Chapter 41 – Took the Wrong Medicine
???
Exes? What the hell?
Lin Ganzhi: [Since when does Yan Shengping have exes?] Unless you count his work.
Wenren Yi: [!!! He won’t even give you a proper title?]
Wenren Yi moved with incredible speed. By the time Lin Ganzhi checked his messages again, he had been pulled into a group chat called the “Scumbag Go-Die-Die Group.” There were only three people inside; Wenren Yi had also added Que Jin.
Lin Ganzhi: [Please give me a moment to breathe. May I ask who got cheated on?]
Que Jin: [Um, Ganzhi, this group was created for you.]
Thinking of the original owner’s track record, Lin Ganzhi typed: [I solemnly declare that I absolutely do not like Luan Yuanzhou anymore!]
Wenren Yi: [Who’s talking about him? It’s about your man, Yan Shengping! Didn’t you say he’s had… issues… from college until a few months ago?]
Lin Ganzhi: …[What are you guys talking about?]
Que Jin: [Um, Ganzhi, didn’t you look for Wenren’s grandfather to get Mr. Yan treated?]
Lin Ganzhi: [Yes, for treatment. For his stomach problems.]
Lin Ganzhi typed out those simple words, and the two people who had been chattering away in the group suddenly went silent. What was going on?
Frowning, Lin Ganzhi was about to ask when Yan Shengping, for the first time ever, sent him a message on WeChat: [What were you trying to tell me just now? I accidentally clicked in and saw you were typing.]
Yes, that familiar tsundere tone was still there.
Lin Ganzhi opened his keyboard, about to reply to his boss, when a new message popped up from the group chat: [Damn, damn, damn! This is a huge misunderstanding! Ganzhi, quick, tell your man to stop drinking the medicine! It’s the wrong prescription!]
Lin Ganzhi’s expression tensed. He once again exited Yan Shengping’s chat window. The group name had already been changed to “Sisters I Was Wrong.”
Lin Ganzhi: [Don’t scare me! What was it prescribed for?]
Wenren Yi: […Probably… an aphrodisiac.]
!!!
Lin Ganzhi shot up from the bed. An aphro-what?!
Wenren Yi: [Ganzhi, don’t say anything. I’ll give you the winery I just bought in the city. I honestly didn’t realize we were separated by the great chasm of an internet buzzword. ‘Stomach trouble’ sounds exactly like ‘impotence’ online. (Head in hands, crying.jpg)]
Lin Ganzhi’s hand holding the phone trembled violently, but his feet had already moved on their own, finding his shoes. Without even grabbing a jacket, he rushed towards Yan Shengping’s study.
This was the first time Lin Ganzhi had entered without knocking. Yan Shengping, who was looking at his phone, was startled and frowned. “What are you doing?”
Lin Ganzhi walked straight to Yan Shengping’s desk, where a bowl sat. Four steps, five steps, ten steps. When Lin Ganzhi saw the bowl with only a little dreg left, the color drained completely from his face.
No wonder Grandpa Qin’s questions had been so strange. No wonder Wenren Yi and Que Jin always had such complicated expressions. No wonder everyone on the island during the show had looked at him with a hint of pity in their eyes.
He was screwed. This was a massive misunderstanding. It felt like the whole world now knew about Yan Shengping’s “stomach trouble.” If Yan Shengping found out, would he be thrown out of the house?
“Yan Shengping, did you drink all the medicine? You didn’t pour any of it out?”
“Uncle Yan spent hours brewing it. Do you take me for a child?”
You’ve been acting pretty childishly before!
Lin Ganzhi’s head was buzzing. His subconscious told him that if Yan Shengping knew the truth, he might be thrown off the second floor, but his conscience warned him that he had to tell him.
For the first time, Lin Ganzhi felt so unreliable! Had the waves on the island washed his brain away?
Seeing Lin Ganzhi’s bloodless face, Yan Shengping had a vague guess as to what was going on. However, he felt no unusual effects at the moment. If he didn’t intervene, Lin Ganzhi looked like he might faint.
“Sit down and talk. What’s wrong?” Yan Shengping gestured with his eyes to the sofa chair on the side.
