands on the edge of the bed in time.

Qi Xiuyi felt extremely wronged. “Qi Wendong! What are you doing? It’s not like I wasn’t going to put you on the bed!”

Qi Wendong glared at him fiercely. “Who in the world carries people like that? You were about to break my leg!”

Qi Xiuyi stuck his neck out stubbornly. “But your leg was right there on my chest!”

Seeing that he was completely ungrateful, Qi Xiuyi felt wronged, crossed his arms, and sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, glaring at Qi Wendong.

Qi Xiuyi was heartbroken. “What’s your problem, Qi Wendong? The whole family knew you came for surgery and were hospitalized, your roommates also knew you weren’t at school during this time. It’s like I’m the only one in the whole world who didn’t know.”

“I’m your brother, for goodness’ sake! You-you kept this from me alone, what do you mean by that!”

Qi Wendong rubbed his ankle, glanced at him darkly, and snorted. “It wasn’t a big deal in the first place. If I made a special point of telling you, wouldn’t I lose a lot of face?”

Qi Xiuyi was slightly annoyed. “How is that losing face? You have no idea, when I went to 509 to look for you just now, your roommate asked me why I was asking him where you were. I almost wanted to dig a hole and bury myself!”

Qi Xiuyi puffed up his cheeks, grabbed an orange from the side, peeled it, and shoved the whole thing into his mouth. He chewed angrily for a long time before suddenly realizing—

“Wait. Who sent these oranges? ‘Mei You Hao Ju’… Isn’t that the fruit shop outside our dorm? No, Qi Wendong, you can tell your classmates you’re hospitalized and let them bring you fruit, but you really just wouldn’t tell me?!”

Qi Xiuyi exploded on the spot.

Qi Wendong: “…”

He really couldn’t answer that question.

Seeing him not answer, Qi Xiuyi angrily ate several more oranges.

“Qi Wendong, you’ve really disappointed me! To think that you’re the first person I think of to share anything with. And you, you’re hospitalized and you still hide it from me… Hmph!”

Qi Xiuyi gnawed on the orange fiercely and asked in a vicious tone, “How many more days do you have to be observed here?”

Qi Wendong sighed and said, “Until next week.”

Qi Xiuyi was stunned. “Then doesn’t that mean you can’t come to see our exhibition?”

Qi Wendong snorted lightly. “What’s there to see? If I have time to see that kind of small exhibition, I might as well go to a museum.”

Qi Xiuyi’s eyes widened. “Hey, Qi Wendong, my exhibition is much better than those museums. You haven’t even seen it, how can you say it’s not good? Our exhibition is really well-prepared now!”

Qi Xiuyi couldn’t stand hearing Qi Wendong say he wasn’t good enough.

He immediately took out his phone, scrolled to the photos he had taken of the exhibition preparations, and moved closer to Qi Wendong.

Qi Wendong was skeptical. “Really?”

Qi Xiuyi: “Look! Look at this one, this is… and this one, it’s… and this one, this one, this one…”

When Qi Xiuyi talked about the exhibition, it was as if he had an endless supply of words. He pulled Qi Wendong along, introducing each photo one by one, not tired at all.

Qi Wendong listened attentively, a smile gradually appearing in his eyes.

“You actually managed to prepare the exhibition to this extent, not bad. You didn’t secretly ask for help from the family, did you?”

Qi Xiuyi lifted his chin. “Who are you looking down on? Do I need to ask the family for help to cheat? Hmph, this level is a piece of cake for me!”

Qi Wendong drew out a long “Oohhh—”.

Suddenly thinking of something, he lowered his voice. “Hey. How about this? You secretly coordinate with me, and I’ll sneak out of the hospital to attend the exhibition, what do you think?”

Qi Xiuyi’s smug expression vanished instantly. He stared at Qi Wendong warily, his attitude immediately changing back.

“No way! Don’t even think about it, Qi Wendong. No sneaking out. You’re not allowed to shorten the hospital observation by a single day!”

Qi Wendong: “…”

Qi Wendong patiently said, “No, I already told you, this little problem is nothing…”

Qi Xiuyi jumped to his feet. “What do you mean, a little problem? Health problems are not little problems!”

Qi Xiuyi’s tone shifted. “Qi Wendong, you’re really refusing to have a caregiver in the room, aren’t you?”

Qi Wendong was wary. “What are you planning?”

Qi Xiuyi pointed to the large empty space in the hospital room and said with utmost seriousness, “Then let’s add a bed here. I’ll come to the hospital at night to accompany you.”

Qi Wendong: “???”

Qi Wendong was greatly shocked. “Have you finally gone mad?”

Qi Xiuyi glared at him and said, “I don’t care. In any case, someone has to be in the room to monitor your condition at all times, right? If you don’t let them come, then I’ll come!”

Qi Wendong: “…”

Qi Wendong: “Are you skipping class? Are you not preparing for the exhibition? Are you not preparing for your final exams??”

Qi Xiuyi: “What sweet dreams are you having, Qi Wendong? I’m just here to accompany you at night. But you’ve reminded me, I have to go back and get my books and homework… Did you bring your books? You didn’t? Ha, Qi Wendong, are you planning to give up on all your final exams this semester?”

Qi Wendong sneered, “I think you’re the one having sweet dreams. Since you have this time to waste on me, don’t blame me for showing you what despair is in the final exams!”

Qi Xiuyi bared his teeth. “In your dreams! I’m the one who’s going to show you…”

After a long rant, Qi Xiuyi finally went out to find a doctor to discuss changing rooms or adding a bed.

The sarcastic smile on the curly-haired young man’s face gradually faded, replaced by a contemplative calm.

He thought for a moment, picked up his phone, and began to text Third Dad.

Lin Chen: [Does your son have some kind of psychological trauma related to illness?]

Lin Chen: [Such a strong reaction. It’s such a minor issue, and he wants to share a room and sleep with me over it!]

Third Dad: [?]

The other side was silent for a long time before slowly sending: [That’s actually a possibility.]

Third Dad: [It’s a long story, starting with my late wife who passed away early…]

Lin Chen: [STOP]

Lin Chen: [Since the story is so long, there’s no need to tell it.]

Lin Chen: [Reaction assessment was wrong. Be online at 10 AM tomorrow sharp to hear my updated death plan!]

“Ding! 666,666 yuan has been credited to your Pafubao account!”

Third Dad: [Believe in your good Third Son’s thirty-six years of rich experience.]

Lin Chen: [Correct, pertinent, and without a doubt. With your money-transferring speed, you’ll succeed at anything you do ^ ^]

Third Dad: [That is indeed the case.]