WIL CH 13

Chapter 13: Ties That Can’t Be Severed

In his dream, it was Li Jingshu apologizing.

When he woke up, it was Wen Feng apologizing.

He had never blamed Li Jingshu for abandoning him when he was a child, but Wen Feng made him feel completely lost. This man had once helped him—he shouldn’t be angry with him, and he ought to be gracious enough to forgive him. Yet no matter how much he tried, the pain in his chest refused to fade; it pressed so heavily that he could hardly breathe.

Hiding beneath the blanket, Lin Xi pushed away Wen Feng’s hand resting on his waist.

“I don’t want to see you.” His voice was hoarse from illness.

Wen Feng froze for a moment before replying, “You’re sick. You need someone to take care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

Wen Feng lifted the blanket slightly, revealing Lin Xi’s flushed face—his skin red from the stuffy warmth, his lips tinged a deep pink. Wen Feng kept his gaze steady and asked, “You can take care of yourself? Then why didn’t you even realize you were sick?”

Lin Xi turned his head away, speaking into the empty air.

“That’s all because of you. I would’ve been fine after a night’s rest.”

He had already felt unwell yesterday and had gone home early, hoping to get a good night’s sleep. But instead, Wen Feng had lost control, tormenting him until the middle of the night.

Wen Feng’s gaze dimmed as he apologized once more.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

His voice was low and gentle—too gentle. Lin Xi feared Wen Feng’s gentle tone the most. It was like a soft-edged knife—every stroke was lethal, even though it drew no blood.

After a long silence, Lin Xi finally said, “Please leave. I want to sleep a little more.”

Wen Feng got off the bed, tucked the blanket around him, but Lin Xi never turned back—he didn’t want to look at him at all.

“Alright. The medicine’s on the nightstand. Take it later,” Wen Feng said softly. “You still have a slight fever. You’ll need another IV this afternoon.”

He paused briefly before continuing, “I’ll be outside. If you need me, just call—I’ll hear you.”

Footsteps followed by the quiet click of a closing door.

The room returned to silence, but Lin Xi’s mind was a storm. He felt disoriented, barely able to piece together what had happened.

Sitting up, he picked up his phone from the bedside table and opened his social app. There were no trending posts about him or Jiang Boqing—no mention of Xie Yunxue either.

He recalled the phone conversation Wen Feng had earlier when he’d just woken up. Putting down his phone, Lin Xi lowered his eyelids. It seemed everything had already been taken care of.

Lin Xi knew the Wen family’s power well. Few companies in the country could rival theirs. Their business reached across countless industries; even the logos seen on ordinary streets often belonged to Wen Corporation subsidiaries. For Wen Feng to make every video disappear overnight—unsurprising.

If Wen Feng truly believed that brief clip of Jiang Boqing holding him, then no explanation could clear his name—not even if he jumped into the Yellow River^[1]. After all, Jiang Boqing had embraced him, and as Wen Feng had said, that spot was a blind zone for surveillance. With no evidence, Lin Xi’s words meant nothing.

Even if he tried to explain, what difference would it make?

He was accused of infidelity—but Wen Feng was the one who had actually met with his lover. Seeing it with his own eyes was far more real than any fabricated video.

He shook his head to clear the heaviness clouding his thoughts. Seeing the two white pills and a glass of water on the bedside table, he decided to take the medicine first.

This illness would likely keep him home today. He’d have to call the company and take a sick leave. Thankfully, they allowed sick days—otherwise, he’d lose a day’s pay.

After calling Lu Mingyu and explaining the situation, Lu told him to rest and not worry about work. The game’s release conference was scheduled for two weeks later—there was still plenty of time.

Lin Xi finally breathed a small sigh of relief.

After taking his medicine, his head grew heavier, and before long, he drifted off again.

“Lin Xi, wake up.”

He had slept until noon. When he opened his eyes, his body felt a bit stronger. Wen Feng was leaning against the headboard and said, “Get up and have something to eat. You haven’t eaten anything since last night.”

Only then did Lin Xi notice the emptiness in his stomach. He propped himself up on his arms, but when Wen Feng reached out to help him, Lin Xi turned aside to avoid his touch.

Wen Feng calmly withdrew his hand without saying a word, only picking up the bowl of porridge from the bedside table. Lin Xi glanced at it and said, “I haven’t washed up yet.”

“Then go wash first.”

Lin Xi slipped his feet out from under the blanket and set them on the floor. As soon as he tried to stand, a wave of dizziness hit him, and he nearly collapsed. Suddenly, something tightened around his waist—he fell into a warm embrace.

When he opened his eyes, startled, he saw Wen Feng’s face close to his own, watching him intently with a complicated expression.

“Still feeling dizzy?” Wen Feng asked softly.

Lin Xi’s heart skipped a beat. He steadied himself and gently pushed Wen Feng away. “I’m fine now.”

Just as he was about to head to the bathroom, Wen Feng scooped him up without warning. At 1.78 meters tall, Lin Xi was carried like a child, held firmly by the hips as Wen Feng walked toward the bathroom. Lin Xi squirmed and struggled to get down, but Wen Feng smacked his hip lightly.

“Don’t move.”

Lin Xi froze immediately. That slap wasn’t hard—not painful, just firm enough to stop his resistance.

