HCILH Ch. 134

Chapter 134: Healing

Ran Shu hurriedly cupped Sui Houyu’s face, wiping away his tears: “Don’t cry… Didn’t I come back?”

Sui Houyu wanted to ask about his situation, but before he could speak, Ran Shu pushed him toward the bed and said: “No need to ask, I’ll tell you myself.”

Then, like a one-man show, Ran Shu vividly recounted everything he had experienced in recent days.

Since overcoming his stammer, Ran Shu had become surprisingly eloquent, speaking in an animated and expressive manner.

Sang Xian, having already heard it once, simply stared at his phone, deleting all the posts he had shared on Weibo about lucky charms. He had tried everything possible to locate Ran Shu before.

Hou Mo, on the other hand, helped Sui Houyu lean against the pillows, peeling an apple as he sat beside him, quietly listening.

Halfway through, Sang Xian suddenly asked: “Didn’t you say you escaped while they were drinking? How did it turn into you single-handedly taking down five people?”

“Can you not talk?!” Ran Shu glared at him in annoyance. “When I need you to talk, you stay silent; when I don’t want you to, you just have to chime in. You’re really something. Just keep being your mute self—it makes you seem more obedient and cute.”

Sang Xian fell silent.

After their long-awaited reunion, there wasn’t much time for emotional moments between them.

Once Ran Shu finished, he paused for a moment before suddenly growing agitated: “I don’t even want to talk about it anymore.”

Hou Mo temporarily set aside the apple, walked to the refrigerator, and pulled out a can of soda: “Go on, I’m enjoying this. Here, big brother, have a cold Coke.”

Ran Shu’s anger lasted all of 15 seconds before he resumed, recounting how he had quickly thought to call his own number and then calmly waited for Sang Xian to come pick him up.

Sui Houyu, sitting on the bed with his knees hugged to his chest, listened without asking further questions. Instead, he simply said: “What do you want to eat?”

“I had some KFC on the way.”

Sui Houyu scrolled through menus on his phone and replied: “I’ll order you something to eat.”

Ran Shu nodded enthusiastically: “Great!”

When the food Sui Houyu ordered arrived, they discovered that one restaurant had mistakenly delivered two portions. The dishes were almost identical, except one came with a vegetable salad and the other with a black pepper beef salad.

It seemed Sui Houyu had ordered from that place, then moved on to another restaurant and accidentally ordered a similar set again.

Sui Houyu looked at the food for a moment, hesitating but saying nothing.

He had been making such mistakes frequently lately.

Hou Mo smoothly diffused the awkwardness by grabbing one portion: “Ah, perfect, I was just craving this.”

Sui Houyu stopped him, instead pushing a light porridge and some small side dishes toward Hou Mo and Sang Xian: “You both have matches coming up.”

The two tall guys huddled together, quietly eating their plain food while watching the two lean ones across the table, surrounded by a feast. Even more irritatingly, Ran Shu and Sui Houyu only took a bite or two of each dish.

They wanted to taste everything but didn’t want to overeat, so they just sampled a little of everything.

The two of them looked at their extravagant wives, speechless.

Though, they couldn’t say anything.

Sang Xian turned to Ran Shu and asked: “Are you coming abroad with us? I’ll cover the expenses.”

“Of course,” Ran Shu replied without hesitation. “I have to stay with Brother Yu.”

It wasn’t to stay with him…

Sang Xian sighed in defeat. Competing with Sui Houyu for Ran Shu’s attention was exhausting. He could only nod: “Give your passport to Coach Wang. He’ll handle it. It should be quick. I’ll book tickets for you and Sui Houyu.”

“Okay.” Ran Shu agreed easily.

After eating, Ran Shu, too full to sit, stood up and turned to Hou Mo: “You should head back to training. I’ll take care of Brother Yu.”

Both Hou Mo and Sang Xian immediately objected: “No way!”

Ran Shu was annoyed: “I’m great at taking care of people!”

Hou Mo shook his head: “It’s not about that. If you’re here alone, your father might come and take you away again. Then we’ll have to go through all this trouble again.”

Ran Shu retorted: “Brother Yu’s here!”

“He has to go for check-ups and to the operating room.”

