The Young Master's Live-In Nanny - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: An Injury — “Don’t come back, you stubborn mule!”

There were still customers in the bar, and neither side wanted to escalate the situation. Xu Qiushi knew that calling the police would reflect poorly on the establishment, so he proactively chose to settle it privately.

The group paid a sum of money to cover the bar’s losses and Xu Qiushi’s medical expenses, fleeing the scene as if terrified he might change his mind.

Xun Wenyao instructed Xiao Zhao and A-Heng to calm the guests while he personally dragged Xu Qiushi to a small nearby clinic that was still open to have the wound treated.

The injury on his arm looked horrific, especially with the numerous glass shards embedded in the flesh. They had to be carefully picked out before the wound could be disinfected and bandaged.

Xun Wenyao rubbed his own arms in sympathetic pain just watching, but Xu Qiushi remained expressionless, not even knitting his brows.

An injury of this degree was nothing to him. Back at the construction sites, getting hurt was a daily occurrence; getting sliced open by a steel nail was often much deeper than this.

After leaving the clinic, Xun Wenyao told Xu Qiushi to go back and rest for a few days, but the very next day, Xu Qiushi showed up for work as if nothing had happened, even asking for a spare uniform shirt.

“Qiushi, you can’t use force with that hand right now. The wound will tear open,” Xun Wenyao said earnestly.

“It’s fine.” The injury was on his left hand; Xu Qiushi was still quick and efficient using his right.

“It’s very much not fine! If it tears, it has to be treated again, which slows down recovery.” Xun Wenyao handed him a new shirt. “Go back. People will think I’m exploiting an injured worker.”

“It won’t affect anything.” Missing a day of work meant missing a day’s pay. Besides, this injury clearly wouldn’t heal in two or three days; he couldn’t use it as an excuse to stay away forever.

Facing the immovable Xu Qiushi, Xun Wenyao remembered his cousin Qiang-zi telling him that Xu Qiushi’s nickname was “Stone”—it was incredibly fitting. He was about to say more when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID: “Qiushi, did you leave your phone out of your pocket again?”

Xu Qiushi’s phone was as thick as a brick. When wearing the tight uniform, he never kept it on him because it felt bulky and uncomfortable.

Xun Wenyao urged, “A-Ze is looking for you. Go back quickly, or he’ll come straight to the shop. From his tone, he seems to know you’re hurt.”

“How does he know?” Xu Qiushi hadn’t told his brother, fearing he’d worry.

“Wasn’t me. Go back and see for yourself.” Xun Wenyao raised his hands to show his innocence.

Xu Qiushi set down his work. “I’ll come back in a bit then.”

“Don’t come back, you stubborn mule!” Xun Wenyao shouted after him, half-laughing, half-exasperated.

…

Downstairs at the rental building stood not only Xu Qiuze, but also Gu Chengfei, who was carrying several large boxes of supplements.

In the chaos of the previous night, Gu Chengfei had recognized Xu Qiushi but hadn’t had a chance to speak to him. He waited at the bar for him to return, but when the bar closed and Xu Qiushi hadn’t appeared, he stayed at a hotel for the night. It was only after waking up that he thought to tell Xu Qiuze.

Xu Qiuze, who had just finished interviewing for a few tutoring gigs, rushed over the moment he heard the news.

The two surrounded Xu Qiushi with concern. Gu Chengfei thanked him profusely and insisted on taking him to a proper hospital for another checkup.

“I’m fine.” Xu Qiushi raised his bandaged hand and gave it a slight wave. He didn’t feel his actions were particularly heroic; he would have stepped in for anyone—after all, it was part of the job.

“Brother! Don’t move it!” Xu Qiuze was both anxious and angry, gently steadying Xu Qiushi’s hand.

“It’s just a flesh wound. You two go back; I have to go to work.”

“Brother Wenyao said you aren’t allowed back.” Xu Qiuze pulled out his phone to show a text. “You must rest today.”

Gu Chengfei echoed from the side, “Yeah, yeah!” insisting on personally delivering the “thank-you gifts” to his home.

Seeing this, Xu Qiushi stopped persisting and led them to his rental room.

This was Gu Chengfei’s first time in such a place. The building didn’t even have an elevator. He huffed and puffed up the stairs, and the supplement boxes he had insisted on carrying were now in Xu Qiuze’s hands.

