My Husband's Eyes Have Been Looking Different Lately After Our Marriage of Convenience - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: “I’ll help you apply the medicine”

The rain outside had long since stopped, but the air still held the residual chill of the storm. It was cold enough to make one’s feet feel frozen.

Lu Tingyun noticed the injuries on the two of them instantly. His expression chilled as he asked, “What happened?”

His unfriendly tone was clearly directed at Cheng Chao, who trembled and stammered, unable to give a straight answer for a long time.

After a while, Song Ai spoke up jokingly, “Can’t you tell? We got into a fight.”

Lu Tingyun finished descending the stairs and sat on the living room sofa. He looked over sideways and repeated, “A fight?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was cold as ice. Cheng Chao immediately recoiled in fear. Song Ai felt a bit nervous too, but he bit the bullet and hummed an “Mhm.”

Lu Tingyun crossed his legs, his gaze inquisitive. “How did it happen? Give me the details.”

Song Ai: “…” You want a play-by-play? Do you think this is a theater performance??

He didn’t want to talk, and Lu Tingyun didn’t say anything either, simply staring at him with a great deal of patience.

After several minutes, Song Ai gave up the struggle and explained dryly, “Your cousin was nearly beaten to death just now. I saved him. It’s that simple.”

Hearing this, Lu Tingyun turned to Cheng Chao.

Cheng Chao’s scalp tightened instantly, and he immediately confessed: “Yes, yes, yes! It was Song—I mean, Ai-ge who saved me!”

Lu Tingyun asked again, “Did you cause trouble?”

Cheng Chao didn’t dare tell the truth. He said vaguely, “No, no. Some guys just didn’t like the look of me and ambushed me on the road. Ai-ge just happened to run into us.”

The story was clearly ambiguous. However, Lu Tingyun didn’t seem to care about the exact details, and now wasn’t the time to assign blame. He picked up the landline receiver and dialed a number.

He whispered a few instructions and hung up. A brief, heavy silence followed.

Just as the two standing were debating whether to find a place to sit, footsteps echoed from behind them. They turned to see a man in a white lab coat.

The misery and fear on Cheng Chao’s face vanished instantly. Hee-hee. I knew Cousin cared about me. Fierce on the outside, but calls the doctor secretly. ^_^

Lu Tingyun spoke succinctly: “Check them both.”

The doctor nodded, set down his medical kit, and checked Cheng Chao first, since he looked more battered. He pinched Cheng Chao’s swollen eyelid.

Cheng Chao immediately put on a mask of agony, screaming: “AH!! OW OW OW OW!!!”

Song Ai: “…” Is this a medical checkup or an interrogation under torture?

After five minutes of observation, the doctor concluded: “The young master’s injuries aren’t serious. Apply topical medicine regularly to reduce swelling; it should go down in about a week.”

Cheng Chao was still worried. “Are you sure? It’s so swollen, I won’t go blind, will I?”

Doctor: “Likely not. There’s no bleeding or obvious lacerations. Of course, if you’re worried, you can visit the ophthalmology department tomorrow.”

Cheng Chao was scared to death and wanted to ask more, but he was interrupted by his cousin’s cool voice: “Check the other one.”

The doctor immediately moved. “Yes, sir.”

Cheng Chao: “…” Not hee-hee anymore.

Song Ai’s injuries were visible: a few scrapes on his arm with traces of blood—likely from flying glass shards—and a bruise clearly caused by a fist. The scrapes were fine; they would scab over in a couple of days after disinfecting with iodine. The main concern was whether there was a minor fracture in the arm.

The doctor instructed him to lift his arm. He had strength, but not much.

“Should be fine as well,” the doctor said. “The bruise isn’t deep and you can move it naturally, which means the internal tissue isn’t damaged. Use the same topical medicine.”

Song Ai lowered his arm expressionlessly.

Suddenly, Cheng Chao shouted, “Wait—”

The doctor and Lu Tingyun looked at him simultaneously. The youth’s lips moved: “…Ai-ge’s back seems to be hurt too. Why don’t you check that?”

Lu Tingyun’s brow furrowed slightly.

The doctor agreed and moved behind Song Ai. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Please lift your shirt.”

Lift what?

Song Ai thought he misheard, but then realized it made sense. How else could the doctor check the wound? But lifting his shirt in front of all these people…

Song Ai wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but the words got stuck in his throat. It would seem too bashful and pretentious! They were all men; what was there to be embarrassed about?

So, he grabbed the hem of his shirt, closed his eyes, and lifted it up decisively.

He was naturally fair-skinned, and the white light made his skin look almost blinding. Cheng Chao immediately looked away toward the other side of the room. I’m still a minor, I shouldn’t look at this, I’ll get sties…

Lu Tingyun, however, sat two meters away without moving an inch. His gaze was nailed to Song Ai like a spike.

The young man’s body was as striking as his beautiful face. He was thinner than most guys his age, but he was well-proportioned. His waist was so narrow that Lu Tingyun felt he could almost encircle it completely with his two hands. Yet he wasn’t without soft tissue; on the contrary, the touch would likely be springy and soft—the kind that makes one want to squeeze and ravage it until it shudders.

…

The doctor finished the exam, his expression unchanged. “It’s just some bruising and swelling. Fortunately, the vertebrae aren’t injured. It should heal in a few days with some medicinal oil and a gentle massage.”