Ran Shu thought for a moment and snapped his fingers: “I’ll get Su Anyi to come over.”

Hou Mo shook his head again: “Su Anyi needs to prepare for the college entrance exams!”

“She can study here. Ever heard of self-studying, genius?”

Hou Mo still disagreed.

Sang Xian added: “No, you’ll stay with me.”

Frustrated, Ran Shu slumped into a chair, angrily scrolling through his phone.

Sui Houyu watched the entire scene silently.

He could speak but did so very slowly, almost like Flash the sloth from Zootopia, unable to keep up with their rapid exchanges.

Once Ran Shu stopped moving, Sui Houyu finally said: “You should go back and rest. You’re a patient too.”

“Oh…” Ran Shu continued scrolling on his phone.

“What are you looking at?”

“Shopping on Taobao. I’m buying a wig. I’m balding.”

Sui Houyu remembered this and suddenly couldn’t help laughing.

Hou Mo grinned cheekily: “Aren’t there extensions? Why not get one of those?”

Ran Shu flared up, taking off his cap to show them. “Extensions have to clip onto your existing hair! Look at my scalp—do I have hair up there?! Huh?! And I still have wounds! What do you expect me to do, glue it on?! Are you trying to be funny? What happens when the wind blows? My hair will float like a cloud above my head!”

The entire room erupted in laughter, which continued for a long time.

Ran Shu angrily thumped his chest, clearly exasperated.

When Hou Mo went to throw out the trash, Ran Shu finally put down his phone and sat beside Sui Houyu, hugging him tightly without letting go: “Brother Yu… It’s all my fault you ended up in the hospital…”

With Hou Mo around, Ran Shu couldn’t get too close to Sui Houyu. Otherwise, Hou Mo’s jealousy could be suffocating—his resentful glances were as sharp as blades.

Sui Houyu patted Ran Shu’s back to console him: “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re back.”

“I’ve decided! I’m going to apply to the university I want. If I don’t get in, I’ll retake the exams! Even if we’re not at the same school, we must be in the same city! I finally have a goal to strive for.”

Sang Xian became interested in the topic: “Do you have to major in acting?”

“Not necessarily. Acting, music, or dance—whichever I get into, I’ll go! I just want to be in the same city as you guys.”

Sang Xian then asked the most provoking question: “What if we graduate and you still haven’t gotten in?”

“Then you can all pursue graduate school!”

“Alright.” Sang Xian conceded.

Sui Houyu listened quietly and then asked slowly: “What if your extensions fall off while flipping during dance practice?”

Ran Shu froze for a moment, descending into a state of dead silence.

He couldn’t even imagine that scene.

Sang Xian also fell silent. If he said or laughed at this moment, Ran Shu would undoubtedly lash out at him like a storm.

When Hou Mo returned, Sang Xian seized the chance to escape, stepping out to discuss competition plans with him, easing the awkwardness in the room.

Sang Xian expressed his concern about Hou Mo’s condition, suggesting that they hire a nurse for Sui Houyu so Hou Mo could return to school for training.

But Hou Mo refused. Sui Houyu wouldn’t sleep well without him and would feel uneasy. He had noticed Sui Houyu’s fear and insisted on staying by his side.

In the quiet ward, Sui Houyu spoke again, slowly as usual: “I used to think Sang Xian was unreliable, that maybe he was just playing around. But this time, it seems like he really cares about you.”

Ran Shu raised his eyebrows smugly: “Perhaps my chrysanthemum has left a special impression on him.”

Hearing Ran Shu’s audacious joke, Sui Houyu suddenly thought of Koi Seeking the Dragon’s Secret and earnestly advised him: “Stop reading weird books.”

“Huh???” Ran Shu was utterly confused.

Sui Houyu waved his hand: “I don’t want to explain. Just thinking about it makes me nauseous.”

“Then stop thinking about it.”

*

After Ran Shu’s return, Sui Houyu’s condition improved significantly. The constant weight on his heart seemed to finally lift.

After his fourth electroconvulsive therapy session, Sui Houyu underwent a series of examinations. The results came back normal.

