Chapter 25

When Lin Ze arrived at the hospital, Situ Ye was having his bone set. The corridor was empty except for Lin Ze. Situ Ye’s agonized screams, hoarse from pain, twisted Lin Ze’s heart into knots.

He pushed the door open and entered. Situ Ye’s forehead was drenched in sweat. The moment he saw Lin Ze, he clenched his teeth and held back his cries. His face was deathly pale, and when he looked up at Lin Ze, his expression was like that of a child who had done something wrong. His lips trembled uncontrollably, and his head was covered in blood. Lin Ze immediately sought out the doctor, who said, “Minor traumatic fracture.”

“Did he hit his head?” Lin Ze had nearly been scared to death by Situ Ye. A fracture was one thing, but saying his “arm was broken” had made him imagine a bloody scene of severed limbs the entire way here.

As long as it wasn’t serious, Lin Ze asked, “Why is there so much blood on his head?”

The doctor replied, “It’s nothing, just scrapes. We’ve already taken X-rays. His arm is slightly more serious.”

Lin Ze had almost been hit by a car while crossing the street earlier. His entire body had gone cold with fear. Only now, seeing Situ Ye in this state, did he finally calm down a little. He thought to himself, Alright, alright, at least I can see him now.

The doctor added, “Hang in there, it’ll be over soon. Young man, you come over here. Men have more strength.”

Lin Ze went over to help the nurse hold Situ Ye’s arm and murmured, “Be gentle…”

The doctor realigned Situ Ye’s arm. This time, Situ Ye only let out a muffled groan, his whole body convulsing before he exhaled a long breath. “The car’s at Lianglukou… I crashed into someone else’s car.”

Lin Ze motioned for him to stop talking and lie down. “I’ll handle it.”

“I’m sorry, A’Ze. I drank last night, and my head still hurts a bit…”

“Don’t say that, or I’ll hit you.”

Situ Ye immediately fell silent. Lin Ze asked for the car owner’s phone number but didn’t inquire about the car model. He stepped outside to call Zhao Yuhang, asking him to come keep Situ Ye company while he took a taxi to deal with the accident scene.

As he was leaving the ward, the doctor stopped him with a prescription slip. “What’s your relationship to him? Don’t leave yet, come here…”

“I’m his younger brother,” Lin Ze replied in the hallway, quickly signing the slip and handing money to the nurse. “Beauty, could you help me pay this? Give the change to the guy inside. Thanks.” Then he ran out of the hospital.

Lin Ze called the newspaper office. The editor-in-chief first asked about Situ Ye’s condition. After confirming he was fine, he proceeded to scold Lin Ze. Given what had happened that morning, Lin Ze knew there was no hope for his bonus this month. On top of that, he’d have to cover the car repair costs. The other party likely had insurance, but if it wasn’t comprehensive, they’d have to negotiate liability. The back-and-forth would be a hassle, and in the end, they’d probably still have to pay some compensation.

The worst part was that Situ Ye hadn’t renewed his insurance this year. Lin Ze had reminded him once before, thinking he wouldn’t forget—but he had.

Please don’t let it be too serious. Please don’t let it be a luxury car… My luck can’t be that bad, right? Lin Ze ran out of the hospital, crossed two streets, and when he saw the scene behind the roundabout, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

He stood by the roadside, finally able to relax. Thank goodness, thank goodness. He bought a bottle of water first, smoked a cigarette to steady his nerves, then went over to talk to the traffic police and the car owner.

The car that had been hit was a Chery worth a little over 30,000 yuan, with its door caved in from the impact.

He stood by the roadside and called a traffic police captain he knew, explaining that they’d hit someone’s Chery. The captain laughed for a while after hearing the details and commented that Lin Ze was really unlucky, but as long as no one was seriously hurt, it was fine. Shortly after, someone was sent to handle the situation, and the insurance company’s representative arrived as well.

