The Sickly Omega Is No Longer Pretending to Be Good/Obedient - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Jingling the Bell – “Feeding the Medicine”

Wen Jiangchu raised a gentle smile, carefully holding the bowl as he sat down beside Shen Qiudu.

The strong, pungent bitterness of the medicine assailed Shen Qiudu’s nose, making him frown and instinctively turn his head away from Wen Jiangchu’s gaze.

His eyes were slightly shadowed. The thin, oversized clothes made Shen Qiudu appear even smaller, and his pale cheeks were completely devoid of color. Seeing this, Wen Jiangchu felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

“Doesn’t Qiudu like this bowl either? Then I’ll have someone get another one—”

“No need.”

Shen Qiudu immediately grasped Wen Jiangchu’s wrist as he attempted to get up, the warm skin startling him, and he quickly let go.

He pressed his lips together, his face devoid of any emotion. “Wen Jiangchu, I won’t drink it.”

“Also, don’t call me ‘Qiudu.’ We aren’t that familiar.”

The atmosphere instantly froze for a moment. Wen Jiangchu’s smile stiffened. The man who was always at ease at the negotiating table now seemed at a loss.

“I apologize, Shen Qiudu. That was presumptuous of me.”

“But this medicine is beneficial for relieving your gland. The discomfort in your gland from the rainy days a few days ago hasn’t fully recovered, has it? Does it still hurt a little?”

Shen Qiudu slowly raised his hand. His cool fingertip touched the scar where half of his gland had been cut away. The moment his finger fell from the empty space, Shen Qiudu’s heart also felt as if a corner had been lost, plummeting sharply. A tsunami, perceivable only by him, surged in his heart.

But Shen Qiudu still pretended to be strong and nonchalant, his tone cold. “It’s none of your business.”

Although Wen Jiangchu was indeed trying to help him search for his parents’ whereabouts, that was probably also for the sake of controlling him better, wasn’t it?

In that case, he wouldn’t use any pleasant tone toward him.

But as soon as Wen Jiangchu mentioned it, the pain he could usually suppress now started to throb faintly, and the connected cranial nerves began to ache dully.

Shen Qiudu’s breathing intensified, his fingers tightly clutching the bedsheet, and cold sweat seeped from his temples.

Shen Qiudu was long accustomed to this pain. In the past few years, his gland would ache whenever it rained and for the following two days. Sometimes it was just a slight numbness, but sometimes it would hurt so much that he couldn’t support himself and would pass out directly.

Usually, Shen Qiudu had two ways to endure the pain.

The first was to find other things to distract himself. For example, by cutting his wrist with a knife, watching the venous bl00d slowly flow out, letting the pain from bl00d loss mask the gland pain. Sometimes, his consciousness would also sink and dissipate, but that helped him not feel any more pain. Alternatively, he would bite his lip, or cut his finger with a knife—

In short, any method that could mask the pain in his gland, he would use.

The second was to buy cheap, unregulated painkillers in the slum. Shen Qiudu rarely tried this, not because it was dangerous, but because he had no money.

The money Shen Qiudu earned from his part-time jobs was mainly used for basic living expenses and buying inhibitors. Sometimes, the money he managed to save would be snatched away by his father for gambling. The gambling debts slowly accumulated, but Shen Qiudu had no choice but to pay them back.

Therefore, he would save money wherever he could, even inhibitors were only dared to be bought one by one, often being looked down upon by the pharmacy staff who complained about his stinginess behind his back.

As the throbbing pain screamed through his nerves and every inch of Shen Qiudu’s skin, he closed his eyes tightly, feeling as if he were back in the damp, dilapidated rental room, curled up alone in a dark corner, trembling as he tried to bite his lip to alleviate the pain.

But Shen Qiudu forgot that he was not in the rental room now, but by Wen Jiangchu’s side.

Wen Jiangchu would absolutely not allow Shen Qiudu to do anything to harm himself.

Thus, when Shen Qiudu bared his teeth and bit his lower lip with all his might, no pain appeared. His teeth bit down on Wen Jiangchu’s fingertip, which he had timely extended.

“Hiss—”

Hearing Wen Jiangchu gasp in pain, Shen Qiudu quickly released his lip and looked at him in surprise.

“Are you insane?! Wen Jiangchu.”

