PBMM CH4

Seeing the poor expression on Lin Chi’s face, the doctor didn’t make it sound entirely hopeless. “Don’t be too discouraged. As long as the patient cooperates with rehabilitation and is well taken care of, there’s still a very high chance he will recover.”

Lin Chi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Temporarily putting aside his worries, he asked for the specific details and then stood guard by He Qing’s bedside. As for Zhang Xu, knowing it wasn’t Lin Chi who was injured, he had no interest in staying at the hospital to keep watch, so he left after a short while.

At 5 PM, He Qing opened his eyes. Before Lin Chi could even speak, his normally expressive eyes stared blankly and dimly straight ahead. He reached out his hands in panic, grasping blindly at the air. “Wh-where is this!”

The joyful smile that had just begun to bloom on Lin Chi’s face at seeing him wake up immediately fell away. He hurriedly caught He Qing’s hands flailing in mid-air, holding them tightly to comfort him. “A-Qing, we’re in the hospital. Don’t be afraid…”

He initially thought the timid He Qing was just scared of the new environment, but when the boy turned his head toward the sound, those normally vibrant large eyes met his gaze, only to stare unfocused into the void. Lin Chi’s heart skipped a beat.

Hearing his lover’s voice, He Qing relaxed slightly, but his hands gripped Lin Chi’s tightly as he asked timidly, “A-Chi… are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Warmth surged in Lin Chi’s heart, and his eyes couldn’t help but soften. “I’m fine. You pushed me away, so I wasn’t hurt at all.”

Hearing his answer, the teenager visibly sighed in relief, looking deeply satisfied. Lin Chi felt a bittersweet pang in his chest. He had never realized that being liked and protected by someone could bring such happiness. But in the next second, He Qing’s words plunged the blissfully immersed Lin Chi straight into an ice cellar. The boy’s empty gaze swept his surroundings, his voice soft, sweet, and full of confusion: “Is it very late now? Why aren’t the lights on?”

After he finished speaking, he quietly waited for Lin Chi’s answer. With a trembling hand, Lin Chi waved it in front of the wide-eyed He Qing. The teenager just kept his eyes open, staring straight ahead, not even his eyelashes fluttering the slightest bit.

Lin Cheng had been busy ever since he left the hospital. By the time he remembered Lin Chi, three days had already passed. The man massaged the space between his eyebrows, looking somewhat exhausted. Although he didn’t have much affection for this son, he was still his future heir, so he drove back home.

As soon as he opened the door, Lin Cheng furrowed his brow. The living room lights weren’t on; it was pitch black, yet the sound of the TV echoed out. When did Lin Chi develop the habit of watching TV in the dark?

He changed his shoes and planned to check on Lin Chi, only to discover that the person sitting on the sofa wasn’t Lin Chi. Instead, it was a teenager with white gauze wrapped around his eyes and a cast on one leg. Lin Cheng frowned slightly. Before he could speak, the boy heard the movement and turned around. Even though he clearly couldn’t see, he still flashed a massive, bright smile at the newcomer, his voice brimming with trust: “A-Chi, you’re back~”

His face was very small, with the gauze alone taking up half of it, but his smile was incredibly sweet. A dimple faintly appeared on his right cheek. The light from the TV illuminated his face, adding even more charm to that smile. Lin Cheng paused his steps. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the boy happily hold up a sketchbook in his hands, handing it in his direction with a hint of smug pride: “A-Chi, look, I drew this in the afternoon. Does it look good?”

Possessed by some strange impulse, Lin Cheng reached out and took the sketchbook. On it was a simple drawing: a sun, a house, a road, and a large tree. However, because the person who drew it was blind, some of the lines didn’t connect. Yet, it was obvious that the teenager had tried very hard.

After looking at it, he looked back at the boy. The strange teenager’s face was full of anticipation, looking as if he was waiting for ‘Lin Chi’ to praise him.

He Qing waited until the flowers wilted before he finally felt a hand gently patting his head. He quietly let the hand pet him like a little kitten. After waiting ages without receiving a system notification, he sighed to himself: [Chichi is really stingy~ I’m blind and crippled here, so why is he completely stuck at 75!]

The system flatly chimed in: [The higher the favorability gets, the harder it is to increase. Didn’t you already know that? However, Host, this person isn’t Lin Chi.]

Not Lin Chi?

He Qing almost failed to maintain his obedient expression. Having stayed here for the past three days, he hadn’t seen anyone other than Lin Chi and a cleaning lady. The cleaning lady wouldn’t possibly come at this hour, so when someone arrived, it was naturally logical to assume it was Lin Chi.

If it wasn’t Lin Chi, then who was it?

Outwardly, he maintained his docile demeanor, letting the man stroke his head, but he slowly began sniffing the scent of the person in front of him. Hmm… Very fresh, no perfume, gave the feeling of a meticulous… Wait, he had a system, why did he need to sniff it out himself?

