Bone-Attached Disaster - Chapter 48:

Chapter 48: Jealousy

Lu Jie’s daily routine was usually very regular, so even though he went to bed late the day before, he woke up around seven or eight o’clock. He figured the lab wasn’t too busy these days, so he could probably work from home and keep Fu Jia’an company.

He received a message on his phone, a reply from Lu He. Instead of directly answering Lu Jie’s question, he sent a photo of the Shiba Inu.

Golden Egg was very camera-aware, looking at Lu Jie from Lu He’s photo, the corners of its mouth upturned, its tongue happily sticking out.

Lu Jie couldn’t help but smile. Since he wasn’t rushing to get up and wash, he browsed the internet casually. Sure enough, just as Fu Jia’an had predicted, the “big gift” for Jin Shaoqian had been delivered. The discussion about the incident was escalating and had become a trending search.

One comment in the article had an extremely high discussion volume, rising directly to the second position in the comment section.

I get the principle, but I really don’t want the doctor who treated a murderer to operate on my family. Doesn’t the Second Municipal Hospital have any better neurosurgeons?

I know this one. Instead of finding a “genius” doctor who completed a difficult surgery purely by luck, it’s better to stick with an experienced industry expert with qualifications and prestige. Director Jin of the neurosurgery department at the Second Municipal Hospital is the one with both good skills and medical ethics.

WTF! I found the blind spot. What do you mean by ‘purely by luck’?

It means what it says. Fu isn’t that great. He’s just a chief resident under thirty. To stand out in the Second Municipal Hospital, which is full of hidden talents, he needs at least ten more years of training. He just wants to take shortcuts to fame with cases like this, unaware that neurosurgery doesn’t believe in genius, only in experience accumulated step by step in the operating room. How many craniotomies could he have performed at his age? Those who flock to him might end up regretting it.

…

Lu Jie sighed. Even knowing this was part of Fu Jia’an’s plan, he didn’t want to read these negative comments. He went to the bathroom to wash up, then headed to the living room for a drink of water.

The sun rose very early in summer, and sunlight was already streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling window. Lu Jie felt an odd sense of calm basking in the sun. Despite so many dangerous and unsettling things awaiting them, he wasn’t anxious.

Feeling comfortable, Lu Jie stretched. His broad, firm back muscles were outlined beneath his T-shirt, and his narrow, clearly defined waist was partially exposed with the movement.

“Morning.”

Lu Jie turned his head, and his gaze instantly stuck to the person in front of him, though his expression remained calm: “Morning.”

“My brother and the others don’t seem to be awake yet,” Fu Jia’an naturally wrapped himself around Lu Jie like a sloth and kissed him on the lips.

This morning kiss, which was merely a greeting, was too gentle and brief, leaving Lu Jie unsatisfied. He lowered his gaze and kissed him back. Both mouths tasted of fresh mint. Lu Jie lingered for a long time, finally licking Fu Jia’an’s upper lip before pulling away, satisfied.

He always felt that every kiss with Fu Jia’an was sweet. Not the cloying sweetness of sugar, but a clean, lingering sweetness, like gum chewed to the end—a fleeting sweetness that could only be savored with continued chewing.

They both remembered that there were others living in the apartment, so they stepped back slightly after the kiss.

Lu Jie extended his hand. “I’ll keep your phone. Anyway, we’re together all day.”

Fu Jia’an was obedient, placing his phone directly in Lu Jie’s palm. “Then what about at night? What if I miss you?”

“All you know how to do is send weird pictures,” Lu Jie put Fu Jia’an’s phone into his pocket. “Why don’t you just come to my room?”

“You said it.” Fu Jia’an’s eyes lit up. Lu Jie thought he was cute and couldn’t help but smile, quickly suppressing it as Jiang Yan came out of his room, yawning.

“Morning… What are you two doing? You didn’t start arguing already, did you?”

Lu Jie: “I was asking him which days this week he has time to come to the company. He signed the contract, but he hasn’t done much consulting yet.”

Jiang Yan looked at him with the speechless expression reserved for straight men: “Let him rest for a few days. You only think about work. Lu Jie, you’re truly inhuman. What are we having for lunch?”

Lu Jie: “You’re not planning to go to the company?”

Jiang Yan said, “Shen Rufēi took annual leave, so I’m resting with him for a few days.”

Lu Jie: “……”

Then these two third wheels will be wandering around the house every day!

“We’ll have coconut chicken for lunch,” Lu Jie finally resigned himself. “I’ll go buy groceries.”

Jiang Yan: “Should I go with you?”

“No, just let me have some peace and quiet.”

Lu Jie returned to his room to change clothes and came out to see Jiang Yan enthusiastically putting his arm around Fu Jia’an’s shoulder. “How about Jia’an, you go with him? Use my card, and you can also help buy some snacks your brother likes.”

“Why are you asking him to go?” Lu Jie pretended to be reluctant.

“Jia’an isn’t a chatterbox, let him go with you,” Jiang Yan said. “You have to choose one of us, me or Jia’an.”

“Fine,” Lu Jie pointed at Fu Jia’an, sounding rather unwilling. “Hurry up and change. I’ll wait five minutes. If you’re not down, I’m leaving.”

Lu Jie waited in the car until the four-and-a-half-minute mark when Fu Jia’an actually came down. Lu Jie eagerly reached out to take his hand. “You don’t really have to be down in five minutes. It’s not military training. I said that for Jiang Yan’s benefit. Take your time. I would definitely wait for you.”

