The atmosphere in the room immediately turned awkward.
Su He’s mouth hung open in surprise, unsure how to respond. If it were any other favor, she would have readily agreed. However, assisting him with using the toilet, she found it difficult to accept. Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush.
“Forget it, just get me the medicine bottle. I’ll go myself.” Lu Yanbei, seeing her dilemma, said calmly.
This, in turn, stirred Su He’s guilt. He was a patient, with an IV drip in his hand, and he needed to hold the medicine bottle high to use the restroom. Moreover, judging by his weak appearance, his stomach must have felt like it was being stabbed with needles; it was uncomfortable just doing nothing, let alone using the toilet.
After a moment of internal struggle, Su He finally gritted her teeth and made a decision. She walked over, retrieved the medicine bottle for him, and held it high above her head. “Let’s go, I’ll help you over.” She told herself it was a good deed for the day.
Lu Yanbei lowered his gaze to look at her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Su He immediately felt a pressure descend, almost causing her to lose her balance. Was he that heavy?
With great effort, Su He finally managed to get him to the restroom. Then, she took a step back and turned away. “You, call me when you’re done.”
Lu Yanbei didn’t answer, instead smirking at his reflection in the mirror. “I can’t open my zipper with one hand.”
Su He’s face instantly turned scarlet, her heart pounding like a drum. Was he being too demanding? He wanted her to help him with his pants! It was too embarrassing!
“I… how about I call a nurse?” Su He stammered, her face red, finally managing to utter the words.
“I’m a germaphobe,” Lu Yanbei stated, his handsome features turning stern. “They come into contact with so many people every day; who knows how many bacteria they carry.”
Su He was speechless. But that didn’t mean she had to do it!
“If you’re not willing to help, then fine. It’s just a few drops of blood, I won’t die anyway.” Lu Yanbei said, lifting the hand with the IV drip.
“Hey, don’t do anything rash.” Su He didn’t want to be lectured by the nurses again, so she reluctantly stepped forward. It was just unzipping his pants, nothing else would be touched. It would take two seconds, quick and decisive. Su He kept telling herself this.
The process was indeed as smooth as she had anticipated. Su He returned to the restroom door, turned her back, her face as red as a cooked shrimp. Then, she heard the sounds of running water. Her mind immediately reacted, involuntarily picturing certain scenes. If not for the IV bag still in her hand, Su He would have covered her ears.
Upon returning to the hospital bed, Su He fled from his side without a word, hiding in the small kitchen. If she stayed with him any longer, Su He felt she would have to dig a hole in the ground with her feet out of sheer embarrassment.
By the time she had dawdled through eating her steamed buns and tea eggs, the nurse had already come to remove the needle. Lu Yanbei was leaning against the headboard, holding his phone, engrossed in something. His well-defined fingers occasionally swiped across the screen, an impossibly elegant sight. Su He had to force herself to look away. Don’t think about it anymore! Su He shook her head quickly.
Feeling full and satisfied, drowsiness returned, and she couldn’t help but yawn. As Su He was considering renting a small bed for the night, she heard Lu Yanbei say, “Go back and rest. Cheng Jue will be here shortly.”
Su He knew Cheng Jue; he was Lu Yanbei’s personal assistant. “Will he be able to take care of you?” Su He asked uncertainly.
“I happen to have something to tell him,” Lu Yanbei explained faintly.
Su He thought for a moment and decided to respect his wishes. “Okay, you sleep for a while first. I’ll leave after Assistant Cheng arrives.” She found a chair and quietly browsed her phone.
At this hour, the entire hospital was quiet, and the room’s light was dimmed to its lowest setting. The faint light cast a soft, almost ethereal glow on Su He’s face. She wasn’t unattractive, not at all. Unlike the trendy V-shaped faces of today, her face was plump and rounded, with bright eyes and white teeth, leaning towards a sweet, non-aggressive look. Her skin was also fair and so delicate it seemed it could be broken by a puff of air. At the corner of her eye was a tiny mole, a tear mole, not obvious but exceptionally alluring.
Su He was replying to fan comments. In reality, she had long noticed Lu Yanbei watching her but pretended not to. She dared not easily provoke this powerful boss with his inscrutable thoughts.
Just as her eyelids were fluttering shut, Cheng Jue hurriedly pushed open the ward door. “Boss, the laptop you asked me to bring…” He was about to report something when he suddenly caught sight of Su He nearby, and his words caught in his throat.
Lu Yanbei unhurriedly withdrew his gaze, making a muffled sound of acknowledgement. “Bring it here to me.”
Su He immediately stood up. “Then, I’ll be going back.” With that, she turned to leave.
Lu Yanbei called her back from behind and then instructed Cheng Jue, “It’s too late, you drive her back.”
Cheng Jue respectfully acknowledged. “Miss Su, please.”
“I can take a taxi myself.” Su He didn’t dare let Lu Yanbei’s assistant escort her.
“Miss Su, please don’t be polite. I happen to be free.” Cheng Jue replied with a smile.
Su He glanced back at Lu Yanbei, seeing him engrossed in his work, and not wanting to disturb him, she whispered her thanks. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble.” Cheng Jue wouldn’t dare disobey his boss. Besides, Su He was the future Mrs. Lu, so he naturally had to treat her with care.
*
Lu Yanbei’s stomach problems had been long-standing, and this time it was severe enough to require hospitalization for three days of observation. During these three days, Su He shuttled between home and the hospital, attending to him tirelessly and without complaint.
The relationship between the two of them immediately sparked speculation among onlookers. “Who is that woman to Mr. Lu? Could she be his girlfriend?” “How is that possible! Mr. Lu is famously indifferent to women! Even if he were to find a girlfriend, it should be a lady from a respectable family with matching status, right?” “Is she a caregiver hired by the Lu family?” “I don’t think so. Have you ever seen a caregiver dining with their employer? And playing on their phone during work hours.”
Su He overheard their whispers and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. What was her relationship with Lu Yanbei had nothing to do with them? However, come to think of it, Su He was indeed very curious. Even if a big shot like Lu Yanbei was busy with work, he wouldn’t be completely devoid of romance, right? And he wasn’t like the rumors outside, preferring men. From her observations, he spent all day with Assistant Cheng, discussing only work-related matters, with no ambiguous behavior.
Eliminating all other possibilities, the truth remained. His celibate disposition might very well be due to physiological reasons! Some people, it was said, were naturally frigid. Just like last time, when she was drugged, he had the opportunity to take advantage of her, but he didn’t. He probably wanted to prove something, which was why he kissed her. And the agreement he had her sign was clearly just to use her as a shield. Perhaps, in his eyes, he had never considered her as a woman.
Thinking about this, Su He felt a bit more at ease.