Lin Ganzhi plopped down with a thud, some feeling finally returning to his body. It was over. This time, he really wanted to cry. “I think my friend misunderstood what I meant. The medicine was prescribed for the wrong thing…” Lin Ganzhi was too ashamed to look up.
Yan Shengping had seen the prescription. One of his college roommates had studied traditional Chinese medicine, so he’d picked up a thing or two. None of the herbs on the list were harmful.
“What is this medicine supposed to treat?” Yan Shengping’s voice sounded surprisingly calm.
Lin Ganzhi cautiously raised his head, his heart pounding. He took a full minute to gather his courage before speaking in the softest voice he had ever used in this house. “Im… potence.”
…
Yan Shengping’s rare good mood vanished in an instant. A chilling gaze fell upon Lin Ganzhi, followed by a terrifying smile. “Lin Ganzhi, what did you just say?”
Lin Ganzhi flinched in fear, looking over with pitiful eyes, but he didn’t dare repeat himself.
Should he take a cold shower? No, with Yan Shengping’s constitution, one cold shower might just kill him, and then he’d be a terrible sinner. Maybe he should call Doctor Zhang.
“I-I’ll call Doctor Zhang right now!” Lin Ganzhi whipped out his phone, on the verge of tears.
Yan Shengping quickly got up and stopped him.
Lin Ganzhi looked up blankly, his watery eyes seeming to ask, Aren’t we going to call a doctor?
No, he had his pride.
“The effects of Chinese medicine aren’t that strong. One bowl will, at most, make me feel a little warm. It’s not a big deal. Just get the right medicine next time you’re free,” Yan Shengping said, enunciating each word, afraid Lin Ganzhi would actually make the call if he didn’t stop him.
His words made Lin Ganzhi feel even more guilty. Yan Shengping had been willing to test the medicine for him, which was already incredibly kind, yet he had gotten him the wrong prescription because he didn’t understand an internet buzzword.
“So, Yan Shengping, how are you feeling now?” Lin Ganzhi asked with concern.
Yan Shengping took a deep breath to check himself. “I don’t feel anything for now.” He just felt a pleasant warmth in his stomach.
“Then you should go rest. No, wait, I’ll stay with you tonight. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, call me immediately!” Lin Ganzhi was a man of action. He stood up, ready to get his things for Yan Shengping’s room.
But he hadn’t taken two steps before Yan Shengping pulled him back. This time, Yan Shengping used a bit more force, and Lin Ganzhi crashed right into his arms.
Yan Shengping let out a muffled grunt, and Lin Ganzhi quickly stood up straight.
The scents of coconut milk and cool pine intertwined between them.
Looking down, Yan Shengping saw the small, white whorl of hair beneath Lin Ganzhi’s black-and-pink dyed locks.
“Is your nose okay?” Yan Shengping asked subconsciously. His arm felt quite soft.
Lin Ganzhi rubbed his nose and looked up. “Compared to you, it’s nothing at all.” It was his signature pitiful look.
Yan Shengping couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. Why was it that every time something happened to him, Lin Ganzhi looked more aggrieved than he did?
“You don’t need to stay with me. It’s not like I took some ordinary wrong medicine. I’ll just run a bit of a fever tonight and it’ll pass. If you come to stay with me, I can’t guarantee it will be just a fever,” Yan Shengping’s voice grew hoarse and deep by the end.
The light in Lin Ganzhi’s eyes flickered violently as some R-rated images began to roll through his mind.
!!!
A brief silence fell between them. Finally, Yan Shengping reached out and tapped Lin Ganzhi’s forehead. “Go get some rest.”
His tone was so gentle, it was as if he were bidding him goodnight.
Lin Ganzhi discovered something about himself: he was completely susceptible to kindness but resistant to harshness. When Yan Shengping was mean to him, his mental state was fine. But when Yan Shengping started to accept his presence, act gently towards him, and forgive his mistakes without limit, he felt too upset to sleep.
After tossing and turning for the 99th time, Lin Ganzhi resolutely got out of bed. Cradling his quilt and pillow, he marched heroically toward Yan Shengping’s bedroom.
