Chapter 50 - New Year’s Eve (1/2)
Chapter 50: New Year’s Eve
Translated by Shiya of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Li Sui stared at him for a long time, his eyes sank, “Are you talking about Tong Yan or yourself?”
Lu Shang froze.
“Whichever you meant, don’t even think about it.” Li Sui interrupted him before Lu Shang could say more.
“I don’t know anything about letting go. I just know that if it’s something important, then I must fight for it. Don’t you like that about me the most?”
Seeing that Lu Shang was silent, Li Sui said, “Besides, is Tong Yan not the most important thing to you?”
Looking at Li Sui’s unswerving eyes, even Lu Shang felt a little moved. He said bluntly, “Before meeting you, it was. But now, the most important thing is you, so I don’t want to see you suffer because of Tong Yan.”
Li Sui smiled gently and said, “Rest assured, your boyfriend is not that incompetent. It’s normal to play dirty in business, I’m not suffering.”
After finishing what he had to say, Li Sui reached out his hand to the back of Lu Shang’s head, pressing it on his own shoulder, “Okay, now close your eyes and sleep. Don’t worry about your eyes, tomorrow whether you can see or not, I’ll still be by your side.”
A familiar and reassuring scent filled his nostrils, Lu Shang buried himself in Li Sui’s neck and took the initiative to hug him. The chest he touched was warm and sturdy, full of liveliness. Before falling asleep, Lu Shang thought, Li Sui was no longer a small heater, he had become a hot and bright sun.
In this world, no one was truly perfect, even the most powerful of people had times of confusion and vulnerability. What matters was whether someone was there to understand your problems and stand by you when things got tough. To gently hold your hand and lead you out of the haze.
As a child, Lu Shang’s father taught him how to be ambitious, how to be proficient in business and how to be invincible. He had always followed his father’s instructions and accomplished his duties. However, he realized later that what he wanted in his life was not to carry on the family business, he only wished to protect a person’s heart and his family.
He was doomed to not become a good businessman, being so short-minded. But, Lu Shang thought, perhaps he could strive to become a good lover, at least the kind that could stay by his lover’s side.
Li Sui kept his promise and insisted on leaving only after Lu Shang was awake up. Unfortunately, Lu Shang would become more tired during winter, and he often went to bed before Li Sui came back.
At the weekend, Li Sui took some time off to return home before dark. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Aunt Lu looking up the stairs, looking anxious and helpless.
“Aunt Lu, what’s wrong?” Li Sui put down his things and asked.
When Aunt Lu saw Li Sui coming in, it was as if she had just seen her Savior, she said, “Mr. Lu hasn’t eaten for a day, he won’t come down when I call him either.”
After a moment of confusion, Li Sui hurried up the stairs.
Li Sui opened the door to the dark room, Lu Shang curled himself up into a ball on the bed, hiding in the blanket. Li Sui hurried over, “Lu Shang? What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?”
Lu Shang’s forehead was covered by a layer of cold sweat. He heard Li Sui’s voice and slightly opened his eyes, then he closed them again. Lu Shang pulled one hand out from under the blanket and held Li Sui’s hand weakly.
Li Sui quickly grasped back, he pulled up the blanket, and found that his complexion was poor. He checked for Lu Shang’s temperature, it was a little too hot, but he didn’t have a high fever.
Li Sui’s heart sank, he quickly got two coats from the cabinet, wrapping Lu Shang tightly, he picked him up from the bed. Then, he asked Aunt Lu to help him open the car door.
“Should I prepare supper?” Aunt Lu was uncertain.
“Make some porridge and keep it warm. Thanks.” After that, Li Sui fastened Lu Shang’s seat belt and drove the car out of the yard.
Lu Shang suffered from the fever for about the whole day, so was not very conscious and leaned powerlessly on the back of the seat.
Li Sui was anxious and worried. While he was driving, he would never forget to hold Lu Shang’s hand whenever they were waiting for the lights to turn, “Can you hear me?”
Lu Shang tucked Li Sui’s hand slightly but did not answer. When the light was green again, Li Sui could not bear pulling his hand away anymore. He simply grasped his hand for the entire trip.
Fortunately, Dr. Leung happened to be on duty in the hospital. Li Sui brought Lu Shang to Leung ZiRui exactly when he was being lectured by his uncle for something trivial.
“Does he have a fever again?” Leung ZiRui looked like he had just seen his savior when he saw Li Sui, he walked towards Li Sui quickly.
“He has a low fever, his heart rate is high, and he hasn’t gotten anything to eat or drink in a day.” Li Sui skillfully carried Lu Shang into the ward. Although his face was anxious, his movements were steady and careful, “He was fine when I left in the morning.”
Leung ZiRui listened to Lu Shang’s breaths with the stethoscope, he frowned and turned to call the nurse, the nurse brought a needle to draw blood from Lu Shang.
Halfway through, Lu Shang woke up. He seemingly recognized their voices and looked at the direction of Leung ZiRui.
Leung ZiRui caught a glimpse of Lu Shang’s gaze and said to Li Sui, “Go down and help me get his medication records from the archives.”
