Chapter 15: A Blinding Crush part 2

When mom’s condition finally stabilized, he suddenly showed up, thick-skinned as ever, and had the nerve to ask a starving, underage Lin Yuran for money to support their grandmother. When she refused, he accused her of being an unfilial brat.

Lin Yuran loathed him to the bone.

Now that she was finally catching her breath in life, he was back at it, constantly calling to squeeze money out of her. Absolutely shameless.

After soaking Yao A-Ping’s feet, Aunt Chen came back. Together, they got her into bed and tucked her in. Lin Yuran gave a few final instructions, then left for home.

As she approached the hospital’s south gate, a low, familiar voice called out behind her, “Lin Yuran?”

She turned. 

Chi Ye was standing there, tall and lean in the shadows. His gaze was dark and unreadable. He’d taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a black dress shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His tie was, as always, perfectly knotted. If not for the glowing ember at his fingertips, he’d have blended completely into the night.

“You’re still here?” she asked, stepping toward him.

As she neared, the faint cigarette smoke at his fingers wafted toward her. Lin Yuran quickly turned her head and covered her mouth and nose, sneezing twice.

Chi Ye stubbed out his cigarette and dropped it in the trash. “Did it bother you?”

“I’m fine,” Lin Yuran said after a breath.

Chi Ye opened the car door and pulled out two disinfectant wipes, handing one to her. “Wipe your hands.”

He wiped his own fingers clean of the tobacco smell. As Chi Ye looked down, wiping his hands, he asked, “Why are you alone? Where’s your little posse of ‘brothers’?”

“Brothers?” Lin Yuran blinked, then laughed. “Oh, Lin Yiqun? He finished treating Qin Lang and the others and went home.”

The question was worded strangely, but his tone had been so casual she didn’t think much of it.

“Ah,” Chi Ye drawled. “It’s so dark out, and he didn’t wait for you?”

Lin Yuran furrowed her brow slightly. For some reason, she suddenly felt like explaining.

“He…” Lin Yuran started, then paused.

They were just casual collaborators now. Even before, there was never a need to explain. She’d never even tried to clarify her relationship with Lin Yiqun to Chi Ye. Saying something now felt out of place.

“Nope,” Lin Yuran replied simply.

Chi Ye’s gaze on her grew darker, deeper. Silence settled between them. Then he took the used wipe from her hand and tossed both into the trash.

“If he won’t wait, I will,” he said, jerking his chin toward the car. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”

A breeze drifted past, carrying the cool edge of nightfall. His voice was lower than usual, the wind tugging at his words. Lin Yuran didn’t catch the first part clearly, but the gesture and the final ‘I’ll take you’ came through loud and clear.

“Okay,” Lin Yuran said without hesitation.

Once she was in the car and buckled up, Lin Yuran turned to him. “Didn’t you leave earlier?”

Chi Ye paused mid-motion with his seatbelt. “I wasn’t feeling great. Thought I’d see a cardiologist. Just finished.”

Wait, didn’t he say he had a headache earlier? And now it’s his heart? Why did it sound so suspicious?

Lin Yuran glanced at him. “It’s after eight. You just finished at the cardiology clinic?”

“Problem?” Chi Ye asked calmly.

“Uh… no.” Lin Yuran blinked. “So… did they find anything?”

Chi Ye looked straight into her eyes and said, with a tragic sincerity, “Doctor said there’s a gaping hole in my heart.”

“…!” Lin Yuran nearly laughed, but held it in. “Wow. And you’re still alive with a hole that big?”

Chi Ye’s lips curled faintly. “Just barely. I’ll keep going as long as I can.”

That bleak humor suited the weariness in his eyes perfectly.

Lin Yuran pressed her lips together. “Well… either way, I hope you… get better soon.”

Chi Ye raised his brows slightly but didn’t say anything further. He reached for the seatbelt, clicked it into place, and was just about to start the car when his movements suddenly paused, as if something had just occurred to him.

He turned his head and asked, “Someone from your family is hospitalized here?”

Lin Yuran hesitated for a moment, then answered truthfully, “Yeah. My mom’s in the hospital.”

“Is it serious?”

There was a brief silence before she replied flatly, “She’s in a vegetative state.”

Chi Ye was stunned. “I’ll go up and see Auntie,” he said, already reaching to undo the seatbelt he’d just fastened.

Lin Yuran quickly stopped him. “No need. She wouldn’t know anyway. And it’s pretty late. Our caregiver has her hands full taking care of my mom. She should be getting ready for bed by now. Don’t bother her.”

Chi Ye paused, then nodded. “You’re right. I’ll pick a day to come back and visit properly.”

The car started and smoothly merged into traffic.

As they passed a restaurant, Chi Ye suggested, “Let’s grab a bite together.”

Lin Yuran glanced at the restaurant front through the window, then quickly shook her head. “No, no, I’m not hungry. I’m so tired I could drop. I just want to get home and sleep.”

It looked like a high-end place, and there was no way she could afford a second meal like that with him.

Chi Ye glanced at her, unconvinced.

Sinking into the plush passenger seat, Lin Yuran faked a yawn. And in faking it, she actually fell asleep. Chi Ye seemed to be in a subdued mood tonight, and after that, neither of them spoke again. Before she knew it, Lin Yuran had drifted off.

Lin Yuran wasn’t sure how long she’d been out.

The knock on the window and a voice saying ‘Sir, here’s your delivery’ woke her. Blinking groggily, Lin Yuran opened her eyes to find that the car had stopped in front of her apartment building.

“We’re here.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “Chi Ye, thanks for the ride.”

Just before she stepped out, Chi Ye handed her a takeout bag. “Here, this is for you. You didn’t have dinner after helping me with my employees at the clinic. You were starving. I can’t have you passing out. I couldn’t afford the liability.”

Lin Yuran couldn’t help laughing as she took it. “Thanks.”

Her stomach was already growling in the elevator. Back home, as Lin Yuran dug into the takeout Chi Ye had ordered, Lin Yuran suddenly felt like working at his company wasn’t so bad after all. At least her meals were finally becoming regular.

The next morning.

As soon as Lin Yuran stepped out of the neighborhood gate, she saw Chi Ye leaning against his black Mercedes G-Class, parked casually at the curb. 

Chi Ye wasn’t in a suit today. Just a plain black T-shirt and matching joggers. There were no visible brand logos on him, but the fabric, the fit, and the tailoring were all clearly top-tier, expensive in a low-key way that suited his presence perfectly.

Hands in his pockets, he stood there relaxed. The usual lazy indifference that clung to his bones was fully on display now, unrestrained by formality. He stood out starkly from the busy morning crowd, nearly 1.9 meters tall, eye-catching in every way.

But the cool, aloof aura he gave off made him feel unapproachable. Women passing by would glance at him, then sneak a second look but never dared to engage.

Seeing Lin Yuran approaching, Chi Ye straightened up and opened the passenger-side door for her.

“Where’s Mr. Wang?” Lin Yuran asked.

“He had some family matters to deal with. Took leave and went back to his hometown,” Chi Ye replied lightly.

“Oh, I see.” Lin Yuran got into the passenger seat.

Chi Ye closed the door for her and walked around to the driver’s side.