The Tool Brother Thinks It’s Not Okay [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Lü Yiyan woke up on the messy bed, clutching his throbbing head. A sharp pain shot through his lower body as he sat up in a panic, jostling the person beside him awake.

A large hand reached out and wrapped around his shoulder. “Baby, you must be tired from last night,” Ma Heng mumbled sleepily. “Don’t rush to get up. Stay and cuddle a bit longer.”

“P-President Ma…” Lü Yiyan’s mind was a tangled mess.

“Mm, good boy,” Ma Heng murmured, still half-asleep. “Stick with me, and you can have anything you want. I’ll take good care of you.”

He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep, oblivious to Lü Yiyan’s ashen face.

Yesterday, his manager had taken him to a party and handed him a drink. After one sip, he’d felt dizzy and disoriented. What happened next was all too clear.

Staring at the middle-aged man with his bloated face and thick neck, Lü Yiyan recalled the chaotic night and felt a wave of nausea. He threw back the covers and stumbled to the bathroom.

“Sister Li, why did you do this?!” Lü Yiyan shouted into the phone, his voice trembling with fury. “You told me it was just a normal business dinner!”

The manager showed no remorse, instead laughing and retorting, “You didn’t exactly resist when President Ma was plying you with drinks and groping you, did you?”

“I thought he was just…!”

“Just a touch? Lü Yiyan, you can’t be that naive, can you?” Sister Li’s voice dripped with mockery. “Do you think you’re made of gold? That President Ma would give you all those resources just for a little touch?”

Lü Yiyan retorted angrily, “If I’d known beforehand, I never would have agreed! I never wanted to take this path. I can make it on my own!”

“On your own? With what? Your pathetic acting skills?” Sister Li mercilessly punctured his facade. “You’ve only gotten this far because of the resources I’ve poured into you. But look at the garbage you’ve been producing! Sometimes I wonder if you even went to the same school as me.”

Lü Yiyan trembled with rage, but Sister Li softened her tone, coaxing him, “President Ma has plenty of people vying for his attention. He’s generous and won’t treat you poorly. You’ve always wanted to be on that popular variety show, right? President Ma is the biggest investor. He secured you a spot as a permanent guest for the upcoming season.”

…A permanent guest? Lü Yiyan gripped the phone tightly, silent.

Sister Li continued smoothly, “Lü Yiyan, you’re already twenty-six. How many more years can you rely on your youth? Make the most of it while you can.”

Her voice dripped with cruel contempt. “Since you’ve chosen to live off your looks, why not go all the way?”

Lü Yiyan hung up without a word, his face even more wretched than if he’d been crying.

It was done. He couldn’t wash himself clean now. Even if he exposed everything, the other party had wealth and power on their side. He’d gain nothing but ruin and disgrace.

At least he could still get resources now… things he deserved.

He stared at the debauched marks on his body, his gaze sliding down to his uninjured right ankle. After Qin Yunran had used some unknown trick on him, he’d initially felt only numbness in the joint. But that night, it had swollen painfully, throbbing with every step. The delay in filming had earned him a torrent of abuse from the director and his manager, yet he’d had to endure the pain and shoot dramatic scenes. Even now, though it had healed, a faint ache lingered, whether from lingering injury or psychological trauma.

“Why does Qin Yunran get to rest comfortably while recovering from his injury?” Lü Yiyan thought bitterly, recalling the news he’d heard from the other actor’s crew. The thought stung like a snakebite.

Ma Heng didn’t wake until late morning. Lü Yiyan, draped in a bathrobe, leaned over his pillow, half-bared shoulder exposed, and murmured softly, “President Ma, you said I could ask for anything, right?”

In the hospital, Qin Yunran was indeed lounging comfortably in bed, enjoying the air conditioning, just as Lü Yiyan had imagined. Ever since playing a few games with Cheng Kaixin, he’d genuinely become interested and spent his free time leveling up.

On the other bed, Cheng Kaixin was on a video call with Lu Jinying. Lu Jinying’s stern expression seemed to convey blame, but his eyes betrayed genuine concern. “As the producer, you’re responsible for the crew’s safety. If something went wrong, it’s your fault. Getting hurt is just the consequence of your own negligence.” He habitually softened his tone after the initial reprimand, adding, “Be more careful next time. Don’t put yourself in danger.”

Cheng Kaixin had never experienced such familial concern before. A novel warmth stirred within him. Though he knew this concern wasn’t for him, but for Lu Jinhua, who had died at his computer and likely been reincarnated by now, he found himself taking the conversation seriously for once, rather than brushing it off as usual. He patiently chatted with Lu Jinying for a while.

“Lingxing will become number one under my leadership,” he declared confidently.

A rare smile spread across Lu Jinying’s face.

As the video call ended, Qin Yunran finished his game and looked up at Cheng Kaixin. “You and your brother seem close.”

“We’re okay, I guess,” Cheng Kaixin replied casually, lying back on his bed. “What about your family? Why hasn’t anyone come to visit you?”

“I didn’t want my parents to worry, so I didn’t tell them,” Qin Yunran said, opening the lunchbox on the table. He made it sound like he was easy to take care of. “Qu Wen brings me meals, so I’m fine…”

Inside the lunchbox were two dishes: stir-fried squid with green peppers and stir-fried celery with dried tofu. Both were dishes Qin Yunran disliked.

The smile gradually faded from his face, and he withdrew his chopsticks.

