HSS CH2

Chapter 2: Three Days Without Sleep

Lin Miao looked bewildered, “Excuse me, who are you…?”

The man replied, “I’m Mr. Huo’s driver, Little Zheng.”

Mr. Huo? Lin Miao was shocked again—she was still a sophomore in college, and Huo Yuchuan was already a “general manager” or something.

Little Zheng glanced at the watch on his wrist and said to himself, “The appointment time is almost here.”

Lin Miao asked blankly, “What appointment time?”

Little Zheng replied, “Mr. Huo has an appointment with Dr. Li today.”

Lin Miao’s eyebrows furrowed, “Is he sick?”

“Mr. Huo often has trouble sleeping,” Little Zheng said, “His insomnia is quite severe.”

Lin Miao turned to look at Huo Yuchuan, who was sleeping soundly beside him, “…But right now, he seems to be sleeping pretty well.”

Little Zheng sighed emotionlessly, “Ah, that’s amazing.”

Lin Miao: “…”

“Should we wake him up?” Lin Miao hesitated, “The doctor is waiting…”

Little Zheng took out his phone and made a call, saying to the other end, “Dr. Li, Mr. Huo’s appointment today is canceled.”

Without waiting for a response, he hung up with a “beep.”

Lin Miao’s eyes widened—wasn’t that a bit impolite?

Little Zheng showed no guilt, staring straight at Lin Miao.

Lin Miao had no choice but to say, “W-well, let him sleep a little longer, then.”

So, the two of them waited in silence for Huo Yuchuan to wake up.

At that moment, Huo Yuchuan’s phone suddenly started ringing, buzzing loudly over and over again.

Lin Miao looked at Huo Yuchuan, then at Little Zheng, and reminded, “The phone…”

Little Zheng remained indifferent.

The persistent ringing finally woke Huo Yuchuan. He opened his eyes, answered the call, and asked impatiently, “What is it?”

Lin Miao didn’t know what the other end said, but she heard Huo Yuchuan respond coldly, “I know.”

He hung up, stood up, and glanced at Lin Miao, saying, “I have to go first.”

Lin Miao nodded dazedly, “Goodbye.”

Huo Yuchuan stared at him for a few seconds before turning around and leaving.

He seemed very busy, Lin Miao thought, looking at his retreating figure. After all, he was Mr. Huo now, not the middle schooler who never handed in homework and was constantly punished to stand by teachers.

Lin Miao felt a bit regretful that she forgot to ask for his phone number; they probably wouldn’t see each other again.

In the future…… Lin Miao felt utterly hopeless—if he couldn’t pay back the money, neither he nor his father would have a future. They would probably end up lying stiff in the hospital next time.

But where could he find the money? Could he rob a bank?

He didn’t dare to rob a bank. Lin Miao was so worried that he couldn’t eat, and even dreamed about being chased and hacked at night. The knife was long and big, chopping behind him with a “clang clang” sound, like cutting pork, scaring him so much that he kicked his legs and almost fell off the bed.

Three days later, the person who hacked came for real.

That day, after class, Lin Miao was on his way to the hospital to see his father, whose leg was broken, but he was stopped halfway.

“Are you Lin Jianxing’s son?” A tall, fat man blocked his way with two others, “When will you repay your father’s debt?”

Lin Miao shuddered in fear, “C-can we wait a few more days?”

“A few more days? How many days have we waited already?!” The fat man clicked his tongue, looking fierce, “If you don’t pay up, I’ll break your leg too!”

Lin Miao clutched his school bag strap, looking at the man who was twice his size with fear, “B-but I really don’t have any money.”

“Is that it, just saying you have no money?!” The fat man was about to grab Lin Miao when suddenly he heard a “beep” from a car horn. He turned his head and saw a black sedan approaching from the roadside.

Little Zheng got out of the car, still with his usual expressionless face, and said to Lin Miao, “Mr. Lin, Mr. Huo is inviting you to get in the car.”

The fat man immediately looked annoyed, “Get in what car? He hasn’t repaid the money yet!”

Little Zheng: “How much?”

Fat man: “A million!”

“Oh,” Little Zheng pushed up his glasses with a hand and said to Lin Miao again, “Please get in the car.”

“What do you mean ‘oh’?!” The fat man rolled up his sleeves and walked toward Little Zheng, “Where’s the money?! No one’s leaving without paying!”

Little Zheng calmly took off his glasses.

Five minutes later, the bruised and battered fat man, along with the other two who were wailing, ran away while threatening, “T-then I’ll give you three more days. You must repay the money in three days!”

Little Zheng showed no reaction, slowly put his glasses back on, walked over to the rear car door, and turned to look at Lin Miao.

Lin Miao, still holding his school bag and feeling shaken, slowly moved over. He saw Huo Yuchuan sitting in the car, lazily looking at the laptop in front of him, as if he didn’t know anything about what had just happened.

“Going to the hospital?”

Lin Miao heard him ask, but his eyes were still on the computer.

“Yes,” Lin Miao nodded, “To see my dad.”

“Get in the car,” Huo Yuchuan said, “It’s on the way.”

He was also going to the hospital, to see Dr. Li again? Lin Miao got into the car and saw Little Zheng return to the driver’s seat. He couldn’t help but ask Huo Yuchuan in a low voice, “Isn’t he just a driver? How can he fight like that?”

Huo Yuchuan replied, “He also works as a bodyguard.”

I see, no wonder he’s so strong, Lin Miao thought, someone who can take on three people without breaking a sweat.

Huo Yuchuan seemed very busy and didn’t even take his eyes off the computer.

Lin Miao didn’t dare to disturb him and sat in the seat, boredly playing with his school bag strap.

The car drove smoothly down the street, heading to the hospital.

The trees on both sides of the road flew by. Lin Miao looked out the window, and then suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder again. He turned his face in surprise and saw that Huo Yuchuan had indeed fallen asleep again.

Lin Miao: “…Why does he sleep every time he sees me? People might think I drugged him!”

He held back and stealthily asked Little Zheng, “Does your boss always sleep whenever and wherever like this?”

Little Zheng didn’t seem surprised at all, just saying, “Mr. Huo hasn’t slept for three days.”

“Ah?” Lin Miao was shocked, “What does he do instead of sleeping?” Does he have such an active nightlife?

Little Zheng: “He can’t sleep.”

Lin Miao then remembered what Little Zheng had said before, that Huo Yuchuan had severe insomnia.

Three days without sleep—wouldn’t that be fatal?!

He hurriedly leaned over to listen to Huo Yuchuan’s breathing, saw that his breath was steady, his chest rising and falling, and he was truly asleep, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“Seeing a doctor doesn’t help either?”

Little Zheng: “Yes.”

Lin Miao: “What about taking some sleeping pills?”

Little Zheng: “He’s taken too many, and they don’t work anymore.”

Lin Miao paused for a moment, sniffed his collar, and asked, “There’s no strange medicine smell on me, right?”

Little Zheng: “No.”

Lin Miao was extremely puzzled, “Then why does he fall asleep as soon as he sees me?”

Little Zheng repeated again, “Ah, that’s amazing.”

Lin Miao: “……”