When Hou Mo saw the report, he was almost moved to tears. Coach Wang quickly sealed the results in a document folder and drove off the same day to submit them.

This time, no one could complain about missing documentation—he made multiple copies, just in case.

With treatment concluding earlier than expected, Sui Houyu could rest at the guesthouse for a few days before heading abroad.

During these days, Hou Mo commuted daily—his mother cared for Sui Houyu during the day, and he returned at night to keep him company.

Hou Mo’s mom only learned about the situation when Sui Houyu returned to the guesthouse. She was heartbroken and scolded the boys for not telling her sooner.

Gentle and attentive, she doted on Sui Houyu so much that he felt embarrassed.

Recently, Hou Mo’s mom had been preparing to start a company. She set it aside temporarily to care for Sui Houyu.

While he rested, she picked up his textbooks and meticulously reviewed them. After a while, she began organizing notes, categorizing key points neatly.

A former top student herself, she prepared the material methodically within just a few days: “Don’t worry. When you get back from abroad, these notes will help you learn faster than others. I have many study techniques and can teach you if you have questions.”

“Okay.”

She studied him thoughtfully before asking: “Can you remember what I just explained, or should I write it down for you?”

“I can remember!” Sui Houyu hurriedly reassured her. “It’s not that bad, really.”

“Good, then I’m relieved.” She went back to organizing notes.

That evening, when Hou Mo returned, he glanced through the notes and marked several lines with a pen: “You don’t need to study these. My mom is too detailed—it’s unnecessary and just tiring.”

“Don’t cross them out! She worked hard on this!”

“I’m just streamlining it for you.”

“I don’t need your help!” Sui Houyu snatched the notes back, scrutinizing the crossed-out parts to see if they were still legible.

Hou Mo scooped him up and carried him into the bathroom, helping him undress: “By the way, Uncle Sang really went all out this time. He dealt a heavy blow to Ran Shu’s father’s company—crippling it significantly. While it’s not bankrupt, it’s barely holding on. He won’t have the energy to bother Ran Shu anytime soon.”

“Will his father retaliate once he recovers?”

“He’s too overwhelmed to think about revenge! Oh, and my mom and Uncle Sang were discussing plans to step in and clean up the mess once we go abroad.”

“How will they handle it?”

“By leveraging the money already invested to minimize losses—maybe even turn a profit.”

Sui Houyu couldn’t help but worry: “Won’t Auntie be overworked?”

“She can’t sit still anyway—let her have her fun. Back when everything was fine at home, my mom’s business skills were every bit as good as your mom’s.”

“I believe that.”

“And she’s extra motivated this time. She was furious when she heard about what happened to you—heartbroken, even. If she manages to turn things around, she might even become Ran Shu’s dad’s biggest business rival and help you get back at him.”

“Will Auntie be okay? She’s such a kind person.”

Hou Mo chuckled: “Never underestimate a woman’s protective instincts. When it comes to defending their loved ones, they’re unstoppable.”

Sui Houyu nodded: “Oh…”

Thinking of Su Anyi, the one girl he knew well, he shuddered at the idea of crossing her.

While helping him shower, Hou Mo suddenly asked: “Are you losing weight again?”

Sui Houyu vaguely replied: “No… I was 120 pounds last time I checked.”

“When was that?”

“Uh… during the senior year health check.”

“Before your hospital stay?”

“Yeah.”

Hou Mo wiped him dry and pushed him onto the scale. Seeing the number “115,” he yelled: “Sui Houyu!”

“Ah—headache, headache!” Sui Houyu clutched his head and scurried into the room.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”

“Sleep.”

“Night snack! Midnight snack! Extra egg for breakfast!”

Ignoring Hou Mo’s nagging about food, Sui Houyu lay on the bed and pitifully asked: “So… we can’t do it?”

“Nope, we can’t.”

“Then can you… I’ll feed you.”

Hou Mo coughed, trying to act calm as he picked up his phone: “Let me check if that’s possible.”

“Hurry up…” Sui Houyu impatiently pressed his head down.

Hou Mo stumbled onto the bed, flustered: “Didn’t you just get better? Why is your libido still so high?”

“I only feel it when I see you… husband…”

In the end, Hou Mo gave in.