The system expressed its disdain: [Who told you to go and blind yourself!]

[If I wasn’t blind, how could I spend all day and night with Chichi and move into his house! This is called dedication to the job, got it?!]

[Oh.] The mechanical voice was extremely cold. [Aside from checking favorability, the system has no obligation to assist the Host. Dedicated Host, you only need to pay 1888 points to enjoy our blind assistance service. Please select: 1 for Purchase, 2 for Purchase Double.]

This damn money-grubbing system!

He Qing absolutely refused to indulge its bad habit. He snorted coldly in his mind. [I choose 3, not buying! I’ll sniff him myself!]

The petting on his head finally stopped. He Qing tried to distinguish the scent carefully; there seemed to be a faint minty smell in the air. Unable to smell it clearly, he leaned forward a bit, completely forgetting his current state as an invalid. His cast-encased right leg couldn’t support his weight, and he slipped forward.

“A-Qing! I’m back!” Lin Chi opened the door carrying food. His eyes swept across the living room, and he froze instantly. By the sofa stood a tall man in a formal suit with long, straight legs, his back facing the door. In his arms was the bewildered teenager with gauze wrapped around his eyes. Hearing the voice, Lin Cheng turned around. His sharp, distinct face wore its usual cold expression, yet his hand was carefully wrapped around He Qing’s waist.

The boy’s slender waist was held in his grip. Lin Cheng tightened his hand slightly, his gaze sharp and his tone indifferent, like a superior speaking to a subordinate: “You’re back?”

Lin Chi hadn’t expected him to return so suddenly. He instinctively straightened his back and sucked in his stomach. “Dad, you’re back.”

“Mm.” Seeing Lin Cheng merely acknowledge him with a hum, showing absolutely no intention of letting go of the person in his arms, Lin Chi braced himself and stepped forward. He reached out and grabbed He Qing’s hand. Seeing the boy get a little spooked and try to shrink back, his heart softened, and he coaxed, “A-Qing, it’s me.”

Only then did the soft, pale hand stop dodging. Instead, it actively reached out further. Once he grasped Lin Chi’s hand, the boy used his other hand to gently push against the man’s solid arm, trying to get out of his embrace. Lin Cheng slowly released his grip. Watching the boy blindly fumble his way into hiding by Lin Chi’s side like a baby swallow returning to the nest, his brow furrowed in a minuscule arc.

Lin Chi didn’t notice anything unusual about his father. Gently patting his startled lover’s back, he spoke in a soft voice to He Qing, “A-Qing, this is my dad.”

The teenager timidly pinched the corner of Lin Chi’s shirt, bowing forward to greet him: “Hello, Uncle…” He felt both scared and ashamed for mistaking the person just now and throwing himself into his lover’s father’s arms, terrified that Lin Chi’s father would dislike him because of this.

Lin Chi looked at Lin Cheng with some trepidation and explained, “Dad, this is He Qing. His eyes can’t see, and his leg is injured. He really has nowhere to go, so he’s staying at our house for a few days.”

Lin Chi was actually quite unsure if his father would agree. After all, in his memory, Lin Cheng absolutely loathed anyone invading his territory, even his own son. With a stranger suddenly appearing in the house, the chances of him refusing were way too high.

Lin Cheng’s gaze remained aloof as he looked at the anxious boy whose fingers were pinched white. “Fine.” Before the two could rejoice, he continued, “Lin Chi, what is your relationship with him?”

Lin Chi’s face paled. Ultimately, he still didn’t dare tell the truth. “He’s a classmate, Dad.”

Bypassing him, Lin Cheng looked down from his tall height and watched as He Qing’s previously somewhat rosy face also drained of color. He looked like he wanted to say something, his lips trembling slightly, but in the end, no sound came out. He tacitly accepted the ‘classmate’ answer, though his hand gripped Lin Chi’s sleeve even tighter.

The pale-faced He Qing listened to the system voice in his ear—[Lin Chi favorability: 79]—and lowered his head, putting on a heartbroken expression. Inside, however, he was giggling with glee: [This Lin Chi’s dad must be a wingman sent by God! So helpful! Will he pull out a checkbook later and pay me to leave his son? Oh my, I’m so looking forward to it~]

The ‘heartbroken’ He Qing with his head bowed completely failed to notice that Lin Chi’s father’s gaze had been resting entirely on him. His normally icy and expressionless face was now as deep and unfathomable as a dark abyss.

__

Author’s Note:

The true gong (male lead) is the CEO father! It’s the CEO father!! The father!! 

Lin Chi: Give me a cup of the Green Grasslands, Forgiveness Green, thank you. 

As for why our little scumbag gong Chichi wouldn’t admit it, even though his cover was already blown earlier… Let me give everyone a hint lol. The CEO dad is 34 years old, Lin Chi is 18~ Anyway, even if I don’t say it, you clever readers can probably guess it anyway ╮( ￣ ▽ ￣’ )╭