“Almost there.” Seeing Gu Chengfei’s disheveled state, Xu Qiushi slowed his pace.

Gu Chengfei had a baby face with two small dimples when he smiled—a very likable look. Thinking back to the night before, Xu Qiushi noted that the man-on-man harassment didn’t seem to be viewed as “wrong” by anyone; it seemed the big city was indeed very inclusive.

Xu Qiushi lived on the seventh floor. As he unlocked the door, he asked, “Have you had dinner?”

“No.” Xu Qiuze shook his head. He hadn’t had time.

“Take your classmate inside. I’ll go downstairs and buy some groceries.” Xu Qiushi had zero self-awareness as an injured patient.

Both Xu Qiuze and Gu Chengfei stopped him at once. They were there to visit a patient, not to be served a meal.

“Big Brother Xu, don’t bother. We’ll just order takeout. My treat—what do you want to eat?” Gu Chengfei wiped his sweat and opened a delivery app. “By the way, give me the address here.”

“I’ve eaten. You two order. How much is it?” Xu Qiushi gave the address and reached for his wallet. In the last two years, the delivery industry has boomed in developed cities. Xu Qiushi had actually looked into the job, intending to do it as a side gig.

Gu Chengfei refused the money, waving his hand as he followed Xu Qiuze into the room. He took one step inside and froze.

The tiny room was so cramped with three adult men that there was no room to move. Gu Chengfei’s eyes shifted from his phone screen to the room, his pupils vibrating in shock.

“It’s small. Have a seat.” Xu Qiushi pointed to his bed and the only two plastic stools, then turned on the electric fan.

Gu Chengfei sat stiffly on a low stool. Looking at the tiny dining table, he silently deleted the items from his digital shopping cart.

…

The Jiang Villa

Having finished military training, Jiang Yichi returned to his brother’s house to be cared for due to a sunburn.

Perhaps because he was so exhausted by the training, the usually picky young master was unusually quiet for a few days.

Seeing his brother’s neck red and peeling, Jiang Yihe felt his heart soften. His tone lightened: “Why don’t you just stay here with me?”

“I’ll go back after the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Jiang Yichi replied, lying on the sofa playing on his phone without looking up.

“Go back? Did you find a nanny?” Jiang Yihe was squeezed onto the very edge of the sofa.

“No.”

“Then who will take care of you?”

“Don’t know.”

Jiang Yihe was annoyed by his brother’s indifferent tone but didn’t blow up. His original plan to “toughen him up” had faded, replaced by pity. He compromised: “Then let Auntie Wu go and take care of you.”

“No,” Jiang Yichi rejected immediately.

Jiang Yihe regretted even asking, having been given the cold shoulder once again. He snorted, “Fine, I’m done caring about you.”

Jiang Yichi gave a casual hum. He was playing a popular new mobile game. His cartoon character was gracefully dodging obstacles, sprinting fast. Just as he was about to beat the top score on his friends’ leaderboard, a message from Gu Chengfei popped up at the top of the screen.

His attention wavered for a split second, and the game-over screen appeared.

Jiang Yichi was half-dead with rage. He opened WeChat. He had sent a message at noon asking [Where are you?], and Gu Chengfei had taken over three hours to reply. He was even angrier!

At that moment, Gu Chengfei was huddled in Xu Qiushi’s rental room eating dinner with the brothers. When Jiang Yichi messaged him, he was at the market with them and hadn’t checked his phone.

After buying groceries, he had been busy “helping” Xu Qiushi—which mostly meant he stood next to Xu Qiuze watching him wash vegetables because he didn’t know how to do anything himself. He only had time to reply once they sat down to eat.

The wound on Xu Qiushi’s arm had already scabbed over.

Over the past few days, Gu Chengfei had followed Xu Qiuze there daily. He had offered several times to buy appliances for the rental room to improve Xu Qiushi’s quality of life, but was rejected every time.

Seeing that Gu Chengfei wouldn’t give up, Xu Qiushi used the excuse that “there’s no room for them,” which finally killed the idea of Gu Chengfei buying them behind his back. However, he did accept a new dining table from him, as the original one was simply too small.