Cheng Kaixin smirked and sent a message to the auntie who cared for him.

A little later, the auntie arrived with his meal. As instructed, she had packed an extra portion and brought a slice of mousse cake from the dessert shop.

From the moment the cake entered the room, Qin Yunran’s gaze drifted from his phone screen, his peripheral vision drawn to it.

The auntie placed the food in front of Cheng Kaixin, taking out each item one by one. “I made big bone soup today,” she said. “Eat what nourishes you. Drink plenty of it.” Having worked for the Lu family for years, practically watching Lu Jinhua grow up, she couldn’t help but advise, “Eat your meal first, then have dessert. It’s better for your stomach.”

“Tell him that,” Cheng Kaixin said, gesturing toward Qin Yunran.

“Oh, right! Mr. Qin, I made an extra portion for you too,” the auntie said, following Cheng Kaixin’s cue. She handed Qin Yunran the cake and a set of dishes.

“For me?”

“Yours.” Cheng Kaixin lifted his chin, his eyes meeting Qin Yunran’s slightly shining gaze. “Remember what Auntie said: eat your meal first, then have the cake.”

Qin Yunran smiled like a cat that had just discovered catnip, his usual aloofness melting away as his eyes narrowed in delight.

After they finished eating, Auntie was clearing the lunchboxes when she suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right,” she said to Cheng Kaixin, “Maoqiu hasn’t been eating well lately, probably because of the heat.”

“Then take him to the vet,” Cheng Kaixin replied. “I can’t go home these days, so please take good care of him for me, Auntie.”

“I will.”

“Maoqiu?” Qin Yunran’s attention was piqued.

“Maoqiu is Mr. Lu’s cat,” Auntie explained. She adored the beautiful Persian cat and grew excited at Qin Yunran’s question. “He’s so well-behaved and gorgeous!”

Qin Yunran chuckled. “I love cats too, but they never seem to like me.”

“Maoqiu is super clingy,” Auntie said. “He loves to rub against people and be held. I even have videos of him on my phone.” She pulled out her phone, ready to show Qin Yunran.

Qin Yunran straightened up slightly, his interest clearly piqued.

The auntie searched for a while but couldn’t find it. She muttered, “How come it’s not here? I just recorded it a few days ago…” She slapped her forehead. “Oh dear, my phone was running out of space! My daughter helped me clean it up yesterday. She probably deleted it.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Qin Yunran said, sounding genuinely disappointed.

His face was as gentle and refined as jade, and when he lowered his gaze slightly, he easily stirred the protective instincts of women. The auntie blurted out, “Once you’re better, Mr. Lu can take you to see it!”

Realizing her words might have been inappropriate, she glanced apologetically at Cheng Kaixin.

Qin Yunran looked over with a warm smile.

“Sure, why not?” Cheng Kaixin replied with a smile. “My cat will love you.”

After all, they did look quite alike.

The auntie packed up and left. Qin Yunran began enjoying his cake, his eyes half-closed as he licked the spoon, looking just like a cat grooming its paw.

But Maoqiu would never share his food with anyone. Qin Yunran, on the other hand, dug out a generous spoonful and asked Cheng Kaixin, “Want some?”

Cheng Kaixin wasn’t much of a sweet tooth. He raised an eyebrow. “How would I eat it? Wouldn’t that be a hassle for you?”

They were staying in a VIP hospital room, which was spacious and bright. Though there were two beds, they were quite far apart.

Qin Yunran didn’t mind the trouble at all. He wrapped up the cake, carefully swung his injured leg off the bed, and hobbled over on crutches.

Cheng Kaixin never expected Qin Yunran to actually show up. Not one to compromise his own comfort, he immediately refused, “You eat it. I don’t want any.”

Qin Yunran had already walked over and leaned his crutches against Cheng Kaixin’s bedside. Hearing Cheng Kaixin’s words, a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.

“Alright then,” he sighed softly, turning to retrieve his crutches. But his sleeve snagged on Cheng Kaixin’s crutches, sending both clattering to the floor.

Qin Yunran glanced at the cake in his hand, reluctant to put it down but unable to bend over to pick up the crutches. He winked at Cheng Kaixin. “Then I’ll just finish this before I go.”

He sat down beside Cheng Kaixin and placed the cake on the small bedside table.

The sweet, cloying aroma filled the air.

Cheng Kaixin: …I’m about to block this guy.

Qin Yunran began digging into the cake right in front of him. Cheng Kaixin gritted his teeth and pulled out his phone to play a game.

All this rare patience of mine, wasted on this pretty face.

As Qin Yunran ate, he watched Cheng Kaixin play. He wasn’t the type to act like he knew better or boss others around while gaming. He simply watched quietly, occasionally offering praise, like a proper gaming companion.

Cheng Kaixin was almost getting used to his presence.

It was then that Qin Yunran suddenly held a spoonful of food to Cheng Kaixin’s mouth. For some reason, he was in a sharing mood. “It’s really delicious. Try a bite.”

Cheng Kaixin froze, then jerked his head back as if avoiding something dangerous, smearing cream on his chin.

He’s really blocked me.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you while you were gaming,” Qin Yunran said quickly, grabbing a tissue.

Hurried footsteps approached from outside the door. Lian Weiwei burst in. “Bad news! Word of Qin Yunran’s injury has spread online, and…” She paused, seeing Qin Yunran wiping Cheng Kaixin’s face.

She finished lamely, “…they’re tearing him apart.”

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