The other driver had initially thought Situ Ye, who looked like a student and was driving an old Jeep, would be easy to bully. When Situ Ye got out of the car, his arm was already broken, and he claimed it was a company car—he was just the driver and needed to call his supervisor. But Lin Ze hadn’t answered his phone because he was dealing with the incident at the newspaper office. The other driver and his companions wouldn’t let Situ Ye leave. Situ Ye was in too much pain to hold out, so a kind passerby took him to the nearest hospital to have his bone set. Situ Ye managed to call a few times with his right hand before Lin Ze finally called back.

Now that Lin Ze had arrived, the other party saw someone who didn’t look particularly impressive either, but at least he was wearing a suit. “Where’s your supervisor?”

“I am the supervisor,” Lin Ze retorted. “What? Doesn’t look like it?”

Lin Ze went to assess the situation, thinking, You guys are completely fine—what are you making such a fuss about? My wife’s arm is broken, and I haven’t even settled accounts with you yet.

The car owner had several people with him and was about to curse at Lin Ze, but Lin Ze preemptively snapped, “Fuck your mom, don’t panic—Laozi is a reporter. Wait until the captain gets here, and I’ll give you a proper explanation. Everyone stay put! No one leaves!”

This was the first time Lin Ze had ever initiated a verbal attack. The group immediately exploded, ready to start a fight. The traffic police couldn’t ignore it and quickly intervened, “Don’t start anything! Hey! Comrade! Watch your language. There wasn’t an issue before—don’t make trouble for me.”

Just then, the traffic police captain arrived. Three motorcycles pulled up to the roadside. Lin Ze shook hands with him, and the car owner immediately shut up at the sight. The captain took off his sunglasses, glanced around, and said, “Just follow procedure. Has the liability assessment been done yet? Once that’s settled, Reporter Lin can go back. Just leave them your contact info—they’ll notify you if anything comes up.”

Lin Ze nodded, knowing the captain would back him up. Situ Ye was fully at fault anyway. He sent the captain a text saying he’d pay whatever compensation was fair—no more, no less—but he didn’t want the other party causing endless trouble at the newspaper office. That kid Situ Ye must’ve been distracted while driving—probably didn’t sleep all night.

After handling everything that day, the other party’s insurance company sent someone to investigate. The Jeep was mostly fine, though there was some of Situ Ye’s blood on the door and seat from when he’d scraped his head. Zhao Yuhang came over and drove Lin Ze back to the newspaper office in the car. Lin Ze went inside to fill out some forms, then came back down to fetch a bucket of water and clean the car.

While he was cleaning, Situ Ye called again, asking where Lin Ze was, how bad the car situation was, how much they’d have to pay, and whether it was a luxury car. Had he gotten scolded? Lin Ze thought for a moment and muttered, “Damn it…”

Situ Ye: “What?”

Zhao Yuhang held the phone to Situ Ye’s ear. Situ Ye’s arm was in a cast, resting against his chest, and his head was wrapped up like an Arab’s. He watched TV while using his other hand to pick strawberries from a plate by the bed.

Lin Ze’s voice sounded sinister over the phone: “We’re fully liable. That Chery you hit is worth over two million, and we don’t have insurance. You couldn’t pay it back even if we sold you. Guess you’ll have to repay me with your body.”

Situ Ye frowned. “It’s that expensive?”

Zhao Yuhang asked, “What kind of car did you hit? You don’t even know?”

“I didn’t get a good look. My arm hurt so much I could barely think. The other guy was speaking Sichuan dialect too fast for me to understand. He said it was a Chery, and we’re fully liable. Are Cherys really that expensive? Over two million?”

Zhao Yuhang: “…”

“Hey, Lin Ze, don’t bully my brother.”

“Get lost, get lost! Put him back on.”

Situ Ye’s left arm was in a cast, and he gestured with his right hand—How much? Zhao Yuhang casually held up five fingers to reassure him. Situ Ye’s eyes widened, mouthing, Five million?

“Fifty thousand!” Zhao Yuhang snapped.

“We have to pay that much?”

“The car only costs fifty thousand in total!”

Finally realizing Lin Ze had been messing with him, Situ Ye took the phone and muttered, “Alright, I’ll definitely pay you back.”

