Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter 4

Tang Shan and Li Yuanyu sat side by side at the table, Jake opposite them. There was a whole variety of dishes on the table, amongst which were the main dishes- the roasted chicken and Borscht.

”Borscht?” Jake was quite surprised and glanced at Tang Shan.

”Tang Shan wanted it.” Li Yuanyu explained simply.

”Oh...” Jake looked doubtful.

Tang Shan didn't look at either of them during the course of the conversation, and once Li Yuanyu asked them them to dig in, he quickly tried a spoonful of the Borscht.

This--

This is just the normal Borscht? Tang Shan was stunned at the taste, not expecting the shock and disappointment it brought him.

He didn't find this bowl of soup to be special in any way. It was just your usual Borscht.

Tang Shan's face went through a myriad of changes, his expression complicated. Eventually, he settled on a look of obvious disappointment.

”Does the soup... not suit your tastes?” Li Yuanyu had been watching his expressions, and he'd definitely seen the different emotions cross his face.

”No,” Tang Shan lowered his arm and placed the soupspoon by the plate. He was in inner turmoil, confused as to why he had liked such an ordinary soup so much.

”What's wrong?” Li Yuanyu began to get nervous.

”It's nothing,” Tang Shan couldn't even pretend to smile. ”Sorry, I'm not very hungry, you two should go ahead. I- I'll head back to my room and get some rest.”

He stood up, ready to leave while he spoke. Feeling quite terrible and confused, he lacked the energy to interact with anyone then.

”Tang Shan?!” Li Yuanyu grabbed ahold of him.

Tang Shan retracted his hand in reflex, his movement so wide that he overturned some of the plates on the table. The Borscht spilled and porcelain plates fell to the ground, smas.h.i.+ng into a million pieces upon impact.

”Holy c.r.a.p! What are you doing!” Jake cried out in alarm as he pulled his chair a back, avoiding the small shards that flew his way.

Compared with his hastiness, the two other people in the dining room were still and seemingly motionless.

What kind of drama was this! Jake complained, ”Come on! Don't get awkward around each other at this time!”

Tang Shan was so tired that he was expressionless, letting Li Yuanyu stare at him as he liked.

Li Yuanyu tilted his head a little but did not s.h.i.+ft his gaze, and commanded Jake who was next to him, ”Get a broom, pick up the pieces and clean it up.”

”Hey, I'm your guest!” he protested.

”Go.”

Jake rubbed his nose sulkily but still left obediently.

Li Yuanyu stood up, quietly approaching Tang Shan and grabbed his hand.

Tang Shan obviously wanted to retreat, but he was unexpectedly swung over Li Yuanyu's shoulder! Everything spun before his eyes as his body was in mid-air, causing him to feel dizzy for an instant.

”Let- let me down!” Tang Shan had both his hands cupping his mouth, looking as if he was about to vomit. He'd closed his eyes to avoid the inverted scenery in front of him, for fear he'd get more nauseous.

He was eventually left on the sofa in the living room. Tang Shan kept his eyes closed throughout, hands still covering his mouth while looking quite sick.

”Are you going to be sick?” Li Yuanyu brought the trashcan in the corner to him and wiped the cold sweat off his face.

Tang Shan was feeling so uncomfortable that he didn't even feel like rejecting Li Yuanyu. He glanced at him weakly while he hugged the trashcan wordlessly. Everything came to a standstill for a moment, and then he began to spew out the soup.

Li Yuanyu patted his back, looking guilty. ”I'm sorry, I was overeager and forgot you'd be nauseous from that. I'm sorry,” he apologised twice. It was clear he blamed himself.

Tang Shan suddenly understood the significance of the Borscht. It was a signal for the two of them to reconcile, and could also be used as an apology.

”Oi! Li Yuanyu! Why's there blood on the floor?” Once he was done with sweeping the kitchen, Jake followed the trail of bloodstains out, only to gesture wildly at Li Yuanyu's feet as he made alarmed sounds. ”You stepped on the fragments, don't you feel anything? Gosh, you're bleeding so much! Ugh... I can't take it anymore, I have a phobia of blood!”

Tang Shan looked up and was stunned upon seeing Li Yuanyu's bleeding foot. The wooden floor was filled with bloodied footprint stains. He finally understood why he'd been hoisted up- it was so he could avoid the fragments.

This man was so, so stupid.

”Tang Shan! Why are you crying?!” Li Yuanyu exclaimed in worry, hastily wiping away Tang Shan's continuous tears.

Tang Shan had no idea why he was crying, but tears kept welling up. He couldn't control himself, and all he did was stare at Li Yuanyu's continuously bleeding foot.

Li Yuanyu hugged him tightly, constantly murmuring words of comfort, ”It's fine, I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm fine, I'll take care of it later. Don't worry about me.”

Tang Shan did not seem to feel better even with that and tears began to fall even more fervently, amidst his frustration and discomfort. However, he had no clue where all these intense emotions were coming from.

Not knowing how to deal with him, he turned and spoke to Jake, who had squatted down due to his haemophobia. ”Jake, get the first aid kit for me,” he pointed in a direction.

”Alright,” Jake stood up with some difficulty and brought it over. As he got closer, he accidentally saw the blood that had gathered. In that instant, he got dizzy, got soft at the knees, and actually fainted.

Tang Shan looked past Li Yuanyu to Jake, and as he fell, the first aid kit dropped as well. The objects within were scattered all over.

Li Yuanyu was about to get up and retrieve them, but Tang Shan stopped him.

”Don't move, let me do it.” He sat Li Yuanyu down on the sofa.