Hearing this, Song Ai immediately dropped his shirt and smoothed it out haphazardly.

The tips of the young man’s ears were beet red. Lu Tingyun withdrew his gaze and said flatly, “Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”

The doctor bowed slightly. “Mr. Lu is too polite. This is my duty.”

With a million-dollar salary from the Lu family, house calls in the middle of the night were to be expected.

With the crisis averted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But the exam was only the first step; the mess wasn’t quite cleaned up yet. Fortunately, Lu Tingyun was a master at tying up loose ends.

He first called for Butler Wu to see the doctor out and instructed two servants to prepare a guest room. Finally, he dialed his aunt’s number.

Cheng Chao stood by nervously.

“Good evening, Aunt,” Lu Tingyun said. He paused, glanced sideways at Cheng Chao, then looked away. “I apologize for the late call, but the situation is unique, so I had to let you know. Xiao Chao is at my place… Why? He said he’s been under a lot of academic pressure lately and can’t keep up. He wanted my guidance and help, so he’s here for tutoring… No, it’s no trouble… Yes, I’ll look after him. Rest assured… Goodbye.”

The call was handled with seamless efficiency.

Song Ai watched Lu Tingyun in disbelief. How does this man lie without even a hint of a stutter??

Cheng Chao let out a massive sigh of relief. He wanted to kowtow three times on the spot. But before he could say thank you, his mother called him immediately. Cheng Chao scrambled outside to take the call.

Only two people were left in the living room.

Lu Tingyun put down the receiver and turned to Song Ai. His gaze was deep and dark. Song Ai was thin-skinned; after making eye contact for a moment, he wanted to look away. But looking up revealed a blank ceiling, and looking down revealed…

He chose the floor. Like a man staring at a wall in a cell.

Having been spared by his mother, Cheng Chao was overjoyed. Ignoring his injuries, he came hopping back into the room. Then he saw his cousin staring at Song Ai motionlessly. The atmosphere was incredibly weird.

Cheng Chao stopped, confused— Why is Song Ai’s face so red???

“What… are you guys doing?” he asked innocently.

Song Ai looked up and naturally changed the subject. “Done with the call?”

Cheng Chao nodded excitedly. “Mhm! My mom said I can stay here until the next monthly exam is over!”

By then, his wounds would be healed, and this whole thing could pass unnoticed. Flawless!

But human joys and sorrows are not shared. Song Ai didn’t catch his excitement at all; he even let out a bored yawn. “Alright. I’m exhausted, I’m going to sleep.”

Cheng Chao’s jaw dropped. “You’re sleeping this early?”

Song Ai glanced over with teary, sleepy eyes. “Yeah. I’ve slept this early since I was a kid. Otherwise… I’d be as short as you are now.” He even gestured to Cheng Chao’s height with his hand.

Cheng Chao: “…” Your poisonous tongue is going to be the death of me!!!

After mocking the “midget,” Song Ai started heading upstairs in his slippers.

Butler Wu entered then, carrying a tray with several bottles. “Don’t be in such a hurry, Madam. I’ve brought the medicinal oil as per the doctor’s instructions. Bruises shouldn’t be left for too long; I’m afraid you’ll have to apply the medicine before you sleep.”

The butler then looked at Cheng Chao: “Master Cheng as well.”

Cheng Chao hesitated. “My eye is swollen… do I have to apply for it right now?” The doctor’s light pinch earlier had nearly killed him; wouldn’t applying medicine be even more painful?

The butler smiled slightly. “Master Cheng, a short pain is better than a long one. Apply it early, heal early.”

Cheng Chao smacked his lips and resigned himself to fate. “Fine.” Why did I go to a bar just to show off? Never again!

Song Ai didn’t mind. He dropped a “I’m going to take a shower first” and continued on his way.

After watching Song Ai leave, Cheng Chao also planned to shower before applying the medicine. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to say goodnight to his cousin, but when he turned around, the man on the sofa had already vanished.

Cheng Chao: Eh?? Where did my huge cousin go??

…

In the six months since returning to the country, Song Ai hadn’t had a conflict with anyone, let alone a fight. Today’s sudden brawl had truly drained his energy. While showering, his arms were so sore he could barely lift them. The hot water hitting his skin felt like being pricked by thousands of tiny needles.

He couldn’t take it and came out after a quick rinse.

Considering that Butler Wu would be coming to help him apply the medicine, he didn’t bother with a shirt. He just wore loose pajama pants and lay on the bed playing with his phone.

Before long, footsteps sounded in the hallway. At first, Song Ai thought it was Butler Wu, but he quickly sensed something was off— Is Butler Wu’s step this firm and powerful??

He instinctively looked toward the door. A cold, familiar face entered his view.

Lu Tingyun?? What was Lu Tingyun doing here??

Song Ai’s eyes widened in confusion. He noticed Lu Tingyun was carrying two bottles of medicine. They looked familiar—the same medicinal oils Butler Wu had brought in earlier.

A bad premonition rose in his heart. Song Ai licked his dry lips and asked the man at the door, “You… what’s up?”

Lu Tingyun’s eyelids lifted slightly. His first glance caught the young man’s slender white legs; the second noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

The man explained calmly: “Butler Wu tripped while coming upstairs.”

Song Ai: “And?”

Lu Tingyun’s tone was still as calm as water, but his statement was explosive:

“So, tonight, I will be the one applying your medicine.”