Wen Feng set him down on the sink counter. As soon as Lin Xi steadied himself, he quickly withdrew his arms from Wen Feng’s shoulders. His cheeks, already faintly red, deepened in color again.

He said in frustration, “Get out.”

Wen Feng didn’t respond. Instead, he calmly took Lin Xi’s toothbrush from the cup, squeezed some white peach–flavored toothpaste onto it, and placed it gently into Lin Xi’s hand before finally turning to leave.

Lin Xi stared at the toothbrush for a moment, dazed. Then, moving slowly, he climbed down from the sink, brushed his teeth, and washed his face before the mirror.

When he came out of the bathroom, Wen Feng was no longer in the room. Only the bowl of white porridge and a dish of steamed egg custard remained on the bedside table.

Lin Xi walked over. The flush on his face had faded, leaving behind the pallor of illness. He sat down weakly, eating the porridge in earnest.

He needed to recover quickly—he had to return to work as soon as possible. These past few days of sick leave had already delayed things too much. There were still several tasks left unfinished on the list Lu Mingyu had assigned him; if he delayed further, the clients would grow anxious.

Lin Xi finished the porridge and custard cleanly, not wasting a bite. He stacked the two empty bowls together and, after hesitating for a while, decided to wash them himself.

Opening the bedroom door, he heard the sound of typing from the living room. Wen Feng was sitting on the sofa working, even though there was a study in the house—he had chosen to work in the living room instead.

Lin Xi gave him a quick glance, then turned away. Fortunately, the kitchen didn’t require passing by the sofa.

Wen Feng, hearing movement, followed after him and took the bowls from his hands.

“Did you eat enough?” he asked.

Lin Xi replied softly, “Yes.”

Wen Feng placed the bowls in the sink, turned on the tap, and began washing them.

A faint ache rose again in Lin Xi’s chest. “I can wash them myself.”

In Wen Feng’s hands, the bowls were soon spotless and gleaming. Wiping them dry, he said without looking up, “You’re not fully recovered. Don’t touch cold water. Go lie down. The doctor will come soon to give you another IV.”

“Alright.”

Lin Xi didn’t look at him again. He returned to the bedroom and crawled back under the covers.

Last night, when the doctor gave him the IV, he had already been fast asleep—he hadn’t felt a thing. Now, he watched with open eyes as the silver needle slid into the vein on the back of his hand.

The doctor took his temperature again. The small screen of the thermometer displayed 37.6°C. Glancing at it, the doctor said, “Much better than last night. You should be fully recovered after today’s IV.”

Lin Xi seized the moment to ask, “So I’ll be fine by tomorrow, right?”

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the doctor replied, “More or less, yes. But you’re a bit anemic—you might still feel weak. I recommend resting a few more days.”

The doctor said he could probably return to work tomorrow. Lin Xi showed a faint smile and said, “It’s fine, as long as I can go out.”

Wen Feng stood behind the doctor, his expression dark and silent.

After labeling the IV bottles in order, the doctor quietly left.

Someone had to keep an eye on the IV drip, so Lin Xi couldn’t let Wen Feng go out anymore.

Wen Feng moved a chair over and sat by the bedside to keep watch. The man’s face was somber, lips pressed tightly together. He didn’t do anything—just alternated between looking at Lin Xi and glancing at the IV bottle, fully focused.

Lin Xi wanted to ask him about the video. He looked at Wen Feng, hesitated, and then fell silent.

Wen Feng seemed to sense his hesitation. “What is it?” he asked.

Lin Xi felt torn. He wanted to know whether Wen Feng believed that the video of him hugging Jiang Boqing had been maliciously edited. He didn’t care what their final outcome would be—but he did want to know if Wen Feng trusted him. That reasoning, however, seemed irrational no matter how he tried to justify it. The more he thought, the more tangled it became, so he gave up and didn’t ask.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Wen Feng tucked the blanket around him and said, “Get some sleep.”

Lin Xi had already slept a lot, so he wasn’t sleepy now. But he didn’t want to face Wen Feng either, so he turned his back toward him and said nothing more.

He didn’t dare move the hand attached to the IV. Lying on his side, his hand rested limply on his body. The medicine that flowed through his veins was cool, making that hand cold and slightly numb. He moved his fingers gently.

A few seconds later, that cold hand was suddenly wrapped in warmth. Lin Xi immediately recognized it as Wen Feng’s touch. His lashes trembled uncontrollably—he wanted to pull his hand back but had no strength left. He thought, Forget it. Even if Wen Feng was the one who caused all this chaos, even if his current condition was tied to him, Lin Xi was too exhausted. Just this once, he would allow himself a moment of rest.

Perhaps Wen Feng’s warmth was too comforting, because Lin Xi’s eyelids soon grew heavy again, and he drifted back to sleep.

While Lin Xi slept, Wen Feng received a phone call.

On the other end came a respectful report: “President Wen, we’ve found the person who first uploaded the video. However, the original footage has already been destroyed. We’ve tried several recovery methods, but it’s impossible to retrieve it.”

A chilling gleam flickered in Wen Feng’s dark eyes, his voice turning cold and sharp: “Understood. Send him in.”

After hanging up, Wen Feng looked at Lin Xi’s pale sleeping face—so quiet, so obedient. His fingers rubbed together lightly as his eyes narrowed, trembling slightly. A faint, oppressive aura rippled through the air around him.

He murmured softly, “Not obedient.”

(To be continued…)