Yu Hekun released her and sat up straight, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to vigorously scrub his flushed face, too embarrassed to meet anyone's gaze. He wanted to yell at Jian Youyou, but after accidentally catching Aunt Yun's eyes in the rearview mirror, he merely pursed his lips and held back.
It wasn’t that he didn’t have the words—Yu Hekun simply had too much pride. He feared that if he scolded her, Jian Youyou might retaliate with something even more outrageous. Uncle Lin and Aunt Yun were longtime family servants who had raised Yu Hekun since childhood, practically like elders to him. And in front of elders, even Yu Hekun could feel shy.
But the moment he moved, the rigid posture he’d been maintaining became unbearable. After struggling for a while, he gave up and slumped against the seat, legs no longer elegantly crossed, his image completely abandoned. He really did pull out his wallet, flicking a card at Jian Youyou, who eagerly snatched it up. Of course, her excitement wasn’t actually about buying clothes.
She needed to purchase things—money couldn’t be directly taken back to her world, but during the mission, anything given by Yu Hekun, like that diamond necklace, could be applied to bring back.
Jian Youyou tucked the money into her small, body-hugging purse, then turned her head to meet Yu Hekun’s furious glare.
He couldn’t reprimand her, but he could certainly try to murder her with his eyes.
Having received the money, Jian Youyou’s mood soared like an employee getting an early paycheck. Even Yu Hekun’s challenging stare now felt as warm as a spring breeze.
So, after a moment’s thought, she scooted closer to him. Ignoring his wary expression, she grabbed his arm and draped it around her own neck.
"Lying like this isn’t comfortable either. The car’s movement will only make your back hurt more," she said, slipping her arm behind his waist and pulling him against her.
Yu Hekun frowned. "Go back to your own seat."
But Jian Youyou insisted, "Lean on me. Relax a little—it’ll feel better."
Yu Hekun gritted his teeth, muttering several low threats under his breath, but eventually let himself slump against her. It really did ease the pain. Her arm around his waist was slender, but the grip was firm.
With mixed emotions, Yu Hekun rested his arm over her shoulder, too embarrassed to look toward the front of the car, his ears and face tinged pink. Still, the position did alleviate much of the discomfort. He glanced down at the crown of Jian Youyou’s head, his mood teetering on the edge of homicidal frustration the entire ride.
By the time they reached the hospital, they took the VIP elevator straight to the top floor. In the inpatient area, a team of doctors was already waiting. Jian Youyou handed Yu Hekun over to the medical staff and stepped aside, rubbing her own sore lower back. Watching the flurry of activity around him, she couldn’t help but compare it to the real world, where hospital visits meant half-day queues and even securing a bed was a struggle.
Novels really were a different world. Sure, in reality, the wealthy and well-connected could pull strings, but they were the rare few. Most people were ordinary—even drop-dead gorgeous ones couldn’t cut in line without getting their hair yanked by an angry auntie. No romanticizing that.
Yet, looking at Yu Hekun now, she couldn’t imagine him limping in a queue either.
Here, there was nothing for Jian Youyou to do but sit in the hallway. Aunt Yun and Uncle Lin handled everything while she waited, useless. Hours passed, well past noon, and by the time she’d scavenged a third bag of snacks from the vending machine, washing it down with bottled water, Yu Hekun was finally wheeled into his room.
His foot was in a cast, his waist braced, and—one eye patched?
Jian Youyou’s guilt spiked. The eye was her fault, but was it really that bad?
Once the medical staff left and Uncle Lin drove Aunt Yun home to prepare meals, only Jian Youyou and Yu Hekun remained in the room. She walked over and sat beside him. He kept his eyes closed, so she didn’t bother making conversation, just munched on her snacks while studying him.
"Are you a rat?! Stop cramming that garbage into your mouth right next to me! I’m a patient—I need rest!" His current state—one eye glaring, the rest of him bandaged—made the outburst comically exaggerated.
Yu Hekun was truly insufferable. Jian Youyou seriously doubted he’d have survived to adulthood without his family’s money. Someone would’ve beaten him to death by now.
Still, she softened her expression, lingering on his injured eye with a look usually reserved for wounded strays. She moved her chair farther away, setting the snacks aside, and simply watched him.
Yu Hekun lay down, then abruptly sat up again, snapping, "What are you staring at?! Sitting there wide-eyed and silent—are you trying to scare me to death?!"
Jian Youyou thought: Julie should’ve bitten a hole in your mouth. At least then you’d be taped shut.
Ignoring him, she walked to the window, no longer looking his way. Her mind drifted to the upcoming yacht party in two days—this injury might complicate things, and that was the last thing she needed...