Fu Jia’an held Lu Jie’s hand back. “Well, I also wanted to see you quickly.”

Lu Jie smiled and started the car. “They’ve essentially let us out on a date, so let’s go to a further shopping mall.”

“Sure.”

“Oh, right,” Lu Jie opened the passenger-side glove compartment and took out a black baseball cap and a new black mask. “Do you want to put them on?”

Without needing further explanation, Fu Jia’an understood Lu Jie was worried that his face had already been exposed online, and given the high discussion surrounding the Zhan Qionglou case, being recognized outside would only cause trouble. Fu Jia’an himself didn’t really care, but since Lu Jie had prepared them for him, he gladly accepted the gesture.

The car drove steadily for about forty-five minutes. With nothing to do, Lu Jie brought up the news he had read this morning.

“I predict that before long, the narrative of the incident will completely reverse, won’t it?” Lu Jie voiced his speculation. “The current situation online is: Dr. Fu is an evil person who craves fame and lacks real skill, and Director Jin is a pure, righteous beacon of light, a flawless medical genius dug up by ‘industry insiders.’ He might be gloating right now, but soon the excessive praise will backfire.”

When an ordinary person is molded into a god, people no longer permit them to have flaws. Any mistake will trigger a devastating backlash. Conversely, when a person scorned by thousands of people—an ‘evil person’—is found to be not so bad, people will immediately compensate by being more tolerant and finding every reason to praise him out of guilt for having misjudged him.

Fu Jia’an prepared a seemingly disadvantaged start for himself but can easily overturn the situation. Meanwhile, Jin Shaoqian has been unknowingly dragged into the mud.

All that’s left is for Zhan Qionglou’s case to be overturned, and a series of chain reactions will follow. This truly exploits the reverse psychology and self-proclaimed cleverness of the masses to the extreme.

“That’s right,” Fu Jia’an first smiled, the smile entirely for Lu Jie. Soon, the smile vanished without a trace. A cold, menacing glint, like a curse gripping the bones, flashed in his eyes.

Before getting out of the car, Fu Jia’an put on the hat and mask. There was a large supermarket on the basement floor of the mall, full of fresh vegetables and fruits. The two pushed a cart, slowly selecting ingredients.

“Do we need bell peppers?”

“Bell peppers… we can stir-fry meat with them tomorrow, so yes.” Lu Jie said.

“How many bottles of coconut water should we get?”

“Get the large bottles, three should be enough.”

It was strange. These were such mundane questions. Lu Jie, who always sought efficiency, would usually make a list before every supermarket trip, head straight for the target, and pay immediately. Yet, he was patient enough to answer this back-and-forth chatter.

Fu Jia’an shopped very seriously, interested in many vegetables and foods like a child in an amusement park. Passing a stall with freshly made jinbing (flour pancakes), he even pressed against the glass to watch how the vendor cut the pancake into pieces with a knife and packaged them.

Lu Jie looked at the cart’s handle, suddenly annoyed that Fu Jia’an’s hand was too far from his own. He noticed that after he confessed to Fu Jia’an, the latter’s behavior became much more reserved. He no longer crossed boundaries unnecessarily and only got clingy when they were alone.

Having boundaries was good, but this made them look… not like a couple.

Lu Jie didn’t know how to express it, so he was a bit distracted for the rest of the trip. Fu Jia’an, on the other hand, was excited the whole time, constantly tossing things into the cart.

In the end, they bought two large bags of groceries. Lu Jie carried them to the underground parking lot. Fu Jia’an suddenly remembered he hadn’t bought one item and said he needed to go back to the mall. Lu Jie offered to go with him, but Fu Jia’an declined and took the elevator up first.

Lu Jie didn’t get into the car, leaning against the door to wait for Fu Jia’an. Coincidentally, in that brief moment, he ran into an acquaintance.

In the same parking zone, a man in a suit, exuding an elite aura, walked over. “Mr. Lu?”

“Lawyer Wan?”

The man’s name was Wan Ze. He had been the company’s previous legal counsel. After working together for a year, Wan Ze jumped ship to a top domestic law firm, leaving the city, making contract renewal inconvenient. It had been several years since they last saw each other.

Wan Ze was handsome and fair-skinned, under 5’11”. Although he was the same age as Lu Jie, he looked very young. He used to have many female admirers at the company, who described him as “very sweet.” Later, someone saw Wan Ze on a date with another man, revealing his same-s3x orientation.

Wan Ze smiled and shook Lu Jie’s hand. “Long time no see.”

Lu Jie was surprised. “I really didn’t expect to run into you. What a coincidence.”

The two chatted briefly. Wan Ze handed over a business card, and Lu Jie learned that Wan Ze had recently left his former large law firm and returned to the city to start his own law firm.

“If there’s anything you need help with, contact me later,” Lu Jie said courteously, making a casual offer.

Wan Ze took him seriously. Since spotting Lu Jie, his eyes hadn’t left him. Hearing Lu Jie offer an opening, he immediately pulled out his phone. “Mr. Lu, your contact information hasn’t changed, right?”

“No…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Jie felt someone leaning against him, and his cheek was touched. A few seconds later, Lu Jie realized he had been kissed.

Wan Ze’s eyes widened in shock. “Who is this?”

Lu Jie turned his head to see Fu Jia’an had removed his mask. He looked directly at Wan Ze with clear hostility. “I’m his boyfriend. Do you have anything else?”