Zhao Yuhang didn’t know what else Lin Ze said. He took the phone back, “A’Ze.”

“Buy him some fruit. He likes imported ones.”

“Already did. Three pounds of strawberries for ten yuan at the hospital entrance. Why waste money on imported stuff? A’Ze, let me tell you…”

Lin Ze paused. Zhao Yuhang continued over the phone, “He couldn’t sleep well last night because you teased him, so he wasn’t paying attention while driving…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. No need to pin the blame on me. I’ll take good care of him,” Lin Ze muttered. “So naggy. I’ve still got things to do here. I’ll come over in the afternoon when I’m done.”

With that, he hung up and continued wiping the blood off the car door, his heart filled with an indescribable feeling.

The rest of the day was a chaotic mess of phone calls—dealing with the insurance company, the editor-in-chief, the president, and today’s news couldn’t be neglected either. He called back and forth between the newspaper office and the hospital, then went home to grab his laptop before heading to the hospital to write his article. Between medical fees, partial compensation, nutrition for Situ Ye, and the deducted bonus, the total came close to twenty thousand yuan.

In the evening, Zheng Jie came to visit and went to eat with Zhao Yuhang. Lin Ze stayed at the hospital, asking them to bring back food for him.

“A’Ze, my dear brother, how much did you have to pay?” Situ Ye asked. “I’ve got some money saved up.”

Lin Ze lay down next to Situ Ye on the hospital bed and said, “Call me ‘boss.’ What money? Didn’t you only have five hundred left this month?”

“Yeah, that five hundred. You can take it all. Just cover my food and lodging from now on, okay?”

Lin Ze looked up from his news article and glanced at Situ Ye, who reached out to grab another strawberry—only to find the plate empty. Lin Ze had taken it away. “Too many strawberries will make you heaty. No more. Does your brother have too much love to give or something? Why’s he spoiling you like this just because he’s got a little brother now?”

“Ah, how could my brother compare to you? You’re such a good wife.”

“You’re the good wife. Your whole family are good wives.”

They fell silent for a moment. Lin Ze still felt the atmosphere was awkward. Ever since last night, their relationship had been stuck in this weird limbo—not quite friends, not quite lovers. Lin Ze studied him for a while before frowning. “How could you not know how much a Chery costs?”

Lin Ze always felt that Situ Ye was actually sharp as a tack about everything and just played dumb to amuse him most of the time. This guy was a mix of truth and lies, impossible to pin down. But this time, Situ Ye immediately explained, “I really didn’t know.”

Fine, I’ll believe you for now. Lin Ze went back to editing his news piece.

“My wallet’s over there. If it’s not enough, I can ask my dad…”

“No need. It’s enough.”

“How much did it cost, really?”

“Why are you so naggy?”

“I’m worried. I made you lose money…”

“Didn’t I say you’d have to repay me with yourself?”

“You don’t have to pay me a salary anymore. Just cover my food and lodging. I’ll work hard to pay you back.”

“A bone injury takes a hundred days to heal. You won’t be able to do any strenuous activity for at least three months. Forget about taking photos for now.”

“A’Ze, I’m afraid I don’t have much time left.”

Lin Ze: “…”

“What did you say?!”

Situ Ye laughed, shielding himself with one hand. “You’re too good to me. I’m afraid I might not be able to resist running away someday—leaving you.”

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

Hearing this, Lin Ze suddenly felt an indescribable emotion, as if a long-silent string in his heart had been plucked again. What would he do if Situ Ye left? He’d already grown used to having Situ Ye around—this guy followed him everywhere. If he suddenly disappeared, Lin Ze would have to return to his old, solitary life.

Going to work alone, coming home alone, conducting interviews alone… Lin Ze had never thought there was anything wrong with that kind of life before. He’d still rushed around like a dog every day. But after experiencing life with Situ Ye, everything felt different. So much joy would vanish, leaving only loneliness trailing behind him like a shadow.

“Can’t you not leave?”

“I want you to come with me. Let’s wander the world together. No romance, no love—just you accompanying me to the ends of the earth.”