Through their interactions, Xu Qiushi learned that Gu Chengfei was from the capital and came from a wealthy family. He had come to Luohai with a childhood friend; the friend lived in an apartment off-campus, while Gu Chengfei chose to experience dorm life.

Gu Chengfei was simple-minded and straightforward; if he liked someone, he treated them well. He now viewed Xu Qiushi as a real big brother.

“Eat less, you’re finishing it all,” Xu Qiuze grumbled at Gu Chengfei’s appetite, specifically regarding the jar of pickled radishes Xu Qiushi had made. “Have you never eaten a radish before?”

“It’s because Big Brother Xu’s cooking is so good! I see you eating plenty too,” Gu Chengfei replied, his form of address for Xu Qiushi having naturally become more intimate.

“Don’t fight. I’ll make more when it’s gone; it’s not expensive,” Xu Qiushi said. Seeing how much Gu Chengfei liked them, he let the two take the remaining half-jar back to the dorm.

After dinner, Gu Chengfei eagerly helped clear the table while continuing to heap praise on Xu Qiushi’s culinary skills.

“Big Brother Xu, your cooking is so good that being a waiter is a waste of talent. You should be a chef at a big hotel! The salary is much higher, isn’t it?” Gu Chengfei suggested it sincerely.

“It’s just home cooking,” Xu Qiushi said, and he wasn’t being humble. He knew that cooking at home and being a head chef at a major hotel were two different worlds. The latter required knowledge of cost accounting, inventory management, and the ability to manage a high-pressure kitchen during peak hours. A hotel chef needed vast experience; someone like him would have to start as an apprentice.

Gu Chengfei didn’t think that far; he just felt Xu Qiushi’s income didn’t match his ability.

“I have to go to work. Are you staying here or going back to the dorm?” Xu Qiushi asked.

“We’ll go back too.” Without Xu Qiushi there, there was nothing to do in this dilapidated room.

…

Mid-Autumn Plans

The bar stayed open for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the pay was higher than usual. The staff at Mist Island were all from out of town; rather than traveling home, they preferred the overtime pay.

Xun Wenyao, who lived alone, invited the Xu brothers to celebrate with him.

“Manager, why only Big Brother Xu? We’re alone too!” Xiao Zhao and two other clerks protested. Even A-Heng, the bartender, glanced over.

Since the shop opened earlier that year, they were more like friends than subordinates.

“You guys want to come? Then came,” Xun Wenyao welcomed them. Since the bar opened late, they could have a reunion dinner early.

Xu Qiushi asked Gu Chengfei about his plans and learned he had a place to go.

“What about you, Big Brother Xu? Are you eating here? How about I book a hotel and you and A-Ze can have a proper meal? Don’t cook yourself, it’s exhausting,” Gu Chengfei said, already considering Xu Qiushi “one of his own.”

“No need, we’re going to Wenyao’s place,” Xu Qiushi said.

“Oh, the manager. That works. By the way, do you eat crab? Give me the address and I’ll have someone send some over.”

“No, keep them for yourself.”

“Big Brother Xu, it’s just a few crabs. Don’t be polite—they aren’t that expensive. If you refuse, I’ll be too embarrassed to eat here again.”

“I’ll ask Brother Wenyao then.” Even though Xu Qiushi knew the address, he couldn’t just give it out.

“By the way, what are your plans for National Day? Where are you going to play?” This year, Mid-Autumn and National Day were a week apart.

“Work.” Even if he weren’t working, Xu Qiushi wouldn’t spend money on a trip.

“True, the bar will be packed during the holidays. Your manager won’t give you time off. A-Ze, what about you?” Gu Chengfei turned to Xu Qiuze.

“I found a few part-time jobs handing out flyers,” Xu Qiuze said. His free time was dedicated to studying, seeing his brother, or part-time work.

“Every day?”

“Mm.”

“You don’t even leave one day for yourself,” Gu Chengfei muttered.

He knew the brothers’ situation. Seeing them work so hard for a living made him feel a bit guilty. He wanted to help but didn’t know how. He wanted to give them money, but they wouldn’t take it. If only he could find Xu Qiushi a job that was easier and paid more…

At that moment, Xu Qiushi was wearing an apron, skillfully stir-frying. Gu Chengfei glanced around the old, tiny, but perfectly clean rental room, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.