Li Sui did not put too much thought in it, he opened the door and went out to do as Leung ZiRui asked.
After the room got quiet, Leung ZiRui sat down beside the bed Lu Shang was lying on. He grabbed Lu Shang’s wrist and began to take his pulse. He had a solemn look, if it wasn’t for Leung ZiRui’s familiarity in taking his pulse, Lu Shang would have completely forgotten that Leung ZiRui’s family had a long history with traditional Chinese medicine.
“How are you feeling?” A moment later, Leung ZiRui asked him calmly.
Lu Shang answered him truthfully, “…Not very well. It hurts all over.”
Leung ZiRui pulled his hand back from Lu Shang and pinched the bridge of his own nose, he had a headache, “The dosage of medication you’re taking are too large, the side effects will become more and more evident in the future.”
“…How long do I still have?” Lu Shang’s eyes were empty and his voice could be described as a piece of silk floating in the air, it was weak and unsteady.
“If we’re in ancient times, I would ask you to choose your coffin right now. However, you know already, right? Your kid garnered a 10% winning chance for you, don’t want to try gambling on that at least?”
Lu Shang smiled lightly, “I would like to… but he doesn’t want me to.”
After that, he gave Leung ZiRui an empty gaze, “Do you still have any painkillers that works on me?”
“What do you want to do?” Leung ZiRui was immediately alerted.
“Do you know why Li Sui couldn’t make up his mind to have Leon operate on me?” Lu Shang had sadness in his eyes, “Because… he’s considering another way. He’s secretly losing weight and quitting drinking… He wants to prepare for giving me his heart, that kid… He’s silly…”
Leung ZiRui was shocked, he didn’t expect that.
The success rate of heart transplantation was indeed much higher, especially since they were the best match for each other. Lu Shang could surely live for ten or twenty years more easily if he were to receive the transplantation. Compared to the measely 10%, it was truly much more reliable, but that would take Li Sui’s life. Leung ZiRui never thought that the reason for Li Sui to hesitate on agreeing to Leon’s surgical plan was this.
“Rui, give me the painkillers. I can’t let him see me in this pathetic state, I won’t give him fuel to second-guess the surgery. I’m going to bet on this 10%.”
It was winter, but after running up and down the stairs, Li Sui was sweaty. He stood silently beside Leung ZiRui, waiting patiently for Dr. Leung to finish reading and marking in Lu Shang’s medical records. After a while, Li Sui asked, “How is he?”
Leung ZiRui looked grim, he said nothing, that was quite rare for him.
Li Sui’s heart dropped, but Lu Shang reached out his hand, trying to sit up. Li Sui was afraid that he would bump into the cup of hot water, so he hurriedly moved over to support him.
“When will we be going back?” Lu Shang was still weak, his voice was also weak.
“Just wait for a minute, we’ll go home right away.” Li Sui coaxed kindly.
After Lu Shang fell asleep, Li Sui closed the door gently and asked Leung ZiRui, “Is his condition really bad?”
Leung ZiRui looked uncertain and asked, “Have you decided yet? When should Leon come for the surgery?”
Li Sui’s fists tightened, “I…”
Leung ZiRui saw the way he dodged the question and he knew that Lu Shang had guessed correctly. Leung ZiRui sighed and pushed Li Sui aside, then he walked straight away.
Lu Shang did not want to spend the night in the hospital, so Li Sui waited after Lu Shang got an injection to treat the fever, then he brought him back home. They were almost home when snow suddenly scattered onto their car’s front window.
At the time, not many pedestrians were on the streets, the snow fell so suddenly, and most people did not have an umbrella. Not far away, a playful child ran out gleefully, shouting and playing in the snow.
“Is it snowing?” Lu Shang suddenly asked.
Li Sui thought that maybe Lu Shang had regained his sight, but turning his head to Lu Shang’s direction, he was met with eyes that had no focus. Lu Shang’s eyes did not look back at him, and his heart sank again, “Hmn, how did you know?”
Lu Shang coughed, “I heard.”
Li Sui looked at Lu Shang’s pale cheeks and his thin neck, the veins under his skin were barely visible, he looked fragile, as if he would just disappear any time, that made Li Sui panic.
“Lu Shang,” said Li Sui, their ten fingers intertwined, “I asked Uncle Yuan to open up two weeks for me. After New Year’s, let’s go traveling, let’s go to somewhere warm.”
Lu Shang smiled faintly, “Okay.”
After taking the injection, Lu Shang’s body temperature dropped slightly. When they returned home, Li Sui warmed up the porridge and gave him with a small bowl, “Eat a little.”
Lu Shang had no appetite and did not swallow the food. When he saw Li Sui looking at him with worried eyes, his heart softened and forced himself to finish the bowl of food.
As a result, Lu Shang felt nauseous in the middle of the night. It was as if his stomach had strong alkali in it, a strong discomfort surged. Li Sui felt him trembling and hence helped him up.
Before getting to the bathroom, Lu Shang vomited on the floor, he was sweating all over.