After Falling for the Handsome CEO - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: An Unrealistic Dream

Shen Jin shook his head, repeatedly telling himself that the man was merely a passerby in his life—someone who had hurried through and vanished without a trace.

He shouldn’t feel sad for him…

He stood up unsteadily. Looking at the marks left on his body from their recent intimacy, his ears burned. He never imagined he would do such a thing in a hospital.

In the past, given his personality, this would have been absolutely impossible. But for some reason, after meeting Yan Yu, many things seemed to spiral out of control.

With a flushed face, he grabbed some paper to clean himself up and pulled his pants back on. Only after ensuring his clothes were neat and unremarkable did he push the door open to leave.

“Sss…” He had only taken a few steps out of the infirmary when he sucked in a breath of cold air. He could clearly feel a tearing pain that made it difficult to even lift his legs.

Last night had been his first time, and it was already painful. Before he had time to heal, he had gone through it again; it was truly adding insult to injury.

Fortunately, the hospital corridor wasn’t very crowded. He managed to support himself on his trembling legs for a short distance, but as he reached a corner, his footing faltered, and he tumbled forward—

Luckily, a kind stranger caught him, preventing him from falling face-first. A voice tinged with a smile drifted from above: “Careful where you’re walking.”

Shen Jin nodded bashfully and managed to steady himself. He looked up at the kind person who had helped him and froze for a moment. The man was exceptionally handsome.

He had a face that looked as if it were carved with a knife, very long eyelashes, and smiling eyes that seemed to speak. Seeing Shen Jin staring, the man gave an elegant smile. “Am I that good-looking?”

Shen Jin quickly averted his gaze, feeling embarrassed. The man was indeed very handsome, but Shen Jin hadn’t been staring because of his looks—it was those eyes. They felt familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.

“You’re handsome…” Shen Jin nodded sheepishly, then added hurriedly, “Thank you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” the man laughed dismissively. “Are you feeling unwell? You can barely walk. I think you should get some proper rest.”

This simple question instantly reminded Shen Jin of what had just happened between him and Yan Yu in the infirmary. His ears felt like they were on fire. He could only lower his head woodenly so the stranger wouldn’t see his humiliation.

He nodded to the man. “Okay. I’m… I’m fine… Thank you.”

The man watched Shen Jin’s suddenly reddened ears and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Being unwell isn’t something to be ashamed of. No need to be embarrassed. Get some rest.”

The more he said, the more embarrassed Shen Jin became. He could only give a dry laugh. “Alright…”

The man nodded with a smile and walked away. Shen Jin remained where he was, staring at the departing back and frowning. He still couldn’t figure out why that person felt so familiar.

Unable to solve the puzzle, he shook his head and slowly made his way back to his sister’s ward. Thinking about the ten thousand yuan debt Li Zhen had mentioned, he frowned again.

He couldn’t understand why she had borrowed it, or why she hadn’t said a word to him.

When he entered the ward, Shen Lian was eating the porridge he had brought. She waved at him with a grin but asked with a hint of worry, “Brother, you’re back. Are you okay?”

“What could be wrong with me?” Shen Jin forced a calm smile, not wanting her to notice anything. He didn’t sit down, but simply stood by her bed and asked, “What about you? Any discomfort? That guy didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Shen Lian glanced at his hand—the one he had used to block Li Zhen. It was still red and swollen, but the swelling had gone down a bit compared to before, which eased her mind. She shook her head. “I’m fine. But brother… how do you know President Yan?”

Even though she had no personal connection to Yan Yu, she lived in this city and had naturally heard of him and seen him in the news. She just couldn’t understand how someone like that would know her brother.

Shen Jin was stunned by the question. He naturally couldn’t tell her the truth about their relationship. After stuttering for a moment, he shook his head and gave a vague excuse: “We met because of a small matter. This hospital is likely under his company, so he probably just stepped in to help since an incident occurred.”

Shen Lian frowned, but seeing nothing wrong with his logic, she believed him. She didn’t pry further and went back to her food, feeling a bit guilty herself, fearing he might ask about the money.

But what one fears most usually comes to pass. In the next moment, Shen Jin spoke directly: “Why did you borrow money from Li Zhen? And ten thousand yuan? When did this happen, and why didn’t you tell me?”

Shen Lian buried her head lower and continued eating, trying to think of a way to dodge the topic. Eventually, she let out a soft sigh and confessed: “It was for tuition… You were so busy at the time, so I…”

In truth, she didn’t want to make things difficult for her brother or become his burden. She tried her best not to ask him for money, knowing he didn’t have much.

That was why, since high school, she had hidden the fact that she worked part-time jobs. After entering university, the costs increased, and money was needed for everything. Part-time work alone wasn’t enough, so she had to borrow.

Although she didn’t say it explicitly, Shen Jin could guess the rest. His gaze flickered, turning dim.

Their lives were already a struggle; these extra costs were like snow on top of frost. Shen Jin felt a sense of shame, feeling that it was his own lack of capability that caused this.

He took a deep breath, not wanting her to see his pain. He patted her back gently and said in a warm voice, “Just rest for now. I’ll find a way to handle the money.”

“Brother,” Shen Lian bit her lip. Having relied on him for so many years, she knew his hardships. “You don’t have to live like this because of me…”

Before she could finish, Shen Jin gave her a light tap on the head and glared at her. “What are you thinking? Don’t say those things. If we don’t have money, we can earn it… You just focus on resting.”

Shen Lian fell silent. Her brother’s current job was a tutor for a middle schooler from a wealthy family. While the pay was high, it was nowhere near enough to cover her medical bills.

After staying with her for a while, Shen Jin quietly used the 100,000 yuan to pay the hospital fees. He then left the hospital; he needed to go home and prepare. He had to teach his student that evening, and he needed to think seriously about his finances.

As for Yan Yu…

When the name surfaced in his mind, Shen Jin looked down and smiled to himself with a touch of self-mockery.

Life is already this hard. Why do I keep having such unrealistic dreams?