The Prime Minister Becomes a Global Sensation After Transmigrating into a Pariah - Chapter 2

Once they were gone, Lou Yishu sprinted back into the bathroom. He checked Lou Qingtai’s condition in a panic, but the man remained unconscious with his eyes tightly shut. Lou Yishu hoisted Lou Qingtai onto his back and rushed out the door in a desperate search for a medical hall.

After descending countless flights of stairs, Lou Yishu finally spotted an exit. The moment he stepped outside, he was stunned by the sight before him.

Outside, horseless carriages roared past. Towering buildings pierced the sky like sharp swords, and massive sky-bridges spanned the horizon with tens of thousands of vehicles hurtling across them. In that moment, Lou Yishu confirmed his suspicion: this was no longer the Great Yan Dynasty he knew.

He stood frozen for several seconds, the view making him exhale sharply with excitement. Had there not been a dying man on his back, he would have stayed to admire the scene for the duration of one. No, three sticks of incense. But for now, saving a life was the priority.

After overcoming numerous hurdles including running red lights, trampling through manicured greenery, and getting lost Lou Yishu finally found a “medical hall,” which people here called a “hospital,” thanks to the help of several kind souls.

As soon as he entered, medical staff rushed over with a gurney and wheeled Lou Qingtai into the emergency room.

“You’re family, right? Does the patient have a medical history? Any allergies? Is he on any medication? How did this happen?” The nurse emerging from the ER saw that Lou Yishu and Lou Qingtai looked identical and naturally mistook them for twins.

Lou Yishu knew nothing of Lou Qingtai’s life. He could only offer what he knew: “When I found him, he was bathing in a porcelain tub. He was unconscious. I know nothing else.”

The nurse glanced at him but said no more. She handed him a form to fill out the patient’s personal details.

Knowing nothing of the man’s identity, Lou Yishu leaned into the “twin” persona and told another lie: “I grew up with our father, and he with our mother. We are not well-acquainted.”

Expecting a scolding, Lou Yishu was surprised by the nurse’s patience. She went into the treatment room and returned shortly with a small card. “His wallet was on him. His ID card is inside; just copy the information. Let me know at the front desk when you’re done.”

Holding the small card, Lou Yishu finally “met” Lou Qingtai.

He carefully matched the information on the card to the form. However, when he reached the “Phone Number” column, he was forced to stop writing.

Just then, the ER doors opened. Several doctors approached Lou Yishu to explain the situation.

“The patient is out of immediate danger, but his condition is complicated. Based on your description, he was unconscious in a tub; there might have been an electrical leak from a power strip. However, our examination showed no signs of external burns. We recommend a full workup to check for internal organ damage or brain injuries caused by the current. If he remains comatose, we may need to put him on a nutritional drip. Be prepared the patient might not wake up.”

Though Lou Yishu couldn’t fully grasp the technical terms, his intuition told him the situation was dire. He nodded gravely. “Then we shall do as you say, Physician.”

While Lou Qingtai underwent further testing, Lou Yishu found the nurse again, his voice hesitant: “Physician, pray tell how many taels of silver will this cost?”

The nurse looked up, her expression strange. Lou Yishu’s manner of speech was far too archaic. Looking at his costume, she assumed he was an actor who had spent too much time on set and couldn’t break character.

“We have to wait for the doctor to issue the billing statement. Let me check his medical insurance first.”

After checking the system, the nurse sighed. “He doesn’t have insurance. If he stays unconscious, the daily ward fee is 800 yuan, and the nutritional drip is about 300 yuan a day. If you need a caregiver, that’s another 500.”

Lou Yishu had no concept of the currency, but he could tell by her tone that it was a significant amount. He looked at the “Peace Bracelet” he had worn on his right wrist since he was twelve.

The bracelet was a birthday gift from his mother. In Great Yan, jade jewelry was more precious than gold, and the piece on his wrist was a “Full Green” emerald of the finest quality.

Years ago, his mother had won it at an auction at Zuixiang Pavilion. Because the diameter was small, she gave it to Lou Yishu as a protective charm. As he grew, it became impossible to remove. In this strange era, this bracelet was the only thing he had left.

I wonder how Zuixiang Pavilion is doing a fire broke out there a few months ago.

“Mr. Lou, your bill.” A nurse interrupted his thoughts, handing him a receipt for the examination fees.

He couldn’t read the specific tests, but he saw the total: 4,000 yuan.

Having been a Prime Minister for nearly eight years, he had never worried about silver. Now, the moment he arrived here, he had to start pinching pennies.

“Give me the bill; you can just scan the code with your phone here.”

“Um… Physician, I do not have a ‘phone.’ Could I perhaps.” Buy on credit?

Lou Yishu’s voice grew smaller, his face flushing with extreme embarrassment. He had never owed anyone anything in his life.

“You forgot your phone? You can use face-scanning, then.” The nurse hadn’t heard his mumbled request for credit.

Thinking the hospital refused credit and prepared to use his bracelet as collateral, Lou Yishu was startled when the nurse thrust a square box toward his face.

Beep— “Payment Successful.”

“Alright. After the tests, will he be staying? Ward fees are separate and billed weekly.” The nurse continued typing, occasionally glancing at the stunned Lou Yishu.