Knock, knock, knock! Lin Ganzhi tapped lightly on the door. After a delay of more than ten seconds, a voice from inside said, “Come in.”
Lin Ganzhi pushed the door open to the same somber decor. The gray furniture exuded a cold and chilling air.
Yan Shengping was sitting up in bed, holding a book on economics. When he saw the Hela Quilt and pillow in Lin Ganzhi’s hands, he sighed, but a faint joy flickered in his heart at Lin Ganzhi’s approach.
“I can sleep on the floor!” Lin Ganzhi eagerly pointed out his own merits. A sleeping spot was a sleeping spot. Back when he lived in a tiny rental, he didn’t even have a thick mattress, but he slept just fine.
“Why sleep on the floor when there’s a sofa?” Yan Shengping pointed to a large, 1.8-meter gray sofa in the room.
Ah, right. He should probably watch fewer melodramas recently; they were starting to bleed into his life.
Lin Ganzhi deftly placed his quilt and pillow on the sofa. When he looked up, he could see Yan Shengping’s long upper eyelashes.
“Yan Shengping, how are you feeling now?” Lin Ganzhi asked with concern.
Yan Shengping turned a page, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the chocolate-strawberry sandwich cookie. “I’m fine, no problems. Don’t worry too much.” In fact, what Yan Shengping wanted to ask was, I’ve already said those things, so why did you still dare to come over? Do you really like me that much?
But in the end, Yan Shengping didn’t ask. He didn’t feel he and Lin Ganzhi had reached that stage yet.
For the rest of the time, the two were unusually harmonious. Yan Shengping read his book while Lin Ganzhi scrolled through his phone. After having his tower pushed down for three consecutive games, even the good-tempered Lin Ganzhi angrily quit and started browsing Weibo.
Since the first episode of “Let’s Survive” aired, his public image had improved considerably. He heard there was even a fan club called the “Sweet As Malt Sugar Fan Club,” the same name as his fan club in his past life.
His latest Weibo post was still the thank-you message from before. Now, besides the usual abuse from old acquaintances, there were also some fans asking him to post an update.
But Lin Ganzhi had no experience in this area and didn’t know what to post, so he had been putting it off.
As if on cue, a sharp-tongued message from Brother Zhang arrived: [You there? Post something on Weibo? Got it? You’re an actor? An artist? Got it?]
Lin Ganzhi: [Brother Zhang, you’re paying so much attention to me this late at night, I’m getting embarrassed~] Lin Ganzhi replied with his usual perverted flair.
Zhang Dianhuai: [I was looking at Que Jin’s Weibo and happened to see yours. Don’t overthink it, heh.]
Hiss—
He was even more of a tsundere than Yan Shengping!
However, [Brother Zhang, are you going to manage Sister Que Jin?]
Zhang Dianhuai knew this kid had his sources: [Yeah, the higher-ups are thinking about it. The management group chat was buzzing about it this afternoon. But Que Jin really shouldn’t be managed by that good-for-nothing. Look how skinny she’s gotten.]
The thought of Que Jin escaping that tormentor’s clutches instantly made Lin Ganzhi feel much better. [Brother Zhang, congratulations in advance! Sister Que Jin is a Best Actress, so you’ve got another great talent on your hands.]
Zhang Dianhuai: [I’ll take that. Even if you’re married, don’t be such a slacker. At least be active online. Think of it this way: if you slowly clean up your image, people’s impression of CEO Yan will also improve. Isn’t that better than paying for good press?]
A jolt went through Lin Ganzhi. Right, why hadn’t he thought of it that way? Anything that benefited his boss was something he had to do!
Lin Ganzhi thanked Zhang Dianhuai, his mind already racing, trying to figure out what to post first.
As he thought, his fingers found their way to a gacha game. He hadn’t played in a while. Lin Ganzhi topped up his account with some money, but just as he was about to go on a rampage, he remembered his Unlucky Player status. Lin Ganzhi looked up, his eyes fixed on Yan Shengping.
Yan Shengping, who couldn’t possibly ignore such an intense stare, held out for a minute before putting down his book. His gaze met Lin Ganzhi’s. “Spit it out.”