Tang Shan wiped his tear-streaked face and made his way over. Out of the items that were strewn, he picked out the tweezers, gauze, hydrogen peroxide solution, Betadine and cotton swabs. Once he was done, he brought them back and sat beside Li Yuanyu.

”Give me your foot.”

”I'll do it myself,” Li Yuanyu suddenly got reserved.

”Stop messing around, give me your foot,” Tang Shan furrowed his eyebrows and urged him on.

Li Yuanyu gave him a look, deliberated for a moment, and lifted his foot.

Tang Shan held onto his ankle and examined the injury on his soles. There were a few fragments that were embedded deeply into the flesh, and a few that had sc.r.a.ped his skin, resulting in a gory mixture of blood and flesh. It was no wonder it was bleeding so badly.

”Doesn't it hurt?” How could he endure it for so long? Tang Shan's brows stayed furrowed, an inexplicable anger rising within him. He picked up the tweezers and carefully picked out the shards one by one.

Li Yuanyu endured it without a sound, though the occasional twitches of his foot lay proof to the pain he felt.

”You idiot!” Tang Shan scolded, though he got gentler so as not to hurt him further. He carefully disinfected the wounds, applied some cream on it, and then wrapped it up.

Li Yuanyu had his hands on the sofa for support, and as he watched Tang Shan's movements, suddenly burst out, ”It's at times like this that I think you're still in love with me even though you don't remember it anymore.”

Tang Shan did not feel like speaking, and only looked up at him after wrapping and securing the gauze. Li Yuanyu looked quite pale and no better than he was, but he still gave him a slight smile, with a regretful but tender expression.

”Take care of yourself, I'm heading back to my room.” Tang Shan patted Li Yuanyu on the foot and s.h.i.+fted it aside. He walked past Jake, who was on the floor, and left the living room.

Jake had just come to as well, and seeing Tang Shan pa.s.s by, absently asked, ”Where are you going?'

Tang Shan did not bother with him and just left.

”Where's he going?” Jake turned and asked Li Yuanyu, confused. His foot had already been treated and wrapped up, and he stayed on the sofa, gaze chasing after Tang Shan.

That was a lovelorn gaze. Jake shook his head, finding that there was no cure for this man.

”I'm hungry.” As he lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling, Jake rubbed his starving belly. d.a.m.n it! He hadn't even had the chance to drink any soup!

”Help yourself.” Li Yuanyu stood up and stepped over him in pursuit of Tang Shan.

”You're really going crazy. Li Yuanyu, do you know how crazy you are!” Jake yelled at his back, and then began to laugh.

Li Yuanyu ignored Jake's mocking laughter, his focus entirely on Tang Shan. He approached the door to his room and knocked. Not hearing any reaction, he knocked once again. Seeing that there was still no answer, he grabbed the handle.

”Stop it,” Tang Shan dissuaded him from behind the door.

”Tang Shan,” Li Yuanyu exclaimed in a hurt tone, and almost begged as he said the next line, ”I won't do anything, just let me see you. I'll leave once you're asleep.”

”No,” Tang Shan rejected him, ”I want to be alone.”

It was quiet on the other side of the door after a while. Tang Shan pressed his ear to the door and listened, and it was silent. Was he gone? So easily? He didn't believe it and slowly opened the door without much thought. Along with the door, he was pushed backwards.

”You tricked me!” Tang Shan glared at Li Yuanyu, blaming himself for his stupidity. How could he have been taken in by this?

”I'm sorry. Ugh!” Li Yuanyu apologised, but he suddenly grunted, doubling over in pain.

”Your foot!” Tang Shan exclaimed anxiously, remembering his injury.

”It's nothing,” Li Yuanyu tolerated it, but the cold sweat couldn't fool anyone.

It better be! Tang Shan retreated, ”Come in.” It was an order.

Li Yuanyu gave a big smile, but when coupled with his pained expression, it seemed even more pitiful.

”Sit down, let me look at your foot.”

”I'm really alright,” Li Yuanyu tried to feign nonchalance.

Tang Shan rolled his eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him onto the bed. He pulled a chair to the side and sat down.

”I--”

”Shut up.” Tang Shan grabbed his foot and began to examine it. Just as he expected, it was bleeding again.

Li Yuanyu wanted to retract his foot, and Tang Shan simply let go and got up to leave.

Hastily, Li Yuanyu asked, ”Where are you going?”

”I'm going to get the first aid kit, your foot needs to be wrapped again.”

”I'll go with you,” he said and tried to get off the bed.

”Stop!” Tang Shan ordered and took in a deep breath. In the end, he decided to compromise, ”I'll get Jake to bring it up, just wait here.”

Though Li Yuanyu waited obediently, his gaze never left Tang Shan.

Tang Shan left the room and yelled for the person downstairs, ”Jake, could you bring the first aid kit upstairs?”

”What?! But I just got started on this drumstick! Can't you give me enough time to finish just one drumstick?!” Jake shouted back, indignant.

Even though he was full of complaints, he still retrieved the first aid kit, though he dragged his feet along. It was obvious that he was furious.

”Thank you, you can get back to your drumstick now.” Tang Shan thanked him after taking the first aid kit.

”Hmph!” Jake left in a huff.

He returned to Li Yuanyu, who told him, ”He should treat you with more respect.”

”Oh? On what grounds?” Tang Shan retorted. If he answered saying he belonged to Li Yuanyu or something like that, he'd definitely throw the kit at his face.

Li Yuanyu knew his temperament and kept quiet.