“Mr. Lou?” she called out, snapping him back to reality.

“He, he will stay.” Lou Yishu breathed a massive sigh of relief and thanked her.

The nurse smiled slightly. “You’re welcome. Keep his ID card safe. The tests will take a while, please wait.”

Lou Yishu didn’t intend to just sit and wait. He decided to buy one of those “phones” that everyone seemed to carry. Since phones had replaced silver, they were clearly indispensable in this era.

After walking for a long time, he found a mobile shop and picked a model recommended by the clerk. Everything went smoothly until it was time to register a SIM card.

“Sir, I need your ID number,” the clerk said with a practiced smile.

ID again. A cold sweat broke out on Lou Yishu’s brow. He realized that a modern ID was the equivalent of a “travel permit” in Great Yan. If he didn’t have one, he would surely be taken to the yamen.

After a moment of silence, he handed over Lou Qingtai’s ID card.

Brother Qingtai, forgive my offense. I shall borrow your identity to survive this crisis. I will not fail you and shall take full responsibility for your welfare.

After paying via face-scan, Lou Yishu finally had his own phone.

Eventually, he returned to the hospital. He filled in his new phone number on the forms and consulted with the doctor. Lou Qingtai’s organs were fine, but since he wouldn’t wake up, the doctor suggested conservative inpatient treatment. Whether he would ever wake was up to luck or his own will to live.

After settling Lou Qingtai in, Lou Yishu returned to the apartment where he had first arrived at 7:00 PM.

The first thing he did was study the phone. He was intensely curious. Just the basic functions making calls and receiving messages left him agape with wonder. He then downloaded a short-video app and began rapidly absorbing the culture of this era.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

A sudden noise startled him. Following the sound, he found Lou Qingtai’s original phone in the bathroom. The screen displayed an incoming call from Qiao Yuxi.

Excited to see if he could truly hear a voice from hundreds of miles away, Lou Yishu answered. The moment he did, he was met with a barrage of verbal abuse.

“Lou Qingtai! I’ve been calling you until my phone is about to explode!” Qiao Yuxi’s voice roared from the other end, his tone furious. “Get on Boliao immediately and officially announce the variety show!”

Thanks to the short videos and this new era, Lou Yishu’s night of scrolling had paid off; he actually understood what Qiao Yuxi was talking about.

“May I create a new Boliao account?” Compared to Qiao Yuxi’s explosive temper, Lou Yishu’s tone was remarkably calm.

Qiao Yuxi is scolding Lou Qingtai; what does that have to do with me, Lou Yishu?

This “cotton-candy” soft attitude unexpectedly deflated Qiao Yuxi’s irritation. He lowered his voice, though he still sounded impatient: “Whatever. Your current account is a mess anyway, like a public latrine. Just make the announcement. Filming starts next week. Once the show is over, stay out of my life!”

“Very well. Madam, please call me Lou Yishu from now on. The number ‘One’—” and ‘Shu’ as in tree…

Before he could finish, the line went dead with a loud click. It seemed the man didn’t want to say another word to him. Lou Yishu pulled the phone away and scratched his head.

He wasn’t a “broken sleeve” (gay); he had been too busy with state affairs for years to even meet a young lady. The Emperor had wanted to arrange a marriage for him, but Lou Yishu insisted on waiting for his fated partner. Thus, he didn’t quite know how to address a male partner. He only felt that Qiao Yuxi was very strange like a barrel of gunpowder that exploded at the slightest touch.

However, the call was timely. It helped him find Lou Qingtai’s phone, and what Lou Yishu cared about most was the remaining balance.

He posted the announcement Qiao Yuxi had ordered and checked the bank account. To his dismay, the total balance was only 15,000 yuan. What did 15,000 means? It meant Lou Qingtai could only stay in the hospital for about two weeks, and that didn’t even account for Lou Yishu’s own living expenses.

At the thought, Lou Yishu laughed, a look of bittersweet resignation on his face. He suddenly felt that being arrested by the yamen might not be so bad after all.

Of course, he was joking. Life had to go on, even if it was a bit exhausting.

After checking the balance, he looked through Lou Qingtai’s Boliao account. What he saw horrified him.

Calling the account a “public latrine” was an understatement; it was a septic tank. It was filled with vitriolic curses and personal attacks; even a passing dog would probably stop to kick it.

After staring at the screen for a long time, his eyes grew sore. He yawned, his eyes tearing up slightly. He looked at the clock and realized it was already 10:00 PM.

In the past, he would have bathed at 8:00 PM and been in bed by 9:00 PM. Of course, sleeping early was a necessity because officials of the Yan Dynasty had to wake at 5:00 AM for the morning court.

By the time he finished washing his hair and body, it was 11:00 PM. He was so tired he could have fallen asleep standing up, but the hair dryer startled him awake. Once he got used to the noise, he decided it was the greatest invention in human history. His hair was very long; in the past, he had to wash it hours in advance, but now, whoosh, it was dry in no time.

Lou Yishu squinted his eyes. The thought of sleeping until he woke up naturally tomorrow filled him with an indescribable sense of ease and joy. This was the life he had dreamed of. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He had no idea that the moment his announcement went live, hundreds of thousands of netizens would swarm him like hyenas scenting rotting meat. The comment section of his new account collapsed instantly.