Wen Jiangchu smiled and retracted his hand, holding the medicine bowl in his palm. He scooped up a spoonful and gently blew on it by his lips.

“Shen Qiudu, I know how much it hurts when you bite your lip until it bleeds or tears.”

“So, I can’t just stand by and watch you do that.”

“I asked the best doctor to formulate this medicine using dozens of traditional Chinese herbs. It tastes bitter but has good curative effects.”

Wen Jiangchu held the spoon out to Shen Qiudu, his tone slightly lowered, carrying a hint of tentative appeal and a trace of deference.

“Shen Qiudu, just because you bit me, how about you drink this medicine, alright?”

“Once you drink the medicine, it won’t hurt so much.”

Worried that Shen Qiudu might be overthinking, Wen Jiangchu even took a sip himself. “See? It’s not poisoned.”

Shen Qiudu’s eyes darkened, and he blurted out, “What if you want to die with me?”

“There’s no such good thing.”

Wen Jiangchu lowered his gaze and chuckled, offering the spoonful of medicine closer again.

Shen Qiudu looked at the brownish liquid in front of him. The astringent bitterness of the Chinese medicine made his lips tremble.

“What will you do if I don’t drink it?”

Will he abandon him and leave him to his own devices?

Or will he force him and pour the medicine directly down his throat?

Or will he use other methods to intensify the pain in his gland, making Shen Qiudu kneel on the ground and beg like a dog wagging its tail?

In short, Shen Qiudu couldn’t imagine any good outcome.

Yet, unexpectedly, Wen Jiangchu was only momentarily stunned. He tilted his head, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind Shen Qiudu’s question.

“If you don’t drink it, it means you don’t like it.”

“If you don’t like it, then don’t drink it. I respect your opinion.”

“But your gland will still hurt a lot, and I’ll worry about you.”

“So, I’ll find other methods until you are willing to drink the medicine.”

Wen Jiangchu’s smiling eyes squinted like a Kitty cat, and his gentle, mellow voice made Shen Qiudu feel like he was being unreasonable.

Fine, Shen Qiudu thought.

Even if he died, dragging someone down with him would still be a good deal.

Shen Qiudu swallowed, actively leaning toward the spoon to drink the medicine.

But he underestimated the bitterness of the decoction.

In an instant, intense bitterness enveloped his taste buds. As it slipped down his throat, Shen Qiudu felt as if he had gone through an acid rain, with the rain corroding him from the inside out, little by little.

“Uhmph—”

Shen Qiudu groaned, his eyebrows tightly knitted. The bitterness made him close his eyes and instinctively push his head back.

But Wen Jiangchu was faster than him. He raised one hand and placed it on the back of Shen Qiudu’s head, directly holding the bowl near his lips. Upon hearing Shen Qiudu’s groan, he lovingly pulled him into an embrace, the hand on the back of his head gently stroking him like petting a cat, and then, as if unsatisfied, moved to Shen Qiudu’s neck, his thumb resting on his soft cheek, stroking him as one would soothe someone.

This was a comfort Shen Qiudu had never experienced. When he had been sick and taking medicine before, although it wasn’t as bitter as this time, he had always grit his teeth and endured the difficult moments alone.

Thinking this, Shen Qiudu’s tense body slightly relaxed, and the medicine bowl was empty before he knew it.

Shen Qiudu opened his blurry eyes and saw Wen Jiangchu’s beaming face.

“Qiudu is so good; you drank the entire bowl of medicine! As a reward, would Qiudu like to come with me to an auction tomorrow? When we get there, whatever catches your eye, just treat the place as your own.”

Shen Qiudu immediately snapped back to his senses, only then realizing he was leaning in Wen Jiangchu’s arms. His body, slightly flushed from the medicine, was pressed against his skin, and his previously suspended hands had instinctively wrapped around Wen Jiangchu’s waist.

Being so intimate with this person who had ulterior motives—wasn’t that like a lamb walking into a tiger’s mouth, actively selling himself?

Realizing this, the faint, ambiguous atmosphere that had arisen immediately dropped to freezing point. Shen Qiudu quickly pulled away to maintain a safe distance and looked at Wen Jiangchu with caution.

“We agreed I’d drink the medicine, so why did it end up with you feeding me?”

“Also, who allowed you to hug me like that?”

“Wen Jiangchu, what exactly do you want? I knew you had bad intentions!”