“Impossible,” Lin Ze said, lying back against the pillow

Let’s wander the world together. No romance, no love—just you accompanying me to the ends of the earth. It sounded like lyrics from a song. If this had been five years ago, Lin Ze might’ve slung a bag over his shoulder and followed him without a second thought. Whether as lovers or friends, wandering together would’ve been its own kind of happiness. But now? Now it was impossible. Why? Lin Ze didn’t know. He simply attributed it to one reason—he’d grown old.

They lay in silence for a long time before Situ Ye whispered, “My arm hurts.”

“Does it?” Lin Ze propped himself up to examine Situ Ye’s left shoulder. Situ Ye used his right arm to pull Lin Ze into an embrace.

“What’s wrong now?”

Situ Ye smiled but didn’t answer. Lin Ze knew he was acting spoiled and found it amusing that someone so grown-up could still behave like this.

“How long do I have to stay in the hospital?”

“Not sure. Five or six days? After you’re discharged, you’ll stay at my place.”

Situ Ye immediately perked up. “Really?”

“Of course. Who else is going to take care of you?”

They fell silent again. Lin Ze thought about how Situ Ye had once mentioned that after repaying his debts and saving up some money, he’d continue his journey. He didn’t press the matter, not wanting to discuss it now. They both needed time to think.

Zheng Jie returned with dinner. Lin Ze went to take the food container and asked, “Where’s Brother Zhao?”

Lin Ze took the container, chopsticks already in his mouth as he started eating. Situ Ye watched him eagerly.

“He went to a friend’s place.”

Lin Ze remembered Zhao Yuhang had friends in Chongqing, so he knew Zhao wouldn’t be staying over tonight. Zhao Yuhang was practically half-straight and got along well with Zheng Jie—a friend worth keeping.

Zheng Jie left after his visit, heading back to work overtime.

“Wife, did you forget something?”

Lin Ze: “Call me ‘boss.’ Did I? Forget what?”

Lin Ze wolfed down his food, opened a can of coconut milk, and only then sat down to feed Situ Ye. Seeing that the chicken in the meal looked tasty, he picked out the tender pieces for himself.

Situ Ye: “…”

Lin Ze glanced at him. Situ Ye looked utterly dejected. Lin Ze smirked inwardly, fed Situ Ye until he was full, and asked, “Want to shower?”

Situ Ye hurriedly refused, “N-no.”

Lin Ze hadn’t realized Situ Ye could be so bashful. Lying in the hospital bed, he seemed nothing like his usual self. That night, after some internet browsing, they turned off the lights to sleep. Situ Ye told Lin Ze to go home, but Lin Ze insisted on staying. Over the next few days, colleagues came to visit Situ Ye. Even the editor-in-chief and the president dropped by, telling him to rest well—though this was entirely out of respect for Lin Ze. Otherwise, the big bosses wouldn’t have bothered; a director’s visit would’ve sufficed. During this time, Lin Ze and Situ Ye mostly talked about work.

Lin Ze handled both photography and news reporting in the mornings. Situ Ye was a little worried, and the photo quality did drop slightly, but the editor-in-chief didn’t comment.

After five days, Situ Ye was discharged with his cast. Lin Ze offered, “I’ll help you terminate your lease. Move into my place.”

That afternoon, Lin Ze asked Zheng Jie to buy groceries so they could cook at home. They ran into each other downstairs and went up together to celebrate Situ Ye’s discharge.

“Rest well at home, okay?” Zheng Jie said.

“Yeah, sorry for the trouble,” Situ Ye replied sheepishly.

Zheng Jie waved it off. “No trouble at all. Welcome to the family.”

Situ Ye and Zheng Jie had known each other for a while. Zheng Jie hardly had any friends—his subordinates were terrified of him, and he couldn’t bring himself to suck up to his superiors. His life revolved around home and work. In contrast, Lin Ze had more friends, and since Lin Ze’s friends became his friends, they all ended up hanging out together.

The three of them chatted and laughed as they took the elevator up and entered the hallway—only to find a gangster standing there. Lin Ze’s heart sank. The debt collectors are finally here.