Just then, a loud clunk came from the bed. Yu Hekun was trying to get up, his cast slamming against the frame.
Jian Youyou rushed over, pressing him back down. "What are you doing? Need the bathroom?"
Yu Hekun sat on the edge of the bed, one foot barely touching the floor, glaring at her in silence.
Jian Youyou said, "You shouldn’t be moving around like this. Let me find you a bedpan..."
She searched under the bed, in the supply cabinet, even the bathroom—nothing. Then she spotted the empty water bottle on the table, chugged the last few sakes, wiped her mouth, and handed it to him.
"Use this. I’ll sneak it out to throw away later."
Back in her aunt’s village, she’d seen her cousin use bottles for her toddler—just dump, rinse with well water, and reuse. With a cap, it was even cleaner than a bedpan.
Yu Hekun’s cold expression twisted into something horrified. He grabbed her collar, yanking her close to hiss, "Have you no shame?! I’ve never met anyone as—"
Then he noticed the water still glistening on her lips and recoiled as if stabbed. "If you pull this again, pack your things and get out!"
Using a bottle she had just drunk from—for that? Unthinkable!
His face burned. Here he was, a sugar daddy, being teased by his kept woman. The indignity left him seething.
Jian Youyou crinkled the bottle in her hand, then rolled her eyes when she realized what he was implying. "President Yu, your imagination is too vivid."
Yu Hekun scoffed. "Not as vivid as your schemes!"
Jian Youyou was practically amused by his antics. She set the plastic bottle aside and spread her arms to hug Yu Hekun. "Fine then, my lord. Let me help you to the bathroom, alright?"
Yu Hekun immediately grabbed her hand, a vein visibly throbbing at his temple. "You really will stop at nothing, won’t you?"
Jian Youyou looked utterly baffled. "What are you talking about?"
Yu Hekun scoffed. "Help me to the bathroom? Want a peek?" He let out a sharp laugh, gritting his teeth. "How about I just tell you straight—that bottle mouth you gave me? It won’t fit. Happy now?!"
Jian Youyou scratched her nose, seriously reflecting on where she’d gone wrong to make Yu Hekun so wary of her, treating her like some kind of pervert.
And then, without thinking, she glanced at the water bottle he’d mentioned. It wasn’t the usual narrow-necked kind you’d find everywhere—this one was unique to the hospital, with a wider mouth, almost like… the bottle cap of a Yakult drink in real life.
But even then, the opening wasn’t that wide. "Is not fitting in something to brag about? If it could fit, that would be the embarrassing part."
She thought it, and she said it out loud.
Yu Hekun’s hand hovered over the button to call the nurse, and at her words, he pressed down so hard he nearly ripped it off.
"What did you just say?!" Yu Hekun also glanced at the plastic bottle, then instantly flared up. No man could tolerate being insulted like that. No one.
So, provoked beyond reason, he lashed out, "How many men have you even seen, huh? Want to compare?!"
"Don’t worry," Yu Hekun added, "I’ll definitely satisfy you."
Jian Youyou stared at him like he’d lost his mind, arms crossed as she took in the sight of him—wrapped up like a mummy with barely any uninjured spots left, yet still desperate to prove his… prowess.
She wracked her brain, trying to recall if she’d said anything that provocative. His ability to work himself into a frenzy over a few words was truly unmatched. But she just watched, amused, neither explaining nor stopping him.
Of course, Yu Hekun wasn’t actually that delusional—he’d just been pushed too far. When he met Jian Youyou’s gaze, his rationality snapped back into place. He quickly went from tugging at his pants to pressing them down, muttering, "In your dreams!"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he declared, "Give it up. I only kept you around for your face—I could never like you. Once we’re back, the arrangement is over. No, scratch that. Keep the card. Pack your things and get out now."
Jian Youyou had been ready to tease him further, but at the mention of canceling the contract, her amusement vanished. Ending the deal meant no more money—just an empty dream. That was not happening.
So she quickly put on a sweet smile and stepped closer, coaxing him. "Aww, don’t be mad. I won’t look, okay? I promise." She covered her eyes with her hands—but left a gap between her fingers, peeking through. "Mr. Yu, it’s just… I like you so much, I couldn’t help myself. I’ll control it from now on, I swear."
For good measure, she even pretended to reach for his waist. "No peeking, no peeking. I’m sure it’s way more impressive than that bottle anyway…"
Jian Youyou was just rambling nonsense, but Yu Hekun stole a glance at the water bottle—nearly as wide as an arm—and shoved her away. "Get lost!"
If it were that big, he wouldn’t even be human!