The series of questions Shen Qiudu fired off left his already frail body a little breathless.

His chest rose and fell slightly, medicine stains still lingered on his lips, and his eyes were slightly red. His weak tone at that moment was especially soft, making his indignant accusation sound almost like a childish plea.

Wen Jiangchu stared at him, lost in thought for a long time, until Shen Qiudu, exasperated, threw a pillow at him. Only then did he regain his consciousness and quickly explain.

“I, I wasn’t—”

“It’s because when I was little and drinking bitter medicine and tried to retreat, my mother would hold me like that and pat my back to comfort me.”

“So, just now, seeing you like that, I didn’t think too much… If Qiudu doesn’t like it, I won’t do it next time.”

“I’m sorry, Qiudu. I wasn’t considerate enough.”

“What does Qiudu want? I’ll try my best to fulfill it, alright?”

Shen Qiudu looked at Wen Jiangchu’s attempts to defend himself and became even angrier, thinking about the unblinking gaze he had given him just now. He pointed a finger at the door: “I want you to leave!”

“Then Qiudu should rest now. If you feel unwell, call me anytime.”

Wen Jiangchu awkwardly held the medicine bowl and left. He suddenly paused at the door, tentatively asking, “By the way, Qiudu, about the auction I mentioned…”

“Go by yourself if you want. I won’t go out with you!”

Who knows if he would sell him off the moment they walked out the door?

The way Wen Jiangchu had looked at Shen Qiudu just now made it feel like he was about to pounce on him at any second.

“But… the Song family will also be there.”

“Qiudu, perhaps we can hear some news about your parents from them. Are you really not going?”

Hearing the words “Song family,” Shen Qiudu’s emotions stabilized a bit.

He looked up, seeing Wen Jiangchu’s nervous expression. Shen Qiudu took a deep breath, his voice slightly hoarse: “…I’ll go.”

This auction was mainly to raise funds for post-disaster reconstruction and for some business networking. The Wen family was the organizer invited by the government to host the auction.

The event was scheduled to start at nine in the evening. Shen Qiudu originally planned to go downstairs at eight, but Wen Jiangchu was like a man possessed today. He followed Shen Qiudu into the room right after dinner at six.

Shen Qiudu frowned, looking at Wen Jiangchu, who was tightly grasping the doorknob in front of him, his tone impatient. “Wen Jiangchu, what are you doing?”

Wen Jiangchu’s eyes lit up. Relying on his height and build advantage, he squeezed into the room, gripped Shen Qiudu’s shoulders with both hands, and pushed him inside.

“To pick out your clothes!”

“No need. This outfit is fine.”

“Besides, you said I could stay upstairs and not have to see anyone.”

This was the request Shen Qiudu made to Wen Jiangchu this morning for attending the auction. After all, his identity couldn’t be recognized by others, which could endanger his life.

Furthermore, Shen Qiudu simply didn’t want to attend these hypocritical business banquets.

Firstly, as a flawed Omega from the slums, he was naturally self-conscious when facing those glamorous high-class people.

His strong self-esteem prevented him from calmly appearing before them to endure their judgmental stares.

Secondly, being hidden in the dark allowed him to better observe those with malicious intentions.

“I know, but Mom told me that no matter what kind of banquet one attends, you need to dress up the person next to you. It’s best to wear similar outfits, so outsiders will know immediately that you belong to me.”

Shen Qiudu’s heart skipped a beat. He avoided Wen Jiangchu’s gaze and shyly retorted, “Who belongs to you?”

“Wen Jiangchu, you are not allowed to say things like that casually anymore!”

How irritating.

Mom was right. These rich young masters, with their sweet talk, must be extremely promiscuous and have countless flirtatious, scummy moments!

It was a good thing he discovered his scheme early and didn’t immerse himself in his gentle embrace.

“Okay, okay, I won’t say it again. How about Qiudu wear this one?”

Wen Jiangchu took out a dark blue suit that matched his own from the wardrobe and handed it to Shen Qiudu. However, Shen Qiudu’s mind was still in a daze from the words Wen Jiangchu had casually spoken, and he nodded absentmindedly.

It wasn’t until he got into the car and snapped out of it that Shen Qiudu realized that it was nonsense about “similar outfits”—this was clearly a couple’s outfit!

This Wen Jiangchu was truly too manipulative!